Justin L.'s Profile
Date
Pearl Café has always come through for me. Whether I'm looking to stuff myself for dinner or get a cheap but filling lunch, the deliciously greasy Chinese food here has yet to disappoint. Their Pu Pu platter is overflowing with food, and the pork fried rice is about normal by most American-Chinese food standards. The General Gau's chicken is very good and served very hot, and when you get it as a lunch special, it's pretty cheap for the amount of food you receive. They have a fridge with water and soda and there's an informal seating area inside, though I normally order take-out. The service is quick and the staff is generally amiable.
Pearl Café gets four stars for all the deliciously full bellies it's provided me.
Pearl Café gets four stars for all the deliciously full bellies it's provided me.
Donut Star serves standard breakfast fare for pretty cheap prices, and the quality of the food is good, considering the low price. Hot chocolate, two big omelets, toast, and two slices of French toast came to $15 with tax and tip--not bad, not bad. Can't say much for the décor; the walls and stools were pretty dirty, but the tables were decently clean. The service was a bit off; after seating ourselves, our waitress kept rushing us to order... but then, inexplicably, never came back after bringing us our food, until we had to grab her to get the check... long after we finished eating. For a decent and cheap breakfast in North Grafton, Donut Star isn't bad, and gets a solid three stars.
Grafton Pizza is a great place to get inexpensive, tasty food in North Grafton. I've ordered take-out from Grafton Pizza a few times, and have been consistently pleased.
Their large pizzas are indeed large, and they apply their toppings liberally. The sauce on their meatball pizza is wonderful, and the ham they use on the Hawaiian pizza is soft, slightly sweet, and delicious. The crust of their pizza is markedly softer than I'm used to, but the lack of crispiness is made up for by the lightness and subtle floury goodness of how it tastes.
I've also tried their chef salad, which is brimming with meats, cheese, and vegetables--it could be a meal in and of itself! Additionally, their steak and cheese sub is suitably cheesy, with very tender meat and just enough peppers and onions to provide a good balance of flavor.
In terms of pricing, a large pizza runs about $10, though I tried ordering a half-Hawaiian, half-chicken pizza and it shot the price up to $15--I guess some toppings cost a lot more than others! The salads are a bargain considering how much they put on them.
Take-out was quick, with a large pizza ready in just about 15 minutes on a Wednesday night. If you're eating in, they have a pretty large dining area with the standard pizza shop formica tables and a TV that's usually playing that night's game. It's also a good place to find local promotional brochures, magazines, and newspapers.
The guys that work behind the counter are friendly and good-humored, and it's easy to strike up a conversation with them. My only gripe is that, like most establishments outside the eastern half of the state, they call their subs "grinders". Silly, silly...
If you're spending the night in, don't want to spend too much, and are looking for a tasty pizza, sub, or salad, Grafton Pizza is a great choice.
Their large pizzas are indeed large, and they apply their toppings liberally. The sauce on their meatball pizza is wonderful, and the ham they use on the Hawaiian pizza is soft, slightly sweet, and delicious. The crust of their pizza is markedly softer than I'm used to, but the lack of crispiness is made up for by the lightness and subtle floury goodness of how it tastes.
I've also tried their chef salad, which is brimming with meats, cheese, and vegetables--it could be a meal in and of itself! Additionally, their steak and cheese sub is suitably cheesy, with very tender meat and just enough peppers and onions to provide a good balance of flavor.
In terms of pricing, a large pizza runs about $10, though I tried ordering a half-Hawaiian, half-chicken pizza and it shot the price up to $15--I guess some toppings cost a lot more than others! The salads are a bargain considering how much they put on them.
Take-out was quick, with a large pizza ready in just about 15 minutes on a Wednesday night. If you're eating in, they have a pretty large dining area with the standard pizza shop formica tables and a TV that's usually playing that night's game. It's also a good place to find local promotional brochures, magazines, and newspapers.
The guys that work behind the counter are friendly and good-humored, and it's easy to strike up a conversation with them. My only gripe is that, like most establishments outside the eastern half of the state, they call their subs "grinders". Silly, silly...
If you're spending the night in, don't want to spend too much, and are looking for a tasty pizza, sub, or salad, Grafton Pizza is a great choice.
If you're looking for delicious Italian fare in Worcester, and don't mind running the risk of having an absentee server, Dino's is an excellent choice.
My girlfriend and I went to Dino's for a late dinner on a Friday night and found the large parking lot nearly full: a good sign! The place is easy to find, at the end of a residential street.
We hadn't called ahead and waited for about half an hour, at which point we were seated near the bar at a roomy table. The décor looks a bit dated, but is otherwise classy, with dark woods and low lighting. One gets the feel that it would make for a great scene in the movie "Anchorman". The one décor turn-off was the restaurant's phone, sitting on the bar, which rang on and off throughout our meal.
