Cocca’s Pizza, Boardman, Ohio, consider yourself on notice. I was once a loyal customer of yours, ordering either a pizza, chicken tenders, pepperoni roll, or all of the above roughly once a week. No more! I can tolerate plenty, but your complete lack of customer service and lousy management has put an end to my patronage.
Just about every week I would call for a pizza and an order of chicken tenders. I would then be told twenty or thirty minutes depending on how busy they were for my pick up time. No problem right? Wrong!
Every time I went in to pick up my order, (After waiting the specified amount of time, 20-30 minutes) my pizza would be ready but they always failed to prepare the chicken tenders. The employee would blurt out something like, “Sorry, I forgot to get the tenders ready. It’ll be 10 minutes or so!” Sometimes, the employee would begin to ring up my order and notice the tenders weren’t there and then call back to the other employee’s asking who forgot to put the order in. Many other excuses like above followed.
Now, if they forgot once in a while it would be no big deal. But the last time I ordered, they really screwed up.
As usual, I walked in the doors after 30 minutes and went to the counter and gave them my name. He went back to the oven where my pizza was sitting and put it on the table where the employee’s were making pizza’s. He then looked over the fryer and saw my chicken tenders were not there. BIG SURPRISE!
Then he lied to me. He said my tenders were cooking and would be ready in a minute or two. I said no problem. As promised, the fryer oven buzzed and the employee took the chicken tenders out of the fryer. Then the manager said something like, Wait, those aren’t his tenders. They are for another customer. The manager then proceeded to tell me that another customer ordered after me, (Yes, after me) and it was a large order and he needed the fryer for another 20-30 minutes before he could make my order which he forgot to do in the first place. He then turned away and continued his work.
What The Fuck! I asked why I couldn’t have four of the dozen or so pieces that were just made so my pizza would not get cold and my order would be complete and I could be on my way. He said matter-of-fact, “No, you’re going to have to wait. I have to get this order done for another customer.”
Now, a good manager would have understood the situation, knowing that his employee was at fault and would have remedied the problem right away by giving me the four pieces already done and scrambled to make up a little more time for the customer who has not even arrived yet. Everyone would have been happy. Cocca’s Pizza would still have a long time customer. Instead, he was a complete asshat.
I told him to keep the pizza or shove it up his ass, whichever he preferred. I didn’t stick around to see which option he selected.
With that,
The Grassy Knoll Institute scores Negative 2 out of 5 shots and DOES NOT recommend Cocca’s Pizza Of Boardman for dinner.
LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL
Showing posts with label YTOWNR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YTOWNR. Show all posts
5/04/2011
4/07/2011
Oldest Milky Way Candy Bar Discovered
Oldest Milky Way Candy Bar Ever |
Where the Hell did this candy bar come from? Had I somehow awoken in the future in a post apocalyptic zombie outbreak. If so, I’m lucky to have found a treasure such as this. I could now live to fight zombies another day.
Dejected, I went back to my office, placed the candy bar on my desk, took out my cell phone, and snapped this photo. I then sent it to the printer, 8X11 size in color. I then went back to the Las Vegas vending machine and taped the photo of the Milky Way candy bar on the glass where everyone can see.
It was on…
3/26/2011
Uptown Pizza - Regular 12 Inch Cheese
Uptown Pizza Youngstown Ohio |
Uptown Pizza |
Anyway, as I was waiting, the phone rang and one of the employees answered. The conversation went something like, “Uptown pizza,” then a pause, then a “Yes mam, we do sell pizza.” Pause. “Yes, we are open right now.” Pause. “Yes, I’m in the store right now.” Pause. “Ok.” Click the phone down, hang-up.
A minute later, the same employee yells out “Second shooter” and looks at me knowing who I am. I pay the man and as I begin to leave, I ask him if they sell pizza here at Uptown Pizza. He burst out laughing.
I must say, the pizza is well cooked, with a firm enough crust, not hard, but a good texture. The cheese was melted and the sauce zesty enough. I ordered sausage on half and it was cooked under the cheese and was a good spicy sausage. The cost was reasonable, at $7.00 for a 12 inch pizza.
One negative, and it’s small, but the pizza itself was greasy, just a little.
The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3.25 out of 5 shots and recommends Uptown Pizza of Youngstown for lunch and dinner.
LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL
3/04/2011
Antone's Restaurant - Youngstown -Lasagna Dinner
Antones Restaurant Lasagna Dinner |
The hostess seated us right away even though it was semi-crowded. Italian bread and our drinks were brought to our table and our waitress took our main course dinner order.
I went with the Lasagna. I have heard all kinds of good things about the lasagna that I finally had to try it. In about 15 minutes it was delivered to our table.
BTW, a side of Penne pasta came with the lasagna.
The portion was fair, the lasagna and Penne was hot and fresh. The sauce was zesty enough. The lasagna was meaty and cheesy and the noodles thick and well cooked. The Penne was hot with a good taste. I could not eat the entire entrée. With the cost at $9.99 for the meal, it was quite reasonable.
The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3.25 out of 5 shots and recommends Antone’s Italian Restaurant Lasagna for dinner.
LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL
2/02/2011
Dunkin Donuts – Sausage Egg And Cheese Wrap
Dunkin Donuts Breakfast Wrap |
As I was getting a coffee for Patty, I spied the wraps. I had to have one. I ordered the sausage, egg, and cheese wrap. The counter girl sprang into action, taking out a frozen round egg patty and sausage patty and a slice of cheese plus the wrap. All went into an over, (I suspected it was a microwave oven) and it cooked for less than a minute.
As she pulled out the tray, I asked what kind of oven it was. She said it wasn’t a microwave but some sort of high-speed hot air oven such and such. Anyway, she wrapped it up and bagged it for me.
As you can see, the wrap is not really a wrap, but sort of a small soft taco. The cost was proportional, at $1.29 for what you see. Of course it was hot, the cheese melted, the sausage and egg hot and the taste was good. I was pleasantly surprised.
The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends Dunkin Donut breakfast wraps for breakfast or a snack.
LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL
1/29/2011
Chick-Fil-A Chicken Breakfast Biscuit
Chick-Fil-A Chicken Breakfast Biscuit |
Inside the take out bag, was a foil wrapped sandwich marked ‘Free Sample’ that contained a breakfast chicken biscuit. This was a no frills biscuit with a piece of breaded fried chicken in between.
Surprisingly, it tasted pretty damn good. The biscuit was fresh and the chicken well cooked and juicy and hot. The cost, well, it was free. Apparently, a few minutes before the restaurant switches gears and goes from breakfast to lunch, whatever breakfast items they have left are given away to the lucky patrons ordering at the right time.
The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 5 out of 5 shots and recommends Chic-Fil-A chicken biscuits for breakfast.
LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL
1/21/2011
Subway - Foot Long Steak And Cheese Sub
Subway Philly Cheese Steak |
The sandwich tasted exactly the same, with the same amount of chopped steak, was prepared the exact same way. (Toasted) But it was $2 dollars cheaper so it ranks a tad higher. My advice, do not order the Big Philly Cheesesteak, all you do is pay $2 dollars more.
The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3 out of 5 shots and recommends Subway Foot Long Steak And Cheese for dinner.
LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL
1/12/2011
Wendy’s Natural Cut Fries
Wendys Natural Cut Fries |
I saw all the commercials touting Wendy’s Natural Cut Fries with sea salt made from whole russet potatoes. On my way home, I stopped at the drive through for some fries. The attendant asked, “Welcome to Wendy’s, may I take your order?” Feeling saucy, I replied, “No thanks, I’m just looking!” After several moments of awkward silence, I ordered a large order of the new fries. (Please pull forward to the second window)
The cost: $1.69 for the large. The order was correct and delivered in a quick fashion. The fries were fresh and hot. The container was full, a very fair portion.
To the taste: As stated above, Wendy’s fries were very good in the past, but the new fresh-cut fries are outstanding. They were well cooked, not soggy, not to crunchy, and the sea salt or whatever was just the right spice. These were some damn good fries. Not Idora Park level, (The ultimate fry) but very good.
The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4.25 out of 5 shots and recommends Wendy’s Natural Cut Fries for lunch and dinner.
LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL
1/09/2011
Subway – Philly Cheese Steak Foot Long
Subway Philly Cheese Steak |
The cost was $8 dollars for the foot long. The bread was fresh, and toasted, not burnt. The provolone cheese was fully melted, the chopped steak hot and juicy. A little pricey for 8 bucks, but if you don’t stick with the value menu, prices are high.
