Couscous Express - CLOSED

Couscous Express

1915 E. McDowell Road

Phoenix, AZ  85006

                                                                                

This restaurant has been reviewed by Zagat’s and others, and unless this was an off night the restaurant is not deserving of some of the praise that has been given it.

I was looking forward to eating at this restaurant. I and two companions arrived for dinner at 6:00 on a Saturday night. Parking is difficult at the restaurant and we ended up parking next door.

The decor was reminiscent of a typical place in Morocco, with wall hangings and hookah's along with lots of pillows being the main decorations. We were seated immediately and were promptly brought some very nice mint tea that was heavily sweetened. The tea was also available unsweetened.

After a very short wait, we were brought bowls of fava bean soup. The soup was a bit spicy, with notes of onion, cardamom, cinnamon and possibly a touch of clove. The spice didn't come into play until after it had been swallowed, when the slow burn started in the back of one's throat. Companion #2 could not eat the soup because of the amount of heat. No other soup was offered to her.

Next came a dish of two homemade pita's which seemed to be made of whole wheat and were unlike any other pita I had ever had. Each one was approximately 1 inch thick. Along with the pita's came a plate of hummus. The hummus had the usual flavors of garlic and possibly tahini, but it also had some other spices added to it that changed its character totally from the familiar to the unfamiliar. It was o.k. as hummus goes, but the smooth, creaminess that I crave in a good hummus was missing, and was replaced with a grittiness that was not to my liking.

The owner came over and asked what we wanted to order. We had no menus and none were offered, so we told him to surprise us. This was a mistake on our part.

After a reasonable time, a tagine was brought out with veggies and some lamb along with a dish of couscous. The lamb, what there was of it, was flavorful and nicely cooked. However, at least half of it was bone. We did not bother to complain because we figured that there would be other dishes coming out and we would not be going away hungry. Another mistake on our part.

The owner certainly surprised us by not having another dish to serve to us. He claimed that there was 1.5 pounds of lamb in the dish. I claim that there was.5 pounds of bone in the dish. On top of that, he claimed that this dish was our entire dinner and there was nothing more coming out of the kitchen.

We asked about dessert, hoping that it would help us all fill up. We were brought a plate of small rope like pastries that appeared to have been fried, then coated in a light semi-sweet sauce and covered in sesame seeds. Each of us took one to eat, and we unanimously agreed that they were inedible.

We asked for our bill, and at $56.00 were startled at the cost, especially since we were all still hungry. Companion 1 said she wished she had stayed home.

A $5 tip was left.

2 stars for flavorful food, no star for service, and no star for portion size.

Oasis Bakery & Cuisine

1639 E Apache Blvd

Tempe, AZ 85281

Companion and I arrived for dinner and were promptly seated. Entry is through a small parking lot in the rear, and is easily missed.

The restaurant has two rooms, one with regular tables, and one in which guests are able to sit on the floor.

We started out with a plate of hummus (4.99). Startlingly smooth and beautifully not over spiced, this was to portend the start of a really good dinner.

For main courses we ordered Mandi Meat (Roasted Lamb w/basmati rice 13.99) , Zerban Meat (Lamb w/raisins, nuts, potatoes in a tomato based sauce 13.99), Falafel 5.99, and Areekah (Bread w/dates, honey, and cream 7.99)

The portions were large, and the lamb was cooked perfectly with wonderful flavors. The Areekah served as our dessert, and is almost addicting to eat. Once you start, you cannot stop.

Our only disappointment was with Falafel. It was on the dry side and was obviously made from a mix rather than fresh fava beans.

All this also came with complimentary salad with two types of dressings available and on the plate.

To be honest, this is going to become one of my new must eat at places because the food is so very good.

It is also worth noting that they also serve a breakfast menu which includes Shakshuka, which is a must have middle eastern dish of eggs cooked in a tomato base with spices. I personally cook this at home, and have never found any place that cooked it in the U.S.

I highly recommend this restaurant for a wonderful experience of eating middle eastern food.

4 stars for cleanliness, portion size, and wonderful flavors.

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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.