We had an opportunity to meet up with good friends for dinner at the Midtown Grill in Bonney Lake. The Midtown Grill advertises itself as one of the most beautiful, upscale, fine dining experiences in Washington. I have to give then credit, the restaurant is very nice, with table seating and private booths.
We were escorted to a table right away and the waitress was prompt and took our drink orders. The menu selection has a wide variety of choices. From soups and salads to burgers, steaks, pasta and fish. Pricing was in the teens to $30 and above.
We chose Pulled Pork Nachos for an appetizer. I ordered a Mushroom Burger. The wife ordered Fish and Chips with a Cesar Salad and our friends had the Bacon Burger and the BBQ Burger.
The drinks were first to arrive and my wife thoroughly enjoyed her Blueberry Lemon Drop Martini. Our Pull Pork Nachos arrive next. The chips were homemade potato chips, with cheese, pulled pork and served with sour cream and salsa. I loved the home made chips, but I thought the nachos should have had more pulled pork and little more cheese. What little pulled pork there was, was in a small pile in the center of the nachos.
Everyone agreed that the burgers were good, but wished they had a better bun that did not disintegrate while you were trying to eat eat. Ended up just using my fork. The fries were good. My wife thought the fish and chips were a little greasy and I thought they had very little taste.
Overall the dining experience was very good.
Service = 9, fast, attentive and couteous
Cleanliness = 9
Price = 6, average to high if you ordered a steak
Food = 7, need better burger bun
Overall = 7.5
I think if I had went with my first choice, a Porterhouse Pork Chop, my food rating could have been better. As we picked mostly lunch type foods, maybe I was expecting to much. Definitely will have to give it another try.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Sunday April 7, 2013 - The Whitehouse - Bonney Lake, WA
The wife's sister told us about a new restaurant that just opened up in the old Mazatlan building in Bonney Lake. She said the food was great.
We arrived to find only a couple of cars in the parking lot. The atmosphere left a little to be desired. It was painted in earth tones. The waitress was friendly and the menu looked appealing. I decided as usual to give the chicken fried steak and eggs a try and the wife ordered biscuits and gravy.
I am not sure why, but it took quite a while to get our food even though there were only two other occupied tables. As we waited more customers arrived. When our food arrived, right off the bat I was disappointed as I could tell the food was not hot. My Chicken Fried Steak, Eggs and Hash Browns were warm to the touch.
The biscuits that came with my wife's order looked like the kind that you make from Bisquick and drop them by the globs on to the grill. They were overly dry. She also received poached eggs. We were not sure why as she was not asked how she would like her eggs. Maybe that is what biscuits and gravy came with, but my wife does not like poached eggs.
I finished my breakfast, but the wife hardly ate a thing. We even ordered some sausage patties for the dogs and I think they got the best of the 3 meals.
Here are the ratings
Atmosphere - 5, very Blah
Service - 5, took way to long to get the food based on how busy the restaurant was
Food - 4, arrived cold, had the worst biscuits we have ever tasted
Cleanliness - 8, only open a week
Price - 7, not bad if the food was good
Overall if I gave it a 5, I would be stretching it.
Probably will never go back.
We arrived to find only a couple of cars in the parking lot. The atmosphere left a little to be desired. It was painted in earth tones. The waitress was friendly and the menu looked appealing. I decided as usual to give the chicken fried steak and eggs a try and the wife ordered biscuits and gravy.
I am not sure why, but it took quite a while to get our food even though there were only two other occupied tables. As we waited more customers arrived. When our food arrived, right off the bat I was disappointed as I could tell the food was not hot. My Chicken Fried Steak, Eggs and Hash Browns were warm to the touch.
The biscuits that came with my wife's order looked like the kind that you make from Bisquick and drop them by the globs on to the grill. They were overly dry. She also received poached eggs. We were not sure why as she was not asked how she would like her eggs. Maybe that is what biscuits and gravy came with, but my wife does not like poached eggs.
I finished my breakfast, but the wife hardly ate a thing. We even ordered some sausage patties for the dogs and I think they got the best of the 3 meals.
Here are the ratings
Atmosphere - 5, very Blah
Service - 5, took way to long to get the food based on how busy the restaurant was
Food - 4, arrived cold, had the worst biscuits we have ever tasted
Cleanliness - 8, only open a week
Price - 7, not bad if the food was good
Overall if I gave it a 5, I would be stretching it.
