Steak N Shake - Double Cheeseburger

Double Cheeseburger

Is Steak N Shake a fast food joint or a restaurant?
From the outside it has the markings of a fast food setup with a drive through window. However, when walking inside, the decor is 50's style diner, black and white tiles, booths, and even a counter to eat at.

We sat down and a waitress took our order. Chalk one up for restaurant. I ordered a double cheeseburger and fries. It was brought to our table in less than ten minutes. (Another restaurant feature) The cheeseburger was excellent, in the top 10 list for sure. I watched them make the burgers on the grill before. They start with a fresh round ball of meat and using the spatula, smash into a thin patty. A few minutes of sizzling and the patty is flipped. Cheese is added and then placed on the bun.

The fries were thin cut, (We will call them Mini Fries) and were tasty especially with the dipping cheese sauce.

The cost was very cheap, (A fast food feature) $4.00 with fries. We paid and left a higher than usual tip for our waitress and walked out the door.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 4.75 out of 5 shots and recommends steak N Shake for dinner.

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KFC Lies To Customers

Driving down South avenue the other day I spied a KFC restaurant (Kentucky Fried chicken) and a minute later I found myself in the drive through. Since I was there I decided to order something. It would have been a little awkward if when the drive through window employee asked, "May I help you," and I said, "No, just browsing right now!" Instead, I ordered a #10 which was two chicken filets, a biscuit, wedge fries, and a Pepsi. All for $6 dollars. I was told to pull around to the window.

After I paid my $6 dollars, I was told that the filets were not cooked and it would be 5-6 minutes. She told me to pull over and park on the right and they would bring it out. I noticed the time and it was 5:24pm. I pulled over. It started to rain. Perhaps a bad omen.

Six minutes passed and still no winner winner chicken dinner. Ten minutes passed and KFC became officially liars. Three minutes later the KFC employee was spotted, running my take out bag to me in the pouring rain.

For a brief moment I thought of being mean, with it raining hard and the girl outside my Jeep window holding my take out, perhaps I would pretend not to notice her. Make her wait on me. Instead, I unzipped the window and took my order and drove off.

The moral of this post is:
KFC lies to its customers. When they tell you it will only be a 5-6 minute wait, expect that time to be at least double.

You see, I am at a loss for rating this take out dinner. The chicken was good, the fries and roll hot and tasty, but the service was down right despicable.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 1 out of 5 shots and DOES NOT recommend KFC Drive through for lunch or dinner.

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Hungry Howie's - Calzone

Hurry - Its Dying

A new fast food delivery restaurant opened up in Youngstown recently. It looked like a typical pizza joint place, and being the blue plate special king, decided to try them out.

I used the flyer that was in my mailbox and called in my take out order. I ordered the above item, which by the menu is a sausage and cheese calzone.

Pickup was painless, the order was ready, and it was correct. When I got home, I unwrapped my dinner and found this. A big blob of soggy dough, cheese, sauce, and what appeared to be rabbit turds.

The taste was, well, terrible. A soggy mess of ingredients congealing wrapped up in a box. I cannot confirm if it was sausage or rabbit turds. Or cheese for that matter. However, the sauce was plain tomato paste, no spice whatsoever.

The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 1.25 shots out of 5 and does not recommend Hungry Howie's for lunch or dinner.

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Bob Evans - Bacon Omelette - Take Out

Got To Break A Few Eggs

Sunday morning, the Lead Scientist of the Grassy Knoll Institute surprised us with breakfast take out from the local Bob Evans restaurant in Boardman, Ohio.

My order was a Bacon omelette ala carte. No hash browns, or toast, just the omelette.
The omelette was quite large, cooked well, with plenty of bacon sprinkled on the outside and plenty inside. It was topped with a light coating of cheese.

The take out container was a little above standard fare, a sturdy plastic container that didn't smash the food beyond recognition.
The omelette was hot, fresh, and with a little pepper for flavoring was very good tasting.

The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 4 out of 5 shots and recommends Bob Evans for breakfast.

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Moore's Tavern - Cheeseburger Take Out

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Eddie’s Grill - Cheeseburger- Take Out - Geneva

Iconic Eddie's Grill

Eddie's Grill is a classic iconic restaurant located at Geneva On The Lake, in Ohio. Established in 1950, Eddie's Grill is a traditional lunch and dinner stop for thousands of returning patrons, young and old. Eddie's captured the 1950's diner mystique and hasn't changed in all the years I have been eating there. Which is about 45 years now. Anyway, on to the food critique.

