Eating Out in New Mexico

Albuquerque: Best Lee's, 7900 Carmel Ave NE #F, Phone (505) 798-0888 Recommended by locals, I had high expectations. I tried the chicken curry, which the waitress warned me three times was HOT!!! It was not. It was tasty, but it was not spicy at all. The others with us all enjoyed their meals. (4/2010)

Bien Shur Restaurant, Sandia Resort and Casino, 30 Rainbow Blvd. Phone (800) 526-9366 Denny's sister brought us here for our 25th anniversary dinner because she wanted a "dress up" occasion. The dress code is not enforced here; we saw golf outfits and jeans mixed in with the business casual attire that was mandated. Dinner was very good; I had the bison filet wrapped in bacon, Denny had regular filet mignon. The sides were a bit disppointing; we tried the creamed spinach and the white macaroni and cheese. Everything is ala carte here and expensive. The view of the desert and distant mountains is fabulous, especially at night. (4/2010)

Dion's, Paseo Del Norte @ Wyoming, Phone (505) 857-0100 Another local favorite with great salads and pizza. Nice decor and views at this location. (4/2010)

El Patron, 10551 Montgomery NE, Phone (505) 275-0223  Again we were treated to dinner by Denny's sister who samples a lot of the local restaurants.  Good margaritas, nicely spiced salsa and chips, Denny and I had the Baja fish tacos which were quite good while Connie enjoyed the chile rellenos. (06/2012) 

Flying Star, 8000 Paseo Del Norte, Phone (505) 923-4211 This is a local chain, serving sandwiches, pizza, salads and desserts. Highly favored by the locals of ABQ, there are several locations throughout the city; Denny and I ate at three of them and they were all good. Sandwiches are huge, plan to take half home. We had the NM burger, Denny's sister had the patty melt. Great desserts, too. (4/2010)

JJ's Pizza, 4711 Menaul, Phone (505) 883-6962 The pizza looked great, but we came here for the subs. All three of us had the Italian sub—yum. (4/2010)

Le Crepe Michel, 400 San Felipe St NW #C2, Phone (505) 242-1251 Located in Old Town, Le Crepe Michel is an old building hidden in a nook which makes it a little hard to find but worth the effort. I had the Crêpe a la Volaille:Chunks of chicken in a savory cream sauce with mushrooms and Madeira wine, Denny had the Crepe au Porc Dijonnaise; pork tenderloin with Dijon mustand, white wine and cream sauce, Connie had the Crepe au Boeuf Bourguignon. Dessert crepes were to die for. (4/2010) Pricey even by ABQ standards.

Pho Nguyen, 7202 Menaul NE, Phone (505)830-6554 Connie introduced us to Vietnamese cooking here and it was a good place to start.  I had the chicken lemongrass and loved it. But what drew my eye was the "pho" bowls at the next table; all three ladies there had huge steaming bowls of broth with multiple side dishes of veggies to add to the soup. Next time! (4/2010)

Range Cafe, 4401 Wyoming NE, Phone (505)293-2633 This place is so good we went back three different times for lunch. The Baja fish wrap, the pulled pork sandwich, the burgers, the fries, the Asian apple/cucumber slaw. Yum. It's all good. And nice kitchy decor to boot. (4/2010)

Sadie's of New Mexico, 6230 4th St NW, Phone (505) 796-6183 We had to wait an hour for a table and so I was expecting great things of this locals' favorite Mexican restaurant. And surprisingly, I was disappointed. It was very Americanized Tex-Mex. Perhaps they have just gotten too big for their kitchen but to me the food was overpriced for being mediocre Mexican. (4/2010)

Savory Fare, 7400 Montgomery NE, Phone (505) 884-8514  Denny's sister treated us to lunch here and it was delicious.  Connie and I had the green chile chicken soup and the spring roll while Denny had the chicken soup and the French dip. Yum!  Fresh, hot, nicely seasoned.  We'd go back.  (06/2012)

Cedar Crest: Cedar Point Grille, 12124 Hwy 14 N. Phone (505) 281-2534 Recommended by the staff at our campground, we stopped here for Sunday breakfast on Mother's Day. I was given a lovely carnation by a very pleasant and friendly waitress. Our Tijeras omelette was delicious, if a bit expensive. You can dine on the deck overlooking a small valley or inside where the walls are lined with the watercolor pastels and oils of a local artist who does exquisite work. (5/2007)

