Lee G.'s Profile
DateWesley Chapel, FL 33544
(813) 907-9124
Wolfs Den Restaurant
Category:
Breakfast & Brunch
Granite Falls, NC 28630
(828) 728-8884
Hog Wild Bar-B-Que
Category:
Barbeque
I hadn't planned to visit this joint but I'm glad I did. Was in town for a funeral which took place over the lunch hour. I was starving and driving up and down the roads looking for something to eat. Then, out of nowhere, God delivered a barbecue restaurant, almost on the banks of the great Catawba River. It was divine barbecue intervention. Like the angles came down from heaven saying "here is Q for your bereaved and hungry self. Enjoy my child."
I literally had minutes to devour my food because of my tight schedule. No time to look over the menu much, so I just ordered a chopped pork sandwich. It was gone in 60 seconds. When you're hungry, any Q tastes good, and this one was no exception. The meat itself tasted almost like eastern NC style. Seems like they mixed it with a touch of vinegar in the kitchen but not too much. Just enough to keep the finely chopped Q moist. I didn't taste any smoke flavor. If there was, it was faint.
The sauce was similar to Lexington style. It was red vinegar sauce with more heat that I expected. It went well with the sandwich. They also have two other sauces that I didn't care for and frankly took away from the experience. NC Q joints shouldn't offer tons of sauce. But that's just me.
The service was friendly and the food came out fast. I wish I could have tried more but I was impressed otherwise. The decor was also cool. I appreciated the personally autographed pictures of Roscoe P Coltrane, Daisey Duke and Enos Strate. Yeah, Bo and Luke would have rounded out the collection. Oh well.
They'd get four stars if I tasted smoke. But don't let my three stars keep you from this place. It is pretty good.
And speaking of "tossed around"... they don't even toss their pizza dough. They have a machine that takes a dough ball and mashes it into a round shape. It is pretty easy to see it from the seated area. I'm sorry but even Mellow Mushroom tosses their pizza.
So how was the pie? Pedestrian. The ingredients lacked quality... sauce from a can and cheap cheese. I will say that the crust was the right texture. That was about all I liked. We also tried a garlic knot. This has potential and looked great in the display case, but the garlic tasted like it was going bad. Just had a funky flavor to it.
I vowed never to visit this place when they opened. Several months back they engaged in a blatant shill campaign here on yelp. But when Alpine across the street was backed up tonight, I found myself here as a last resort. Pitty. They didn't even greet me at the door, leaving me standing there for a while. I felt like I was inconveniencing the man when he finally took my order. Just avoid these guys.
1 Previous Review:
-
9/1/2010
Let us first have a moment of silence for Ben & Jerry's.... My favorite left-wing ice cream joint is no longer with us. I'll always remember the good times we had, especially when cookies and cream was involved. You'll be missed.
So embracing Yogli Mogli is a little difficult for me. It is kinda like when your mom remarries. Do you call her new husband "dad", even though he will never replace the cool-as-shit dad you used to have? Does the Yogli Mogli cookies and cream yogurt really replace what I had with Ben & Jerry's? Hardly. Is it decent yogurt. Sure.
But let me step back. We went here on opening weekend. I heard a lot of buzz online and knew they had a facebook coupon. I wasn't able to get to a computer to get the coupon, but I had my trusty Android smart phone! No problemo. There's an app for that, right? I drag the family into the store, load up on treats, then flash my phone to the teenager at the counter. Here's my coupon, right on the phone. I'm met with "Oh, dude, like, we need a paper copy and stuff. You gotta print it out." You're kidding, right? Nope. I came close to leaving my yogurt on the counter and walking out. Later on posted something on Yogli Mogli's facebook page about it but got no reply.
So, short lesson in marketing on social networking... don't insist on legacy media (paper) coupons if you're on facebook and elsewhere. And empower your employees to make things right.
Nevertheless, I kinda liked the yogurt here. It isn't as bitter as some places. Yogli has FAR more variety than the competition (Yoforia for example). The self serve thing is cool, just be careful with portion control.
