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WRR: The Pizza Stop

January 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Frankly, if you’re out in Magna, it’d be a waste to skip a stop by The Pizza Stop.

I’ll make this simple: order the combo pizza. Heaped with mushrooms, peppers, pepperoni, and olives, I looked hesitantly on my first bite. I mean–who puts vegetables and fungi on a good pizza?

It took all of one bit to convince myself that the choice was a good one. The crust is more than sufficiently crisp to handle the extra weight, and I was pleasantly satiated only after another three pieces.

Ironically, the service is, as reported online, less than stellar. No dress code and no smiles.

I don’t have pictures, but trust me. Making the trek to Magna is worth it, even just for the pizza.

Food: 8.5/10
Service: 3/10
Atmosphere: 5/10

Check out my other restaurant reviews here. If you have a restaurant suggestion for me, please contact me by sending an email to SLCWeekendReviews@gmail.com.

 

the Pizza Stop on Urbanspoon

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WRR: Greek City Grill

December 18, 2011 by 1 Comment

Sometimes I feel like if I’ve seen one gyro from a Greek themed fast food joint, I’ve seen them all.

Not that it’s a bad thing. They just all look alike…you know? Maybe there is a school that gyro makers all attend,  a school that teaches a standardized gyro. Burgers seem to have a little variation, at least, whether it’s the size of the patty, the type of bun, what kind of lettuce (shredded or not), onions (sautéed or fresh), cheese, mushrooms (hold them, please), or bacon (more, please).

But the gyros? They all look the same.

And I’m ok with that. As long as they taste like a gyro.

Latest contestant in that contest (to taste like a gyro) is the Greek City Grill. Two words to describe my experience there: Mission Accomplished.

The gyro was sliced lamb meat in a traditional white sauce on a warm and freshly baked pita. The meat was tasty and broke apart easily, but tasted like it had been cooked just a bit longer than necessary. Just barely, and it wouldn’t deter me from returning. The tomatoes and onions were fresh, but the white sauce was applied perhaps more liberally than I would have liked, and I ended up cleaning a lot of it off of my fingers.

Now, I ordered fries with my meal, just because I was hot off a work-out, and I didn’t want to lose all those calories. (I mean, I worked hard to put on those extra ten pounds, and I’m not letting them go without a fight). Much to my surprise, the fries were of the especially crispy variety, yet not so that they were burnt. I found myself eating them down to the last one.

While the Greek City Grill looks as much like a sports bar (sans bar) as a greasy finger, but there’s at least one unique aspect that sets it apart from other fast Greek eats in Salt Lake Valley, and that’s how clean it was. Not that I’ve ever had a problem with visiting a dive or two for a good burger…I’m just sayin’ that it was clean.

How does it rate?

Food: 7/10 (7 is my average)
Service: 7/10 (no waiting)
Atmosphere: 7/10 (with all the T.V.s set to football games, I’d grab lunch there any day of the week)

Check out my other restaurant reviews here. If you have a restaurant suggestion for me, please contact me by sending an email to SLCWeekendReviews@gmail.com.
Greek City on Urbanspoon

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WRR: Robin’s Nest

November 5, 2011 by 2 Comments

Who doesn’t love a good sandwich?

The first time I tried to get into Robin’s Nest the line was out the door, and I left. The second time, I came before the lunch rush, and I still had to wait. That’s almost always a good sign. In this case, the signs proved true.

With a menu of creatively titled sandwiches, sides of orzo pasta, and a good choice of cookies and pie slices, Robin’s Nest makes a good lunch for the downtown crowd.

My half-sandwich of  ”The Cowboy,” which was roast beef, tomato, red onion, pickle, lettuce, mayo, melted swiss & sun-dried tomato horseradish spread on marble rye, hit the spot dead on. I followed it down with a chewy chocolate chip cookie and a small side of orzo.

The bread was slightly toasted, but because it had started to cool, bordered on tasting dry. I’d have prefered it untoasted.

No complaints, and worth waiting in line for a few minutes. If you work downtown, find time to break away for lunch just a few minutes early, and go get in line for the Robin’s Egg.

So how does it rate?

Food: 7/10 (good but nothing to shout about)
Service: 7/10 (a little bit of a wait, and small dining room)
Atmosphere: 5/10 (M’eh)
Parking: 2/5 (It’s downtown. What do you expect?)

Check out my other restaurant reviews here. If you have a restaurant suggestion for me, please contact me by sending an email to SLCWeekendReviews@gmail.com.

 

Robin's Nest on Urbanspoon

 

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WRR: Pat’s Barbecue

October 27, 2011 by 1 Comment

I went looking for good barbecue and where I found it was about as interesting as the food.

If you’re headed to Pat’s Barbecue, don’t go expecting brass buttoned waiters and a multicourse meal. Bring an appetite, a friend or four, and plan on good eats, though, because that’s what you can expect.

At a friend’s recommendation, I found myself sitting at a picnic table stained and glazed a natural pine look for a laid back feel and easy elbow rubbing with friends.  While one friend likened it’s location in an industrial part of town off of 300 West to a place not far from where you could probably by meth, I’d say good eats don’t need a ritzy local to make the grade. Remember the Cotton Bottom Inn?

Make the grade it does, even if a hefty grade it is.. I ordered the special for the day, a meatball sandwich. I hesitated at the thought of how hefty a meal I might be getting, but a glance through the menu convinced me that I wouldn’t be finding a lighter menu item. It was worth it.

I enjoyed meatballs that tasted like they’d been ground and mixed on the premises, and I would be surprised if they were. The sauce was just a bit sweet, and though I added a bit more bbq from the table, nothing was lacking. The bread was nothing to shout about, but th meatballs were topped with sautéed onions and parmesan cheese. Final analysis? The sandwich was delicious.