China Best, 12165 Hwy 14 N. Phone (505) 286-4898 Lunch here was relatively inexpensive and very good. We had a window side table looking out over the mountains. Very pleasant. (5/2007)

Deming: La Fonda Restaurant, 601 E. Pine St. (505) 546-0465 This restaurant has new owners so they don't have the liquor license transferred over yet. We had eaten here three years ago and the food was okay, nothing exciting. This time around in spite of being owned by a Hispanic family they have managed to make Mexican food that is absolutely tasteless. Stay away. (3/2006)

Si Senor, 200 E Pine St., Phone (575) 546-3938   We anticipated a good meal of Mexican food based on other reviews of this restaurant. Our salsa was piquant, the chips cold. My husband's chimichanga was not deep fried but served baked like a burrito--perhaps that's a simply a regional thing. However the ground beef in both his chimichanga and my taco were simply browned beef with no apparent seasoning and thus both were very bland. Our meals were served hot, the service was good but the meal itself was disappointing.(12/2011)

Gallup:  Earl's Restaurant, 1400 Hwy 66 E, Phone (505) 863-4201   Denny and I ate here twice; once for dinner and once for breakfast as we were leaving town. Located on Rt. 66 Earl's is pleasant inside, nothing fancy. There are indeed local Native Americans who stop by your table in what seemed to be a never ending stream but they weren't pushy and there was some lovely wares being offered.

For dinner I had the seafood platter; the tiny little crab cakes were excellent, the shrimp well cooked and the fish fresh tasting. Denny went for the fish and chips and we were both almost too full to eat our meal due to the selections of salads and fruits and desserts at the salad bar. Actually, we could have made a meal of the salad bar easily. The greens were fresh, the meal was hot and the fish well cooked. The cooked spinach was more or less out of a can, which brought back memories of home.

Breakfast for Denny was a very large serving of chicken fried steak, heavy on a flavorful gravy while I had the green chile omelet. Breakfast was good and I had lots of leftovers.

On the way out I purchased a SS necklace in a Navaho wedding basket pattern that was later admired by several jewelers in Santa Fe. The price was just too good to pass up. We would certainly eat here again and I'd bring more cash for the hand crafted items being sold both inside and outside of the restaurant.

Raton: Enchanted Grounds Espresso Bar, 111 Park Ave, Phone (575) 445-2219 One block off the main street in downtown Raton, this homey little espresso bar serves soup and sandwiches for lunch. Denny and I had the soup and sandwich special the first time we stopped in and it was so good we came back the next time we had our truck in the shop for its final repairs. The soups are homemade and the panini sandwiches are made as you watch. (4/2010)

Roswell:  Cattle Baron Steak & Seafood, 1113 N. Main St, Phone (505) 622-2465   Cattle Baron has a nice salad bar, serves a small loaf of hot bread with your meal, has reasonable wine prices by the glass and their prime rib was thick, tender and cooked just right. What more can you ask for?  (12/2011)

Santa Fe: Bobcat Bites, 418 Old Las Vegas Hwy, Phone (505) 983-5319  Here Denny had the New York strip, baked potato and cole slaw, Connie had the rib eye, baked potato and potato salad while I had the green chile cheeseburger and pasta salad.  The steaks were well seasoned, tender and moist, the burger was juicy and huge.  The pasta salad and cole slaw could have used a dose of apple cider vinegar--they were a bit bland.  Pricey but good. (06/2012)

Silver City:  Vicki's Eatery, 315 N Texas St, Phone (575) 388-5430  Denny and I had a late-ish lunch here after exploring downtown Silver City. He had the special sandwich of the day with corned beef and I ordered the "Vicki" which was grilled roast beef with green chiles. Both of us agreed that the sandwiches could have used the addition of some sort of spread or condiment. Our side dish was warm German potato salad which we anticipated, because that a staple at our family reunions in Ohio. Sadly, this version was a healthy one--lacking in bacon grease, sugar, sauteed onions and bacon all of which are necessary for good German potato salad. The salads we saw served at other tables looked very appetizing as an alternative. My raspberry iced tea came in a glass with a large crack in it that leaked all over the table. Pricey. (12/2011)

