I'm imagining everyone has been to a Red Lobster at one time or another. It's corporate, and the funniest part is, the food may be frozen, it may all come from HQ, but the menu is still inventive, the food has always been more forward-thinking than most mom & pop joints (read: not fried, and seafood in multiple configurations other than the standard combo platter) and in most parts of the country, this is really the only good place you can go for seafood. I find it really interesting that for as long as I've been going to "the Lobster" (since the 80s), it has remained inventive with its menu items and the quality has remained even-keeled. I remember Sunday trips to "the Lobster" with my Nan on our big shopping days... ordering the crab legs (and devouring them like a hungry crab-eating wolf), learning about the joys of a pre-dinner salad and feeling like I was on top of the world.
Having said that, I will add that I feel bad eating here (even though the cheesy biscuits are sooo good), because it's still corporate and evil and I live near the beach, for chrissakes. But we had a gift card, dammit.
What we had:
I had my usual combo platter with a twist: they now offer (overcooked but I don't care) grilled shrimp. I had grilled shrimp, Snow crab legs and seafood-stuffed flounder with a langustino-topped baked potato. Actually, I had the flounder and potato for lunch the next day, because I thought I was going to split after the crab, shrimp, cheesy biscuits & Caesar salad. It's not high-quality food, but it's good, and it's reliable. (we went here before Captain Jim's).
My DH had some langustino-topped fillet of fish dish. The broccoli was waaaayyyy under-done.
We also saw on the menu what could be my husband's undoing; a chocolate-chip lava cookie topped with vanilla ice cream. We must go back. He got so excited when he saw that on the menu, I swear the man almost teared up. Any food that makes my love squeal with delight like a schoolgirl must be eaten. Lard be damned!
Décor:
It's Red Lobster.
Service:
Red Lobster-esque.
Overall impressions:
I don't care if it is evil, it's comfort food. Even though they couldn't cook lobster to save their collective lives, the shrimp is always rubbery and the crab is occasionally soggy. I don't care. (cheesy biscuits) We will totally go back.
Company website; what Google says
Rating:
3 out of 5 salamanders
New York Roma Pizza & Mario the Baker Pizza
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These 2 aren't even worth real posts. Meh and meh. Not great at all. Edible, but barely. We got delivery thin crust from both. Half pepperoni/half eggplant from New York and half pepperoni/half mushroom from Mario.
I will say that I was impressed by the amount of toppings on the pizza from Mario.
The sauce on both pizzas was pretty tasteless, the cheese almost non-existent. Neither was burnt, so that's a plus. Neither had any taste, either.
Needless to say, we will not be ordering from either again.
New York Google listing (we ordered from the Collins Ave./Sunny Isles location which is not listed): Mario Google listing, website.
1.5 salamanders for each. Edible, but not an experience I would repeat. I'd rather have Pappa John's.
I will say that I was impressed by the amount of toppings on the pizza from Mario.
The sauce on both pizzas was pretty tasteless, the cheese almost non-existent. Neither was burnt, so that's a plus. Neither had any taste, either.
Needless to say, we will not be ordering from either again.
New York Google listing (we ordered from the Collins Ave./Sunny Isles location which is not listed): Mario Google listing, website.
1.5 salamanders for each. Edible, but not an experience I would repeat. I'd rather have Pappa John's.
Captain Jim's Seafood
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Fresh seafood restaurant/market with a pretty decent selection of fresh and shipped seafood.
