1500 W. International Speedway Boulevard

Daytona Beach, Florida 32114

(386) 254-2867

www.gatorsbarbqandwings.com

Gator's Storefront

In earshot but not quite sight of the Daytona International Speedway was the sight of a favorite restaurant of mine. In early 2009 I was so sadden to see that they had closed down. The location was soon replaced with Gator’s Bar-B-Q and Wings. It took me almost a full year to decide to stop in and give them a try, and man am I glad I did. When you step into ‘Gator’s’ you can see the set up is like any other sports bar. There is a full liquor bar to the right, dozens of televisions, an outdoor sitting area with high-top tables, and the usual banners of either your favorite team or the beer specials of the day. But this is not just another ordinary sports bar; they have a little something extra.

Bar Area

Sitting there in the dining area adjacent to the bar area, I was a little anxious to have our server finally help us. But, I did give her a little slack as to the fact that she was the only server and had a table that was demanding a lot of her time. She was kind and introduced herself in passing by our table as Melissa. She did stop long enough to take our drink order, and took off to get those while we looked at the menu. Looking at the menu we saw that Gator’s had several appetizers we wanted to try, good thing they have a ‘create your own sampler’. You have the option of any three for $12.99 or any four for $14.99. We settled on the any three, and chose the fried mac n cheese, the corn nuggets, and the fried mushrooms. It did not take long for this huge platter of starters to come out. With the corn nuggets and the fried mac n cheese, we got the usual. If you have had either one of these items anywhere, then you will have the exact item here, nothing special. But the fried mushrooms were fantastic, they were fresh and homemade. When Melissa was near the table again I asked her about the mushrooms and she did confirm that they are homemade and fresh. They use their own batter and never freeze them, thus creating a great fried mushroom.

Sampler Platter

We took a bit of time looking into what our main course would be, and I was torn between the wings and the one pound cheeseburger. After looking deeper into the menu I saw the pulled pork sandwich that is served on a pretzel roll for $7.99. I order this with the thought in mind, if you have Bar-B-Q or Wings in your restaurant name and on the sign outside, go with what they know. For the fact that the place was now virtually empty, I thought it took a little long for the food to come out. Not to sound like it took a long time, but it just took a little bit long than I thought it would. BUT, it was very much worth the wait. While we started to eat the server was cleaning tables from the lunch rush and letting us know about the poker nights, wing and beer specials, and the ladies night that Gator’s has. Back to the Bar-B-Q sandwich, it was moist but not sloppy. Thick and juicy, with a hint of a smokey flavor. The fries that came with it were not to my liking, but my friend said he thought they were great. The fries were not bad, and did seem to be fresh, just not my kind of fry.

Sandwich & Fries

If you are either vacationing at Daytona Beach or there for the races, you should definitely stop by Gator’s Bar-B-Q and Wings. If you use a GPS with this address you will get a Sonny’s B-B-Q instead of Gator’s. The menu is very extensive, with items from pizza, bar-b-q, wings, burgers, gyros, steak, ribs, several different salads and also different sandwiches. Overall the items are a little bit more than other restaurants, however you will not leave hungry and will probably take food home with you…. I did. The menu that I looked at does not have a specific kids section but this is not a place I would recommend to bring a child after lunchtime. For a couple of people you should expect to spend over $25 including tip, this is not with either liquor or beer, but with soda. Hmmm, the race is coming up…. I may be back there sooner than I thought. 

Gator's Porch

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com

2 Edgewood Drive

Butler, Georgia 31006-5743

(478) 862-2445

Georgia Fried Chicken Sign

Traveling west of Fort Valley, Georgia on the way to Columbus I saw the sign for Georgia Fried Chicken. Just the thought of some good homestyle fried chicken for lunch peaked my interest. As I drove around the building looking for the proper entrance and parking lot I finally found the door and the parking lot. Walking up I could see the outdoor patio seating for up to 50 or so people. I walk past the copper rooster into the restaurant and walk to the counter, not knowing that I was to find a seat. The two waitresses that were on the clock on this day were kind but not gonna go out of their way to be too helpful.

