Marco's has three locations, but Hertel Ave about fifteen minutes away is their closest location. Fortunately, do they deliver as well as have eat-in and take out. Delivery is always a big deal around here at work once someone finds a place that does so, especially once summer ends and if they are outside of the downtown district.
Marco’s did want a $15 minimum order, which would be like two sandwiches. They also guaranteed delivery by noon. Marco's also has a $5.00 delivery charge. The cost of each item ranges from $6.99 to $8.99. With tax, delivery, and tip and everything, it adds up to be one expensive sandwich without any sides or extras… say goodbye to a ten dollar bill on delivery. The expectations of the size, portion, quality, and even neatness are high. Ten people were in on the luncheon today and most ordered one of the “sangwiches” named with creative movie Italian nicknames. We called the afternoon before to place our order. They also have a fax.
The owner Nick gave us his personal recommendation, and Mama Mia was it, which is turkey, bacon, cheddar cheese, and chipotle mayo. All the sandwiches are freshly made. No fries on the menu means there is not a deep fryer probably for them to use. The single word 'fried' does not appear once on their menu. Soup of the day is on their menu except they didn't have soup today. They also don't offer half subs/sandwiches.
We had plenty of mixed results with our food. The delivery came on time, the names were on the orders, and they had no mistakes. All three things we look for with delivery. The sandwiches weren't quite sandwiches though... they were more like submarines. They had a sub appearance and style measuring about eight inches long. One person ordered a salad which was okay and had a lot in it. The sandwiches also had a lot in them, but it wasn't at first site. We heard on some of the sandwiches the meat was tough and fatty and that they had to pull it out. Some were soggy also. The roast beef in the sub was so thick that at first bite it was almost like steak.
Everyone finished their "subs" and thought they were "good” in the end. The food definitely had plenty of flavors and each one had a unique sauce like a garlic mayo which added a great taste. At ten dollars, it may be worth to some.
Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Marco's Fine Italian Dining
www.marcosbuffalo.com
1744 Hertel Ave
Buffalo, NY 14216
(716) 862-9117
Friday, August 27, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
DiBella's Old Fashioned Submarines
Delivery from over twenty minutes away seems out of the question... especially for a place that doesn't even deliver in the first place. This would be the furthest we have ever got delivery from. DiBella's doesn't have a location in or near downtown Buffalo, but our Rochester friend insisted they are a must try. Interesting enough, they have three locations in the suburbs of Buffalo and most of us Buffalo people have never had food from there before despite hearing about them.
Our Rochester friend convinced Dave the manager and Brian the assistant manager from the Tonawanda location on Niagara Falls Blvd. to deliver, but we needed to meet a $50 minimum order. There weren't any prices on their website so we had to ask also. We originally were going to order from here Monday, but the order would have been called forty minutes before our lunch time and we didn't meet the $50 minimum then.
Today, we had 11 people ordering which would put us well above the $50 minimum. Orders ranged from a Godfather, which was Genoa Salami, Capicola, and Spicy Ham, to roast beef and corned beef. We could say exactly what we wanted on it to the kind of cheese, peppers, oil, etc. A large cold sub was $8.19 and a medium was $6.19. No one got one of Grandma DiBella's Old Fashioned Large Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies for a $1.25, but one of us did get the small box of two dozen mini chocolate chip cookies for $5.89. We were going to fax our order in, but they didn't have a fax machine so we called a day ahead to place our order.
The delivery arrived about five minutes earlier than expected so their timing was fine by not being late with the longer than usual delivery distance. This was the first time two guys came to deliver... one was the manager and the other was for directions. All the subs came in one big box and the manager presented us with a 10% coupon on sub party platters. Gladly enough, each sub had a name on it instead of what it was so it was easy to pass around. This was a solid start before we began eating into the food.
We felt the weight of one sub in our hands and it was heavier than the average foot-long sub. It is only a bit longer than the twelve inch standard. The order came with some napkins and forks and over a dozen menus. Some of us worried if the hot subs would be cold by the time it was delivered. The hot subs were in red paper and they were still warm. The seven inch Red Osier Hot Roast Beef at $5.59 was smaller than expected, but still fine and warm. The cold subs had a similar appeal and taste to Wegmans. The bread is so nice that Wegmans paid big bucks to use their recipe. The meat was stacked high like Wegmans, however, one side of the bread was cut instead of both. The cheese had a great taste and the peppers had a kick to them. The cookies were freshly baked and much better than Chips Ahoy. Their large subs are all you really need to be full for hours.
The enormously high expectations built up from our Rochester friend were met. For not coming here late, writing the names on the orders, or messing anything up in the process of a big order to go out for a long delivery, they did really well. In comparison to other sub places, this ranks above most in Buffalo. Jim's Steakout, DiBella's, and Wegmans could be one, two, and three and they are each unique. We would do the sub platter next since it is cheaper than our current go-to sub platters from Prima.
Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5
DiBella's Old Fashioned Submarines
www.dibellas.com
1420 Niagara Falls Boulevard
Tonawanda, NY 14150-8431
(716) 332-2418
Our Rochester friend convinced Dave the manager and Brian the assistant manager from the Tonawanda location on Niagara Falls Blvd. to deliver, but we needed to meet a $50 minimum order. There weren't any prices on their website so we had to ask also. We originally were going to order from here Monday, but the order would have been called forty minutes before our lunch time and we didn't meet the $50 minimum then.
Today, we had 11 people ordering which would put us well above the $50 minimum. Orders ranged from a Godfather, which was Genoa Salami, Capicola, and Spicy Ham, to roast beef and corned beef. We could say exactly what we wanted on it to the kind of cheese, peppers, oil, etc. A large cold sub was $8.19 and a medium was $6.19. No one got one of Grandma DiBella's Old Fashioned Large Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies for a $1.25, but one of us did get the small box of two dozen mini chocolate chip cookies for $5.89. We were going to fax our order in, but they didn't have a fax machine so we called a day ahead to place our order.
The delivery arrived about five minutes earlier than expected so their timing was fine by not being late with the longer than usual delivery distance. This was the first time two guys came to deliver... one was the manager and the other was for directions. All the subs came in one big box and the manager presented us with a 10% coupon on sub party platters. Gladly enough, each sub had a name on it instead of what it was so it was easy to pass around. This was a solid start before we began eating into the food.
We felt the weight of one sub in our hands and it was heavier than the average foot-long sub. It is only a bit longer than the twelve inch standard. The order came with some napkins and forks and over a dozen menus. Some of us worried if the hot subs would be cold by the time it was delivered. The hot subs were in red paper and they were still warm. The seven inch Red Osier Hot Roast Beef at $5.59 was smaller than expected, but still fine and warm. The cold subs had a similar appeal and taste to Wegmans. The bread is so nice that Wegmans paid big bucks to use their recipe. The meat was stacked high like Wegmans, however, one side of the bread was cut instead of both. The cheese had a great taste and the peppers had a kick to them. The cookies were freshly baked and much better than Chips Ahoy. Their large subs are all you really need to be full for hours.
The enormously high expectations built up from our Rochester friend were met. For not coming here late, writing the names on the orders, or messing anything up in the process of a big order to go out for a long delivery, they did really well. In comparison to other sub places, this ranks above most in Buffalo. Jim's Steakout, DiBella's, and Wegmans could be one, two, and three and they are each unique. We would do the sub platter next since it is cheaper than our current go-to sub platters from Prima.
Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5
DiBella's Old Fashioned Submarines
www.dibellas.com
1420 Niagara Falls Boulevard
Tonawanda, NY 14150-8431
(716) 332-2418
Friday, July 16, 2010
TGI Friday's
TGI Friday's is one of the most over-visited chain restaurants in America. This place on Main St. by Chippewa and Washington seems to be one of the few food attractions that are busy in its area, especially in the evening. It does marketing extremely well with their television advertisements and promotions. Imagine over a dozen us from work heading to Fridays together and ordering lunch right there. We wouldn’t have time… so we managed to get delivery from them.
