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Heading back home after a day trip to Niagara Falls and made the smallest of detours to get here. Had to stop in because a guy I don’t know said so: We were outside a little hot dog shack in West Virginia espousing the greatness of good doghouses and he said rather insistently, “If you’re ever near Erie go to Lucky Louie’s!” and so I did. Thank you random guy!! I tend toward more staid and serious endeavours in hot doggery (true Chicago-style or basic mustard-onion-relish) because too often “fun” or “experiential” means inferior product hidden under clowns makeup; Lucky Louie’s is a realer dealer NOT a carnival side-show. They starts with a good little sausage and then invite it to play dress-up in cleverly tailored outfits. The menu is chalked up in full color on the wall, a smaller B&W version is available at the counter… Started with the Asian Invasion: So Good!! crunchy noodles, crunchy cabbage, spicy but not too spicy sauce plus a generous dose of in your face wasabi sauce – literally in your face doing that voodoo that it do so well – and a split-n-grilled wiener. Second dog was quite satisfying but in a completely different saucier, cheesier and lightly onioned direction as I finished an creamy orange soda. When you start with a good sausage and rolls and put a little thought into what goes on and around it people will – contrary to everything they have ever learned about the mistake of travelling for food – travel for food. It’s a nice spot for lunch, I’ll be back.

Toku Japanese and Asian Cuisine – Menu with Prices – 1301 U St NW, Washington

I usually enjoy spider roll and other rolls, but this sushi place is decent at best. Ingredients aren’t very fresh, and the spider roll is soggy and not crunchy, especially the soft shell crab meat. They also use pretty cheap soy sauce, those that you use to cook but not dip sauce in, so it overflavors the sushi and makes it very salty even if you use just a little bit on your sushi. Wasabi isn’t fresh either and taste a bit strange (kind of those frozen wasabi that you can buy from supermarkets that aren’t fresh and had been there for a long time). They also put too much onion on the calamari, and it wasn’t crunchy either, so it has a strange taste. Overall, food is 5/10. Not great, but edible. Review rounded up due to not delaying my order.

Ichiban Japanese Restaurant – Menu with Prices – 1831 NW Broad St, Murfreesboro

Just now ordered the *sushi deluxe* on ubereats. 9 pieces of Nigri and one roll. I chose the California roll as my meal as the option. when I opened my to go order it look very good. Looked like I could put it in my mouth whole. wrong! I hope they do know that some people DO NOT LIKE WASABI because it is too spicy and over powering.. They actually put a dot of wasabi in the middle of the rice and then place the raw fish. And I didn’t want it like that but sadly there WAS NOT AN OPTION on the screen and there was not a description of what I was going to get! and a little wasabi goes a long way. Not everyone likes wasabi. so why put wasabi in the middle of the rice? To keep the the raw fish in place? excuse me what? My family owns an ICHIBAN in Port Charlotte Florida. I thought this was going to the same as theirs but nope. The California roll was alright, it’s mini size tho. I enjoyed my meal. well half, Im just really dissatisfied and disappointed in the Nigri. I will gladly stick to oishiya sushi restaurant on cason lane. Good day.

Lychee Kitchen – Menu with Prices – 23450 N 19th Ave, Phoenix

This review is based off of my main dish. I ordered the spicy tuna roll. Which is difficult to mess up. Its spicy so theres a kick present. But its ever so slight. I had to amp it by adding wasabi to each bite. I ordered the General Tsos Chicken. Which on the menu has an indicator letting you know its spicy. It wasnt. It tasting literally like maple syrup. There was no spice present. There wasnt even a smokey flavor. It was just sweet. I couldnt eat another bite without an adjustment made. So i asked for a side of chili oil. Even their chili oil had literally no spice to it. And i used the entire portion of chili oil they provided me with. Probably because its very old or just poorly made. It didnt even make my chicken any better. I picked at the veggies at the plate, requested my check and left. The service was prompt, courteous and friendly. But I guess I feel that I dont go to a resturant for service necessarily but instead i go for the food. But thats just me. I dont believe I will be going back unless its for their Thai Iced Tea. Which I hate to say it was the only tasty thing I ordered. Disappointing considering its a new spot. But Im hoping they make adjustments to their menu otherwise they may not last. Especially since Panda Express is just up the street with better flavors.

