Payday is here again, and you know what that means? Time to hit a nice sit-down restaurant. After driving around for about 30 minutes looking for a hole in the wall place to eat, we settled in on Chili's. The kids like it, and the wife enjoys the boneless buffalo wings covered in a Chilli's sweet sauce.
RULE 1: DON'T EVER CHANGE YOUR SALSA RECIPE! What the heck were you thinking? Since I learned to appreciate dining out, Chili's salsa is something we always order. We even order just the salsa to go! It came out, and I looked at it like I was at a true Mexican restaurant! I've been to chili's where the salsa doesn't look like it usually does, but it always tastes the same, no so anymore. It looks like they have added more tomato paste as a base, and removed the other ingredients, as well as instead of using vegetables and peppers to spice, they use powered spices. It seemed hotter as well, but I was so disappointed. Now I hope that for some strange reason, the cook at this once facility had just broken up with his boyfriend, or they ran out of the goodness that makes Chilli's salsa the ONLY reason to go, but I don't think any one person can screw it up like that on accident.
RULE 2: Lower the price of the kids meal! 4.29 for a bowl of Kraft Cheese & Mac is pathetic.. I mean seriously, you don't get enough money from me already!
RULE 3: Don't EVER take away my wife's favorite menu item. Chili's menu problem is just like what Simon Cowell says to all those Teenie-Bopper American Idol's "Forgettable." Exactly. Chili's Ribs, no where near as good as Applebees and Famous Dave's. Service? Texas Roadhouse is #1. Quality? Again, Someone else's to own. Chili's, you just don't have it in you to be #1 do you?
Friday, February 26, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Wendy's Deluxe Special
Something always catches my eye with Wendy's. This time, it was a Deluxe combo for $2.99. Go with the Deluxe Chicken Sandwich, caesar salad and a drink. The deluxe chicken sandwich is a quasi-recompiled chicken patty (ie. Wendy's nuggets), bacon, tomato, lettuce, & cheese. At first glance, a combo like that wouldn't hold me over until the next big meal (and didn't) but it was an excellent value. I recommend adding a 2nd deluxe sandwich, either the chicken deluxe, or the double cheese-burger deluxe for a little under 2 bucks if your a bigger man.
Overall the experience is excellent. As for a warning, I ALWAYS have to ask for a 2nd packet of caesar dressing, because there's never enough.
Overall the experience is excellent. As for a warning, I ALWAYS have to ask for a 2nd packet of caesar dressing, because there's never enough.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Heart Attack Grill
I mentioned this in my Crunchy Fry Comments, but everytime I think about this place, it makes me want to buy a plane ticket, and fly to Chandler Airzona.
CBS news report on Heart Attack Grill
You need to watch the above. Notice the LARD they use to cook the fries, and to coat the buns of their burgers. Notice that obsese people. Notice the cheese. Notice the PURE CANE SUGAR COKE IN A BOTTLE! It's imported from Mexico. Have you ever drank a coke that wasn't created with high frutose corn syrup? If you live in parts of Texas, you have. Some of the bottlers down there still use Cane Sugar, but for the rest of the U.S, it's corn syrup.
The Video is amazing! Hit up the link below for their website & menu.
Heart Attack Grill
CBS news report on Heart Attack Grill
You need to watch the above. Notice the LARD they use to cook the fries, and to coat the buns of their burgers. Notice that obsese people. Notice the cheese. Notice the PURE CANE SUGAR COKE IN A BOTTLE! It's imported from Mexico. Have you ever drank a coke that wasn't created with high frutose corn syrup? If you live in parts of Texas, you have. Some of the bottlers down there still use Cane Sugar, but for the rest of the U.S, it's corn syrup.
The Video is amazing! Hit up the link below for their website & menu.
Heart Attack Grill
The Crunchy Fry
Why is it that the biggest seller at any fast food restaurant, is always the coldest & soggiest item on the menu? Why do these huge chains fight over something I can get in a 20lb. bag at the grocery store for 5 bucks? The answer is the profit margin on them is so incredibly high, it would be stupid to NOT fight over them.
I introduce the Fast Food Guru Top Ten French Fry's! A good rule of thumb, unless you like soggy fries, is that if they make a good onion ring, their fries are also excellent. The secret is in the grease, as in the grease they cook their fries in. Fries + Grease + Time = good fries.