The menu contains a lot of similar things and it's very narrow. Their prices are actually expensive for lunch and dinner portions as well as desserts. You might as well just go to a local restaurant instead with real cooks and people who want to work there. Since we are the Buffalo Lunch Time guys, we shouldn't be going to places like Fridays, Chilis, Applebee's, and so on since there are a ton of local places that are out there... at least in Buffalo and the suburbs there are. Fridays does provide a family-friendly atmosphere along with a nice bar that has overpriced drinks. However, we managed to order for delivery for our first time ever from TGI Fridays on this Friday. We pulled off getting the manager from TGI Fridays to make the delivery if we had enough people. This would be their first delivery.
We only had the menu online to look it and it was very confusing. The items were duplicated all over the menu and they stressed Jack Daniels sauce all over it. The prices were not listed and some of the items didn't list if it came with a side or not. Their sections are broken down vertically so you would have to tilt your head to read the section. Since the menu online was messy, we called and requested a menu faxed to us with the prices. The person on the phone did so by writing the prices on a paper menu, which was easier to read, and it was faxed within a few minutes. This was the fastest fax we’ve ever had. Usually when we request a menu to be faxed, it rarely comes in. We were impressed most by this place since the person did it so fast and wrote the prices on it. We ended up faxing our orders with our names on each order to them about two hours ahead of our lunch time and called to confirm it. There were sixteen people who ordered today and the most popular item ordered, as predicted, was the Jack Daniel's Chicken Sandwich which did come with fries.
Some of us do have a problem though with the pricing. The average cost of a sandwich and even a salad was 10 to 11 dollars total. If we found a menu for a local place no one has heard and saw it cost that much for a sandwich, people would be turned away and call it an outrage. We would know since it has happened several times before... but since this is Fridays and people are familiar with the name and marketing of it, it is okay to spend that much on lunch. The problem is not many people take the risk and spend $10 on lunch from a place they know nothing about.
Our food arrived ten minutes earlier... that is, if we gave them the right address. Our Rochester friend gave him his old working address, but thankfully they came before noon. The daytime manager Mike delivered in his car and he said this was his first delivery order. He was hesitant at first over the phone to do it, but it now sounds like he would do it again especially with the right address. All the orders were in one big box. None of them had names on them though. Instead, the orders were written on them. Plates, napkins, ketchups, and so on were provided. For everyone who ordered Jack Daniels something, the sauce was on the side and everyone seemed to have liked that better than if the sauce was already on it. The sandwiches were juicy and big with some flavor. We were all impressed by the food even if it was from a chain. The food didn't go wrong. It’s also what you can expect from a chain in quality and size.
TGI Friday's is expensive place for lunch and people are still willing to pay because the food is not that bad. There are other choices out there and this isn't something we would go to often for our lunch. However, since we got a large turnout and everything pretty much came as ordered and enjoyed by many people, we might change our minds on that especially when we don't want pizza.
Final Rating: 3 out of 5
TGI Friday's
www.tgifridays.com
601 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14203-1488
(716) 854-6000
The menu contains a lot of similar things and it's very narrow. Their prices are actually expensive for lunch and dinner portions as well as desserts. You might as well just go to a local restaurant instead with real cooks and people who want to work there. Since we are the Buffalo Lunch Time guys, we shouldn't be going to places like Fridays, Chilis, Applebee's, and so on since there are a ton of local places that are out there... at least in Buffalo and the suburbs there are. Fridays does provide a family-friendly atmosphere along with a nice bar that has overpriced drinks. However, we managed to order for delivery for our first time ever from TGI Fridays on this Friday. We pulled off getting the manager from TGI Fridays to make the delivery if we had enough people. This would be their first delivery.
We only had the menu online to look it and it was very confusing. The items were duplicated all over the menu and they stressed Jack Daniels sauce all over it. The prices were not listed and some of the items didn't list if it came with a side or not. Their sections are broken down vertically so you would have to tilt your head to read the section. Since the menu online was messy, we called and requested a menu faxed to us with the prices. The person on the phone did so by writing the prices on a paper menu, which was easier to read, and it was faxed within a few minutes. This was the fastest fax we’ve ever had. Usually when we request a menu to be faxed, it rarely comes in. We were impressed most by this place since the person did it so fast and wrote the prices on it. We ended up faxing our orders with our names on each order to them about two hours ahead of our lunch time and called to confirm it. There were sixteen people who ordered today and the most popular item ordered, as predicted, was the Jack Daniel's Chicken Sandwich which did come with fries.
Some of us do have a problem though with the pricing. The average cost of a sandwich and even a salad was 10 to 11 dollars total. If we found a menu for a local place no one has heard and saw it cost that much for a sandwich, people would be turned away and call it an outrage. We would know since it has happened several times before... but since this is Fridays and people are familiar with the name and marketing of it, it is okay to spend that much on lunch. The problem is not many people take the risk and spend $10 on lunch from a place they know nothing about.
Our food arrived ten minutes earlier... that is, if we gave them the right address. Our Rochester friend gave him his old working address, but thankfully they came before noon. The daytime manager Mike delivered in his car and he said this was his first delivery order. He was hesitant at first over the phone to do it, but it now sounds like he would do it again especially with the right address. All the orders were in one big box. None of them had names on them though. Instead, the orders were written on them. Plates, napkins, ketchups, and so on were provided. For everyone who ordered Jack Daniels something, the sauce was on the side and everyone seemed to have liked that better than if the sauce was already on it. The sandwiches were juicy and big with some flavor. We were all impressed by the food even if it was from a chain. The food didn't go wrong. It’s also what you can expect from a chain in quality and size.
TGI Friday's is expensive place for lunch and people are still willing to pay because the food is not that bad. There are other choices out there and this isn't something we would go to often for our lunch. However, since we got a large turnout and everything pretty much came as ordered and enjoyed by many people, we might change our minds on that especially when we don't want pizza.
Final Rating: 3 out of 5
TGI Friday's
www.tgifridays.com
601 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14203-1488
(716) 854-6000
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
La Nova Pizzeria
Today for some us was our one year anniversary at work. We came in the same time exactly a year ago and to celebrate, we decided to have our own pizza party luncheon. After going against from going out, we decided for pizza yesterday, but we didn’t know where yet.
We haven’t reviewed La Nova because our Rochester friend was not impressed by the La Nova pizza at the Valero gas station on Elmwood. This pizzeria does have the strongest reputation in Buffalo for years now as the best pizza in town. They are also notoriously famous for their mafia ways too, but that’s old news. Their prices are a bit higher than the average, but it is always worth it. Of course, they are not within walking distance to downtown from their West Ferry original location we ordered from. Their other location is consistently great for the suburbs on Main Street in Williamsville. They’ve been number one on best pizzas lists in Buffalo for years and they earned the prize as best independent pizzeria in the United States… it even still says so on their plates. They are so famous now that their wings are starting to get more attention than Duff’s due to Duff’s never showing up at wing fest and no marketing. La Nova ships out their food via airplane anywhere in the country. Marketing outside of Buffalo has helped this place grow.
We called an hour ahead of time and it would take 45 minutes to get here. We could tell the person was talking softly over the phone and abruptly said bye after we asked for plates and napkins. It sounded like she didn’t want to be there today. As a result, the plates did not arrive, but the delivery guy came on time. Luckily, we still had La Nova plates and napkins leftover from a previous visit months ago. You can imagine their suburban place is more friendlier than the North Buffalo one. Our order was a sheet pepperoni pizza and 20 medium wings for five people… hopefully that wouldn’t be too much food for everyone... and it really wasn’t after all. We originally came in on this date a year ago as 9 people. 1 left the day of, 1 recently left, 1 didn’t have cash today, and 1 decided to go to the dark side today by ordering a happy meal from McDonald’s.
There never have been more complements to a pizza during a lunch period than today. We went as far as calling this pizza beautiful while seeing it in the pizza box. There were only a few slices left after our lunch period. The pizza was juicy, moist, and soft. There were no burnt brown or black areas on the crust. It was easy going down... it was just amazing and delicious. We wish we could eat this pizza more often. A couple of the people who got McDonald's today realized how small their food was and wanted some of this pizza... they each got a slice and wanted more. Their wings also scored well. Usually wings from pizza places are just alike and nothing too superb as opposed to getting them at bar. These wings, however, are above the scale on wings from a pizzeria. They are better than the average wing.
By default, this should be the pizza to welcome any outside visitors to Buffalo. It is what Buffalo pizza is all about… from the overall flavor, to the rise of the dough, to the size of the crust, to the essence of the sauce, and to the appearance and taste of the pepperoni and cheese... the blend of all of that was phenomenal. This is Buffalo pizza at its finest.
