Oliver L.'s Profile

The food here tastes fine, but I consistently have concerns that they're serving us re-used/recycled rice.  The consistency is funny and has discolored "bits" in it.  Otherwise, their food is pretty good.  The main reason we come here is to order the soup dumplings.  Most of the time, the soup dumplings are great; however, often enough they make them incorrectly and they end up being overly starchy and not very soupy.  In comparison, I find Ya Ya Noodles' (in Montgomery) food in general to be more consistent and don't have the same concerns about being fed old food.  The service at Ya Ya is also far superior (i.e., faster and friendlier) and the clientele there is more diverse.  Expect to be treated curtly here.  However, with that curt treatment, expect slow service.  They also never check on you if you need anything (such as refills and such).

The only reason I'm really giving this place any stars at all is because of their soup dumplings.  The place is actually nice for a Chinese restaurant, but their service really sucks big time.

Good ole' fashioned and family friendly barber shop.  Bob cut my hair... he's an old school ex-navy barber with an eye for what the kids like.  He hooked me up with a nice high and tight cut I like to refer to as "The Intimidator".  He even still uses a straight razor!  Bob gets bonus points for making drink recommendations (e.g., bloody beer).

FYI, they have a sign out front that reads "Ethnics Welcome".  I found that amusing even though it makes absolutely no sense.

They're one of the few places in my area that delivers, so they get an extra star for that.  If I order from here, I stick to their gourmet pizzas like the Garden or the Mexican.  I've received some pies from here that were overcooked and burnt on the bottom.  Their subs are also "sub-par" and they're really stingy with the meat on their hot subs and cheese steaks.  Their appetizers are acceptable, but nothing great.  On a good day, this place could be great but they're just too inconsistent; however, I find myself ordering from them whenever I'm feeling too lazy and the weather is bad.

1 of the 2 great pizza places in the Route 206 Princeton-Montgomery area (the other being Rodolfo's in Skillman).  Consistently excellent pizza... my favorite is their Margherita; however, I like eating in (rather than take out) so that I can sample a couple different slices.  Also, they have the BEST wings in the area!  Perfectly crispy and served to your desired level of spiciness.  This is one of the few places that will actually give you hot, if that's what you ask for.  The owners are also very friendly and personable.  If they delivered to my neighborhood, I'd give them a perfect 5 stars.  For delivery, I have to resort to New World Pizza in Skillman which can sometimes be good, but they're too inconsistent.

Based on previous reviews, I thought the wings here would be something special.  I ordered the wings and they were small, dry (as in overcooked), and not spicy at all.  It was edible, but that's about it.  Well, at least it was cheap... so I guess it has that going for it.  I'm officially done with this place.  For the best wings in the area, I recommend Alfonso's on Route 206 (across from the Princeton Airport).

Though lacking in typical Jersey Shore charm, Pier Village (where McLoone's is located) is a nice change of pace when you're in the mood for something different.  The vibe is somewhat sterile and corporate relative to the rest of the Jersey Shore, but I could see how some people would really love it here.  Personally, I didn't love the crowd but I'll save that for a different review.

The view from McLoone's is beautiful and overlooks the beach.  Keep in mind, with that view comes a premium.  Still, I wouldn't consider their food overpriced for what you get.  You might recognize McLoone's from the ABC special "What Would You Do" that aired earlier this year.  The restaurant is very nice and clean and the hostesses and waitstaff were friendly and attentive.  We came in for lunch on a Saturday and were surprised to be seated immediately.  We ordered the baked brie and fish & chips... everything was great and came out fast.  We brought our 1-year-old daughter with us and they were very accommodating.  This is a great place for families.

OK, so it's not very palatial and it's located in a middle-of-nowhere strip mall; however, I've eaten here about a half-dozen times this summer and have enjoyed it every time.  As far as appetizers, the spicy seaweed salad is fantastic... I always order 2 of these for myself off the bat.  The sushi is made to order and very decent (better than Ichiban in Princeton).  Good luck getting exactly what you ordered, but it's all-you-can-eat so you can just order more.  Wasting sushi is frowned upon, but they don't charge you for leaving food on your plate.  I always order 2 ice creams for dessert too :)

Keep in mind, this is an all-you-can-eat sushi joint.  Given that context, the most important things to me would be that everything tastes good and that I don't get sick... check and check.  I've scarfed way too much sushi for my own good at this place and have yet to get even slightly sick.  Sure, I saw one of the waitresses try to kill a gnat with her bare hands; however, if you're so pretentious that something like that would really bother you, you probably wouldn't be eating all-you-can-eat sushi now, would you?.

I definitely prefer Sushi Palace over sushi buffets like Minado, etc... everything is made to order and I don't have to worry about how long something has been sitting out or if the person before me picked their nose or took a crap before handling the communal sushi tongs.  If you're in the mood to eat vast quantities of sushi, you can't go wrong with Sushi Palace.

This place has apparently been in business for over 15 years, but this was my first time trying it (and I grew up not too far away in Somerton).  It's located next to a seedy pawn shop on Route 1 (across from the Radisson), but whatever.  I went in on a random Tuesday afternoon in the summer and they had plenty of selection of both live and steamed blue crabs ranging in size from small (females) to humongous (males).  I bought a dozen of the steamed mid-size crabs ($3-$4 each), but they still seemed pretty huge to me.  The $8 crabs were truly GIGANTIC.  The steamed crabs were done with a very nice Old Bay-style seasoning... delicious!  I also picked up some of the garlic sauteed crabs which were small but excellent.  They have lots of other stuff on the menu that seems like it would be pretty good (e.g., crab wings, old bay fries, etc.), but I'm all about the crabs.  I'll be coming here regularly from now on... easily worth the nearly 1 hour drive from Princeton.

Good burgers and beers.  I drank the Winter Wonder and it kicked my ass... it really snuck up on me.  I describe their lunch menu as eclectic pub food - all very good.  Fine for families with kids during the day... at night, I imagine you see more of the corporate and hoity toity set.  There's also live music regularly.  The waitresses are attentive and friendly.  The space is large with a lot of exposed brick and artwork that can be purchased.

Mark is awesome - he's the friendliest barista ever.  They're open all the time, but like an earlier reviewer said, I only go when Mark is there.  The seasonal specials are always worth trying.  My favorite special is the honey maple green tea latte... good stuff.  I wish they'd add it to the menu permanently.  There's also plenty of indoor and outdoor seating.  I always stop here after lunch if I'm on Main Street.