Dining Room

In the middle of the dining room is where I decide to take a seat. My server (actually who I thought was my server) asks me about what I would like to drink. My first thoughts were to get a Diet Coke but opted for the water as to the fact that I did not want to spend two dollars for a drink. After sitting there for a while I was then approached by another server who had even less desire to be there than the other one. She was there specifically to take my order and I was glad to see the fried chicken on the special. Along with the option of pork chops and various veggies that included mac n cheese, coleslaw, and beans. My order was the fried chicken white meat, squash, and the broccoli cheese and rice casserole.

Menu

For the next few moments I sat there and listened to local hunters as they talked about each of their adventures. When you pull into the lot there is a large sign letting you know that HUNTERS ARE WELCOME. Since I am not a hunter I was oblivious to some of the terminology that was being used. Luckily my food came soon. However, after really thinking about it, I do not think I was that lucky after all. The chicken was o.k. but really greasy, I mean really greasy. My squash was, well, it was bad, I mean really bad. If you want an onions with a little bit of squash casserole then this is the place for you. The broccoli casserole was very good though. The waitress had asked me if I wanted the cornbread or the biscuit. So, I asked her which one is better, her suggestion was the biscuit. When I touched the biscuit it split perfectly in the middle. Thus letting me know that they were not homemade but either straight from a can or frozen. Not letting this deter me I decided to eat the biscuit anyway. In the long run I wish I hadn’t. I ate as much of it as I could and left over half of it on the plate.

Chicken Dinner

The servers never came back to my table and never offered to refill my water or a box for my leftovers to go. The other tables there were being served and had food that was not on the special, and those plates looked very good. Stuffed potatoes with BBQ and the burgers which were all about 7 bucks looked very good. If I lived in the area I would hope that the other items are better than the item that is featured in the company’s name of Georgia Fried Chicken. They do offer a kids menu with all items in the 4 dollar range. As I went to leave I asked for a take out menu and they actually looked lost, it was kind of funny. They do have drive thru, but I challenge you to try either the potato or a burger instead of the chicken.

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com

75023 Hwy 77

Lincoln, Alabama

(205)763-1225

http://montanasaloongrill.com

Montana's Sign

Sometimes I feel like I am becoming a food snob. It seems like everything has to be perfect for me to give a review that is glowing and kind to a restaurant. With that said I am going to start my review with my complaints about Montana Saloon & Grill. When I pulled into the parking lot at the top of the hill for my dinner at Montana Saloon & Grill, it was full. Yeah, that might be the only complaint that I have about this place. As you read the rest of this review I need to let you know that this is now one of my favorite places that I have ever been to. Montana Saloon & Grill is an established restaurant that is located near the Talladega Super Speedway known for its NASCAR races. Just off exit 168 at the top of the hill sits this establishment that is becoming a bona-fide world famous grill.

Montana's Porch

After my frustration with finding a parking spot, I mosey (if I am walking into a saloon, I am gonna mosey) onto the porch area and hold the door for a couple as they walk out talking about how good their meal was. Wouldn’t you know it, they had a parking spot in the very front, I’m not gonna move now though. I am greeted by the hostess and she takes me to a table around the left side of the bar. Alabama is still one of the few places in America that you are asked at the door if you want smoking or non. Since I am a non smoker I am always curious as to how each place handles smoking sections. Montana Saloon & Grill have built a separate room that totally separate the smoking and non smoking sections, this is a nice feature for those non smokers who are always looking for a reason to complain about smokers.

Having barely had a chance to sit down I am greeted by Kaleigh, she offers me a sweet tea and that sounds good. When she returns I have had a chance to look at the menu a little bit but have yet to make a decision, I take a sip of tea and let her know it is good. Kaleigh tells me thanks, she made it herself. I pick a few appetizers to ask about whether it will be the Mountain High Cheese Fries, the mushrooms, even thought about the oysters, but the server lets me know that she made the Mountain Man Salsa served with chips. This sounds good, and it is under 3 bucks too.

Chips & Salsa

Shortly, she brings me the salsa and takes my order. Before I place my order I have to ask her what is the absolute best item on the menu, is it the sandwiches, shrimp dinner, crawfish, or maybe one of the steaks. She gives me a couple of options and I went with the Beef Tips Montana served with a salad and the garlic mashed ‘taters’. She smiles and leaves me with my salsa and the basketball games that were being played on 5 screens visible from my table. Now I am a fan of salsa and love it when it is really fresh, this salsa may very well be the top salsa of any restaurant ever. The chips were good, but this salsa was absolutely fantastic. As Kaleigh walked by to help another table I asked her to tell me what was in it that gave it that perfect kick, she giggled and said it was a secret. If the tea and salsa is any indication of the meal to come I am not on the edge of my seat for the main course.

