Wed 9/25: Raul & Theresa's (Litchfield & MC85)

This is the second time I’ve been to R&T’s (the original location, still haven’t been to the new one but everyone says this location is the best). It was for a celebration lunch with 20+ coworkers. We had a room reserved in the back and the tables were set up in an L shape. There was one server for the whole party so it took a little while to get everyone’s drink order.

I ordered the Chimi Lunch Special for $7.99, chicken, with rice and beans, no guacamole. The server was very nice and called everyone “babe”. I didn’t eat any chips and salsa. I recalled from my first visit that their salsa was spicy and I prefer a medium heat. But the guys kept the chips coming for all who were eating them. Took some time for all the food to come out, which is to be expected for a large party. But most of it came out at about the same time, maybe a couple had to wait another minute or two.

From what I could tell, they seemed to get everybody’s order right, so that’s always appreciated. They also brought out pitchers of water and soda for the tables. The chimi was bigger than I expected. No cheese came on or in it. I ate half of it. I don’t think it was as good as Carolina’s. Can’t really identify what it was, just tasted a little off. The rice and beans were good, no problems there. One of our guys brought a cake so our server went and got it from the fridge. It was a bit hard to hear people who got up to speak due to some background noise.

The server asked if I wanted a small box for the rest of my chimi. I did. Always nice of them to offer! Other reviews I’ve read about this place tend to say the food is great but the service isn’t, but personally I think that’s backwards. Good service but the food isn’t up to par with places like Valle Luna, in my opinion.

Tue 9/24: Del Taco (Dysart & I-10)

I didn’t see it on their menu so I asked if they still had the Chili Cheese Fry Burrito. They do! So I got one of those plus a Mini Cheddar Quesadilla for $0.50. Filled up my cup with tea. It tasted bitter. Like they used a coffee filter for it. I dumped it out and got water. A couple ordered about 20 tacos and were eating them with their own salsa they brought.

I ate the baby quesadilla first. Simple, like what I would make at home, but it’s $0.50! The chili fry burrito was delicious. The fries inside might have been a little undercooked, but the chili masked it well. The restaurant was on the chilly side. They still had a sign up saying their furniture is for sale (the place is decorated with purple, green, orange, confetti patterns, etc.). Think they are planning to remodel at some point.

Sun 9/22: AMC Esplanade (24th St & Camelback)

Worst Esplanade experience ever! I thought this place was so awesome when I first started coming here, but since then, it’s been hit and miss. This one takes the cake. I invited my parents to watch The Prisoners at Fork & Screen (Cinema Suites is nicer with the fully reclining chairs, but Fork & Screen is still 18+ and you get to order food there too). Our server came over with a little notepad which I thought was odd because they usually have the tablet. He took our drink order. Two iced teas (with lemon) and two waters (without lemon).

The previews had started before a girl brought the drinks. Only one water and one tea… We told her there needed to be one more of each. Several minutes passed, still missing two drinks and still no sign of the server to take our food order. I pressed the button. The movie had started by the time the server came back. He seemed clueless as to why we pushed the button. I said we are missing a water and an iced tea and we need to order. He had the little tablet this time, but he seemed to be really shaky with it. I don’t know if he didn’t know what he was doing? It was weird.

I ordered the bacon cheeseburger with the parmesan fries. We got the other drinks, but the water had lemon and the tea didn’t. When the food came out, my friend had potato chips with his sandwich. I asked if he wanted chips. He said, “No, I asked for a salad instead.” I told him to push the button. He said, “No, I’m done with it.” I’m like, you wanted salad, you’re getting salad! I pushed my button. When the server came back, I said, “He asked for salad and I want mustard.”

So we finally got all the correct food. I wasn’t even going to bother trying to get a refill during the movie. I had already missed a lot dealing with all this crap. Then the check came. We got charged for a salad in addition to the other food. Are you kidding me?! What is wrong with these people?? So when he came back to pick it up, we told him to fix it. What a freaking hassle! I thought it was nice having a meal with a movie, but here it’s just a giant distraction. So frustrated. I may never go back to this establishment again.

