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Main Street Munchies- Manayunk, PA

If you’re thinking about going out, there’s usually phases to it- “too tired to go out”, “okay…one shot”, “do I have time to change?”, “Departure shots!”, “are we taking something for the walk?”, “rip shots and we out”.  However, after a day of drinking, there are often phases of the come-down.  These include, but aren’t limited to “I’m tired…let’s order food”, “Do they have French fries?”, “Do they deliver?”, “Just cut in the line…nobody will notice”, “I think I tipped him $17 dollars”. 

After walking around Manayunk in a drunken stupor all night after walking around Philadelphia all day, we needed provisions.  So we stumbled after everyone else in town and ended up in Main Street Munchies- we took the line out the door as a good sign, especially since they were open past 2am.

We walked into a small, counter service sandwich shop with several high top tables in the back, and squeezed between the wall and the counter to make our order- we basically just wanted fries.  The employees were handling the crowd well and getting thing out in a very timely manner- they weren’t super friendly, but it was 2:30am and they had a line of about 12 people all ordering cheesesteaks; I’m not mad at them.   We were about to add more people to that line as  we read the menu and saw what could only be described as the drunken person’s Holy Grail- the “Drunk Yunker”.  A cheesesteak with fries, mozzarella sticks and chicken tenders…what more could we possibly ask for?  We ordered 3.

However, being in an inebriated state of mind, we didn’t realize that we had just ordered a cheesesteak with the aforementioned fried delights served ON it…not with it.  We stood waiting for our 9 sides to come up and they never did…some sober guy explained the mix up to us and we stood, stunned and now drunkenly miserable.

We left the establishment and declared “This cheesesteak better give us multiple orgasms!”, but sadly, for the price of $13, we were left only mildly satisfied (a feeling too many women reading this will relate too).  On one half of the sandwich, there was ONE mozzarella stick, on the other half their was ONE chicken tender….sprinkled across the top there were 7 fries. Without the extra “stuff”, the cheesesteak wasn’t even decent and for $13 each, we could have pulled our money and bought a small home together. 

Everyone and their aunt regards this restaurant as the spot for afterhours food, citing the “yunker” as the best drunk food you can ask for- we don’t get it.  It’s expensive and not worth it- just use the $13 to drink more and pass out sooner so you won’t waste your money on this nonsense. 

The Bill

Food: 1 Snap

Nope. Not having it. Even wasted, we weren’t impressed. Save your money, save your time.

Atmosphere: 2 Snaps

It is what it is- it’s clean so it gets a snap for that.

Service: 3 Snaps

Not bad, not great.

Overall: 2 Snaps

$13 for a bad cheesesteak? We didn’t even think a “bad” cheesesteak was possible.  We were wrong.

Will We Be Back?

No. (Keep in mind, this is being written whilst sober- Drunk Chelsea and Chris repeat a lot of dumb mistakes)

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Winnie's Le Bus- Manayunk, PA

In need of a great lunch munch? This week we have found the perfect place to fulfill that hunger.  After the Manayunk Bike Race, we needed to pull it together and absorb some of the alcohol that was inhaled during this event. We carried each other into town and spotted Winnie's Le Bus.

  We were greeted by the most chipper waitress who immediately was on top of her game and told us their specials for the day and her personal favorites.  She asked us what we wanted to drink, we looked at each other, and communicated via gazes, "I know we SHOULDN’T drink, but its lunch time and we need a mimosa."

 To eat, did we want the Thai Turkey Salad? Did we want the Lobster Mac and Cheese?  We ended up getting the beef barley soup and vegetarian chili to start, and for our entrees, we decided on the Colorado Chicken Sandwich, and a turkey burger. After ordering everything a basket of bread happened to appear because Winnie's is known for their freshly baked unique breads. 

The soups came out piping hot and full of flavor. Once the spoons hit our mouths we just wanted more and more.  The chili had a blend of nacho and New Mexico chilis, chipotle peppers, vegetables, tomatoes, brown rice​and was topped with sour cream and cheddar cheese. The beef barley was filled with cubes of tender beef, onions, and carrots.  After inhaling the soups we were thrilled to see what the entrees had in store.  

While waiting for our entrees to come we were enjoying the mimosas that the bartender made perfectly.  The blend of champagne and orange juice was the right balance of each.  She then delivered out food and our eyes jumped out of our heads.  We split each of the sandwiches so we both could have a little taste of each. The Colorado Chicken sandwich was served on a soft wheat bun, soaked in an ancho chili sauce, with pepper jack cheese and crispy bacon.  The side choice of broccoli could have been reconsidered because it wasn't quite cooked to the way we thought it would have been.  This sandwich would make us come back to just have this every day.  The turkey burger was juicy and full of flavor. Simple toppings of lettuce, tomato, and a pickle is the way to do a burger.  No complaints.  None at ALL. 

  The waitress chit chatted with us all throughout the meal and asked us if we needed anything else. She almost convinced us to get another mimosa but after a long and draining weekend we simply said, “Check, Please!"