Main Course

The salad comes and I had decided to try the tomato based dressing, since I had been notified that none of the dressings were made in house I thought I would at least try something different. To be on the safe side I ordered a little bit of ranch dressing too, but it was not needed. I started with dipping a cracker in the tomato dressing before I decided to just pour the whole cup on the salad. While I ate my salad the main course arrives. It looks fantastic, with the Monterey Jack cheese melting over the onions, mushrooms, and beef tips that had been cooked just a little bit longer than I like but were wonderful. If a meal arrives and is great, I am not going to complain about the preparation just to complain. If it is good food, then it is good food. The server continues to fill my tea, water, and brings me extra napkins, she must know my kind.

After this grand meal I sit there as she takes the empty plates and offers dessert. Looking at her I say no, but tell me if any of the desserts are made on property and not out of a frozen box. Then she tells me that she made the cheesecake herself. After the experience with her sweet tea and her salsa I tell her that I will get the cheesecake. Now I ask her what she recommends to put on the cheesecake and she lets me know that it is perfect with no topping but the whipped cream. She takes off to the back to return with the cheesecake, whipped cream, and a side cup of strawberries. After tasting the cheesecake and seeing how light and fluffy yet so full of flavor I think to myself that this waitress is going to make someone very happy. Hell, I am just a customer in the Montana Saloon & Grill and I have been swept away by her sweet tea, salsa, and cheesecake. (But my heart belongs to Rhonette)

Cheesecake

My recommendation for you is to make Montana Saloon & Grill in Lincoln, Alabama a special stop. When you are traveling through from Atlanta to Birmingham this is a must for any individual or family, even though the name has saloon in it they are a family friendly restaurant. However they do not have a kids menu they certainly have options that will make kids happy from the sandwiches to the flatbreads. Most items on the menu are under ten dollars, and my meal with the dessert and all was under twenty bucks before tip. As good as it is these guys are worth a special trip at any cost.

Review by Pie, email: pie@piesplate.com

1312 Newcastle Street

Brunswick, Georgia 31520

(912) 267-5630

Jim's Store Front

On a trip to visit family we decided to take a detour to see the city known as Historic Brunswick, Georgia.  On this journey we find almost no places to grab breakfast in the downtown area. Near the end of the downtown area is a little place called Jim’s Corner Cafe Dessert Bar. The building is very old, I am guessing from the early 1900’s. You really do get the feel of stepping back in time as you grab your table in the cafe. Seating is limited in this charming cafe, with only a few tables and chairs, and no booths. Lighting is a little bit dimmer than that of most places but it is a historic building and not so dark that it is an inconvenience.

Jim's Dining Room

The gentleman that was waiting on tables this morning was very nice and quick to help us. He gave us the menus and it did not take us long to decide on the omelets. When it comes to the breakfast items they are a little bit limited on the choices but not so much that you can’t find something. The omelets are priced as most places are in the $6 to $7 range or you can choose a cheese omelet for just over $5. What I was looking for was the Ham and Cheese omelet with biscuits. In my quick response I ask the young man if they have a side of gravy so I can make me a plate of biscuit and gravy too. He checks with the kitchen and they can do it, yay me!

Pie's Breakfast

While waiting for the food I am soaking in the atmosphere of what was either an old drugstore or maybe a grocery store. The place was pretty well filled with customers and when I asked the waiter if Jim was a real person he said yes that he had been in the back of the dining room for the first few minutes that we were there. Just a few moments later our food arrived and quite possibly the fluffiest omelets I have ever seen. They were almost like a piece of culinary art. Not to forget the biscuits were huge! A few minutes later the waiter brought me a side of gravy to pour over my biscuits. This was a perfect breakfast with a cook that knows what to do in the kitchen. As a matter of fact I cannot rave on the omelet or the biscuits and gravy any more than to say it was fantastic. If not for Jim’s Corner Cafe Dessert Bar being over an hour away and also the smell of the paper mill in Brunswick we would make this place a regular stop. Apparently this is a regular stop for those who go to the resort areas of St Simons or Jeckyll Island.