Eating Out in New Jersey

Atlantic City: Carmine's, 2801 Pacific Ave. Phone (609) 348-6737 Good food served family style and a la carte for salads, entree and desserts. And each salad, entree and dessert will easily serve four people and you'll still have leftovers. The price reflects the size of the portions, prepare yourself for a big bill. Excellent service, friendly staff. (9/2009)

Cape May Courthouse: Clary's Country Corner Restaurant, 2 W. Hereford Ave, Phone (609) 465-4361 We stopped here for lunch after exploring Cape May State Park as there had been a lot of cars here earlier. My fried flounder sandwich was just so-so, barely hot for something freshly cooked. Denny's reuben was just okay. I see a lot of great reviews online for their breakfasts, which is where their specialties lie. Plus we arrived just before they closed for the afternoon, which we didn't realize until we sat down and ordered. So the kitchen staff probably wasn't too careful with our order. We'd give this restaurant another shot and come for breakfast. (9/2009)

Galloway: Athenian Garden, 619 S. New York Rd. Phone (609) 748-1818 We had lunch here courtesy of some friends and we all had a very pleasant experience. The restaurant is located in a large, older home and decorated in a sunny, bright manner. Three of us had the gyros with the chicken avgolemono soup, Denny had the sausage, pepper and onion wrap with Manhattan clam chowder. It was all delicious. Our server was helpful in explaining the dishes, pronouncing them for us and smiling as we stumbled through our attempts at repeating what he said. For dessert, the four of us split a serving of ek mek—delightful! Reasonable for the area. (8/2011)

Romanelli's Garden Cafe, 279 S. New York Rd. Phone (609) 652-0179 Lovely interior, gracious and friendly staff, a nice breakfast. Excellent bread pudding with whiskey sauce and tasty bacon topped apple muffin which was more like a cupcake. If we go back to the area, we'd try an evening meal.

Leeds: Oyster Creek Inn, 41 N. Oyster Creek Rd. Phone (609) 652-8565 There are two separate sections of this restaurant; the crab Shack and the dining room section. Each has its own menu and you can't sit in the Crab Shack and order off the dining room menu or vice versa. And there is only one check per table—house rules. That out of the way, the food is good, albeit pricey. If you sit in the Crab Shack you have a view of the marshes and birds and on Friday night there is live entertainment. There are also picnic tables on the deck should you want to eat out in the open rather than the screened Crab Shack. Our waitress was a bit surly and abrupt but we didn't allow it to ruin our meal. The Crab Norfolk is very good and a nice way for a beginning crab eater like me to enjoy crab without having the mess of trying to dig out the meal from the shell myself. Denny's fish sandwich was good also. (8/2011)

Old Bridge: The Pine Tavern, 151 Rt. 34 N, Phone (732) 727-5060 Denny's cousin recommended this one and we were disappointed in the quality of the prime rib we both had--it was tough and chewy although it had a very good flavor. The steamed spinach was good, but the waitress (or the cook) got all three orders wrong. I don't think we'd do this one again, but maybe they were just having a bad night. Pricey. (9/2009)

Parlin: Santinos Ristorante and Pizzeria, 499 Ernston Rd. (also shows up as Sayreville, NJ) Phone (732) 721-3163 Tasty Italian subs (hoagies). Once we arrived to pick up our order, I almost wished we had ordered pizza--what they had out at lunchtime looked and smelled wonderful. It was the first time I saw pizzas with calamari and pasta as ingredients. (9/2009)

Seaside Park: Berkley's Fish Market and Restaurant, 24th & Central, Phone (732) 793-0400 A nice view of the Barnegat Bay while you're dining on the second floor. Nice Jimmy Buffet style decor, great fried flounder sandwiches and nice staff. Just outside of Island Beach State Park with miles of beach (shore if you live in NJ) and a few geocaches. (9/2009)

Eating Out in Nevada

 Las Vegas:  Four Kegs Sports Pub, 276 North Jones Blvd, Phone (702) 870-0255  Knowing the pub was featured on Triple D and having just arrived in town we decided to give the stromboli a try. So glad we did! My husband and I split an ordered of the breaded mushrooms with the house made ranch dressing and then split a large original stromboli with a side of marinara sauce. The waitress was kind enough to leave the pitcher of iced tea at our table as it was over 100 degrees and we were already a bit dehydrated. Great food, great staff in a funky little sports bar--a nice welcome to town!