    The Bill

  The Food: ​ 4 1/2

The breads, the soup, the sandwiches were all items that made us want to come back to Winnie’s. The under cooked broccoli was not. We stress this because it’s not about how the main part of the meal tastes, it’s about the whole over all entree.

  The Service: 5

Our waitress was nothing but happy to be at her job. Very outgoing and wanted to know about us. She was just not there to serve food, she was very knowledgeable about the items on the menu and helped us narrow down our food choices when we couldn't figure which ones we wanted.

  The Atmosphere: 4 1/2

WInnie's had the right feel to it. There was outdoor seating, indoor seating, and our favorite bar seating.  The place had a special wall filled with different types of breads that they bake fresh every day.  On display they had many of awards to show off how great the restaurant was, and the staff was very friendly and welcoming.

  Will we be back?

Winnie’s Le Bus makes us want to come back each and every day.  The next time we go in we hope our same waitress is working and she can make us more of those tasty mimosas.

  Until our next drink, I mean restaurant outing... Check Please!!!

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How Do We Do It?

I can only imagine that reading weekly restaurant reviews posted by two recent college-grads can spark the question “How the hell do they afford this?!”.   It’s not easy to budget a weekly (sometimes more) trip to a restaurant, accounting for gas, tip, meal and drinks- after all, if we stayed close by, the reviews you would see would be limited to Sheetz and local family pizzerias. 

However, in our limitless wisdom, we decided to share with you our tips and tricks to staying below budget, enjoying ourselves, and giving you the reviews you so desperately crave.

Sign up for “Groupon”- No, seriously. Stop what you’re doing, go to groupon.com and sign up.  Daily emails telling you all the local restaurants offering deals that day, often 50% or more off.  For example, today’s daily deal offers 57% off The Adobe Café.  You pay $28 to get $57.50 to spend on one appetizer, two entrees and one dessert.  You can pay $55 for a dinner of four, allowing you $115 to spend on double the food.  Of course, there is fine print, which often translates to being unable to use the coupon on daily deals or alcohol.  However, with an app for your phone, Groupon is a main tool that lets you taste-test many local restaurants for a low cost.  (NOTE: This is also where we buy all of our concert tickets).

Sign up for “LivingSocial”- We’re a little less serious about this one- we rarely use it but that doesn’t’ mean it’s not worthwhile to cover all cost-cutting bases.  Very similar to Groupon, LivingSocial also utilizes a phone app, a website and daily emails.  Most times, we check both to see which is offering the better deal.  Right now, you can spend $69 to get a four-course chef tasting for two (with dessert) at Tashan.  Less savings than Groupon, but higher quality food for this deal.  Like we said, it’s worth the sign up just to compare the savings, and to see if there’s any coupons that include alcohol (Lord knows we could use that…seriously, if anyone finds one, message us immediately.)

Facebook- Often times, restaurants will use social media to advertise their daily specials, in particular Facebook.  Most restaurants can’t hire a social media coordinator, so Twitter gets overlooked by a lot of eateries, however, with it’s simple interface and user friendly tools, even the most out of touch senior can manage to post “Happy Hour today from 4-7” as their status.  Our favorite and most used Facebook page? A former review feature- Ryan’s Pub in West Chester, PA.  Check them out for great deals and great drinks.

Punchcard- Punchcard.com….sign up and let us know how it is. We just found this so we’re not experts yet, but it apparently offers personalized rewards to people who use it, so we’ll be expecting a case of wine any day now.

Takeout Menus- Does your restaurant offer take out? The take out menu probably has a coupon clipping for varying percentages off- our former review Fusion features a 10% off coupon on theirs.

Server- Your server is a great resource but be aware that they’re often trained to recommend pricier menu options.  This does not mean they always will.  Ask what entrees and appetizers come with the biggest portions so you can share and ask about any featured drink specials.  

Reviews- Go online to check out other reviews of the restaurant.  www.checkpleasereviews.com is an EXCELLENT resource for all your inquiries and we will gladly try a restaurant based on you requests! Other review websites will often pay their reviewers to give negative feedback, or they are paid by restaurants to give positive feedback.   With us, you can always expect the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. 

  Check back next week for our new restaurant review!

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Guppy's- East Norriton, PA

"You guys going to make it to our softball game at 9:30.." " Absolutely not... but we will support the team and make it to the bar around noon..."

It was a long weekend for us- from one bar to the next, from one cocktail to the other, we decided it was time for a substantial meal to soak up the drinks we had spent Friday & Saturday consuming, and maybe add a few more to the mix at some Sunday Funday festivities.  

Walking into Guppy’s in East Norriton, all we needed to see was the “Make Your Own Bloody Mary Bar” and we didn’t even need a menu. The vibe was fun and cheerful with chairs with different bottle caps, bright colored walls,  and plenty of TVs to watch different games.  The huge fish prominently displayed on their wall served as their logo despite being slightly bigger than “guppy” size.

When we sat, our friendly waitress came and handed She handed us 2 menus, one for Sunday brunch and one for every day lunch and dinner.  She asked if we wanted a drink, and we scoffed but replied, "Don’t tease us, the faster the better."  Chelsea ordered a Bloody Mary (obviously) but when I tried to order a cider they were out and could only offer an alternative running a steep 13$ bottle... we stuck to the 5$ Bloody Marys. 

