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.

Chandler, AZ - Garcia's

Garcia's

We went to eat at Garcia's in Chandler at Fulton Ranch. The drinks are good and so is the service! Our server today is Chris, he and Gary are 2 of the best servers they have. Truthfully, we have really never had bad service in all the times we have been there but we do have our favorites. The chips and salsa are the best and one of my all time favorites compared to other Mexican restaurants we have tried. If you like it hot then ask for the spicy stuff, the regular salsa has enough kick for me with more of a chunky texture than the hot stuff. We usually order kids chicken, macaroni & cheese and the monster burrito. The adults usually get the chicken ultimate burrito or chicken enchiladas with pablano sauce. The prices are very reasonable, especially on Sundays because kids eat free. The atmosphere is fun and inviting and the service is personal and friendly. If you haven't tried Garcia's, stop by and check it out. Below are some of the specials, so pick a day that sounds good and give it try. Say hi to Chris or Gary for us too and tell them we sent you!

Specials... Sunday- Kids eat free

Monday- Magarita Madness $3.99

Tuesday- Taco's 3 for $7.99 dinner, $5.99 lunch
Senior day Buy one entree get one 1/2 off

Wednesday- Wacky Fajitas $6.00 off reg. price

Thursday- $2.00 Mexican beer

Toronto, Canada - Back Alley

Back Alley BBQ

I was visiting with some friends in Toronto, Canada and they took me to the Kensington Market Area to look around and grab some dinner. We sort of stumbled across this little place called the Back Alley - Woodfire BBQ and Grill. It looked and sounded pretty good, so in we went. The address to the place is 188 Augusta Ave, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2L6. Check out their website too: website.

It was almost half full at our arrival of about 5 pm. We sat down and got our drink orders right away. About 10 minutes later, our waiter took our dinner order and was friendly and helpful but also very hurried about things. As the minutes ticked by we were getting impatient for our food because it was taking so long. After about 45 minutes our food finally came to our table with some sincere apologies for the length of time it took, all very good excuses but still not really that important. The ribs were some of the best around and personal size pizza was the best I had ever had. We also had a calzone and it too was awesome. Our waiter checked on us several times during the meal and filled drinks often. Whatever the hold up with the food he more than made up for with better service and some of the best food I have had.

4 thumbs up on this one and if I am ever in the area again I would definitely stop here.

Flagstaff, AZ - Charly's Pub & Grill

Charly's Pub & Grill

This restaurant is located inside the historic Weatherford Hotel which was established in 1897. There is a lot of history as well as some haunting experiences, which is why we picked this place to try. The Weatherford housed Flagstaff's first telephone exchange company, a number of restaurants, a theater, a radio station and a billiard hall. It survived fire, harsh weather and two world wars. Cowboy author Zane Grey wrote Call of the Canyon while staying at the Weatherford. We heard that the pool room by the bar and the dance hall were both places that people had experience ghostly sightings. Our waiter told us they have had experiences themselves in the dining hall and one of the bathrooms. One of the guest rooms was actually converted into a storage room after so many guests had complained about experience with a ghost newlywed couple that bothers people at night in that room.

As for the food, we sampled a few of the menu items like the southwestern specialty Navajo Taco, which is fry bread topped with taco ingredients. It was very good and the portion is quite large. We tried the cheeseburger, Reuben sandwich and a cold ham sandwich. All were good and moderately priced. The menu ranges from appetizers, soups & salads, mexican, sandwiches, chicken, steak and seafood. Average price per person is about $10 - $18. The history was the reason we stopped by and the food was good too.

Denver, CO - Gunther Toody's

Gunther Toody's

We tried out the place across from our hotel called Gunther Toody's based on another restaurant waiters' recommendation. It is 9220 E. Arapahoe Rd in Greenwood Village. It is a 50s style diner with mostly burgers, patty-melts, pot roast and your typical diner food. The wait staff wear bowling shirts and names like Elvis and Jerry Lee. They make it a little more fun than your ordinary wait staff.

We happened to stop by on a Wednesday night which is 5 cent burger night. So you buy one burger and 2 drinks and get the second burger for a nickel. What a deal and tasty too. Of course we had to try one of their famous malts. It wasn't bad but not the best I have tried. We decided to come back for breakfast for the $2.99 Big Bopper deal - 2 slices of toast, 2 eggs, choice of meat and hash browns. They also have daily blue plate specials to try as well. Good food and reasonably priced.

We would certainly eat there again. It is fun for kids and the food is reasonable and tasty.

Denver, CO - Jack-N-Grill

Jack-N-Grill

We had heard about a small family owned restaurant in the downtown Denver area that we wanted to try the next time we were in town. Luckily we showed up before the big rush and didn't have to wait too long for our food. I have heard reservations are recommended and it does take awhile for orders when they are busy. The name of the place is called the Jack-n-Grill. It is located at 2524 Federal Blvd. (7 blocks north of Invesco Field on East side of Federal Blvd). It is a small building with colorful awnings but if you are not looking closely you could drive right by it. Check out the Jack-n-Grill website.

The food was excellent. They are most known for the 5 lb. breakfast burrito. It is bigger than it sounds. We noticed the best way to enjoy it is to share it. We saw a couple tables order one to be split with the rest of the table. We did not try it but I will the next time I get there. We tried the burgers and the bbq pulled pork sandwich. Both of these selections were excellent. Note: The burgers do come well done if you do not request otherwise. The selections are plentiful as the burgers were 10 ounces each and could easily be shared as well. Service is good but not a lot of checking on you as they are pretty busy.

I would definitely recommend this place whenever you are in the area and looking for a spot to eat with great food and reasonable prices. We will be back for sure!

Fort Collins, CO - Charco Broiler

Charco Broiler

If you are ever in the Fort Collins area looking for a good place to eat, try Charco Broiler. You might drive right past it on Mulberry road but it is worth the turn around. Charco Broiler is family owned and operated for three generations and have been serving Ft. Collins, Colorado since 1957.

We ate lunch at the Charco Broiler on Saturday, June 6, 2009 and we all enjoyed our food. We ordered your basic cheeseburger (both adult and kid), kids chicken strips with sweet potato fries, and sirloin tips with noodles. Everything was excellent. The sizes were plenty and cooked to order. Average price per person for us was about $8. The menu selection, portion sizes and prices are all very good. The staff was very friendly and helpful.

Charco Broiler is located just west of I-25 and Mulberry St. (exit 269) in Fort Collins, Colorado. The address is 1716 E. Mulberry. Check out their website

5 Thumbs up.