Looking for a quick and cheap bite to eat? Lil’ Anthony’s has a great lunch special, 2 slices of cheese pizza and a soda for $4.95. The slices are huge and will be plenty for lunch. The pizza is good, but it might not be fresh from the oven when you get it. Depending on how long it has been sitting out (4 hours max), it can get a bit dry. The pizza still good, and you can’t beat the price for the amount of food you get.
Chili’s is running a special right now with 10 meals for under $7, which basically means $6.99 for most of them. Many of these meals are just smaller portions of items already on the menu, while others were always under $7. I like the smaller portions for less money. The chicken soft tacos are a great choice. The meal comes with two chicken soft tacos, stuff with lettuce, tomato and onion, and your choice of one side. I got the loaded mashed potatoes figuring it was the biggest bang for my buck, but there are healthier options such as steamed broccoli, salad, corn on the cob, and others. The sweet chile glazed Kiickn’ Crispers are excellent as well. The mean comes with 4 crispers and a choice of side.
All in all, this is special is a great deal for a cheap and tasty meal. Couple it with Chili’s 2-for-1 drinks all day, every day (most drinks, but not all), and you’ve got a great place to go hang out with some friends, or watch the game at the bar area.
Pizzeria Valdiano has won several local awards for their food, but I cannot understand why. It is far from the best pizza in town. It is not cheap, and the staff has the “Soup Nazi” attitude. The pizza is nothing out of the ordinary, and expect to pay around $7-8 for a couple slices and a soda. Oh, and they charge $0.25 for refills. Nothing pisses me off more than places nickel and dime-ing you. If you are charging anything more than $1 for a cup of fountain soda, you better give free refills. I recommend passing on Pizzeria Valdiano and eating at Mellow Mushroom. Mellow Mushroom is better quality, better tasting, won’t charge for refills, the staff is always pleasant and helpful, and it’s about the same price.
Today, May 16 2009, Shane’s Rib Shack is giving away a free half rack of ribs to the first 100 customers. Here is a list of locations in Florida. Find one near you, and head over there now to get a spot in line. Read our review of Shane’s Rib Shack.
After my previous review of The Taco Maker, I was contacted by the Florida franchise owner to rectify the moldy flan incident. Manuel wanted to meet with me, and give a tour of the facility, as well as their cleanliness and preparation standards. I met with Manuel, and Alberto (the owner of this particular location). I was shown the entire kitchen and food preparation area, which was spotless. In the food prep line, all of the items were time stamped, to let them know when it was made, and how long they could keep it. I was shown the freezer, where all of the food was dated when it was received. They have specific time-lines on how long they can teach each item.
I was informed that they previously had issues with their flan distributor. One of the issues what that there was no expiration date on the individual flan packages. This meant that even though they kept track of how long they have had the flan, there was no way of knowing how long it was made previously, nor when it would expire. They already had a new distributor for the flan, and this was only days after my incident. The new one has expiration dates on the individual packages, so situations like mine should never happen again.
I was treated to a free meal at the end of my visit. I had a couple enchilladas, one chicken, one beef. Both were tasty, and again, very filling. I had the Crustos for dessert. Crustos are a deep fried flour tortilla chip covered with cinnamon and brown sugar. They are nice and light, and hit the spot after a big meal.
After my first visit, I was on the fence about The Taco Maker. Considering I was served moldy flan, but still enjoyed the rest of my meal, being on the fence is not a bad position. After being shown the facility, and really just having the owners take the time to meet with me, my confidence in The Taco Maker is renewed. I would recommend this place.
My first experience with The Taco Maker was a mixed one. My girlfriend and I ordered the Fiesta Feast, and an order of flan, to go. On the way home, my girlfriend happened to look at the flan, and noticed it was moldy. This did not make for a good first impression. I turned around, and went to exchange it/get a refund. Initially, the staff was very apologetic (as they should be when serving moldy food), and glad to give me a new one. I inspected the new one instantly, and found what I thought was another very tiny spec of mold. The staff argued with me about this one, but I was not about to take the chance. They brought me another new one, this time from the cooler in the back, instead of the mini fridge up front. This one looked fine, I took it, and left. Not once was I offered a refund, or a gift card/certificate as compensation for being served moldy food though. To be fair, the flan is not made in house, but it does not speak well for the quality of their food storage.
