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

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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

Little Miss Barbecue

Now this is real barbecue!! Companion and I arrived at 10:30 and got into the line that had already formed. At 11:30 we made our way to the counter. It was well worth the wait.

While in line we got to smell the wonderful smell of real Texas style barbecue, and the rumbling of our stomachs told us in advance that it was going to be good. Two huge smokers were busy smoking our lunch meats.

You can order a sandwich or you can order by the fraction of a pound. We chose to order by the fraction of a pound, and the cutter brought out a tray with a piece of butcher paper on it. This is the same way you will get your cue in Texas. First up was some fatty brisket. It looked wonderful. Because this was a Thursday, they also had Pastrami available. Some sausage and some turkey as well as 2 ribs also found its way onto my tray. For sides I had the cole slaw and the beans. Each item is weighed as it is put onto your tray and you pay the per pound price for each cut. White bread is available as are assorted condiments and pickles.

We found a free table and proceeded to feast. The brisket was beautifully tender with a nice smoke ring and good flavor from the rub. I probably should have stopped there, but next up was the pastrami. I should mention that I love pastrami and haven't had really good stuff since my last visit to New York. My craving has now been satisfied. Wonderfully tender and flavorful pastrami. Next was some turkey. I don't know how they accomplished it, but the breast meat was juicy and tender as well as full flavored. Next came the sausage. It was a bit spicy, but had lots of juice coming out of it. Last of the meats was the ribs. This for me was my only disappointment because the meat was about falling off the bones. I prefer my ribs to have a bit of tooth to them so that there is something to chew one. The cole slaw was about average, but the beans were dynamite! Probably the very best beans I have ever eaten in my life. They were flavored with big hunks of yesterdays brisket. Companions only complaint was that I never shared any of the beans  or even came up for air.

While they serve all types of drinks, I opted for a bottle of ice cold water which went perfectly with the food. 

For those who are not purists, home made sauces were available on the table, but I must confess that I didn't even bother to taste them because the cue was so good.

Good cue is made from fine meat, and is not cheap. You should expect to pay at least $15 per person for your food, and for a big tray like I had expect to pay around $35, but it is well worth it and can be shared between 2 people.

Perhaps the only drawback is that the place is so small, but I understand they will be looking for a second location soon. Parking can be a little rough, but with a member of the family directing traffic I was amazed how many cars they managed to park. 

It doesn't get any better than this. 5 stars

Rudy's Country Store and Barbeque

Rudy's Country Store and Barbeque
7300 W Chandler Blvd
Chandler, AZ 85226

I took a group of 10 to Rudy's at 6:00 on Saturday night. While it was a bit crowded, they were easily able to accommodate our party and allowed us to be seated in the private room. The atmosphere was essentially a knock off of some places I have been in Texas, as was the food.

On entering the line passes by 2 big tubs filled with ice and beer and pop. The assortment of beers that are mostly from Texas was very interesting to find. The cold salads are in a fridge to your left, but with no signage telling you that you have to pick one up there if you wish to eat on the premises.

Next was the main counter. For those who have never eaten Texas style BBQ, you order by the partial or full pound and it is placed on butcher paper on your tray (or in this case crate). I ordered an assortment of meats including the moist brisket, sausage, ribs, and prime rib. I also got the cole slaw, creamed corn, and for dessert, peach cobbler. I opted to skip the bottled drinks and buy a cup to fill at the soda dispenser which is a lot cheaper.

Upon finding my seat, I found there were two sauces for those who prefer their meat that way, along with some hot sauce. There is also a condiment bar where you can get your silverware(plastic) as well as jalapeno's and packets of everything from mustard to horseradish sauce.

The brisket was extremely moist and easily cut with plastic implements. I felt is could have used a bit more seasoning as it usually is in Texas. Next I sampled the sausage. I felt it could have used more spice in it, and ended up having to put mustard on it to be able to eat it comfortably. Unfortunately, the ribs were very tough, and after a number of tries to bite through them I finally abandoned them to the trash can. Last of the meats was the prime rib. A very nice piece of almost medium rare beef, lightly smoked. While the beef was very nice, once again the lack of seasoning caused me to downgrade the experience.

The coleslaw was nothing special, as it was chopped in a buffalo chopper, but my money is on the creamed corn. What a winner! The brisket with the creamed corn could have easily been my entire meal. In retrospect, I wish I had purchased a quart of the creamed corn to bring home it was that good.

Last was the peach cobbler. The cup I was given was almost all pastry, with just a little peach sauce on it. Nowhere did I ever get a bite of a peach. This was a total waste of money.

Other members of our group ordered the potato filled with pulled pork. The portion was very large, but once again, the meat was lacking in flavor.

On the negative side, about 7:30 the place filled with smoke so bad that our eyes were watering. Apparently, they put out the fire pits at that time, and the lack of ventilation makes it a real problem.

BBQ is not a cheap meal. While what I ordered was larger than the average person might order, it still was over $45. Quite a high amount for the quality of food that was received.

It should also be noted that they serve breakfast tacos which are said to be quite good. In my next review of them.

2 Stars for uniqueness and cleanliness.