The Food and Drink Guy

Tag: Lunch

  • Whatcha Smokin BBQ & Brew (Luther, IA) Review

    Whatcha Smokin BBQ & Brew (Luther, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    02/28/2023 Whatcha Smokin BBQ & Brew

    I’ve been waiting quite a while to try this place as I had heard and read multiple stories about how good their smoked meats are – and finally got the opportunity to go with some co-workers tonight. Boy what a treat it was, with the BBQ meat being some of the best I’ve had and the service from Abby nothing short of exceptional – friendly, energetic, knowledgeable & not afraid to share her opinions! While I couldn’t go 5* across the board given the plastic eating utensils, Styrofoam containers for sides and $8+ tap beers, this is truly a gem with some great character just a short drive north of Des Moines that is also set up very well for take-out.

    We started with a round of drinks – the tap selection was more than expected for a smaller community outside of the Des Moines metro (see pictures). For dinner, Abby was kind enough to recommend the Brisket (fatty) and Ribs (see picture) paired with Jalapeno Cream Corn (see picture) and Potato Salad (see picture). The fun little ‘treat’ at the bottom of the Jalapeno Cream Corn container was a few Fritos corn chips – which made a nice crunchy complement to the corn. My co-workers ordered Brisket (lean – see picture) and Brisket (lean) with Pulled Pork (see picture). Even though the meat didn’t need any sauce, I enjoyed the Wildfire BBQ Sauce to not only add it to my meat and cornbread, but also bought a bottle to bring home (see picture).

    All of the smoked meat was delicious, with the fatty Brisket being extremely moist and flavorful (as might be expected from its name). I sampled some of the Fries and also thought they were very good – excellent flavor without the extremely high saltiness. I really enjoyed the roadhouse feel and decor throughout the building (see pictures) along with the pin board showing where their customers lived (see picture).

    Lastly, don’t leave without sampling at least one of their Sweet Treats. Abby recommended the Oatmeal Cream Pie (see picture) as one of their originals and favorites as well as the Nutter Butter Nanna Puddin (see picture). While both are pre-packaged as per the pictures, both of them tasted fantastic and I highly recommend them both.

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    Brisket (lean) & Pulled Pork
    Brisket (lean)
    Brisket (fatty) & Ribs
    Potato Salad
    Jalapeno Cream Corn
    Oatmeal Cream Pie
    Oatmeal Cream Pie (inside)
    Nutter Butter Nanna Puddin

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  • The Breakfast Club (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    The Breakfast Club (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 5*

    02/25/2023 The Breakfast Club (West Des Moines, IA)

    We enjoyed an earlier stop at The Breakfast Club in downtown Des Moines, so looked forward to the opportunity to try out this new location closer to our home. We got the chance this weekend when friends were in town visiting and all of us were very glad that we stopped here.

    We started the meal with a round of Bloody Mary’s – all of us agreed that they tasted great, were not overly salty and were ‘light’ in that they weren’t thick and pulpy. I pulled the atmosphere down a little due to the music being too loud for our tastes, making it more difficult to visit at the table.

    For our meals, I ordered the Farm Boy with over easy eggs (see picture), my wife ordered the Deburgo Benny (see picture) and our guests ordered the Pad Thai Quinoa (see picture) and Basic B (see picture). We all exchanged tastes of each dish and everyone was very happy with their dish. I would highly recommend all of them with my only slight negative being that the Deburgo Benny gravy seemed a little salty.

    The Breakfast Club finds a good balance between keeping portion sizes reasonable – leading to prices that are a competitive value. This value does not come at the expense of food quality or flavor either – as the dishes were all very tasty and presented very well, as the pictures show. This is a great stop for breakfast / brunch / lunch without the need to travel downtown for those of us who live on the northwest side of Des Moines.