Rhonette's Breakfast

Upon receiving our bill we were offered drinks to go, which we decided not to get. The bill however was a bit of a shock to me, due to the fact that they did not give me a side of gravy. Instead I was charged for a full order of biscuits and gravy. It is one of those things that I look at and say, that meal was fantastic I just won’t order the gravy next time. If you find yourself in Brunswick then swing through the downtown area for a meal. They are closed on Mondays but offer breakfast and lunch all the other days of the week. With a menu that offers burgers, sandwiches, soups, and pastas that all range from $6 to no more than $9 you have you pick of what has proved to me a great meal.

Front of Jim's Menu

Review by Pie, email: pie@piesplate.com

230 Spring Branch Drive

Oxford, Alabama 36203

(256)835-5858

www.jeffersonsrestaurant.com

Jefferson's Store Front

In the city of Oxford, Alabama there is a fairly new chain restaurant that has appeared. This place is basically a sports bar that is really well lit. Not having gone to any of the 7 other restaurants in the chain that spans 5 states, I do not know if that is the norm for Jefferson’s. As you look to the signs or banners that advertise this place they pride themselves in wings, oysters, and burgers. When you walk in you can see the bar there and a fairly wide open seating area, with booths around the perimeter and tables in the center. Another thing that is quite obvious is the amount of dollar bills that have been written on and tacked up on the walls, there is a story telling you why in the menu.

Jefferson's Dining Room

After visiting the fairly clean facilities I grab a chair near the rear of the restaurant. After waiting a few minutes I have a waitress appear with a menu and the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her body language and upcoming manners tell me that she does not want to be there. She takes my drink order and I decide to get an unsweet tea. When she brings it to my table I realize that they do not have a single name brand sweetener. They offer pink stuff, blue stuff, and yellow stuff. My personal belief is that when you are running a restaurant you should offer the best that you can to you customers. When you offer knock off brand sweeteners it looks to me like you are being cheap. That is a personal opinion of mine. I decided to go with just a water.

 My server (who never introduced herself) has now returned to my table twice wanting to take my order. Some may think that she was being efficient but I found it annoying. This being my first time here and having to look through a very lengthy menu I wanted to see what all they have. Since I rarely go with the salads I decide once again to forego the salad options here, even though they have almost 10 different options including BBQ, Oriental, Cajun Chicken and various Caesar options too. It is nice to see a place that does not charge too much for their salads, as the salads here are reasonable and start in the $3 range and go up to just over $7.50. The other items that you can choose from are sandwiches, wings, and Jefferson’s Seafood Festival. Most of the items on the menu are in the 6-7 dollar range and the most expensive item is the crab legs and they aren’t even that expensive at just under 13 bucks.

Condiments

I finally settle on the 10 wings with chips for $6.95. I ask the server which way is the best way to get the wings, wither BBQ, Teriyaki, Lemon Pepper, Hot, Turbo, and she lets me know that the best way is ‘Double Dipped’. When she takes off I notice the ketchup bottle is a mess, I mean gross and needs a wipe down. Thankfully I don’t need ketchup. The food arrives quickly and looks pretty good. The chips were, honestly not good. They were stale and very plain. The wings were hot to the touch as to the fact that they must have just come out of the deep fryer. As I start to eat the wings I realize, these things are good, I mean really good. If I were to be in the area of Oxford, Alabama I would definitely make my way to Jefferson’s for the wings.

Jefferson's Wings

Now I am nearing the end of my visit, and the server stops by to drop off the bill, but not to refill my drink. As I sit there she comes back by to take the money, the money that I have yet had a chance to put on the table. I still would like another drink. Sitting there realizing that she must be about to go home or be ‘cut’ for the day I decide to stand. She quickly shows up and reminds me that she can take my money, which I have still yet to count out. So, I start to count it out and she just stands there like I am taking up the best years of her life. When I asked for a copy of the check I have now even hindered her day even more. As I wait for her to get my copy I decide that this would be a great place for carry out. I get the copy of my bill and notice that not only do they list her name on the bill they list her full name. So if you find yourself at Jefferson’s and Kara Y. is your server then I hope you have a better experience than I did with her.