Sat 9/21: KFC (Dysart & Indian School)

Second review on this KFC… I ordered the chicken bites again with mac & cheese and potato wedges. It wasn’t very busy, but a few people trailed in after us. The dining area wasn’t as dirty as the last visit. One table was dirty, but I think the people just left and it hadn’t been cleaned yet. When I got the food, the chicken bites and mac & cheese were warm, the wedges only slightly warm. Everything tasted good.

Other observations… A worker told a customer that the wings would be 8 minutes. Then told another customer that they didn’t have any wings in whatever he wanted, so he said original was ok. There were 3 different people running the register during the meal. One was speaking Spanish with a customer. One was an older lady who seemed very nice and friendly.

Fri 9/20: IHOP (Dysart & I-10)

I wanted pancakes for dinner and went to IHOP. There was no one at the hostess stand, but the girl who came out to seat us also turned out to be our server. We requested a booth and she said she’d sit us out of the sun. Very thoughtful. IHOP had a new menu since the last time I was there. It had lots of pictures and I liked that. I ordered a full stack of double blueberry pancakes. It took about 30 minutes from the time we got there until we got our food. Seemed like a long time. Other people were waiting long too. Not sure what the deal was, I’ve had quicker service during breakfast when it’s packed.

My friend’s meal was supposed to come with salad, but we were confused when the server brought out garlic bread. We told her the menu said it came with salad. She said something like, “Oh no problem, you’re paying for it!” and then went back to get the salad. My pancakes were very hot. There were blueberries in the pancakes and on top, as well as a big dollop of whipped cream. They were delicious, but I couldn’t finish them. As the sun was setting it ended up shining through the window to our table.

So my breakfast for dinner was tasty, but I had to wait for it!

Thu 9/19: Carolina's (91st Ave & Peoria)

I just want to start by saying this place has awesome tortillas. You can buy them and make your own burritos at home. :) I have only eaten here a few times, but people seem to love it. It was very busy for dinner and I waited in line for a couple minutes. The girl at the register had acrylic nails and all I could hear was a rapid “click click click click” as she made selections on the touch screen. Pretty entertaining. I ordered the mini chimis, beef, with rice and beans.

Found a booth to sit in, but the seats were obviously old and were a bit ripped up. Got some fresh brewed iced tea and it was tasty. The restaurant was pretty noisy with all the people. When I got my food (served in a Styrofoam container), I realized I forgot to say no guacamole, so I had to scoop it off. The chimis also had cheese, sour cream, and garnish. They were delicious! I polished off the whole plate (minus the garnish and guac). :)

Tue 9/17: Wienerschnitzel (91st Ave & Northern)

I love Wienerschnitzel! I wish there were more around. Fortunately I discovered this one when I lived down the street from it. As I approached the counter to order, the cashier appeared. Her hair-do was interesting… It was like a beehive on top and really long in the back, with blonde streaks in it. Very odd. I ordered a chili cheese dog with fries.

The fries were amazing. Hot and fresh. There’s just something about their fries... The hot dog was good but I bit down on a couple hard fragments of what I assume was ground up bone. Their all-beef Angus dogs are better than the regular dogs. After dinner, I ordered a mini strawberry sundae from the Tastee Freez menu. It was delicious. Thick soft serve… a yummy treat!

Sun 9/15: Jimmy John's (99th Ave & McDowell)

Went to Jimmy John’s for a late dinner (about 8pm). There was nobody else in there. I ordered the Slim 4 (Turkey) with cheese. I usually get bacon on it too, but not this time. The subs were ready before we sat down. Sometimes they are even ready before I finish paying. Got some mustard packets for my sandwich. It was very simple. The French bread is the best part. The sub would’ve been better with some crunch to it, like potato chips, since they don’t have pickles for their subs (just the big dill pickles as a side). A few people trailed in to eat later.

JJ’s delivers but I’m still upset that my house is literally down the street from their delivery area. BAH! But I still like to eat there.