Pahrump: Charleston Pizza, 1480 Charleston Park Ave. Phone (775) 751-0700 Ask the locals for the best place for pizza and here is where they'll send you. Carry out or delivery only, but they make a good pizza and tasty Buffalo wings. (4/2007)

Romero's Restaurant, 290 Humahuaca St., Phone (775) 537-1800 So-so Mexican food, which was surprising for a family run restaurant, but reasonably priced (3/2005)

Silver Spur Restaurant (inside Saddle West Casino) 1220 S. Hwy 160, Phone (800) 433-3987 We hit this one for the Sunday breakfast. The first time we ordered off the menu, and the second time we went for the buffet. Good food reasonably priced. (4/2005) Edited 5/2007: Still good.

Reno:  Gold N Silver Inn, 790 W 4th St, Phone (775) 323-2696  There are times I check the Food Network web page to see if there are any restaurants in the area we're visiting that have been spotlighted on one of their programs. The Gold 'N Silver Inn had been on and highlighted the restaurant's tri tip sandwich with Mahogany sauce so that's what I tried. My husband ordered the chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes and we both had the side salads. Right off the bat I'll say that I really have come to dislike salads that are simply a plate full of torn up iceberg lettuce and that's what these were. Plus the blue cheese salad dressing didn't have one speck of blue cheese in it. My tri-tip sandwich was really good, but my husband's chicken fried steak was pan fried instead of deep fried and the mashed potatoes were gluey. For a restaurant that was featured on a national television show, we were disappointed. 

The Blind Onion, 3605 Kings Row, Phone (775) 747-7744    Hungry for pizza on our first night in a new to us town, I checked Trip Advisor for local pizza parlors. Intrigued by the mention of dipping the pizza crust in honey, my husband and I stopped by for salads and pizza. The salads contained no iceberg lettuce at all; they were all a variety of fresh greens and veggies and we loved them. The General's pizza was great and we thoroughly enjoyed the honey with the braided edge of the pizza crust; it was a bit like having dessert after eating the pizza. The service was fast, the staff was friendly. We'd definitely return the next time we're in the area.

Eating Out in Montana

Coram: Glacier Grill and Pizza, 10126 E. Hwy 2, Phone (406) 387-4223 Good hand tossed pizza, breaded mushrooms and breakfast. Friendly staff, alcohol available, beer on tap. (7/2010)

Crow Agency: Custer Battlefield Trading Post and Cafe, I-90 Exit 510, Phone (406) 638-2270 Breakfast here was decent; my omelet was a bit overcooked (I hate eggs cooked brown), but a lady at the next table shared her huge piece of fry bread which was very good. Lots to look at while you are waiting for your breakfast, outdoor seating is available in nice weather for some terrific views. (6/2010)

Olney: Point of Rocks Restaurant, 10035 Hwy 93 N, Phone (406) 881-2752 It looks and feels like a road house but their prime rib is some of the best we've had in a while. Dinner included soup or salad, cheese toast, choice of potato or rice and ended with a sundae, included. Reasonable, good food, generous pour of wine. Fortunately it's on our way to visit friends, so we look forward to going back there. (7/2010)

Polebridge: PolebridgeMerchantile, 265 Polebridge Loop, Phone (406) 888-5105 The most wonderful bakery located 25 miles from the west entrance of Glacier National Park. Montana coffee to go with it, or a variety of unusual flavors of soda and sandwiches we didn't know about until reading about them after we had left. Sit on a tree stump on the front porch and enjoy your Danish while it is still warm from the oven. Worth the drive. (7/2010)

W. Yellowstone: The Gusher Pizza, 40 Dunraven, Phone (406) 646-9050 We asked a local resident for the best pizza place in town and this is what he recommended. It was okay and incredibly expensive, but this is a high tourist area. We didn't get what we asked for either, as many of the employees were foreign exchange students with a limited grasp of English. (9/2005) 

 

White Sulphur Springs: The Branding Iron, 307 3^rd Ave SW, Phone (406) 547-3894 Denny chose the hot shot, I had the 4 wedges of pollock. The beef in Denny's hot shot was tender and flavorful, the corn was cooked to death, my fish was on the edge of being too old and the salad was bagged iceberg lettuce. The man behind us raved about his hot fudge sundae, wish I had gotten that. (6/2010)