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    Pad Thai Quinoa
    Basic B
    Farm Boy with over-easy eggs
    Deburgo Benny

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  • Blue Shark Ale House (Urbandale, IA) Review

    Blue Shark Ale House (Urbandale, IA) Review

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    3.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 3*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 2*

    Service: 4*

    02/22/2023 Blue Shark Ale House

    We have stopped here several times before…especially during Lent for their Friday night fish fries. Since it was Ash Wednesday and we were in the area for Mass…it seemed like a good idea to stop here to have some seafood on the way home. Suffice it to say that we were a little disappointed in their seafood options given the restaurant name – fewer than a handful and to substitute shrimp for chicken in a salad was an additional $5. Based on their current menu, it seems that Blue Chicken might be a more fitting name for the restaurant. But I digress…

    The food presentation was great and the flavor was average – but the service was definitely above average, as Courtney took good care of us. Following a Jalapeno Margarita (we enjoyed it, just be forewarned that it does have a pretty good spicy bite to it), we ordered our meals.

    I ordered the Grilled Salmon (see picture) and my wife ordered the Blue Shark Chopped Salad (see picture). I thought the brocolli was cooked well – I like a little crunchiness left in my veggies and that is what was delivered. The salmon was slightly overcooked, but not to the point that it was overly dry and the mashed potatoes seemed a little bland (didn’t taste much butter or seasoning). The blue cheese on the chopped salad was delicious as was the shrimp (other than having to pay $5 more for the shrimp vs. chicken and only having 8 on the salad).

    Lastly, I knocked the Value down to below average not only due to the shrimp add-on mentioned above, but also because we found a 3% CSC (assume customer service charge as a result of using a credit card). I almost never carry cash anymore – doing everything with credit and am disappointed with any restaurant that charges extra for the use of a credit card. That is a business decision on their part, but they need to keep in mind that rather than get cash to go back next time, I likely will select another place instead…so I’m not sure they come out ahead in the end.

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  • Pho Real Kitchen & Bar (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Pho Real Kitchen & Bar (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    02/19/2023 Pho Real Kitchen & Bar

    Walked by this place on numerous occasions and finally took the chance to stop for dinner tonight. Nothing super fancy as far as the atmosphere, but the food was top notch and our server (Ethan) was also excellent.

    We started with a Cafe Sua Cheese Foam hot drink – mostly because we hadn’t had one before and wanted to try something different. Boy was it delicious – best way I can describe it is a great cappuccino with a foam that has a wonderful salted caramel flavor to it that feels wonderful in your mouth! If you haven’t tried one of these before, I highly recommend that you give it a try.

    For an appetizer, my wife and I shared a Banh Mi sandwich (see picture) that was one of the best that we’ve had – I would have been happy to have that for my meal. For our dinner, I ordered the Pho Special (see picture) and my wife ordered the Broken Rice (see picture). We weren’t exactly sure what broken rice was, but Ethan described it as rice topped with an egg – and it was every bit as good as his recommendation. As is our standard, we shared our plates and both of us thoroughly enjoyed both dishes.

    If you are looking for some great Vietnamese Pho or an excellent hot or cold Asian drink in downtown Des Moines, you won’t be disappointed with a stop at Pho Real. We definitely won’t hesitate to stop by again, even if only for a drink – as there are so many more to try!

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    Banh Mi
    Pho extras
    Pho Special
    Broken Rice

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  • Lachele’s Fine Foods (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Lachele’s Fine Foods (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    02/16/2023 Lachele’s Fine Foods

    Saw that this place won best Burger in town (specifically recommending the Smashburger) in Cityview, so asked our neighbors to join us and ventured downtown for dinner after the big snowstorm. Given the name, I was expecting a fairly high-end and expensive place – so was a little surprised when we walked in to see a colorful retro-diner decor.

    While one of the servers shared that a previous reviewer had made disparaging remarks about the workers appearance, I’ve shared in my online profiles that I enjoy servers with some character, opinions on the food and a story to tell. I found the atmosphere to be quite inviting with friendly and professional workers looking for ways to be of service to their customers.

    Given the award and recommendation for smashburgers, I ordered the Uncle Denny (see picture). I loved the soft, moist bun and found the Duke’s mayo & pepper jelly to be the perfect level of spice to complement the smashburger and bun. The included fries were also very good – great combination of crispiness on the outside, yet soft inside.

    My wife ordered The Big Gym with Tots (see picture) and also enjoyed it – commenting especially on how good the tots were. She liked the fact that the tots were nice and crispy on the outside and not soft / soggy. Our neighbor ordered the The Chili Charles (see picture) open-faced chili burger on Texas Toast and also enjoyed it. Admittedly, it looked so good that I think that is what I will try on our next visit.

