March 3, 2015-Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill Tempe

For our two year anniversary, we went to Z'Tejas in Tempe (not our normal location in Phoenix).

What I ordered: 

Appetizer: Tejas Trio

Entree: Steak Burrito

Drink: Coke

Appetizer: 4.3/5

We got our usual appetizer and it was very good. The salsa was actually pretty decent (I've never been a fan of their salsa) and their guacamole was very good. It wasn't too chunky and everything was mixed together.

Entree: 4.5/5

I decided to try something new and got the steak burrito. It was very good and the beef wasn't spicy like it was when I had gotten the fajitas. I was definitely satisfied with my meal and I think I found my new favorite!

Drinks: 4.6/5

I got Coke and it was good; the ice didn't melt too fast so I didn't feel like I had to rush to drink it!

Restaurant Environment: 4.7/5

The decor of this location is vastly different than the decor of the Bethany Home location. This location definitely gives off the Southwestern vibe with the brick and the flags of the southwestern states. This one felt more "casual" where the other location feels more "business-y" (I mean it is in the financial district). I really liked it!

Staff: 4.2/5

Our waiter was very friendly and took good care of us. I didn't feel like we had a robot for a waiter. 

Speed of Service: 3.9/5

The speed of service was alright. It definitely wasn't busy but I felt like it went slower than it should have. It wasn't too slow but it wasn't boom-boom-boom. I felt this way more towards the end while waiting for our waiter to take our plates and give us the check.

Overall:4.37/5

Pre-Tip Cost: $32.59

Value: $28.48

Hi!

Wow, it's been six months since we've even came to this blog, but we both have been so busy! Matt works 11-17 hours daily and I also have a job now so we're just very busy. We have stacks upon stacks of receipts of places that we've been to and we just haven't gotten to. I know I said this a few posts ago, but we're going to be trying to post here more often (at least I will). Thank you for putting up with us and I'm so sorry we have let this blog fall through the cracks.

Lauren

September 9, 2014-Solo

This dinner was special, it was for our year and a half anniversary!

What I ordered: 

Appetizer: Meatballs

Entree: Rigatoni in Marinara

Drink: Pepsi

Appetizer: 4.7/5

I'm used to eating meatballs as a part of my entree but these meatballs were amazing! They were in a lovely marinara sauce and they were falling apart! The way they tasted, them falling apart seemed to fit right it; it didn't really bother me.

Entree: 4.7/5

My rigatoni was great! They were a little on the under-done side because they kept falling apart when I tried to pick them up but it wasn't too bad! The taste of the whole dish made up for it and then some!

Drinks: 4.7/5

You really can never go wrong with Pepsi!

Restaurant Environment: 4.2/5

It was nice enough outside so that we were able to sit outside, which in the area the restaurant is in beautiful. It's right in the middle of the financial district on Camelback and the plaza it's in is very nice! Since it was later at night the plaza was empty!

Staff: 4.6/5

Solo is a family owned and operated business, which is wonderful to me! I love family owned restaurants. There is something about a family running a restaurant together that makes the staff seem so much more friendly. They were very nice and didn't forget us outside!

Speed of Service: 4.8/5

The speed of service was great! It seemed like they made it flow with the appetizer and entree so we weren't just sitting around doing nothing. They were very prompt with bringing out the food and taking the dishes away bringing us the check. It was very professional.

Overall: 4.65/5

Pre-Tip Cost: $59.57

Value: $54.40

Update!

Hi everyone, Lauren here!

So this blog hasn't gone exactly as planned. We've gone to restaurants just have not been able to keep up with posting. Matt has two jobs and I had school (will be starting again) and the past months has been filled with holidays, cleaning and my other blog for me. There are so many drafts just waiting!

Hopefully we will be able to get this back up and running again. I still have all of the receipts and everything. I'm so sorry this has stalled.

Stay tuned, this will pick up soon, I promise!

Happy new year! Have a wonderful 2015!

August 16, 2014-Johnny Rockets

What I ordered:

Appetizer: N/A

Entree: Burger and fries

Drink: Oreo shake

Appetizer: N/A

Entree: 3.7/5

I had a hamburger and fries for my entree. It was cooked well and everything I wanted was on the burger. The fries were not soggy and limp; they were crisp and hot and very delicious. 

Drinks: 4.2/5

I ordered an Oreo shake and it was pretty good. It was thick but not so thick that I couldn't sip it out of my straw. 

Restaurant Environment: 4.6/5

This particular Johnny Rockets is inside the Arrowhead Towne Center, right at one of the entrances. However the way it sits in its corner, it doesn't really feel like you're at a busy mall when you're back in the dining room area. If you're at the bar or the front room, then yeah it feels like a ma

Staff: 4.8/5

Our waiter is one that is always there when we go. He is very funny and he definitely makes the best of his job. I can tell that he truly enjoys it and that makes me happy. He is always very friendly to us and he remembers us when we go back. 

