Tequila Restaurant is located on Cherry Road in Rock Hill, SC. It serves a large menu of Mexican cuisine items and also has a bar serving a variety of cocktails, beers and other drinks. The restaurant is medium in size and also has a patio available in the summer months.
We visited on a Friday night and the restaurant was not too busy. We were seated quickly in a booth by the large windows that face the patio. The service was quick and efficient and our waitress remembered all of our drinks correctly. I opted to order one of the combination plates including a tamale, enchilada with rice and beans. The food came out very quickly which was great and was hot in temperature. The tamale was excellent, most likely homemade and not dry as can sometimes be the case in the middle. The chicken in the enchilada had a lot of flavor which was delicious.
The friends that I dined with ordered different dishes off the menu, all of which were full of flavor. The fajitas had a fantastic flavor and were hot and sizzling when they came out of the kitchen. Everyone was pleased with this with restaurant choice. We will return.
I give this restaurant 4.5 stars out of 5.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Amber Buffet & Hibachi - Rock Hill, SC
Amber Buffet & Hibachi is located on Dave Lyle Blvd in Rock Hill, SC. It is a fairly new establishment that offers both Hibachi grilled food and a buffet featuring fresh sushi, a variety of Chinese and Thai dishes, salads and desserts.
The look of the Amber Buffet & Hibachi restaurant is amazing. It has a large area with a waterfall in the entrance, under which is a fish pond that runs the length of the restaurant with a bridge for the customers to cross. There are large decorations of bamboo scattered throughout and the hibachi area is separate from the buffet diners which is nice as it means that the smell of the grills is not so obvious.
We opted for the buffet and were pleased to find quite a variety of different sushi rolls to try, all freshly made by the chefs standing next to display. The other items were presented on small plates rather than the big catering dishes used in other buffet restaurants which I preferred as it means they are replaced with fresh versions more often. All of the dishes were labelled except for the sushi which was inconvenient, however the sushi chef was available to answer our questions.
It has to be noted that the service at this restaurant was exceptional. Our waitress was attentive and cleared our table in a timely fashion. She even brought us a dessert that she thought we would like that we had missed. I was very impressed with her attitude.
I will give this restaurant 5 stars out of 5.
The look of the Amber Buffet & Hibachi restaurant is amazing. It has a large area with a waterfall in the entrance, under which is a fish pond that runs the length of the restaurant with a bridge for the customers to cross. There are large decorations of bamboo scattered throughout and the hibachi area is separate from the buffet diners which is nice as it means that the smell of the grills is not so obvious.
We opted for the buffet and were pleased to find quite a variety of different sushi rolls to try, all freshly made by the chefs standing next to display. The other items were presented on small plates rather than the big catering dishes used in other buffet restaurants which I preferred as it means they are replaced with fresh versions more often. All of the dishes were labelled except for the sushi which was inconvenient, however the sushi chef was available to answer our questions.
It has to be noted that the service at this restaurant was exceptional. Our waitress was attentive and cleared our table in a timely fashion. She even brought us a dessert that she thought we would like that we had missed. I was very impressed with her attitude.
I will give this restaurant 5 stars out of 5.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Creole's Restaurant - Charlotte, NC
Creole’s Kitchen is a new Cajun themed restaurant located in the Ballantyne area of Charlotte, NC. It is a medium sized space made up of tables and booths as well as having a bar area and an outdoor patio. I visited with a friend for lunch on a Tuesday and there were some patrons, but not many.
The menu offers a variety of Cajun dishes including po-boys and muffaletta sandwiches along with more substantial dishes such as gumbo, jambalaya and fried seafood. I opted for a lunch size shrimp po-boy with a side of fried okra and my friend chose the gumbo. The food was brought promptly by our attentive waitress and was nice and hot in temperature. The okra were a little salty, but had a good cornmeal batter with an excellent crunch. The po-boy was small in size, lots of bread and not many shrimp. It came dressed with lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles. The onions and pickles were a little unexpected for a Cajun sandwich and were a little overpowering.
My friend was kind enough to let me taste her gumbo which was warm but a little tasteless. I could see the soup contained tiny pieces bell peppers, onions and celery but they didn’t really have much flavor.
This restaurant gets 3.5 stars out of 5. The service was friendly and efficient but the food was plain and nothing to write home about.
