Wayne "Devastating" K.'s Profile

[Am I really reviewing an Applebee's on a Friday night?  Yes I am.]

SPIFFY:
- Many affordably-priced ($10-15) combos including a "3 Course Deal" (appetizer, main course, dessert, http://www.applebees.c...) and "Ultimate Trios" where you get to pick 3 appetizers for $12 (mini-burgers, wings, spinach dip, among other things... http://www.applebees.c...).
- Friendly, though overworked staff.
- Quick seating for our large group.
- Really good drinks if you're looking for pretty, girly, weak drinks (http://www.applebees.c...)... I got a strawberry/mango daiquiri which I really enjoyed.  A solid selection of beers and wines to choose from too.
- Yum, triple-chocolate meltdown cake with vanilla ice cream.  Not the best you've ever had, but quite impressive for $6.

LESS SPIFFY:
- Sketchy parking lot with broken glass bottles.
- The interior is not elegant, even by Applebee's/Denny's/Sizzler standards.
- None of the food is great.  For everything we had (steak, spinach dip, wings, salad, chips, etc.), I can think of 1-2 places that do it better for cheaper.  Nothing bad, but nothing great.
- The vegetables look like what you'd thaw out of your freezer and McDonald's salads look better than the salads here.  Don't get produce here.

All in all, not bad if you order carefully.  I'd definitely go again to grab drinks/appetizers with coworkers, but probably wouldn't go for a real meal.

Far exceeded my expectations in just about every way!!

- Knob Creek whiskey tasting with free set of shot glasses.
- Live music from the Bayonics outdoors with people dancing.
- Tons of drinks (mei tais, Mighty Leaf tea, Firestone beer)
- Tons of food (pizza, chips and salsa) and appetizers.  Man those chip appetizers were good.
- Plentiful amounts of candy and toys (beach balls, leis, nail files, stickers) sprinkled about.

And that's without even seeing the computers (whoops).  Very thankful I'm Elite.  Thanks, Yelp!

The perfect place to impress someone who's influenced by decor but can't tell good sushi from bad.

- Very nice decor: Very well decorated from the tables to the dishware to the teapot to how the waitstaff was dressed.  Not crowded and the dining room is small and intimate.
- Everyone in my group raved about the agedashi tofu appetizer.
- Subpar sushi for the price.  Everything was presented well and it wasn't bad, but there was nothing to write home about.  The teriyaki chicken and tempura in the bento box were average.  The tuna sashimi was slightly below average... it wasn't that fresh and was too chewy.
- The food was priced high, costing about $20 for a meal including tax/tip.

Sura isn't bad, but it's not good either.  Unless decor matters a ton to you, I just don't see the point when Sushi Tomi is just a few blocks away.  You'll pay about the same there for much better food.

WEIRD
- The menu's like a freakin' book.  The detail's nice, but I was overwhelmed with literally the paragraphs of text and all the various ways I can trick out my ramen.
- Limited, "intimate" seating.  Our group of 5 got split in half.  5!
- The broth is a saltier than usual with solid globs of fat floating in it, which can be a little scary.  You can customize this though by requesting less salt and less fat.
- Compared to other ramen places I've gone to, the broth at Halu is not as intense.  Depending on your mood that day you could call it "bland" or you could call it "subtle and complex."
- Very friendly servers though they got harder to find near the end.
- Cash-only.

GOOD:
- The noodles are medium thickness.  Chewy but not unbearable.  Very memorable in texture and taste.
- The egg is delicious and worth the extra buck.  Regular soy sauce style outside.  Gooey yolk on in the inside.
- Can choose small, regular, or large size.  Nice for when you're less hungry or starving.
- Came with free iced tea.  That's different.

The more ramen places I go to, the more I realize ramen is all a matter of taste.  If I still lived closer, I'd probably visit Halu a lot more often since it's my favorite of the South Bay ramen places.  From Mountain View though, it's hard to justify going out of my way with Maru Ichi and Ryowa at my doorstep.

Such a disappointment:

- Very few seats so stood in a very cramped line for an hour.

- Got the Shoyu Ramen and fried chicken appetizer.  Noodles were good but the broth was salty and the chicken full of bones/fat.

Skip it.

I don't see what's so special.