On the brunch menu they had a variety of typical selections such as omelets, breakfast sandwiches, etc., but the thing that stood out the most were the smoked bacon and cheddar stuffed pancakes- a unique take on a typically sweet breakfast food.  The dinner menu had too many delightful sounding options including the “Wowee” burger which was topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, bbq sauce, and of course some thick cut onion rings (WINNING). After a quick yelling match, we came to a decision of ordering the salmon wrap. The waitress threw us a curve ball too because she asked us if we wanted to upgrade our fries to “Amanda” fries and because we had no place to be, and were maybe a little drunk from the Bloody Marys, why the hell not?             The food took some time coming out, which we filled by creating our drinks and just casually getting wasted with my dad’s softball team.  The waitress brought the food out and our eyes jumped out of our head! We needed to take a break from our beverages and dig in.  The pancakes were so fluffy and the sweetness from the syrup combined with the bacon just took our taste buds for a whirl.  The cheddar shouldn’t have been invited to the party, however, because it did NOT play well with the other flavors and definitely didn’t mix with the alcohol in our bellies. 

Our best decision to date was upgrading to “Amanda” fries- these fries were piled high with chunks of bacon, a melted blend of cheese, then topped off with a drizzle of ranch dressing. The salmon wrap had asparagus inside, and had a bold spicy flavor with a subtle sweetness a spice too it- the teriyaki sauce complemented it well. The waitress came back to check on us and we didn't even acknowledge her because we were too busy stuffing our faces-sorry Stacy!   After only slightly licking the plates (I had to physically stop Chelsea), we were asked if we wanted dessert…we subbed in another Bloody Mary.   The Bill Food: 3 1/2 snaps Everything was great except that pesky cheddar- unnecessary and unappetizing. The Bloody Marys were of course everything we wanted and more. Service: 4 Snaps The waitress was very outgoing and friendly. She had many of recommendations to offer to us and knew just how to please us by not starting off with the food specials but the telling us about the 5$ Bloody Mary bar.  She kept our water glasses full and our alcohol fuller.

 Atmosphere: 4 Snaps The whole feel of being in Guppy’s makes you want to come back.  The ambiance is very welcoming to all groups of people including families, friends and sports teams.  

Overall: 4 Snaps Limited complaints and limitless alcohol- Guppy’s is doing it right!

Will We Be Back?  While looking over all of the other specials and food offerings Guppy’s has we highly consider returning to enjoy a meal and a beverage.  

Check, Please!

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Anthony's- Malvern, PA

With time to kill between an internship  and the hour at which it’s socially acceptable to enter the liquor store, we decided to stop and eat. We wanted carbs…lots of them.  

So we were driving through Malvern and decided to pop into Anthony’s, a family-owned and operated restaurant that we hoped could offer us what we needed.  Parking was tricky since this spot shares a lot with a strip-mall of very popular businesses PLUS a Wawa PLUS some straggler Septa riders.  However, once we aggressively drove to a spot near the door, we made our way inside and were immediately greeted by a pleasant and upbeat server.  

She sat us and took our drink orders and brought them back in record time.  We perused the menu and opted for the baked mushrooms stuffed with crab meat despite the price ($8.75 seems a little steep for 6 mushrooms) and the mozzarella sticks (again, $8 seems high).  However, the mushrooms were baked perfectly, and we risked 3rd degree burns on our mouths just to keep eating them despite the heat.  The mozzarella sticks were….well, mozzarella sticks, but you can’t get very inspired when it comes to basic fryer food so we overlooked that.

With our appetizers, we got bread for the table with a delicious oil and seasoning that I could have drunk off the dish it was served in.  The rolls tasted fresh baked and were warm and light and never-ending.

For the main course, we decided to not be obese and split a serving of the “Crespelle Ripiene” which are “fresh crepes stuffed with spinach, ricotta and romano cheeses.” Thank God we split it….even then we still had some to take home.  For only $12.75 for an enormous portion that ended up making 2 ½ meals, Anthony’s offers a great deal on their entrees.

Our waitress was the perfect blend of present but not overbearing, showing up just in time to refill our glasses but it never felt like she was working “for the tip” or putting on a façade. Her sense of humor was refreshing but not forced and she did her job very well.

Anthony’s is BYOB , which for us typically translates to “bring your own bar” and had we thought to, we would have.  The hearty portions and heavy food would have gone well with a nice light beer or wine…bottle.

                                                          The Bill

                                              The Food: 3 ½ Snaps

Great but not fantastic.  It’s excellent Italian food but it’s not very inspired and the presentation could use a little work.  We would recommend it but only if you’re already in the area since the appetizers already cost an arm and a leg, you don’t need to spend money on the gas to get there.

                                          The Service: 5 Snaps

Our server was in it to win it this time. She was on top of the order, on top of our drink refills and did it all without seeming to be trying too hard. This girl deserves a raise….maybe we’ll just take her out with us and buy her a shot or two.