What we had:
I had the stone crab and my DH had the tuna with fries. I had never had stone crab before, so I had no earthly idea what to expect. I love crab, and the black fingernails of the crabs are cute. They kind of look like cartoon claws. I ordered a pound of "medium" crab ($20.99). No side. They were chilled but not frozen, which I didn't expect. The meat was... interesting. I didn't hate it, I didn't love it. There is no threat to King Crab here. Not as bad as Dungeness, not as good as the old standby, Snow. I would like the meat better in a crabcake, I think. It had a different taste. Not muddy, like a Dungeness, just not sweet like a King. Kind of hard to describe. The shell, now that was something else. It was crazy thick. Like, you can't crack it without some form of tool, and thankfully someone had whacked it with a mallet before service. The meat also stuck to the inside of the shell and the white thingie in the middle of the claw like nobody's business. I was actually tired of eating the crab long before I'd finished. (I can inhale some crab. Crab for me is a messy, messy experience. I will go after a shred of crab like a weiner on a badger.) I also think I detected the faint taste of bleach, but I'm not 100% sure on that one. I am extremely sensitive to bleach, and it could very well just have been carry-over from cleaning the cases out. I just mention it here, more as a note to myself as something to watch for next time.
My DH's tuna steak was great. Seasoned well, cooked nice and rare. The meal was also served with a nice crab salad appetizer of sorts with crackers. It was tasty, but I miss hushpuppies.
Décor:
The decor was typical local fish joint. There wasn't much. Plastic plates & cutlery, but that's a good sign for a local fish joint.
Service:
Not bad. The girl that brought our drinks was strange, but the waitress/barmaid was nice enough.
Overall impressions:
We will go back. There were 4 or 5 things on the menu I was excited about (including conch). The food seems honest. Not fancy, but fresh and honest. And, I saw almost nothing on the menu that you had to order fried.
No company website; what Google says
Rating:
3 out of 5 salamanders (tentatively, I'm hoping for 4 next time)
What we had:
I had the stone crab and my DH had the tuna with fries. I had never had stone crab before, so I had no earthly idea what to expect. I love crab, and the black fingernails of the crabs are cute. They kind of look like cartoon claws. I ordered a pound of "medium" crab ($20.99). No side. They were chilled but not frozen, which I didn't expect. The meat was... interesting. I didn't hate it, I didn't love it. There is no threat to King Crab here. Not as bad as Dungeness, not as good as the old standby, Snow. I would like the meat better in a crabcake, I think. It had a different taste. Not muddy, like a Dungeness, just not sweet like a King. Kind of hard to describe. The shell, now that was something else. It was crazy thick. Like, you can't crack it without some form of tool, and thankfully someone had whacked it with a mallet before service. The meat also stuck to the inside of the shell and the white thingie in the middle of the claw like nobody's business. I was actually tired of eating the crab long before I'd finished. (I can inhale some crab. Crab for me is a messy, messy experience. I will go after a shred of crab like a weiner on a badger.) I also think I detected the faint taste of bleach, but I'm not 100% sure on that one. I am extremely sensitive to bleach, and it could very well just have been carry-over from cleaning the cases out. I just mention it here, more as a note to myself as something to watch for next time.
My DH's tuna steak was great. Seasoned well, cooked nice and rare. The meal was also served with a nice crab salad appetizer of sorts with crackers. It was tasty, but I miss hushpuppies.
Décor:
The decor was typical local fish joint. There wasn't much. Plastic plates & cutlery, but that's a good sign for a local fish joint.
Service:
Not bad. The girl that brought our drinks was strange, but the waitress/barmaid was nice enough.
Overall impressions:
We will go back. There were 4 or 5 things on the menu I was excited about (including conch). The food seems honest. Not fancy, but fresh and honest. And, I saw almost nothing on the menu that you had to order fried.
No company website; what Google says
Rating:
3 out of 5 salamanders (tentatively, I'm hoping for 4 next time)
Houston's
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Although their website would have you believe that this is one of those rare "local" and somehow different and therefore better restaurants that are part of a massive consortium, I really didn't get that feel. This place just feels like a chain. Albeit, of the upscale Chang's/Bonefish ilk.
The decor was nice, I will give it that. The view was amazing.
The website bills this place (A Hillstone venture) as simply American. I would agree with that. The menu wasn't "steakhouse" or any one feel. It seemed to be a bit of just general, everyday food. We had no idea what to expect going in, having only heard that the salads were great and the main dish a friend had gotten was so-so.