Final Rating: 5 out of 5
La Nova Pizzeria
www.lanova.com
371 West Ferry Street
Buffalo, NY 14213-1947
(716) 881-3355
We haven’t reviewed La Nova because our Rochester friend was not impressed by the La Nova pizza at the Valero gas station on Elmwood. This pizzeria does have the strongest reputation in Buffalo for years now as the best pizza in town. They are also notoriously famous for their mafia ways too, but that’s old news. Their prices are a bit higher than the average, but it is always worth it. Of course, they are not within walking distance to downtown from their West Ferry original location we ordered from. Their other location is consistently great for the suburbs on Main Street in Williamsville. They’ve been number one on best pizzas lists in Buffalo for years and they earned the prize as best independent pizzeria in the United States… it even still says so on their plates. They are so famous now that their wings are starting to get more attention than Duff’s due to Duff’s never showing up at wing fest and no marketing. La Nova ships out their food via airplane anywhere in the country. Marketing outside of Buffalo has helped this place grow.
We called an hour ahead of time and it would take 45 minutes to get here. We could tell the person was talking softly over the phone and abruptly said bye after we asked for plates and napkins. It sounded like she didn’t want to be there today. As a result, the plates did not arrive, but the delivery guy came on time. Luckily, we still had La Nova plates and napkins leftover from a previous visit months ago. You can imagine their suburban place is more friendlier than the North Buffalo one. Our order was a sheet pepperoni pizza and 20 medium wings for five people… hopefully that wouldn’t be too much food for everyone... and it really wasn’t after all. We originally came in on this date a year ago as 9 people. 1 left the day of, 1 recently left, 1 didn’t have cash today, and 1 decided to go to the dark side today by ordering a happy meal from McDonald’s.
There never have been more complements to a pizza during a lunch period than today. We went as far as calling this pizza beautiful while seeing it in the pizza box. There were only a few slices left after our lunch period. The pizza was juicy, moist, and soft. There were no burnt brown or black areas on the crust. It was easy going down... it was just amazing and delicious. We wish we could eat this pizza more often. A couple of the people who got McDonald's today realized how small their food was and wanted some of this pizza... they each got a slice and wanted more. Their wings also scored well. Usually wings from pizza places are just alike and nothing too superb as opposed to getting them at bar. These wings, however, are above the scale on wings from a pizzeria. They are better than the average wing.
By default, this should be the pizza to welcome any outside visitors to Buffalo. It is what Buffalo pizza is all about… from the overall flavor, to the rise of the dough, to the size of the crust, to the essence of the sauce, and to the appearance and taste of the pepperoni and cheese... the blend of all of that was phenomenal. This is Buffalo pizza at its finest.
Final Rating: 5 out of 5
La Nova Pizzeria
www.lanova.com
371 West Ferry Street
Buffalo, NY 14213-1947
(716) 881-3355
Friday, July 9, 2010
Dragon Express
Today's order was for nine people and this was our first experience with them. They deliver and they are located behind the Hyatt which is just slightly over the average walking distance. There is no competition out there along that section of Main and Huron when it comes to Asian food. There should be a sushi place on Main St. there, but there isn't.
Most of us got the lunch specials. They are about $5 total. Chinese meals are usually the most affordable lunches to order from. The order was called in a couple hours ahead of time and the orders ranged from Sesame Chicken to dumplings to a pint of shrimp lo mien.
The delivery came five to ten minutes earlier than the said arrival time... better to come that early than one minute late. Everything was in one big box. Inside the box there were plenty of forks, napkins, side sauces, and fortune cookies. However, there were no names written on the orders or any menu numbers so we had to look at the food from the clear lids to determine whose is whose. The names on the orders were requested and the guy on the phone even wrote down the names on the check. Each one came with pork fried rice no matter what. One of us ordered white rice instead, but got the pork fried rice in the lunch meal container as the white rice was on the side in a half pint.
The food was warm and delicious. No one complained. The lunch specials looked like every other Chinese place's lunch special we've had that came in one of those reusable containers. The most popular order was General Tsos chicken, which was great. The hot & spicy chicken appeared with a pink sauce and it attended to be hot, but it wasn't really. There also wasn't enough chicken in it, but it was still a nice lunch meal. There was a lot of food in each lunch meal for the price spent.
We would definitely order from this place again. The prices are right and delivery wasn't late, but it's just like the rest of the Chinese places around. The Chinese food here might be a slight better than the rest though, but it doesn't offer sushi or Japanese dishes like some places do which would offer a bigger variety and crowd.
Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Dragon Express
www.allmenus.com/ny/buffalo/245730-new-dragon-express/menu
525 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14203-1712
(716) 842-0909
Most of us got the lunch specials. They are about $5 total. Chinese meals are usually the most affordable lunches to order from. The order was called in a couple hours ahead of time and the orders ranged from Sesame Chicken to dumplings to a pint of shrimp lo mien.
The delivery came five to ten minutes earlier than the said arrival time... better to come that early than one minute late. Everything was in one big box. Inside the box there were plenty of forks, napkins, side sauces, and fortune cookies. However, there were no names written on the orders or any menu numbers so we had to look at the food from the clear lids to determine whose is whose. The names on the orders were requested and the guy on the phone even wrote down the names on the check. Each one came with pork fried rice no matter what. One of us ordered white rice instead, but got the pork fried rice in the lunch meal container as the white rice was on the side in a half pint.
The food was warm and delicious. No one complained. The lunch specials looked like every other Chinese place's lunch special we've had that came in one of those reusable containers. The most popular order was General Tsos chicken, which was great. The hot & spicy chicken appeared with a pink sauce and it attended to be hot, but it wasn't really. There also wasn't enough chicken in it, but it was still a nice lunch meal. There was a lot of food in each lunch meal for the price spent.
We would definitely order from this place again. The prices are right and delivery wasn't late, but it's just like the rest of the Chinese places around. The Chinese food here might be a slight better than the rest though, but it doesn't offer sushi or Japanese dishes like some places do which would offer a bigger variety and crowd.
Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Dragon Express
www.allmenus.com/ny/buffalo/245730-new-dragon-express/menu
525 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14203-1712
(716) 842-0909
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The Avant Espresso Bar
This was the first place we tried out last summer and it was one of our favorites. It was well within walking distance, peaceful, and reasonable. This is the small cafe inside the Embassy Suites hotel. We always went there about once a week last summer and it was a nice escape from work in a new, calm environment. Some of us at work also thought it was the best place around, but that was before we started discovering other places nearby.
The problem is the food was never that exciting to go back and the selection was way too scarce, since it is a hotel. The coffees they have take a while to make as it’s Starbucks® coffee coming in the Starbucks cups. They serve pre-made wraps, salads, and pastries, though the pastries are usually too expensive for too little to try out. You really can't go with a group of people too. They have a slow service sometimes based on one person there and they have no reason to be that slow. Salsarita's serves dozens of people every few minutes. If a dozen people showed up at Embassy’s cafe, expect to wait about twenty minutes before you sit down with your food. However, a dozen of people will never be at this place.
The entrance is through the front glass doors on West Huron, not on Delaware which is where Della Terra is. When you walk right in from West Huron, it's straight ahead. The service is open from 7am to 6pm each day. They have different premade foods each day. If you're expecting one of your favorites to be there that you had last week, it might not be there the next time. They have a very limited selection. Their soups were a hit. They are best around and they’re always extremely hot. The soft drinks are expensive and it'll cost almost two bucks.
On today's visit, there was no one around. The pastries weren't there. Instead, just the premade selections were there and this time, they were labeled and labeled really well. The a/c can be felt, some soothing musical tunes can be heard, and a nice hotel waterfall inside can be seen. There's an elegant bar and of course no one is ever around that at noon. There's also a feeling this hotel is mainly for business meetings than visitors booking a room. It’s a great, relaxing atmosphere and the tall glass windows give a great view. They only had about three lunch meals to pick from today. One of us got the spicy chicken wrap and other got some shrimp croissant sandwich. Each one came with a small pasta salad inside. The containers were so hard to open so that shows they try to keep them fresh. Each meal was priced at $6.53 total. These are healthy, cool, and light selections which can appeal for a warm summer appetite. What some might consider mostly bland food, the taste was just fine and doesn’t need oil or grease on it.
