Bambinos is definately not one of my first picks for restaurants to eat at in Lawrence - but I have tasted worst. The pasta is somewhere along the lines of average like at Olive Garden but their sauce is somewhere along the lines of the generic canned stuff you can buy at the store.
There was a musician playing when I went which I found kinda nice and the outdoors area definately makes it a place to hang out for drinks but otherwise, I'd avoid the food there.
Margarita special with pasta ... hmmm ... still trying to figure that one out!
I believe that this restaurant refers to the one on 6th Street and NOT the one located at the Kansas Union at KU but I'm going to mention both just coz.
My first encounter with the Westside Deli was at the Kansas Union - WOW - it was incredible: great service and really incredible food. It became my favorite place on campus to eat.
Then I thought I'd try the Westside Deli on 6th Street since I enjoyed the one at the Union so much. It was a total disappointment. Sure they still had the friendly service but the food was a total let down: the salad was wilted and the steak I ordered was completely unsalted. Everything we ordered turned out bland which was such a disappointment from their soup to their vegetables.
Oh well - stick to the Union's Westside Deli I'd say.
Old Chicago is another one of those places that you go to coz you live in Lawrence and it's a different restaurant. The food is okay for the price (nothing special), I generally prefer to go during their "Happy Hour" just so I can get a variety of different appetizers over a beer: their mini-pizzas are good. Otherwise it's a traditional bar & grill type place with average service.
I had to post coz there just weren't any positive comments about poor little Jimmy Johns. This is my absolute favorite sub place. Some people are Subway-sub-eaters and some people are Planet Sub-sub-eaters but I'm a Jimmy Johns-sub-eater.
Jimmy Johns uses a really light crispy sort of bread (which I like) and they don't overfill their subs (which I like) and use original Hellmann's mayo (which I also like). Once upon a time, long long ago, they used to give away free rubbers with their subs but they don't do it it anymore which I consider a shame coz it's like getting a Happy meal toy.
After living in Lawrence for almost 2 years, Jade has been a staple for me when I am really hungry, don't feel like spending a lot and want some decent food. No, their buffet isn't perfect but you pay for what you get and it's good enough to go to on a regular basis. It's noisy and usually crowded so the don't expect the best experience and their servers are pretty good (for a buffet place). Maybe not the best place to go if you're just in Lawrence for a day or two but if you live here, it's a must try.
I've only been to the Hereford House once and I was leery but I had the Hyvee coupon where you buy one entree and get one free so it turned out to be an affordable experience (hint hint).
Their steak is definately the best that I've had in the Lawrence area and the server was very good and attentive. Ambiance was pretty traditional for a steak house but I hear that they have murder mysteries so I might report back if I find anything interesting there.
My vegetarian s/o had the eggplant parmesan and it was very good, however, that was the only vegetarian entree that we noticed so it's somewhat unlikely we'll go back unless he's in the mood for it again.
I probably go to the 75th Street Brewery about once a month which is pretty regular for me and so I've had a chance to try something from every section of their menu. They're great for beers, however, for some strange reason (Murphy's law) they always seem to be out of the beer I select for my first choice. Otherwise, if you are going to the 75th Street Brewery, I would recommend that you get their pizza.
Pizza, you say, why would you choose to get a pizza? - of all the items I've tasted there, 75th Street has the most unique combinations for pizzas and they are ALL good. PLUS, if you get them during the "happy hour" they're only $5 and they are really good pizzas with a thin crust and good balance of "pseudo-gourmet" ingredients. Strange, you may say, but I can only advise that you try it on a lazy afternoon on their little outdoor area - a nice cold pint of whatever flavor beer you can get and one of their yummy pizzas. It'll send you somewhere else!
I had read the comments posted on this website BEFORE I went to Scarlet Orchid and perhaps it was because of those comments that I have been compelled to write.
The Scarlet Orchid has incredible ambiance - it's got a wonderfully spacious layout that's obviously carefully thoughtout and planned. The service must have improved tremendously since the previous reviews coz I think it was like being back in downtown Chicago at a really nice restaurant where you didn't have to think for the server to know what you wanted.
That's about where the good part ended. The food was just terrible. I had heard so often on their radio ads about how the food would be perfectly seasonsed etc etc and it was far from it. I even took the advice of the previous comments and ordered their chicken curry thinking it would be a safe bet and it turned out to be the worst curry I'd ever eaten - badly over salted and seasoned terribly with cheap ingredients (yes, I tasted the canned bamboo shoots). Considering they over salted the main course, I found to be quite strange coz their appetizers were majorly under seasoned!
Pachamamas is the absolute best in fine dining here in Lawrence. The food has consistently been fabulous, in my experience, and the service - top notch. The only drawbacks are probably that they tend to put too many tables too close together and as a result, you're almost sitting on top of the next table or unable to hear yourself think. It is an expensive restaurant (relative to Lawrence) coz they have real chefs prepare really good food with really good (and thus expensive) ingredients. However, if I go, I make sure I go on Tuesday when they have no corkage fee so I can save on the wine.
Bambino's at the Grove
Bambinos is definately not one of my first picks for restaurants to eat at in Lawrence - but I have tasted worst. The pasta is somewhere along the lines of average like at Olive Garden but their sauce is somewhere along the lines of the generic canned stuff you can buy at the store.
