Restaurant Review - Smoke Barbecue

A few weeks back I was in Timonium,MD and decided to Yelp something good to eat nearby. Snoke came up and I am a fan of barbecue so I decided to make the trip there and grab a bite to eat. The reviews were all pretty good so I figured it should be a decently safe bet.

First off I decided to order the half chicken with macaroni and cheese and baked beans, all of which are staples of the barbecue restaurant. The main dish, the chicken got rave reviews online but left me sorely disappointed. The breast area was extremely dry and the rub was bland and lacked salt. It really wasn't any good flavors with the chicken nor was there a large amount of smoky flavor. They also have home made barbecue sauces, but the sauces aren't on point. One was way too sweet and the other, a pineapple-jalapeno style kind of gets by on theory. There were chunks of both but they never seemed to have been put together and smoothed out to make a good sauce. It seems to be more for show than effectiveness.

The sides were another disappointment. I get that mac and cheese can be costly and that some ingredients might be cut back for cost, but this mac and cheese was almost all roux. I could taste the flower and once again it lacked salt. The idea of topping it with barbecue chips was a good one, but it didn't add anything at all. The beans were made with the too sweet barbecue sauce and weren't balanced.


I don't know what the good reviews for this restaurant were about. I get that they are known for bacon wrapped dates but one thing can't make a place be a success and Smoke seems to be more form over function. It looks cool and seems cool but the execution was severely lacking. You must use salt to make food, period. It's important and there was no flavor profiles to the food. Salt helps sweetness stand out when you want it. This just left me feeling so down afterward because I was really hungry.


Rating: 1/5

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Places - RG's Barbecue Cafe

So I have seen groupons for RG's for month's now and never purchased but while looking to find a pie 5 I drove past and made a note to come back and give the place a try. The reviews have all seemed to be good and I love a good BBQ joint, I mean who doesn't?

First thing the spot is small, and I don't mind that and enjoy the old school menu but I couldn't get a good handle on what to order. I mean are there just ribs or could I get my favorite, brisket? It wasn't readily easy to read so in the end, pressed for time I ordered a Pit Turkey sandwich and the jalapeno mac and cheese. Pit Turkey is something I also enjoy around these parts so I wasn't to disappointed to end up ordering it.

The turkey itself was fine, nothing great, nothing bad. I liked the grilled bun and the sauce was fine. So it was a good start but I have to knock major points for the macaroni and cheese. The sauce was way too runny and it wasn't cheesy enough. It was more of a spicy soup with too much heat to it and no other flavors. The noodles were even bland, like they hadn't been boiled with any salt at all. It was just a flat flavor profile and I didn't enjoy it at all.

Overall, the mac and cheese left a spicy and bad taste in my mouth about RG's. Now I might give them another shot and try to get brisket and some greens which are my other go-to's for evaluating a joint like this but I'm not interested in rushing back at this point.




Rating: 2/5

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Places - Burger Fi

This week's brand new lunch selection was a place called Burger Fi in the new Luarel Town Center. This burger joint has all of the modern claims to fame that are hip with the publiuc these days. Burgers made with fresh more natural if not all natural ingredients, quick but not fast service, and a dining area with exposed wood and aluminum accents.

The thing is I have never been to Shake Shack yet this place seems just like what I expect it to be, only less crowded. The menu board is simple with a regular burger being a little pricey because once you start adding cheese, bacon, specialties it can add up. Small fries are like most places now where you get them dumped in your bag and I had a 'concrete' which I had assumed was a trademarked kind of thing but I guess it isn't. Red Velvet, which was cake swirled with a cream cheese tasting custard.

The burger itself was just alright to me. Maybe it should be with the sauce they make to be at it's best but it really lacked a stand out characteristic. The bacon wasn't memorable either and for a company preaching sustainability, it seemed over done in the take out container which is made from recycled materials but seemed to much. The fries were fine, I like mine a little darker most times but I'm not going to complain about them.

The Red Velvet Concrete was definitely the best thing. The cake asn't too dry and it was a good mix of cake to custard. The custard was smooth and creamy and had good flavor. That one thing was worth it's cost. Overall though I wasn't feeling it very much. The prices aren't great so it isn't a value play, I get it, but for the price I need the flavors to pop and all of the elements to make their mark. Bacon should never be forgettable and the burger really underwhelmed me with the lack of any real flavor.

Rating: 2.5/5

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Places - the Fractured Prune

Doughnuts are just one of the many "new" rages these days with chefs and amateurs alike all taking the classic simple pastry and making them into something more. Locally, The Fractured Prune has been around for a while and the flagship is Ocean City's location. One just recently opened in the Owings Mills Town Center so I took the kids by to grab a taste (my son had never been) and check out the new place.

First of all it was crazy packed but it was the first day so it was what I expected, yet the wait didn't seem too long considering the quantities that people were ordering and it being the opening. The staff was courteous though it was easy to see they were tired. They managed to keep it moving however and the only hold up was waiting on the cake doughnuts to cook. You see the doughnuts are cooked fresh to order then dipped, tossed, and dribbled with the myriad of toppings that are offered.