Honorable mention (Good): Heart Attack Grill : I've never been here so they didn't make the top ten, but I've seen the YouTube videos, and looked at the picture of the Burger & Fries like a adolesent boy at his first playboy. This Fry is created by hot vixens, cut on premises of the resturant, and cooked in straight up lard. ANYPLACE that lets anyone over 350lbs. eat for free is worthy of flavor.
Honorable mention (bad): Wendy's: Here's what I don't get. Wendy's International is owned by Arby's parent company, yet Arby's doesn't have the problems that Wendy's does in the fry dept. Wendy's fries are mostly cold, over salty, and very soggy. They are also sometimes under cooked. Before Dave Thomas died, Wendy's was on the top of their game, but corporate america has watered down (literally) the quality.
10. McDonald's: There fries will always stay at number 10. I'll post within the next few weeks why. The irony is that both McDonald's & Burger King BOTH fight for the title 'worlds best fry' and they only win, because of the volume of fries they sale, not the quality. funny how they are really soggy, salty, and usually cold.
9. Burger King: As long as they never clean their grease traps, these fries have excellent flavor, because they cook everything in that grease. How to identify a good Burger King fry; black specks of stuff on your fry. No, it's not pepper, it's extremely over used grease.
8. Anything Crinkle-Cut or Cross Cut. Carl's Jr. has a good cross-cut fry, and Del Taco has a decent crinkle-cut fry. Both are good fries, and both easily beat out BK & McD's in quality. The crinkle-cut tends to be soggier, because the teenager behind the counter (and the franchise for that matter) doesn't realise that the thicker the fry, the longer you have to cook it.
7. Hires Big H Fries: They are good, but I really don't have anything witty to say about them, sorry.
6. Arbys Curly fries: They are crunchy (usually) and have a little kick to them as well.
5. Training Table Cheese fries: Their fries suck, but adding God's gift to the lactose tolerant to the top of the pile makes them noteworthy. Add some ultimate dipping sauce, and you have an excellent fry experience. They will be soggy though, the grease from their cheese being microwaved & the fact that they were already squishy to begin with isn't a good combo, but you still have the cheese.
4. Arbys Homestyle fries: If you can find them, these are good fries. (the homestyle fry is being phased out in some areas.)Make sure they cook them fresh, or they will be the soggiest experience you ever had.
3. Carl's Jr. New Fries: Their old fries were ok, but the new ones are better.
1. Tie: Iceberg fries & In & Out's off-menu 'extra crispy' fries: I don't want to upset the die-hard worshippers of In & Out, but I do enjoy the Iceberg fries quite a bit.
FYI, a good onion ring also trumps a french fry. If you have to ask why, just buy the fries.
I introduce the Fast Food Guru Top Ten French Fry's! A good rule of thumb, unless you like soggy fries, is that if they make a good onion ring, their fries are also excellent. The secret is in the grease, as in the grease they cook their fries in. Fries + Grease + Time = good fries.
Honorable mention (Good): Heart Attack Grill : I've never been here so they didn't make the top ten, but I've seen the YouTube videos, and looked at the picture of the Burger & Fries like a adolesent boy at his first playboy. This Fry is created by hot vixens, cut on premises of the resturant, and cooked in straight up lard. ANYPLACE that lets anyone over 350lbs. eat for free is worthy of flavor.
Honorable mention (bad): Wendy's: Here's what I don't get. Wendy's International is owned by Arby's parent company, yet Arby's doesn't have the problems that Wendy's does in the fry dept. Wendy's fries are mostly cold, over salty, and very soggy. They are also sometimes under cooked. Before Dave Thomas died, Wendy's was on the top of their game, but corporate america has watered down (literally) the quality.
10. McDonald's: There fries will always stay at number 10. I'll post within the next few weeks why. The irony is that both McDonald's & Burger King BOTH fight for the title 'worlds best fry' and they only win, because of the volume of fries they sale, not the quality. funny how they are really soggy, salty, and usually cold.
9. Burger King: As long as they never clean their grease traps, these fries have excellent flavor, because they cook everything in that grease. How to identify a good Burger King fry; black specks of stuff on your fry. No, it's not pepper, it's extremely over used grease.
8. Anything Crinkle-Cut or Cross Cut. Carl's Jr. has a good cross-cut fry, and Del Taco has a decent crinkle-cut fry. Both are good fries, and both easily beat out BK & McD's in quality. The crinkle-cut tends to be soggier, because the teenager behind the counter (and the franchise for that matter) doesn't realise that the thicker the fry, the longer you have to cook it.
7. Hires Big H Fries: They are good, but I really don't have anything witty to say about them, sorry.
6. Arbys Curly fries: They are crunchy (usually) and have a little kick to them as well.
5. Training Table Cheese fries: Their fries suck, but adding God's gift to the lactose tolerant to the top of the pile makes them noteworthy. Add some ultimate dipping sauce, and you have an excellent fry experience. They will be soggy though, the grease from their cheese being microwaved & the fact that they were already squishy to begin with isn't a good combo, but you still have the cheese.
4. Arbys Homestyle fries: If you can find them, these are good fries. (the homestyle fry is being phased out in some areas.)Make sure they cook them fresh, or they will be the soggiest experience you ever had.
3. Carl's Jr. New Fries: Their old fries were ok, but the new ones are better.
1. Tie: Iceberg fries & In & Out's off-menu 'extra crispy' fries: I don't want to upset the die-hard worshippers of In & Out, but I do enjoy the Iceberg fries quite a bit.
FYI, a good onion ring also trumps a french fry. If you have to ask why, just buy the fries.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Rock Creek Pizza
Lunch: $ 7.99
Another excellent example of a Pizza buffet. Unlimited salad bar, pizza & drink. I've usually had the experience with them of having to wait for my favorite slice of pizza, but they have more than made up for that shortcoming now. There was always fresh pizza, and I had plenty selection to choose from, though not as much as say, going to Mountain Mikes. Still, I like Rock Creek Pizza Co. better. There is more sauce, and the pizza is very well constructed and has a sweet taste; but nowhere as bad as your favorite Chucky Cheese's pizza that your kids enjoy, and then promptly get sick from all the disease that is smeared all over their aging playground. Chucky needs to tell his employees how to use a soapy rag on that play equipment.
The added bonus is kids under a certain age eat for free with an adult buffet purchase.
Price to Performance: Excellent Buy.
FYI, the one in Sandy has closed down. Their main store is in Riverton now.
Another excellent example of a Pizza buffet. Unlimited salad bar, pizza & drink. I've usually had the experience with them of having to wait for my favorite slice of pizza, but they have more than made up for that shortcoming now. There was always fresh pizza, and I had plenty selection to choose from, though not as much as say, going to Mountain Mikes. Still, I like Rock Creek Pizza Co. better. There is more sauce, and the pizza is very well constructed and has a sweet taste; but nowhere as bad as your favorite Chucky Cheese's pizza that your kids enjoy, and then promptly get sick from all the disease that is smeared all over their aging playground. Chucky needs to tell his employees how to use a soapy rag on that play equipment.
The added bonus is kids under a certain age eat for free with an adult buffet purchase.
Price to Performance: Excellent Buy.
FYI, the one in Sandy has closed down. Their main store is in Riverton now.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The buffet
I fully endorse buffet's as long as they meet very strict guidelines:
Beverages - The buffet ALWAYS includes a drink. If it doesn't include a drink, the establishment is is trying to gouge you.
Price - Price cannot be greater than 2x the cost of a non-buffet purchase. If you spend $6 a meal, the buffet cannot be over $11 for that same meal, at the same time of day (ie. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)
Expactation of Tip - This is a subset of price, but should be noted on it's own. Do I have to pay some unhygienic teen to get my drink, and take away my plates? This also fits under illness, because teen's don't ever wash their hands at resturants.
Price To performance equation (P2Pe) - Did you get your money's worth? This is NOT objective! This simple calculation will assist you in determining if the establishment is any good; (Quality + Quantity) * Service >= Price. (Service is never a whole number at a buffet.) If that equation doesn't work with your choice of buffet, don't go!
Illness - you cannot get sick! My family once got sick at a Godfathers pizza buffet, and we never went back. The place closed down a while after that. I would like to think my opinion had something to do with that, but I doubt it.
Kids eat for X - Do kids eat free? Do they eat for pennies on the dollar? Spending $5 for a kid's buffet is like paying theater admission for a 2 month old baby, pathetic. You show me a kid under 5 that validates the P2Pe.
Examples of approved buffets:
Chinese (Any) - Only if you pay less than $7 for lunch $8.50 for dinner, just don't use the restroom.