                                          Atmosphere: 3 Snaps

It’s an Italian restaurant in Malvern….it looks like an Italian restaurant in Malvern. It was clean and nice and had all the cliché wall decorations you would expect. But if it looked like I was in Malvern and it said I was in Malvern, why did it feel like I was in the arctic tundra?! The temperature in the room plummeted when I got there and unless there was a demonic energy, there was no reason.  56 degree days are not a time to crank up the AC.

                                         Overall: 4 Snaps

The waitress alone gets this place an above average rating.  The food and atmosphere is what you’d expect from any Italian restaurant anywhere with maybe a little more inspiration.  Go give them a shot if you’re in the area, just don’t forget to pack your winter coat.

                                             Will we be back?

We did only try one entrée and the price for them is so good, we would be willing to try again with a different meal.  We also might pop in just to say “Hey” to our waitress/ pick her up and force her to be our friend.

                                              Check, Please!

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Taqueria Feliz- Manayunk, Pennsylvania

 It’s one of our favorite holidays of the year- itss Cindo De Mayo!!!! Better known as Cinco de Drinko here in the good old USA. This holiday season would not be complete without indulging in some Mexican cuisine and a very very strong margarita. Just be careful, because every cheesy souvenir shot glass warns, “one tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.”

We were greeted with a smile and asked if we had ever dined at Taqueria Feliz-we hadn't- our waitress asked us if we wanted to try a Spinirita -we did. What's a “Spinirita”? Well it is their frozen margarita specialty mixed with a red sangria. And lets just say it was tasty! Perfect drink for the festive day. After briefly sipping this decadent delight, we were dying of hunger and wanted to put in an appetizer. It’s only fitting to try the guacamole, which came with an endless chips and salsa.

We wanted to try one of everything on the menu. The options seemed endless, from fish tacos to cauliflower tacos… TOO MANY CHOICES! We decided that we were going to get the fish tacos, and the Chicken Ting...but then we saw sweet plantains and added a side of those to split as well.

The fish tacos were a “tempura battered blue tilapia with chipotle mayo, cabbage slaw and radish on a flour tortilla”. The Chicken Tinga is chicken stewed in a chipotle sauce with cabbage, avocado, queso fresco and cream. The fish tacos were served as two but the Chicken Tinga came as three. The guacamole came out and it was the perfect size to share with someone. You could taste the freshness of the tortilla chips that they were made in house. The guacamole was a smoother blend and it didn’t knock our socks off but it did hit the spot with the salsa providing a nice complement.

After devouring the appetizer the minute it was set on the table, our entrées arrived and we didn’t even know where to dig in. The fish tacos were the perfect crispiness and mixture of flavors. The Chicken Tingas had a little bit of a heat to them because of the chipotle that it was marinated in. But that mixed with the avocado and cream kept the heat to a minimum. After all of this food we completely forgot about the plantains. Our recommendation would be to have the cream drizzled on the side because the sweetness was overpowering.

Did we have room for dessert...do we ever? The real question is, do we have room for another Spinirita? I think you can answer that yourself.

The Bill:

The Food: 3.5

Fresh food that is made in house is always a pro and this restaurant was no exception. The chef knew how to appeal to most palates and the portions were perfect for sharing...or not.

The Service: 5 snaps

Our waitress was on top of her game! She always had the answers to our questions when we didn’t know what something was. She mentioned their specials immediately and how the tacos would be arriving to our table. When our water was half we finished she was right there to fill it back up and to ask us how everything was. The food was timed out to a tee and came to the table shortly after we ordered it. When we return we will be looking for her to ask for her!

Atmosphere: 3 Snaps

The Mexican theme was very apparent and charming in this restaurant with colorful pictures all around. The downside of the restaurant was the way the seating was. The tables were too close to each other and we felt like we were talking with the table next to us. As we've mentioned before not everyone needs to hear what we were up to the night before.

Overall: 4 Snaps

Will We Be Back?

I believe we will be returning to this amazing Mexican spot. The food was great, the staff was very friendly, and the drinks...well, they had alcohol and that should explain our inevitable return.

Check, Please!

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The Winner's Circle- Exton, PA

Today, enroute from an internship to a part-time job (living the post-grad dream),  we decided to pop in to “The Winner’s Circle” located in Exton, PA, mostly because it was labeled as a sport’s “pub” and after this long, 12 hour day, we needed a beer.

Walking in, we were confused since apparently, this restaurant shares it’s entryway with the restaurant next door…a bizarre marketing technique.   We figured it out and made our way in and after standing awkwardly at the hostess’ stand for a few minutes, we were seated.

 There were so many TVs all tuned into various sport’s networks and the vibe was very unique, but despite having a sport’s bar atmosphere, the bar boasted a “pub” quality selection of craft beers, all for a relatively reasonable price.  While they didn’t have the extensive collection that their main competitor “The Pour House” has, “The Winner’s Circle” definitely holds their own.

We glanced over the appetizers and got caught between their spin on crab fries which included real lumps of crab meat, and their crab and spinach dip, both for $10.  After only a slightly heated debate, we opted for the spinach dip and a glass of Magic Hat #9.  The beer was light and refreshing and went great with our burgers but was not too heavy that it would intimidate casual beer drinkers, but would still appeal to the craft beer expert.