All in all, the coupon snafu didn't keep me from coming back. It is decent yogurt. But Alpharetta is getting flooded with these yogurt joints. I'm ready for a change already.
He's turning his fame into a franchise, literally, both in terms of franchising his Q into restaurants and cooking schools. Smart fella. This is the first franchise location of his that I've tried. Does it hold up to competition Q? Hardly. Is it good. Sure.
Here's the problem... Sure they use his rubs and some of his cooking techniques. But they're in a strip mall cooking on something like a southern pride indoor smoker. Not the same by my book. Don't get me wrong, it is good stuff. You'll find pulled pork in thick strands, smokey bark and a light dusting of rub. It actually reminded me a lot of a similar franchise run by another competition team called Bad Bobs (they had a location in Cumming a few years ago). Does it compare at all to his competition stuff? Hell no. I'm a bit surprised he put his name on this.
The rest of the menu looks like a KCBS contest. Ribs, chicken and brisket are available. They were out of ribs when I went. I kinda wish I had tried the chicken, considering how much attention they get in competition. The sides were boring and not interesting.
The decor of this place is all contrived strip mall barbecue joint. If you've eaten enough Q in metro Atlanta, you'll know what I'm talking about. They've also got some serious celebrity worship of Myron Mixon going on. His pictures are everywhere. Then again, I've kinda worshiped him in this review. His shit is good, his franchise just ain't all that.
I don't think this place is worth the drive from Atlanta. Others might disagree with me. My lunch partner (Mike M) liked this a lot more than me. Perhaps my Q snobbery is reaching new heights!
Anyhoo... I went back today and was very disappointed in the food. Their menu is chopped pork and ribs. That's pretty much it, which doesn't bother me a lot. What does bother me is their pork. It is lean and very dry. There is almost no outside meat and forget about a smoke ring. Smoke flavor was nonexistent. The sauce (which I ordered on the side) is a thin vinegary sauce with some tang in it. The meat needed a lot of it, if for anything to rehydrate.
The rest of the sides were ho hum. They tasted like they might have been sitting for a while. The fries were fresh cut yet a little soggy. The Brunswick stew was decent but lacked smoke flavor of course. The meat tasted like ground beef. Strange.
Yet the best thing here is probably dessert. They offer a homemade soft serve ice cream that I like a lot. I also tried some homemade pie which was decent.
I debated on 2 versus 3 stars. This is a cool looking barbecue restaurant that personifies the term "joint" in a lot of ways. I really do want to like it. But at the end of my lunch today I was disappointed in having driven 45 minutes to try this stuff. If you're in the area anyway and want to take in the ambiance, go for it. But Two Brothers isn't worth a drive up from metro Atlanta.
Listed in: Off Windward
2 Previous Reviews:
-
7/14/2008
Went back to this place today. It has been a while, and frankly, I thought they might have gone out of business. I never see anyone here.
The only person working was the owner. He informed us that they are "under new ownership". Yeeeaaaah, right. (See my initial review) My guess is the previous owner didn't pay his protection money or something. He's probably wearing cement shoes, taking a swim in Lake Lanier. Or maybe he went feet first into the plastic shredder. And just like that, bada bing bada boo, new ownership. This new guy's name is Alex and he is much more friendly.
The menu is about the same, with minor changes. But gone are the deep lunch discounts. The food quality seems to be a little better now. I also think I've discovered the secret behind their complicated wings. I got a peek into the kitchen and saw what looks like a small, conveyor belt pizza oven thing. I'm guessing that this is the flash baking that the wings and fingers get. Still delicious.
The owner told me he's going for a family orientated feel for the place. He plans to open on Sundays during football season (with a big TV), yet will not be applying for an alcohol license. So that's kinda cool. I just hope he makes it. I have never, ever seen a lot of patrons here. There was a steady stream of people going to the nasty Chinese joint next door. This place deserves a shot at making it so check it out. -
3/21/2008
Interesting little place tucked away in a small strip mall. Got there early for lunch and was able to meet the owner. He looks and talks a bit like Tony Soprano! He asked us where we learned about his place and I mentioned Yelp. I guess that means I can't give a bad review. He might come break my knees or something.