Speed of Service: 3.8/5

The speed of service was pretty good, except for the shakes. For some reason they either forgot about the shakes or they were just busy with a lot of other shakes. For whatever reason, the shakes took a long time to come out and they didn't come out until the food came out. The food came out in a timely manner

Overall: 4.1/5

Pre-Tip Cost: $29.17

Value: $23.92

August 9, 2014-Garcia's

What I ordered:

Appetizer: Chips, Salsa, and Guacamole

Entree: Beef Burrito

Drink: Pepsi

Appetizer: 4.1/5

The chips were nice and crispy, they wasn't enough salt on them when we came, but that was easily fixable. I didn't really like the salsa, it left a weird taste in my mouth and it was a little too hot for me, but I did like the guacamole.

Entree: 3.2/5

I didn't really like the burrito that much. Every few bites there was something in the burrito that just tasted really bad to me, so I ate about half of it. The refried beans were really good, they weren't dry or too wet. The rice was also good. Usually the rice I receive is really dry, but this rice actually wasn't over-dried.

Drinks: 4.6/5
The Pepsi was just generic fountain Pepsi, so it was good.

Restaurant Environment: 4.5/5

The environment felt like the traditional family restaurant; although not everybody there was related. But the decor and the music definitely made me feel like I was in a family owned restaurant who was proud of their heritage. 

Staff: 4.2/5

The staff was very friendly and very helpful in deciding what to eat. Since I have never eaten at Garcia's before, the waiter was very helpful in telling us about what they had and what their special were. 

Speed of Service: 4.5/5

The speed of service was pretty good. I didn't feel like I was sitting around and waiting for the waiter so I could get the food, it didn't feel like there was large gaps of time between ordering and getting the food and then between finishing the food and paying the check. 

Overall: 4.1/5

Pre-Tip Cost: $31.24

Value: $25.62

August 6, 2014-Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill

What I ordered:

Appetizer: Tejas Trio
Entree: Beef Sirloin Fajitas

Drink: Coca-Cola

Appetizer: 3.5/5
The Z'Tejas Trio consists of chips, guacamole, salsa, and queso. I only ate the guacamole, I do not like their salsa and I do not like queso at all. Fortunately, the chips were crispy, hot and salty; the guacamole was creamy, there weren't that many chunks of avocado and it tasted very delicious.

Entree: 2.7/5

The beef that was served was very spicy, too spicy for me to eat; I could barely swallow it. I was very dissatisfied with my meal and I didn't finish it simply because I couldn't finish it.

Drinks: 4/5

I had a coke and it was just an average fountain soda, nothing special about it. However, I did enjoy it. 

Restaurant Environment: 4.3/5

The environment was very lively, yet still intimate and cozy. They had the roof closed so it was a darker in the dining room. The temperature was cool, not too cold though and

Staff: 4.6/5

Our waiter was actually training the night we were there. He did very well for being a trainee. He was very attentive to our table, even though he may not have had many, he was aware when we ran out of drinks and quickly brought us new ones, he asked about our meal. Overall he did very well serving us.

Speed of Service: 4.2/5

Although we had a waiter-in-training, the speed of service was still fairly fast. We didn't have to wait too long for our food and drinks, or the bill.

Overall: 3.9/5

Pre-Tip Cost: $46.14

Value: $35.99

August 5, 2014-Chelsea's Kitchen

What I ordered:

Entree: Short Rib Tacos

Drink: Coca-Cola

Entree: 4.3/5

My short rib tacos were very delicious. They were seasoned properly and also they were cooked very well. Some areas were a little hard because they had been burned but overall they were very delicious. The dish comes with, what they call, kale-slaw but I don't like kale so I didn't eat it.

Drinks: 4.7/5

Chelsea's Kitchen serves their sodas by the bottle accompanied with a glass of ice. Their Coke is actually from Mexico and made with real sugar, which makes it taste much better. Any drink with real sugar is better.

Restaurant Environment: 4.1/5

Chelsea's Kitchen is in the middle of Sky Harbor International Airport Terminal 4, however it doesn't feel like it. Although you can look out the front, which is open to the airport, there isn't a lot of hustle and bustle that would distract one from their meal. The decor has a business type of feel, for business travelers wanting to either grab a meal with coworkers or grab a drink by themselves at the bar after a long flight. 

Staff: 4/5

The staff that served us was very exceptional. He didn't make us wait for our food, or check and paid ample attention when we needed it. 

