M SHack (Jacksonville, FL)

10281 Midtown Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32246

 

M Shack is new local upscale burger chain that currently has three locations in the Jacksonville area. I wanted to visit another location on a previous trip, as it gets raving reviews, but couldn't make it. Now I visit the location in an upscale outdoor mall in a rich suburb of Jacksonville. It has a range of signature burgers, sandwiches, salads, and hot dogs as well as shakes.

 

I get the Asian Burger ($6.99), which comes with spicy coleslaw and hoisin bbq glaze (I hold the pepper Jack cheese). It is medium grilled and has a nice, original flavor with a little kick to it. I also get a side of House Fries ($2.50), which are kind of thicker Burger King fries (with a coating) and very underwhelming. The small Banana Foster Shake ($4.25) is a combination of swirl ice cream and home-made bananas foster puree and is very thick and creamy. Tastes more like caramel than banana.

 

VERDICT: 86/100

Good burgers but underwhelming sides. Definitely didn’t live up to the hype.

Triple “D” Express Grill (The Vilages, FL)

 at the ground of The Villages SC in Summerfield, FL

 

Triple “D” Express Grill is a food truck that serves the area in and around The Villages in Florida - I visit it at a The Villages SC game. It serves burgers, hot dogs, bbq and pizza - which is a bit of a suspicious combination. I get a Hamburger ($5), which is a chunk of grounded beef grilled (and reheated, I think). It looks a bit sad but it is not bad and the bun, lettuce, tomato, and onion are fresh.

 

VERDICT: 83/100

Quite affordable decent old-American burger.

Tri-Country Seafood (Cordele, GA)

401 S Pecan St, Cordele, GA

 

 

Small restaurant next to a fresh seafood store that serves a wide variety of fish and seafood, mostly grilled and fried. They also have burgers etc.

 

As a starter I get the Gator Bites ($7). Gator tastes a bit like, you guessed it, chicken and I had gator bites before and liked them. But these Gator Bites are very chewy and almost uneatable. 

 

I then get the Grilled Catfish Sandwich ($7) with side of a slaw. The Grilled catfish is very underwhelming and it is not helped by the bland tartar sauce. The slaw looks funky and doesn't taste particularly good.

 

VERDICT: 70/100

Despite being connected to a seafood fresh market, I found the food very underwhelming.

CharBar Co (Hilton Head Island, SC)

33 Office Park Rd #213, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928

 

CharBarCo has the best burgers and sushi on Hilton Head Island, according to the various wards the won. It’s a pretty big restaurant (particularly the patio) that has an eclectic mix of food, from classic US sports bar to sushi rolls and bowls.

 

I eat here with my family, who tell me the salads and sushi are good. I go for the Dirty South Burger ($22.75), which allegedly made the Top 20 in the World Burger Championship. It is described as “signature beef blend topped with smoked pork belly, red onions, tomato, candied jalapeños, bourbon bbq sauce, on a toasted brioche bun (I hold the pimento cheese). I ask for medium and I actually get medium! The burger is overall really well done, even though it is not my combination of flavors (too sweet). The side of Hand Cut Chips is good as are the French Fries, which my sons eat (thin but potato-y). My wife and I share a Double Chocolate Milkshake ($7), which is thick and tasty (not too sweet).

 

VERDICT: 89/100

This is a good place to eat and to pig out. The burger was expensive but very good. Next time I would build my own though.

Street Meet American Tavern (Hilton Head Island, SC )

95 Mathews Dr., Suite #D11, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926

 

Street Meet American Tavern is basically a sports bar that is home to Ohioans on Hilton Head Island. It has the classic staples of the American sports bar and many of them have won local awards – including the hot dogs and chicken wings. They have inside and outside dining.

 

I get the Hoffmann’s Snappy Griller ($7) and add chili and jalapenos (+$1.50). The dog is imported from Syracuse, NY, and has a nice snap to it. The chili is amazing and the jalapeno fresh. All in all and excellent hot dog. The Wings ($8.50) are six meaty legs and wings but a bit dry and with too little buffalo sauce. The Basket of Fries ($6.50) is plentiful, my son and I don’t finish it, but they are essentially thicker Burger King fries – I don’t understand Americans fascinating with coated fries.

 

VERDICT: 80/100

A decent sports bar and if you choose well, you can eat well here.