They have an interesting approach to their wings. They don't fry anything. The wings undergo some kind of complicated three step process, the last step of which is a flash baking in a hot oven. The result is a less greasy wing. I liked the result. Very tasty.
The wings come in a normal size and a large size that is supposed to be larger than a normal chicken wing elsewhere. I would say that the large size is normal. His normal size must be from chickens with eating disorders or something. Skin and bones for the most part, so stick to the larger wings.
They have some pretty good specials going right now, including a $4 lunch and an all-you-can-eat dealie. Of course, you have to purchase a high margin item like a drink or side to get in on the specials. But overall this place is a pretty good value.
I think D.S. has it right in his review. This place could become a hit. I also saw some new restaurant jitters that they need to work through. But overall, a decent joint. Go try this place before Tony Soprano whacks this guy for stealing his theme!
This place is a close cousin of BB's Bagels on McFarland. I don't know for sure if they are related, but there are so many similarities. The bagels are similar but probably not quite as dense as BB's. The rest of the menu is very similar. Even some of the employees look the same. However, Essex doesn't have that diner vibe and right-off-the-boat NY feel.
Essex is also a LOT cleaner than BB's, which is the real reason we come here. 100 health department score? Yeah, that's never gonna happen anytime soon at BB's, but that's what Essex has at the moment.
It is a little out of the way for me, but I'll eat here if I'm in the Creeko de Juan in the AM.
I probably wouldn't have come here without the Scoutmob deal from a few weeks back. That and a handful of friendly yelpers made things fun. Too bad the meal sucked. Here's what you can expect...
It is just like the mall... chicken teriyaki made with cleavered up mystery chicken parts. No part of this yard bird is wasted. Beaks, feet, you name it. One of my bites even had a bone in it. Yummy! I found it to be identical to the crap at the mall that I've come to despise, although the portion size is a lot bigger.
The menu has a few extras that the mall might not, like sushi and seaweed salad. They also have a freestyle coke machine. On a busy day like today it was more of an annoyance. This fancy new technology has a steep learning curve (that's what us IT guys say when people can't figure out how to work the shit). Resulted in a long wait to get a coke refill.
This part of Windward is becoming overrun with chain garbage. Starting to look like North Point (inside and out of the mall now). Cubicle dwellers who don't know any better will keep this place in business. If you care about the quality of your grub, avoid this joint.
Pump pump squirt. (RIP Kit F)
Alpharetta, GA 30022
(770) 552-7700
TJ's Sports Bar & Grill
Categories:
Restaurants,
Sports Bars
I took a buddy here for poker night over the weekend. They have a pretty big game. Had a good time. I'll spare you my bad beat story.
Overall TJ's is a cool sports bar. It is pretty big inside, tons of TVs, a few pool tables and other games. I like how they managed bar tabs. You get a sticker with your name and number to wear on your shirt. Any employee can hook you up with another round just by looking at your number. It is easy, and dangerous. The drinks flowed.
I didn't try any food, so I can't comment there. The atmosphere is fun, considering the location in the burbs. The smoke is a pain, but I'd still come back.
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Review votes:
1233 Useful, 775 Funny, and 805 Cool
Alpharetta, GA
Yelping SinceAugust 2007
Find Me InAlpharetta
My HometownTampa, FL
My Blog Or Website When I'm Not Yelping...Eating out too much
My First ConcertMichael Jackson, Victory tour 1984!
My Last Meal On EarthFilet au poivre with garlic mashed potatoes
Don't Tell Anyone Else But...I live OTP, 2 kids, drive a minivan and work in a cubicle.
The breakfast here is pretty good and well worth the price. My family (who live in the area) are regulars. They claim that the eggs have something strange mixed into them and insisted I order regular scrambled, so I did. Not sure what they are doing to those eggs. Nevertheless, they were pretty good. The pancakes are very large and cooked perfectly. The grits were a little lumpy. I won't hold that against them too much, I don't expect a fella from Wisconsin to make good grits.
But all in all, this is a terrific local joint, a strip mall gem amidst the suburbia backdrop. Will it make you howl at the moon? Not exactly, but they're worth a visit.