Liliana "rules make me nauseated" G.'s Profile

i first ate here 10 years ago and it was awesome.  i remember they had really good foul (a fava bean dip).  upon a more recent lunch visit, it appeared not much had changed.  the problem is, i've found better places to get lebanese.

i would only come here again if Karam http://www.yelp.com/bi...  was all booked up.  esp since they are right around the corner from one another.  Karam has way better hummus and a much more interesting menu.  not to mention friendlier wait staff.

allow me to drop some knowledge on the uninitiated:

tickets to the show are $3.  DID YOU HEAR ME I SAID THREE DOLLARS PEOPLE!!!

snacks are cheap, too.  i got a coke and medium popcorn for only $5. (you can get a beer instead of coke if you want)  the same thing at a big chain movie theater would be upwards of $9.  they have pizza, too, but i wasn't in the mood for that.

ultra-mega-bonus points for having nutritional yeast available at no cost.  now i can stop plotting how i'm going to sneak in my own.  also, they serve red vines.  none of that waxy twizzler b.s.

now, if only they had tacos...

when i moved into my SE apt, i got a ton of coupons for discounted carpet shampoos and window treatments.  i also got one from hammy's for a FREE large 1-topping pizza**.  free, people!  so despite numerous reports of meh from yelpers and friends alike, i decided to give it a go.

since the pizza was free, i decided to test out a couple of sides. here's what i ordered:  1 half cheese, half pepperoni pie ($17.50 value); 1 order of breadsticks($2.75); 1 order of buffalo wings($7).

the pizza wasn't the worst i've ever had, but it did look as though a mentally impaired lemur had applied the pepperoni.  the meat was sparse at best and extremely unevenly distributed.  some slices had 4-5 pieces while others had only one.  otherwise, it was your average, chewy crusted, mediocre pie.

the breadsticks were bizarre.  the dough was rolled so thin and unevenly that they resembled something like a cross between a flatbread and a crispy tortilla.  the marinara sauce they come with is identical to the one domino's served when i was a freshman in college and practically living off of twisty bread.  identical.  it was really trippy.

lastly, the wings.  these WERE the worst i've ever had, especially at $7 for a half-dozen.  covered in a spicy sauce that did not resemble any other buffalo sauce i've ever seen, they were not at all crispy.  the sauce was devoid of any flavor other than "hot."  the ranch dressing they came with was the one redeeming thing about the order.  it's housemade and full of garlicky goodness.

i def won't be ordering from here again.  it's the most expensive pizza delivery in my neighborhood and hammy's isn't winning any bonus points from me for being open late or for their supposed use of local ingredients.  the "free" factor combined with the yummy ranch is the only thing that saved hammy's from a 1-star review.  

**dear restaurant owners:  if you are going to bother printing a personalized coupon for free food, stuffing it in an envelope, applying postage, and sending it out, please also bother to include a menu.
kthxbye,
--me

If you love way over-priced, mediocre sushi and dealing with the parking and crowds of a glorified strip-mall, then this is the place for you.

somewhere inside, i knew my experience here would be less than stellar, but there just aren't that many "healthy" options at interstate exits after 9pm.

basically, as a last resort, this place is ok.  i mean the food is perfectly edible.  but if you have your choice of places to eat, i'd skip sinju.

i've already gushed enough about the venue so let me just add this:

best elite event, evar!  plentiful drinks and food + awesome servers + minimal wait for either = BUENO!!!!

thanks to the organizers.  keep up the good work!!!

if this place had skee-ball, it'd be perfect.  

awesome games, tons of pinball machines, etc.

word of caution:  the bathroom can be skeeeeetch.  i'm not a beer drinker so i tend to do my drinkin' and peein' elsewhere.

a 4-piece shrimp tempura roll for $7, really??

the quality of the food here is very good and the atmosphere is nice as well, but the portions are teeny and over-priced.

there was an absolutely fabulous flower arrangement in the ladies loo, though.

DISCLOSURE:  the chef is my cousin.  now ya know.

wow-  yummy desserts in bite size form!  it's like dessert tapas.  delivered to your party! (bonus!)
 
Be Sweet catered a baby shower i went to and it was fabulous!!
i always have trouble deciding what to get for dessert, so this was awesome for me 'cause i got to have a little of everything.  it was awesome for everyone else 'cause they didn't get my germs after i stuck my finger in the cake (my normal tasting method).  

another really cool thing about be sweet is all the super cute packaging is recycled.  that way all the calories are off-set by your keeping-it-green karma points.  that's how it works, right?

all i know is nothing makes me feel more like a lady than putting a whole cake in my mouth.  calm down, silly.  they're bite-sized remember?  jeesh.

WARNING: this gyro is so good you will be thinking about when to get your next one for days afterward. don't say i didn't warn you.

wow! where to begin??

what i ordered: 1 super lamb gyro ($7), 1 order of tzatziki ($3.50)
what i got: 1 pita stuffed with big pieces of yummy gyro meat, feta, lettuce, tomatoes, and tzatziki, 1 to go container brimming with delish tzatziki (as good as my own) and a sliced , grilled piece of pita, all of which looked WAY better and bigger in person than on the display board.

it was all super yummy in my tummy and the tzatziki plate was so big i had most of it to take home for later.

this place is your standard irish-american pub.

the drinks are strong and the fries are crispy.

however, i couldn't shake the feeling that there might be a secret meeting of the IRA going on in a back room or upstairs.  i'm not sure why, but it was a creepy feeling.

also they have a lot of cool, vintage guiness signs.