Sun 9/15: Szechuan (89A, Sedona)

I was in Sedona for a hike and then lunch at a dog-friendly patio afterward. There were a few restaurants to choose from, but my dad’s preference was Chinese food, so we went with Szechuan. I stayed outside with the pups while my dad went in to order our sesame chicken. He came back out with iced teas and then we waited a little bit before he went back in to get the food.

The sesame chicken was good. The sauce was sweet and was red-orange in color. The rice was more dry and flaky than fluffy, like I would prefer, and I didn’t eat a lot of it. The meal also came with a spring roll, which was good, fried wontons, and fortune cookies. The fortunes were: “Happiness will bring you good luck” and “If we are to have magical bodies, we must have magical minds.” The patio area was hot and there was almost no shade. But it was a satisfying lunch.

Sat 9/14: Golden Corral (59th Ave & Northern)

Golden Corral is a buffet that seldom disappoints. I introduced my parents to it when I lived in Colorado and they’ve been hooked ever since. We went at the tail-end of lunch time and they were just starting to prep the dinner offerings. That works out because you pay a lower price for lunch but have the opportunity to enjoy dinner too! The restaurant was busy and we picked a table towards the back. A lot of the tables were still dirty and needed to be wiped.

For my first round, I got mashed potatoes (made from scratch), macaroni & cheese, awesome pot roast, BBQ pork (which I have only seen there one other time!), and a yeast roll. Everything was tasty. While we were eating, they announced over the intercom that all children must be accompanied to the buffet by an adult (first in English, then in Spanish). I hadn’t heard that announced before. It may be related to the fact that one of the last times I went there, the Chocolate Wonderfall was out of operation because a kid stuck his hand in it so they had to shut it down to be sanitized…

For my second trip I got a baked potato with chili. Then I visited the dessert bar for swirl soft serve and chocolate covered strawberries. Everything was good. There’s so much I want to eat here but I was full and had to stop. We had good service getting drinks refilled and plates cleared from our table. There were also several employees nearby, eating dinner between shifts. If you’re looking to overindulge, this is the place for you!

Fri 9/13: Chipotle (99th Ave & McDowell)

Went to Chipotle for dinner. There were about 10 people in line ahead of me. They were well staffed with six people working behind the counter, plus the cooks, and the line moved at a decent pace. When I got up to the counter, I said I’d like a Barbacoa Bowl to go. “What kind of rice do you like?” White rice. “What kind of beans?” Black beans. “What kind of meat?” (Again) Barbacoa. My bowl moved down the assembly line. “What kind of salsa?” No salsa, just cheese and a little sour cream. The girl confirmed, “Just a little sour cream?” Yes. I appreciate that so much. Many times I have been to Chipotle and they completely ignore my request and dump a giant spoonful of sour cream on there.

 

When the girl ahead of me was at the register, she asked that the cashier put $10 on her card and $4 in cash. Interesting request, but ok. She handed him her card and a $10 bill. He ended up doing it backwards, taking the $10 in cash and putting the rest on her card. She said, “I wanted it the other way.” And the guy was like, “Oh… sorry.” But she kind of went, “whatever, it’s fine” and walked away.

 

When it was my turn to pay, the effeminate male cashier called me "love". =/ Then he had to change the register tape to give me my receipt, but he did it quickly. By this point there were at least 15 people in line behind me. When I got out to my car, I was accosted by a guy selling candy. Those kids are always out there selling pixy sticks and whatnot to keep them off the streets. Sorry, no thank you.

 

When I got home to enjoy my burrito bowl, it was delicious. The barbacoa (shredded beef) had very little visible fat on it and had the usual heat/kick to it. The rice and beans were tasty and just a little sour cream. Yum!

Thu 9/12: Arby's (Litchfield & Van Buren)

I went through the drive-thru at Arby’s and there were at least 3 vehicles in front of me. Took about 3 minutes til I could order. I asked if they had the Arby-Q (knowing they probably didn’t since they only have those every now and again, but I like them so I figured it was worth asking). The girl said no, they discontinued them awhile ago. But I think certain restaurants still carry them. I went with Plan B, a Chicken Bacon Swiss with no honey mustard. “Do you want to make that a combo or just the sandwich?” Just the sandwich.