What we had:
I had the prime rib with a side I can't remember and the house salad. My DH had a roast beef sandwich with fries. The prime rib was pretty tasteless as prime rib goes. They didn't use any seasoning at all, bar a light dusting of salt & pepper on the top. Generally, I'm all for simple preparation, but in the case of a prime rib, a bit of garlic, rosemary or even a nice red go a long way towards enhancing the natural flavor of the beef. Not so at Houston's. I was sad, but it was pretty tasteless. A shame, really. I will say, in the interest of attempting to be as objective as possible that I'm somewhat of a steak Nazi. I know what I like, and I will tolerate nothing less. I like my meat tender, flavorful, bloody and succulent. Over-cooked shoe leather is simply not an option. I tend to feel in those cases, capital punishment should be not only expected but encouraged. This was a tender piece of meat, don't get me wrong, I was just disappointed by the lack of taste. And the lack of proper selection on the menu in the case of steak, too. Possibly because I was craving cow the night we went. They did have a fillet on the menu, but I wasn't feeling trusting a restaurant I didn't know with a cut of meat that has sorely disappointed over the past few years (I'm convinced that the standard for calling a cut of meat a "fillet" has changed--gone is the buttery smoothness of my youth--replaced with too much fat, and too much grain) that night. The salad, now that's a different story altogether. The salad was great. It had romaine, the ubiquitous iceberg, real bacon, egg, croutons, and I can't remember what all else. I was loving it. The house dressing is a honey-mustard vinaigrette.
My DH's sandwich was pretty good. No real complaints, except that the bread would have been better toasted. He thought it was decent, not great, not wanting to make his belly cry. The fries were okay, too.
Décor:
The decor was nice. Interesting pieces on the wall, lots of high-backed black leather booths. Open floorplan style massive chain restaurant. The view, however, was amazing. Right on the water.
Service:
Not bad. The waiters in black were nice, as were the managers in suits and the hostesses in jackets. They blended nice with the after-work/out for a night out crowd.
Overall impressions:
I would like to go back for the salad. I wouldn't go back for anything else. The prices for the quality just didn't warrant it. Come to think of it, I bet I could find a better salad somewhere that didn't try so hard while not trying at all.
Company website; what Google says
Rating:
2 out of 5 salamanders
The decor was nice, I will give it that. The view was amazing.
The website bills this place (A Hillstone venture) as simply American. I would agree with that. The menu wasn't "steakhouse" or any one feel. It seemed to be a bit of just general, everyday food. We had no idea what to expect going in, having only heard that the salads were great and the main dish a friend had gotten was so-so.
What we had:
I had the prime rib with a side I can't remember and the house salad. My DH had a roast beef sandwich with fries. The prime rib was pretty tasteless as prime rib goes. They didn't use any seasoning at all, bar a light dusting of salt & pepper on the top. Generally, I'm all for simple preparation, but in the case of a prime rib, a bit of garlic, rosemary or even a nice red go a long way towards enhancing the natural flavor of the beef. Not so at Houston's. I was sad, but it was pretty tasteless. A shame, really. I will say, in the interest of attempting to be as objective as possible that I'm somewhat of a steak Nazi. I know what I like, and I will tolerate nothing less. I like my meat tender, flavorful, bloody and succulent. Over-cooked shoe leather is simply not an option. I tend to feel in those cases, capital punishment should be not only expected but encouraged. This was a tender piece of meat, don't get me wrong, I was just disappointed by the lack of taste. And the lack of proper selection on the menu in the case of steak, too. Possibly because I was craving cow the night we went. They did have a fillet on the menu, but I wasn't feeling trusting a restaurant I didn't know with a cut of meat that has sorely disappointed over the past few years (I'm convinced that the standard for calling a cut of meat a "fillet" has changed--gone is the buttery smoothness of my youth--replaced with too much fat, and too much grain) that night. The salad, now that's a different story altogether. The salad was great. It had romaine, the ubiquitous iceberg, real bacon, egg, croutons, and I can't remember what all else. I was loving it. The house dressing is a honey-mustard vinaigrette.
