dana "needs another drink" b.'s Profile

Update - went back on a Friday evening & the place reeked of cigarette smoke.  It was a completely different atmosphere than the time I went for lunch.  Food was still okay - don't get the kid's "pizza."  It's nasty.

I needed some Thai food in a bad way.  This was, sadly, the closest Thai restaurant to where we currently live.  We went a little after lunch time and the there was only one other couple there...so no wait!

We ordered the Summer rolls, Panang curry w shrimp, & the shrimp pad thai.  The Summer rolls were fine, nothing spectacular.  We ordered the curry & pad thai at 3 stars heat.  The curry was perfect - an excellent blend of heat and sweet.  However, the pad thai was tasty, but we will definitely try it 4-5 stars next time.  It wasn't quite as hot as we like it.

Overall, the prices were very reasonable and the food was really good.  Expect to add about $2 for shrimp or seafood.  I definitely recommend it.  I may add star(s) once we've visited a few more times.

This is easily my favorite restaurant in Suffolk.  They have consistently delicious food and a phenomenal beer/wine selection.  I do think the wine is a bit overpriced, but I spent 5 years living in the middle of some great wine regions, so I'm biased.

Their pizzas are an easy, inexpensive standby.  Upgrade to the larger size - it's not much more expensive, but it's significantly larger.  They also carry several classic italian dishes and the specials are always a nice addition.  The menu is broad enough to appeal to a lot of people, but not so broad that it's overwhelming and unappealing.

The wait staff is friendly and, even though it's usually crowded, we've rarely had a problem getting a table for 2-4 people.  I'd recommend reservations for larger parties, though.  I have really never seen the place empty.

I am so glad we finally found this place.  The sushi is really good and I can't believe this restaurant is in Suffolk.  The prices are reasonable, imo...we've definitely paid more for the same quality of food.

The restaurant is cute and I like the fact that they have a live broadcast of the chefs making the sushi.

The hubby and I just tried a bunch of the different rolls, some classic salmon & tuna rolls and then some funky creations that we'd never heard of...we were pleasantly surprised.  There was a bit of a wait on the food, but we were offered some complimentary edamame, which we gladly accepted.

If you like sushi, please give this place a try!

So, far, I'm not a big fan of this emergency vet clinic. We were referred here by our regular vet because our dog needed post operative care & monitoring after major abdominal surgery. Things seemed fine (including my dog) when I dropped him off. When I picked him up the next morning to transfer him back to my vet, the discharging vet told me he did really well and was in good condition although his abdomen was a little painful.

I immediately notice his mouth and tongue are dry & discolored, so I get him to my vet as quickly as possible. Turns out he was dehydrated and possibly suffering from pancreatitis. My vet called the discharging vet and she said she did notice the symptoms I saw but didn't think they were important enough at the time to mention or even put in the chart!

Second night at the EC - intake vet wanted to do tests my regular vet specifically chose not to do because it wouldn't change the course of treatment regardless of the results.  I understand that if an animal comes in dying of something unknown and time is of the essence, it's best to test for everything to figure out what's going on as quickly as possible.  This was not the case with my dog and I'm not going to pay for unnecessary tests.  We waited about three and half hours to have the opportunity to question the vet about the estimate and get it adjusted.  An emergency had come in, so I understand us having to wait, but it was over two hours before they finally took our dog and got him started on fluids again, which is NOT okay with me.

Alright - the final day - My husband talks to the EC and we are told that our dog is ready to go home and we can pick him up "now."  Obviously, my definition of "now" is not the same as Greenbriar's.  We arrived two hours later (thanks to traffic) and none of the discharge paperwork had been completed on our dog.  Two & a half hours later, we get to take our dog home.  Call me crazy, but it's not really good customer service to tell someone to pick up their dog when their dog is not actually ready to go home.

It is the closest emergency vet clinic to us, so in a life or death situation, I will probably use them again.  However, if we can justify the drive to Virginia Beach, we will be trying their sister clinic in the hopes of having a different experience.

The hubby and I went here on his birthday (before the dinner rush).  He had read several reviews and REALLY wanted to sample the beer menu.  I really wish I could do a better review, as it seems our opinion is definitely in the minority, but this is our experience in a nutshell:

1 - the hostess told another 2 top ahead of us that she could seat them but she needed the table by 6:30 which is completely rude and poor service.  Based on my experience as a hostess, you turn as many tables as possible.  We would allot 45min-1hr for a 2 top and considering it was only 5pm, there was plenty of time for her to seat them without telling them they were on a schedule.