 

It was another 6 minutes til I got up to the window. I gave her the cash and a couple minutes later, she says, “sorry, just a moment.” And then, “I hate to do this, but can you pull forward into that parking space?” Okay. The setting sun was reflecting in my mirrors and blinding me. About 3 minutes passed and a guy brought out my food. “Chicken Bacon Swiss with no honey mustard.” Thanks. Only took 15 minutes…

 

When I got home, the sandwich was still warm and it tasted fresh (it better, I waited long enough). I added some ketchup to it. The chicken was crispy and juicy. The breading had a good seasoning. It was rather delicious. Unfortunately my stomach started gurgling noisily all night and continued into the morning. Not sure why exactly, but that’s what happened! I’ll still order that sandwich in the future.

Wed 9/11: BJ's Brewhouse (Loop 101 & Northern)

For this visit, there was no wait, which is unusual for the dinner hour. Maybe because it was a weekday? I was glad to be seated in the middle of the restaurant because whenever we get seated back on the north end we tend to get painfully slow service.

 

The server was good and took our order in a timely manner. I selected the Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo with grilled chicken (can also get blackened chicken). This place has a big menu, similar to the Cheesecake Factory, except the food is better at BJ’s. When I got my meal, I ate the garlic bread first. It tasted a lot like a crouton. Not as hard, but the seasoning was very crouton-like. Not bad, but not the best garlic bread I’ve ever had.

 

The fettuccine noodles were on the firm side. I guess you could call it “al dente” but I think the pasta could have been cooked another minute or two. The Alfredo sauce was good, not super heavy. The chicken was a small fillet cut into six slices. Very simple. It was a fine dinner, but I’ve had other dishes there that were more impressive than that one.

 

I would have loved to order dessert, but alas, I must skip it. They have several types of Pizookie (pizza cookie) and they are delicious. The cookies and cream pizookie is one of my favorites. The beignet is also delicious. Like a sugary donut with strawberries. Also, BJ’s has handcrafted root beer, orange cream soda, and black cherry soda. They are awesome! Good restaurant.

Tue 9/10: Wendy's (Litchfield & I-10)

This is my 2^nd review for this Wendy’s location. The parking lot was pretty empty. And for some reason there was a yellow sign out front that said “Caution Wet Floor.” Clearly, the floor was not wet. The restaurant felt chilly again. I ordered a Pretzel Burger combo, plain with just cheese. When I went to get my drink, the cashier came over and asked if it was ok with the cheese sauce (in addition to the regular cheese). I said yes. Then somehow I didn’t have my cup positioned correctly under the spout and I squirted tea onto the floor. I wiped it up with some napkins.

When I sat down and unwrapped my burger, it also had bacon on it. Normally I’d be okay with that but this time I pulled it off. The pretzel bun was really good. The fries did not taste fresh, unfortunately. I noticed the fireplace was a lot cleaner than last time, with only a couple of handprints. Someone had left a tray on a table with a big puddle of ketchup on it. But I was happy to see a worker come and clean it up. All in all, an okay Wendy’s visit.

Sun 9/8: 5 & Diner (75th Ave & Bell)

I went with my family to 5 & Diner for breakfast. I have been to this 50’s style restaurant many times over the years, but had never tried breakfast there. We were greeted by two girls in poodle skirts (guessing one was training the other). Our shoes were extremely slippery on the wet, tile floor (it was raining that morning). The restaurant was fairly busy. Oldies playing, of course. Our server was wearing a Cardinals shirt, which told me it must be football day.

I ordered the Sourdough French Toast with bacon and a scrambled egg, well done. The food came out pretty quickly. As the server handed me my plate, she said, “Eggs well, look ok?” They did! Very nice of her to ask. Many times restaurants don’t get it right, so I appreciated it. There were 6 triangles of French toast on the plate. It was delicious with warm maple syrup. The eggs tasted great, the bacon was crispy and good. Really good breakfast! I’m so glad we tried it. I’ll definitely go back! They have yummy burgers and milkshakes there too.