    The pricing, including $5 tap beers, seemed reasonable and the burgers were top-notch. A great retro-diner experience that you will want to try!

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    The Uncle Denny Smashburger
    The Big Gym Smashburger
    The Chili Charles

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  • Kathmandu (Windsor Heights, IA) Review

    Kathmandu (Windsor Heights, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    02/11/2023

    Update: We stopped back again last night with our son and again enjoyed the experience. I’m also happy to report that they made improvements following my initial review regarding poor lighting (and clutter) in the restaurant. The lighting was much better, enabling me to take some better-quality pictures (see below). From this, I increased the Atmosphere rating to a 4*.

    We ordered Lamb Curry (see picture), Chef Special Grill Platter (see picture) and Coconut Chicken Curry (see picture) along with Garlic & Butter Naan (see picture). We really enjoyed all of them – with the Chef Special Grill Platter providing the most food (including full chicken drumsticks) and the Coconut Chicken Curry having the best flavor (even though it my son ordered mild and I prefer spicy). I ordered the Lamb Curry as Hot on the spicy level and my wife ordered the Chef Special Grill Platter as Medium…but I’m suspicious that they mixed those two up, as hers was the spiciest at the table and I ordered extra spice for the Lamb Curry.

    Service was good for drink orders and food orders as well as a follow up shortly after we were served to check on spice level (and bring more spice…). Following that though, we ran out of rice and wanted another bowl but after unsuccessfully waiting for our server, I walked over to the kitchen area and asked for another bowl.

    Overall was still a very good experience and we really liked all of the food, so I wouldn’t hesitate to return and would recommend it as one of the better Indian / Himalayan restaurants where I’ve eaten.

    11/09/2022

    My wife and I stopped here for dinner to give it a try and are sure glad that we did.  While the service and atmosphere were average, the food was all delicious!

    We ordered plenty of food, expecting to take the extra home with us for later meals at home…so enjoyed several meals.  For the main course, we ordered Coconut Chicken Curry, Lamb Biryani & Shrimp Fried Rice (see pictures of each…poorer quality due to lighting).  For sides, we ordered Tandoori Roti (found it to be dry), Cheese Naan & Raita along with Rasmalai for dessert (pictures of each attached).

    We ordered each of the main dishes medium to medium-hot spiciness and really enjoyed all of them!  Don’t leave without trying the Rasmalai for dessert – described as cheesecake soaked in a sweet milk, it was delicious and not overly sweet!  We will definitely be back!

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    Lamb Curry
    Chef Special Grill Platter
    Coconut Chicken Curry
    Butter & Garlic Naan
    Basmati Rice

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  • Star Bar (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Star Bar (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    3.67* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: n/a

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    02/10/2023 Star Bar

    My wife’s co-worker recommended this place, so we stopped for a quick drink after our dinner on the way out of the area to check it out and gather information for happyhourdesmoines.com.

    We liked the atmosphere and the value for the drinks seemed in line with other similar locations. The service at the bar was average but the Salty Pretzel (see picture) was good, although a bit salty. We will have to stop back to try the food sometime.

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  • Panka Peruvian Restaurant (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Panka Peruvian Restaurant (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    3.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 2*

    02/10/2023 Panka Peruvian Restaurant

    This place has been on my Want to Go list for a while and finally got to try it last night. My wife was quite hungry, so we thought we would quickly resolve that and try out some $5 apps during Happy Hour. While the first external impression was a little negative (store front came across as a fast-foodish), we immediately felt better after stepping inside – very nice atmosphere and bustling with activity.

    Long story short…we arrived just before 6pm on a Friday, didn’t have a reservation, were told it would be “5 minutes” – then proceeded to wait 50 minutes before we were seated. We thought we would help the time pass by enjoying a cocktail, so asked the primary server about ordering a drink (behind the bar seating area is food preparation only and no bartender). He said he would be back “in a second” to take our order, but never did return.

    Other than cooking, bussing tables and table clean up, he was the only one doing everything else in the service area of the restaurant. While he was very friendly, pleasant and apologetic – he clearly could not keep up with all of the demands of the customers and made some mistakes. If he would have help on the service side, they clearly could move more people through (all told, we spent 2 hours and 20 minutes there) and increase their revenues while providing better service.