The menu offers a variety of Cajun dishes including po-boys and muffaletta sandwiches along with more substantial dishes such as gumbo, jambalaya and fried seafood. I opted for a lunch size shrimp po-boy with a side of fried okra and my friend chose the gumbo. The food was brought promptly by our attentive waitress and was nice and hot in temperature. The okra were a little salty, but had a good cornmeal batter with an excellent crunch. The po-boy was small in size, lots of bread and not many shrimp. It came dressed with lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles. The onions and pickles were a little unexpected for a Cajun sandwich and were a little overpowering.
My friend was kind enough to let me taste her gumbo which was warm but a little tasteless. I could see the soup contained tiny pieces bell peppers, onions and celery but they didn’t really have much flavor.
This restaurant gets 3.5 stars out of 5. The service was friendly and efficient but the food was plain and nothing to write home about.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Cheddars - Charlotte, NC
Cheddars is located in the University City area of Charlotte, NC and is a chain restaurant serving typical American food and a full bar menu. I visited as part of a large group and we sat in the bar area.
We visited on a Wednesday evening and it was crowded with a number of people waiting for take-out food. We ordered a round of drinks, many of the group ordered Maui margaritas, a signature drink, that came with an extra shot on the side and a large glass of frozen, two color fruit drink. Because the restaurant had run out of shot glasses, the shots were served in plastic tubs designed for dressings! I ordered the standard Texas margarita without salt and it took 2 attempts and 25 minutes before this order was fulfilled. This poor service is a pattern that will become evident through this review.
The menu at Cheddars is typical American cuisine, such items include nachos, burgers, chicken, pasta and steaks. I ordered the fish tacos which came with one side for $6.99, a real value price. I choose the broccoli casserole as my side.
When the food came 40 minutes later, the food was cold and as the service had been so bad up to this point I didn't bother trying to get this corrected. The tacos, despite being cold were actually pretty tasty, particularly with the Cajun tartar sauce. The broccoli casserole was OK, basically broccoli with standard cheese sauce and tasteless bread crusts on the top. On recommendation from my friend, I asked for an order of freshly baked honey butter croissants, which arrived far too late. The butter wasn't melted on the top as my friend had described but looked like a danish pastry with strip of butter put across the top. The one I decided to try was fine, nothing special.
As previously mentioned, the service was horrible. The waiter was disorganized and rarely came to check with us. Our food and drinks took forever to arrive, over an hour for a friend's burger to come and 40 minutes for chips and salsa! When we asked for a manager, he came over, gave us some more croissants and then left. We arrived at 7:30pm and left close to 10:00pm. It took nearly an hour to get the checks. My friends, who had previously visited in smaller parties assure me that the restaurant is not normally that poor in its treatment of clients but I can't get over the bad service. I give this restaurant 2 out 5, food just about OK but service was worthless.
We visited on a Wednesday evening and it was crowded with a number of people waiting for take-out food. We ordered a round of drinks, many of the group ordered Maui margaritas, a signature drink, that came with an extra shot on the side and a large glass of frozen, two color fruit drink. Because the restaurant had run out of shot glasses, the shots were served in plastic tubs designed for dressings! I ordered the standard Texas margarita without salt and it took 2 attempts and 25 minutes before this order was fulfilled. This poor service is a pattern that will become evident through this review.
The menu at Cheddars is typical American cuisine, such items include nachos, burgers, chicken, pasta and steaks. I ordered the fish tacos which came with one side for $6.99, a real value price. I choose the broccoli casserole as my side.
When the food came 40 minutes later, the food was cold and as the service had been so bad up to this point I didn't bother trying to get this corrected. The tacos, despite being cold were actually pretty tasty, particularly with the Cajun tartar sauce. The broccoli casserole was OK, basically broccoli with standard cheese sauce and tasteless bread crusts on the top. On recommendation from my friend, I asked for an order of freshly baked honey butter croissants, which arrived far too late. The butter wasn't melted on the top as my friend had described but looked like a danish pastry with strip of butter put across the top. The one I decided to try was fine, nothing special.
As previously mentioned, the service was horrible. The waiter was disorganized and rarely came to check with us. Our food and drinks took forever to arrive, over an hour for a friend's burger to come and 40 minutes for chips and salsa! When we asked for a manager, he came over, gave us some more croissants and then left. We arrived at 7:30pm and left close to 10:00pm. It took nearly an hour to get the checks. My friends, who had previously visited in smaller parties assure me that the restaurant is not normally that poor in its treatment of clients but I can't get over the bad service. I give this restaurant 2 out 5, food just about OK but service was worthless.