Sat 9/7: Dairy Queen (107th Ave & Indian School)

This was an entertaining Dairy Queen experience. When we parked, we noticed an SUV full of people just sitting alongside the curb. There was a line of cars in the drive thru, and a line of people inside. I counted 7 people working behind the counter and they all looked pissed off. One of the soft serve machines squirted on a girl’s shirt and she looked upset.

After quite some time waiting in line, I ordered a mini banana split blizzard. We sat down. The people at the table next to us got their ice cream cones, but they still had to wait for the food they ordered. A guy came in (from the SUV outside) to get the food they had been waiting on for so long. Apparently their ice cream had to be remade because it had sat and melted. What an inefficient bunch of kids working there.

I saw my blizzard sitting on the counter as they still had to make my friend’s Julius. By the time I got it, it was kinda melty. They definitely weren’t gonna flip that one over to see if the spoon would stick! Oh silly Dairy Queen. I expect so little of you and you can barely deliver. If only my pal Warren Buffett knew of your impotence… (DQ is one of Berkshire Hathaway’s companies.)

Sat 9/7: Culver's (Avondale & I-10)

Went to Culver’s for dinner. It was busy at the register, but not a lot of people in the dining area. I ordered a butterburger cheese single basket with ketchup, mustard, and pickles (no onion). The restaurant felt cold and the floor needed to be swept and tables wiped. It seemed to take longer than usual for the food to come out. The fries looked darker than usual but they were still warm and crisp. The burger was tasty. A girl came by and picked up the trash from our table. Thought that was nice.

And may I recommend the frozen custard? Mmm mm!

Wed 9/4: Sonic (99th Ave & Indian School)

This is my second review for this Sonic location. My dogs rode with me in the car and I ordered a snack size popcorn chicken and small chili cheese fries. I didn’t time the wait, but it didn’t take very long for the food to come out. The guy who brought the food was very nice and commented on how fluffy my dogs are (at least Meka). “This one’s like a pillow! My dogs are buff.” He asked if I needed anything else. I requested some barbecue (they had included ranch in the bag, by default). I expected it to be quick, but it seemed to take a few minutes for him to come back with it, and he brought 3!

The fries were not the best I’ve had. Some were really crunchy, and some tasted like they were undercooked. The chili and cheese helped disguise it a bit, but they could have been better. The popcorn chicken was really good though. They were hot with crunchy breading. Didn’t taste like they had been sitting under a heat lamp for hours like some I’ve had. So not a horrible experience, they just need to get the fries right next time.

Mon 9/2: Yogurtland (99th Ave & McDowell)

This is review #2 for Yogurtland. They were really busy with lots of families and kids, but fortunately there were still some open tables. Most of the flavors they had were the same as last time. I got the Chocolate Milkshake again, and also tried Tasmanian Devil Devil’s Food Cake, Double Cookies & Cream, and Plain Tart. I got cheesecake bites and Reese’s Pieces for the toppings. There was a sign that said they were out of strawberries. After this visit, I realized their topping selection is quite a bit smaller than Yogurtini. The only fruit they had were blueberries, watermelon, and cherries.

I got a Bugs Bunny spoon to add to my budding collection with Tweety bird. As for the frozen yogurt, all of the chocolate flavors were good, but I did not like the plain tart. It tasted way too much like regular, plain yogurt. Not very appetizing and I pawned it off on my friend. I’ll stick with vanilla next time! But it’s a fun place and I like seeing all the creations that other people come up with.

Mon 9/2: Panda Express (99th Ave & McDowell)

Panda, you disappointed me today. I was so excited that the classic fried rice won the battle over the brown fried rice that I went there to enjoy some. I was a little surprised to see that they were still offering both options. I got a panda bowl with the classic fried rice and orange chicken. The lady behind the counter was very pleasant and offered up samples and additional sides like egg rolls, which I declined. She tried their usual beverage upsell: “medium drink?”

When I went to sit down, my chair wobbled (one of my biggest pet peeves) so I moved to another seat. The orange chicken was very low grade. There were tendons and fatty pieces that I actually had to spit out. The highly anticipated fried rice had crunchy bits in it. They obviously mixed undercooked rice in with the good rice! Just awful! And to top it all off, the fortune cookie was stale. Definitely one of the worst Panda experiences I’ve had.