My DH's sandwich was pretty good. No real complaints, except that the bread would have been better toasted. He thought it was decent, not great, not wanting to make his belly cry. The fries were okay, too.
Décor:
The decor was nice. Interesting pieces on the wall, lots of high-backed black leather booths. Open floorplan style massive chain restaurant. The view, however, was amazing. Right on the water.
Service:
Not bad. The waiters in black were nice, as were the managers in suits and the hostesses in jackets. They blended nice with the after-work/out for a night out crowd.
Overall impressions:
I would like to go back for the salad. I wouldn't go back for anything else. The prices for the quality just didn't warrant it. Come to think of it, I bet I could find a better salad somewhere that didn't try so hard while not trying at all.
Company website; what Google says
Rating:
2 out of 5 salamanders
Lemon Fizz
|
Syrian-style (light like Lebonese) sandwiches with smoothies, hookahs at night, a big tv and Wi-Fi.
What we had:
I had a Falafel Saj, my DH had a honey-mustard chicken Saj. I was told by a Pakistani friend of mine once that you can really tell the quality of a middle-eastern restaurant by their Falafel. Seems like a good rule of thumb to me. The falafel here was perhaps the best I've ever had. If not the best, certainly tied with Neomonde Deli (Raleigh). The falafel was light, not fried to death, not greasy and not spiced to death, either. It was exactly what you don't expect; light, crispy, with a nuanced flavor. I could taste individual spices. Craziness! The Saj (flat bread... not a pita, more like a tortilla-ish foldy naan or lavash) was really good, too. They make it fresh to order. It takes a bit, but it is so worth it. The honey-mustard chicken was really good, too. Our Sajs (Sajes?) left us feeling satisfied but not bloated. We felt healthy. Like we were making a good choice. (I've already asked my DH if he's a pod person. I guess even he has to get tired of grease sometime).
Décor:
Cute. I love the neo-retro plastic chairs. The color scheme (lime, sunkist, slate and cream) is fun, upbeat and snappy. This place looks healthy.
Service:
I really hope this isn't standard. We went on a Sunday afternoon, and the place was pretty dead. I'm thinking the guy that greeted us and made our lunch was one of the owners, and he mostly had nothing to do. I really hope it gets jammin at night or something. He was really warm and friendly, though. He checked to make sure we liked what we were having, and seemed to genuinely care if we liked the food. The service was great; I just hope it gets busier.
Overall impressions:
This place is really good. It's healthy, fresh, fast, and reasonably priced. And, they have Wi-Fi. I miss Wi-Fi. They have it freakin everywhere in Jax (even Denny's), and Raleigh, too. The menu isn't huge, but what they do have is good. I want to try more. And maybe a smoothie while I'm at it. I'm kind of proud of them for their menu, too. Being a middle-eastern sandwich shop, what's the first thing you think? The ubiquitous Gyro, of course. But no, not here. No Gyro (or shwarama) anywhere on the menu. Good going, guys. A menu like that makes a statement. We're different. I like it. And, it would be very easy to eat vegetarian here, which is a plus.
Maybe this place can restore our faith in the Miami New Times a bit, too. Bella Luna was their suggestion, too, and we all know how well that turned out.
I can't believe a place that has Wi-Fi doesn't have a website; What Google says
Rating:
5 out of 5 salamanders
What we had:
I had a Falafel Saj, my DH had a honey-mustard chicken Saj. I was told by a Pakistani friend of mine once that you can really tell the quality of a middle-eastern restaurant by their Falafel. Seems like a good rule of thumb to me. The falafel here was perhaps the best I've ever had. If not the best, certainly tied with Neomonde Deli (Raleigh). The falafel was light, not fried to death, not greasy and not spiced to death, either. It was exactly what you don't expect; light, crispy, with a nuanced flavor. I could taste individual spices. Craziness! The Saj (flat bread... not a pita, more like a tortilla-ish foldy naan or lavash) was really good, too. They make it fresh to order. It takes a bit, but it is so worth it. The honey-mustard chicken was really good, too. Our Sajs (Sajes?) left us feeling satisfied but not bloated. We felt healthy. Like we were making a good choice. (I've already asked my DH if he's a pod person. I guess even he has to get tired of grease sometime).