The taste was good as I noticed no fatty meat in the sandwich and had just the right texture. Mind you, this was no Geno’s or Pat’s Philly steaks, but for fast food, it was adequate.
The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 2.75 out of 5 shots and recommends Subway Big Philly Cheesesteak for lunch and dinner.
LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL
1/05/2011
Lemon Grove Cafe - Youngstown - Take Out Order
Lemon Grove Take Out Cheeseburger |
122 W Federal Plaza
Youngstown, OH 44503
(330) 744-7683
Youngstown, OH 44503
(330) 744-7683
A restaurant is only as good as its service. In Youngstown Ohio, the Lemon Grove Cafe is centrally located in downtown, perfect for local business employees to flock for lunch and take out. However, customers beware when you order take out.
Joe Pesci said it best, “They’ll fuck you at the drive through.”
Back in the middle of December, we decided to try a new place, the Lemon Grove Cafe. Being that we were busy for the Christmas holiday, we ordered take-out. I ordered the bacon cheeseburger, which came with one side, so I opted for the extreme chicken soup. I really had no choice, fries or chips were not an option.
We went and got our order and returned to work. I opened my white styrofoam container that held my lunch. As you can see, there was no cheese. A simple order and they cannot get that correct. Just imagine if I had ordered something special.
The cost of this feast was $7.50 including the side of soup. The price was adequate if the order would have been correct and packed right.
The burger was a half pound of beef, Catullo beef, a local meat supplier. It was adequate. It was well cooked. The taste was ok. The bun was a tad soggy, perhaps from the cup of soup that was leaking all over the container. The bacon was two strips, but alas, uncooked as you can see.
(Perhaps they could have wrapped the burger in foil knowing that a thin strip of saran wrap over the cup of soup would certainly spill on a car ride to avoid the burger from being soggy.)
The soup, called extreme chicken soup. Where to begin. First, the container needs help. Almost a quarter of the soup spilled out from under the saran wrap soaking the bun of the burger.
Second, the soup itself. No noodles, a few chunks of potato, carrots, celery, onions, and a couple slivers of chicken. Standard fare at best. Certainly not extreme. It may have been more, but alas the soup had spilled over the container and made a mess.
My first impression of Lemon Grove Cafe, well, the name says it all. Lemon. Even if they hadn’t made the mistake of an incorrect take out order, the meal was a little high priced for what you got. Seriously, no fries available with a burger, only soup or a salad? WTF!
The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 2.25 out of 5 shots and at this time does not recommend Lemon Grove Cafe for lunch or dinner.
Perhaps in the near future I will return and allow a second chance. Time will tell.
LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL
12/14/2010
Ruby Tuesdays - BBQ Chicken Dinner
Ruby Tuesday Menu |
She wasn't lying as she was right behind her. She took our order drinks and returned quickly and proceeded to take our dinner order.
Ruby Tuesday BBQ Chicken Combo |
First, the mac and cheese intrigued me. To my surprise, it was a very tasty side dish. Very good mac and cheese as mac and cheese goes.
The fries were hot, well cooked, and standard fare. They were good and past the mustard.
The BBQ Chicken on the other hand, well, it wasn't what I expected. As you can see, I was served a a piece of grilled chicken and topped with a few tablespoons of BBQ sauce. I was hoping the chicken would have been cooked in the BBQ sauce. It looked like the sauce was squeezed from the plastic bottle of BBQ sauce that was on all the tables.
However, the chicken was well cooked and the sauce was adequate at best. The mac and cheese saved this meal.
The cost was $13 dollars plus drink and tip which was reasonalbe, not pricey, but not in the wheel house either. This was an adequate meal all around.
The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3 out of 5 shots and recommends Ruby Tuesday's BBQ Chicken for dinner.
LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL
12/01/2010
Belleria Restaurant - Chicken Parmesan Dinner
Belleria Pizza |
Belleria Salad |
Belleria Fried Cheese Sticks |
Belleria Italian Bread |
Belleria Small Pizza |
Belleria Chicken Parmesan |
The costs: Small 6 inch pizza, $3.25
Fried Cheese sticks, $4.25
Chicken Parm, $9.50
$17.00 for the entire meal less tip.
