Harrah's Cafe - Breakfast Platter

Harrash' Casino Big Breakfast

Harrah's Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas has plenty of gaming area but when you are hungry, where are you going to eat? One option is Harrah's Cafe. Our flight arrived late and we checked in late and I was very hungry. (They don't feed you on the plane) After we checked in and settled into our room, we went down to the Cafe. The cafe was busy but not packed. We waited a few minutes in line and then were seated.

Being that it was late, I asked if breakfast was available. It was. Breakfast is always available in the Cafe. Delighted in this knowledge, I ordered the sausage, egg, and home fries platter. Toast and jam came with the order.

The eggs were cooked OK, not runny, not burnt, the sausage links were well cooked, and the home fries were well cooked. All in all, a good breakfast. Throw in the toast and jam and it was a great dinner, err, breakfast.

The service was good, the food good, and the price was nice, under $15 dollars not including orange juice and tip. 

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3.75 out of 5 shots and recommends Harrah's Cafe for breakfast and dinner.

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Side Walk Cafe - Ober Gatlinburg

Ober Gatlinburg Sidewalk Cafe

The city of Gatlinburg, Tennessee is nestled at the foothills of the great Smoky Mountains. There are an endless number of restaurants to tempt your appetite. But there's more. Take a right hand turn on Ski Mountain road and it will twist you through the mountains and take you to the top where Ober Gatlinburg stands.

At the top of the mountain sits of course many elaborate ski slopes but also a small amusement park, an ice rink, carnival games, a black bear habitat, and several food stands and restaurants.


The Side Walk Cafe over looks the ice skating rink with several retail shops dotting it's surroundings. We had just spent several hours at the amusement park and came inside for a quick bite.

Ober Fries And Corn Dog

Since we were there in the off season, it was not very crowded so there was no line and placed our order. I ordered the corn dog and fries. You are looking at $6 dollars of food here. The corn dog was readily available but the fries were cooking in the fryer. My order was called out in a matter of minutes.

The corn dog was standard fare as corn dogs go. Well cooked, fresh, hot, and good taste. The fries were of fresh cut variety but as you can see, not to plentiful. However, they were fresh, well cooked, and hot and tasted good. It was a good fast food meal that filled me up and got us on our way to our next Ober Gatlinburg adventure.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3.25 out of 5 shots and recommends the Side Walk Cafe in Ober Gatlinburg for lunch and dinner.

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1. 
   

   LOTGK said

   September 23, 2011 at 3:34 pm e
   Moominboy
   One of those days I’ll taste a corn dog 
   LOTGK in reply to Moominboy
   If you like hot dogs, you will love corn dogs. Trust me….
   Reply

Alcatraz Pier 33 Cafe Sandwich

The Rock - Alcatraz Island

We were in San Francisco recently and of course we had to go and visit the Rock, Alcatraz Island and prison. We left from pier 33 and spent almost the entire day on the island exploring the grounds and prison. (I highly recommend Alcatraz Island as a must see when in San Francisco) One caveat, the island does not permit any food or beverage on the island except for bottled water.

Pier 33 Alcatraz Island

After spending approximately 7 hours on the rock, we were starving. Stepping off the boat that transported us back to Pier 33, we ventured into a souvenir shop and small cafe in search for a quick fix of food. As we waded through souvenir row we spied the food counter. It was old style cafeteria. Grab your tray, shuffle it down the counter and select a pre-made sandwich, salad, or other snack. (I felt a little like Blutto from the movie, Animal House)

Turkey And Cheese

I selected the turkey and cheese sandwich. At least I thought I did. It looked more like baloney but I was hungry. I added a Coke Zero to wash it down. This feast cost me $12 dollars, $9 dollars for the sandwich and $3 dollars for the Coke Zero.

The sandwich was stale. Even the baloney turkey. It was edible, barely. I still don't know if it was turkey or some other mystery meat. Hell, it may not have even been meat. The Coke Zero was the saving grace. after drinking water all day, the Zero was a much needed bonus. Twelve dollars for this, not even close to a value. The Cafe is lucky Alcatraz is closed for charging that kind of money for that quality of food is a capital crime. I can almost sympathize with the inmates assigned to Alcatraz and the food they were forced to eat.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 1.5 out of 5 shots and does not recommend Pier 33 Alcatraz Cafe for lunch or dinner.