Eddie's Grill Take Out Service

Last Friday Eddie's was packed, (SRO) so we decided to get take out instead of waiting an hour for a table inside. There are some nice park benches and picnic tables just across the street so we would be fine.

As you can see, I ordered the cheeseburger and fries. The cost was $6.05 which isn't bad, not great, but not bad. The cheeseburger was hot, fresh, and very tasty. The patty was of course styled old school, meaning that the patty was smashed down on the grill instead of the pre-made pre-formed patties at most burger joints. The bun was fresh, sesame seeded and not soggy. The french fries were hot, well cooked, and tasted good.

I talked to a few patrons while standing in line and everyone of them said they have been coming to Eddie's Grill for years. Every time they come to Geneva-On-The-Lake they make sure to stop at Eddie's for lunch and or dinner. Now that is a testimonial.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4.5 out of 5 shots and recommends Eddies Grill at Geneva On The Lake for lunch and dinner.

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Steak N Shake - Cheeseburger And Fries

Steak N Shake Double Cheeseburger

About 15 years ago there was a fast food restaurant in Boardman, Ohio called G.D. Ritzys. It reminded me of another old time restaurant open in the 1960's and 70's, Mister Wheelers. Both Ritzys and Wheelers had some fantastic cheeseburgers and unique french fries. Steak N Shake is close to these restaurants.

I pulled in to the parking lot and found myself inside Steak N Shake. I took a seat at the counter and the waitress took my order almost immediately. Of course, I ordered the double cheeseburger and fries.

From my vantage point at the counter, I watched the grill boy take two balls of hamburger and slap it on the grill. Using his spatula he smashed them into very thin patties. A couple minutes later he flipped them over and placed a slice of cheese on top of each patty. It looked just as Ritzys and Wheelers burgers looked. A minute later, my fries were being shuffled into a cardboard box and my burger was being wrapped in a paper sack. (A good omen indeed) I paid the cashier, cost was just under $6 dollars which included a drink and drove home.

The cheeseburger was hot, well cooked, the bun fresh and not soggy, and the cheese melted. The taste was one of the best fast food burgers on the market today. They call it a steak burger, but they are all hamburger meat. The burger was juicy and tasted very good. The show string fries were plentiful, more than i anticipated, well cooked, a little salty, but very good tasting. This meal brought back memories of the old Mister Wheelers restaurant from so long ago.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends  Steak N Shake double cheeseburger for lunch and dinner.

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Bob Evans Bacon Cheeseburger

Bob Evans Take Out Cheeseburger

Just the other day I was at Steamers restaurant and had one of the best tasting cheeseburgers I have ever had. Tempting my luck, I ordered the same at Bob Evans restaurant in Youngstown yesterday.

The service was great, the waitress kind, fast, and courteous and my cheeseburger was brought out right on time. Did I mention it was take out?

So I get home and unwrap my bacon cheeseburger with fries. The burger was hot, there was bacon, and cheese, and the burger was a half pound of beef. Then I picked it up.

The bun was soggy. Not a little, but if it were a sponge, you could wring it out. Inspecting the bacon, there were two slices, and it was half cooked at best. The cheese was melted and the burger well cooked. However, upon first bite, my expectations were quashed.

I wouldn't say the taste was horrendous, but it wasn't good at all. If you ever held a hockey puck, this had the same texture, hard, round, and tasteless. Even adding fries to the top of the burger couldn't help mask the taste. Perhaps the fries would assist in this meal.

Bob Evans Fries

As you can see, there were not a lot of french fries with the order. For 10 dollars, I was expecting more fries. Also note the one piece of bacon hanging on the left side. The fries were hot, not soggy, not crisp, but just OK. The taste was adequate as fries go. Nothing bad, just OK. 

The take out order was packed in a white xardboard box and the burger was inside and wrapped in a foil wrapper. The fries was strewn on the bottom.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 2 out of 5 shots and does not recommend Bob Evans cheeseburger for 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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Eddie’s Grill Take Out Cheeseburger – Geneva On The Lake

Eddies Grill - Geneva On The Lake

Eddie's Grill, Iconic restaurant located at Geneva-On-The-Lake is of course my choice for dinner while visiting there. Eddie's Grill is always busy so be prepared for a pleasantly happy crowd. There is plenty of seating but most are usually taken. I was lucky to get a counter bar stool. The waitress took my order and after five minutes, it was delivered.