    Now onto the good part – the food and drinks were FANTASTIC (see pictures for menus and food / drinks)! I did make one mission trip to Peru that was quite enjoyable and introduced me to ceviche and pisco sours – but have not have the opportunity to sample a lot of their cuisine.

    For starters, I ordered a Pisco Sour (see picture) and it was delicious – very foamy egg white on top and the cinnamon / presentation was great! For appetizers, we ordered Chicharron de Pescado and Causa de Pollo (see pictures). I absolutely loved the Causa mashed potato / chicken salad / avocado stack and the Pescado was also very good.

    For our dinner, my wife and I shared Cremoso Ceviche (see picture) and Arroz Norteno (see picture). As our 5* rating implies, we loved both of them – as the name implies, the ceviche sauce was a bit creamy and the Arroz dish was fresh and very tasty. If you read my reviews, you know I love sweets – so the meal wasn’t complete without Alfajores Peruanos (see picture) for dessert. Again, it is highly recommended – the soursop ice cream is best described as unique (the first word used by both my wife and myself) and the caramel cookies were great – caramelly, yet not too sweet.

    Do not go here unless you have reservations (the place was packed and stayed so until less than an hour before closing when we were there) or go during a less-busy time. If you do that and are patient with the service, you will definitely not be disappointed with the food! As the pictures show, the presentation is fantastic and it tastes every bit as good as it looks – I highly recommend the food and cocktails! If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.

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    Pisco Sour
    Causa de Pollo
    Chicharron de Pescado
    Cremoso Ceviche
    Arroz Norteno
    Alfajores Peruanos

    Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

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  • Wellman’s Pub & Rooftop (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Wellman’s Pub & Rooftop (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    02/02/2023 Wellman’s Pub & Rooftop

    We stopped here as a compromise central location to meet our son and his wife – and really enjoyed our stop.

    I ordered the Cajun Tuna and really liked it – seared perfectly and the Cajun flavoring was delicious.  My wife ordered the Firehouse Philly and thought it was average…but both after eating in the restaurant and some leftovers at home thought she got a stomach ache, so threw the rest away.

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  • Backpocket Pin & Pixel (Johnston, IA) Review

    Backpocket Pin & Pixel (Johnston, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.67* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: n/a

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    01/24/2023 Backpocket Pin & Pixel

    Stopped here to meet a friend after work this week and was impressed with the beers and the atmosphere. If that isn’t enough to capture your attention, they also have an attached arcade area with lots of fun entertainment.

    The beer selection is good, it is served cold – and if you like sampling different beers, their beer Flight is a pretty good value (5 samples for $9). This place is definitely worth a stop after work or for a casual stop out before or after dinner. The have a pretty good selection of ‘Bytes’…so will have to try the food during a future stop.

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  • Flix Brewhouse (Urbandale, IA) Review

    Flix Brewhouse (Urbandale, IA) Review

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    3.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 4*

    01/22/2023 Flix Brewhouse

    We stopped here primarily to use our Pub Pass for a free beer, then ended up utilizing their $2 Off Iowa beer special instead and ordered some food. The beer selection is good and the Pork Quesadilla (see picture) that we ordered was better than we expected – it was very good.

    While it is a very casual, open and loud atmosphere adjacent to the movie theater in the mall, the beer and food are better than average and I’d recommend it for a stop after work or a casual night out.

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  • Trailside Tap (Ankeny, IA) Review

    Trailside Tap (Ankeny, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 4*

    01/22/2023 Trailside Tap

    We stopped here for lunch while in the area as we had stopped before but hadn’t eaten – just had taps. An initial disappointment was learning that they no longer were a part of the Pub Pass in 2023 (as they were in 2022), so we wouldn’t be able to enjoy a complimentary tap.

    Even without the Pub Pass, we ordered a Bloody Mary (see picture) and Tip the Cow w/ Vanilla (see picture) as a starter…and enjoyed both of them a lot. For our meals, my wife ordered the Steak Sandwich (see picture) and I ordered the Cubano (see picture). My wife enjoyed the cheesy Steak Sandwich and having just returned from Tampa and some great Cuban sandwiches, this one here in Ankeny held its own – quite authentic with the pork, mustard and great bread. Maybe the best part though was the french fries – I really liked the thick, crunchy coating and they were fried to perfection (see picture).