One of the main reasons to go there is for the sitting environment and atmosphere. Also on the plus side, the food won't make you fall asleep in the afternoon. This is where to go for something healthy, light, and easy. It’s an alternate choice from fried foods especially since there are hardly any healthy places around. It might not fill you up, but that isn't a bad thing.
Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5
The Avant Espresso Bar
embassysuites1.hilton.com
200 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 842-1000
The problem is the food was never that exciting to go back and the selection was way too scarce, since it is a hotel. The coffees they have take a while to make as it’s Starbucks® coffee coming in the Starbucks cups. They serve pre-made wraps, salads, and pastries, though the pastries are usually too expensive for too little to try out. You really can't go with a group of people too. They have a slow service sometimes based on one person there and they have no reason to be that slow. Salsarita's serves dozens of people every few minutes. If a dozen people showed up at Embassy’s cafe, expect to wait about twenty minutes before you sit down with your food. However, a dozen of people will never be at this place.
The entrance is through the front glass doors on West Huron, not on Delaware which is where Della Terra is. When you walk right in from West Huron, it's straight ahead. The service is open from 7am to 6pm each day. They have different premade foods each day. If you're expecting one of your favorites to be there that you had last week, it might not be there the next time. They have a very limited selection. Their soups were a hit. They are best around and they’re always extremely hot. The soft drinks are expensive and it'll cost almost two bucks.
On today's visit, there was no one around. The pastries weren't there. Instead, just the premade selections were there and this time, they were labeled and labeled really well. The a/c can be felt, some soothing musical tunes can be heard, and a nice hotel waterfall inside can be seen. There's an elegant bar and of course no one is ever around that at noon. There's also a feeling this hotel is mainly for business meetings than visitors booking a room. It’s a great, relaxing atmosphere and the tall glass windows give a great view. They only had about three lunch meals to pick from today. One of us got the spicy chicken wrap and other got some shrimp croissant sandwich. Each one came with a small pasta salad inside. The containers were so hard to open so that shows they try to keep them fresh. Each meal was priced at $6.53 total. These are healthy, cool, and light selections which can appeal for a warm summer appetite. What some might consider mostly bland food, the taste was just fine and doesn’t need oil or grease on it.
One of the main reasons to go there is for the sitting environment and atmosphere. Also on the plus side, the food won't make you fall asleep in the afternoon. This is where to go for something healthy, light, and easy. It’s an alternate choice from fried foods especially since there are hardly any healthy places around. It might not fill you up, but that isn't a bad thing.
Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5
The Avant Espresso Bar
embassysuites1.hilton.com
200 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 842-1000
Friday, July 2, 2010
Gino & Joe's Pizzeria
This pizzeria is famous for being stuck inside an infamous mall of the Mainplace Mall. It must hurt business being around a disintegrating retail place since there’s nothing inside worth shopping. This pizza hardly counts for someone just to go inside it for this pizza… the Italian specialties and pasta specials are one thing, as we ended up getting delivery.
There was a $30 minimum for delivery and they only deliver downtown. Their own website doesn’t work which is always a problem here when we want more information but luckily we had paper menus. The prices are relativity affordable and lots of us ordered calzones. About 15 people were in on this order. Originally one of us ordered wings, but changed it after the call once they told us they only carry boneless wings. This has got to be the only pizza place we tried that is like this. Also, the only drinks they carry are iced teas, but not a big problem.
Aside from the pizza, all the food arrived in one big box. Not only was the box huge, but so was the pizza box. The size was larger than we thought. We ordered a medium which was 16", but for only $12, this was a deal. It was like a large pizza. All the names were on the orders so they were easy to pass around and separate. There was even a smile face on one person's order. They gave us plastic knifes and forks, but they missed out on the napkins which hurt.
The best part of the meal was in fact the calzones and strombolis. They were enjoyed by all. The calzones all had a few bread holes on the top so you can see what you’re eating inside. The meat was great and the sausage exceeded our expectations. The dipping tomato sauce was liked also. The bottom of some of ours was somewhat burnt and the cheese was thick though.
The pizza was something one could expect to be served at a mall. It wasn't anywhere near great; it was just a typical thin New York style without anything special. It's got a look that won't appeal to most Buffalo pizza fans. It also was becoming cold too fast. It was just a pepperoni pizza though... the slices were big but had a lot of grease. We also didn't eat the crust on some of the slices as it was just too much for some.
They gave us a lot of food. Most of us couldn't finish what we ordered during our lunch time, which was unusual. The Italian foods and calzones were better than their pizza.
Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Gino & Joe's Pizzeria
www.gino&joes.com
400 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14202-3702
(716) 856-4340
There was a $30 minimum for delivery and they only deliver downtown. Their own website doesn’t work which is always a problem here when we want more information but luckily we had paper menus. The prices are relativity affordable and lots of us ordered calzones. About 15 people were in on this order. Originally one of us ordered wings, but changed it after the call once they told us they only carry boneless wings. This has got to be the only pizza place we tried that is like this. Also, the only drinks they carry are iced teas, but not a big problem.
Aside from the pizza, all the food arrived in one big box. Not only was the box huge, but so was the pizza box. The size was larger than we thought. We ordered a medium which was 16", but for only $12, this was a deal. It was like a large pizza. All the names were on the orders so they were easy to pass around and separate. There was even a smile face on one person's order. They gave us plastic knifes and forks, but they missed out on the napkins which hurt.
The best part of the meal was in fact the calzones and strombolis. They were enjoyed by all. The calzones all had a few bread holes on the top so you can see what you’re eating inside. The meat was great and the sausage exceeded our expectations. The dipping tomato sauce was liked also. The bottom of some of ours was somewhat burnt and the cheese was thick though.
The pizza was something one could expect to be served at a mall. It wasn't anywhere near great; it was just a typical thin New York style without anything special. It's got a look that won't appeal to most Buffalo pizza fans. It also was becoming cold too fast. It was just a pepperoni pizza though... the slices were big but had a lot of grease. We also didn't eat the crust on some of the slices as it was just too much for some.
They gave us a lot of food. Most of us couldn't finish what we ordered during our lunch time, which was unusual. The Italian foods and calzones were better than their pizza.
Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Gino & Joe's Pizzeria
www.gino&joes.com
400 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14202-3702
(716) 856-4340
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Hyatt's Grill
The first trip here was on a Monday and the grill wasn't there. There were a few people there that asked where did the grill go which was out there last Friday... much later we found out the grill is only there from Wednesdays to Fridays. There wasn't even a sign out there that said anything so it didn't look promising to go back and see if it is out there again.
Today being Thursday, we walked there which took more than the average walk to lunch. The grill was out there by the hotel almost underneath some shade from the building and there was a sign on the ground saying Hyatt... the special was five dollars for a grilled sandwich, bag of chips, and pop. The choices were grilled Angus burgers, pulled pork, chicken breast, and Italian sausage. No hot dogs though which was smart because there's a hot dog vendor on the opposite corner. Also, it showed this is the only outdoor vendor in the area that will grill pulled pork so that's what we got.
We revised our order... instead of getting the $5 special we each got a pop, bag of pretzels, pulled pork, and an Angus burger for $8 each. The 6 oz. burgers were frozen before the guy put them on the grill so it took a while. That meant we ended up finishing our pulled pork sandwiches before getting our burgers. The condiments were pretty poor for coming from a hotel. They were just the normal packets of mustards and ketchups. There were two people working it... one for the cash and one grilling and they were quite unorganized. The cashier was struggling at giving change in a timely manner and the cook had bad timing on the grill. We over-waited for the burgers and they ended up being overcooked and burnt and almost not edible, but we still ate them.
The sandwiches each were put on a nice little plastic basket. The pulled pork sandwiches had a lot of meat in the them, but it was a bit salty. It seems like they mixed yesterday's meat with today's meat. The music was playing from the hotel outside and there were about ten tables with umbrellas. The smoke from the grill quite frequently blew in our faces while eating as we sat down. The view here was excellent. Main Street from the area we were at was nice, but it wasn't so nice. There are many vacant places along the street that had something and now have nothing in them and should because there were tons of people walking by. This means the hotel knew they were going to make business by putting a grill out there as the only real food attraction which is a disappointment.