Eddies Grill Take Out Order

While waiting for my own order, I took in the ambiance of Eddie's Grill. The cooks in white paper hats, the waitresses shouting out orders to the cooks, workers hustling around, cleaning tables and bringing out food. it was a scene right out of a 1950's hamburger diner. And yes, there were plenty of "Fonzies" there.

Anyway, I ordered the cheeseburger, fries, and a foot long hot dog. My order was correct of course. It was on time, and fresh. The cheeseburger may have been the best I have ever tasted. And I have had plenty of them. The fries were hot, well cooked, and plentiful. I ordered the foot long as well just because. (When in Rome)

As you can see by the lighted menu board, the cheeseburger was $3.60, the fries were $2.45, and the foot long was $3.60 which are very good prices for the quality and quantity of food served.

My next update will be Eddie's Grill rival, Time Square Restaurant, just a little ways down the parkway. I will match up item per item in taste, cost, service, and quantity, and quality. Who will win, check back in several days to find out.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 5 out of 5 shots and recommends Eddie's Grill for lunch and dinner.

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Bob Evans - Bacon Cheeseburger Takeout

Bacon Cheeseburger Take Out Bob Evans

Bob Evans restaurant located in Youngstown, Ohio, is our next stop on the Blue Plate Special tour. However, this time, we ordered to go to test their take out service. I placed the call, ordered a bacon cheeseburger with french fries and the waitress said my order would be ready in about 20 minutes.

I arrived at Bob Evans in twenty minutes and went to the take out counter. A waitress asked if she could help me. I told her, "Pick up for the Grassy Knoll Institute!" She smiled and went into the back. She walked out with my order and packed it up in a plastic bag. She told me to pay at the check out.

As you can see, they did not skimp on the bacon. Two thick strips were on top and when I broke both pieces in half, they covered the burger completely. The cheese was plentiful, fully melted and hot. The bun was fresh, hot, and toasted just right. The one third pound burger patty was well cooked, juicy, and hot. The fries were golden brown, crunchy, not soggy, and hot. The container, a standard styrofoam container held up for well.

The burger was very good tasting. You could really taste the crisp thick bacon unlike other burgers where the bacon is undercooked and as thin as paper. The fries were very tasty as well.

Don't worry, I didn't forget about the cost which at $8 dollars was a fair price. All in all, the take out experience was worked well.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3.75 out of 5 shots and recommends Bob Evans Cheeseburger take out for dinner.

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Bob Evans - Turkey Dinner - Take Out

Bob Evans Turkey Dinner

Bob Evans serves more than breakfast. But you all knew that anyway. Well, sooner or later, the Grassy Knoll Institute will get around to every restaurant in the world. This was our latest stop.

We decided on take out and we were not disappointed. I ordered the turkey dinner with all the fixings. Price was $10 dollars.

The order was ready on time, and it was correct, and the dinner was hot and fresh. It was sealed and placed in a sturdy container.

The turkey was not processed turkey, but carved from the breast. Very moist and hot. The stuffing was good, considering it was a national chain restaurant. the mashed potatoes were a surprise. They were not instant, but real mashed potatoes. Gravy was OK. The steamed carrots were adequate. The rolls, pretty darn good.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4 out of 5 shots for the turkey dinner and recommends Bob Evans of Boardman, Ohio for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Hello Sally!!!

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Jorgine's Restaurant - Meatball Sandwich

Jorgines Restaurant Meatball Sandwich

Jorgine's is located downtown Youngstown. The take out menu is faxed everyday. We decided to try them and fell right into their trap.

The above photo is of a $5.99 meatball sandwich. No cheese, no fries, no chips, no drink. Just a sandwich. To understand the size of this sandwich, it is a hot dog bun.

The taste was adequate. These were not home made meatballs, but frozen mass purchased type meatballs thawed out in a microwave tasting types. The bun was fresh though.

The Grassy Knoll Diner reluctantly scores 1.5 out of 5 shots to Jorgine's meatball sandwich and does not recommend them for lunch or dinner.

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