Real Olive (Lawrenceville, GA)

755 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd #1710, Lawrenceville, GA 30043

 

Real Olive is a relatively new Mediterranean restaurant in a strip mall in Lawrenville, GA. Like many strip mall restaurants, it looks like a crossover between a fast food chain and a restaurant. The menu includes all staples of Mediterranean food: humus, shawarma, kebab, etc.

I order a small Humus ($5), a side of Chicken Shawarma meat ($5), and a Greek Salad ($7) -- because, for some reason, they could not make the Fattoosh Salad. The chicken shawarma tasted a bit more like rotisserie chicken than skewer chicken, but was still tasty, if at times a bit dry. The pita was big and fluffy, the humus smooth but a bit lemony. The Greek salad was ok, but chunky.

 

VERDICT: 86/100

A very decent Mediterranean restaurant for a strip mall.

Fightingtown Tavern (Blue Ridge, GA)

511 E Main Street, Blue Ridge, GA

 

Fightingtown Tavern is a hardrock “tavern” in the heart of the touristic town of Blue Ridge, GA, at the foot of the Appalachian mountains. It comes highly recommended online. Although it is the atmosphere that sets it apart, it is also known for its food, a slightly different take at staple US classics: burgers, wings, etc.

 

 

I get the Wings ($13) tossed in honey-siracha sauce. The wings are meaty and well prepared. The sauce is good but a bit weak in flavors.

My wife and I both get a burger. She builds her own -- bacon, grilled jalapeños, smoked Gouda ($14.50) -- while I get the Incubus ($13.50) and add bacon ($1). We both choose fries as the side. The burgers are almost charcoaled, despite me asking for medium and they making fun of people ordering well done. The burger was overall fairly pathetic — the Serrano rub and grilled jalapeños had little flavor or heat and the little bacon was as dry as the patty. The fries are enormous, very thick, and taste more baked than fried. We also got a side of Chipotle Slaw ($4.50), which was tiny and tasteless.

VERDICT: 78/100

Given the reviews, I’m willing to believe this was an off day, but how can anyone mess up their staple item, a burger (!), like this? I doubt the fries ever taste better. Very overrated.

Kabab-Je Rotisserie & Grille (Charlotte, NC)

7828-b Rea Rd, Charlotte, NC

 

Kebab-Je is a local chain with three locations in the Charlotte area. It serves the classics of Mediterranean and Lebanese cuisine in an in-between restaurant and fast food setting.

 

I get a Fattoush Salad ($5.95) and a Hummus (Chicken) Shawarma ($8.95). Both are on my table a minute after I ordered. The hummus is creamy and quite authentic, while the chicken shawarma is from the skewer, perfectly seasoned, and juicer and less dry than usual. The Fattoush is well seasoned but has a bit too much lettuce. Everything comes with a big fresh pita and I get another one when I’m 2/3 done with the first.

 

VERDICT: 92/100

This is excellent Lebanese food, which is affordable and tasty.

Arnold’s Homemade Famous Burgers (Greenwood, SC)

 1601-1611 Woodlawn Rd, Greenwood, SC

 

Arnold’s Homemade Famous Burgers is an old-school diner/snackbar attached to a gas station outside of Greenwood, SC. It has the regulars: burgers, hot dogs, fries, sandwiches. It also has a location in Anderson, SC.

I get a Bacon Hamburger plate ($7.50) and a Hot Dog ($1.99). The burgers comes with lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup and mayo. It’s pretty good for an old-school burger. The patty is fresh and the bacon crispy. The fries are potato-y but get saggy too fast. The Hot Dog comes with onions, mustard, and chili, which is more a tasty heap of ground meat. Still decent. The coleslaw is a bit tasteless.

VERDICT: 83/100

Arnold's is a good place if you fancy an old-school burger joint.

The Bridge (Reykjanesbær, Iceland)

 Aðalgata, Reykjanesbær, Iceland

 

The Bridge is the restaurant of the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel at Iceland’s international airport Keflavik. Like many Icelandic restaurants, which cater to tourists, they have fish and chips and burgers.

 

I get the Fish & Chips (~$16), which includes three medium-sized pieces of thinly batter and crispy fried cod, a big heap of fries, coleslaw, and homemade tartar sauce. While the fish is perfectly prepared, it does not have that much flavor and, more problematically, neither does the tartar sauce. The fries are thin and crispy. They have a bit of an aftertaste that suggest they were fried in olive oil. Tasty though. The coleslaw is underwhelming.

 

VERDICT: 84/100

Pretty good and not too pricey for an airport hotel in Iceland.

Gaeta Gelato (Reykjavik, Iceland)

Aðalstræti 6, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland

 

Gaeta Gelato is a fairly large gelato store in the heart of downtown Reykjavik, which  serves over 20 flavors of gelato as well as hot drinks. I get a regular cone (ISK 899 or $7) with lemon and hazelnut. Both are true gelato quality but a bit more creamy and less flavory than in Italy.

 

VERDICT: 90/100

Very good gelato for a non-Italian place.

Dirty Burgers & Ribs (Reykjavik, Iceland)

 

Dirty Burgers & Ribs is a local chain that offers burgers, ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, and sides. It has two regular locations in Reykjavik and at least one drive-thru at a gas station — which is the one I visit. I get a Pulled Pork Sandwich (ISK 1390 or ~$11). As the menu is only in Icelandic, I didn’t know there was cheese on it, but the thick slice is barely melted so I can peel it off. The brioche bun comes with a red cabbage slaw, some kind of sauce, and sweet and tender pulled pork. Not bad at all.

 

VERDICT: 83/100

A very decent pulled pork sandwich, particularly for a non-US fast food place.