It was a sport’s bar, so we obviously had to get burgers and they offered a decent selection with thematic names like “Chip Kelly” or the “Chooch”, which we finally decided upon.  The Chooch is described as “beef infused with Applewood bacon, topped with smoked tomato relish, Gouda cheese” and it’s served on a Ciabatta roll.  We topped it with sautéed mushrooms for $1 extra and oh my god, it was decadent.  The tomato relish was EVERYTHING, everything we’ve ever wanted. In fact, we might swear off men if it means we just get to bathe in this relish all day, every day…..this means we really, really like it.  For $10, we wish the CRAB and spinach dip had more crab in it, but again, we can accept this loss if it means more tomato relish for everyone!

The service was good with the appetizer out in ten minutes and the main meal immediately after. The only complaint was that we ordered a diet soda and received a regular….twice.  Overall, it didn’t affect the opinion of the meal which was excellent.

The Bill

Food: 3 ½ Snaps

It was good but not great (other than the relish which we’re still fantasizing about).  Crabbier crab dip needs to happen and the fries that came with the burger were not up to par with the rest of the meal…steak fries are a necessity with a craft burger.

The Service: 3 Snaps

The initial wait to be seated and two incorrect drink orders can be attributed to the light staff during what could have been a lunch rush.  The bartender/server was pleasant but accuracy is key.

Atmosphere: 4 Snaps

This restaurant is strangely unique. A sport’s bar vibe with a craft beer menu and above average food? This place would be a great place to go with friends to play a round of quizzo or watch the Flyers or Phillies.

Overall: 3 ½ Snaps

  Will We Be Back?

We think so. It was a nice dining experience but it was a little pricier than we expected it to be, especially for our small budgets.  Looking at the menu, they have awesome specials like $1 Taco night, which we’ve already made a standing reservation for from now until the end of time. However, overall, they are just a little bit above average and not necessarily worth going out of the way for.

Check, Please!

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Fusion Restaurant- West Chester, PA

"You aren’t hungover this morning? What’s happening? Were we better people last night?" These are the things running through our heads this afternoon before heading out to grab this week’s meal. We looked at each other and thought that we haven’t had sushi in a while and wanted to try somewhere where we could get quality sushi, but on a budget.* Fusion Restaurant popped up in our phone and it’s BYOB…so we can each bring a bottle, right? We popped by the liquor store to grab some white zinfandel and then walked over to Fusion.  The lunch menu was the same portioning as the regular menu but the prices were cut just a tad.  We came to Fushion for sushi but they offered other specials such as General Tso's Chicken, Thai Mango Sauce with your choice of Chicken, Pork, Tofu, Beef or Shrimp, or the infamous Pad Thai.  The special allowed us to choose 3 rolls and came with a salad or soup for 11$.  We each ordered 3 rolls and ended up splitting everything…we couldn’t choose one favorite. Sophia, our waitress was a delight and offered us some insight on the sushi rolls we weren’t familiar with.  Based on her recommendation, we ended up getting the East roll which includes shrimp and avocado, the Alaskan roll which includes salmon and the Boston roll which includes salmon, lettuce, and mayo.  We recommend the spicy tuna, the California, the peanut and avocado and the spicy Kani.  

The ginger salad came out and they could have left the salad and just brought a bowl of the ginger dressing that we would have gladly poured down each other’s throats. If we were this impressed by the salad dressing¸ what kind of impression would the sushi have?

Sophia placed our sushi in front of us and the beautiful design and presentation had us in awe.   The peanut avocado roll was a quick favorite- the crunchiness of the peanuts, the smoothness of the avocado blended well together.  We couldn’t wait to try the others!  Our other favorite, the Boston roll, was Sophia’s recommendation and she knows her sushi.  The salmon was fresh and pink and tasted sweet and delicious, mixed with the other ingredients. None of the rolls disappointed.

Overall, all of these rolls were to die for and we ended up unbuttoning our pants to finish every last one of them.  We toyed with the idea of licking the designs off but we kept it classy for the day.  Sophia came over and asked if we needed anything else today and after she politely declined our invitation to come home with us in our pocket because she was so adorable, we simply said “Check, please!” The Bill Food:  4 1/2 snaps Sushi, salad and wine were the best decisions for this day. We did get the sushi wrapped in brown rice (to keep our girlish figures), so maybe that’s why they kept falling apart, making it a little difficult to use the chop sticks.  Otherwise, best sushi in West Chester, HANDS DOWN!  The Service: 4 snaps Sophia was a superb waitress but because they were understaffed, she couldn’t check on us as often as we would have liked.

 Atmosphere/Cleanliness: 3 snaps We walked in and were greeted by a beautiful waterfall and …. by Justin Bieber? Sure enough, crooning through the speakers, the Biebs himself was followed by Britney Spears.  We’re definitely not complaining. They got 5 snaps for that. They lost points for how small the dining area is for how crowded the restaurant gets.  Our table was basically on top of our neighbors and while we were jabbering on about beer bongs and jello shots, the infant next to us seemed to be picking up more information than his mother would have liked…whoops.  Overall: 4 snaps

Will We be back? That shouldn't even be a question... We are FB friends with Sophia. We may pay her to guest review with us one day just to hang out. The food is out of this world, and since we are now regulars the whole staff knows us by name.  

