Review: Hardee’s Hand-Breaded Chicken Sandwich

Hardee’s Promo Picture

First, a little background: I’ve had a special place in my heart (stomach?) for Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s since my days of living in California. There was a time in my early 20’s when dinner consisted of visiting my local CJ at least 5 nights a week, mostly because dinner was after midnight and the choice was them or Jack in the Crack. So, even though I was sick and tired of them for a while, I still have fond memories of their food and romanticize it more than it probably deserves.

That being said, I don’t normally eat at Hardee’s. I don’t know if it’s because I consider them a cheap knock-off of Carl’s Jr. (kind of like Blue Ribbon mayonnaise out West) or because of some other prejudice I might have, but the fact still remains: Hardee’s is never in the top 5 fast food restaurants I think about when I’m hungry. That’s about to change!

I had seen the commercials for this sandwich quite a few times, and having tried their hand-breaded chicken tenders before, I had contemplated giving this a try, too. WOW! My first impression of the sandwich was it’s size; at 313g, it’s huge compared to other fast food chicken sandwiches (Chick-fil-a Original Chicken Sandwich weighs 170g and Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich clocks in at 233g). The chicken was very crispy and had a wonderful crunch to the crust that you just don’t find in other sandwiches out there. It was also very juicy and not overly salty. As you would expect, it’s served on a sesame seed bun with mayo, iceberg lettuce, and tomato, and they actually complement the sandwich quite well. However, I do think that they could use a bit less mayo as it ended up making a mess when I ate it (kind of reminds me of the old Carl’s Jr. tag line: “If it doesn’t get all over the place, it doesn’t belong in your face!”).

All in all, one of the best chicken sandwiches out there and an extremely close second to Chick-fil-a’s original chicken sandwich ($2.79), which remains atop my list mostly due to value and the butteriness of their bun. Expect to pay around $3.99 for this sandwich or $6.49 for the combo (though there is a $1 off coupon on the website right now), which is a bit on the high side, but not unreasonable.

Grade:

Taste: 9.5/10
Value: 8.5/10
Would I eat it again? Oh, absolutely!!!

Hardee’s
Various locations
Hardees.com

Nutrition:

Carolina Pig Jig

Last weekend was the Carolina Pig Jig at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. Basically, for a $10 donation, you get to stuff your face with all the BBQ you can eat, and then some. The event started around 11am, but we didn’t get there until around 11:30am and found that it wasn’t as packed as it was last year (a good thing, if you ask me). I waited in line for 20 minutes last year just to get in but we were able to just walk right in this year.

The contestants are set up in a horseshoe, with some two or three tents set up in the middle, each packed with tables and chairs (people need a place to sit and eat, I guess). We grabbed our plates, sporks, and napkins and set off to try as much ‘cue as we could. Some of the competitors had ribs, brisket, chicken, or desserts, but I was there for the pig. I tried all but five locations last year, and was so stuffed that I couldn’t walk for a week, so I decided to take it easy this year and pick and choose the ones I thought looked the best. I probably only tried about half of the offerings, but that was enough for me. Honestly, the first place we visited (Rosebud Lodge #282) was the best, by a long shot! They offered two types of Eastern NC ‘Cue and they were both delicious! One was whole hog and the other was just the pork butt, if I’m not mistaken, and they were even so kind as to leave the skin in the mix, YUM!

I also had an opportunity to sample the offerings from the 2009 Grand Champion, Excelsior Lodge #21. I thought they had the best ‘cue, by far, last year, too, and even voted for them in the People’s Choice award. However, their ‘cue wasn’t as good this year as I remembered from last year. It was kind of bland and the skin mixed in with the meat was soggy and chewy. It had good flavor, and was probably top 5 in the competition, but it wasn’t far-and-away the best, as I thought it was last year.

It was a great event, one that I’ll definitely return to next year (it will be my third year in a row). Only next year, I will probably be eating this guy’s relative:

Weekend in Review – NYC Part II

As I stated in the first part, my wife and I took a short trip to NYC over a weekend. While there, we were able to try a few restaurants. We had both heard great things about The Spotted Pig in Greenwich Village and decided to give it a try.

The Spotted Pig

Not only is Mario Batali a partner in the restaurant (though he’s not the chef), but it was also named one of the 25 best hamburgers in America by Food & Wine Magazine. Due to this, we were led to believe that there would be a long wait for a table but I guess we were lucky (or the popularity of the restaurant is overstated), as we arrived around noon on Saturday and only waited about five minutes to be seated. The restaurant is quaint, with a small downstairs and a bit roomier upstairs (where our table was), but it doesn’t really feel as small as it looks. One downside to the limited space is that you have to sit in stools. If you’re like me, and you have a bad back, you might want to keep this in mind.  After looking over the menu, we both decided on the burger (which, to be honest, was decided the second we started walking towards the restaurant). The burger is cooked to temperature (a great thing coming from NC where all burgers must be cooked to death, according state law) over a grill, topped with Roquefort cheese and served on a toasted brioche bun with “shoestring” fries on the side. I love blue cheeses, but my wife cannot eat them because they’re a terrible migraine trigger for her. We asked the waitress if we could substitute cheddar for the Roquefort (after all, there was a grilled cheese on the menu that featured cheddar) but the waitress said no, we could not. Disappointed, we ordered one burger sans Roquefort.

First, the good: the burger was cooked to a perfect medium-rare, and the bun was nicely toasted but remained nice and soft. The meat was also packed tightly (though some might find this as a negative) and the seasonings didn’t interfere with the flavor of the meat. Also, the Roquefort cheese is a great complement to the meat. Secondly, the bad: the “shoestrings” are more like Potato Stix than fries. They just don’t have a soft, fluffy interior like a good french fry should. Don’t get me wrong, they’re not bad per se, but they shouldn’t be considered french fries. Finally, the ugly: Why won’t the kitchen do any substitutions, especially if it’s just the cheese? If you have the product on hand, why not make the customer happy? Also, what’s with the no mayo policy? I was given ketchup and dijon mustard, but God forbid I want to add mayonnaise to my burger or “fries”. It comes off as pretentious since it seems that they don’t allow customers to customize their food because “the chef knows best!”

All-in-all, it’s not a bad restaurant or experience. However, I don’t think I could put this burger in my top 5 (it’s definitely no Ray’s Hell Burger), nor do I think I’ll ever bother coming back. I just don’t think the burger is worth the hassle.

Rosa Mexicano

My wife and I had our first date at Rosa Mexicano in Washington, DC, and try to make it back on our anniversary whenever we can.  We just happened to be in NYC two weeks after our anniversary this year, so we made a reservation and delayed our annual dinner out until then.  While it’s true that RM hold a dear place in our hearts, we return because we like the food and the atmosphere.  On this occasion, we had one of the best waiters we’ve ever had, so that made our experience even that much better.

We started with an order of the guacamole, which is made fresh at your table, and served with two salsas: a tomatillo-based salsa and a smoky (chipotle?) red salsa.  It was perfect, and a great way to start our dinner.  After we licked the molcajete clean, we ordered our entrées; I chose to go with the Tablones (braised short ribs) while my wife ordered the Carne Asada tacos.  The short ribs are braised, then grilled, and served over a tomato and chipotle sauce and topped with slowly-cooked pepper strips and, as always, rice and beans are served on the side.  The rib meat is fork-tender and rich, with a deep beefy flavor that’s just what the Dr. ordered.  The beans were also very good, but I found the rice to be a bit undercooked for my taste.  No matter, with 18 ounces of beef and a guacamole appetizer, there was barely enough room for rice, anyway!

The Carne Asada tacos are grilled skirt steak, cooked to temperature, and served in a cast iron mini-skillet with melted cheese and a side of corn and the same salsas that were served with the guacamole.  The cheese was surprisingly mild, and doesn’t dominate the dish.  Instead, you actually get to taste all the ingredients together and the flavors balance well.  If I had to pick one thing that stood out, though, it would be the corn.  I could eat a bucket of it all by myself.

Needless to say, we were stuffed after our dinner.  I was ready to just ask for the check but I guess the waiter overheard our conversation about coming to RM every year for our anniversary because he brought us two glasses of champagne and a Tres Leches dessert.  The Tres Leches is served with fresh blackberries and strawberries, and topped with meringue.  I’m not much of a dessert person, but even I couldn’t stop eating it.  The cake was moist and flavorful, and the fresh berries added the perfect amount of bitterness and sweetness to the dish.  It was a great cap to an amazing dinner (and weekend)!

Weekend in Review – NYC Part I

My wife and I took a short trip to New York City this weekend for reasons other than pleasure, but we were able to sneak in a few good meals while we were there (hey, we’ve got to eat sometime, right?). We arrived on a Friday afternoon for a short three-day visit, anxious to try some of the restaurants we’ve been hearing/reading about lately. Our first stop was Empanada Mamas in Hell’s Kitchen.