 Remember, Jefferson’s of Oxford, Alabama for take out…

 Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com

7119-1 Bonneval Road

Jacksonville, Florida 32256

(904) 332-0891

Midtown Deli

If you are driving through and looking for a restaurant in the area of I-95 and Butler Boulevard you could easily drive passed Midtown Deli. This is not what I would recommend though. This is a good size restaurant at this very busy corner of Jacksonville. In this area of town you will find all of the chain burger places, but it is worth the time to drive around the corner from the arches. At Midtown Deli you will enjoy a much better meal than you would ever get from the clown. To let you know, most of the reviews that we do at www.piesplate.com are not from the chains. The only reason I mention this is that Midtown Deli is a small chain that is based in South Carolina with only three locations, and the only one outside of S.C. is the one in Jacksonville, Florida.

Midtown Dining Room

On this particular visit to Midtown Deli I was craving a sandwich. After looking at the menu I now was craving a pot roast potato. Even thought they offer Paninis, Roll Ups (wraps), Salads, and many varieties of sandwiches the baked potatoes really caught my eye. The potato choices were either the classic with butter, sour cream, cheese, and bacon for $5.49 or the big chili filled with chili, cheese, onions, and sour cream for $5.79 or the pot roast potato loaded with tender pot roast and gravy for $5.99. There was something about the day that made it feel like a good day for pot roast, of course I asked if I could add sour cream on it and that would not be a problem the guy said. When he was completing our order I saw that they had Pepsi and as in some of my past reviews, you may remember that I am a Coke person. So I ordered an Arnold Palmer. ‘IF’ you still do not know what an A.P. is, it is a half tea and half lemonade. The guy told me that the lemonade was really good here, so I thought that would be a nice and refreshing drink.

Pot Roast Potato

We find a table in the corner, next to a window looking at some of the last of undeveloped land in the Butler Blvd/95 area. I take a sip of my Arnold Palmer and was not impressed with the tea or the lemonade. This concoction can really be a matter of taste, so I will not criticize Midtown Deli for a drink that can go either way depending of preference. But, now I am really wanting a Diet Coke *sigh*. After a 5 or 6 minute wait the guy that took our order comes to our table with my potato and Rhonette’s salad. He takes off as quickly as he showed up and brought me more pot roast in a cup telling me that he thought that there should have been more pot roast on the potato. Asking us if we need anything else and us telling him no, he lets us be alone to enjoy our food.

Chicken Salad

For the cost I have got to say that I feel like I got the steal of the day. In case you are not aware of my eating habits, well, I can eat, and I did not finish my potato. If the pot roast is not made in house I would be absolutely surprised. It had the flavor of homemade in it, not that of frozen. If in case it is frozen or from a refrigerated bag then someone at a food company got it right. It was delicious and stuffed this good sized potato that was dusted on the out side with course salt. My adding the sour cream to it gave it the little extra something to it that I was looking for; of course sour cream is good on so many things (personal commentary).

If you passing through the Jacksonville, Florida area and are looking for a good, quick, and not a chain place to eat then exit off of I-95 and J. Butler Blvd, go west and then look to the left. When you see the retention pond and the golf store, Midtown Deli is in that plaza. If you live in Jacksonville you should make it a point to stop by and see for yourself. They will serve really good food and serve it very fast, without the hassle of eating another processed burger from a drive thru. If you want to eat healthy then you have the option of 10 different salads on the menu at a good price (as low as $3.29 and none over $7). Of course being a deli they offer an almost endless sandwich menu, even the chance to ‘create your own’ sandwich for as low as $6.79. There is a very limited kids menu with chicken fingers, grilled cheese and a ‘PBJ’. You can even get a cookie or a brownie for your sweet tooth. Stop in and enjoy Midtown Deli and don’t be surprised if you see me there.

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com

7895 Normandy Blvd

Jacksonville, FL

(904) 783-0987

Store Front

My first visit to Mr. Sandwich was in 2007, and the beginning of many, many breakfast stops. Even though Mr. Sandwich is open for lunch and occasionally dinner my personal history is only during breakfast. Tucked away in the corner of a Winn Dixie shopping center just west of I 295 Mr. Sandwich is a bit more than your typical sandwich shop. The location on Normandy Blvd has been the home of Mr. Sandwich for over 25 years, and has recently attempted in a name change to Corner American Grill. Understanding that tradition is going to prevail they have decided to keep the name Mr. Sandwich..

My friend and I first found Mr. Sandwich while looking for breakfast one Saturday morning after going to a weight loss meeting. Since then my breakfast of choice has almost always been the same and no, it is not weight loss friendly. The shop serves breakfast till 11:00 am and is a short menu but they are willing to be as creative you would like with the items they have. My personal favorite breakfast items are the scrambled eggs, sausage and toast, but I like to add a side of 2 cinnamon pancakes. When you place the order at the counter and take your seat beware that in just a few minutes you will need to go back to the counter to pick up your food. 