Corner Stone Deli, 11 E. Main St. Phone (406) 547-2513 Wonderful broasted chicken wings, great create-it-yourself sandwiches (mine was turkey and roast beef with mayo, horseradish, lettuce and tomato on ciabatta bread), excellent sweet potato fries and homemade purple potato chips. The staff will work with you if you have allergies; peanut butter is sunflower seed butter instead. We highly recommend this little place. (7/2010)

Dori's Cafe, 112 E. Main St., Phone (406) 547-2280 We had breakfast here—my omelet and Denny's fried eggs were overcooked, the hash browns were nice and crispy and you had to pay 75 cents extra for rye toast, English muffins or a biscuit. If you like eating while surrounded by dead animals, this is the place to go. (7/2010)

Eating Out in Missouri

Branson: Billy Gail's Cafe, 5291 Hwy 265, Phone (417) 338-8883 Touted as the best breakfast in the 417 area code and attracted by the rustic log cabin exterior and crowded parking lot, Denny and I thought we'd come to the right place for breakfast. We were wrong. The scrambled eggs were flat as an omelet and dry, the mini-stack of pancakes was one huge paper thin pancake that hung over the edge of the plate and was as tough and rubbery as an old boot. Denny had a bowl of scrambled eggs mixed with sausage, hashbrowns and cheese which he said was just okay as was his biscuit. We were extremely disappointed, especially having driven a long way from our campground just to eat there. Maybe I am simply a food snob as my friend Vicki called me recently. Whatever—I surely didn't enjoy my breakfast. Cash or personal check only, no credit cards. (4/2011)

Farmhouse Restaurant, 119 W. Main St, Phone (417) 334-9701 Situated in the heart of downtown Branson, you can eat here and then wander the shops to your heart's delight. Denny and I stopped for lunch where we both had the pork tenderloin sandwich with the soup and salad bar. The soup of the day was ham and bean soup, which was tasty although the heating element apparently was turned down too low because the soup was barely warm. The port tenderloin was big enough that I cut off half of the meat and took it home to have a second sandwich. Fresh lettuce with a good variety of greens in the salad bar, but no blue cheese dressing. Try the apple cider dressing instead. We'll probably go back to try them out for breakfast this week. (4/2011)

Hermann: Lyndee's Restaurant, 911 South Market, Phone (573) 486-5923 The waitress asked me to repeat myself five times on my order. Literally. That should have been my first clue as to what to expect. This is a tiny restaurant/lounge on the main street of town. Tired booths, ripped stools at the bar, one cook, one waitress at lunch time/early afternoon. Denny ordered a Reuben which came with German potato salad and an appetizer of breaded mushrooms. I ordered a pork tenderloin sandwich and that's all that I got. Nothing else came with the sandwich, everything was a la carte. Denny's Reuben was pan fried in butter, my pork tenderloin was as tough and tasteless as shoe leather. The first breaded mushroom I ate still had ice crystals inside. The waitress never checked on us until both our glasses of iced tea were totally empty and sat empty for a while. Not recommended. At all. (4/2011)

Owensville: Carty's Chicken Shack, 206 S. 1^st St, Phone (573) 437-4020 Our intent was to eat at J N Ls Deli, but they weren't open for a Sunday brunch buffet as stated on their website so as we were driving through town Denny spotted folks sitting in the Chicken Shack so we decided to try it for breakfast. Here we both had good meals; Denny his usual chicken fried steak (white gravy, not sausage gravy) with fried eggs and hash browns, me a Western omelet. Your toast choice is white or wheat, both of which are sandwich bread loafs, but the bread was actually toasted and not just slapped on the grill for a moment. The total with water and orange juice for Denny was a little over $13.00. Service was a bit slow but it gave us a chance to listen to the locals. (4/2011)

Creek Side Cafe, 2334 Highway ZZ (inside the grounds of Lost Valley Lake Resort) Phone (573) 764-2012. Denny and I shared the fried green bean appetizer (good) and both of us ordered the pulled pork sandwiches with the hand cut french fries. Huge orders, so we took some home. We also tried the caramel apple bread pudding, which was different and fine, but not a good bread pudding. Reasonable. (4/2011)

Ozark: Lambert's Cafe,1800 West State Highway J, Phone (417) 581-7655 We love Lambert's Cafe and now we've visited all three locations. The food is always good, freshly cooked and hot and we love to catch the "throwed rolls" and slather them with butter and sorghum. It's good-bye Atkins, when we eat at Lambert's. Cash or personal checks only. (5/2007)