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

Bamboo Garden

Sit-down Chinese restaurant.

What we had:

I had the Shrimp Chow Fun, my DH had the Kung Pao Chicken. The Chow Fun was great; the wide noodles were just what I was craving. The shrimp wasn't cooked quite to death and had a pleasant wok taste. Not too salty, and the dish wasn't swimming in sauce. The Kung Pao Chicken was good as well. A nice mix of veggies and chicken. You could taste spice in the dish, but it was by no means hot. My DH swore the chicken tasted frozen and thawed multiple times, but in the 2 pieces of chicken I had I did not taste it. My DH had just gotten back from an international trip, so I'm blaming it on that. The meal came with fried wontons (fresh with a good duck sauce) and hot tea.


Décor:

Not a total cliche. Huge koi in a tank against the wall, fresh lobster, white linen. Chinese-y without being garish. Wood paneling that actually looked more like flooring.


Service:

Not bad.


Overall impressions:

We will be back. I enjoyed what I had, and the menu is extensive. There are at least 5 more dishes I'm excited about trying.

There is no company website. It is listed as bamboogardenchinese.com, which is a link farm; What Google says


Rating:

4 out of 5 salamanders

Louie's Brick Oven Pizza/ Whatever the New Name Is

New York style brick oven pizza for now. Pizza and a higher class of pasta on Thursday when the new menu debuts.

What we had:

Different pizza. :) We had meat lover's. Pepperoni (of course), applewood smoked bacon, meatballs & sausage. The pizza was good. This place has an obsession with burnt crust like Anthony's, but it doesn't have that charcoal taste, so it turned out being more pleasant. The cheese was good quality.


Décor:

I hope it doesn't change much after the "unveiling." It felt a bit like NY. Exposed brick, directional light, NY Times newspaper ads & Old Blue Eyes' mugshot on the walls, the Godfather on the screen. Tin-style ceilings. The tables were nice quality wood, the booths were nice and high-backed black leather.


Service:

Better than average.


Overall impressions:

We will be back. Maybe even for Italian food.

Company website; What Google says


Rating:

3 out of 5 salamanders

Archie's Gourmet Pizza

I was excited. Finally, I'd get the king of pizza I'd like. You see, I like "fancy pizza." Fancy pizza, and the deep dish-y goodness of my childhood. I never get "my" pizza, though, unless I'm in a group. I love pesto pizza, white pizza, alfredo pizza, impossibly deep-dish Chicago style pizza. Warm, doughy goodness. But, alas, my DH is a pizza freak. He loves pizza--we are, in fact, the only couple I know who have had a vehement (for us, at least) discussion on the merits of different crust styles. No one I know takes the thin crust vs. thick war so much to heart. And to him, the only pizza that counts as pizza is pepperoni thin crust. NY style is the only way to go. The best I can hope for is eggplant on my half, maybe some feta. So, needless to say, I was excited by the menu. Not a pepperoni or build-your-own pizza in sight. I had visions of "converting" my DH with amazing taste... maybe not forever, but just for one night.

What we had:

Brie and prosciutto pizza. I left sad. It was horrible. Not just bad, really bad. Large slabs of prosciutto are not good on pizza. Not good ever. Cut it up! A honkin mouthful of stringy saltiness=not good. That, and I got a mouthful of fat, which just freaks me out. Brie isn't so good on pizza, either. At least not mixed with mozzarella. The mozzarella was good quality. The crust was really tasty, too. We think the sauce was good, but the cloying earthiness taste of dirt & fungus was just too much. Maybe with some good-quality balsamic reduction it would have been better. I love brie. I love prosciutto, too. But not this way.


Décor:

We sat outside.


Service:

Typical for a pizza joint.


Overall impressions:

It made me sad. I'm pretty sure we won't be going back any time soon. I really, really wanted this place to be better. Where are Lilly's or Vinnie's when I need them?

Company website; What Google says


Rating:

2 out of 5 salamanders

Chuck's Grill

Grilled chicken fast-ish food joint.


What we had:

I had a chicken bowl thing with rice, black beans, chicken, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. My DH had a chicken wrap and a side of mashed potatoes. The chicken was well grilled, the available side sauces were really good. The wrap was quite tasty. The mashed potatoes were really good.


Décor:

Not much. It was clean, though.


Service:

Nuveau fast food.


Overall impressions:

We'd go back. The guy behind the counter was really nice and helped out when we were confused by the menu. He even threw in a couple of plantains since it was our first visit. (They were really really good). There is a lot more to explore on that menu.

No company website; Google can't even find it. The restaurant is on 186th in Sky Lake right across from Skylofts in the Publix plaza.


Rating:

3 out of 5 salamanders

Moe's Southwest Grill

Huge burritos, tex-mex style. Fresh ingredients.


What we had:

Big-ass burritos with chips. A Homewrecker (rice, black beans, chicken, lettuce, pico, cheese, guac, sour cream & cilantro) and a Joey Bag of Donuts (the same, minus sour cream & guacamole). All of the ingredients are fresh and there are 6 varieties of salsa to choose from.


Décor:

"fun" and bright.


Service:

Nuveau fast food.


Overall impressions:

Moe's is one of those places we go to over and over. We love Moe's. Moe's makes us happy. To us, it's the best of the crop. Chipotle is nice, but Moe's just has more selection. Not as many meat selections, but it's just.... better.

Welcome to Moe's! ; what Google says.


Rating:

4 out of 5 salamanders

***We have subsequently gone to the Sunrise location. We still love Moe's, and this one is closer to our place, but the guys behind the counter were terrible. The burritos were wrapped waaayyy too loose, the chicken was too wet and at least 2 out of 3 of the counter guys were standing around with vacant looks on their faces. Not the best experience.

I also tried something new; the Chicken Club Burrito. Ick. The bacon was undercooked, low-quality and too salty. The ranch sauce really didn't add anything to the equation.

I would skip it. Hopefully they'll bring the fish taco back!

Cheen-Huaye

Southern Mexican cuisine, with a smattering of Yucatanean dishes.


What we had:

I had the Sea Bass special. The sea bass was breaded and fried and came with rice and plantains. The breading was a little oppressive. The waitress said lightly breaded; lightly breaded this was not. Other than breading issues, the meal was pretty good. Not lay down and die good, but definitely eat there again good. My DH had some sort of steak tacos. The steak was tasty, the tacos light but satisfying. The salsa was fresh and featured grilled tomatoes.


Décor:

Trying to be elegant in a strip mall style. Dim lighting, candles. The place was tiny, though.


Service:

Not bad. The chef (or at least one of the cooks) came out himself to ask if the special was good.


Overall impressions:

Not bad. We'd go back. The menu is huge, with a large variety of tacos, dinner plates, soups and appetizers. It wasn't quite the trip back to the Yucatan we were hoping for, but that just gives us another reason to hurry up and book a vacation.


No company website. ; what Google says.


Rating:

3 out of 5 salamanders