There was a musician playing when I went which I found kinda nice and the outdoors area definately makes it a place to hang out for drinks but otherwise, I'd avoid the food there.
Margarita special with pasta ... hmmm ... still trying to figure that one out!
May 18, 2005 at 12:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Westside Deli & Bistro
I believe that this restaurant refers to the one on 6th Street and NOT the one located at the Kansas Union at KU but I'm going to mention both just coz.
My first encounter with the Westside Deli was at the Kansas Union - WOW - it was incredible: great service and really incredible food. It became my favorite place on campus to eat.
Then I thought I'd try the Westside Deli on 6th Street since I enjoyed the one at the Union so much. It was a total disappointment. Sure they still had the friendly service but the food was a total let down: the salad was wilted and the steak I ordered was completely unsalted. Everything we ordered turned out bland which was such a disappointment from their soup to their vegetables.
Oh well - stick to the Union's Westside Deli I'd say.
May 18, 2005 at 12:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Old Chicago
Old Chicago is another one of those places that you go to coz you live in Lawrence and it's a different restaurant. The food is okay for the price (nothing special), I generally prefer to go during their "Happy Hour" just so I can get a variety of different appetizers over a beer: their mini-pizzas are good. Otherwise it's a traditional bar & grill type place with average service.
May 18, 2005 at 9:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwich Shop (Southside)
I had to post coz there just weren't any positive comments about poor little Jimmy Johns. This is my absolute favorite sub place. Some people are Subway-sub-eaters and some people are Planet Sub-sub-eaters but I'm a Jimmy Johns-sub-eater.
Jimmy Johns uses a really light crispy sort of bread (which I like) and they don't overfill their subs (which I like) and use original Hellmann's mayo (which I also like). Once upon a time, long long ago, they used to give away free rubbers with their subs but they don't do it it anymore which I consider a shame coz it's like getting a Happy meal toy.
May 18, 2005 at 9:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Jade Mongolian Barbeque
After living in Lawrence for almost 2 years, Jade has been a staple for me when I am really hungry, don't feel like spending a lot and want some decent food. No, their buffet isn't perfect but you pay for what you get and it's good enough to go to on a regular basis. It's noisy and usually crowded so the don't expect the best experience and their servers are pretty good (for a buffet place). Maybe not the best place to go if you're just in Lawrence for a day or two but if you live here, it's a must try.
May 18, 2005 at 8:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Hereford House
I've only been to the Hereford House once and I was leery but I had the Hyvee coupon where you buy one entree and get one free so it turned out to be an affordable experience (hint hint).
Their steak is definately the best that I've had in the Lawrence area and the server was very good and attentive. Ambiance was pretty traditional for a steak house but I hear that they have murder mysteries so I might report back if I find anything interesting there.
My vegetarian s/o had the eggplant parmesan and it was very good, however, that was the only vegetarian entree that we noticed so it's somewhat unlikely we'll go back unless he's in the mood for it again.
May 17, 2005 at 8:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
23rd Street Brewery
I probably go to the 75th Street Brewery about once a month which is pretty regular for me and so I've had a chance to try something from every section of their menu. They're great for beers, however, for some strange reason (Murphy's law) they always seem to be out of the beer I select for my first choice. Otherwise, if you are going to the 75th Street Brewery, I would recommend that you get their pizza.
Pizza, you say, why would you choose to get a pizza? - of all the items I've tasted there, 75th Street has the most unique combinations for pizzas and they are ALL good. PLUS, if you get them during the "happy hour" they're only $5 and they are really good pizzas with a thin crust and good balance of "pseudo-gourmet" ingredients. Strange, you may say, but I can only advise that you try it on a lazy afternoon on their little outdoor area - a nice cold pint of whatever flavor beer you can get and one of their yummy pizzas. It'll send you somewhere else!
May 17, 2005 at 8:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Scarlet Orchid
I had read the comments posted on this website BEFORE I went to Scarlet Orchid and perhaps it was because of those comments that I have been compelled to write.
The Scarlet Orchid has incredible ambiance - it's got a wonderfully spacious layout that's obviously carefully thoughtout and planned. The service must have improved tremendously since the previous reviews coz I think it was like being back in downtown Chicago at a really nice restaurant where you didn't have to think for the server to know what you wanted.
That's about where the good part ended. The food was just terrible. I had heard so often on their radio ads about how the food would be perfectly seasonsed etc etc and it was far from it. I even took the advice of the previous comments and ordered their chicken curry thinking it would be a safe bet and it turned out to be the worst curry I'd ever eaten - badly over salted and seasoned terribly with cheap ingredients (yes, I tasted the canned bamboo shoots). Considering they over salted the main course, I found to be quite strange coz their appetizers were majorly under seasoned!
May 17, 2005 at 8:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Pachamama's Catering
Pachamamas is the absolute best in fine dining here in Lawrence. The food has consistently been fabulous, in my experience, and the service - top notch. The only drawbacks are probably that they tend to put too many tables too close together and as a result, you're almost sitting on top of the next table or unable to hear yourself think. It is an expensive restaurant (relative to Lawrence) coz they have real chefs prepare really good food with really good (and thus expensive) ingredients. However, if I go, I make sure I go on Tuesday when they have no corkage fee so I can save on the wine.
May 17, 2005 at 7:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )