Tom's BBQ - Country Club

1140 S Country Club Dr
Mesa, AZ 85210

This review applies only to this location. Two of the Tom's BBQ places are owned by the father, and two are owned by the son. This location is owned by the son.

Companion and I arrived for lunch. Companion ordered the chicken sandwich, jalapeno mac and cheese, a brownie, and a drink.

I ordered a burnt end sandwich, cole slaw, and a drink.

Our first problem was that unlike the fathers locations the sons do not accept Amex. One would expect that in a chain using the same name the same rules would apply. We found a table and in due course our food arrived.

Companion's chicken was overcooked and dry. Some of it was left behind as being unpalatable. Next was the mac and cheese. Unfortunately, it too was way overcooked with the noodles being just mush. It was taken home in the hopes that refrigerating it might firm it up and at least allow it to be deep fried. The brownie was the highlight of the meal, being a nice portion of cake with an excellent chocolate flavor and texture.

My burnt ends lived up to their name and were truly burnt. Having eaten burnt ends in many places before, I was familiar with what they were supposed to be, and the burnt refers to being seasoned and cooked twice. They are not usually dry and/or actually burnt. I ended up covering them in BBQ sauce so that I could get them down. The cole slaw was excellent and seemed to be the same recipe used in the other stores.

The restaurant was reasonably clean and the restrooms (which are quite unusual) were properly stocked and reasonably clean.

I was fairly disappointed on this occasion as I have eaten at other Tom's and never  had food like this.

Two stars for a reasonably clean experience and a great brownie.

Tom's BBQ - Baseline Road

115 E Baseline Rd
Tempe, AZ 85283

This review applies only to this location. Two of the Tom's BBQ places are owned by the father, and two are owned by the son. This location is owned by the father.

Companion and I have dined at this location a number of times, and we usually order the same thing each time.

Companion orders the chicken sandwich, jalapeno mac and cheese, a brownie and a drink.

I usually order rib tips, cole slaw, and a drink. We have never been disappointed.

Companion's chicken was moist, and filled the entire bun. The Mac and Cheese had perfectly cooked al dente noodles with loads of cheese on them. The brownie was moist and perfectly chewy and chocolatey.

I order my rib tips without sauce as I prefer to taste the meat with just a little sauce in the background, and they always perfectly oblige my wishes. Their cole slaw is hard to beat; creamy and crunchy with excellent flavor.

Staff is always friendly and most helpful. They take all credit cards including Amex.

At the risk of sounding prejudiced, this is my go to place for BBQ, and I do eat there fairly regularly. It is clean and relatively quiet. At holiday time you can have them smoke your turkey for you at a very reasonable price. 

My only wish is that they would have smoked lamb. I once had a sandwich of it and thought I went to heaven, but that was some time ago.

4 stars for cleanliness, good food, nice sized portions, and wonderful customer service.

Tampopo Ramen

3223 S. McClintock Drive

Tempe

Companion and I had lunch at this new restaurant. Having lived in Tokyo for a while, I am more than slightly familiar with ramen shops. Good tasting, filling, steaming hot bowls of wonderful noodles with all sorts of accompaniments, being loudly slurped down by satisfied customers.

Tampopo has one of 10 imported noodle machines in the U.S. and one can immediately tell the difference between their noodles and everyone else’s. The noodles have a definite toothy character to them and a distinct flavor that is exactly like one is back in Tokyo. This was the start of a wonderful bowl.

We started off with two appetizers. First was Takoyaki – small batter balls with a bit of octopus in the center, covered in what appeared to be unagi sauce along with bonito flakes on top. The only thing missing was a bit of Japanese mayonnaise which is usually found on Takoyaki served in Japan. Second was a Hirata Bun which is a steamed bun filled with pork, a few veggies, and mayo. Unfortunately the mayo had been mixed with what I think was a large amount of Togarashi spice and was all but inedible for both of us. This was very un-Japanese.

Next was the ramen bowls. Companion ordered the standard Tonkatsu ramen which comes with a slice of roast pork, a medium soft boiled egg, black wood fungus, bean sprouts, scallions, and sesame seeds.

Companion loved the ramen, and found the egg to be perfectly cooked to a soft but not runny stage. There was so much food in the bowl that companion could not finish it.