Mon 9/2: Cafe 87 (Fort McDowell)

Yet another place to eat at Fort McDowell. The $2.99 breakfast special drew me in. 2 pancakes, 2 scrambled eggs, 2 strips of bacon. There was a waiting list so they take your name and number and text you when a table is available. Pretty smart so you can go spend money gambling rather than wait in line for 20 minutes.

When the table was ready, we had to weave around a lot of tables/chairs to get to it. The hostess handed us their breakfast menus. When the waitress came over, she said something like “do you know what you want to order?” but in sort of a discourteous manner. I said yes, the breakfast special. “Do you have your club card?” Yes. Then she handed us index cards with the 3 specials handwritten (with poor spelling, the other two options had sausage & home fries or country fried steak), asked what we wanted to drink, and walked away. Not the friendliest person I’ve encountered.

Took a little while for her to bring the waters, then we had to wait for the food. I didn’t have high expectations for a $2.99 breakfast, but I thought they’d at least be able to get it out quickly. Wouldn’t they rather have people out in the casino spending money than sitting in a café waiting for food? When it finally came out, the guy that brought it over was friendly. Much nicer than our grumpy waitress.

As for the cheap breakfast, I’m pretty sure the pancakes were just frozen pancakes and the syrup was pretty thin. The scrambled eggs were not especially mushy/liquidy, but also not well done (though I did not request this). The bacon strips were small, but hey that’s what a $2.99 special looks like! At least the check came quickly so we could leave cash and weave on out of there.

Sun 9/1: A New York Deli (Fort McDowell)

This is another place to eat at Fort McDowell. I just got a slice of cheesecake for a tasty treat, but I’ve also had pizza here and other desserts (their cookie/brownie thing is amazing, by the way). They are open 20 hours a day (only closed 7am-11am) so you always have somewhere to get food while you’re gambling away your hard earned money.

Sun 9/1: Silver Platter (Fort McDowell)

This is one of the places to eat at Fort McDowell Casino, back in the bingo area. You order at the counter like a snack bar, but there’s a big dining area to sit and eat. It’s quiet since it’s not by a bunch of slot machines. I’ve found the food here to be surprisingly good and very reasonably priced (and you can use points from your Fortune Club Card for a discount). I ordered Fry Bread with beans and cheese. It was delicious. The best part of all, drinks at Fort McDowell are free! There’s a beverage station in the bingo area with a Coca Cola Freestyle machine. I wanted to get ice cream later but Silver Platter closed at 9pm.

Sun 9/1: Which Wich (Westgate)

This was my first time at Which Wich. When you walk in, there’s a wall with brown bags labeled: Turkey, Ham & Pork, Beef, Chicken, Seafood, Vegetarian, Italian, Classics, etc. I grabbed a Turkey bag and proceeded to check off boxes with a red Sharpie. Turkey & Ham, Wheat, Toasted, Regular 7”, Provolone, Yellow Mustard, Pickles, and wrote my name in the box. When finished, I handed my bag to the cashier and she rang up the order. Not as cheap as Subway, but still reasonable.

After I got my drink, I sat down at a table. The chairs reminded me of the ones at Chipotle, wooden with metal legs that make a loud, screeching noise when slid across the hard concrete floor. Not the best of designs. I’m still not sure what was going on at Westgate but there were a lot of young people walking around dressed like different characters with crazy wigs and hats. I actually felt out of place in just a normal tank top and capris. Haha.

Anyway, they called my name and my sandwich was in my brown bag on the counter. It was made just the way I specified. The best part about it was probably the bread. It was warm and soft. I’m not easily impressed by deli meats in general, but it was a good sandwich. I’d like to go back and try the meatball sometime.

Sat 8/31: Red Robin (99th Ave & McDowell)

Went to Red Robin for lunch and I was surprised to see it so busy. I expect that during the dinner hour, but not lunch. There were groups of people waiting, but the hostess said if we wanted to sit in the bar area, then there was no wait. I said sure, though I recalled that past experiences in the bar area produced less than stellar service. But I hoped this time would be better.