The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3.5 out of 5 shots and recommends Belleria Italian Restaurant for dinner.
11/21/2010
West Glen Restaurant - Haddock Dinner
West Glen Haddock Dinner |
We were greeted rather quickly and seated promptly. Our waitress asked for our drink orders and quickly returned with them.
West Glen is famous for their fish so of course i ordered the Haddock dinner. The service was very good as our dinners were at our table in less than 10 minutes piping hot.
The fish was fresh, very little bruising, and well cooked. The batter breading was crunchy and baked perfectly. The haddock was flaky and fresh. The french fries were hot and crisp and tasted good. The cost was $10.95 for the dinner that also included coleslaw.
Addendum: Sadly, just the other day, Patty and I returned to West Glen Restaurant and we found the doors locked and the restaurant closed. Hopefully it is only temporary but it appears another restaurant has bit the dust.
The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends West Glen Haddock for dinner.
LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL
9/25/2010
Sandwich Factory French Fries
Idora Park French Fries |
However, surprisingly, the Boardman, Ohio Sandwich Factory on Market Street comes close. (I know, I was just as surprised as you) On a whim, I ordered a standard order of fries along with my sandwich. The cost was $2.50 for the fries.
When I got the fries home, I opened them and spilled them out. For $2.50, the order was adequate. They were hot and just crunchy enough, lightly salted and they smelled good. (Sometimes when fries are cooked in old grease, they have a bad odor to them. Not these fries) The taste was very good. Not Idora Park quality, but good nonetheless.
The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends Sandwich Factory Fries for lunch and dinner.
LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL
9/23/2010
White House Fruit Farm Donuts
White House Fruit Farms |
White House Fruit Farms Assorted Dozens |
The cost was a little pricey, so deduct some points for that.
The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3.75 out of 5 shots and recommends White House Fruit Farm Donuts for breakfast and snacking.
LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL
9/02/2010
Antone’s Restaurant - Deep Dish Pasta Bake
The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends Antone’s Italian Restaurant for dinner.
LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL
8/11/2010
Subway - $5 Dollar Meatball Sandwich
Subway Foot Long Meatball Sub |
I walked up to the counter, the counter girl was pleasant and asked me what I wanted. I ordered the $5 dollar meatball sandwich with cheese on Italian bread. She asked if I wanted my sandwich toasted and I said yes.
I watched the small assembly line as she made my sandwich and then popped it into the over for approximately 30 seconds. She wrapped it and as the commercial stated, the cost was $5 dollars.
First, there were eight small sized meatballs, enough sauce, and adequate cheese. The meatballs were hot, the cheese melted, and the bun toasted. The taste surprised me. It was pretty good. I was expecting bland meatballs but these were just spicy enough. As with all meatball sandwich's, it was a bit messy to eat but I was able to handle it.
The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3.5 out of 5 shots and recommends Subway Meatball Sandwich's for dinner.
LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL
7/17/2010
Elephant Ear Restaurant – Revisited (Fair Type Food)
Elephant Ear Restaurant Closed |
Last week, I pulled into the parking lot and saw the restaurant was closed. In fact, it was empty. The tables, chairs, and equipment were all gone. A note taped to the door indicated the restaurant was closed and all the equipment was being sold at auction in the near future.
Elephant Ear Boardman Ohio |
LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL
7/05/2010
Red, White, Blue, And Chocolate Donut
Dunkin Donuts Patriotic Donut |
The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 5 out of 5 shots and recommends Patriotic donuts from Dunkin Donuts for breakfast.
LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL
5/10/2010
Dairy Queen Thin Mint Blizzard
Dairy Queen Thin Mint Blizzard |
The treat on the left is a limited offer Blizzard by Dairy Queen. Basically it is a combination of Dairy Queens special blend vanilla custard and Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mints. Using a special blizzard machine, the custard and cookies are mixed together to form this cool dessert.
I ordered the medium size, which cost $1.99 and I have to say was a perfect portion. If you like ice cream, you will love this treat. The combination of the thin mint cookies and ice cream mix was delightful.
The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends North Lima Dairy Queen Girl Scout Mint Cookie Blizzards for dessert.
LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL
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