For myself, I ordered the same dish but made with the rich broth which is more concentrated than the regular. I also ordered Kakuni (braised pork belly) which is served on a separate plate as well as Kae-Dama which is an extra portion of noodles. The idea is that you finish the items in your bowl but save most of the broth. Then you add the Kae-Dama portion of noodles to it and you have a second bowl of ramen though minus the extra ingredients.

In honesty, I could have done without the Kae-Dama as my eyes were bigger than my stomach and I ended up not finishing my bowl. About the only thing missing from the establishment that you get in Japan is the loud slurping of the soup.

We also tried the Japanese cream melon soda. It was delicious and should not be missed.

The restaurant was spotlessly clean. For those who might think that this is just a fad, it is worth noting that most of the customers were of oriental origin and really seemed to enjoy the food.

Service was quick and excellent with our waiter providing commentary when needed.

This is one restaurant that will be getting a lot more of my personal business as it brought back memories and flavors from living in Japan. Highly recommended

4 stars for cleanliness, service, and quality and quantity of food

Los Reyes De La Torta

Los Reyes De La Torta
1528 E. Southern Avenue
Tempe, 85282

I arrived at the restaurant at 11:30, and was seated immediately. The girl seating me noted that the sun was coming in through the windows at the front of the place, and she opted to seat me at a table that would not be in the direct sun light. This was to be the beginning of a nice lunch!

Within a few minutes of my sitting down, I was greeted by my waiter, provided with what I think were homemade chips and two different salsas, as well as 3 different menus. The first menu was the lunch special menu, the second menu was an assortment of drinks on one side and desserts on the other side, and the third menu was their regular menu.

The waiter was prepared for me to take my time ordering, but I opted to order immediately, asking for an item that was not on the menu. I ordered a Lengua Burrito enchilada style with green chili on it. My waiter didn't bat an eye, but did compliment me on my Spanish! LOL. 

I started in on the chips, and found them to be delicious, as were both of the salsas. While both exhibited some heat, one was definitely a bit hotter than the other, though both had excellent flavor and body. None of that thin, watery stuff here.

In short order, my burrito arrived. Large, soft, and swimming in a pool of green chili with a little crema squirted over it. It was so good I emptied my entire plate. I also ordered a Tostada de Ceviche in the appetizer size just to try it. As with the burrito, it too was excellent and a nice size just to try it.

Of interest is that the menu contains proteins that are not usually found in most Mexican/American restaurants, including Lengua (tongue), Buche (pork belly), Cabeza (beef head), and Pierna (pork sirloin). I found that the way the menu was designed, every dish was listed both with a full English description as well as a Spanish description. 

The only think I did not care for was the televisions all tuned to a different Spanish language station. They took away from the atmosphere, which would have been a lot nicer had there been some good mariachi music in the background instead.

The place was spotlessly clean, and service was excellent. I hope they continue to keep up this level of food and service, because this is one of the very best Mexican style restaurants I have eaten in in this state.

4 stars for excellent food, good cleanliness, and good service

Dozo Izakaya

Dozo Izakaya

440 W. Warner Road, Tempe, 85284

Our group arrived at 6:00 and was promptly seated. This is a relatively small restaurant and they had three large groups all at the same time, which made service a tad slow.  Drink orders were taken, and I had a wonderful cup of hot green tea (possibly Genmai Cha) which had a nutty flavor to it. Over the course of the meal I think I drank at least 4 cups of it, it was so good.

For the starter, I ordered the Baked Green Mussels – Very nicely made – not smothered in sauce like some places do. We were off to a good start.

Next I tried some of the sushi. Because it was Eel Day in Japan I ordered Unagi (freshwater eel). It was nicely presented with the proper sauce on top and still nice and warm. Next was Tako (octopus). It was cut nice and thin so that it was not chewy at all and had nice flavor. I ordered Tamago (egg omelet sushi) and Inari (Tofu pouches filled with sweet rice), but never got to taste them because a number of my companions grabbed them before I could! They loved them.

Because happy hour was not over until 6:30 and we arrived at 6:00, I ordered a California Roll and a Crunch Spicy Tuna Roll at a reduced price. Both rolls were nicely made and of a good size. Special kudo’s for the crunch roll which was extra delicious and had wonderful flavor.

Finally, I got to the Izakaya Menu. In Japan, Izakaya shops are known for small plates usually served with good cold beer. Most often they serve Yakitori which are individual small pieces of chicken on skewers, grilled over special charcoal and coated with a flavorful glaze.

The waitress brought out a large assortment of them for me. The Sunagimo (chicken gizzard) was nicely chewy, and the Hatsu (chicken hearts) melted in my mouth. The Negima (chicken breast with green onion) which is very popular in Japan was excellent and the Tori Momo (chicken thigh) was delicious. The Teba (chicken wings) were nicely cooked and had just a touch of spice to them and the Tori Kawa (chicken skin) was so good it brought tears to my eyes. At every bite I was reminded of eating in Japan because the food was so authentic.

Lastly, I had Tako Yaki (Octopus flour balls), a favorite street food in Japan. They were nicely made with a hardened outer shell, a type of bread filling, and a piece of octopus in the center. It had some Japanese mayonnaise over the top along with some bonito flakes. It was so good.

My ending bite was Saba (seasoned raw mackerel sushi) which was some of the best I have ever had.

Companions (6 of them) had some wonderful super light tempura, as well as a Curry Katsu (pork cutlet curry) and a Katsu Don (Panko breaded pork cutlet over rice with egg and sweet onions).

The restaurant was nice and clean, and while service could have been better, one has to take into account that they were trying to handle 3 large groups at one time.

4 stars for outstanding food, cleanliness, and trying their best to serve three large groups in a small restaurant. I will definitely be coming back to eat here again and again.

Chou’s Kitchen

Chou’s Kitchen
910 N Alma School Rd
Chandler, AZ 85224


Companion and I dropped in for dinner and enjoyed ourselves immensely. Because of health issues, companion was not able to drink any of the drinks on the menu, and the owner kindly allowed a drink to be brought in from the outside that was acceptable.

We had a minor communication problem in that we ordered soup dumplings and received a bowl of broth with dumplings swimming in it. After working out our communication, we were brought the real Shanghai soup dumplings and were told to also keep the regular dumplings at no charge.
It must be said that the regular dumplings were wonderful and the broth they were in was beautifully clear and flavorful. As for the Shanghai soup dumplings, they were just as flavorful and totally delicious. Companion also ordered spring rolls which were nice and crispy, had good flavor, and were accompanied by a nice dipping sauce.

Companion ordered the Honey Shrimp which is a standard dish in many chinese restaurants, but this was a bit different. First of all, the food was cooked perfectly and second of all, if was not the cloyingly sweet item that most places serve. The sweetness was reserved allowing for truly tasting the shrimp and the broccoli

For myself, I ordered Szechuan style Ma Po Tofu, another dish which is available in almost any Chinese restaurant. Normally it is made with tsin tsin peppers, but here was a new twist on an old dish. Heat was supplied by jalapeno peppers, and to my great surprise by real Szechuan pepper corns. For those who have not had the experience of these wonderful pepper corns, they leave your tongue and mouth a bit numb after eating them, which is a true mark of real Szechuan food.
In the U.S. most places making this dish use ground up pork, but here they use actual chunks of meltingly tender meat. This was an altogether satisfying dish.

Portions were all large and prices were quite reasonable.

4 stars for excellent food, good portion size, and being very accommodating to the customers needs.

BP Street Café

BP Street Café                                                                                          UPDATED REVIEW

1845 East Broadway Road, Suite 127
Tempe, AZ 85282

Our party of 17 arrived for dinner promptly at 6:00. As I had called in advance, they had tables ready for us immediately. A few of our guests had some minor problems with their chairs in that they had points on the metal which snagged some of the ladies tops. A quick exchange of most of the chairs solved the problem.

There are apparently 2 sets of menu’s – the one which is on line and the one which was handed to us. The difference is that not all of the dishes are listed on the menu that is handed to you at the table. A number of us with smart phones went to their internet site and ordered from that.

Drinks were ordered around, and the consensus was that they were all very good. I had the Barley drink which is a bit unusual but with a wonderful flavor, and companion ordered the Thai Tea which was excellent.