2 - 2 employees were taking up a 6 top table to go through receipts - that shouldn't be done on the floor while the restaurant is open, imo.

3- We asked the hostess if they had a bar where we could sit, she said yes & told us where it was located.  After sitting down AT the bar, we were handed a menu and a beer list.  15 minutes later, neither of the 2 other bartenders asked us if we'd like anything to drink...even though we were sitting AT the bar and obviously without drinks.

We left.  The service was piss poor. I'm hoping it was just a bad night.  We'll probably try it again (we do love our beer - and the list was extensive).

I'll preface this by saying that I am a food snob.  However, I was born & raised in the South and have eaten at many a podunk restaurant in the middle of nowhere.

George's is the perfect place to take the family for fried seafood or steak.  I rarely eat anything fried & I don't eat cow unless it is organic free-range grass-fed, etc (not nearly as easy to find in Suffolk, VA as it was anywhere on the west coast).  That is why I can't give this place more than 2 stars.  Everybody I know in Suffolk loves this place, so I continue to go and not complain to them.  My complaints specific to my own food are:  the crab cakes have way too much filler & the popcorn shrimp were over-fried.

Pros
- they make their own salad dressings, which are good
- the owner(s?) are friendly and make the rounds when they are present
- the waitstaff is friendly, if a bit slow at times
- old people love it
- the french fries are homemade
- the prices are reasonable
- large variety of menu items

Cons
- poor & overpriced wine selection
- always crowded
- old people love it
- large variety of menu items

The Hydrant is a small locally owned pet food & supply store.  They also have a new Dog Day Care & a groomer (I haven't used either, so I can't review that part of the business).

This is the closest pet supply store I've been able to find that carries high quality dog & cat food.  Innova & Wellness are two of the brands I use but they carry several other brands, also.  They also have frozen raw meals for pets.

One of my dogs almost died from acute kidney failure & is now incredibly picky about what she eats - the closest place that carried the specific food was about an hour away.  The Hydrant was more than willing to help me try & find something closer & when we couldn't, the owner checked with her distributor and found that should could special order it for me.  That was HUGE!!!  She does this for other customers & her prices are fair, especially considering the quality of the food.

In addition to food, the Hydrant carries dog sweaters (mostly small to medium size dogs) & cute human shirts for your crazy dog loving aunt.  They also have basic supplies like leashes, bowls, collectibles, treats & toys.  They carry a whole line of herbal & flower essences, if you are into that.

As a bonus - she supports the local shelter through volunteering, collecting donations, & posting the current adoptable animals.

Look for the big wooden red hydrant...

After growing up scared of the "new" Food Lion in my hometown (does anyone else remember the "THEY BLEACH THEIR MEAT TO MAKE IT LOOK FRESH" scare?), I was pleasantly surprised by this Food Lion.  It has a nice organic/natural products selection & a good quality house organic brand.  The prices are reasonable & they are always having deals with their MVP card.  The wine & beer selection will do, but, alas, I will never be over the moon about beer & wine selections again.  California & Washington (state) spoiled me rotten.

Tip -
If you are borderline paranoid, you don't have to fill out any info to use the MVP card.  You may not get some of the special deals & coupons by mail, but the card will still work.

Con-
Every store around here has their wine standing up & not on it's side - I've opened more than one bottle that's been bad because of the cork drying out.  I've mentioned my heavy wine consumption before, so it's not like this happens all the time.

Farm Fresh is a decent grocery store.  I was pleasantly surprised by the organic & "green" selections they have available.  The prices are fine and their store-brand organic foods are really well priced and tasty.  They have a large wine selection & a beer cave with a spattering of micro-brews.  I just noticed an expanded spice & salt selection - I was very impressed and was almost inspired to cook by it.

Drawbacks:
-It feels a little claustrophobic.
-There's always a pretty long wait in line.
-Every store around here has their wine standing up & not on it's side - I've opened more than one bottle that's been bad because of the cork drying out.  I drink a lot of wine, so it's not a huge percentage or anything, but it's happened.

To get everything I like to buy, I usually split my grocery trips between here & the local Food Lion.