Amarillo, TX, Hoffbrau Steaks

We were travelling through on I-40 and stopped for the night. We tried this restaurant and were very pleased. We know Amarillo has a lot of cattle and we, of course, ordered steak. We had a great meal. The steaks were tender and juicy and the service was friendly. The waitress was witty and the manager stopped to talk for awhile. The prices are low to moderate. Other dishes on the menu included chicken and seafood. We travel through Amarillo frequently and this is a must stop now. They are located on the west side of Amarillo just off I-40. Their phone number is 806-358-6595.

Pickerington, OH, Don Patron's

This wonderful Mexican Restaurant is located on Rt 256 (Hill Road) and Stonecreek Dr. on the Southeast corner (end of strip mall). The food is excellent. I've had the Fahita's, quesadilla's, tacos. They were all so tasty and presented nicely. The servers are witty and friendly and right there when you need something. They start with complementary chips and salsa, a bowl of both spicey and mild salsa. They have an outdoor patio for good weather dining. Prices are perfect. The restaurant is not a chain and the owner is usually there. The decor is cheerful and comfortable. Give it a try. (Pickerington is a suburb on the southeast side of Columbus.)

Reynoldsburg, OH, Scali's Restaurant

Scali's Restaurant

This family owned and operated Italian restaurant has some of the finest dishes I have ever had. The food is excellent; prepared in an open kitchen which enhances the friendly atmosphere. The owners are ever vigilant which translates into attention to detail and responsive servers. Anyone who tries this restaurant is guaranteed to leave with a sense of satisfaction and a desire to return. Favorite dishes: Peasant tortellini; Chicken Cacciatorie and the specials of the day are usually superb. The restaurant is located in a strip mall on the southwest corner of Route 256 and Livingston Ave, just about 1/2 mile north of I-70. (Reynoldsburg is a suburb on the East side of Columbus)

Tempe, AZ - Sunrise Cafe

Sunrise Cafe

It is actually a humorous story how I ended up here but nonetheless I stopped for breakfast and had a great experience. We were a little pressed for time and had never been here before so I ordered the special for the day which was Huevos Rancheros (flour tortilla, eggs, hash browns, refried beans and salsa). It was very good, salsa a little spicy but overall a good plate. We also ordered a denver omelet with special instructions and it came out just the way it was ordered. It was very good as well. Our service was great. Refills were often and our waitress checked on us a couple of times and each request was met with friendliness and promptness.

We left with plenty of time to get to our next appointment and had a great meal with great service. We will be back when we are in the area. They also serve lunch and are open from 7 am to 3 pm. Please check them out on the corner of McClintock and University. Say hi to our waitress, Katey, if you are lucky enough to get her.

Chandler, AZ - Blu Burger Grill

Blu Burger Grill

We tried the Blu Burger Grill at Fulton Ranch on the corner of Alma School and Chandler Heights Road. The interior decoration is pretty much all blue, a little too much, and rather small. As small as it was, it still took several minutes for someone to seat us and take any drink orders.

Once our drink orders were placed it probably took another 10 minutes for our waitress to come back to take our dinner order and didn't seem too pleased about having to do so either.

We ordered 2 kids meals and 2 adult burgers. The kids' chicken fingers were over cooked and so crunchy that it was hard to bite into. We ordered a side salad with it which resembled the weeds from our backyard, no one ate it. The kids cheeseburger was the size of a slider and over cooked as well. The side of skinny fries were actually good.

One adult entree was the BBQ burger. It tasted fine other than it was way over cooked. It came with a side of cole slaw, which was probably the best thing on our table. The Build Your Own Burger (which is sort of their claim to being different) was the only thing cooked to order. The side of sweet potato fries were OK, but I have had much better.

Drink refills were very slow as was the service in general. I wouldn't say that they were rude but very inattentive and not pleasant to say the least. This is one place that we do not plan to visit again. They do have other things on the menu like salads and sandwiches but because of the service and the overpriced menus, we will not return.