Tremont Tavern (Chattanooga, TN)

1203 Hixson Pike, Chattanooga, TN 37405

 

The Tremont Tavern is a pub/sportsbar outside of downtown Chattanooga, which is famous for its food and particularly its burgers. It has a fairly usual menu for a pub/sportsbar and is cozy inside (also a local hangout for football/soccer fans).

 

I get the Dirty McCurdy Chicken Tenders ($10) to start. One order is five large but reasonably thin and moist and so tender, and perfectly crusted and seasoned tenders. Together with the delicious honey mustard sauce this is perfection!

The Jalapeño Jack Burger ($14.50) is an absolute beast. It is a big resh patty, perfectly grilled and so juicy, with fesh jalapeño, bacon, ancho Dessing, green-leaf lettuce, sliced tomato and red onion on big soft bun. I also get the house made chips ($3), which are also excellent.

 

VERDICT: 99/100

This is the real deal. Cozy pub with absolutely brilliant burgers and bar food. I have to come back!!!

Pho Ba Luu (Louisville, KY)

1019 E Main Street, Louisville, KY 40206-1840

 

Pho Ba Luu is a new hip Vietnamese “street food” place that serves most of the staples of Vietnamese restaurants in the US: bahn mie sandwiches, pho soups, spring rolls, etc. The setting is really nice and the people who work here are too.

 

I get the Vegetarian Spring Rolls ($5), which is a bit of a wrong choice, as I wanted the fried ones. They taste well though, even though I’m not a big fan of tofu, and the black bean sauce has a nice kick to it. The Bahn Mi Chicken ($9) comes on a big and quite dense baguette, which is too overpowering, and the chicken is cold. Overall, it is surprisingly disappointing.

 

VERDICT: 78/100

Maybe I choose wrong, but this place looks much better than it tastes.

Safier Mediterranean Deli (Louisville, KY)

641 S 4th St #2403, Louisville, KY 40202

 

Safier Mediterranean Deli is an unappealing small deli-restaurant that serves Mediterranean fare in downtown Louisville. I choose it over other appealing Mediterranean options in town as it had over 1,000 reviews and an average of 4.6 (out of 5). The menu is extensive and looks like that of a regular restaurant, even if they mostly do take-out.

 

I get the Mix Grill and a Humus Starter (total of $24). They are out of kafta so they give me extra shawarma. Doesn’t matter as everything is really bad. The chicken and beef kabobs are clearly reheated and still quite cold. Both are dry and chewy. The humus (prepackaged out of the fridge) is far too liquidy, not even creamy. Everything is so gross that I barely eat it.

 

VERDICT: 35/100

Maybe it tastes good when it is fresh, but this was both gross and expensive.

The Goodie Shack (Burnside, KY)

7744 US-27, Burnside, KY 42519

 

The Goodie Shack claims to have “the best hot dog in the world”, so I decided to stop and check whether they are right. It’s an old shack that serves classic US snacks and milkshakes in an old-school setting.

 

I order a Chili Dog ($3) and a Tenderloin Sandwich ($5.50). The Chili Dog is the wrong choice as the chili is watery. The dog is snappy and the bun nicely soft and chewy, so I think a regular dog is probably pretty good. To my surprise, the tenderloin is fried on the griddle, not deep fried, and it is thick and juicy. On a hamburger bun with lettuce, good mayonnaise, and a thick slice of tomato, this is an excellent sandwich.

 

VERDICT: 83/100

Decent hot dog place but the tenderloin is a winner. 

Wild Love Bakehouse (Knoxville, TN)

 1625 N Central St, Knoxville, TN 37917

 

Wild Love Bakehouseis a hipster coffee shop on the outskirts of downtown Knoxville. In addition to (hot) drinks it serves a host of homemade pastries and cookies.

 

The display looks like a nice French bakery. The pastries are expensive but big and of very high quality. 

 

The enormous Croissant ($3.75) is buttery and very crispy on the outside (seems a US thing), while the Kouign Amann ($3.75), caramelized sugar and croissant dough, is crispy and sweet. The Pain au Chocolat ($4.50) has real dark chocolate in it, while the Almond Croissant ($4.50) is the only pastry to slightly disappoint (almond paste is a bit underwhelming).

 

VERDICT: 89/100

Very good pastries that are big but expensive.