Décor:
Cute. I love the neo-retro plastic chairs. The color scheme (lime, sunkist, slate and cream) is fun, upbeat and snappy. This place looks healthy.
Service:
I really hope this isn't standard. We went on a Sunday afternoon, and the place was pretty dead. I'm thinking the guy that greeted us and made our lunch was one of the owners, and he mostly had nothing to do. I really hope it gets jammin at night or something. He was really warm and friendly, though. He checked to make sure we liked what we were having, and seemed to genuinely care if we liked the food. The service was great; I just hope it gets busier.
Overall impressions:
This place is really good. It's healthy, fresh, fast, and reasonably priced. And, they have Wi-Fi. I miss Wi-Fi. They have it freakin everywhere in Jax (even Denny's), and Raleigh, too. The menu isn't huge, but what they do have is good. I want to try more. And maybe a smoothie while I'm at it. I'm kind of proud of them for their menu, too. Being a middle-eastern sandwich shop, what's the first thing you think? The ubiquitous Gyro, of course. But no, not here. No Gyro (or shwarama) anywhere on the menu. Good going, guys. A menu like that makes a statement. We're different. I like it. And, it would be very easy to eat vegetarian here, which is a plus.
Maybe this place can restore our faith in the Miami New Times a bit, too. Bella Luna was their suggestion, too, and we all know how well that turned out.
I can't believe a place that has Wi-Fi doesn't have a website; What Google says
Rating:
5 out of 5 salamanders
Paquitos Mexican Restaurant
|
Mmmmmm...... Mexican
What we had:
This place is fantabulous. Fan. Freakin. Tabulous. We ate here for the first time almost 2 weeks ago, and we liked it so much we took my sister in law when she came down to visit the next weekend. This was the first place we took her, it's that good. I've had the steak tacos (can't remember the name... it's on the page with the head section "Chipotle".. half way down the page, second from the left. The tacos had killer steak, a little pico, light cheese. The steak was great. The seasoning was spot-on. My DH had some sort of chicken burrito. The chicken was really great, too. And the beans. The beans! I'm pretty damn sure they didn't come from a can. I've never tasted pintos that taste... so... beany. The table salsa is even great. The second time we went, I had a combo plate. Maybe called Durango. I don't really remember what was on it except for a quesidilla, but I do remember I didn't want to stop eating it. The rice is even tolerable, and I can't stand "Mexican" rice. I can't remember what my DH had, but I know he really liked it. I'm excited to try the pork. The menu is even insane. They have everything. Even burgers. And some ginormous meat death on a plate thing. I can't remember the details, but it starts with 16 inches of steak, and ribs get involved somehow. I'm working my way up to it.
Décor:
It's bright, I'll give it that. It's kind of like Mexico threw up. A little of everything. But, strangely, it works. My only real gripe is the padded tables with burro blankets and lace on top. The table padding makes the drinks a little unstable. I'm a klutz. I don't like having to worry about dumping my drink in the food I'm totally not relinquishing for anything. It makes me tense.
Service:
Par for a Mexican restaurant. In brightly-colored outfits.
Overall impressions:
Mmmmmm..... Mexican. My SIL put it best when she said "It's better than Ranchero." [El Ranchero (or Rancherito, whatever works) is hands-down the best Mexican in Raleigh. And that's saying something.] I need to try the pork. Or the fish. Or more steak. I need to try everything. And for those of you who like to live dangerously, their Tequila selection takes up a whole page.
Company website; What Google says
(No freakin way! They have a website! And... .Delivery!!!! is 10:00 pm too late to eat Mexican?)