Nothing But Noodles - Charlotte, NC
Nothing But Noodles is located in the Stonecrest shopping center in South Charlotte, NC and requires diners to order their food at a counter before taking a seat and having their food brought to them.
I visited with a friend on a Saturday evening and the place was packed. The menu is up on the wall, next to the order counter. The problem with this being that while the people at the front are looking at the menu, nobody behind can see it so this causes a delay placing the orders.
I choose to order the Spicy Cajun Pasta, fettuccini pasta in a tomato cream sauce with onions and red bell peppers. I choose to add shrimp to mine but there is a list of other items you can add including chicken, extra vegetables or shrimp. My friend ordered the Spicy Japannese Noodles which was thick noodles with a soy, asian sauce with broccoli, mushrooms and carrots. She ordered chicken with hers.
We sat in a booth near the window which was spacious and clean. Patrons are expected to get their own drinks, silverware and condiments which is fine except the space provided for all of this is too small which caused a crowd to form which was annoying.
Our order came seperately by two different waitresses which was bizarre. My cajun pasta was creamy with a hint of heat and the shrimp were cooked just right. The onions were crunchy as were the peppers and the breadstick that accompanied it was delicious and light. However, my friends Japanese noodles were very salty. We asked to send it back and get another one to which the waitress replied that they would make another but it would have to be with less sauce as that is where the salt is. She accepted this and the next order was much more palatable.
Apart from the saltiness of the Japanese dish, the food was fine and the service was great. For the price, this is a perfectly fine dinner or lunch. I give this 4 out of 5 stars.
I visited with a friend on a Saturday evening and the place was packed. The menu is up on the wall, next to the order counter. The problem with this being that while the people at the front are looking at the menu, nobody behind can see it so this causes a delay placing the orders.
I choose to order the Spicy Cajun Pasta, fettuccini pasta in a tomato cream sauce with onions and red bell peppers. I choose to add shrimp to mine but there is a list of other items you can add including chicken, extra vegetables or shrimp. My friend ordered the Spicy Japannese Noodles which was thick noodles with a soy, asian sauce with broccoli, mushrooms and carrots. She ordered chicken with hers.
We sat in a booth near the window which was spacious and clean. Patrons are expected to get their own drinks, silverware and condiments which is fine except the space provided for all of this is too small which caused a crowd to form which was annoying.
Our order came seperately by two different waitresses which was bizarre. My cajun pasta was creamy with a hint of heat and the shrimp were cooked just right. The onions were crunchy as were the peppers and the breadstick that accompanied it was delicious and light. However, my friends Japanese noodles were very salty. We asked to send it back and get another one to which the waitress replied that they would make another but it would have to be with less sauce as that is where the salt is. She accepted this and the next order was much more palatable.
Apart from the saltiness of the Japanese dish, the food was fine and the service was great. For the price, this is a perfectly fine dinner or lunch. I give this 4 out of 5 stars.
Erin's Restaurant - Rock Hill, SC
Erin’s is a small, locally owned restaurant located in downtown Rock Hill, SC. It has recently moved to a new location and shares the space with another eatery that uses it during lunch and Erin’s is using at night.
Erin’s has two dining experiences to choose from. The first is to dine Al a Carte which includes selections from a menu that changes daily depending on the local produce that is available at that time. Diners can also choose to dine Family Style involving everyone sat around one table and helping themselves to a number of courses as the bowls are passed around. We opted to dine family style.
I am going to split this review into two halves, the first will be discussing the food, the second the service.
There ended up being eleven of us around the table, which even though it is a large number was still comfortable. The tableware was made up of an assortment of porcelain plates with different colors and designs on them. I loved this idea as it sparked conversation at table comparing the different plates everyone had.
First to arrive were two salads, a bleu cheese coleslaw and an apple salad followed by a Asian-inspired cucumber salad and some other dishes (too many to remember). Unfortunately there was not enough of the apple salad to try but the other dishes I tried were superb, particularly the cucumber salad.
The starter courses were cleared and we were treated to roughly ten different dishes to try. These included chicken and dumplings, collard greens, pork tenderloin, squash in a cheese sauce, mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy, eggplant parmesan and boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce. All of these dishes were amazing. Particularly the chicken and dumplings, and the mashed potatoes. Everything was eaten and all at the table agreed that the food was fantastic. We were then treated to two desserts; apple pie and key lime pie. Both were divine and a wonderful choice to finish on.