Menu

On the day that I made my last stop to Mr. Sandwich I sat there watching Rachel Ray on the HDTV set up behind the counter. The T.V. has been set up and they encourage people to stop in to watch football games on Saturdays. According to the menu they are closed on Sundays, so the NFL games would be out of the question. But when you stop by for breakfast you get to watch things like, Rachel Ray. In another corner they have a couple of video games that you can play. 

Breakfast

The gentleman behind the counter lets me know that my food is ready, I grab it and sit back down. Assuming that my pancakes were either ready or soon to be ready I decide to wait for them before I begin to eat. This was a mistake though; it took another 6-7 minutes for them to be ready. I say 6 to 7 because I knew that it was more than 5 but less than 10. By the time that they were ready my eggs were cold, maybe I am being picky but my personal preference is to have all of my food at the same time. The gentleman that took my order and prepared my food noticed that I was not totally happy and re-cooked my eggs and sausage. Thank You sir for that.

Cinnamon Pancakes

One of the best breakfast items in the city of Jacksonville is the cinnamon pancakes that are offered at Mr. Sandwich. The eggs are eggs and same with the sausage. Basically nothing special with most of the breakfast but it is worth going out of the way for just the pancakes. For the pancakes you will spend under $3.25 for two and under $4.00 for three. You can’t find an item for breakfast over five bucks, with the sandwiches as low as $2.19. If you are hungry for lunch you should know that the burgers are all under five dollars and same goes for the salads. They offer wings as well and even have beer on tap. Soon I will make stop for the lunch just so I can give you the reader a different option than just breakfast. 

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com

401 South Quintard Ave

Anniston, AL 36201

(256) 237-1411 

Betty's Logo

Alabama is one of those places that takes great pride in their own style of BBQ. Growing up in Florida I am a fan of sliced BBQ and not so much on the shredded. But the people at Betty’s Bar-B-Q do have a good product. On this particular day, I was craving a good meal. My lunch had been disappointing and I was hungry.

Betty's Sign

My server let me pick my table and left a card on the table telling me that her name is Shala. She stepped away to bring me a sweet tea that she recommended. The tea was good, not great though, little bit bitter. She asked me if I knew what I wanted and I told her I needed to look at the menu, but would love to start with some hushpuppies. She smiled and disappeared to put in my order. For the next few moments I sat there, and the next few minutes turned into close to 10 minutes and I was actually in the process of standing up to leave when I heard the cook yell “HUSHPUPPIES UP”! I decided to wait for a few more seconds. Shala came back to my table and dropped off 5 large hushpuppies and in her sweet southern drawl asked if I was ready to order. Being torn on 3 or 4 different items I went with the sampler platter. But I did have a little modification to the order. Instead of the catfish I asked if they would trade it for the special of the day which was chicken croquettes. Shala let me know that this would not be a problem. She left me with my hushpuppies and a bottle of BBQ sauce. The HPs were extremely dry on the inside and fried too long on the outside. Maybe it is a personal preference, but I do not like my HPs to be deep brown.

Hushpuppies

I sat there watching the weather channel with the volume off and waited for my sampler. When it got there it did look good. My disappointment started as I ate. The cornbread was so hard that I could not break it with my teeth. The okra was good, but cold. The chicken croquettes were also very good, but cold. The green beans were good and not cold but not hot. The shredded pork with the sauce already on the top of it was good, but cold. The item that was not cold was the one fresh chicken strip. They make the strips fresh each day and they are never frozen. Not only was the chicken strip hot, it was fantastic. When I visit Betty’s BBQ in the future I will be back specifically for the chicken strips.

Sampler Platter

Most of the items are very reasonably priced, with sandwiches in the 3 dollar range and the plates around 6. My hushpuppies order was under 1 dollar. The sampler platter was just over $10 and the tea was about 1.50. Even though I was not offered a dessert they claim that all of them are homemade, lemon, peanut butter, chocolate fudge pies and cobbler. They do have a special menu for both the kids and the seniors. The sign outside and on the back of the menu tells you that the home cooking meals change daily. Also they want you to know that they are ready from 4pm till gone. The staff of Betty’s Bar-B-Q encourage you to call for the daily specials. So, overall I was under impressed, but will go back if only for the chicken strips.