Empanada Mamas

The restaurant is located on 9th Avenue, between 51st and 52nd streets in Midtown Manhattan. The first thing you notice (after you claw your way through the crowds standing outside the restaurant at dinnertime) is that it’s very cozy (i.e. small), but the atmosphere is quite electric. Expect to hear good Latin music (Salsa, Merengue, Reggaeton) over the speakers while you dine, but it’s not loud enough to interrupt your conversations. Our wait was a bit over an hour, having arrived around 9pm on a Friday, but it was well worth it! One of the best things about Empanada Mamas is that it’s like going to a Tapas restaurant; the empanadas are small (3-4 inches long), which means that you end up ordering 3 or 4 per person and sample quite a few. Our favorites were the Brazil (seasoned ground beef), Reggaeton (roast pork and piggeon-pea rice), and the incomparable Viagra (seafood). The latter was so good that we ended up ordering delivery from Empanada Mamas on Saturday evening just to satisfy our craving (I’m not kidding when I say that I dreamed about this empanada).

The smell and flavor of the Viagra empanada brought me back to my days in Puerto Rico. One of my favorite places in the world is (literally) a hole in the wall called Antojitos del Mar (Cravings from the Sea) in San Juan. I usually drive straight there from the airport, get my seafood empanada fix, then continue on to my father or grandmother’s house whenever I visit the island. The Empanada Mama’s version is as good as I can ever remember Antojitos being, so if you’re ever in Midtown Manhattan, make sure you take a few moments and stop by.

Lobster Place – Chelsea Market

We had a bit of time to kill on Saturday, so we decided to walk around Chelsea, SoHo, and Greenwich Village. Walking around really helps to work up an appetite, and we just happened to be walking around Chelsea Market when a hunger-attack snuck up on me so I decided to grab something at The Lobster Place. The first thing that jumped out at us was that you could buy a whole lobster (1.25 pounds) for $10! Plus, for an additional dollar, they would even steam it for you (now that’s a bargain!). However, I was not in the mood to get too messy, so I looked over the menu and settled on the Tarragon Shrimp Roll (sweet shrimp, fresh tarragon, capers, cornichons, parsley, chives & mayo). The sandwich is made fresh when you order it and served on a buttered-and-toasted lobster roll with a side of cole slaw, house-made potato chips, and a lemon wedge.

The shrimp roll was packed with shrimp and it was hard to eat it without a few of them jumping overboard. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, but I would’ve liked a little less mayo in my mix. The tarragon was noticeable and really went well with the shrimp, but I didn’t taste the capers or cornichons, to be honest. The potato chips were delicious and a perfect compliment to the shrimp roll. The cole slaw, on the other hand, actually tasted fishy so I didn’t eat it. All in all, the sandwich is a solid choice, and a great value at $7.95.

NY-Style Pizza in Durham: Randy’s Pizza

Two slices from Randy’s Pizza: one Pepperoni and one Meatball

Let us start with a philosophical question: what is New York-Style pizza? Ask 100 people and you will get 1001 answers, but I seek to boil it down to the basics. In my world, the New York style of pizza is represented by three main things: hand-tossed dough, sold by the slice or whole, and the slices are big enough that they need to be folded in half to eat. It’s that simple.

If I have one pet peeve about NY-Style pizza (outside of NY, that is), it’s that everyone seems to have an opinion as to which establishment is more “authentic,” or who makes the best representation of a NY pizza, regardless of where you live. Those that have visited/lived in NYC know that there are probably tens of thousands of pizza joints, and they vary from amazing to downright disgusting. The important thing to remember is that you’re arguing over personal preference and taste.

As far as I’m concerned, Randy’s Pizza, a local chain, makes great NY-Style pizza. The slices are huge (as you can tell from the picture), and the crust is thin without being cracker-thin. The edges can have a bit of chew to them, but I’ve come to expect that from NY-Style pizza, so I’m OK with it. As most places in NY do, they make a lot of cheese pizzas and then top your slice with your preferred toppings and re-heat it in the ovens when you order it (this helps to keep costs low, so I can appreciate that).