Next were appetizers. The Roti Canai were flakey and tissue paper thin. They were served with a dipping sauce that had a piece of chicken and a potato in it. It was ever so lightly spicy, hitting the back of the palate a few minutes after eating it. We also ordered the BP Platter which consists of two of each of the appetizers with a chili dipping sauce. It consisted of chicken wraps (wrapped in aluminum foil with seasonings), spring rolls (delightfully crispy with good flavor), skewers of fish balls (unusually light), and two of the best chicken wings I personally have ever eaten. Had the wings been in buffalo sauce I would have thought them the best in the nation!

My first main course was the Sambal Fried Rice. It consisted of fairly ordinary fried rice with lots of egg in it and 4 small shrimp with the tail on. Flavor was a little smoky, but was definitely not on point. I also ordered the Mee Siam which is a chicken cutlet that is fried very crispy, and served with a small mountain of very thin rice noodles, several slices of cucumber, and a hard-boiled egg. This dish too was a big disappointment. The chicken was very overcooked, the noodles were so dry as to be inedible, and one would never get a hard-boiled egg in Malaysia, instead it would be a fried egg on top. No sauce was offered with the dish.

Companion ordered the BP Seafood over Rice. A large portion of white rice swimming in a sea of what looked like egg drop soup with 5 small shrimp in it and some artificial seafood. Companion complained that it was swimming in egg drop soup and it should have been thickened a whole lot. Companion also did not care for the dish itself, stating that the flavor was lacking.

Because of the experience of myself and companion, I polled the others at the table to get an idea of what they thought of the food.

Comments were: Chicken Curry and Rice – would have been good if the tofu had been left out

Seafood Noodle Soup – very good

Chicken Chop Noodle Soup – good

Combo Fried Rice – fair – needed more flavor

Hainan Chicken Rice – very good

BP Ginger Chicken Rice – good

Pork Chop Rice – great (Note: In Malaysia you would never get a pork chop as it is a Muslim country and pork is forbidden)

Nasi Lemak – missing flavor and heat (this dish was evaluated by our person who has lived in Malaysia)

Sweet and Sour Chicken – very dry and over cooked

Summation: There is no décor to speak of, though the place appears clean and well taken care of. One expects a bit of confusion with a party of this size, but this went far beyond what would or could be expected.

While some enjoyed their meal, the consensus was that the food was lacking in traditional Malaysian flavors and heat. I will go back again, to order a pile of the Roti and some more of the Barley drink.

I cannot in my conscience give the kinds of stars that others seem to be giving. Perhaps in the future, but not at this juncture. 3 stars for effort, cleanliness, and good portion size.

=======================================
This is a communication I received from the owner and in fairness to the review I felt it needed to be included.-------------------------


Malaysia is a multi-ethnic country; the main three ethnic groups are Malays (Muslim), Chinese (Buddhism/Christian) and Indians (Hinduism). We are serving Malaysian foods from these three ethnic groups. Therefore pork chop is on our menu since Malays is the only group do not eat pork but the other two do.

Flo’s New Asia Cuisine

Flo’s New Asia Cuisine

788 Baseline Road

Tempe, AZ 85283

First to Review

This is the newest in the chain of restaurants owned by Flo. This is my preliminary review, as the restaurant has only been open for two days and like all new places it has a few things to work out.

I arrived at 6:30 and was seated immediately. I was offered a libation and ordered a Diet Coke, the only diet drink on the menu. I would have ordered Iced Tea except that the only sweetener available was what many restaurants have removed from their tables in favor of Splenda. Unfortunately, the carbonator on the soft drink line was not working properly and my Diet Coke was mostly syrup and water.

The restaurant was nice looking, but was all hard surfaces making for a somewhat noisy environment. The addition of some soft hangings or some carpet would ameliorate the amount of sound.

First ordered were Spicy Wontons and Chinese Lettuce Cups. The wontons had good texture and I loved the very light wrapper around it. The flavor was very light as was the spice but I would order it again. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the lettuce wraps. My plate contained a half head of lettuce which was not taken apart at all, so my first order of things to do was to tear apart a half head of lettuce. In doing this a number of the leaves broke apart, leaving me with broken leaves to place the contents on and later drip down my hands. The filling did not impress me as it seemed to lack flavor which the accompanying sauces could not make up for.