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com

Aspen’s Mountain Grill

5700 Hwy 354

Pine Mountain,GA 31822

(706) 663-2001

Aspen's Mountain Grill

One of the friendliest little towns that I have experienced, (in recent memory) is the small village of Pine Mountain, Georgia. While driving through I had the need for a good clean room and a meal. So, I put down my passenger window and asked a gentleman walking up to a local art gallery a couple of questions. First question was if he was either from the area or at least familiar with the town. He said yes…we are off to a good start. The next question was for a room for the night, maybe a bed and breakfast or something that is not a chain. When traveling I am trying to help the ‘little man’ if I can. This nice man started telling me the best options for me to stay and oh by the way, he wanted to make sure that he introduced himself to me and shake my hand so as not to be speaking to a stranger. We ought not talk to strangers ya know. After he directs me to the inn that I decide upon, he asks me if I am hungry. In his words ‘Have ya had a meal tonight?’, If not the place you should go to is just down the street on the corner named Aspen’s Mountain Grill. He also lets me know of the gallery opening as other events and things to do, but I am ready for a meal and a bed.

Cozy Fire

After I go and check into the country style motel a couple of miles out of town I make the drive back to Aspen’s Mountain Grill which is very close to the entrance to Callaway Gardens. This brings much tourism to the area, yet Pine Mountain is not a typical tourist town. There are no souvenir traps, Ripley’s, or trolley rides, just a good country town. As soon as I walk up the steps and into Aspen’s Mountain Grill I am greeted by a sweet young Georgia girl with the southern drawl that is slowly disappearing from the south. She grabs a menu and sits me next to the fireplace which is warm, inviting, and comforting for this rather cold December night. With the flames warming my back I look over the diverse menu. The menu is not too extensive but if you can’t find something to eat at Aspen’s Mountain Gill, I question your pickiness. With appetizers covering everything from chili, nachos, onion rings, sweet potato fries and the item I decided to try in the strange sounding but good collard greens, smoked turkey, and cream cheese dip. This is a creative item that Aspen’s Mountain Grill claims as their own. It is served in a large side dish with thick chunks of turkey, strips of collard greens, and cream cheese melted over it. Using the freshly made wonton chips to eat this I realize that this is the strangest combo but really good. For only $6.95 I was already impressed.

The rest of the menu will take you from salads that have either chicken, steak, or even lobster. All of the salads are over eight bucks each but look fantastic. Fearing that this could be a very expensive place I looked on into the menu and saw burgers and flat breads in the seven dollar range. This particular night I was more interested in a main course item or as the menu says Aspen’s Mountain Specialties. Under Aspen’s Specialties the options include steak tips, rib eye, pork chops, chicken fingers, trout, and the meal that peaked my interest is the seared shrimp and white cheddar grits. My meal was one of the more expensive items on the menu but with the range of items from $9.95 to $18.95 on the specialties menu, you do have a good list of options to satisfy most any palate. 

Shrimp Grits Meal

My server let me know that she was going to put my main order in just a little bit later so I was not sitting there with both my appetizer and my meal at the same time. This is a gift that few servers understand. So Nicole gets bonus points for that. It was almost the exact same time that I was finished with my last bite of the creative and flavorful dip that my meal was ready. If you have been to the low country of South Carolina then eating shrimp and grits is nothing new to you. However, this was a different dish than the shrimp and grits that you find in SC. According to the menu at Aspen’s the meal is served in a Cajun cream sauce. To me Cajun means a little bit of kick. Sort of a spice or something, but not in this meal. The shrimp and grits in S.C. feature a Tasso sauce that is fantastic but the Cajun sauce here does not match up. Now that I have totally degraded the meal I must let you know that it was good. I would recommend it to anyone and would order it again the next time I am there. It was just not what I expected from the description on the menu. My sides that I ordered were an extra side of the white cheddar grits and the sautéed mushrooms. The mushrooms were great and I actually put them in my shrimp and grits bowl. The side of grits I ate separately and did enjoy them very much with some salt and butter.