Randy’s will make a custom pie to order, and at around $12 (with coupon), you really can’t go wrong. But, the best value on the menu is their combo #1: two one-topping slices and a 22oz drink for $6.26 (plus tax); you can’t beat that with a Yankee-Autographed Bat! Be warned, the restaurant can be a bit overcrowded during the lunch time rush hours, but that just means that you get fresh pizza.

Grade:

Taste: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Would I eat it again? In a New York Minute!

Randy’s Pizza
Various locations
Randy’s Pizza RTP and Randy’s Pizza

Review: The Pit, Raleigh NC

The in-laws were in town for a few days so we decided to have lunch at The Pit in Raleigh. The Pit is owned/operated by Pitmaster Ed Mitchell, who is well-known around these parts and even beat Bobby Flay in a rib throwdown. If you’re lucky, you will even see Ed roaming around the restaurant, stopping to talk to people eating at his restaurant (he even gave me the “secret” to his ribs on one of my visits there). The restaurant is exactly what you wouldn’t expect from a place called “The Pit,” as the restaurant is clean, modern, well decorated, and appropriately lit. If you ask people in The Triangle area (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) for a recommendation on which Eastern North Carolina BBQ restaurant to visit, you will probably get quite a few of them that will suggest Allen and Sons, and quite a bit more that will tell you to avoid The Pit. Personally, I think The Pit gets a “bad” reputation because it’s “fancy.” Ask a person who complains about the Pit to tell you what they don’t like and you’re likely to hear the same thing: it’s too expensive or it’s not authentic (or both). But, even with it’s detractors, the restaurant is hugely popular and it was packed on our visit, with a 45-minute wait for a table at 1pm on a Saturday (reservations are suggested).

When it comes to BBQ, just because a place isn’t a pit, a joint, or a dive doesn’t mean that the food won’t taste good. My wife ordered the chopped BBQ plate for $7.99 (dinner price is $11.99), and it came with two sides, hush puppies and a biscuit. Sure, the dinner price is a bit more expensive than other places, but it’s not outrageous. For instance, a plate of ‘cue at Allen and Sons will run you $9.90, and it only comes with one side (fries or potato salad) and some hush puppies. The Pit gives you an extra side (plus a bigger selection of sides) and a biscuit for about $2 more, which I don’t consider anywhere near outrageous.

As for authenticity, The Pit is the only location in The Triangle that cooks the whole hog over wood/coals (most other locations use gas). Even Allen and Sons isn’t whole hog, as they only cook the shoulder. Whole hog BBQ is superior to any method that only cooks a part of the pig due to the combinations of flavors and textures that you only get when you mix in every part of the pig (belly, loin, ribs, ham, skin, etc.). So, for my money, it’s more authentic than all other BBQ restaurants I’ve tried here in The Triangle. Just to be clear, I love Allen and Sons, and I’m not picking on them; they’re my second choice when it comes to ‘cue. I’m merely trying to shoot down the erroneous ideas regarding The Pit, not bring down Allen and Sons in any way.

As for what we ordered on this visit, we started with the Vidalia Onion Rings as our appetizer. They were big, crispy, and oh-so-divine, with a wonderful black pepper flavor that went well with the crunch and the mustard remoulade they were served with. What I couldn’t taste was the sweetness that comes from a Vidalia onion and they might as well have been regular onions. If you like onion rings, you have to try these when you visit. Here’s a pic of the onion rings:

For my entrée, I decided to break from tradition and try the fried chicken (everyone else got the pork). Not that I think the chopped ‘cue isn’t great, nor is it that I didn’t feel like dealing with the ribs (that, by the way, are amazing so long as you order them unsauced and add the sauce yourself), but I just felt like I wanted something different (and I’m glad I ordered the chicken!). I received three pieces of chicken (one breast, two drumsticks), along with my two sides (mac and cheese and mashed potatoes), which was more than I was expecting. The breading was thick (just how I like it), and very crunchy, and the chicken remained moist and tender. I’m normally not a breast guy because I think they tend to dry out too quickly, but this one was perfect. And, for $7.99, you really can’t beat the price, either!

However, I do have one complaint: the dish is called Mother Mitchell’s Fried Chicken, which (in my mind) had me expecting chicken cooked in a cast iron skillet using lard or shortening. Now, I couldn’t tell if the chicken was cooked in lard or shortening, but I do know that it wasn’t cooked in a cast iron skillet, as the chicken was browned evenly, with no darker spots to be seen (chicken fried in a skillet will get darker where the chicken touches the pan). I don’t know if this is how Mother Mitchell used to cook her chicken (in a deep fryer), or if this was changed for the quickness/convenience of restaurant operations, but it was the one little thing that I wish were different.

