Mimita's Cuban Cafe - CLOSED

Mimita’s Cuban Café

1950 N Arizona Ave

Chandler, AZ 85225

                                                                                                             CLOSED

We arrived as a group of 14 at 6:00 on a Saturday night. A reservation had been made and our table was waiting for us. Mimita’s is a family owned and run restaurant, and our waitress was more than willing to do her best to please us. They have a small bar, and our waitress freely admitted that she had not made a martini before, but she was willing to give it a try. Apparently the guide book she was using didn’t have really great instructions in it, but she gave it her best and delivered her version of a martini. Because I did not want to hurt her feelings, and because they don’t have a real bartender, I drank the martini as it was brought. It was palatable.

I started off with a plate of tostone’s (4.95). They were properly made, and came with a nice mojo that I could have asked for a quart of to bring home and put on everything in the house. The tostone’s were so good that I had to order a second plate because everyone wanted a bite of them. One of our party put the mojo on their bread and was delighted. This was the start of a memorable dinner! Another of our party that had lived in South America ordered the empanadas de carne (4.25), and pronounced them to be very good.

Next were the main courses. Dishes ordered were the sandwich cubano (9.99) which no one could finish, picadillo criollo (beef with olives, raisins, potatoes, tomato sauce and spices)(13.49), and arroz imperial (saffron rice layered with chicken or shrimp, sofrito, green olives, bacon and spices, covered in melted cheese)(13.99 – 14.99). Another of our party ordered the filete de pescado al ajo, which is a filet of tilapia, sautéed in butter with lots of garlic (13.49)

I and another ordered the rabo encendido, (ox tails slow cooked in a wine sauce and only available on Saturdays)(15.99). While everyone pronounced their food to be very good to excellent, my ox tails were a large portion and were perhaps the best I have ever eaten in my life. At no time during the meal did I ever pick up my knife. A true testimony as to the tenderness of the food. It also came with a portion of congri, which is a mixture of rice and beans with pieces of pork in it, as well as several platanos maduros, which are sweet fried plantains that came from heaven. 

By the time we were ready to leave, we were all stuffed to capacity. The premises were clean, and the girls did their best waiting on us and keeping us happy.

The food was excellent, hot and served in a timely manner. Portions were on the large side, and nicely plated. The only drawback was that the restaurant was on the warmer side, however they did turn down the temperature when we asked them to.

4 stars for excellent food, cleanliness, and trying to provide good service to a crowd.

Fuddruckers

Fuddruckers
7470 South Priest Dr.
Tempe, AZ 85283

As many of my readers know, I don't review burger places very often, and when I do, I'm quite picky about the food.

If a place will not cook a hamburger rare or medium rare it tells me that they don't trust their food. If they don't trust it, why should I?

We were a huge group of about 40 who descended upon this Fuddruckers. There are several other locations in the valley in case this is not close to you.

They have the distinction of grinding their own meat fresh each day in the window where you can see it. I count this as a big plus. You can order your burger in an assortment of sizes including and up to a full one pound burger if you have that much of an appetite. In addition, they also offer (depending on location and availability) specialty burgers ranging from bison to elk to wild boar.

One of the really nice things about this place is that you can decorate your burger however you like. There is a condiment bar with everything from lettuce to sliced tomatoes to onions, etc. Your welcome to put as much or as little as you wish on your sandwich. Additionally, there are big dispensers for everything from ketchup to sauce to mayonnaise, etc.

Don't like burgers? Try any of the chicken dishes. Again, they are cooked perfectly. You can also get a turkey burger, salmon burger, and even a vegetarian burger. There is something for everyone.

Their onion rings were a real treat, being battered just right and cooked perfectly. Fries come out just the same.

Kids have their own special menu, and kids portions do not skimp on quantity.

Be sure to try their shakes. They are hand made and really thick. Have a fresh baked cookie to help you with it also.

IF none of the above appeals to you, then try the salads. They are huge and fresh made.

This is a fun place to take a group or a family, and it won't break the bank.

It's clean, the food it good, and the service is fairly quick.

4 stars.

The Dhaba

The Dhaba

1872 E Apache Blvd

Tempe, AZ 85281

I have to start off by saying that if you are a fan of Indian food, then this is the place for you.

We were a party of about 20, and they had no problem accommodating us. When we arrived at 6:00, our table was set and waiting for us. The restaurant is nicely decorated, and has a quiet atmosphere. Some of the smaller, intimate tables would be a good place to take a date! But, I digress.