Next was the Hot and Sour soup. A lovely bowl of properly gelatinous soup swimming with all sorts of goodies including very fresh shrimp. I added some vinegar and chili oil and it tasted just like I remember from China. This soup was dynamite! I'd have loved a bit of Ogo in it but it was a great soup.

Next was Kung Pao Chicken. One of the ingredients in it was zucchini which was a nice surprise since so many places use celery. A second nice surprise happened when I was served both white and brown rice. While white rice is traditional in oriental cookery, the brown rice is a nice addition for those who prefer a healthier option or prefer the nutty taste of it. The chicken was cooked to perfection, but once again the dish seemed to lack in the flavor department. It seemed to be lacking the heat and flavor that should be part of the dish, as well as the peanuts that I could not find.

I was brought Ma Po Tofu to try. It was made with regular peppers, and while the ingredients were all there, none of the heat was. I wish it had been made with real Szechuan peppercorns which would have made it an authentic dish even if it had to cost more.

Last was the Chocolate Wontons. Half wontons cooked till hardened then covered in a dark chocolate sauce plated with a slice of orange and dusted with powdered sugar. I appreciated the interplay of the orange and chocolate, but there was no way to eat it without getting my fingers dipped in chocolate too. Not that that is necessarily bad for a chocolate lover, but getting cleaned up afterward without a wet nap is a problem.

Overall, as a new opening there are a few problems to be ironed out, especially in the flavor area. Most of the food seemed cooked beautifully but lacking all sorts of seasoning. While Flo is noted for healthy variations in her food, she is not known for lack of flavor and I am hoping that this will be worked out by my next visit in a few months. If I had to sum up the food in one word it would be fresh. The food was anything but tired and worn out and the use of nice fresh ingredients was apparent.

The restaurant seemed spotless. The wait staff was a little confused but that is to be expected in a new opening. The cashier needs to know that sitting on the counter where the register is does not look nice and is unacceptable.

I'm giving 4 stars for quality of ingredients and for service in a new environment. Next time I hope to give 4 stars for flavor as well.

As my readers know, I do not accept free meals, and after paying for my dinner I found that the charge on my card had been voided and the meal had been comped. In keeping with my precepts, I have donated the cost of the meal to a local charity.

Flavors of Louisiana

Flavors of Louisiana

13025 W Rancho Santa Fe Blvd
Avondale, AZ 85392

Four of us went for dinner at this venue. We were really looking forward to enjoying some real Cajun/creole food. In many ways we were not disappointed, and in a few ways we were.

We decided to try an assortment of items to get a real picture of the food here. We started out with some fried pickles and fried green tomatoes. Nice and tart with a good breading we were hopeful that it was the start of some great food to come. While some of us ordered soft drinks, two of our party ordered sweet tea. It was true to its name, being a real brewed southern style sweet (emphasis on the sweet) tea.

Next on the try list was Gumbo. They have a seafood gumbo and a chicken and sausage gumbo, both of which we ordered. The seafood gumbo was pronounced excellent by all, but the chicken and sausage gumbo seemed overcooked and the chicken a bit dried out.

Next were main dishes. The shrimp etouffee was wonderful. Flavor was right on and lots of shrimp in it.

The shrimp creole followed the same ideal, with great flavor and good spice in a rich tomato base. Next was a po-boy, the quintessential sandwich of Louisiana. Once again, flavor and fillings were spot on.

Finally, came the Jambalaya, and our big disappointment for the night. Totally dry, with rice that was definitely from the bottom of the pot. We called over our wait person who apologized and said they were running out and had given us the last of the pot. I realize that they wanted to please us by not saying they were out of a particular dish, but in this case I’d have been much happier if they had thrown it out and not tried to serve it.

Though we were getting full, we opted to try the desserts. The peach cobbler was a total winner. Warm with great flavor, it was true comfort food. The cheesecake was just ordinary, and our wait person informed us that it was brought in from an outside vendor.