    While I found it to be a bit on the pricey side with $16 sandwiches, the food taste and quality were good and worthy of a recommendation.

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  • Bahama Breeze (Tampa, Florida) Review

    Bahama Breeze (Tampa, Florida) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    01/17/2023 Bahama Breeze

    We have enjoyed the Bahama Breeze in Lutz, Florida so thought we would stop by this one on our way to the airport to fly home from vacation. The experience was very similar and we enjoyed this location just as much as Lutz.

    We started with a Cuban Mojito and Aruba Red beer (both hit the spot), then moved on to our main courses. I ordered the Tropical Fruit Chicken Salad (see picture) and can’t express strongly enough how much I enjoyed it – light, refreshing and so tasty! My wife ordered the Fish Tacos (Blackened) with a side bowl of Seafood Chowder (see picture) – both were delicious and are highly recommended.

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    Tropical Chicken Salad
    Fish Tacos (blackened) with Seafood Chowder bowl

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  • Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill (Clearwater Beach, FL) Review

    Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill (Clearwater Beach, FL) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    01/14/2023 Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill

    This was my 3rd visit to Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill – all with my son while visiting him in Tampa. This time, we have a VRBO and stayed on Clearwater Beach within a mile of the restaurant.

    We started with an order of General Antonio bacon wrapped Scallops (see picture) – have enjoyed them before and once again, they did not disappoint. My wife ordered a bowl of the She Crab Soup (see picture) that we shared and both found to be delicious (very thick and rich).

    For the main meal, my wife and I shared The Three Kings pan sauteed grouper (see picture) and found it every bit as good as the description. My Mom ordered the Seafood Pot Pie (see picture) and loved it, while my Dad had to be talked into the Old School grouper sandwich instead of the hamburger he wanted…but really liked it.

    For dessert, we shared a piece of Keylime Pie – and I’d highly recommend you have a piece before you leave on your next visit. As you can tell from our multiple visits, we really enjoy this place and would highly recommend it for anyone looking for dinner on the beach.

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    General Antonio Scallops
    She Crab Soup
    Seafood Pot Pie
    The Old School Fried Grouper Sandwich
    The Three Kings

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  • Columbia Restaurant (Clearwater Beach, FL) Review

    Columbia Restaurant (Clearwater Beach, FL) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    01/14/2023 Columbia Restaurant Sand Key

    We ate at the downtown Tampa location on an earlier visit and liked it so much that we sought it out for lunch during our stay in Clearwater Beach. Similar to our earlier visit, we thoroughly enjoyed the stop and would highly recommend it to anyone in the area looking for some great Spanish / Cuban food in a luxury atmosphere with a great view.

    We had not ordered a pitcher of drinks before, but since we had 4 people in our party, we ordered the Mojito Pitcher and enjoyed the preparation performance as well as the drinks (see pictures). Given our previous experience with the 1905 Salad made at your table, we ordered it again and enjoyed the waiter’s performance (see pictures).

    We initially enjoyed the complimentary table bread (see picture) – but be forewarned, it is very crumbly so it is hard not to make a mess eating it. My wife enjoyed a side salad (see picture). For our meal, I wasn’t very hungry so ordered the Empanadas de Picadillo (see picture) and would rate them highly. My wife ordered the Filet Steak (see picture), my Mom ordered the Shrimp & Yellow Rice (see picture) and my Dad ordered the Salmon Aurora (see picture). We exchanged tastes and all thought each of the dishes was delicious.

    Lastly, no meal is complete without dessert. We ordered Cafe con Leches (see picture) and an Espresso (see picture) to enjoy with the main course – the Bread Pudding (see picture). All of them were delicious…but keep in mind that the Bread Pudding is very heavy and dense – so you’ll want a few people to help eat it or a box to take the extra home!

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  • Caffeinated Bakery (Clearwater Beach, FL) Review

    Caffeinated Bakery (Clearwater Beach, FL) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    01/14/2023 Caffeinated Bakery

    Stopped here mostly to warm up while on a chilly morning walk, but found the place definitely worth a return trip for breakfast / lunch. Everything was made fresh and the Breakfast Scone that we sampled was delicious!