Next week we have a little surprise for you. Does this mean a week off? A guest reviewer? Or maybe, we will dine at more than one restaurant next week.  Keep up if you can!

  *Budget- meaning enough to have a drink while eating

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Mesa Grill- Las Vegas, Nevada

          Wait…. It’s Tuesday? We were supposed to post this yesterday, but we were stumbling in from our last night out in Sin City…around 6 am. Despite the delay, we’re ready to dive into this week’s culinary delights. Being in Las Vegas we wanted to go a little classier for our dining experience and because we stayed at Caesar’s Palace, we saw that Bobby Flay’s Southwestern inspired restaurant was in the hotel.   

              Mesa Grill… what are we in for?   Let’s make a reservation and explore the southwestern flare.

              The waiter greeted us within one minute of us sitting down.  Perfect timing, because we needed a beverage before looking over the menu.  Usually we would order our usual vodka and cranberry and pray it wasn’t made with Vladimir but we decided to get a nice glass of white wine to pair well with our dinner selections. Opening up the menu, our eyes jumped out of our heads because there was an array of selections to choose from.  We knew we wanted to start off with an appetizer… but which one? Blue corn lobster tacos? Smoked chicken and black bean quesadilla? Neither… The Tiger Shrimp and Roasted Garlic Corn Tamale was the obvious winner.  After putting that in for us to share, the next obstacle was to choose an entrée.  The Riesling returned to the table and we cheers to a great night and more importantly great food that we were about to enjoy.  We finally decided on the Ancho Chile- Honey Glazed Salmon and The Mango Spiced Crusted Tuna Steak.  The cost of the food kind of scared us… but it’s Vegas… we will win it back eventually, right?

          Our waiter brought the appetizer and it was plated so elegantly, we didn’t even want to disturb it.  The shrimp were the biggest we had ever seen.  They had picture-perfect grill marks on them and the combination of spices had a bit of a bite to them but were not overpowering.  The corn tamale was the perfect texture- it melted in our mouths!  After experiencing this divine intervention, we knew the entrees were going to be out of this world as well. 

       The meals came out about twenty minutes after the appetizer which was perfect timing, not only for a dining experience, but we needed another drink by this point as well.  The smell from the food blew us away and we couldn’t wait to take a nibble.  The mango-spiced tuna was cooked perfectly and had just the right amounts of seasoning that complemented the tuna flavor perfectly.  Taking a little piece and pairing it with the couscous was the best way to go because it took away a little bit of the spiciness from the sauce that was on the tuna.  Next up was the salmon… sticking the fork through it and it flaked right off! It was so smooth and cooked to the perfect degree.  The roasted jalapeno cream added punch to the salmon but the beans helped keep the heat down as well.  It wasn’t overpowering, it just made us drink a little bit more to keep our mouths from feeling the burn, (no complaints here). Hands down, this may have been the best meal we have talked about yet, possibly the best meal of our lives!   The waiter asked if we wanted anything for dessert and we contemplated another drink as dessert, but we had other plans so we ended our meal and said, “Check, Please!!!”

  The Bill

  Food: 5 snaps- Without a doubt we would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone… Everywhere… and fly back tomorrow to just experience this food again. Everything was cooked to the perfect temperature, seasoned just right, and the portion size was precise. 

  Service:  4 ½ snaps- The service was excellent.  Our only complaint was having to wait 40 minutes after our reservation to be seated. What is the point of a reservation if it’s going to take another hour to sit down? But other than that the waiter was great and kept our wine glasses filled… He deserved 2 snaps just for that. 

  Atmosphere/ Cleanliness: 4 ½ - The vibe of the restaurant was very classy and bright.  It was welcoming and made us want to stay there for a while to enjoy our meals. It got a little loud at points because of all of the people waiting and made it difficult to hear the waiter sometimes.  The tables were freshly lined when a new table was seated, and the bathrooms were spotless as well. 

  Will we be back? We absolutely hope so! We looked up other locations and there is one in NYC that we may have to make the drive for- we just don’t want it to be bad and then ruin the spectacular visit we had in Vegas.  So naturally, we are booking tickets right now to go back to Vegas next year.

  Overall: 4 ½ Snaps

  Where will we stumble into next weekend? Could it be a brunch? Could it be a late day snack? Or could it be a five course meal? Check back with us and always remember…. Recommendations are GLADLY accepted…. Check, Please!

[checkpleasereviews]

National Mechanics, Old City Philadelphia

     National Mechanics wasn’t our first choice to dine…and it will probably stay that way. After a loooooooong night of drinking (we’re starting to see a theme here….), we, along with five of our friends, decided to head into Old City and try revisit a different restaurant. The wait time turned us off, so on a whim, we popped over to National Mechanics (by “whim”, we mean we saw a sign that said they had a Bloody Mary bar).