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Lemon Grove Cafe - Youngstown - Take Out Order

Lemon Grove Take Out Cheeseburger

The Lemon Grove Cafe

122 W Federal Plaza
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.

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Broadway 49 Cafe - Chicken Planks

Broadway 49 Cafe Chicken Planks

Inside the New York City Crowne Plaza Hotel sits the Broadway 49 lounge. It is not a complete service restaurant, just bar food type food. However, I found myself sitting there and ordered some chicken planks and french fries. In a few minutes my order was paced on my table.

The chicken tenders were surprisingly good. They were hot, lightly breaded, juicy, and seasoned just right. I hate when the batter is thick and the chicken is wafer thin. The proportion for these tender was good. The fries were hot, well cooked, and tasted good. A pickle, tomato, lettuce, and some dipping sauce was added. A diet Coke completed the order. What you see is exactly what I was expecting to see. And that's usually a good thing.

The service was adequate, the waitress friendly, and the food was good. The cost was $15 dollars which in New York City is acceptable.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3 out of 5 shots and recommends Broadway 49 Cafe for dinner.

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Caffe Capri Restaurant – Valentines Day Dinner

Caffe Capri 

Happy St. Valentine's Day!
Patty and I decided to have our St. Valentine's Day dinner at Caffe' Capri in Boardman, (A suburb of Youngstown) Ohio. Luckily we arrived early enough before the crowd set in. We were greeted nicely and seated right away, in a very comfortable and intimate booth. We ordered our drinks, diet Cokes, and they were brought out in a timely manner.

Caffe Capri Fried Cheese And Sauce

I ordered the fried cheese with tomato sauce as my appetizer. As you can see, the appetizer was a generous portion. The taste was excellent, the cheese a good blend, the crust cooked to a golden brown, and the sauce, very thick with a zesty taste.

Caffe Capri Salad

I had one problem with Caffe Capri. The service was slower than what I had expected. Upon further observation, our waitress was busy servicing at least three other tables. She did apologize for the slow service for which we said we understood and everything was just fine.

The salads arrived and they were standard fare as salads went. The lettuce was fresh and crisp, very little carrots, one black olive, one slice of cucumber, one small cherry tomato. It lacked cheese and croutons.

Chicken Parmigiana Caffe Capri Style

The main course was chicken parmigiana with a side of Penne pasta. The portion was very generous, consisting of two large pieces of chicken that was well cooked, juicy, tender, and baked to a golden brown. Melted cheese and a hearty tomato sauce smothered the chicken. It was delicious. The penne pasta and sauce was equally surprising. Classic Italian bread completed the meal.

Pattys Meal

Patty's meal consisted of shrimp cocktail for an appetizer, salad, and haddock francaise in a tangy wine sauce with a side order of spaghetti. Patty said the meal was delicious and that we would be returning to Caffe Capri in the near future for another fine dining experience.

The cost for both meals was $53 dollars excluding tip which was very reasonable with the quality and amount of food received. The service was very good even with the excessive burden on her.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends Caffe Capri for dinner.

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Philadelphia Hard Rock Cafe - Twisted Mac Chicken

Philly Hard Rock Cafe

Running the "Rocky" steps works up a powerful appetite. Luckily the Philadelphia Hard Rock Cafe was right around the corner. And I was hungry. It was crowded but we got a seat. The waitress took our drink order and few minutes later our dinner order. I ordered Twisted Mac Chicken and cheese.

Twisted Mac And Cheese

It took about 20 minutes for our entree's to reach the table. This is not what  thought I was ordering. It was chicken, and there were some twizzly noodles with melted cheese at the bottom of the plate. Anyway, as I said, I was hungry.

You are looking at $18 dollars of food. Yes, 18 bucks. The chicken was well cooked, hot, tender, and tasted good. The macaroni and cheese was also hot and adequate. The bread however, well, you could pound nails with it.