Probably will never go back.
Saturday April 6 - Muckleshoot Casino Spice Bay Buffet, Auburn, WA
The neighbors asked us to join them for dinner at the Muckleshoot Casino. We have not been there to eat in a few years and thought we would give them a shot. Last time we ate the we were very disappointed in the quality of the experience overall.
We arrived to see that they have expanded the Casino even more than the last time we were there. Looked like the non smoking section was now connected to the rest of the casino. They had moved the buffet from the old west end of the casino to the newer east end. It was surf and turf night.
I was pleasantly surprised at the food they had to offer. Nice salad bar, Mongolian grill, 3 different kinds of crab, a whole roast pig, steak, fried chicken, roasted chicken, baked potatoes, mash potatoes, pizza and more that I did not even get a chance to experience.
I started with a nice green salad and some kind of pickled cauliflower. I then went back and loaded up on snow crab legs and a couple of pieces of steak. The snow crab legs were already split down the middle, making it easy to eat, but they were cold and really did not have much taste, even with butter. Then I went back for a piece of fried chicken, mash potatoes and gravy. The wife tried the Alaska King Crab that was warm and she thought it was very good. She tried the Mongolian grill which she said would have been good but she put on to much sauce which made it too sweet and salty. She said the salmon was good.
They have a wide variety deserts. I chose a couple of different kinds of cookies, sticky toffee pudding, bread pudding and some ice cream.
It was a nice eating experience except for the service at the table was poor at best. We had to ask for drink refills and then she didn't bring them in a timely manner or not at all. Needless to say she did not earn a tip.
Here are the ratings
Cleanliness - 8
Food - 8, steak was tender, fried chicken tasted like fried chicken
Selection of Food - 9, didn't get a chance to try everything I wanted to try
Service - 4, Just bad luck on who our waitress was ( I hope)
Atmosphere - 7, nothing unusual
Price - 6, $24.95, could have been like other casinos which are priced higher
Overall I give it an 8.
For once I will say we are looking forward to going again and exploring some of the other food offerings they have.
We arrived to see that they have expanded the Casino even more than the last time we were there. Looked like the non smoking section was now connected to the rest of the casino. They had moved the buffet from the old west end of the casino to the newer east end. It was surf and turf night.
I was pleasantly surprised at the food they had to offer. Nice salad bar, Mongolian grill, 3 different kinds of crab, a whole roast pig, steak, fried chicken, roasted chicken, baked potatoes, mash potatoes, pizza and more that I did not even get a chance to experience.
I started with a nice green salad and some kind of pickled cauliflower. I then went back and loaded up on snow crab legs and a couple of pieces of steak. The snow crab legs were already split down the middle, making it easy to eat, but they were cold and really did not have much taste, even with butter. Then I went back for a piece of fried chicken, mash potatoes and gravy. The wife tried the Alaska King Crab that was warm and she thought it was very good. She tried the Mongolian grill which she said would have been good but she put on to much sauce which made it too sweet and salty. She said the salmon was good.
They have a wide variety deserts. I chose a couple of different kinds of cookies, sticky toffee pudding, bread pudding and some ice cream.
It was a nice eating experience except for the service at the table was poor at best. We had to ask for drink refills and then she didn't bring them in a timely manner or not at all. Needless to say she did not earn a tip.
Here are the ratings
Cleanliness - 8
Food - 8, steak was tender, fried chicken tasted like fried chicken
Selection of Food - 9, didn't get a chance to try everything I wanted to try
Service - 4, Just bad luck on who our waitress was ( I hope)
Atmosphere - 7, nothing unusual
Price - 6, $24.95, could have been like other casinos which are priced higher
Overall I give it an 8.
For once I will say we are looking forward to going again and exploring some of the other food offerings they have.
Friday April 5, 2012 - Puerto Vallarta - Puyallup, Wa
We haven't been to the Puerto Vallarta between Pioneer and Main St. in Puyallup for quite a while. As we pulled into the parking lot, I thought, Oh Great!. This place is too busy. We went inside and gave our name to the hostess and were called for a table within 5 minutes. I had to laugh as we walked into the main dining room. You could tell the floor was settling, as we were walking sideways down the aisle. We came to our table and it also was tilting to the east. Luckily our water glasses, chips and salsa stayed place and did not fall to the floor.
I decided to order the Puerto Vallarta Special which included a sirloin steak, a deep fried chicken burrito and a chili rellano, rice and beans and the wife ordered the combo chicken and beef fajitas. Service was fairly quick and they did a good job keeping our water glasses full and even offered a second basket of chips and salsa.
The food arrived piping hot. I was surprised that they asked me how I wanted my steak cooked because it was only about a 1/4" thick. It was well done, but good. The deep fried chicken burrito was good and so was the chili rellano. The wife said her beef and chicken fajitas were just OK, nothing exciting.
We gave them the following ratings
Service - 8, water glasses were kept full, a little chaotic in the restaurant lobby
Cleanliness - 8
Atmosphere - 8
Food - 7
Price - 6, Los Pinos in Orting is less expensive and has better food.
Overall - 7
I decided to order the Puerto Vallarta Special which included a sirloin steak, a deep fried chicken burrito and a chili rellano, rice and beans and the wife ordered the combo chicken and beef fajitas. Service was fairly quick and they did a good job keeping our water glasses full and even offered a second basket of chips and salsa.
The food arrived piping hot. I was surprised that they asked me how I wanted my steak cooked because it was only about a 1/4" thick. It was well done, but good. The deep fried chicken burrito was good and so was the chili rellano. The wife said her beef and chicken fajitas were just OK, nothing exciting.
We gave them the following ratings
Service - 8, water glasses were kept full, a little chaotic in the restaurant lobby
Cleanliness - 8
Atmosphere - 8
Food - 7
Price - 6, Los Pinos in Orting is less expensive and has better food.
Overall - 7
Sunday, March 31, 2013
March 30, 2013 Chicago Willies, Auburn, WA
I was looking for a good Chili Burger for dinner. Our friend Ron recommended we try Chicago Willies. He said they have great chili burgers.
Chicago Willies is a typical fast food restaurant that serves a wide variety of different type of foods, from burger and hot dogs to tacos.
I ordered the chili burger. Ron and Mellissa ordered the Hawaiian Burger and Susan ordered tacos. Service was fast, although there were not many customers. Our food arrived and I was disappointed. The chili burger consisted of a small patty on a cold bun with a small scoop of what they called chili on top. Chili Burgers are meant to be served on a grilled open face bun with lots of real chili, cheese and onions. The wife said the Hawaiian burger was at best, average.
The french fires were also the typical fast food french fry.
Here are the ratings.
Atmosphere - 5
Cleanliness - 7
Service - 8
Food - 5
Overall - 4 - accuse of the poor chili burger
Chicago Willies is a typical fast food restaurant that serves a wide variety of different type of foods, from burger and hot dogs to tacos.
I ordered the chili burger. Ron and Mellissa ordered the Hawaiian Burger and Susan ordered tacos. Service was fast, although there were not many customers. Our food arrived and I was disappointed. The chili burger consisted of a small patty on a cold bun with a small scoop of what they called chili on top. Chili Burgers are meant to be served on a grilled open face bun with lots of real chili, cheese and onions. The wife said the Hawaiian burger was at best, average.
The french fires were also the typical fast food french fry.
Here are the ratings.
Atmosphere - 5
Cleanliness - 7
Service - 8
Food - 5
Overall - 4 - accuse of the poor chili burger
March 23, 2013 Buffalo Wild Wings, Puyallup, WA
We finally had an opportunity to try the new Buffalo Wild Wings, with our good friends Ron and Susan. I was surprised that we were able to get a table rather quickly for a Saturday Night.
The atmosphere was that of a sports bar. Very noisy, very busy, hard to hold a conversation. Service was good. We received our drinks in a timely manner and we had the opportunity to sample some of the different sauces before we placed our order.
We decided as a group we liked the honey barbecue and spicy garlic sauces. Our neighbor Matt recommended that we try the soft pretzels.
We started off with the ultimate nachos as an appetizer. Followed by a feast order of boneless wings with honey barbecue sauce and a feast order of bone in wings with the spicy garlic sauce. We also had an order of the soft pretzels.
The recommendation for the soft pretzels was right on. Very tasty and I liked the cheese dipping sauce. The wings were also very good, but we over estimated how many wings we could eat as a group of four. The sauces were good, but after a half dozen wings the sauces became over powering. We were unable to finish off both platters.
