Andy "Mediavert" D.'s Profile

MOOYAH review

First impression:

MOOYAH is poised to be a cornerstone of William & Mary's relatively recent Tribe Square addition. Here, you can find burgers, shakes, and fries that are good, quick, and surprisingly inexpensive; the restaurant should be on your short list if you're in Williamsburg and hunting for a better burger.

Walk into MOOYAH at the northeast corner of Tribe Square (it's around the back, but there's plenty of parking) and you'll be surprised at how the franchise feels familiar to your current favorite burger place but at the same time, fresh and inviting. You'll queue up into a line right upon passing through the door where you can either fill out an order card or tell the cashier directly what you'd like for lunch or dinner.

Newcomers will likely want to order the MOOYAH burger with MOOYAH sauce, a pinkish mayonnaise-based sauce that adds a bit of a zip. Burgers are cooked right in front of you, making it clear that everything involved here is fresh and custom-made. There are also turkey and veggie burgers, as well as lettuce wraps instead of buns, for those looking for something out of the ordinary. There's a large assortment of milkshake flavors available to fit any particular variety of sweet tooth, and different sizes of regular or sweet potato fries can come with any order. (I did not note any onion rings on the menu, this reviewer's favorite burger accompaniment.)

Everything we tried was very good, with the fries (especially sweet potato) and milkshake made with Reese's sauce being the standouts. Mini-MOOYAH burgers, featuring smaller patties, seemed to feature a slightly off-kilter proportion of burger to bun, but I'd hold off saying more than that until a full-size one has been tried. At any rate, regardless of patty, the burger unit itself was delicious (and deliciously salty).

The interior here is warm and pleasant, with bright primary-colored walls and tubs of ketchup and mustard for effect. Most of the tables are standard-issue, with some longer bar-type ones in the back for bigger groups and occasional leather chairs set about for prime burger lounging. A chalkboard in the back corner was ideal for hangman, a tutoring session, or an analog version of "Angry Birds."

Best of all, the prices were great, too.  Two mini-MOOYAHs, a soda, a shake, and two orders of fries barely peeked past $20.00. With so many "better burger" experiences out there available for so much more money, it's great to see this Texas-based burger chain emphasizing a high-quality yet affordable experience for William & Mary students and Williamsburg residents and tourists alike.

Learned about this diner through Yelp -- appears to be quite the local tradition! Nevertheless, we felt plenty welcome as we dug into what ended up being great diner food. My current local favorite is Courtesy Diner, so I did note that the prices are a little higher here than there and in comparable locations, but as far as I'm concerned, this food was worth a bit extra.

I ordered the basics: Sausage, hash browns, and scrambled eggs. All very good, and my companions and I were pleased to note the food wasn't as greasy as it could have been and was just the right amount for a filling morning meal. The pancakes tasted good, too, and even the half omelet was falling off the plate -- a perfect picture after a long night of gambling at Harrah's.

One question, though: Is there a bathroom here? We didn't see one and felt too much like tourists to ask. I bet there's one in the back you can use in case of emergency, though.

Would come back!

Frankie G's did a great job of handling a big group of us the other night. I had never been before and didn't know what to expect, so was pleasantly surprised with good food, a fun atmosphere, and a great beer list.

Let's talk about the food first -- the chicken wings here are very good, not too greasy and spiced just right. I couldn't decide whether I liked the drummettes or the wings better, so figured they were both tied for first place. I tried one of their house burgers, which was cooked well and served marvelously sloppy, exactly right for late-night fare. A friend got a sausage sandwich of theirs which also received high marks. Prices were reasonable, too, with everything well under $10.00.

The atmosphere is nice, too, with an electronic jukebox pumping fun tunes all evening. There were plenty of St. Patrick's decorations already up, and the place was hopping. It also appeared that there was a semi-outdoor area (or at least a different place to sit) up in the front, in case you wanted slightly more private seating.

Drinks were good here. The mixed ones got good reviews from my co-eaters, and I took advantage of the fact they offered my neighbor Urban Chestnut's beers on tap and downed a Winged Nut and a Zwickel. That's good beer.

Looking forward to coming back!

