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
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
Bagel Cove Restaurant
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Fresh bagel joint/deli/greasy spoon. The menu is huge, but most items are pretty much the same thing with slight variations. Lots of dishes catering to older people (chicken and something like 6 or 8 other varieties of cold gloopy salad), kosher dishes and pork products are both offered.
What we had:
I had a chicken sandwich with mushrooms, onions and cheese on a garlic bread hoagie roll. My DH had an open-faced roast beef sandwich covered in gravy. The food was decent. Not spectacular, but not bad. The fresh pickles were great.
Décor:
I don't think they've had the time to think about changing it since the 70s.
Service:
The place was jam-packed, but the service was still decent. Our waitress had been there for a million years, and she wasn't bad at all. Friendly and helpful. We sat at the counter, and talked with one of the owners a bit. She could tell it was our first time there, and she helped as she could.
Overall impressions:
This place is always packed to the rafters every weekend when we drive by. I want to put an end to my 'finding the perfect diner' crusade; 75 pounds of meat per meal is making me feel like a space-blob. I'd like to go back and try a bagel. Maybe some breakfast. I don't think I'll be back for lunch. The menu needs vegetables.
No company website; What Google says
Rating:
3 out of 5 salamanders
What we had:
I had a chicken sandwich with mushrooms, onions and cheese on a garlic bread hoagie roll. My DH had an open-faced roast beef sandwich covered in gravy. The food was decent. Not spectacular, but not bad. The fresh pickles were great.
Décor:
I don't think they've had the time to think about changing it since the 70s.
Service:
The place was jam-packed, but the service was still decent. Our waitress had been there for a million years, and she wasn't bad at all. Friendly and helpful. We sat at the counter, and talked with one of the owners a bit. She could tell it was our first time there, and she helped as she could.
Overall impressions:
This place is always packed to the rafters every weekend when we drive by. I want to put an end to my 'finding the perfect diner' crusade; 75 pounds of meat per meal is making me feel like a space-blob. I'd like to go back and try a bagel. Maybe some breakfast. I don't think I'll be back for lunch. The menu needs vegetables.
No company website; What Google says
Rating:
3 out of 5 salamanders
Johnny Rockets
|
50s-themed "fun" burger joint--no to be confused with Jack Rabbit Slim's. We went to the Dolphin Mall location.
What we had:
I had a burger with cheese, thick-cue bacon, BBQ sauce and an onion ring. My DH had a bacon cheese burger. We split an order of fries. The burger was 1 step up from Wendy's. Maybe not even 1 step up, since Wendy's is pretty good. The bacon was nice, though. The fries were quite tasty, too.
Décor:
We ate outside, and the outside food court is nice.
Service:
He tried. He really did. I think it was our server's first day, and he was nervous and socially awkward. It made me nostalgic.
Overall impressions:
I'd rather go to Steak & Shake or Wendy's. Maybe their milkshakes are good.
Company website; What Google says
Rating:
2 out of 5 salamanders
What we had:
I had a burger with cheese, thick-cue bacon, BBQ sauce and an onion ring. My DH had a bacon cheese burger. We split an order of fries. The burger was 1 step up from Wendy's. Maybe not even 1 step up, since Wendy's is pretty good. The bacon was nice, though. The fries were quite tasty, too.
Décor:
We ate outside, and the outside food court is nice.
Service:
He tried. He really did. I think it was our server's first day, and he was nervous and socially awkward. It made me nostalgic.
Overall impressions:
I'd rather go to Steak & Shake or Wendy's. Maybe their milkshakes are good.
Company website; What Google says
Rating:
2 out of 5 salamanders
Bella Luna
|
Italian at the mall.
What we had:
I had the linguine del mar, or something to that effect. Linguine with scallops, mini clams, mussels and marinara. It wasn't horrible. At least the marinara was light. One of my 5 scallops wasn't cooked to rubber. The mussels made me nervous, and weren't great. I don't remember tasting the mini clams. I think there was shrimp in the dish, but I don't remember it. My DH had linguine with alfredo and chicken. Maybe it's because my DH makes spectacular alfredo and I'm spoiled; the sauce just didn't do it for either of us. The chicken would have been better if it were properly browned, too.
Décor:
We ate outside, and the patio was squashed. Our table got rammed 3 or 4 times, and I got hit in the back of the head at least once.
Service:
About what you'd expect from an Italian joint at the mall.
Overall impressions:
Why did I think Italian at the mall was a good idea? Oh yeah, because it's an uppity mall. And I listened to what the people on Google said. One person called the food "superb." I was so wrong. Maybe I'm too picky; I expect fresh pasta from my Italian restaurants and alfredo sauce that doesn't come from a mix. At least it was better than Olive Garden.
There is no company website; What Google says
Rating:
2 out of 5 salamanders
What we had:
I had the linguine del mar, or something to that effect. Linguine with scallops, mini clams, mussels and marinara. It wasn't horrible. At least the marinara was light. One of my 5 scallops wasn't cooked to rubber. The mussels made me nervous, and weren't great. I don't remember tasting the mini clams. I think there was shrimp in the dish, but I don't remember it. My DH had linguine with alfredo and chicken. Maybe it's because my DH makes spectacular alfredo and I'm spoiled; the sauce just didn't do it for either of us. The chicken would have been better if it were properly browned, too.
Décor:
We ate outside, and the patio was squashed. Our table got rammed 3 or 4 times, and I got hit in the back of the head at least once.
Service:
About what you'd expect from an Italian joint at the mall.
Overall impressions:
Why did I think Italian at the mall was a good idea? Oh yeah, because it's an uppity mall. And I listened to what the people on Google said. One person called the food "superb." I was so wrong. Maybe I'm too picky; I expect fresh pasta from my Italian restaurants and alfredo sauce that doesn't come from a mix. At least it was better than Olive Garden.
There is no company website; What Google says
Rating:
2 out of 5 salamanders
Flashback Diner
|
50s-style diner in Hallandale Beach.
What we had:
I had the Lloyd Bridges: blackened Mahi-mahi on an egg bun with french fries. My DH had the Elton John: grilled chicken breast on an egg bun with BBQ sauce, bacon and Swiss with french fries. It was good. Really good. The fish was cooked perfectly, the blacken seasoning was unobtrusive, the bun superb (tasted just like good challah). The chicken was juicy and the BBQ was good, too. We were impressed. They were slammed, and the food was still cooked well.
Décor:
Diner decor. 50s theme, with Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and the Beatles thrown in for good measure.
Service:
Even though it was crazy busy, our waitress still took the time to have some personality, and we appreciated it.
Overall impressions:
We will be definitely go back. We were very impressed with the food. So far, value vs. food quality wise, this is our favorite diner. For $9 a piece, we felt like we both got a good meal. The menu is huge, so we want to come back for the dinner menu some time. Breakfast all day, which is right up my alley. It was also nice to see mac & cheese offered as a side option with most menu items. The dessert case looks awesome, too. And it's good to know the diner is open 24 hours.
There is no company website; What Google says
Rating:
4 out of 5 salamanders
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