Posted by mightyoaks on April 11th, 2006 — Posted in Ethnic, Family
I recently tried out YAMR – yet another Mexican restaurant. One of the cool things about living in North Carolina, in my opinion, is the abundance of Mexican (or at least Americanized Mexican) restaurants actually run by Mexicans. My most recent sampling took me to the Brightleaf Square El Rodeo at 905 W Main St in Durham. Finding El Rodeo is a little tricky, since it’s not on Main St proper, but is behind Satisfaction’s.
I went with my roommate, and we enjoyed two fo their dinner combos. I got their Enchilada and Chile Relleno (#14) combo with rice and beans, and thoroughly enjoyed the whole meal. Their chips were served warm, and had a very smooth texture. I also liked their salsa a lot: it’s very smooth – almost the consistency of cocktail sauce – but has a good kick to it. I don’t personally like chunk salsas very much, and was pleased to see theirs to be quite easy to scoop with my chips.
All of their dinner combos are the same price, $6.75, so with a drink and tip, an individual meal is likely to cost less than $10. El Rodeo also offers student discounts, so if you come to downtown Durham, be sure to bring your Student ID.
El Rodeo is probably not worth the drive just for itself from Elon, but if you’er in the neighborhood, definitely check them out.
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Posted by mightyoaks on March 29th, 2006 — Posted in Family
Sagebrush Steakhouse, a regional chain along the lines of an Outback or Chili’s, sits just off exit 147 in Graham at 800 South Main St. I had heard a mix – good, bad, and meh – of reviews of Sagebrush, so decided I would check it out for myself.
First, the staff is incredibly friendly. Due a misunderstanding, I got to the restaurant with two friends almost an hour before the other 3 people coming got there. However, our waitress did a fantastic job of keeping our drinks full, and checking to see if we needed more peanuts; but otherwise letting us just sit till the rest of our party arrived.
When they did show up, she was back seemingly instantly to get their drink orders (and again to make sure our glasses were full). A few minutes later we ordered our meals, all of which came out quicker than we expected. I ordered the Filet Tips with Portabella meal which includes a decent helping of filet mignon chunks along with some sauteed portabella mushroom slices and peppers.
Including my drink, a potato skin appetizer, and my main dish, my total bill was just over $20. While their prices may be a bit higher than a typical college student would want to spend on a regular basis, it’s in the same range as an Outback, O’Charley’s, or Ruby Tuesday’s – and is, in my opinion, a nice change from those establishments.
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Posted by mightyoaks on March 27th, 2006 — Posted in Coffee Shops, Quick Food
Located in the same plaza as Hickory Ham’s, The Beverage Gallery (564 Huffman Mill Rd in Burlington) has a wide array of available coffee, capuccino, espresso, and tea choices. As you would expect from a coffee shop, they are open from breakfast all the way till late at night to satisfy those caffeine cravings at almost any time of the day. Cheaper than Starbucks, and more downhome-feeling than Panera, Beverage Gallery also offers bagels, desserts, and muffins to its patrons.
They have chess boards set up throughout the store, and other games are available to help pass the time while you’re drinking that piping-hot quadruple espresso with a friend, or you can choose to relax on one of their comfy couches, or pick a slightly more private booth to chat with a buddy.
With all sorts of different activities hosted through the week, Beverage Gallery is sure to become one of your favorite hangouts as it has for me.
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Posted by mightyoaks on March 23rd, 2006 — Posted in Family, Quick Food
Tucked into one end of a small plaza across from Burlington Square Mall at 544 Huffman Mill Rd is a fantastic sandwich shop. Hickory Ham’s has become a favorite of mine over the past few months because of their reasonable prices, almost aggressively friendly staff, and great food.
Hickory Ham’s is a deli and sandwich shop run by a friendly, former NYC deli owner. They open for breakfast and lunch daily, and (with only a couple exceptions) offer their full line of sandwiches and soups every day. My most recent visit netted me a custom sandwich (corned beef, turkey, swiss, and thousand island dressing on rye bread), very filling cream of potato soup, a drink, and a small bag of chips. The sandwich and drink were under $8, and the soup (large size) was $4.
It’s a great place to go with classmates, coworkers, or family. Next time you’re in the mood for a good, deli-style sandwich, consider Hickory Ham’s.
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Posted by mightyoaks on February 18th, 2006 — Posted in Ethnic, Family, Quick Food
Namaste Indian Restaurant, located on Huffman Mill Road next to Panera in Burlington, N.C. is one of the best Indian Restaurants that I have ever been to. When you take into account the beautiful setting, friendly service, and delicious food it is impossible to think otherwise.
When you walk into the door you will be greeted by the wonderfully friendly family staff. The setting of the restaurant is very elegant with beautiful Indian music playing in the background and pretty art on the walls.
Ordering is easy enough, even if you’ve never had Indian cuisine before. The menu is laid out in an easy to understand way with full descriptions and ingredient lists of each item. It is also broken down into sections such as poultry items, beef items, and vegetarian items.
The food is definitely worth it and you can eat there for about $15.00 including some bread to have with your meal. This price is generally unheard of at most Indian restaurants you will encounter, but that does mean that the food is of any lower quality. I would definitely rate Namaste as my favorite restaurant in Alamance County.
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