By the Hyatt grill, it is a very enjoyable time. Being almost 5 minutes away walking distance means you are ways away from work so you feel more comfortable and not coming from work but at the same time, a slight rush to get back on time. We do recommend the pulled pork, however when we got back we still had the salt taste in our mouths leftover.
Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Hyatt's Grill
Corner of Main St. and Huron on Main St. behind the Hyatt hotel
Today being Thursday, we walked there which took more than the average walk to lunch. The grill was out there by the hotel almost underneath some shade from the building and there was a sign on the ground saying Hyatt... the special was five dollars for a grilled sandwich, bag of chips, and pop. The choices were grilled Angus burgers, pulled pork, chicken breast, and Italian sausage. No hot dogs though which was smart because there's a hot dog vendor on the opposite corner. Also, it showed this is the only outdoor vendor in the area that will grill pulled pork so that's what we got.
We revised our order... instead of getting the $5 special we each got a pop, bag of pretzels, pulled pork, and an Angus burger for $8 each. The 6 oz. burgers were frozen before the guy put them on the grill so it took a while. That meant we ended up finishing our pulled pork sandwiches before getting our burgers. The condiments were pretty poor for coming from a hotel. They were just the normal packets of mustards and ketchups. There were two people working it... one for the cash and one grilling and they were quite unorganized. The cashier was struggling at giving change in a timely manner and the cook had bad timing on the grill. We over-waited for the burgers and they ended up being overcooked and burnt and almost not edible, but we still ate them.
The sandwiches each were put on a nice little plastic basket. The pulled pork sandwiches had a lot of meat in the them, but it was a bit salty. It seems like they mixed yesterday's meat with today's meat. The music was playing from the hotel outside and there were about ten tables with umbrellas. The smoke from the grill quite frequently blew in our faces while eating as we sat down. The view here was excellent. Main Street from the area we were at was nice, but it wasn't so nice. There are many vacant places along the street that had something and now have nothing in them and should because there were tons of people walking by. This means the hotel knew they were going to make business by putting a grill out there as the only real food attraction which is a disappointment.
By the Hyatt grill, it is a very enjoyable time. Being almost 5 minutes away walking distance means you are ways away from work so you feel more comfortable and not coming from work but at the same time, a slight rush to get back on time. We do recommend the pulled pork, however when we got back we still had the salt taste in our mouths leftover.
Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Hyatt's Grill
Corner of Main St. and Huron on Main St. behind the Hyatt hotel
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Avenue Pizza & Submarine
We’ve had this menu buried away for quite some time now and had no real desire of pulling it out to order. They have no real website online and all we found were nasty comments about the late delivery, unappealing dining area, swearing in the kitchen, and so on. There were also rumors of bad business overall with tax problems and being under new management and we wondered if this place was even open anymore. However, some of us at work are more audacious than others who just visit Sue’s, SPoT, Jim’s, etc, so we took the risk of ordering for delivery.
First, the menu is way too huge to go in to. There’s unsorted specials all over it and two pages worth of subs. They are open at 10am and close on 3am and weekends of 5am, which is late. We ordered delivery a few minutes before noon just in case the comments were true about bad service. We just got a cheeseburger sub, chicken finger sub, liter of Sprite, and a personal pizza with bacon, which totaled high to over $26.
Conversely, the service wasn’t bad, but the food was plain mediocre. The order was here before noon and it came with everything we asked for. For a three dollar delivery fee, we better hope so. The phone conversation was fine. All the food was in one big bag and the personal pizza was in a small box in there. After we took out the food, someone asked us, “Where is the rest of the food?” For the price we paid for, it didn’t look like a lot. However, we did a side by side comparison of Jim’s Bleu sub and what originally looked small turned about to be almost the same size of chicken finger sub as Jim’s but maybe with thicker chicken fingers. The pizza was just average… maybe just because it was a personal pizza, but it is not worth going into. The bacon on the pizza was no where delicious as the previous places we tried from.
All the food was just borderline average, if that. Nothing was great. Aside from their poor reputation, it is an expensive place and we probably wouldn't order from them again due to stronger competitors out there.
Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Avenue Pizza & Submarine
502 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14222-2014
(716) 883-3500
First, the menu is way too huge to go in to. There’s unsorted specials all over it and two pages worth of subs. They are open at 10am and close on 3am and weekends of 5am, which is late. We ordered delivery a few minutes before noon just in case the comments were true about bad service. We just got a cheeseburger sub, chicken finger sub, liter of Sprite, and a personal pizza with bacon, which totaled high to over $26.
Conversely, the service wasn’t bad, but the food was plain mediocre. The order was here before noon and it came with everything we asked for. For a three dollar delivery fee, we better hope so. The phone conversation was fine. All the food was in one big bag and the personal pizza was in a small box in there. After we took out the food, someone asked us, “Where is the rest of the food?” For the price we paid for, it didn’t look like a lot. However, we did a side by side comparison of Jim’s Bleu sub and what originally looked small turned about to be almost the same size of chicken finger sub as Jim’s but maybe with thicker chicken fingers. The pizza was just average… maybe just because it was a personal pizza, but it is not worth going into. The bacon on the pizza was no where delicious as the previous places we tried from.
All the food was just borderline average, if that. Nothing was great. Aside from their poor reputation, it is an expensive place and we probably wouldn't order from them again due to stronger competitors out there.
Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Avenue Pizza & Submarine
502 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14222-2014
(716) 883-3500
Monday, June 21, 2010
Buffalo's Best Dogs - Street Vendor
Originally today's lunch was meant to visit a grill that was outside of the Hyatt Hotel on Friday, but it was no longer there today. Luckily, there was a hot dog vendor on the corner of Main St. and Huron St. This is the second known hot dog vendor around that's a few minutes down the hot dog vendor on Huron. These small places are harder to find since there's nothing about them online. The only way you could find them is if you walk in different areas you don't normally go for lunch. This one can be spotted with Wardynski's umbrellas with a more closed off vendor station. It was a few extra minutes down from the hot dog vendor on Delaware and Huron.
This vendor, however, offered less on the menu. The vendor has hot dogs, Italian sausage, polish kielbasa, jumbo beef dog, pop, and chips. Notice something is left out and they are any hamburgers. This is a big loss. They also don't have any specialties, like a cheese or chili dog, as the other hot dog vendor does. A normal hot dog is just $1.75 which is the same as the other vendor down the street. Also, the Delaware hot dog guy is no longer a guy. As of now, it's been a young brunette girl for a few weeks. Well, at this hot dog vendor on Main St., there is a young blonde girl working.
The hot dogs here were cooked faster as many were on the grill at the same time. However, it wasn't thoroughly cooked as one could expect. The condiments are roughly similar. They do have hot sauce but it didn't even feel like there was hot sauce on the dogs. This vendor does have straws if you want to drink easier while walking with something else in another hand. However, wax paper was used to put the hot dogs on instead of one of those hot dog plates which was a big disadvantage.
It is very affordable and a quick eat. Only $4 was spent on the special of two dogs and a pop. This was the popular order of the day and this was is way below the average spending with these lunches. It's a nicer atmosphere with Main St. there and there are six benches and a convenient garbage can next to the vendor which is a big plus. There's more people walking by and it doesn't feel as lonely as the one on Delaware. The other hot dog vendor wins out at the moment though.
Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Buffalo's Best Dogs - Street Vendor
Corner of Huron St. and Main St.
by M&T and Bank of America
This vendor, however, offered less on the menu. The vendor has hot dogs, Italian sausage, polish kielbasa, jumbo beef dog, pop, and chips. Notice something is left out and they are any hamburgers. This is a big loss. They also don't have any specialties, like a cheese or chili dog, as the other hot dog vendor does. A normal hot dog is just $1.75 which is the same as the other vendor down the street. Also, the Delaware hot dog guy is no longer a guy. As of now, it's been a young brunette girl for a few weeks. Well, at this hot dog vendor on Main St., there is a young blonde girl working.
The hot dogs here were cooked faster as many were on the grill at the same time. However, it wasn't thoroughly cooked as one could expect. The condiments are roughly similar. They do have hot sauce but it didn't even feel like there was hot sauce on the dogs. This vendor does have straws if you want to drink easier while walking with something else in another hand. However, wax paper was used to put the hot dogs on instead of one of those hot dog plates which was a big disadvantage.