Makitto Sushi – Menu with Prices – 1055 N Dobson Rd ste 106, Mesa

Hellz yeah. I was a big fan of J’s Sushi in the beginning, and then J’s Kaiyo after the split, so I was stoked to hear that Jay opened another place after that closed down. Our group of four headed over here on a Saturday night around 7:30 and were happy to find that we could be seated immediately. Though I hope this was an odd occasion, because I would really hate to see this place close down. Some of the freshest sushi I have had in the state, without a doubt. I had the layback roll and the geisha roll, as well as some agedashi tofu to start. The agedashi tofu here is my favorite of any AZ restaurant; the thin batter is perfect and crispy, and is so good with the tempura sauce. The layback roll is a little outside of your standard roll, in that it’s wrapped in rice paper rather than sticky rice (the past few restaurants had options similar to this as well). It was so delicious! The tuna poke on top was seasoned perfectly, and so fresh. The real crab inside made all the difference, and paired perfectly with the seaweed salad and ginger garlic sauce. Definitely recommend this roll. The geisha roll consisted of real crab, shrimp tempura, avocado, and tuna. Topped with a tasty yuzu sauce, all of the flavors went perfectly together. Again, the real crab made the difference! Definitely do not skimp and go with the surimi crab options–real crab is super hard to find in sushi in AZ!! The dude had a couple of the sashimi specials, and said they were both excellent. We also shared the lemon cucumber soju, which we both liked a lot. A bit steep on the price, but it came on ice with a ton of soju! Our friends had a couple rolls as well–I can’t remember which, but it was one of the special rolls and then a few basic ones (spicy tuna, avocado, etc.) and they said they were all fantastic. Pro tip: DEFINITELY get the fresh wasabi (off menu). It’s a $3 upcharge, but so so different from the normal wasabi paste you get at other sushi places, and is an absolute game changer. This coming from someone who doesn’t even normally like wasabi. My one complaint: the price tag. It’s very good, and very fresh. But still. I get it, we’re in a landlocked state and I’m sure it’s super difficult to get fresh fish at a reasonable rate, but it’s still definitely an expensive meal, especially for west Mesa. It’s the only thing stopping us from becoming regulars.

Gohan Bistro – Menu with Prices – 524 S Reilly Rd #102, Fayetteville

Went on a Friday night, cute setup and good music to vibe to. Small menu but the meals are packed with great flavors. We ordered the mango salsa hand roll, spicy tuna hand roll, energito poke bowl and the Gohan special combination spicy miso ramen. Warning the wasabi seems to be more powerful here than other restaurants in the area. We usually have to ask for extra wasabi when we eat sushi but not here, ended up holding our foreheads a few times. All meals were delicious but I would have preferred to have bite sized pieces of the spicy tuna in the energito bowl verses minced tuna. I lived the texture and but of the ramen…because nobody enjoys a limp noodle. The broth was also very good, not overwhelming where you get tired of it. Totally recommend it. But I’d definitely say it’s going to be a hard day when it boils down to having to decide between eating at Umami or Gohan Bistro!

Hot Wings Plus – Menu with Prices – 3479 Pio Nono Ave, Macon

The cashier was friendly, but the food sucked. I ordered the hottest wings they were supposed to have and they tasted like mild which is like bbq to me. Not spicy at all. My rice was crunchy and tasted old. There was way too much dry rub and liquid mixed together: sauce. Unfortunately, the food was horrible. The peas in the rice was also crunchy. Like why? Will never return to that dump again. Buffalo Wild Wings or Wingstop would be your best bet.

Pollo Campero – Menu with Prices – 4701 Washington Ave, Houston

I went to this location at just about 8 p.m. on a Sunday night. As I arrived, I noticed no one in the parking lot or at the drive-thru. I thought that was strange but chalked it up to a Sunday night. I went there hoping to have found a local go-to chicken place for the family. The first sign of things going awry was that all the menus mention 3 types of chicken; grilled, crunchy and extra crunchy. I ordered a family meal and decided to evenly split the order to try all 3 types. I was immediately told that they no longer serve the extra crunchy. Not just that night, but apparently for good. Okay, a bit unprofessional but not a huge deal. I ordered an 8 piece family meal box of chicken with two sides; French fries and cole slaw. I paid for the order and drove home, about 2-3 minutes away. My son was starving, so he immediately opened the chicken. This boy will eat anything, literally almost anything but he spit this chicken out. The chicken they decided to serve me had obviously been cooked long ago and sat on warmers for a long long time. It was dried out, wrinkly, and despite the warmers, barely and I mean barely warm. It was not good. I’m a person that likes mayonnaise but their coleslaw had so much mayonnaise you could barely notice the cabbage, it was literally, not figuratively drowning in it, and had no flavor at all. The French fries were literally cold, ice cold, un-edible. We tossed them with the rest of the meal immediately. I guess I should have checked the order before I left but to me, that’s their job. If I owned this business, I’d be embarrassed. They literally stole money from me…the implicit contract being somewhat recently cooked and warm and fresh food for a price. They severely violated their end of the bargain. Part of me understand their commercial decision. One of the biggest things to avoid in the restaurant business is spoilage, having food that does not earn any revenue (don’t want to cook too much or have food expire in refrigeration, etc.) They didn’t want to have any wasted food (spoilage) at the end of the night so they served the next sucker (who happened to me) the dregs of their last cook which was obviously a long time prior to me arriving. The problem with their big business decision is that while they may have had an efficient night of food cooked to food served ratio (minimized spoilage) they’ll never see me, my family or anyone we mention this experience to again. Not one penny more, ever. Ergo, it was a bad business decision. End of the night…I went to a nearby Subway and picked up some yummy subs for the family…my son devoured his in less than 30 seconds.