     It was midday, but it was dim inside and there were only two other tables dining. The venue had a small dining area, but a huge bar. All five of us ordered their brunch special after the waitress recommended it. It was their own twist on a classic eggs benedict but served as a breakfast sandwich. The poached eggs with Hollandaise sauce were served on a bun, with sides of Canadian bacon and home fries. The restaurant offers other delicious sounding brunch specials every Saturday from 11:00 AM- 3:00 PM, all at a somewhat reasonable price. However, the real star of the show was the Make-Your-Own Bloody Mary bar that beckoned us in the first place.

     To start, you’re given the option of alcohol you want, so we opted for the very zingy bacon-flavored tequila. They give you a generous amount of alcohol and then you’re free to doctor it up however you choose, from a plethora of options. We opted for house-made Bloody Mary mix instead of tomato juice, olives and A LOT of horseradish. Despite them offering well over 50 hot-sauce flavors, we opted to go simple and just added a dash of tobasco sauce. It was just divine. The brunch drinks include sparkling sangria, bellinis, and the house-created “him-mosa” which is Blue Moon wheat beer, Stoli O and some orange juice.

     We ended up waiting about 30 minutes for our food, which was fine since we had each gotten the day’s special. However, as a table, we were only given one pitcher of water. One pitcher of water for seven VERY hungover people- it wasn’t pretty and at one point it got very “Lord of the Flies”. We also never saw our waitress again. The restaurant had a midafternoon rush and with only one waitress on staff, she was slightly overwhelmed, to say the least. While her service was excellent during our one interaction, the improper staffing done by management the day after a huge drinking holiday needs to be addressed.

      The restaurant itself had a really cool ambience and laid back vibe without seeming like a sports bar. It had some of the coolest bathrooms we’ve been in, to date, and even the tables added to the unique and distinctly “Old City” atmosphere.

     Overall, the alcohol and the bathrooms impressed us more than the food or the service. It was a decent meal, but definitely not worth the wait or the dry mouth.

                                                   The Bill:

Food: 2 ½ Snaps: Good, but not great. To be fair, we all only tried one thing, so we didn’t really get a fair taste of the menu.

Service: 1 ½ Snaps: We were completely abandoned as a table. Maybe we would have tried some other menu items if we had ever been checked on, or tried some other drinks, but unfortunately we only had one interaction with our very busy waitress and the rest of our service was given by various food runners and bussers who always forgot our water.

Atmosphere/Cleanliness: 5 Snaps: This restaurant is super successful in these two departments. However, perhaps if they spent more time on scheduling and less on bathroom décor, we would have left more impressed and we would come back.

Will We Be Back? Probably only if the restaurant we preferred has a long wait again.

                                             Overall: 3 Snaps

                                              Check, Please!

[checkpleasereviews]

Ryan's Pub- West Chester, PA

"Making our way downtown... walking fast... faces pass... and we are Ryan’s of West Chester Bound!"  Yet another Sunday that we decided to venture out for some food finds in the heart of West Chester, Pennsylvania.  We were walking down Gay Street after a night of imbibing and happened to stumble upon Ryan’s of West Chester. It was quite different seeing this local bar in the day light... let alone finding out that they offered food, and not just pints of local crafts beers.               As we walked in, we were greeted by the friendliest host who was nothing but smiles and asked us  where we wanted to sit... It made us feel like royalty despite our sweatpants and slippers. We sat down at a cozy booth that could comfortably fit four people.  She explained their special lunch menu that had deals such as a cup of soup and a half of sandwich, or Ryan's famous dishes such as their famous layered nachos or a classic cheesesteak.  The waitress greeted us and told us her name was Julie.  After reiterating the special lunch menu, she recommended either trying their crab and pepper jack cheese bisque or the nachos that she described as being stacked with chicken, peppers, onions, black olives, and cheese loaded over crisp tortilla chips, that were made in house.  To quench our thirst, we settled upon 2 Coors Lite bottles, the day’s special, at $3 each.

We took a gander at both of the menus but some key things stood out to us on their regular everyday menu. As we looked at the menu the crab cakes with tangy remoulade, the meatloaf Napolean, and the nacho- fried chicken all jumped out at us as potential eats.  However, how they pointed out their top item is what really hooked us, for example, Ryan’s Famous Chili which has won 3 years in a row at the Chester County Chili Cook-Off.  There were so many delicious options to decide from, but looking back at the lunch menu, we know we could get a taste of a couple of different menu items on a budget. The waitress came back with our Coors Lite and took our orders. We each ordered a cup of the crab bisque and one half of a chicken salad sandwich.  We are both pretty precise about what we like as sides and toppings, but our list of accouterments did not even phase our server. She brought us spicy mustard, hoagie spread, banana peppers and lemon wedges immediately and checked back frequently to see if we needed anything else.  Our drinks were never empty, and we found ourselves chatting with her because she was so sweet and approachable.

While we ended up not getting the most adventurous meal because of our sensitive, hungover, taste palette, we did immensely enjoy the chicken salad sandwiches.  The real dark horse of the dining experience was the soup- the crab bisque is inexplicably delicious.  How do they do it? It’s thick consistency, spicy flavor, and real chunks of crab make it so delectable, we almost asked for a second bowl.  We have gone back several times, and while the lunch special soups change, we always find ourselves paying the extra to get the crab bisque. 