The service was adequate, it was busy, the waiter did his job, but nothing exceptional. A refill on the water and soda would have been nice.

The walls and tables were lined with pictures of rock legends giving the restaurant a nice feel. I snapped some pictures of the Beatles, the greatest rock band in the history of rock.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3 out of 5 shots and recommends the Philadelphia Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. for dinner.

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1. 
   

   PeterW.A. said

   April 24, 2009 at 1:44 pm e
   The hard Rock is k not known for its food but the atmosphere surrounding it. As long as its edible the Hard Rock considers it a win win.
   Reply
   • 
     

     LOTGK said

     April 24, 2009 at 3:47 pm e
     A win win. Not entirely sure. Although I recommend the Hard Rock, if the service and food slip, then the customers will as well.
     Reply
2. 
   

   G Clock M said

   April 24, 2009 at 2:36 pm e
   That looks horrible. And you gave it kudos and recommend people to go and eat there. No way.
   Reply
   • 
     

     LOTGK said

     April 24, 2009 at 3:50 pm e
     Looks are sometimes deceiving. I’ll agree on the bread, it was pretty bad. The atmosphere was cool, good music, adequate service on a busy evening, the food OK.
     Reply
3. 
   

   Contessa Confessa said

   April 25, 2009 at 4:02 pm e
   you know, this is probably one of the first blue plate specials that hasn’t made my mouth water… (i’m blaming it on the bread!).
   Reply
4. 
   

   Bitzky said

   April 26, 2009 at 12:15 pm e
   I’d totally eat it but for around 12 bucks (converted to Swedish price levels, of course).
   Reply
   • 
     

     LOTGK said

     April 27, 2009 at 11:28 pm e
     Yea, don’t get me wrong, the chicken was good, the mac and cheese OK, but the presentation, all thrown together in a bowl with stale bread, well, it lost some points for that.
     Reply
   • 
     

Caribe Cafe - Mirage Hotel -Breakfast Platter

Caribe Cafe - Breakfast

I will be heading out to the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in a few days for some business. Of course I will be having breakfast at the Caribe Cafe. The above breakfast was from a recent visit there.

If you arrive early, meaning before 8am, there is never a line. We waited just five minutes and were escorted to our table. We knew what we wanted and ordered the American breakfast. I added a glass of orange juice.

In less than ten minutes my breakfast arrived at our table. As you can see, I ordered scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast. The eggs were cooked very well, and plentiful. The bacon was crisp with many pieces. And the hash browns were hot and not soggy. All in all the breakfast was very good and filling.

The cost was $15 dollars without tip which for Las Vegas was in tune, a little high, but in tune.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3.5 out of 5 shots and recommends the Mirage Caribe Cafe for breakfast.

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1. 
   

   Jack Sparrow said

   March 30, 2009 at 7:24 am e
   Aye, beats rotten green eggs fo sure.
   Reply
2. 
   

   Eddy said

   March 30, 2009 at 8:38 am e
   Thats a lot of food for Vegas. What is that like 8 pieces of bacon. was that buffet style.
   Reply
3. 
   

   Eddy said

   March 30, 2009 at 1:20 pm e
   What, no pancakes? You’re slacking my friend.
   Reply
4. 
   

   Gumby said

   March 30, 2009 at 1:23 pm e
   That is a lot of chow, that looks like four or five eggs, and a brick of hash browns. Pretty good for sin city.
   Reply
5. 
   

   Bitzky said

   March 30, 2009 at 2:55 pm e
   Oh so that’s called an American breakfast? Each country seems to have his own. Good to know for my next visit 
   Reply
6. 
   

Ober Gatlinburg Sidewalk Cafe - Cheese Pizza

Ober Gatlinburg Pizza

Gatlinburg has an amusement park at the top of the Smoky Mountains called Ober Gatlinburg. Plenty of excitement with the Ober Slide, Chair lift, Cyclone water slide, and assorted other water slides and attractions.