I enjoy the Missouri History Museum. It's a place I'll recommend to guests if they're staying for about a week or so, or maybe even a day or two less, as I feel it falls squarely in the middle of what Forest Park has to offer. (I feel that the Zoo and Art Museum are the true crown jewels of the Park.)

I attended my first special exhibit at the History Museum just this past week -- the display on the Civil War in Missouri. I expected it to be a few display cases and certainly not worth the $8.00 or so entrance fee (but note, free for Missouri residents, etc. on Tuesday nights!) How wrong I was! The Civil War exhibit was an extensive journey through Missouri's role in the War, the extent of which I hadn't yet recognized. The exhibit combined both interesting stories and anecdotes from major players, as well as a holistic view of the entire event. Scattered among cases filled with artifacts and interesting placards to read were large interactive screens that allowed you to, say, cast your own vote in the election during which Abraham Lincoln ran for president. We were strapped for time, otherwise it would have taken a good handful of hours, or maybe even two visits, to enjoy this exhibit.

Beyond the Civil War exhibit, I enjoy the rest of the museum too. The gift shop is always a great source of trinkets and toys (TWA mugs!), the World's Fair exhibit on the main floor is a good introduction to St. Louis's role at the turn of the century, and the other St. Louis-themed ones up top can be enjoyable as well.

And let's not mention the great events the museum puts on, like the outdoor concerts throughout the year. These guys get a big high five for contributing to the culture of Forest Park and St. Louis in general.

This Einstein Bros. is located within Washington University's business school, likely a college-related franchise. They do good work here, considering they have very heavy traffic at certain predictable times; my friends and I have never waited for more than a few minutes to get our orders, no matter how long the line's been. I particularly enjoy the breakfast sandwiches here; for $5.00 or so you can get a delicious bagel (not New York style, though), egg, and bacon or sausage -- my mouth is watering just thinking about it. The coffee here is likely the best on campus, too; of particular interest to me is the rotating "handle" of coffee. It's been Melvyn's Dark Roast for most of the wintertime.

There's some seating here, but it can be both crowded and noisy, filled up with students going over their Econ 101 notes in panicked study sessions. You may be best off grabbing your bagel and coffee and taking it to one of WUSTL's picnic benches, the library, or like I do, the office.

I believe this location has only been here for a year or so. They're doing a great job. I'm not 100% sure, but I think since Einstein's constitutes on-campus dining, they don't take credit cards (only campus cards). Be forewarned!

First impression:

Brinco's is a brand new Tex-Mex joint located in the old (yet short-lived) Adobe Red's on Lindell in Midtown. It shares a building with Pappy's, reigning champion of the St. Louis barbecue scene, and Buffalo Brewing Company, one of the city's longstanding microbreweries, so you'd better bet a restaurant opening in this location means business. By first appearances, Brinco's does.

Enter the restaurant from Lindell or the relatively large lot in back and you may be surprised at the relatively small square footage of this restaurant, as I was, comfortably situated somewhere between taqueria to cantina size. There's a large number of comfy booths along the wall, a handful of seats at the bar, and some standalone tables in the middle, and the interior is illuminated in bright yet comforting neon and overhead halogen. A divider keeps the ruckus going down at the bar away from the family-friendly dining room seating, and a huge chalkboard advertises 3:00 - 6:00 PM Monday through Friday happy hour specials as well as the deal del dia.

When you're seated, you'll be given a bright basket of multicolor tortilla chips and some pretty good salsa to enjoy with them. The menu consists of a large number of entrees (but not an overwhelming number!) in the $6.00 - $12.00 range, so this restaurant is definitely at a different price point from the old Adobe Red's (and some of the most affordable Mexican within a good number of blocks). We ordered some queso dip (delightfully drooly) to accompany our chips, and selected orders of burritos fritas, enchiladas suizas, and steak fajitas as our entrees.

The food was just great. We were pleasantly surprised that the portion sizes weren't humongous -- you enter a restaurant like this and tend to expect a plate of near-inedible monstrosity, so it was great to chow down on Tex-Mex fare that I'd call relatively thoughtful. The fried burritos, one beef and one chicken, were just the right size, crispy and well-joined by refried beans and rice. The enchiladas came with an interesting sauce that almost tasted like mushrooms, and the fajitas appeared to be a sturdy take on a Tex-Mex favorite. We all enjoyed our food and remarked at the great prices. The margaritas were also quite solid, leading this reviewer to request a second.