Grade:

Taste: 9/10
Value: 9/10
Would I eat it again? It’s only my favorite Eastern NC BBQ restaurant!

The Pit
328 West Davie Street
Raleigh NC, 27601
919-890-4500
thepit-raleigh.com

Review: Papa Mojo’s Roadhouse

If you’re in Durham, NC, and you’re in the mood for a good Po Boy, make sure you stop by Papa Mojo’s Roadhouse on Route 55. Their fried shrimp Po Boy is the best one I’ve had, and that includes the ones I had all over New Orleans. The shrimp is barely breaded and it’s fried just long enough to crisp the breading and perfectly cook the shrimp (if I had to guess, I’d say the breading is a mixture of corn meal and flour). Adding a bit of Crystal hot sauce makes it that much more authentic and gives just enough cayenne flavor and heat to complement the ingredients.

I’ve also had their blackened shrimp, “yard bird” (chicken), and hanger steak Po Boys, all of which were very good to excellent, though I did find the potato salad to be a bit overdressed for my taste. The fries were crisp, thin, and wonderfully tasty, and the red beans and rice was flavorful, though I thought it lacked a bit of salt. I’m yet to try the cochon (pig) Po Boy because the fried shrimp is so good that I can’t bring myself to order anything else off the menu, but one of these days I will try it.

The location can be a bit hard to find, as they are in an “L” shaped strip mall and they’re right at the bend. The restaurant itself can be a bit dark inside, but it’s exactly what you would expect from a restaurant tucked away in the French Quarter. The wait staff is prompt and attentive, even when the place is packed, which is a big plus. They also serve Abita beer (local New Orleans brand), a great complement to anything “Nawlins.” I normally stop by for lunch, since I work right up the road, but they are also open for dinner and feature live music a few nights a week.

Now for the most important part: the prices. You can look at the menu online (see link below) and see that it’s not very expensive at all, especially for the quality and quantity of food that you get. I have a healthy appetite, but half a Po Boy and a side is more than enough for me (I don’t normally finish the side), so keep that in mind. If you want a whole Po Boy (a better value), I don’t think you will need a side. Expect to pay less than $10 a person for lunch or dinner, so long as you stick to the sandwiches and a side.

Grade:

Taste: 9.5/10
Value: 8.5/10
Would I eat it again? Every chance I get!

Papa Mojo’s Roadhouse
5410 Nc Highway 55 # Y
Durham, NC 27713
(919) 361-2222
papamojosroadhouse.com

Review: Jake’s Wayback Burgers

Jake’s Wayback Burgers is a chain that just opened a location close to where I work; they are known for fresh (i.e. never frozen), hand-formed patties and their hand-spun milkshakes. I’d heard quite a bit of buzz concerning the new burger joint in town so I decided to give it a try.

The location is quite small, with maybe a dozen two-person tables and four stools at a counter. A coworker and I went at lunchtime on a Friday and every seat in the house was occupied and there was a line of 8-9 people waiting to order. After waiting in line about 10 minutes, we finally reached the registers and placed our orders. I ordered the Jake Cheeseburger (two patties and American cheese) with onion rings and my coworker ordered the Jake Burger with fries, plus a couple of drinks. All burgers are served with lettuce, tomato, pickles, raw onions, ketchup, and mustard, plus you can add mayonnaise, grilled onions, mushrooms, and a few other toppings (I went with the included toppings but substituted grilled onions for the raw ones). We found a seat and waited for our food to be brought out to us.

The food came out rather quickly, maybe 5 minutes after ordering it (not bad for a cooked-to-order burger). The patties were about 2.5 ounces each, so the double-patty burger is definitely the way to go. The meat looked like it was smashed on the grill and had a nice crust on it (a definite plus!). To be totally honest, the burger tasted very similar to that of Five Guys, only a lot less greasy. The meat tasted fresh and it remained juicy, even though it was smashed on a griddle. The cheese was a great addition and didn’t overpower the meat one bit. It actually added a layer of flavor that I think is necessary in a burger. All told, it was a great burger and I’d definitely recommend it to any burger lover.