Rating:
5 out of 5 salamanders
What we had:
This place is fantabulous. Fan. Freakin. Tabulous. We ate here for the first time almost 2 weeks ago, and we liked it so much we took my sister in law when she came down to visit the next weekend. This was the first place we took her, it's that good. I've had the steak tacos (can't remember the name... it's on the page with the head section "Chipotle".. half way down the page, second from the left. The tacos had killer steak, a little pico, light cheese. The steak was great. The seasoning was spot-on. My DH had some sort of chicken burrito. The chicken was really great, too. And the beans. The beans! I'm pretty damn sure they didn't come from a can. I've never tasted pintos that taste... so... beany. The table salsa is even great. The second time we went, I had a combo plate. Maybe called Durango. I don't really remember what was on it except for a quesidilla, but I do remember I didn't want to stop eating it. The rice is even tolerable, and I can't stand "Mexican" rice. I can't remember what my DH had, but I know he really liked it. I'm excited to try the pork. The menu is even insane. They have everything. Even burgers. And some ginormous meat death on a plate thing. I can't remember the details, but it starts with 16 inches of steak, and ribs get involved somehow. I'm working my way up to it.
Décor:
It's bright, I'll give it that. It's kind of like Mexico threw up. A little of everything. But, strangely, it works. My only real gripe is the padded tables with burro blankets and lace on top. The table padding makes the drinks a little unstable. I'm a klutz. I don't like having to worry about dumping my drink in the food I'm totally not relinquishing for anything. It makes me tense.
Service:
Par for a Mexican restaurant. In brightly-colored outfits.
Overall impressions:
Mmmmmm..... Mexican. My SIL put it best when she said "It's better than Ranchero." [El Ranchero (or Rancherito, whatever works) is hands-down the best Mexican in Raleigh. And that's saying something.] I need to try the pork. Or the fish. Or more steak. I need to try everything. And for those of you who like to live dangerously, their Tequila selection takes up a whole page.
Company website; What Google says
(No freakin way! They have a website! And... .Delivery!!!! is 10:00 pm too late to eat Mexican?)
Rating:
5 out of 5 salamanders
Pollo Tropical
|
Newfangled Latin/Caribbean style fast food chicken joint.
What we had:
I still can't believe we've only been here twice. Pollo Tropical was actually the first place we ate in Miami. We both had the chicken fajitas. Someday I'll branch out. Someday. But the fajitas are so good. And so reasonably priced. I absolutely love the black beans & rice here. Yeah, I know, black beans. So generally unexciting. But these are good. And the rice is actually seasoned. I don't think I've ever had seasoned white rice at a restaurant. Maybe I should try more Caribbean places. The chicken at Pollo is cooked really well, and it's all really healthy since they grill the chicken. You can see them doing it. No frozen chicken-glue here (no chicken tenders, either).
Décor:
Bright, happy, vaguely tropical in a kind of fast food way. The inside of both of the locations I've eaten at reminds me of Taco Bell, but in a good way.
Service:
It's fast food. So far, at least, the cashiers seem to have all the requisite chromosomes, so that's a plus.
Overall impressions:
We like Pollo. It's healthy, light-ish, really reasonably priced and quick.
Company website; What Google says
Rating:
3 out of 5 salamanders
What we had:
I still can't believe we've only been here twice. Pollo Tropical was actually the first place we ate in Miami. We both had the chicken fajitas. Someday I'll branch out. Someday. But the fajitas are so good. And so reasonably priced. I absolutely love the black beans & rice here. Yeah, I know, black beans. So generally unexciting. But these are good. And the rice is actually seasoned. I don't think I've ever had seasoned white rice at a restaurant. Maybe I should try more Caribbean places. The chicken at Pollo is cooked really well, and it's all really healthy since they grill the chicken. You can see them doing it. No frozen chicken-glue here (no chicken tenders, either).
Décor:
Bright, happy, vaguely tropical in a kind of fast food way. The inside of both of the locations I've eaten at reminds me of Taco Bell, but in a good way.
Service:
It's fast food. So far, at least, the cashiers seem to have all the requisite chromosomes, so that's a plus.
Overall impressions:
We like Pollo. It's healthy, light-ish, really reasonably priced and quick.
Company website; What Google says
Rating:
3 out of 5 salamanders
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