Honestly, Ryan’s is the perfect “morning-after” bar.  The dim lighting, no wait, no-crowd atmosphere is perfect. The wait staff is eager to please, but strategically balances that thin line between helpful and annoying, without ever crossing it.  The prices are reasonable enough, especially their lunch special, for someone who may have overspent at one of the various downtown bars the night before (perhaps even at Ryan’s), and you can spread out in spacious and comfortable seating they offer.

    The Bill

  Food: 3 ½ Snaps- We love love LOVE the food, BUT you should be able to substitute soups on the lunch menu without the extra cost and the chicken salad could use a little more seasoning for example maybe some spiciness to heat it up.   

Service: 4 ½ Snaps- Sweet, friendly, and attentive, the servers here know how to please their customer! We were on first name basis and that’s what we look for in out servers to have a welcoming personality not for them to just be our waitresses.  We received our food in a timely manner and thoroughly enjoyed the overall service experience in Ryan’s Pub. 

Atmosphere/Cleanliness: 3 1/2 Snaps- Very clean and nice atmosphere for your typical pub.  Nothing super unique to make it stand out, but if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.  It’s a casual dining experience… and sweats and slippers were gladly accepted. 

  Will We Be Back? We already have been! Since being at Ryan’s the first time, we have been back several times for lunch and also for weekend drinking! The staff is always so wonderful and the prices are right in our budget…we will definitely be back and hopefully we can become a frequent visitor so the whole staff becomes acquainted with us!

  Overall: 4 Snaps

We were invited to attend a social outing in Philadelphia next weekend… Hopefully we can stumble into some great bites in the City of Brotherly Love

Check, Please!

[checkpleasereviews]

Cactus Cantina- Manayunk, PA

          Chicken Fajitas? The infamous 5 Alarm Burrito? Nope… we were hung over and we just needed some of Cactus Cantina’s Kickin’ Wings.  Just the right amount of food, and isn’t the myth to cure a hangover with something greasy?

            For this dining excursion, we wanted to go somewhere where we could relax, enjoy a good meal and maybe have a little Sunday Funday. We asked Siri to direct us to somewhere in Manayunk that had chicken wings to die for. Cactus Cantina popped up in our phones so we decided to investigate the situation. 

            Upon arrival, we were not greeted very kindly by the manager, who seemed irritated simply because we requested a seat where we could view a television.  Can a gay and his friend not pretend to be into sports for one day?  The waitress came over as soon as we sat down and we told her we needed the strongest beverage on the menu to hold off the headache that was approaching.  “The Lolita” was a mixture of tequila, lime, honey and bitters… did we mention the tequila? The bartender was being very generous today.

            The specials for the day were half priced wings.  We had to order a dozen to split because that our pockets were kind of tight and we just were looking for a quick bite. We waited less than 10 minutes and you could see the steam coming off of the wings, so we knew that they were fresh.  The wings were covered in a Mesquite- flavored BBQ sauce and served with a chunky blue cheese, and for us, the chunkier the better.  The first bite of the wing was like nothing we had experienced before. The flavors of the wings, the crispiness, the perfect Mesquite BBQ to blue cheese ratio… it was everything we asked for and MORE!  These wings were some of the best wings that we had ever tasted being both the perfect size and not too spicy. What was meant to be just an appetizer turned into an entrée when we ordered another helping...each.  The food and drinks of the restaurant were the best part of the dining experience.

            The overall atmosphere of the restaurant was very intimate and had a great vibe. Aside from the initial off-putting manager, the service was okay...we did spill the first cocktail we ordered, right after receiving it, and were offered another, but at 8$ a drink, we were a little shocked to see we were charged for both drinks.  The first one had not even been touched! We also received attitude when we asked for the channel to be changed to a different sporting event.

              So while there is definite room for improvement, the wings are enough to bring us back here again and again...we dream about them!  Lets just hope the one manager has the day off next time we dine with Cactus Cantina.

                                                              The Bill

Food: 4 ½ “Snaps”

            -We give the food that we indulged in from Cactus Cantina a 4 ½ “snaps” because we cannot say enough good things about it.  The wings were maybe the best we have ever had.  It’s very difficult to give 5 “snaps” to a category but the wings came close.

  Service: 2 “Snaps”

            - Well we expressed in the review how GREAT the management was at Cactus Cantina, but the service was mediocre.  The quality of our server was not up to standard for how slow business was that day.   They were friendly, but again, the drink ordeal lost them major points.

  Atmosphere/Cleanliness: 4 “Snaps”

-This is another area that the Cactus Cantina succeeded in. The whole atmosphere of the restaurant was very relaxed.  The décor and the cleanliness played a major part of why the restaurant received a 4.

  Will We Be Back?: For the wings, it's worth the ride, whether you live in Pennsylvania or across the country in California… and lets just hope the manager is off the next time we visit. 

                                                     Overall:

                                                 3 ½ Snaps

                                              Check, Please!