Reviews by rhia
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Posted on June 4, 2008 at 5:11 p.m.
We've not been let down by the jerk chicken and the black beans and saffron rice are very good. Tender coconut shrimp with a sweet dipping sauce are a hit and could be a meal as easily as they are an appetizer.
However, every time we've ordered the Jamaican beef patties, we're informed they're frozen and would take at least 30 minutes to thaw and cook.(?!) The conch fritters lead to a expedition searching for the hidden sliver of meat buried somewhere in the fritter-ness. Ah, well, not many conch in these parts anyway.
Interesting atmosphere, with a buffet area and a few booths separating the pool table from the dance floor which hides during the day under a few tables and stack chairs. Personally, I like the almost dive feel and am very forgiving of the laid back (read s l o w) service as long as the reggae keeps playing but many others may have less patience, especially since the food tends to be hit or miss.
Posted on June 4, 2008 at 4:35 p.m.
Forgot to mention, not sure if they'll take credit cards in the future, but currently they are cash or check only. Small detail, but in our age of plastic, it caught us a little off guard.
Posted on June 4, 2008 at 4:20 p.m.
First Chinese in Richardson has a smaller store front than we expected, we drove past it the first time. Very glad we turned around. Finally, good Chinese food instead of Americanized fast food delivery blech.
Small, clean, modern diner with mounds of food carried quietly among close set tables of seemingly happy customers. Exactly the type vibe and service that quickly skips your mind when the food arrives.
Good food, and LOTS of it, at very good prices, with not an eggroll in sight (thankfully!) We ordered just two meals and discovered they come in family sized servings at single serving prices. Many, many return visits are in the future.
(Not sure why the official site, http://firstchinesebbq.com/ isn't listed on the sidebar. )
Posted on June 4, 2008 at 1:39 p.m.
Love the Brazilian steak houses and Rafain matches the standard. Nice salad and dessert bars but why talk about the understudies when the stars are on-stage? Churrascarias are about the meat and Rafain doesn't let down. Sirloin, picanha, filet mignon, beef ribs, sausage, chicken, pork loin, pork ribs, sweet leg of lamb and lamb chops slow roasted and presented plateside right off the skewer.
(And, yes, I'm all about the lamb. My experience is lamb done right - tender, juicy, and not over seasoned - is a good indication of rest of the menu. That, and, well, give me good lamb and my brain settles into contented gigglies for the rest of the evening.)
Going with deep pockets and even deeper hunger is recommended but worth it. Last visit the service was attentive, almost intrusive, but we were there on a slow night so the staff had few others to dote on. We're of the jeans and sneakers variety and the vibe seems to appeal a bit more to the Louis Vuitton carriers, but we go out for the food and their cornucopia of luscious, delicious sizzling meats means Rafain is one of our happy places.
Posted on May 28, 2008 at 2:19 p.m.
Maybe it's not a 5 Star, but Kosta's is my kind of place. Cozy seating, Mediterranean music, attentive service. The Greenville location has a laid back feel conducive to quiet conversation and relaxing repast only occasionally punctuated by flaming Saganaki and cries of "Opa!". The Dolmas and Mousaka are good, the Baklava is very dense and rich with honey, but for me the attraction is the lamb.
Lamb. Lovely, laudable, luscious lamb. Seasoned beautifully, grilled to sweet sublimity. Served with fluffy light rice as a subtle compliment.
And don't forget the delightful, diet-damaging dessert - Galaktoboureko (sadly, or possibly figure savingly, only available on the weekend.)
If only they offered Lamb Souvlaki.
On Kostas Cafe
Posted on February 3, 2008 at 7:36 p.m.
We stumbled across them due to a few wrong turns, had never known they were there. Piped in music is Loud, but that may be to prepare you for the live band later, and the atmosphere is so "Western" as to almost be touristy. Don't wear a tie, they use the bottom half as wall art. If you have friends from the frozen Northeast who visit Dallas and want a "real (stereotypical) Western experience" restaurant with just plain good food, no fancy chef specials or bento boxes, then Trail Dust should be high on your list of options.
We visited early on a Sunday evening so crowds weren't a problem and service was decently fast, pleasant, and unobtrusive. The restaurant was filling up by the time we left and we suspect the place may be quite crowded on a Saturday night, especially with a live band and raised wooden dance floor. Overall, an interesting mix of a good old-fashioned honky-tonk and a full dinner menu, with the addition of an indoor slide for kiddies of any age.
The steaks definitely have that open flame mesquite wood flavor. For the first time since moving to Dallas (not counting the Brazilian places), my husband didn't use A1 on his filet - I take that as high praise on his part. My sirloin was good, not spectacular, but I was pleasantly surprised that the green beans were crisp and well seasoned, not just dumped from a can and cooked until gray mush. Our guest had the burger and couldn't stop raving about it. (For the price, it should be good - glad it didn't let him down.)
A bit pricey, and the mismatched wooden chairs and slab top tables are more down to earth than some other steakhouses that we've tried, but that actually increased the appeal for us. Overall, a bit out of the way, but we'll go back.
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Posted on June 23, 2008 at 4:38 p.m.
Food: 4/5 Vibe: 5/5 Service: 4/5 Value: 4/5 Overall: 4/5
Walked into the cool, dimly lit interior for lunch and immediately felt relaxed and at home. High painted ceilings, warm earthy tones, large expressive art, that beautiful onyx bar; our kind of place.
We ordered from the lunch specials with the hope that the food would at least match the atmosphere and we were definitely not disappointed. His nicely flavored grilled orange chicken quickly disappeared. My santiago beef was surprisingly tender - the peppers offered more resistance - and mixed wonderfully with the slightly vinegary 'salsa' served on the side. Both specials had more than enough food for a full dinner at an easy lunch time price.
Service was efficient, attentive, and unobtrusive which made for a quietly enjoyable leisurely meal, a nice change from the more raucous restaurants we tend to haunt on the weekends. Is it a 5 star? No, but it shines as what it is; a cozy, comfy neighborhood cafe pub.
If only this gem wasn't so far up in Addison that the cost of car juice eats up the savings on good food, served cheap, in comfortable surroundings. We'll be back, just sadly not as often as if we lived around the corner.
On Cafe Gecko