Finally came the Beignets. I felt that with some chicory coffee I’d be eating in Café du Monde. They were ethereal, and properly covered in huge amount of powdered sugar which promptly got all over everything as it should.

Overall, this was a nice eating experience. Given the one blooper of serving the bottom of the pot, the rest of the meal was spot on in flavors and textures.

The restrooms and the restaurant were nicely clean and service as excellent.

4 stars for flavor, quality of food, service, and cleanliness

Banh Mi Bistro

Banh Mi Bistro

2340 W. Bell Road

Phoenix

Three of us went for lunch at this restaurant. It is located in a small strip center right near the freeway. Arriving early, we were able to get a table immediately, and spent some time perusing the menu.

Companion #1 ordered egg rolls (3 to an order), a meatball banh mi with tomato sauce, and a taro boba.

Companion #2 ordered a Hong Kong style pork banh mi and a drink.

I ordered the spring roll appetizer with peanut sauce, rib steak pieces, pepper & onions banh mi, and peach/ginger iced tea.

In a reasonable amount of time our orders were ready to be picked up at the counter.

Comments:

Companion #1: egg rolls were crisp but on the small side. Came with enough lettuce and assorted veggies to make an entire lunch instead of just and appetizer. The meatball banh mi had little flavor but had so much jalapeno (possibly serrano) pepper as to make it inedible. Companion did not eat the rest of the sandwich. Taro boba was excellent.

Companion #2: Only ate ½ of sandwich because of burn from all the peppers on the sandwich. Gave me other half of sandwich and I gave companion ½ of my sandwich after opening it up and removing all peppers from it. Hong Kong pork was severely lacking in flavor.

My spring rolls were properly made, but the peanut sauce was almost flavorless. It looked proper, but the flavor just was not there. My sandwich was fair in flavor but lacking in meat. I added both soy sauce and a healthy squirt of chili/garlic sauce to the sandwich but it did not do much for it. Even the chili/garlic sauce was watered down in flavor. The ginger iced tea was very nice, but all teas are pre-sweetened, which can be a real problem for a diabetic.

Overall, the food seemed to lack flavor and assertiveness with the exception of heat from peppers. While I personally enjoy hot peppers, what was on the sandwiches was over powering of the flavor.

This was the first time I have ever had a banh mi that was so lacking in flavor. I would suggest that the restaurant reexamine their flavor profile and do some work on it.

The restaurant was clean and service was spot on.

2 stars for cleanliness and service.

LoLo's Chicken and Waffles

• LoLo's Chicken and Waffles
  2765 N. Scottsdale Road
  Scottsdale        
• While there isn't much in soul food in the Phoenix area, people have always flocked to Mrs. White's Golden Rule Cafe in the downtown area. Her grandson opened the original LoLo's also in the downtown area, and this summer, thankfully opened a LoLo's in Scottsdale for all the east siders to enjoy.
  
  LoLo's menu is a bit different in that they serve waffles with their chicken as well as a number of breakfast favorites. To begin, companion pronounced the waffles light, fluffy, and with good texture. Waffles are served with a cruette of maple syrup which should be enough for the average person, but if you like, they will gladly bring you enough to drown your waffle(s) in.
  
  Their chicken is the epitome of fried chicken. It is so different from the fried chicken chains that it is like night and day. Perfectly battered, seasoned and cooked, it can't be beat. It has just enough batter to give it a nice coating without being gobbed on like wallpaper paste. As for flavor - the only thing that comes to mind is wow! It's chicken! Not bunches of herbs and spices, but real, honest to goodness chicken flavor like it was meant to be.
  
  I ordered the Soulfood Platter ($13.00), which came with 3 pieces of chicken and 2 sides. My sides were collard greens and red beans and rice. The collard greens had no woodiness to them, and were cooked to perfection. The addition of a little Trappey's hot pepper & vinegar sauce forced me to devour the entire bowl! The red beans and rice were nicely done, and again, the addition of a little red hot sauce really made the day. For those who don't care for hot sauces, they were fine without it also. Their portion also includes a piece of homemade cornbread smothered in butter. Speaking of smothered, I also had a small bowl of gravy on the side to smother my chicken with. It had perfect flavor and just the right amount of spice.
  