It is very affordable and a quick eat. Only $4 was spent on the special of two dogs and a pop. This was the popular order of the day and this was is way below the average spending with these lunches. It's a nicer atmosphere with Main St. there and there are six benches and a convenient garbage can next to the vendor which is a big plus. There's more people walking by and it doesn't feel as lonely as the one on Delaware. The other hot dog vendor wins out at the moment though.
Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Buffalo's Best Dogs - Street Vendor
Corner of Huron St. and Main St.
by M&T and Bank of America
Friday, June 18, 2010
Cabaret
We called the day ahead to pre-order for about 10 people. They weren’t sure if they were going to have a delivery person that day for us. So we ended up e-mailing our order to them and typed up the whole thing that day after we got off the phone. She called and confirmed the order and delivery soon after and said a delivery person would be available.
The last and only time we ordered from them was on April 16 to a fully favorable response. Many said it was the best yet at the time. It was also requested as a monthly reoccurrence lunch spot for delivery.
They have quite the nice website and menu. It also states, ‘Free delivery on orders over $75.’ We ended up having the subtotal to be just above that amount without tax and we got free delivery. The menu has a lot of celebrity names listed as the sandwich. Someone had the Michael York last time and the Liza Minnelli this time and was not disappointed. The serving size was more than generous. The taste was out of this world with real fresh meat, according to one of our 10 people who ordered it.
Today, our orders were delivered in the biggest single box yet. It was brought in by the most attractive delivery girl yet. One of us even walked by her when she came in the building and stood outside waiting for the delivery person to arrive as there was a disbelief that a delivery person could be that hot. However, the delivery person was hotter than the food. Each order was labeled with what the actual order was, but not by name. It came with ketchup and mustard packets as we like. However, one of us got the Blue Cheese burger and wanted mayo on it. When that person finished eating without the mayo on it, that person realized there was a small side cup of mayo underneath the wax paper. Also, for the first time, there was a small cup of jalapenos instead of being put on the sandwich. If you're not used to the sweet potato fries, don't get them. It’s either you’re a big fan of them or just don’t care for them. They were unsalted and not the same taste as regular because they were sweeter.
The only real complaint was that most of the food was at room temperature and not hot like King's Court was. Of course there's a difference between delivery and pickup though, but even for the food that was supposed to be hot in flavor wasn't. Still, we would welcome back Cabaret for our lunch needs in the future.
Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Cabaret
www.cabaretrestaurant.com
484 Pearl Street
Buffalo, NY 14202-1904
(716) 842-4181
The last and only time we ordered from them was on April 16 to a fully favorable response. Many said it was the best yet at the time. It was also requested as a monthly reoccurrence lunch spot for delivery.
They have quite the nice website and menu. It also states, ‘Free delivery on orders over $75.’ We ended up having the subtotal to be just above that amount without tax and we got free delivery. The menu has a lot of celebrity names listed as the sandwich. Someone had the Michael York last time and the Liza Minnelli this time and was not disappointed. The serving size was more than generous. The taste was out of this world with real fresh meat, according to one of our 10 people who ordered it.
Today, our orders were delivered in the biggest single box yet. It was brought in by the most attractive delivery girl yet. One of us even walked by her when she came in the building and stood outside waiting for the delivery person to arrive as there was a disbelief that a delivery person could be that hot. However, the delivery person was hotter than the food. Each order was labeled with what the actual order was, but not by name. It came with ketchup and mustard packets as we like. However, one of us got the Blue Cheese burger and wanted mayo on it. When that person finished eating without the mayo on it, that person realized there was a small side cup of mayo underneath the wax paper. Also, for the first time, there was a small cup of jalapenos instead of being put on the sandwich. If you're not used to the sweet potato fries, don't get them. It’s either you’re a big fan of them or just don’t care for them. They were unsalted and not the same taste as regular because they were sweeter.
The only real complaint was that most of the food was at room temperature and not hot like King's Court was. Of course there's a difference between delivery and pickup though, but even for the food that was supposed to be hot in flavor wasn't. Still, we would welcome back Cabaret for our lunch needs in the future.
Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Cabaret
www.cabaretrestaurant.com
484 Pearl Street
Buffalo, NY 14202-1904
(716) 842-4181
Thursday, June 17, 2010
King's Court Restaurant
We’ve had many problems with them before. Our first experience with them was in October last year. We reserved the room upstairs for an hour and a half lunch when we were all granted an extra hour of admin leave that day. About twenty people came that day and some sat downstairs for lunch. We thought sitting down for that length of time and ordering there would be plenty of time for lunch. Well, we were wrong and we were actually rushed near the end.
This wasn’t a problem for everyone… just for the people who had meals still cooking while other people were eating. However, one of us was let inside the kitchen afterwards to personally thank the chef and found out it was just two people who cooked for all of us. Sam, the owner/chef, and one other cook made a meal for like 20 people in the reserved room in addition to the other people in the small dining room downstairs. Most of the people did like the food too.
On another occasion, though during night, there was a gratuity problem with a gift certificate, but that's a whole other story. Their website is also terrible. The pictures on there get the red x so we couldn’t display the menu in picture format. It’s been like that for a while now. Anything designed by buffalobarfly usually is though with the same template and boring format. They are open early from 8 and close at 11 and have off on Sundays.
Today, we were smart and pre-ordered ahead of time. We called today and this was our first trip back in over a half year. We got a quesidilla with no onions and sour cream on the side, a double order of hot chicken wings with extra bleu cheese, and an order of fresh cut French fries. We got the order to go just in case if they were late or slow.
To our surprise, we came in and said we ordered ahead and that order was sitting and waiting for us at the bar all ready to go. It also had napkins and forks in bags inside along with packets of salt, pepper, and ketchup. When we got back with our order after deciding not to eat outside on the patio, everything was still very warm. The walking distance is similar to the hot dog guy on Huron and Delaware, so it's quick. The fries were very hot, a little soggy though, but still impressed by how everything was hot still.
These were probably the biggest wings we've had for lunch time here. They had so much meat on them and it was easy to bite off. The blue cheese request was honored so there were two. They were mostly liquid, but still very tasty. The combined flavors between the wings and blue cheese gave it a unique taste similar to between a Chicken Finger order and just wings. The Quesidilla didn't have chicken, though they offered it for extra, a chicken wing came through and helped out there.
They actually had some great timing today unlike in the past. Maybe it had something to do with us pre-ordering ahead or less orders the better for less confusion. Still, this showed us we would come back again and it raised the rating from what would have been even lower.
Final Rating: 3.0 out of 5
King's Court Restaurant
www.kingscourtrestaurant.com
189 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14202-2115
(716) 856-9262
This wasn’t a problem for everyone… just for the people who had meals still cooking while other people were eating. However, one of us was let inside the kitchen afterwards to personally thank the chef and found out it was just two people who cooked for all of us. Sam, the owner/chef, and one other cook made a meal for like 20 people in the reserved room in addition to the other people in the small dining room downstairs. Most of the people did like the food too.
On another occasion, though during night, there was a gratuity problem with a gift certificate, but that's a whole other story. Their website is also terrible. The pictures on there get the red x so we couldn’t display the menu in picture format. It’s been like that for a while now. Anything designed by buffalobarfly usually is though with the same template and boring format. They are open early from 8 and close at 11 and have off on Sundays.
Today, we were smart and pre-ordered ahead of time. We called today and this was our first trip back in over a half year. We got a quesidilla with no onions and sour cream on the side, a double order of hot chicken wings with extra bleu cheese, and an order of fresh cut French fries. We got the order to go just in case if they were late or slow.
To our surprise, we came in and said we ordered ahead and that order was sitting and waiting for us at the bar all ready to go. It also had napkins and forks in bags inside along with packets of salt, pepper, and ketchup. When we got back with our order after deciding not to eat outside on the patio, everything was still very warm. The walking distance is similar to the hot dog guy on Huron and Delaware, so it's quick. The fries were very hot, a little soggy though, but still impressed by how everything was hot still.
These were probably the biggest wings we've had for lunch time here. They had so much meat on them and it was easy to bite off. The blue cheese request was honored so there were two. They were mostly liquid, but still very tasty. The combined flavors between the wings and blue cheese gave it a unique taste similar to between a Chicken Finger order and just wings. The Quesidilla didn't have chicken, though they offered it for extra, a chicken wing came through and helped out there.