They offer a great variety of ready designed specialties and as well you can pick out your own unique set of toppings which they will coat your treat with. The doughnut itself is a cake variety and is pretty tasty with just enough sweetness to give it it's own thing yet be a good canvas for other toppings. They did look a little bit dark but they weren't burnt at all.

Taking a look at some of our selections I chose the caramel and sea salt and it had a bit too much salt on it and they are huge blocks of salt so if ordering tell them to go light. Ocean sand is a staple and favorite of sweet glaze and cinnamon and sugar, nothing spectacular. The Banana cream pie was lacking the banana flavor and i thought the strawberry shortcake was cool.

Overall there is a lot to choose from and like and few flaws unless you don't like this kind of cake doughnut

Rating: 4/5

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Places - Blaze Pizza

There are so many new Quick Service Fast Casual Restaurants popping up all over the place it can be hard to keep up. One of the newest concepts you will see popping up everywhere is the on demand pizza model. I previously visited Pie 5 as one is close to me and the family enjoys it. For lunch this past week I visited another version of the idea, Blaze Pizza which is similar but it does definitely have some major differences.


First off the Blaze Pizza is bigger than the Pie 5 and where Pie 5 uses a dough that they have lined up in pans for baking in their conveyor belt oven, Blaze keeps the dough balls waiting until you arrive and press them right there. The ordering is little bit different as well, they have a variety of specialty pizzas and a make your own option which for the price and the variety can be beneficial if you can't make up your mind like me.  So you pick your toppings and they write them on the menu sheet which sits in front of them, which has to be helpful for prep, and put it into their more traditional style oven and it gets turned and cooked in under 5 minutes.

The one thing I have to say is that when it's crowded this area has to get hectic as the cook has to keep up and rotate the pizzas, this particular location in laurel could probably use more space between the oven and register from what I saw. Onto the pizza itself, I got two specialties put together, the Meat Lovers and White Pizza.

The ingredients are very fresh and it's amazing how much of that you can taste and tell. I did read reviews that the pepperonis didn't quite have enough spice to them and they were a bit mild maybe, but it could be from not aging and being processed as much as some other places. The sauce, while fresh had a lack of flavor, I mean it wasn't very tomato tasting nor was it really flavorful. They do offer a spicy red sauce as well so you might want to give that a try. The Meatballs on the meat lovers side were pretty good though.

The white pizza side the sauce was still slightly underwhelming. It could have used a little bit more salt and they sprinkle garlic over the top instead of having more of it in the sauce itself which would have been better so that it gets distributed more. It also has bacon on it which is cool but my preparer left off my arugula which I'm sure would have added some more contrast. it was fine though. My big issue is with a place like this the crust needs to be a star and it wasn't. It was very underwhelming and plain. I contrast with Pie 5 whose crust is very distinctive and worth eating on it's own this was the biggest disappointment for me.

Overall it wasn't a bad experience and the pizza isn't bad, it just doesn't make me scream out we have to go back. There are little tweaks they could make and the size and value are there for the price compared to pie 5 and so that is what makes it a more difficult decision, but if it's based on taste alone I'd choose Pie 5 personally. I almost forgot, I did get a heated SMore's cookie and it was good. I mean the cookie/cracker wasn't overly sweet but the entire composition was still tasty.






Rating: 3/5

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Places - Jasons Deli

Jasons Deli is a place I had never heard of before but apparently it's a decent sandwich, salad, and soup franchise that is growing and makes it's case on being healthy and a little bit upscale. They have plenty of unique sandwich offerings as well as a soup and salad bar which you can get and eat your fill of if you're dining in so that's cool.

Today I decided to have a salad, Caesar, with Salmon for my lunch. I took time to look at the menu well in advance because they have quite a few options overall. Now while waiting this location in Columbia got bogged down because they didn't really have enough staff on hand. It was just after major lunch time so they should have been better prepared for a large crowd. Then the menu complexity made things slow in the ordering phase and also when putting things together. They need to aim to be more like Panera and get a slightly larger staff.




My salad was a nice size and it also came with herb toast, which wasn't really as toasted as it could have been. It was alright, the herb flavors weren't my favorite but the bread was soft and tender so it was fine. The Salmon didn't look that appealing and it's obvious that it was microwaved. It was warm in the middle but the outside was colder and had the congealed fat that you get from a cooked piece of the fish. The greens were crisp, cheese was right and salty and the croutons were decent. The dressing wasn't really creamy enough for my liking when it says creamy. It was a hybrid between regular caesar and creamy and it wasn't bad but maybe a bit more garlic than I like to have without the creaminess to balance it out. It was a decent salad bt it didn't blow me away. The Salmon looks seasoned but didn't even have salt or pepper which are basics.

I think I will try Jason's Deli again to see how their sandwiches are. The salad was fine but not anything special and the ones at Panera Bread are much better.