EH:
- Didn't like the food:  Got the 1-item combo with fried tilapia as my entree.  The fish itself was cold and little bland.  The sauce and garnish were decent, but nothing amazing.  The rice was, well, rice.  The vegetable was corn that they microwaved, but really, tasted just like corn I can boil in a pot at home.
- Hit or miss: Came in a large group and between us, tried most of the dishes on display.  One person stumbled upon the pork adobo, loved it, and everyone else in the group subsequently got it and liked it.  But it was pretty hit-or-miss since no one had high praise for much else.
- Cafeteria-style: All the food's already cooked and steaming in a metal tray.  You pick your dishes.  They plop it on a plate or bowl and microwave it for you.
- Not a great bargain: Price ranges from $4.50 for 1 item up to $7 for 3.  The portions aren't very big so go for three items if you're the least bit hungry.
- The milkshake is tempting but is just like a milkshake you'd blend yourself at home.  Looks a little sad and tastes normal.

THE GOOD:
- Very friendly staff including Tina.
- Friendly, small business feel.
- Very accommodating of large groups.
- The complementary dessert, a cake with a coconut topping, was very unique and tasty.
- Take credit cards.

I love the idea of a small restaurant and I enjoyed talking to the staff so I feel bad for writing review.  But, the food, even though it wasn't horribly expensive, just didn't do it for me.  Considering all the glowing reviews, maybe Filipino food isn't for me or, more likely, I just ordered wrong.

Slightly upscale pizza without the drama of a sit-down place.

NICE:
- Great service.  The server told us about her favorite pizzas and recommended pizzas based on our tastes.  She hunted us down to bring us our pizza.
- They got the normal pizzas you'd find anywhere else in addition to some creative pizzas.  We ordered the Mexican pizza (wow, avocado on a pizza) and the Santa Fe.  Both very different.
- They sell pizza by the slice (though it's not fresh baked)... a pretty good deal if you can't convince friends to come with you.
- Indoor and outdoor seating.

LESS COOL:
- Not a super great value.  The pizza was decent for the money, but the taste wasn't so awesome such that I was hankering for more an hour later.
- The pizzas may sound healthy, but the grease level was only slightly below average.
- Ambiance is like a very clean fast food joint.  Definitely not dingy but not a cozy place you'd go hang out at either.

Not bad for pizza, but not my first choice either given all the great food options on Castro.

Another top-tier contender in the fro-yo race!  Very similar to Yogurtland, but less ghetto.

AWESOME:
- Many yogurt choices.  The normal favorites like plain and green tea tart weren't standouts, but they had a few unique ones like pomegranate and lychee yogurt, which I really liked.
- Clean yogurt machines and toppings area.  I'd almost call it elegant.
- Pay by weight.  Not the cheapest but reasonable at 38 cents/oz.
- Lots of toppings, from the normal sprinkles and mochi to exotic fruit choices like fresh lychee, which you won't find anywhere else.
- They take credit cards with no hassle.
- Multi-visit discount card.
- Nice seating area.
- Slightly trendy.

DOWNSIDES:
- The yogurt was soggier than most places.
- Weird parking.

All in all, Tartini was an above-average yogurt place.  I'll definitely be there again if I'm in the area.

BURRITOS!
Only tried their tacos and nachos once or twice, but I love the burritos here!
- All the important ingredients are inside - meat, tomato, cilantro, onions, sour cream, guac.
- They're well-proportioned so no one ingredient dominates.
- Large enough but not overwhelming.
- It's a little spicy, which gives it some punch.
- Comes with crispy chips.
My fave's the chicken super burrito at ~$6.

OTHER AWESOMENESS
Other pluses of Mar:
- Accepts credit cards.
- Great selection of Mexican drinks like horchata, beer, and Mexican Coke.
- Plenty of comfortable seating with a Spanish program of some sort playing on the TV.
- Great for large group takeout orders - we've ordered around 20 burritos before and they're ready in 20 minutes.
- Friendly staff.
- Plenty of parking.
- In a semi-rundown strip mall.  It's not classy but it's not ghetto and I've never felt unsafe walking in the area.

Only complaint: They need a more Americanized name.  It doesn't have to be called "Bob's Burrito Shack" but I love this place and can never remember the name when I want to look it up to place a phone order, which definitely costs them some business.

My favorite taqueria is still Los Charros in Downtown Mountain View, but when I'm working late in Redwood City, Mar Y Tierra (dude, needs a better name) is the next best thing!

A fun way to spend a weekend afternoon:
- Fun.
- Free.
- Go concert crazy in the front or sit down and take it easy with a blanket and picnic basket in the back.
- Lots of affordable but bad food to buy and consume.
- Lots of free samples and exotic events (rock climbing, trapezing) to try.
- One or two good bands (Lifehouse, Ingrid Michelson). A lot of other ones you haven't heard of.
- Good Alice music between acts to fill in the gaps.
- SF is cold.  Bring a jacket.