Next time I think we give them another try, maybe for a lunch rather than a dinner. The menu selection was very good with a large variety. I would like to order wings without the sauces. I have never been a great sauce fan.
Here is the ratings
Atmosphere - 5
Service - 8
Food - 8
Cleanliness - 8
Overall rating - 7
The atmosphere was that of a sports bar. Very noisy, very busy, hard to hold a conversation. Service was good. We received our drinks in a timely manner and we had the opportunity to sample some of the different sauces before we placed our order.
We decided as a group we liked the honey barbecue and spicy garlic sauces. Our neighbor Matt recommended that we try the soft pretzels.
We started off with the ultimate nachos as an appetizer. Followed by a feast order of boneless wings with honey barbecue sauce and a feast order of bone in wings with the spicy garlic sauce. We also had an order of the soft pretzels.
The recommendation for the soft pretzels was right on. Very tasty and I liked the cheese dipping sauce. The wings were also very good, but we over estimated how many wings we could eat as a group of four. The sauces were good, but after a half dozen wings the sauces became over powering. We were unable to finish off both platters.
Next time I think we give them another try, maybe for a lunch rather than a dinner. The menu selection was very good with a large variety. I would like to order wings without the sauces. I have never been a great sauce fan.
Here is the ratings
Atmosphere - 5
Service - 8
Food - 8
Cleanliness - 8
Overall rating - 7
Saturday, March 23, 2013
March 22, 2013 - Takara - Puyallup, WA
What pleasant surprise. The wife and I were looking for a new Pho Noodle restaurant to try when we came across Takara, a little Teriyaki restaurant tucked into the south west corner of the Fred Meyer shopping center on 176th and Meridian.
We were greeted the minute we walked in the door with a great big "Hi". The menu was the basic Teriyaki menu with a few nice additions such as Sushi and Teriyaki-Chinese combo meals.
The wife ordered Chicken & General Tao's Chicken, while I chose Chicken Yakisoba. We started off the meal with a bowl of Wonton Soup.
The soup was fast to arrive and it was one of the best Wonton soups we have had in a while. The broth was good and it came with the usual Wontons, onions, celery and a few surprises of broccoli and a couple of shrimp. The Yakisoba came next and it was served on a cute boat shaped plate. Then came the chicken (teriyaki) and General Tao's Chicken. Both dish were very tasty.
Overall the whole experience was very refreshing for a change. The ratings are as follows.
Service - 10 - fast and friendly
Cleanliness - 10 - they immediately cleaned the tables as the customers were leaving
Food - 9 - way above the average
Price - 8 - average for this type of restaurant
Overall I would have to give it a rare 9. The only negative is, I wish they had Pho Noodle soup. This find is worth revisiting to see if they can keep up the high standards, after they have been in business a while longer.
We were greeted the minute we walked in the door with a great big "Hi". The menu was the basic Teriyaki menu with a few nice additions such as Sushi and Teriyaki-Chinese combo meals.
The wife ordered Chicken & General Tao's Chicken, while I chose Chicken Yakisoba. We started off the meal with a bowl of Wonton Soup.
The soup was fast to arrive and it was one of the best Wonton soups we have had in a while. The broth was good and it came with the usual Wontons, onions, celery and a few surprises of broccoli and a couple of shrimp. The Yakisoba came next and it was served on a cute boat shaped plate. Then came the chicken (teriyaki) and General Tao's Chicken. Both dish were very tasty.
Overall the whole experience was very refreshing for a change. The ratings are as follows.
Service - 10 - fast and friendly
Cleanliness - 10 - they immediately cleaned the tables as the customers were leaving
Food - 9 - way above the average
Price - 8 - average for this type of restaurant
Overall I would have to give it a rare 9. The only negative is, I wish they had Pho Noodle soup. This find is worth revisiting to see if they can keep up the high standards, after they have been in business a while longer.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
March 15, 2013 Pho you, South Hill Puyallup
We tried Pho soup a few months ago for the first time and found that we really liked it. It was a nice change from the usual restaurant offerings. Last night we decided to try It's Pho You which is located by Office Depot across from the South Hill Mall.
We walked in and they were fairly busy. We took this as a good sign that the food was good. Things went down hill after that. The service was very slow. They were operating with a husband wife team and what looked like a son helping out in the kitchen. We got our menu's right away, but then it took quite a while before they came to take our order and about 10 minutes before they even brought us water and our drinks.