  Companion ordered the LoLo's ($11.00) which consisted of 3 perfectly cooked pieces of fried chicken served on top of 2 perfect waffles. Companion also ordered a side of Cheese Grits ($3.50) which were just o.k., but were far from being bad.
  
  We also ordered a plate of Backwoods ($12.00) to share, which are chicken gizzards in gravy served over rice and onions. I'm sure I died and went to heaven on this dish. Gizzards are normally small chewy morsels that you can chew for five or 10 minutes before gulping them down. I don't know how they made these, but they were magnificently tender - one or two bites and it was gone! If I came back and was only able to order one dish, this might be the one - then again, it might be the chicken - then again.....
  
  Companion ordered sweet tea and immediately noticed that it was still a little warm. Unlike most places, they make everything, including the sweet tea, fresh on the premises.
  
  Companion has eaten at Pity Pat Porch in Atlanta and pronounced the food to be much better at LoLo's.
  
  This isn't the place to come for ambiance - basically, there is none. It's the place to come for really good food. The restaurant was clean, and the restrooms were clean.
  
  If this review doesn't make you want to eat here, perhaps the line out the door will. Fortunately, the line moves fairly quickly, but more and more people are discovering this jewel.  4 stars

Lolo's Chicken and Waffles - update

• 3133 N Scottsdale Rd
• Scottsdale, 85251

This is an update on my previous review of Lolo's. That review was written about their previous location on Scottsdale road before they moved to this site.

Food has greatly changed since the move. The backwoods that I ordered which was my favorite in the past now is made with jalapeno's in it and much less sauce and meat.

Chicken no longer seems to use the original recipe and has changed.

The atmosphere is loud and service almost non existent. Lunch required 3 hours due to waiting or a waitress or waiter when none showed up. Then the wrong orders were brought, drinks were never refilled and the meal was a total shambles.

My last review was a 5 star review, but they have gone so far downhill that I can only give them 2 stars at this time.

I'm going back to Mrs. Whites where even though she no longer cooks, the recipes aren't tampered with and service is still done with a smile and in a timely manner.

Perhaps if Lolo's didn't try to franchise so quickly and paid more attention to this restaurant it might have been better.

Reduced from 4 stars to 2 stars

Delete review

Red Robin

Red Robin

19 S. McClintock Drive

Tempe, 85281

Companion and I wanted burgers and decided to go to Red Robin. We had been to this location previously and had been satisfied, but this time we were quite unhappy.

Things started badly when they tried to seat us in the bar. Companion is handicapped and sitting on high chairs in the bar makes no sense. One would think the person seating us would notice the cane, but seemed oblivious to the situation. When we asked for a different place to sit, the look on the persons face said it all - we were considered troublemakers.

After finally getting a seat that we could use, we sat and waited and waited and waited. Eventually, the server Natalie showed up. We ordered drinks, and they had to be sent back because they were wrong.

After quite a while Natalie showed back up to take our order. We ordered an appetizer of Artichoke Spinach Dip, when when brought out was still ice cold in the center and had to be sent back.

Next we ordered our main course. Companion ordered the Fish and Chips with Mac and Cheese, and I ordered the Mushroom Burger with Garlic Aioli (75 cents extra!)

When I was asked how I wanted my burger I asked for it to be as rare as they could make it. Instead, I receive a well done burger with a tiny cup of Aioli sauce on the side. For those not familiar, Aioli is basically nothing more than mayonaise with some garlic added to it - hardly something that should cost extra.

I had asked for my fries to be well done. Instead I received flacid, greasy fries. After I had eaten more than half of my burger a different waiter noticed that I had not touched my fries and brought me fresh, hot, crispy ones that were just what I had wanted.

For a $42 bill, this was totally not worth it. I felt I wasted my money.

For purposes of authenticating this review, service was on 4/9/2015 @2:36 in the afternoon at table 13/1 on ticket 30014 with an incorrect number of guests listed on the ticket.

Red Robin prints on the check to tell them how they did. I'm telling them they did poorly.

3 stars

Fired Pie

Fired Pie

4905 E. Ray Road

Ahwatukee, 85044

The Fired Pie is the most unusual pizza shop I have ever been to. The make individual 11 inch custom pizza’s for the crazy price of $7.95.