Sat down in a booth that needed to be wiped down. The hostess started to hand us menus, then stopped and paged someone to wipe the table. The server greeted us quickly and took our drink order. When she came back with the waters, she said she’d get us menus. We mentioned the table needed to be wiped. She went to get a rag and menus. I noticed they are no longer using the cardboard coasters to set drinks on, or napkins for that matter, so the glasses condensate and easily slide around on the table.

They updated their menus since my last visit. They’re spiral-bound now. While my favorite burgers here are the Banzai, Whiskey River BBQ, and Royal Red Robin, I ordered the Keep It Simple burger, no pink, on a whole grain bun with American cheese and pickles. I chose Freckled Fruit Salad rather than bottomless steak fries. When the table next to us received their food, I noticed the steak fries now come in a metal cup. Only later did I realize that the food was served on plates, rather than baskets, like it used to be. I guess they’re trying to reinvent themselves a little bit.

When the food came out, I found my burger to be cooked perfectly. In the past I’ve had burgers that had some pink all the way through or a lot of pink on one corner. But they did it right this time. And it tasted delicious. The fruit consisted of apples, mandarin oranges, strawberries, watermelon, and pineapple. It tasted very sweet as the strawberry syrup had permeated throughout. I couldn’t help but notice the guy in the next booth, eating his burger in layers (top bun, then tomatoes, bacon, etc.). Interesting... But anyway, our server was very attentive and this was a really good Red Robin experience.

Fri 8/30: Valle Luna (35th Ave & Bell)

This is one of my favorite restaurants and I’ve been going to eat here since I was little. They send out coupons in the mail (Valpak) every month for buy one entrée, get one free. I usually go there for dinner, which is always very busy, but this time I met my parents for lunch. The place was still pretty full. I ordered my usual chicken enchiladas with red sauce, rice and beans (no garnish). It was cheaper on the lunch menu than the dinner combination, and we were still able to use the coupon.

As is customary with most Mexican restaurants, you get complimentary tortilla chips with salsa and hot sauce. I think their salsa is awesome, though I was caught off guard that this particular basket of chips was cold. They’re always so much better when they’re warm. Maybe not a bad thing because it kept me from eating too many before my meal came out. It’s easy to go through a couple baskets of those things.

Generally it doesn’t take very long for the food to come out, and this visit was no exception. I think the lunch-version enchiladas looked a bit smaller than I’ve had in past dinners. But it was all very delicious. We had a good server too. I don’t think I had seen her before so she might have been new. I didn’t save any room for dessert, but if I may recommend their fried ice cream, it is amazing! Sopapillas are also tasty.

I wish Valle Luna had a location on the west side (their only locations are Bell Rd, Cave Creek, and Chandler) but if you want some good Sonoran-style Mexican food, it’s worth the drive every time!

Thu 8/29: Freddy's Steakburgers (Litchfield & McDowell)

Freddy’s was chosen as the destination for this month’s “sanity lunch”. When we arrived, there was no line and I was able to walk right up to the counter to order. I got the hot dog combo with ketchup, mustard, and relish. I went to sit down in one of their large booths (3 people can sit comfortably on each side). The restaurant was not very busy for lunch time. I guess everyone goes to Chipotle and Wendy’s. The dining area looked pretty clean and I enjoyed the oldies that were playing.

The hot dog was Vienna beef and served on toasted bread rather than a hot dog bun. The shoestring fries weren't hot, but I've found that to be the case with most shoestring fries, that they lose their heat quickly. My friend shared some of her onion rings with me. They were crisp and good. There were some signs posted advertising their S’mores Concrete (frozen custard) and it looked tasty. I think this is a good place to eat!

Wed 8/28: Subway (Litchfield & McDowell)

I can only review the food for this one since I enjoyed this meal at home. I had a 6 inch meatball marinara on wheat bread, toasted with provolone cheese, parmesan, and oregano. It was hot and delicious. And the best part? It was only $2! I love Subway’s promotions. I also got a chocolate chip cookie that was worth every calorie.