There is an inside ice skating rink with plenty of shops and vendors. We stopped at the Pizza station. We ordered a large pizza with pepperoni on half. The clerk said it would be about 20 minutes.

In about 20 minutes, our order number was called and I went to pick up the pizza. Of course it was hot, it just came out of the oven. But the cheese wasn't completed melted. And the crust, well, it had a hint of cardboard flavor. The rest of the pizza was OK at best. I do believe it was a frozen pizza merely heated up.

The cost was $12 dollars without drinks, both diet cokes. Ober Gatlinburg is a fun place to be at, but the food choices on top of the mountain at not so good.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 2.5 out of 5 shots and barely recommends Ober Gatlinburg Pizza for dinner.

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1. 
   

   Y-Citizen said

   February 8, 2009 at 7:12 pm e
   That pizza looks fake. Like from a tv commercial.
   Reply
2. 
   

   LOTGK said

   February 8, 2009 at 10:27 pm e
   It wasn’t fake, but had very little taste. It was edible though, and easy access so I gave it a passing grade.
   Reply
3. 
   

   Green Hood said

   February 9, 2009 at 10:08 am e
   I think I would have passed. Dont they have a hamburger shop up there.
   Reply
4. 
   

   Gumby said

   February 9, 2009 at 11:55 am e
   Pass. I think you created a new flavor. Cardboard flavored pizza.
   Reply
5. 
   

   Keith McFarland said

   February 10, 2009 at 11:44 am e
   May be you should try some of these food samples: http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/
   It would be nice to see your reviews.
   Reply
6. 
   

   LOTGK said

   February 10, 2009 at 12:23 pm e
   OMG, I just had a heart attack looking at that food.
   Reply
7. 
   

   Bitzky said

   February 15, 2009 at 8:09 pm e
   20 mins and 12 dollars? No way!
   Btw, you won’t believe me but I believe that the country with best pizzas is… Sweden! I’ve tried pizza in most of European countries, as well as in U.S. and Canada and it just can’t be compared. Come over and find out! 
   Reply
8. 
   

   LOTGK said

   February 16, 2009 at 12:19 pm e
   in fact, Patty and I are preplanning a trip to Ireland next year.
   Reply
9. 
   

   Bitzky said

   February 16, 2009 at 6:11 pm e
   Oh oh oh! Who knows, I just might be in Ireland at the time. Poke me when you find out the dates 
   Reply
10. 
    

    LOTGK said

    February 16, 2009 at 11:17 pm e
    You betcha I will. We’re hoping for September of 2010. Going to see my family there for a few days and then the rest will be sightseeing.
    Reply

Cafe Roma - Pepperoni Roll

Cafe Roma Pepperoni Roll

Cafe Roma

Location: Cafe Roma 2nd Floor YMCA 17 N. Champion Street Youngstown, OH 44503 330-746-6900.

The Order: Pepperoni roll and sauce.
The Service: Of course it was take out. The Grassy Knoll secret corporate office is far to busy to take a leisurely lunch break.
The Taste: adequate. The dough was overcooked, almost burnt. The cheese, on the other hand, was all clumped together and was semi cold.
Presentation: Standard white styrofoam container.
The Value: Under 4 bucks. Not bad, until you look at other rolls on the market.
The Rating: 2 out of 5 shots. Grassy Knoll Diner does NOT recommend the pepperoni roll at Cafe Roma.

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Cafe Roma - Chicken Strip Dinner

Cafe Roma Chicken Strips

17 N. Champion Street Youngstown, OH 44503
Phone: 330-746-6900.
The order: Chicken strips with fries and a side order of fried cheese sticks with sauce.
The Service: Standard take out. The order was ready on time.
The Taste: Not bad. The meal was hot, the chicken crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. The fries were cooked and not soggy. The fried cheese was hot and the sauce was tangy. The grease could use more frequent changes.
Presentation: Standard attire of styrofoam cartons.
The Value: Under 4 bucks. Pretty good value for four pieces of chicken, fries, and 5 cheese sticks.

The Rating: 3 out of 5 shots. Grassy Knoll Diner recommends the chicken and fries lunch at Cafe Roma.

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