Speed of Service: 4.2/5

The speed of service was pretty fast. Since it's in a terminal, most people either have just gotten back, or have flights to catch, so the kitchen knows they need to have a certain pace to stay with. We didn't have to wait too long for our food, which made me happy. 

Overall: 4.3/5

Pre-Tip Cost: $57.40

Value: $49.36

August 3, 2014- Chili's Metrocenter

Let me start by noting that I go to Chili's a decent amount so it's only fitting that it deserves a review along with a note that given it is a chain restaurant, your experience can vary greatly.

That being said...

What we ordered: 2/$20 Dinner

Appetizer: Tostada Chips w/ Guacamole and Salsa
Usually at Chili's the chips are pretty decent needing just a little salt. However, this time he chips were soft and soggy, as if they had been sitting in grease or if they were sitting underneath a heat lamp for a very extended period of time. The guacamole was average for Chili's and is one of the better guacamoles outside of an authentic Mexican restaurant. The salsa, however, leaves much to be desired and usually is very watery with little flavor.

My Entree: Bacon Ranch Chicken Quesadillas
The Bacon Ranch Chicken Quesadillas are by far my favorite entree at Chili's and They have great flavor. I highly recommend extra ancho-chile ranch for the added flavor. This time around, the chicken appeared to be over salted by quite a lot and led to me drinking more lemonade in order to bring the salt content down. That being said, I still ate all of the dish like I normally would.

My Drink: Strawberry Lemonade

Grades:

Appetizer:2/5

Entree:3.5/5

Drinks:4/5

Restaurant Environment: 5/5
This particular Chili's is better than most given that there is more than enough lighting and both the dining room and lounge are well laid out.

Staff:4/5
Typically I love an attentive waiter and one with some humor. However, I will say that this waiters humor took it just a step too far. I don't mind humor but joking that you are handing me the wrong food and drink just isn't appropriate. One time was enough but two times brought it down a step in terms of quality. Other than that, our waiters were great and I will admit the new system Chili's has put in using teams of waiters really helps make it a better experience.

Speed of Service:5/5

Overall: 3.2/5

Pre-Tip Cost: $27.38

True Value: $17.52

Overall this was a little sub-par of a visit to Chili's which should rank around an overall 4/5 for most visits. Most people would be satisfied with anything above a three, but for those who are a bit more picky than others, you may have left a tad but disappointed. 

August 3, 2014-Chili's Metrocenter

What we ordered: 2/$20 Dinner

Appetizer: Tostada Chips w/Salsa and Guacamole

My Entree: Half Rack of BBQ Ribs w/Fries 

My Drink: Coca-Cola

Appetizer: 2.5/5
Usually, the chips, salsa and guacamole are pretty tasty and a nice light appetizer, but this time there were some issues with the platter. First, the chips were very thin, not strong, and wet/greasy looking. They didn't look like tostada chips. Second, the salsa was very watery, there was no type of chunkiness or anything in the bowl; it was just basically water.

Entree: 4.25/5
I always love Chili's ribs but there is always one issue that I have with them, they are way too small! There is barely any meat on the bones, maybe one full bite and that is it. If they had more meat on the bones, they would be worth the price.

Drinks: 5/5
My Coke was very refreshing. It wasn't too sugary, there wasn't too much syrup and they didn't put too much ice in it so it didn't become watery.

Restaurant Environment: 4.1/5

Chili's is known as a family restaurant yet they have a bar with a lot of TVs which kind of blurs the identity of the restaurant. Also, their decor is trying to give off a country feel and it also highlights some of their most popular dishes. The lighting in the main dining room is very weird. They have fake candles as chandeliers in the middle but the way that they are sitting on the rod makes the lighting very poor, the lighting lights up the ceiling more than the tables. There is also individual lighting over each table around the perimeter, so the vibe is kind of weird. Also they have TVs at the corners of the main dining room all playing a different sports channel. Overall the restaurant environment is a fun, safe, family night out type of feel.

Staff: 5/5
Our waiter's name was Eric and he as a very friendly server. He cracked a couple of jokes, the first was while he was serving our food and joked that we both had Margarita Chicken and the second time was with our last refill of drinks. The first time he made the joke, I didn't really get it or find it that funny, I was really confused. However the second time, since he had already cracked the joke once, I laughed and found it a little humorous. I understood that he was just trying to keep us happy. 

Speed of Service: 4/5

Being a family restaurant, Chili's basically has to have a quicker turn around time because children usually can't sit around without getting fussy. Our turn around time was about an hour. We got our entree as we were finishing our appetizer. 

Overall: 3.4/5
Pre-Tip Cost: $27.38
Value: $20.26