As for the service, it couldn’t have been more opposite of the quality of the food. When we arrived, we were waiting for at 5 minutes before we approached and acknowledged. Once we had joined the table, it took at least ten minutes for the waitress to take our drinks order and give us plates and silverware. The drinks were hardly ever refilled and the empty food dishes ended up piling up at the end of the table. At the end of the meal we were waiting for the waitress to clear the table but she was texting in the corner.
I have to give this restaurant 3 out of 5 which is such a shame because the food was most certainly worth a 5 but the appalling service let it down considerably
Erin’s has two dining experiences to choose from. The first is to dine Al a Carte which includes selections from a menu that changes daily depending on the local produce that is available at that time. Diners can also choose to dine Family Style involving everyone sat around one table and helping themselves to a number of courses as the bowls are passed around. We opted to dine family style.
I am going to split this review into two halves, the first will be discussing the food, the second the service.
There ended up being eleven of us around the table, which even though it is a large number was still comfortable. The tableware was made up of an assortment of porcelain plates with different colors and designs on them. I loved this idea as it sparked conversation at table comparing the different plates everyone had.
First to arrive were two salads, a bleu cheese coleslaw and an apple salad followed by a Asian-inspired cucumber salad and some other dishes (too many to remember). Unfortunately there was not enough of the apple salad to try but the other dishes I tried were superb, particularly the cucumber salad.
The starter courses were cleared and we were treated to roughly ten different dishes to try. These included chicken and dumplings, collard greens, pork tenderloin, squash in a cheese sauce, mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy, eggplant parmesan and boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce. All of these dishes were amazing. Particularly the chicken and dumplings, and the mashed potatoes. Everything was eaten and all at the table agreed that the food was fantastic. We were then treated to two desserts; apple pie and key lime pie. Both were divine and a wonderful choice to finish on.
As for the service, it couldn’t have been more opposite of the quality of the food. When we arrived, we were waiting for at 5 minutes before we approached and acknowledged. Once we had joined the table, it took at least ten minutes for the waitress to take our drinks order and give us plates and silverware. The drinks were hardly ever refilled and the empty food dishes ended up piling up at the end of the table. At the end of the meal we were waiting for the waitress to clear the table but she was texting in the corner.
I have to give this restaurant 3 out of 5 which is such a shame because the food was most certainly worth a 5 but the appalling service let it down considerably
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Champions - Charlotte, NC
My friend and I visited this restaurant on our way to see the Carolina Panthers play on Sunday. Our plan was to grab a quick bite to eat at this diner themed restaurant before walking the short distance to the stadium. Unfortunately we missed to first 10 minutes of the game due to very slow service of this establishment.
When we arrived there was a sign that said to seat ourselves which we did in a booth right by the window. There was not a server in sight and it took ten minutes for one to come over and take our drinks order. Another ten minutes before they arrived and we could order our food.
The menu consists of standard American dishes, burgers, sandwiches, nachos etc. I ordered the turkey club sandwich and my friend ordered the chicken wrap. The food was slow to come out (I think you see a pattern here) and when it did come out they were huge portions. My turkey club consisted of 6-stacked sandwiches with fries. The fries were seasoned really well and were delicious. The sandwich was OK, not great and was so big I couldn’t even finish two of the portions.
The meals were not cheap as one would expect from a diner but for the location it was probably standard. The poor service meant we were running to the game, not good when you are full and as said before the missing of the first part of the game.
I would give it 3 out of 5 due to poor service and ok food.
When we arrived there was a sign that said to seat ourselves which we did in a booth right by the window. There was not a server in sight and it took ten minutes for one to come over and take our drinks order. Another ten minutes before they arrived and we could order our food.
The menu consists of standard American dishes, burgers, sandwiches, nachos etc. I ordered the turkey club sandwich and my friend ordered the chicken wrap. The food was slow to come out (I think you see a pattern here) and when it did come out they were huge portions. My turkey club consisted of 6-stacked sandwiches with fries. The fries were seasoned really well and were delicious. The sandwich was OK, not great and was so big I couldn’t even finish two of the portions.
The meals were not cheap as one would expect from a diner but for the location it was probably standard. The poor service meant we were running to the game, not good when you are full and as said before the missing of the first part of the game.
I would give it 3 out of 5 due to poor service and ok food.
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