My girlfriend and I went home, uneasy about the meals we were about to eat due to the moldy flan, but we also did not want to just throw away almost $20 worth of food. The Fiesta Feast, which comes with a burrito, taco, tortilla chips, and re-fried beans, was surprisingly good. We were full for hours afterward, much longer than expected considering the amount of food in the meal. It has been a couple days since we’ve eaten the meals, and we have not fallen ill because of it.
The food at The Taco Maker is good. It is a little expensive for the type of restaurant (giving a fast food feel). Expect to spend close to $10 for a meal and a drink, but it should fill you up for quite a while. Unfortunately, the moldy flan completely ruined my experience. The rest of the food was fine, but I cannot get the flan out of my head. It put a premature end to what could have been a beautiful relationship.
Update: I was contacted by the owners of The Taco Maker, and given a tour of their facilities. Please read the follow up.
Shane’s Rib Shack is an excellent place for “fast food” barbecue. I only call it fast food because you order at the counter, and you do not have a server, not because of the quality of the food. They have a variety of sandwiches, flavors of chicken wings and fingers, and of course ribs. Their house sauces all have a nice flavor to them, offering a spicy/sweet, hot, and original recipe. Their portions are plentiful, and you can get away with a meal and a drink for about $10. It is a nice place to have lunch, but nothing that will wow you.
El Potro is small Mexican Restaurant chain in the Orlando area. It offers a wide variety of authentic Mexican cuisine. The best part about El Potro is its buffet. It is the only Mexican buffet I know of in the area. The lunch buffet with a drink will cost around $10. It will keep you satisfied for hours. I often skip dinner because I eat so much food.
All of the food on the buffet is fresh and delicious. You can make your own hard or soft tacos, and taco salads. You can pick from ready made taquitos, cheese quesadillas, pork with peppers and onions, and a plethora of other items. The buffet even has chicken wings, which are surprisingly good for a Mexican restaurant. For dessert, you can pick from flan, deep fried rolled tortillas filled with flan, and deep fried chips covered with cinnamon and brown sugar.
I have yet to try something at El Potro that I didn’t like. The food will leave you more than satisfied. The service is good, and accommodating. After trying this place, you will visit it often.
Ker’s Wing House is a bar and grill style restaurant with a scantily clad staff. It may sound familiar to another chain, but the main difference is that the food here is good. They have a solid beer selection, which makes a perfect partner for their wings. Their wings come in a variety of flavors, Blackened being my favorite. Their Blackened wings are a nice mix of Cajun spices. You can also get the wings breaded, buffalo style, or naked.
Wing House offers a variety of sides as well, including fries, chili fries, onion rings, jalapeño poppers, and many more. One side they are famous for is their fried pickles, which are a nice is of sweet and tangy. The service at Ker’s is second only to the food. The only complaint that I have about the service, and Wing House in general, is that the staff comes by towards the end of your meal trying to sell you various merchandise including shot glasses, playing cards, calendars, and more. Putting up with this is a small price to pay for a great meal that will not leave you hungry.
Tijuana Flats is a Mexican restaurant chain started by a UCF graduate. It is most famous for the psychedelic artwork that covers its interior, as well as its selection of hot sauces. The number of hot sauces available varies by location, but there are usually at least 10 to choose from, ranging from the mild and sweet, the the unbearably hot (at least for me). Their selection ranges from the usual tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, to flautas, enchiladas, tostadas, and more. They also have certain menu items for a limited time. You can view their entire menu on their website. Toppings include lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, fresh jalapeno peppers, sour cream, and black olives. You have the option grilled chicken, blackened chicken, re-fried beans, beef, or steak for most items on the menu as well.
It is primarily a self serve restaurant, but the staff is very helpful and will come around and refill drinks, or get you anything else you may need. I have been to at least 5 different Tijuana Flats in the area, and have received excellent service and food at all of them. I visit the one on Aloma in Winter Park most often, and I can say the staff there goes out of their way to make you happy. During my most recent visit, I accidentally dropped what was left of one of my tacos on the floor, and they offered me a new one without hesitation. That is exceptional service you don’t always see, but it is what keeps people coming back.