Store Front Window

Nicole was very good and kept my water filled and checked on me regularly. But, even though she was sweet and kind and attentive and all the wonderful things you look for in a server. There is an issue that I need to point out. After I had placed my order I overheard another server telling the table near me of the special of the night. I was not given this info or told about the homemade soup that was available. Also I decided to order a hot chocolate to go for my dessert. Nicole forgot to tell me that there was the option for desserts as well. Don’t get me wrong, she was great and knows how to wait on tables but there are a few things to tweak. All of the servers there were sweet and went out of their way to help everyone, even when a family that was ignoring the fact that the toddler that they had under the table was screaming and making things uncomfortable for everyone in there. One of the servers saw this as her way to make things better and went to pick up the little one. The family said ‘oh just let her carry on cause she does that’. This server knew that something had to be done, thank you oh random waitress. I do look forward to the next time that I am in the Pine Mountain, Georgia area and will stop into Aspen’s Mountain Grill again.

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com

3rd Street (A1A) & 9th Street South

Jacksonville Beach, Florida

(904)270-0080

www.thirdstreetdiner.com

3rd Street Diner

OPA! OPA! OPA!  Yeah! Sorry, I had just got into the Greek spirit. The 3rd Street Diner is a Greek influenced restaurant in the beaches area of Jacksonville, Florida. For years there has been a restaurant in this location either a Chinese place or as in the last few years the 3rd Street Diner. When these guys opened, they were a 24 hour diner, but now they are known as a late night diner. Now instead of around the clock they are opened till 2 am. They also offer a large menu of both American and Greek food, either for dine in or delivery.

Dining Room

On the day that we stopped in, neither one of us had been to the 3rd Street Diner before. This would be a new experience for the both of us. As we were seated we noticed the table was extremely uneven and would wobble back and forth to the point that drinks would spill. Rhonette had to take a small stack of napkins to wipe the old food off of her chair, and we needed the server to wipe down the table that had dried food on it. So the beginning of this visit is taking its toll and we are on very edge of getting up to leave and go to get tacos down the street. We really wanted to give another place a try and so we allowed this beginning flaw to slide for now.

After looking at this menu of 5 full pages and watching other’s food come out we are still at a bit of a loss of what to order. When our server comes we both just go with the first thing that we see on the menu at that time and hope for the best. My order was for the Chicken Rueben but instead of the French fries I asked if they would substitute the roasted Greek potato wedges, to which they were glad to accommodate. Our server took off to put in our order and we were still talking about the place in a manner of negativity. This will always happen to either someone who is writing a review or anyone who has an opinion. Notice it for yourself, the next time that you are with friends at a restaurant, if you start off with a bad experience you will look for every negative aspect of the rest of the time that you are at that place. 

Chicken Rueben

With this in mind we are hoping that we have not made a mistake by not going to the taco place down the street. We are glad we stayed; the 3rd Street Diner hit a home run with our meals. Typically I only talk about my meals in these reviews, but in this case I will mention that both my meal and the potato salad that Rhonette ordered was great. Let me start with the Chicken Ruben, the server gave me a small dish with the Russian dressing to put on the sandwich. This dressing was amazing, so amazing that I asked the waitress to tell me about the recipe that is a specialty of the chef on duty. It was the must have on the Chicken Ruben, and the flavor was so full and not overbearing. The roasted potatoes were in the Greek style, drenched in olive oil and spices on top. These potatoes are not listed on the main menu but on the Greek section near the back. Not having had the French fries at 3rd Street Diner I cannot tell you that you must get the roasted potatoes, but I will tell you that the next time that I am there that I will get the roasted potatoes. 

Rhonette's Potato Salad

If the Chicken Ruben for $8.95 is not your style then you can get a hot dog for $3.95, a club sandwich for under 9 bucks, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, salads, or if you want a seafood dinner they have the option of fried seafood dishes in the $15 range or even broiled selections for just a bit more. For those of you that have little ones, the 3rd Street Diner has several items on the kids menu including pancakes, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti with meatball and more. All the kids’ items include a soda or iced tea and they are willing to substitute fresh veggies for the French fries all for under five dollars.

Desserts

I will let you know that on the way out of the 3rd Street Diner I looked at the desserts that are almost all made on location. The items that are not made there are ordered directly from a bakery in New York. Also, I got a cannoli, typically I do not like a cannoli, however this one was calling my name and boy was it good. 

If you find yourself at the beaches of Jacksonville and are hungry I highly recommend 3rd Street Diner, it is worth the wait and the dirty tables.

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com