The fries, however, were a different story. They were stiff and undercooked, even though they just came out of the fryer, and you could tell they were bought frozen and not cut fresh at the store like Five Guys. I’m glad I got the onion rings (which were decent, but not great), because I don’t think I could’ve eaten more than five fries, to be honest. As a control experiment, I returned on a Wednesday afternoon with another co-worker and he ordered the fries (there were only four people inside on that day). I asked him what he thought and he said the same thing I just wrote: they tasted undercooked. My suggestion is to stick with the onion rings or no side at all.

The price was a bit steeper than I would expect. The total for my double cheeseburger, onion rings, and medium drink (plus tax) came to $9.68, or about $1.50 more than I normally pay at Char-Grill (my co-favorite fast food burger, tied with Only Burger). The bottom line: if you like Five Guys’ burgers then you will definitely like Jake’s.

Grade:

Taste: 8.5/10
Value: 7.5/10
Would I eat it again? Yes, if I don’t feel like driving to Char-Grill.

Jake’s Wayback Burgers
4104 Surles Court
Durham, NC 27703
(919) 474-9922
waybackburgers.com

New Addition: Toaster Oven

There is a new addition to the Dembellyfull kitchen: a toaster oven. We’ve been thinking about getting a new one to replace our almost three year old toaster oven for a while. The old one was good, and served us well, but it was time to upgrade to a bigger unit. We settled on the Breville BOV800XL 1800-Watt oven based on several online review sites and we couldn’t be happier with our choice.

We’ve only had the oven for a little over a week, but we’ve already used it for a few things and, I must say, it’s very impressive. It toasts bread evenly (unlike our old toaster oven that toasted the top nicely and the bottom unevenly), almost as good as using a regular slot toaster. I also tried baking some bread in it and the loaf was perfectly crisp all the way around instead of our usual burnt bottom and undercooked top. We also baked a pizza in it that ended up as good, if not better, than when baked in our regular oven (and without heating up the kitchen!).

The heat distribution is even throughout so you end up with great food fast. It also has a convection feature so you can roast/bake even faster. Since it’s just the two of us, I can see us using this toaster oven much more than our previous one. We might even use it instead of our regular oven.

Hint: Amazon sells a refurbished oven that carries the same warranty as a new one but costs about $100 less. I highly recommend looking into it instead.

Review: Firebirds Wood Fired Grill

(Sorry for the quality, but I used my iPhone to take the picture)

My wife and I recently dined at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill (website) so I thought I’d write up a quick review. It was our second time dining there in the past year (since we moved to Durham) and this experience was better than the first one.  I ordered their smoked chicken wings the first time and found them to be undercooked so I stayed away from them on this visit.

The restaurant is made to feel like you’re at a mountain lodge. It’s dimly lit, but not dark, with stone walls and a working fireplace. It was quite packed, even for a Friday evening, but we were seated quickly because we called ahead to put our names on the list.

The server was quick and professional. He greeted us nicely and offered assistance with any questions we might have. The bread came out quickly, too, and was still warm from the oven. We placed our orders and the food came out promptly. I ordered a chili-rubbed rib eye with Southwest au gratin potatoes, my wife had the 7 ounce bacon-wrapped filet with a baked potato.  We also decided to share a Firebirds BLT salad as our appetizer.

The salad was heavy and overdressed, so all I tasted was the dressing.  Next time I’ll order the dressing on the side.  My steak was cooked as I ordered (medium rare) and was very tender and flavorful. It was boldly seasoned, but not spicy by any means. You could also tell it was a good quality steak, with no nerve endings and no grissle, though it didn’t taste as if it were dry aged (they never claimed it was, though). The fillet was also well cooked (rare) and the bacon added just enough seasoning and flavor to keep it from being boring. I did not try the baked potato, but I didn’t think there was anything “southwest” about my au gratin side. It just tasted like regular au-gratin potatoes with tons and tons of cheddar (you could almost not taste the potato through the cheese) but I couldn’t taste or see any other ingredients, much less anything that would qualify as a southwest ingredient. If you love cheese (as I do), then you will like this side dish. As for the baked potato, we ordered the bacon and cheese on the side (the loaded baked potato includes them, as well as butter, sour cream, and chives), but they never arrived.

All in all, a very good dinner. If you’re looking for a steak in the $20-25 range, Firebirds should definitely be near the top of your list. I’d much rather go to Firebirds than Outback, Lone Star Steakhouse, Texas Roadhouse, or LongHorn Steak House.

Grade:

Taste: 7.5/10
Value: 7/10
Would I eat it again? Absolutely.