I ordered the Beef Pho soup, with extra vegetables and a soda.The wife ordered a beef noodle salad and a strawberry bubble juice.
When the food finally arrived I was very disappointed. First of all, I am glad I paid for extra vegetables, because if I hadn't, I don't think the soup would have come with any. Second, the broth had a minty flavor. Not quite what I expected. Third it came with very little noodles. So disappointing.
My wife's noodle salad seemed OK. She did not like the vinegary dressing. She also did not like the bubble juice. She thought it had a funny taste, like the tapioca was not good.
I would rate the food a 5 at best, the service a 2, cleanliness a 5. Overall experience a 4. Probably will not go back.
We walked in and they were fairly busy. We took this as a good sign that the food was good. Things went down hill after that. The service was very slow. They were operating with a husband wife team and what looked like a son helping out in the kitchen. We got our menu's right away, but then it took quite a while before they came to take our order and about 10 minutes before they even brought us water and our drinks.
I ordered the Beef Pho soup, with extra vegetables and a soda.The wife ordered a beef noodle salad and a strawberry bubble juice.
When the food finally arrived I was very disappointed. First of all, I am glad I paid for extra vegetables, because if I hadn't, I don't think the soup would have come with any. Second, the broth had a minty flavor. Not quite what I expected. Third it came with very little noodles. So disappointing.
My wife's noodle salad seemed OK. She did not like the vinegary dressing. She also did not like the bubble juice. She thought it had a funny taste, like the tapioca was not good.
I would rate the food a 5 at best, the service a 2, cleanliness a 5. Overall experience a 4. Probably will not go back.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Sparks Firehouse Deli - March 3, 2013
We have been wanting to try Sparks Firehouse Deli in Puyallup for quite some time. It use to be a Mom and Pop Grocery for years, but was finally sold and turned into a restaurant. Well the day finally came when we were given a gift card for the Deli. When we, at first it felt a little like Jimmy John's. I thought the name came from being across the street from Spark's Stadium and was surprised that it had a firehouse theme. There were quite a few customers already in the restaurant, but were were able to walk right up to the counter and placed our order.
The menu offers appetizers, soups and salads, roasted sandwiches, cold sandwiches and pizza. All the sandwiches came with you choice of a side and a fountain drink. Side choices are Cole Slaw, Baked Potato Salad, Pasta Salad, Baked Beans or their Brick Oven Tater Tots.
I decided to give the French Dip a try with tater tots and the wife chose The Brigade. The Brigade consisted of salami, ham, pepperoni and provolone with pepperoncini, mustard, lettuce and tomato. She also ordered the tater tots. I was happy as this is one of the few restaurants that have unsweetened tea. Most restaurants that offer serve yourself beverages always seem to have only sweetened.
Our lunch arrived in a timely manor and my French Dip was very good. Being toasted in the oven gave it that great crisp taste. The tater tots were also very crispy. The wife's sandwich was also very good. I would give the food a solid 8, service and 8, cleanliness a 6 ( there were quite a few dirty tables and no one cleaned them while we were there and it was not that busy) and atmosphere an 8.
Overall I would give the Deli a solid 8. Next time we need to try the Pizza.
The menu offers appetizers, soups and salads, roasted sandwiches, cold sandwiches and pizza. All the sandwiches came with you choice of a side and a fountain drink. Side choices are Cole Slaw, Baked Potato Salad, Pasta Salad, Baked Beans or their Brick Oven Tater Tots.
I decided to give the French Dip a try with tater tots and the wife chose The Brigade. The Brigade consisted of salami, ham, pepperoni and provolone with pepperoncini, mustard, lettuce and tomato. She also ordered the tater tots. I was happy as this is one of the few restaurants that have unsweetened tea. Most restaurants that offer serve yourself beverages always seem to have only sweetened.
Our lunch arrived in a timely manor and my French Dip was very good. Being toasted in the oven gave it that great crisp taste. The tater tots were also very crispy. The wife's sandwich was also very good. I would give the food a solid 8, service and 8, cleanliness a 6 ( there were quite a few dirty tables and no one cleaned them while we were there and it was not that busy) and atmosphere an 8.
Overall I would give the Deli a solid 8. Next time we need to try the Pizza.
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