Brazilian (Any) - ALWAYS, for Lunch. Any opportunity to eat massive amounts of food at a flat rate has my bid. $18
Other (Home Style, like Golden Corral) - Depends. Do they offer steak? Any meat? Mac & Cheese? MAX $11
Salad & Soup - No, No, NO! Go to the grocery store, by a can of Progresso soup & a bag of leafy salad, and a bottle of your favorite dressing, ya freak.
All above MUST include a beverage in the price.
Beverages - The buffet ALWAYS includes a drink. If it doesn't include a drink, the establishment is is trying to gouge you.
Price - Price cannot be greater than 2x the cost of a non-buffet purchase. If you spend $6 a meal, the buffet cannot be over $11 for that same meal, at the same time of day (ie. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)
Expactation of Tip - This is a subset of price, but should be noted on it's own. Do I have to pay some unhygienic teen to get my drink, and take away my plates? This also fits under illness, because teen's don't ever wash their hands at resturants.
Price To performance equation (P2Pe) - Did you get your money's worth? This is NOT objective! This simple calculation will assist you in determining if the establishment is any good; (Quality + Quantity) * Service >= Price. (Service is never a whole number at a buffet.) If that equation doesn't work with your choice of buffet, don't go!
Illness - you cannot get sick! My family once got sick at a Godfathers pizza buffet, and we never went back. The place closed down a while after that. I would like to think my opinion had something to do with that, but I doubt it.
Kids eat for X - Do kids eat free? Do they eat for pennies on the dollar? Spending $5 for a kid's buffet is like paying theater admission for a 2 month old baby, pathetic. You show me a kid under 5 that validates the P2Pe.
Examples of approved buffets:
Chinese (Any) - Only if you pay less than $7 for lunch $8.50 for dinner, just don't use the restroom.
Brazilian (Any) - ALWAYS, for Lunch. Any opportunity to eat massive amounts of food at a flat rate has my bid. $18
Other (Home Style, like Golden Corral) - Depends. Do they offer steak? Any meat? Mac & Cheese? MAX $11
Salad & Soup - No, No, NO! Go to the grocery store, by a can of Progresso soup & a bag of leafy salad, and a bottle of your favorite dressing, ya freak.
All above MUST include a beverage in the price.
Favorite Place to eat
Nu Way Cafe
I haven't been to Wichita Kansas in a while, but this resturant is one of the best. Burger joint doesn't even properly represent this glorius chain.
The Order:
Large Deluxe
Onion Rings
Drink (Homemade Rootbeer)
The NuWay burger is ground beef, with mustard, pickle on a toasted bun. I'm not talking about toasted like Quiznos, or toast & jam, but toasted and buttered bun, both ends. Add cheese and onions to that bad boy, and your taste buds have met their match in the sandwich department. You can go with a normal NuWay instead of a large, but you will only wish you has followed my advice and stuck with the large.
Onion rings are a must, if your going to go here. While I don't condone substitutions of anything, you can replace the onion rings with fries. You will be missing out on something though, FRESH onion rings! The only way the onion rings could be better is if the onion bonded to the breading. Nothing irritates me more than when you bite into an onion ring, only to have a mouth full of onion, and a handful of ring.
The root beer is served in a frosted mug, the ONLY way you can serve home made root beer. Even A&W resturant group knows root beer has to be served in a frosted mug, and they are a nationwide chain!
Expect to spend $6-7 dollars on the above combo.
I haven't been to Wichita Kansas in a while, but this resturant is one of the best. Burger joint doesn't even properly represent this glorius chain.
The Order:
Large Deluxe
Onion Rings
Drink (Homemade Rootbeer)
The NuWay burger is ground beef, with mustard, pickle on a toasted bun. I'm not talking about toasted like Quiznos, or toast & jam, but toasted and buttered bun, both ends. Add cheese and onions to that bad boy, and your taste buds have met their match in the sandwich department. You can go with a normal NuWay instead of a large, but you will only wish you has followed my advice and stuck with the large.
Onion rings are a must, if your going to go here. While I don't condone substitutions of anything, you can replace the onion rings with fries. You will be missing out on something though, FRESH onion rings! The only way the onion rings could be better is if the onion bonded to the breading. Nothing irritates me more than when you bite into an onion ring, only to have a mouth full of onion, and a handful of ring.
The root beer is served in a frosted mug, the ONLY way you can serve home made root beer. Even A&W resturant group knows root beer has to be served in a frosted mug, and they are a nationwide chain!
Expect to spend $6-7 dollars on the above combo.
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