The order came with a choice of a side and I had a bowl of black beans. It was a great combo, and I had no problem finishing.

A special shout-out to our server, Elliott.  We had a party of 12 or 14, and he handled it like a pro, quickly, efficiently, and with relaxed mien. Give that man a raise. Or a bigger tip.

Food: 19/25
Service: 8/10
Atmosphere: 5/10
Parking: 2/5

Eat-ability Quotient (an average of scores):  6.8/10

Check out my other restaurant reviews here. If you have a restaurant suggestion for me, please contact me by sending an email to SLCWeekendReviews@gmail.com.

Pat's Barbecue on Urbanspoon

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WRR: Cotton Bottom Inn

October 20, 2011 by 3 Comments

Foodie Marco Brown, who writes the blog "Eating Salt Lake City." Check him out as he takes a bite outta that burger...

There’s no reason you should write off a venue just because it looks like a run down,  hole-in-the-wall shack.

I mean, as long as all you want is a darn good burger, then the venue shouldn’t really bother you too much, right? (I mean, short of anything dangerous to your moral sensibilities or common sense, at least).

And that’s why you should head on down to the Cotton Bottom Inn for a garlic burger, ASAP. Go on. What are you waiting for?

Ok, so you’re still here. You need more convincing? Let me tell you about the burger:

1. It’s juicy. Rather than coming out tasting like something that was frozen a few minutes ago, it’s fresh and only slightly garlic flavored…which may be the one short coming of the burger. With a name like “Garlic Burger,” I expected just a little more garlic flavor.

2. The bun is real bread. It’s not that fake fluffy Wonderbread stuff that gets stuck between your teeth. Heck, it’s not even a bun. It’s fresh french bread sliced to size for this slightly larger burger. It was slightly crisped, too, for a crisp-on-the-outside-and-soft-on-the-inside flavor.

No fries with this meal, and if you’re partial to beer, they serve it.

Now: go get that burger.

Food: 20/25
Service: 7/10
Atmosphere: 4/10 (it’s a bar, and a hole, if a clean hole…)
Parking: 3/5

Eat-ability Quotient (an average of scores):  6.8/10

Check out my other restaurant reviews here. If you have a restaurant you’d like me to try, please contact me by sending an email to SLCWeekendReviews@gmail.com.

 

Cotton Bottom Inn on Urbanspoon

Really, it is a shack. I almost expect them to be making moonshine somewhere out back...oh. Wait. Parking is out back...

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Firehouse BBQ: They Have a Real BBQ

September 3, 2011 by 1 Comment

If you’re going to go out for BBQ, you might as well go get it right off the barbecue.

Serious.

I have no idea how I found it, but Firehouse BBQ puts the fire, and the BBQ, back into…well, you get the point.

While my friend and I are sitting there examining and enjoying the sweet and satisfying pulled  pork and beef brisket sandwiches, I look out the window and see our patron pulling out his bbq, a big steam engine looking thing, complete with smoke piping out of the top.

Wow.

And the food wasn’t too bad, either. Try it out. It’s simple, a moderately large portion, and a good break from the fast food grind.

Service: 8/10
Atmosphere: 6/10 (nothing special, but check out the woodwork in the floor…)
Food: 13/20
Parking: 7/10
Eat-ability Quotient (an average of scores):  6.8/10

Check out my other restaurant reviews here. If you have a restaurant you’d like me to try out, please contact me by sending an email to SLCWeekendReviews@gmail.com.

Firehouse BBQ on Urbanspoon

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Bohemian Brewery & Grill: Sprechen ze Good Food?

August 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment

If it were to be judged solely on the service, then Bohemian Brewery & Grill would earn a “Two Thumbs Up” and a Gold Star, too. Add food to the equation, and I doubt the score would change.

Within seconds of walking into the Bohemian for the first time, I was greeted with a smile, taken to a seat, and informed, quite pleasantly, that nothing I ate today had been bottled, canned or packaged. It was all fresh.

“The only way you get better German food,” he said, “is if you buy a plane ticket.” Presumably, that ticket would need to land in Berlin.

After eating, I had to agree. The food was great.

I ordered a brat sandwich with a side of potato pancakes (no, don’t ask me how potato pancakes qualify as a “side dish.” I shared them, effectively halving my calorie intake for the meal to about the average for three normal people…and I am normal people). The sandwich was a sliced brat drowning in swiss cheese and sweet tasting sauerkraut on parmesan bread.

It was a delicious combination and a cornucopia of flavor. I’ve eaten a few brats in my day. This one had more than a hint of fennel and when the contrast of the slightly salty parmesan bread was added to the equation, made for a delicious, if messy, meal.

Accompanying the sandwich were garlic fries. When I say “garlic,” I mean that the fries were literally flavored with fresh garlic. It was delicious, only adding to the palate of diverse flavors coming out of this meal. The only complaint I have was that as good as the fries were on the outset, and as hot as they were, as time passed they became soggy. Not too unexpected, but still, there it is.

The potato pancakes were passably good. Crisp and fried on the outside and just thick enough to leave a soft mushy texture on the inside.

I’ll let you do the math on the calorie content of the meal. Regardless, it was enjoyable, and worthy of at least skipping a couple meals to compensate.

Service: 9/10
Atmosphere: 7/10 (because the t.v.s were large and everywhere…distracting)
Food: 7/10
Parking: 7/10
Eat-ability Quotient (an average of scores):  7.5/10

Check out my other restaurant reviews here. If you have a restaurant you’d like me to try out, please contact me by sending an email to SLCWeekendReviews@gmail.com.

Bohemian Brewery & Grill on Urbanspoon

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