Our waitress was prompt to begin and immediately brought over a generous basket of bread, along with a plate of diced tomatoes, basil, onion, garlic, and olive oil. Delicious, and very welcome after a long, hungry wait downstairs! After taking our drink orders, she also brought me a rather flat glass of Coke. Neither of us got anything alcoholic, but there appears to be a full bar, as well as a fairly extensive wine list.
We found our waitress to be friendly. She took our orders (which included a garden salad or soup, as well as a side of pasta) and promptly came out with the salads, which were quite large for being included with the meal. The lettuce was crisp and the peppercorn dressing was delightful!
We were a bit rushed in finishing our salads; before we were done, the entrées were brought out. I had the Veal Soprano, which the menu describes as veal with "prosciutto, fontina cheese, and fresh sage in a sweet, light tomato sauce with leeks and diced tomatoes." It was fantastic! The veal was some of the most tender I have ever had, and the prosciutto with sauce was an excellent complement. The side of ziti that accompanied the dish, though, seemed overcooked and too tender; the sauce was also a bit watery. Naturally, I focused on the veal.
We lingered over a great meal, with very generous portions (my girlfriend ended up taking a good deal of her eggplant parmesan home). Then we just began, well, lingering. Our waitress had only checked on us once, near the beginning of our meal, and we had long since needed refills of our drinks. We suffered through the meal with nothing to drink and, after finishing our meals, waited for about 15 minutes before our waitress showed up at the table.
If not for the neglectful waitress, this restaurant would have gotten an easy four stars. Fantastic food, generous portions, reasonable prices ($40 for two, including tax and tip), ample parking, convenient location... and did I mention the great food?
Suggestions for Dino's: Work on mixing your soda, offer fresh ground pepper and shredded cheese with meals, move your phone out of the dining area, and make sure your waitstaff pays attention to your diners. Fix these four issues and you've got at least four stars!
My girlfriend and I went to Dino's for a late dinner on a Friday night and found the large parking lot nearly full: a good sign! The place is easy to find, at the end of a residential street.
We hadn't called ahead and waited for about half an hour, at which point we were seated near the bar at a roomy table. The décor looks a bit dated, but is otherwise classy, with dark woods and low lighting. One gets the feel that it would make for a great scene in the movie "Anchorman". The one décor turn-off was the restaurant's phone, sitting on the bar, which rang on and off throughout our meal.
Our waitress was prompt to begin and immediately brought over a generous basket of bread, along with a plate of diced tomatoes, basil, onion, garlic, and olive oil. Delicious, and very welcome after a long, hungry wait downstairs! After taking our drink orders, she also brought me a rather flat glass of Coke. Neither of us got anything alcoholic, but there appears to be a full bar, as well as a fairly extensive wine list.
We found our waitress to be friendly. She took our orders (which included a garden salad or soup, as well as a side of pasta) and promptly came out with the salads, which were quite large for being included with the meal. The lettuce was crisp and the peppercorn dressing was delightful!
We were a bit rushed in finishing our salads; before we were done, the entrées were brought out. I had the Veal Soprano, which the menu describes as veal with "prosciutto, fontina cheese, and fresh sage in a sweet, light tomato sauce with leeks and diced tomatoes." It was fantastic! The veal was some of the most tender I have ever had, and the prosciutto with sauce was an excellent complement. The side of ziti that accompanied the dish, though, seemed overcooked and too tender; the sauce was also a bit watery. Naturally, I focused on the veal.
We lingered over a great meal, with very generous portions (my girlfriend ended up taking a good deal of her eggplant parmesan home). Then we just began, well, lingering. Our waitress had only checked on us once, near the beginning of our meal, and we had long since needed refills of our drinks. We suffered through the meal with nothing to drink and, after finishing our meals, waited for about 15 minutes before our waitress showed up at the table.
If not for the neglectful waitress, this restaurant would have gotten an easy four stars. Fantastic food, generous portions, reasonable prices ($40 for two, including tax and tip), ample parking, convenient location... and did I mention the great food?
Suggestions for Dino's: Work on mixing your soda, offer fresh ground pepper and shredded cheese with meals, move your phone out of the dining area, and make sure your waitstaff pays attention to your diners. Fix these four issues and you've got at least four stars!
"Will Yelp for Food"
-
Rating Distribution
Loading...
- View more graphs »
Review votes:
4 Useful, 0 Funny, and 2 Cool
Compliments
Location
Austin, TX
Yelping SinceOctober 2009
My HometownAustin, TX
My Blog Or Website My Second Favorite Website
Friendly staff, late hours, reasonably priced, and with incredibly delicious, cheesy breadsticks! Six breadsticks, a large pizza, and two drinks came to around $17, which is pretty good. The pepperoni pizza was a bit greasy, but it was served hot and cheesy. The employees were also conversational and friendly.
I'd go back without hesitation!