We had a chance to briefly speak with the owner, who was very friendly, courteous, and fun. He made great menu recommendations, made sure we enjoyed our meal, and invited us to return soon, and we definitely plan to.

The Central West End and Midtown neighborhoods now enjoy several restaurants in a Mexican or latino vein: Tortillaria Mexican Kitchen, the new Diablitos, and now Brinco's. I'm happy to say this restaurant promises to hold its own as a fine destination both in its building and in its neighborhood. Welcome to Midtown, Brinco's!

I like Bottoms Up! This joint serves what I'd call Chicago-style deep dish in the East Coast tradition -- big 'ol pies loaded with sauce, cheese, and toppings. This particular location, like others have noted, is right below and beside a bunch of train tracks; I'm pretty sure this is the only location in the entire U.S. where three separate train lines intersect. As you can imagine, then, this is one loud location, but full of atmosphere.

We came here with a big group and I was pleasantly surprised at how the staff handled a large squad out of nowhere. They have plenty of seating in back and didn't seem to be fazed by having to handle more than a four-top. The waiters were polite and friendly.

I enjoyed a few slices of the "Karen Combo," one of the signature pizzas off their menu topped with spinach, ricotta, sausage, and onion. A large is $23, which may seem steep, but one of these things could easily feed three people. I forget how many slices were in the large, but 3 was just a little bit too much for me. It was really great pizza and the toppings hung together, and it didn't have that watery taste you sometimes get with real Chicago style. I'd get the same thing again.

If I find myself in Richmond again in the near future, I'd like to come back. I bet (and think I've heard) it's quite a scene here for dinner. Good stuff.

One of Williamsburg's (and William & Mary's, for that matter) somewhat undiscovered gems, the Muscarelle Museum of Art is a shining home for fine art in the Tidewater. Although you don't hear about it much on campus or in town, this museum attracts huge talent both in its directors as well as its featured artists.

Admission is inexpensive, and free for William & Mary students, so there's absolutely no excuse not to visit. They have a large gallery space on the first floor, some smaller space elsewhere on the floor, and up top they generally host the work of the feature artist. Staff is knowledgable, security friendly, and the atmosphere of the gallery is classy yet welcoming. They occasionally host other fine arts-related events here (e.g., brass quintet performances) that are also quite pleasant.

Whenever I visit Williamsburg, I try to catch the new exhibits in the Muscarelle if I have the time, and I'm never disappointed. And if you don't have time for a full visit, just drive by after sundown and enjoy that beautiful fluorescent light display, surely one of the most iconic sights on the William & Mary campus.

Just because ATL's a huge airport doesn't mean it's a great one, but no matter who you are, if you spend any time in the air at all, you'll eventually cross the path of this behemoth. Everything about Atlanta is consistent and predictable, which is a big plus: You know you'll be surrounded by a ton of people hurrying just about as fast as they can to make it from one terminal to the other -- an impossible feat without the help of the interterminal train. I'm always amused at the awkwardly situated large chairs at the different gates, as well as the automated trash compactor trash cans, two standouts at this airport.

Whenever I'm looking for a bite to eat, I hoof it down to the food court that contains the Rally's, the Popeyes, and several other locations. There's normally at least a counter spot to sit at and service is always quick and relatively friendly. People watching is fun here, too, as it's a real crowd that passes through this airport.

Delta Airlines and Atlanta have positioned themselves at the center of American low-cost flight. The reliability of this airport suggests they deserve it.

This McDonalds rocks. I've never encountered friendlier employees and customers of any fast food restaurant in St. Louis! I walked in the other day for some oatmeal and a coffee and everyone was nodding, smiling, tipping their hat at me -- this place deserves to be next to a Home Depot. I'm going to make it a point to come back next time I'm hungry on Hanley.

Lots of parking, too, and easy on/off access to the road. Just a good setup in general, here.