They actually had some great timing today unlike in the past. Maybe it had something to do with us pre-ordering ahead or less orders the better for less confusion. Still, this showed us we would come back again and it raised the rating from what would have been even lower.
Final Rating: 3.0 out of 5
King's Court Restaurant
www.kingscourtrestaurant.com
189 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14202-2115
(716) 856-9262
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Mister Pizza Elmwood
It was finally time to try out different food from this place. Today, we were in the mood for a bacon cheeseburger sub and pulled out our menus and found their menu that happened to have it. Their menu is actually quite extensive with a few surprises that will make you want to order other food that isn't pizza. The prices are in the middle to high range, but their specialty pizzas are among the best in the area. They have plenty of diverse pizza party packs and they have a great and clear website.
First a trip down memory lane with our previous two experiences…
April 29 was actually our first time we ordered something from them for lunch at work. A bit late, yes, to order from this fine pizzeria. We ended up getting the Mister Cheeseburger Pizza. Two of us agreed it was the best specialty pizza we have ever ate in Buffalo. Grade A ground beef, bacon, and onions along with American, Swiss, and cheddar cheese and their own special sauce was literally the best cheeseburger pizza we have had. The order was placed at quarter before 11am to be delivered at NLT noon. The individual taking the order was polite and assured the delivery would go off without a hitch. He didn't lie because at 11:55am the piping hot pizza was delivered. The aroma that escaped the box upon opening was truly captivating. Aside from the smell, by the looks it was easy to notice that it was thoroughly cooked and it wasn't overcooked either. After having this pizza, Mister Pizza on Elmwood had us as a repeat customer.
On May 7, we ordered pizza from Mister Pizza again for a pizza party. However, two supervisors ordered pizza from this place for two separate parties that day. We both had the misfortune at the hands of apparently incompetent delivery driver and/or staff members from Mister Pizza. The other team’s supervisor ordered: 1 Sheet Pepperoni, 1 Sheet Sausage, and 1 Sheet Mushroom. They received: 1 Sheet Cheese, 2 Sheets Pepperoni.
We ordered: A Sheet Pepperoni Pizza, Large Mister Hawaiian, Large Hot Chicken Finger Pizza, 100 wings (50 medium, 20 Cajun, 20 Honey BBQ ,10 suicidal) Our team was shorted an entire sheet pepperoni pizza from that list, which was obviously a big goof that needed to be rectified. Later that day, we were in contact with the manager to discuss apparent necessary options that went no where with no contact if we remember well.
The chicken finger pizza was the first pizza everyone started eating from and it went quick. The Mister Hawaiian, however, had plenty of leftovers. Cherries, pineapple, almonds, and ham was on it didn’t appeal to most of it. The Cajun wings were hot with its dry heat, however the suicidal wings left us in disappointment. We wondered if they mistaken the suicidal sauce with just putting plain medium or something on them.
Today, four people were in on the order. The order came as exact separated in pizza and wing boxes, though the guy was maybe a couple minutes later but not a big deal. They also delivered their suicidal sauce on the side. Remembering we already had the suicidal sauce on the wings in the past while trying it out, it was hotter on the side with the sub and fries than it was before on the wings. This was probably the best ratio of very hot sauce and flavor from a pizza place that we’ve reviewed. The deluxe loaded fries were a hit. Someone who didn’t order with us kept going back for more fries to dip in the hot sauce. These were waffles fries loaded with cheddar, salsa, and taco meat that came with a side of sour cream. The fries had a lot of toppings on it where it was almost hard to find them in the round tinfoil bowl. The tacos and chicken fingers were fine, though the plain side of fries could have used some ketchup. Luckily, the suicidal sauce helped out. The bacon cheeseburger subs had a thick layer of bacon on bottom with the burger on top. We thought it was all tasty that would fill you up. It may have been frozen patty by the way it was compacted and cut, but it was still appetizing.
This place calls itself Mister Pizza but really it has way more to offer in quality than the Pizza. This is an underrated place if you’re looking for subs or something else for lunch. For a pizzeria, they have such an amazing and appealing selection.
Final Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Mister Pizza Elmwood
www.misterpizzaelmwood.com
1065 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14222-1225
(716) 882-6500
First a trip down memory lane with our previous two experiences…
April 29 was actually our first time we ordered something from them for lunch at work. A bit late, yes, to order from this fine pizzeria. We ended up getting the Mister Cheeseburger Pizza. Two of us agreed it was the best specialty pizza we have ever ate in Buffalo. Grade A ground beef, bacon, and onions along with American, Swiss, and cheddar cheese and their own special sauce was literally the best cheeseburger pizza we have had. The order was placed at quarter before 11am to be delivered at NLT noon. The individual taking the order was polite and assured the delivery would go off without a hitch. He didn't lie because at 11:55am the piping hot pizza was delivered. The aroma that escaped the box upon opening was truly captivating. Aside from the smell, by the looks it was easy to notice that it was thoroughly cooked and it wasn't overcooked either. After having this pizza, Mister Pizza on Elmwood had us as a repeat customer.
On May 7, we ordered pizza from Mister Pizza again for a pizza party. However, two supervisors ordered pizza from this place for two separate parties that day. We both had the misfortune at the hands of apparently incompetent delivery driver and/or staff members from Mister Pizza. The other team’s supervisor ordered: 1 Sheet Pepperoni, 1 Sheet Sausage, and 1 Sheet Mushroom. They received: 1 Sheet Cheese, 2 Sheets Pepperoni.
We ordered: A Sheet Pepperoni Pizza, Large Mister Hawaiian, Large Hot Chicken Finger Pizza, 100 wings (50 medium, 20 Cajun, 20 Honey BBQ ,10 suicidal) Our team was shorted an entire sheet pepperoni pizza from that list, which was obviously a big goof that needed to be rectified. Later that day, we were in contact with the manager to discuss apparent necessary options that went no where with no contact if we remember well.
The chicken finger pizza was the first pizza everyone started eating from and it went quick. The Mister Hawaiian, however, had plenty of leftovers. Cherries, pineapple, almonds, and ham was on it didn’t appeal to most of it. The Cajun wings were hot with its dry heat, however the suicidal wings left us in disappointment. We wondered if they mistaken the suicidal sauce with just putting plain medium or something on them.
Today, four people were in on the order. The order came as exact separated in pizza and wing boxes, though the guy was maybe a couple minutes later but not a big deal. They also delivered their suicidal sauce on the side. Remembering we already had the suicidal sauce on the wings in the past while trying it out, it was hotter on the side with the sub and fries than it was before on the wings. This was probably the best ratio of very hot sauce and flavor from a pizza place that we’ve reviewed. The deluxe loaded fries were a hit. Someone who didn’t order with us kept going back for more fries to dip in the hot sauce. These were waffles fries loaded with cheddar, salsa, and taco meat that came with a side of sour cream. The fries had a lot of toppings on it where it was almost hard to find them in the round tinfoil bowl. The tacos and chicken fingers were fine, though the plain side of fries could have used some ketchup. Luckily, the suicidal sauce helped out. The bacon cheeseburger subs had a thick layer of bacon on bottom with the burger on top. We thought it was all tasty that would fill you up. It may have been frozen patty by the way it was compacted and cut, but it was still appetizing.
This place calls itself Mister Pizza but really it has way more to offer in quality than the Pizza. This is an underrated place if you’re looking for subs or something else for lunch. For a pizzeria, they have such an amazing and appealing selection.
Final Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Mister Pizza Elmwood
www.misterpizzaelmwood.com
1065 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14222-1225
(716) 882-6500
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Just Pizza
We haven’t ordered from this place in a long time for multiple reasons. This place used to be the place to order pizza from late last year before we started trying out new places and finding out they’re around here. The typical response we would get is, "Oh, it's Just Pizza again." We stayed away from it then because we were so used to it and there were more places to try out.
Upon placing the order over the phone, they asked for a first and last name along with a phone number. They didn’t know where we were located and wanted to know what streets we were between. They then asked if it was for downstairs or upstairs. This was all weird since we’ve placed many orders from there in the past, but under a different number. We wanted noon for delivery and the guy asked right away if 12:15 was ok. What you’re thinking about now is how we felt. It ended up being way too long for a phone order. This was in purpose of setting up a phone number in their system, even though they spelled the first and last name completely wrong on the receipt.