For starters, they brought out a very thin, fragile cracker and 3 different sauces to dip it in. The sauces are not for the faint hearted. I recommend that you order a mango lassi immediately if you need to handle heat.

For starters, I ordered the samosas, and they were flavorful and cooked to perfection.

An assortment of main dishes were ordered ranging from Chicken Tikka Masala to Lamb Vindaloo ordered extra hot, along with a mélange of other dishes.

While the heat level might be good for most people, I and one of my companions really like the heat, and we felt that the Tikka Masala and the Vindaloo needed to be even hotter than they were. Then again, a member of our party tried each one of them and pronounced their mouth to be on fire, so perhaps we just have asbestos linings.

This restaurant is beautifully clean, including the restrooms.

There is a small store attached to the restaurant that has everything from ingredients to knickknacks for sale.

Each person in our party enjoyed the dinner, and there was narry a complaint about anything. Service was attentive without being overbearing.

4 stars for quality, cleanliness and service.

Joe's Farm Grill

Joe's Farm Grill
3000 E Ray Rd
Gilbert, AZ 85296

A group of us went to eat at Joe's Farm Grill. This is the epitome of a non fancy dining experience! To be honest, it was crowded, we had to wait in line, and the decor is not something to write home about, however, the food was good. Rather than write all the comments given to me by my companions, I have chosen to write some of them down verbatim.

"The ahi tuna sandwich looked really good, and one of our party really enjoyed it. The burgers were nice and big, and I couldn't believe the size of the fried shrimp. The ribs were really tasty, and the pulled pork was some of the best I've ever had. All in all, a good time was had by all."

"I've also never seen a bathroom with a television in it before! Quite the experience."

"The grilled salmon platter was delicious. I could have taken home a tub of the garlic aioli, it was so good!"

Its a bit of an unusual experience to go there, but it's a great place for families especially with a bunch of kids.

3 stars for quality and amount of food.

Hodori Korean Restaurant

Hodori Korean Restaurant

1116 S Dobson Rd

Mesa, AZ 85202

Korean restaurants are all varied, ranging from the ones where you cook your own food, to those where they cook the food in the kitchen and bring it to you. Hodori is of the later type.

We were a group of about 12, and were seated in a room away from the main stream area. As it turned out, this was good, since our group was a bit noisy.

One of the dishes ordered was Korean soft tofu soup. This is brought out boiling in a bowl, with a raw egg dropped into it at the last minute to cook in the broth. Satisfying and wonderful in flavor this is perfect for a cold day.

Another of our party ordered Bibim Bap. A dish that is cooked in a red hot stone bowl consisting of rice, veggies and meat, with a sauce that you add to your taste. Again, this was an excellent dish.

The Bulgogi and Galbi are excellent even though they are cooked in the kitchen. An assortment of condiments (Banchan) including some excellent kimchi (homemade perhaps) was served with it.

My only complaint is that each time I have come here I have ordered an Obi beer, and each time, they tell me they are sold out.  Oh well, if this is the only problem, then they are doing well.

At the risk of sounding prejudiced (which I am not), I noticed the most of the patrons of the restaurant were Korean. This tells me that the food is authentic and appeals to those who know real Korean food.

Service was reasonably fast, and the place was nicely clean.

4 stars

China Magic Noodle House

China Magic Noodle House\

2015 N. Dobson Road

Chandler, AZ

A group of us came for dinner and arrived at 6:00. We were seated immediately. The restaurant is, to put it nicely, sparsely decorated, and is quite simple inside. However, don't let the lack of decor fool you. The food more than makes up for it.

This is one of the only Chinese restaurants in the greater Phoenix area that makes real hand pulled noodles. The last time I had noodles of this quality, it was in Hong Kong! 

There is a big picture window where you can watch the chef stretching the dough and making any of the 5 kinds of noodles.

I started off with the marinated beef tendon. Usually, you get a small plate with a little portion of the tendon on it. Here, I was surprised to get a big plate with a huge portion of tendon on it. To be honest, it was more than I could possibly eat, but we all made a good stab at it.

Next, I ordered a portion of noodles with XO sauce. This is a spicy sauce that really brings out the flavors in foods, and I was not disappointed. It was fun to watch the chef prepare the dish through the window. All my guests were mesmerized watching the preparation. Each person ordered a different dish, and all were pronounced flavorful and excellent.

Service is simple, but quick. Considering the prices, one has to wonder how they can stay in business. Big plates of food at very low prices.

Were it not for the simple decor, this place would easily rate 4 stars.

3 stars for portion size and quality.

A good place to eat your fill at a reasonable price.