The Poké Company – Menu with Prices – 300 W Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy Suite 210, Des Moines

Poke bowl shops absolutely took over my former socal hometown like some kind of seafood epidemic to the point where you could find one on just about every block. I almost got sick of eating them after a while. Now Des Moines has its first dedicated poke bowl joint and I couldn’t be happier. For those curious on what the hell these things are. It’s pretty much a Chipotle for sushi lovers. Think of it as a big bowl with everything a sushi roll has. You pick the rice, the protein/fish, the toppings, and the sauce. All that gets put into a big bowl and you can eat it how you like, mix it all up or enjoy it top to bottom. There’s a few places around like Sushi a Go Go or Waterfront which serves similar bowls but there’s not as much variety or options to choose from. They are both decent options but Poke Co is a different experience. I picked out the salmon and spicy tuna on white rice base, mixed with the company sauce, tempura crunchies, green onion, pickled ginger, and some wasabi mayo. Everything was fresh and they do give you a decent portion of fish. The flavor of the company sauce was hard hitting and flavorful, kind of like a more savory soy sauce. For a wasabi lover like me, the wasabi mayo just married all that together perfectly. The one thing I really wished for was sushi rice rather than plain steamed white rice. I really think the slight sweet and tart flavor from seasoned rice would absolutely make this poke bowl perfect. Anyone who is a sushi lover should absolutely give it a shot. Check out the soda fountain for some really unique flavors too. The bowls are delicious, the service is top notch, and the ambiance is chill. It’s just an all around great place to visit.

Poké Poké – Menu with Prices – 600 Williamson St k3, Madison

Delicious poke with large variety of toppings and great portions! Service was typical for fast casual-setting. I chose to order the “create your own poke”. I selected brown rice, a mix of ahi tuna and salmon along with a variety of toppings (a few highlights of toppings I haven’t seen at other local poke shops included pickled radish, tobiko). Avocado cost extra but my order literally came with half of an avocado on top of my poke, so I ended up sharing some of my avocado with my family members who didn’t order avocado. For sauce, I chose the wasabi mayo sauce and chose to have it on the side so I could dress my poke to taste. I was really impressed by the poke bowl – fresh ingredients, good value for portion size, delicious sauce. They also have a great self-serve condiment bar (including wasabi, white and pink ginger, selection of furikake [japanese rice seasoning]) as well as complimentary self-serve beverages (tea and lemon-infused water — though of note, there was no water available when we visited due to issues with water pipes according to the owner, so he offered us complimentary bottled water).

The Crum Box Gastgarden – Menu with Prices – 602 Industrial Dr, Tallahassee

My favorite place for a bite during a night out in Railroad Square! Although humble in appearance, Crum Box Gastgarden serves up some of the best food in Tallahassee! They’re the epitome for me of a “hidden gem”, tucked away in Railroad Square in an unassuming old railroad caboose, but step inside and order for a big surprise! Their homemade sausage packs a flavorful punch, especially if you spice things up with their jalapeno sausage. Their regular sausage is always a charmer, but the spicy jalapeno is the real winner for me. The meatball sub is also a favorite a mine, layered in cheese and with homemade meatballs and marinara sauce. Typically, I add in their mac & cheese and sauteed onions or sauerkraut as my sides/toppings on the sausage, but there are a few others if those aren’t your thing. The owner Pete is always friendly and great to chat with while things are cooking. Whether you like it spicy or mild, they consistently put out delicious food. I could not recommend this place more for a night out in Railroad Square!

Ali’i Poke – Downtown Indy – Menu with Prices – 910 W 10th St #4, Indianapolis

This was my first poke experience, and it did not disappoint. As I used to work down the street for the past few years, I had always wanted to try it but never got around to it. I took my wife for lunch today, and was completely blown away. I already had high expectations after reading the reviews, however all was exceeded. I went with the pele bowl (spicy) with spicy tuna and shrimp. Additionally, I added avocado and creamy miso sauce. The flavors were great, and man was it spicy. The fresh jalapeño really had a nice heat to it, as did the wasabi. I love that you can add as much or as little of each topping, and all of the flavors together were perfect. The spicy tuna was great, as was the marinated tuna (from my wife’s dish). The prices are great for what you get, regular is about 9.50 and large is 13.50. I ordered with my stomach and went with the large. While I was able to finish it all, I would’ve been more than stuffed had I just ordered the regular. Overall, my first poke experience went above and beyond my expectations. I will definitely be coming back for more.

Rick’s Smokehouse Barbecue – Menu with Prices – 1417 S Jupiter Rd, Garland

Pork butt, Sausage links, & Brisket were all bland, dry, & overcooked. Okra was good but could have used a little extra seasoning as well. I love burnt ends as much as the next guy but parts of my brisket were hard as my plate and the casing for the sausage was inedible. I am not expecting Lockhart Smokehouse quality here (Those of you rating this place 5 stars really need to try Lockhart brisket and Jalapeno mac and cheese). This place reminds me of Big Ray’s BBQ in Allen just with less flavor and drier meats than Big Ray. I haven’t even gotten started on the BBQ sauce.. to say it is the worst BBQ sauce I have tasted is no exaggeration. It wasn’t spicy, nor was it sweet; it was just off. No matter if you prefer your BBQ sauce to be ketchup based, or vinegar, or even that white sauce mayo base, you will not like this one I am sure. Not that it matters since there is no fixing that meat.