They came five minutes before noon which was earlier than expected. The delivery guy had everything we asked for including the number of blue cheeses, the plates, and napkins. We got a large pizza cut in 12 slices topped with pepperoni, mushroom, and bacon. The total was price near $25, which is an extremely high price for this order of a large.
Never before were we so full from a large pizza. Two men couldn’t finish this pizza. There were still two and a half slices left after our thirty minute lunch break. When we opened it up, we first noticed it was loaded with toppings, but without piling them on too high. These toppings certainly made this pizza special. It was better than the expected cardboard appeal, better than in the past, and better with toppings. The bacon on the pizza was only the second time for one of us and it was delicious on this pizza. Each topping was $2 and they surely put enough on for that price. Their blue cheese was also great as they’re manufactured just to them.
A lot of people in Buffalo are already familiar with this place by having many locations like a Jim’s Steakout. The pizza can still be easily identified by the eye to the average buffalo pizza consumer. We know what their wings are like and they are very average Buffalo style you would normally get from a pizza place here. They also have an advantage with their hours. They are open every day early at 9 to at most places midnight. After having this pizza today, Just Pizza will be climbing up the rankings for best pizza in Buffalo. All it takes is one pizza to do that.
Final Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Just Pizza
www.justpizzausa.com
300 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, New York 14222
716-883-5650
Upon placing the order over the phone, they asked for a first and last name along with a phone number. They didn’t know where we were located and wanted to know what streets we were between. They then asked if it was for downstairs or upstairs. This was all weird since we’ve placed many orders from there in the past, but under a different number. We wanted noon for delivery and the guy asked right away if 12:15 was ok. What you’re thinking about now is how we felt. It ended up being way too long for a phone order. This was in purpose of setting up a phone number in their system, even though they spelled the first and last name completely wrong on the receipt.
They came five minutes before noon which was earlier than expected. The delivery guy had everything we asked for including the number of blue cheeses, the plates, and napkins. We got a large pizza cut in 12 slices topped with pepperoni, mushroom, and bacon. The total was price near $25, which is an extremely high price for this order of a large.
Never before were we so full from a large pizza. Two men couldn’t finish this pizza. There were still two and a half slices left after our thirty minute lunch break. When we opened it up, we first noticed it was loaded with toppings, but without piling them on too high. These toppings certainly made this pizza special. It was better than the expected cardboard appeal, better than in the past, and better with toppings. The bacon on the pizza was only the second time for one of us and it was delicious on this pizza. Each topping was $2 and they surely put enough on for that price. Their blue cheese was also great as they’re manufactured just to them.
A lot of people in Buffalo are already familiar with this place by having many locations like a Jim’s Steakout. The pizza can still be easily identified by the eye to the average buffalo pizza consumer. We know what their wings are like and they are very average Buffalo style you would normally get from a pizza place here. They also have an advantage with their hours. They are open every day early at 9 to at most places midnight. After having this pizza today, Just Pizza will be climbing up the rankings for best pizza in Buffalo. All it takes is one pizza to do that.
Final Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Just Pizza
www.justpizzausa.com
300 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, New York 14222
716-883-5650
Five Guys Burgers and Fries: Exclusive Review
I had the privilege of spotting out a Five Guys to my surprise in Hoboken, New Jersey on Saturday. This is the first review outside of Buffalo and I’m writing this up because Five Guys might come soon to Buffalo for our lunch consumers. I wasn’t expecting to see one when I was in New Jersey and I didn’t even look it up to see if there would be any in the area. It was a lunch meal, but this was during the mid-afternoon.
Thanks to our Rochester friend at work, I was walking on the opposite side of the street and I saw this place and remembered he was always talking about how Buffalo doesn't have one and how Rochester does. I contacted him right away by cell phone and he told me to eat there! How could I pass up this opportunity even on a full stomach?
On the way back down the street, I stopped into Five Guys for the first time ever and went straight to the counter. This place almost looked like a normal fast food hamburger joint, but it wasn’t. It smelled great and looked clean when we walked in. I asked if there were any lunch specials, deals, or combos and unfortunately there weren’t any. The menu is actually very basic and doesn't offer milkshakes. I ordered the Cheeseburger which was $5.99. For that price, I could tell right away this wasn’t going to be your average burger. They asked what I wanted on it and I am glad they did. On their menu above, there were options to pick from. I picked out jalapenos, lettuce, mayo, tomato, ketchup, mustard, and their hot sauce. We also got a French fry which was $2.99. We ended up waiting a while, more so than a fast food place, but boy was it amazing.
They put the food in a bag and the fries were everywhere. The fries were placed in a tall drinking cup and scattered around in the bag. They were thick and long but not as thick as steak fries. They weren't too hot so you aren’t eating with your mouth open to get some air. All the food was warm at the right temperature. At some places, the fries are dry and need condiments. These fries, however, were different. They were better than all the fast food restaurant places and even some regular restaurants. Not only were the French fries on top of their game, but this Cheeseburger was fantastic. It had two patties and it was about two or three times the size as a Big Mac. There were so many flavors going inside my mouth and words of excitement flowing out after each bite. Nothing spilled outside my burger and it was perfectly layered without overdoing it. It was so incredibly juicy and moist without having that greasy taste. The hot sauce indeed had flavor and appropriate hot levels that were very satisfying as well as everything else was.
Our Rochester friend was right. It would be worth leaving work early to drive to and come back with the food for lunch. It is that great of a lunch meal and you won’t feel sick to your stomach afterwards like what some fast food places can do to you. The only knocks on this place are maybe the cost and no specials so you have to buy your drinks and other items separately. Hopefully, the rumors are true and Five Guys will be opening places around Buffalo this year. It was probably the best burger and fries meal I’ve had this entire year and it made our vacation slightly better.
Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Five Guys Hoboken
www.fiveguys.com
319 Washington Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030
(201) 683-3273
Thanks to our Rochester friend at work, I was walking on the opposite side of the street and I saw this place and remembered he was always talking about how Buffalo doesn't have one and how Rochester does. I contacted him right away by cell phone and he told me to eat there! How could I pass up this opportunity even on a full stomach?
On the way back down the street, I stopped into Five Guys for the first time ever and went straight to the counter. This place almost looked like a normal fast food hamburger joint, but it wasn’t. It smelled great and looked clean when we walked in. I asked if there were any lunch specials, deals, or combos and unfortunately there weren’t any. The menu is actually very basic and doesn't offer milkshakes. I ordered the Cheeseburger which was $5.99. For that price, I could tell right away this wasn’t going to be your average burger. They asked what I wanted on it and I am glad they did. On their menu above, there were options to pick from. I picked out jalapenos, lettuce, mayo, tomato, ketchup, mustard, and their hot sauce. We also got a French fry which was $2.99. We ended up waiting a while, more so than a fast food place, but boy was it amazing.
They put the food in a bag and the fries were everywhere. The fries were placed in a tall drinking cup and scattered around in the bag. They were thick and long but not as thick as steak fries. They weren't too hot so you aren’t eating with your mouth open to get some air. All the food was warm at the right temperature. At some places, the fries are dry and need condiments. These fries, however, were different. They were better than all the fast food restaurant places and even some regular restaurants. Not only were the French fries on top of their game, but this Cheeseburger was fantastic. It had two patties and it was about two or three times the size as a Big Mac. There were so many flavors going inside my mouth and words of excitement flowing out after each bite. Nothing spilled outside my burger and it was perfectly layered without overdoing it. It was so incredibly juicy and moist without having that greasy taste. The hot sauce indeed had flavor and appropriate hot levels that were very satisfying as well as everything else was.
Our Rochester friend was right. It would be worth leaving work early to drive to and come back with the food for lunch. It is that great of a lunch meal and you won’t feel sick to your stomach afterwards like what some fast food places can do to you. The only knocks on this place are maybe the cost and no specials so you have to buy your drinks and other items separately. Hopefully, the rumors are true and Five Guys will be opening places around Buffalo this year. It was probably the best burger and fries meal I’ve had this entire year and it made our vacation slightly better.
Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Five Guys Hoboken
www.fiveguys.com
319 Washington Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030
(201) 683-3273
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