Rating: 3/5

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Restaurant review The Burger Joint

Burgers have made a resurgence in popularity and there are always new burger style chains as we fall in love with classic Americana all over again. A stone's throw away from a Five Guys in Columbia, Maryland I decided to give this spot a try even though the Yelp reviews (you can follow me there too!) were a bit spotty. I took the chance anyway.

The Burger Joint is actually pretty small and simple in the design. The dining room had a few patrons there which was cool being as though it isn't that crowded which means people like to sit and eat in. But the walls were corny with popular 80's classic pop album covers on the walls. They weren't original sleeves, but reproductions specifically to go on the walls. It wouldn't be bad if they were original or unique but they were so generic and run of the mill it took away from the dining room to me. The menu is pretty decent and there are a good amount of options including specialties like their Ahi Tuna Burger. They also have milkshakes but at 4.99 each they are well on the high side of the price scale.




I ordered a regular cheeseburger with bacon and lettuce which I threw away because it was vanity that made me order it to begin with. They give you a buzzer like they use at the Olive Garden to let you know when your food is ready. It keeps them from yelling I guess. to the burger, I am a well done man and the burger was cooked perfectly. It was think and still juicy and fully cooked. The bacon was crispy but the bun oddly had a bunch of sesame seeds on only one side. The flavor was different. It was smoky like freshly grilled and thick. This is part of their appeal or niche, fresh ground burgers made from aged beef and grilled over an open flame, not flattened and fried like at a Five Guys or Wendys.

Looking at their website, starting in Philly, these burgers did remind me of the Philly Gourmet variety that you can get from the frozen food section at the market. I'm not generally a fan of these thick style burgers but this one, while having that consistency that I personally don't like, was good and flavorful. I could see easily how some might slather these up in steak sauce before eating. I also got cheddar on my burger but the flavor was drowned out by the burger though the applewood smoked bacon brought a good amount of saltiness to the meat.

I also got some fries and I wasn't impressed at first glance. They looked like thick frozen fries but they were actually cooked perfectly. I like crispy exteriors and these were almost like potato chip crispy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. Pretty much perfect.

Overall BGR, The Burger Joint is pretty good but for me the price was a bit high. The burger was good but not my favorite ever though the fries made up for any personal shortcomings I had with the sandwich itself.

Rating: 3/5

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Places - Cafe Rio Mexican Grill

Today I had lunch at Cafe Rio Mexican Grill. The Tex-Mex food trend has exploded in the past few years with Chipoltle, Baja Fresh, and California Tortilla all getting in on the trend in some fashion. Chipoltle is the most well known brand and in fact there is one right across from the Cafe Rio I visited.

The reviews were all pretty good and many made mention of the fresh tortillas, which I have to take is part of Cafe Rio's claims to fame. The decor is different from most of the other places because it is more crowded and 'themed'. Chipoltle is clean with a modern look but this place seemed a bit more 'stereotypical'. That seems to be the better word with the wooden posts and look of a faux hometown mexican eatery. The menu board is simple and easy to read and it looks like a little bit more than at a Chipoltle and definitely more than Qdoba.

I ended up getting the basic three taco plate, the price wasn't bad at all. I chose the Shredded chicken, fire grilled chicken, and the chilean roast beef. They also have pulled pork and marinated steak. The service is decent, they were kind of busy and when some one orders nachos or extra meat the staff says a little jingle. That could be annoying after a while. The meat is scooped out and out into the foil container and then placed on tortillas and heated. They have a comprehensive set of toppings for you to choose from.

The food tastes good and the reviews were right, the tortillas are flavorful and fresh. They are way better than any other Quick service tex-mex restaurant. Now the roast beef wasn't that good to me. It was roast beef but it was a bit mushy and didn't have enough flavor for me. It was also wet and made the tortilla soggy. The fire grilled chicken was decent and had some flavor and tasted good and fresh. My favorite however was the pulled chicken. It was moist, had a very good flavor, and wasn't covered up in flavors and spices that were extra. It was a great balance.

In totality I wasn't all of that wowed by the service, they were a bit  overwhelmed at first by the crowd and you could tell that the jingles were annoying to them, but the food was fresh tasting and good, especially the pulled chicken and tortillas.

Rating: 7/10

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Taste Test- Chick Fil A Grilled nuggets

Chick Fil-A is on a roll. Using the basic formula they have expanded up and down the east coast while keeping their menu simple. The newest addition is a 'grilled' lineup consisting of a filet and nuggets. The idea of grilled nuggets is kind of odd yet I was compelled to taste them.

The nuggets come in a small cup not the box like regular nuggets and have a great aroma to them. They literally smell just like a grill. Now I am aware chick fil a already had the chargrill line up but this new reworked formula is much better. The nuggets are moist but you need to get to them right away because they don't have breading to keep them from getting a bit slippery and almost but not quite slimy. Preferably, you would get a fork to eat this with. They are very flavorful and surprisingly good. The other good thing is when paired with the chick fil a barbecue sauce, the nuggets hold up with their flavor and really remind you of a cookout.

Overall ( From 1-10)

Rating: 8

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