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  • Palace Pizza (Lakeland, Florida) Review

    Palace Pizza (Lakeland, Florida) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    01/13/2023 Palace Pizza

    Excellent pizza and Italian food that we enjoyed courtesy of our son’s recommendation while visiting his worksite in the Lakeland area.

    You order from the counter while looking at the previously prepared menu items, then your selected items are warmed up and delivered to your table (see pictures). It is definitely an area favorite, as the place was buzzing when we stopped by for dinner. Tables were at a premium since it was quite chilly outside, so the outside dining area was not being utilized.

    The Garlic Knots (see picture) are unbelievably good – soft, warm, buttery and with just a slight outer layer crunch. In almost the same category was the Bruschetta (see picture) – crunchy bread, fresh ingredients and tasty seasoning! All of the pizzas that we tried (see pictures) were fantastic – not sure that you can go wrong with any of them.

    Most importantly, make sure you save some room for dessert (see cooler picture) and sample one or two before you leave. We had the Tiramisu and Chocolate Cheesecake – and both were oh, so delicious!

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    Garlic Knot
    Bruschetta

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  • Kooky Coconut (Indian Rocks Beach, FL) Review

    Kooky Coconut (Indian Rocks Beach, FL) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 4*

    01/13/2023 Kooky Coconut

    Excellent local stop that we enjoyed during a drive along the beach. My wife and I shared the Tampa Cuban (see picture), enjoyed it and found it to be more than enough for both of us as we weren’t that hungry. My parents ordered the Reuben Cuban (see picture) and Chicken Cuban (see picture) and enjoyed both of them…just found it to be more than they wanted to eat for a light lunch.

    As the pictures show, this place isn’t all that fancy, but the Cuban sandwiches were served quickly and were very good. Best of all, there was a good selection of ice cream to enjoy with your meal. I sampled the Espresso with chocolate before the meal came and loved it! If you are looking for a quick stop to eat you will enjoy this place.

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    Chicken Cuban
    Reuben Cuban
    Tampa Cuban

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  • Ulele (Tampa, FL) Review

    Ulele (Tampa, FL) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    5.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

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    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 5*

    1/12/2023 Ulele

    Our son lives in Tampa and recommended this place for dinner during our visit – and boy is it ever a gem! It is situated almost right next to the Armature Works on the river in North Tampa and is such a beautiful area to see before you even go inside. Once seated, Shelby our server introduced herself and she was awesome – great recommendations and information on all of our questions.

    I started with a Honeymoon Strawberry Heffe (see picture) and it was great. For an appetizer, we ordered the Gator Tail (see picture) and while we enjoyed trying gator, we found it a bit tough to our liking.

    For our main course, we ordered Water Works Meatloaf (see picture), 8oz Flank Steak (see picture) and Seafood Risotto (see picture). We found all of them very good – with the Seafood Risotto being the favorite and the green beans being very good as a side. Most importantly was our dessert…if you go you HAVE to finish with a bowl of Espresso Chocolate Swirl ice cream (see picture). It is SO good – everyone at the table loved it!

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    Honeymoon Strawberry Heffe
    Gator Tail
    Water Works Meatloaf
    8oz Flank Steak
    Seafood Risotto
    Menu
    Menu
    Espresso Chocolate Swirl Ice Cream

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  • Fat Charlie’s Tavern (Urbandale) Review

    Fat Charlie’s Tavern (Urbandale) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: n/a

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    01/06/2023 Fat Charlie’s Tavern

    Stopped here on our way home from dinner for a drink as we had not yet been here since their opening. We seated ourselves at the bar and were impressed with the decor and Signature Drinks (see picture) – as well as the fact that they had a Happy Hour to add to HappyHourDesMoines.com.

    I ordered the Smoked Maple Old Fashioned (see picture) and my wife ordered the Chile Lime Mango Margarita (see picture). Both drinks tasted very good and based on a quick look at their food menu on the way out, we will be stopping back to try their food at a later date.

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    Chile Lime Mango Margarita
    Smoked Maple Old Fashioned

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