You have your choice of any or all of 30 different ingredients ranging from 13 different meats ( including anchovies ), 6 different cheeses including fresh mozzarella, 6 sauces, 14 veggies including sun dried tomatoes, and even custom made salads for those not eating pizza.

Our group of 10 were there for dinner, and were totally surprised by the menu items. Usually, when you order pizza, you get a few ingredients and then pay extra for any more. One member of our party decided to really put them to the test and ordered a pizza with every ingredient except anchovies. Pizzas are ready in about 10 minutes and are baked right in front of you. His pizza was almost 2 inches thick with toppings, so they really mean what they say about putting on the ingredients you want.

I had looked on their web site previously and had a paper with me on which I previously wrote down the ingredients that I wanted. I was not disappointed in the least. I should point out that all pizzas are thin crust, but considering the amount of toppings, I was glad not to have all the bread to eat.

Everyone agreed that this was perhaps one of the best values for money available anywhere. They have ten locations including one in Tucson. Drinks are self-serve and they do have wine available.

They only serve one dessert. A fresh baked cookie in the pan topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream slowly melting over it.

The place has both indoor and outdoor seating so you can sit wherever you are most comfortable. Of note is that while we were there, a steady stream of customers were lined up ordering pizza with the line and one point going out the door.

While this is not gourmet pizza, it is tasty and easy on the pocket. Cleanliness was apparent with tables being cleaned as soon as people finished.

5 stars for good food and outstanding value

Heng's Kitchen

Heng’s Kitchen

66 S. Dobson Road

Mesa 85202

Heng’s Kitchen is one of a number of small shops located in the food court of the Mekong Plaza Mall. Seating is at a series of tables and would be generously called open seating at four tops. However, the star of the show is not the ambiance, since there is none, but rather the wonderful food.

Many of the foods that they serve I have not eaten since being in China, especially the soup dumplings which are a specialty of Shanghai.

For those not familiar, soup dumplings are essentially a small meatball, surrounded by soup, and wrapped in a wonton type wrapper. The secret to them is that they must be made when ordered – no pre made food here. They are listed on the menu as Home Made Juicy Steamed Pork Mini Dumplings.

I immediately ordered 2 orders of them for myself and companion, and was almost in tears remembering my days in Shanghai as I devoured them. Unfortunately, I did not account for how filling they were and needed a doggy bag to bring the rest of the meal home.

Notables on the menu are drunken chicken, spicy wontons, pork slices and pickled cabbage w/noodles.

For the more adventurous, try the streaky pork with the homemade sauce, or the Chinese barbecue pork (spicy). The hot and spicy boiled beef or fish is a real treat for those who like it hot, and their Mapo Tofu is excellent.

For those who prefer not to eat meat, there are a number of vegetarian dishes on the menu as well.

With the exception of a very few specialty items that are priced near the $13 mark, most items on the menu are between six and eight dollars.

They take all credit cards and are open till 9 at night.

I give them 3 stars for great food.

Mika's Greek

Mika’s Greek Restaurant

780 W. Elliot Road

Tempe 85284

A group of us descended on Mika’s for dinner. The restaurant is small, sparsely decorated, but immaculately clean. Orders are taken at a main counter, then is brought to your table for you.

Our group ordered an assortment of items so that we could all try them.

First was falafel. Nicely cooked and properly seasoned, one could tell they were fresh because they were green instead of brown inside.

The Mika’s fries were a real treat and reminded me of nacho’s in that they were topped with gyro meat, feta cheese, a house dressing and tzatiziki sauce. This was a mouth full of flavor. Chicken souvlaki was tender and moist and the dolma’s were perfection.

The grilled Greek chicken served on a platter was marinated in olive oil and garlic and was cooked just right. I got mine with rice and salad as well as fresh warm pitas.

A member of our party was a vegetarian, and was not disappointed in all the selection on the menu.

The restaurant only serves soft drinks, but that was not a drawback. Desserts were on the menu, but no one had any room left to try them.

Prices range from $7.95 to $12.95 and portions were of a good size for most anyone. Service was nice and friendly, and the cleanliness was a true standout.

I give the restaurant 4 stars