Tulsa, OK: Gut, But Not Great

Margaret's German Restaurant
5107 South Sheridan Road
Tulsa, OK 74145
South Tulsa
Phone: (918) 622-3747
Website: margaretsgermanrestaurant.com
Prices: $$$$

Having lived in Europe for six years and traveled extensively in Germany and other countries where schnitzel is a staple (Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia, and Hungary to name a few), I have had some of the best and am therefore a bit more discerning than most American customers who have never eaten real schnitzel. Margaret's, by comparison, was "OK". 

We were greeted by the tall, blonde owner who did not tell us her name, but told us she is actually Polish, having bought the German restaurant in 1989. We were seated at a table reserved for us in the semi-quaint back room furnished with German photos, beer steins, and a large mural of Austria's Neuschwanstein Castle with the phrase "Herzlich Willkommen" (heartfelt welcome) in the center. The service was in-fact welcoming and efficient, as should be the case in any German restaurant, but the music did not fit the theme and it was a bit too loud.

Starting with the prerequisite German dark wheat beer, a Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel (17 oz - $5.95), we ordered a pair of the German pretzels ($4.95) to share. The bottled beer (they have no drafts) was cold and good, the pretzels hot and salty with a spicy German mustard to add as needed. So far so good, but it is difficult to mess up a bottle of beer and a couple pretzels.

For our main courses, my wife ordered the Jägarschnitzel ($15.99) with spätzle and red cabbage and I the Klosterschnitzel ($16.99) with fried potatoes, saüerkraut and a side of Jäger sauce, both coming with a bowl of goulash soup. 

The goulash was tasty, but unlike any I have had before. Accompanied by two slices of German pumpernickel, there were croutons and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese on top and instead of the customary cubes of beef there were chunks of sausage, beans, peas and other veggies. It was spicy and pretty good, but not quite what we were expecting, particularly because my wife dislikes beans.

Both schnitzels were a bit on the small side, but well prepared. The Jägerschnitzel, a breaded, pan-fried pork loin, was topped with a typical hunter's sauce (brown gravy with mushrooms) that was not great, not tasting like it was made from scratch. The spätzle was decent and the red cabbage sweet and sour, but a bit soggy. The Klosterschnitzel, basically cordon bleu, a breaded pork loin stuffed with ham and cheese, then pan fried was also pretty good. Unfortunately, the fried potatoes looked more like frozen steak fries than any German fried potato I have ever had and the saüerkraut was unremarkable.

Overall, the service very good, the ambience decent, the food fair and the value average. Some German or Austrian background music would contribute to a more authentic atmosphere, the schnitzel could be a tad bigger, and the Jäger sauce definitely needs some work, but otherwise, Margaret's does a pretty good job with an uncommon cuisine south of the Mason-Dixon.

CombatCritic Gives Margaret's German Restaurant A Respectable 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... Bombs Are Gut!

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Yelp - "Elite '14/'15"

TripAdvisor - "Top Contributor" 

Tabelog - "Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - "Super Foodie"

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Title: Gut, But Not Great

Key Words: Margaret's German Restaurant, Margaret's, Margaret, German, Tulsa, OK, Oklahoma, South, Sheridan, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor

Translation: "Charlie-Mike" - Continue Mission (Keep up the good work)

Tulsa, OK: Good Food, But Pushy Service Was Very Annoying

Mondo’s Ristorante Italiano

3410 South Peoria Avenue

Tulsa, OK 74105

Phone: (918) 561-6300

Website: mondositalian.com

Prices: $$$$  

Italian

We arrived 30 minutes earlier than our 6pm reservation because it was cold and rainy and we ran out of things to do in Tulsa on the day after Thanksgiving. There was plenty of room in the near empty restaurant and we were quickly seated. Twenty seconds after sitting down, our server, Amy, asked if we wanted anything to drink. She did not introduce herself (I had to ask for her name before we left), did not greet or welcome us, only saying "what would you like to drink?". The words "we'd like to start with ice water" were barely out of my mouth (I was about to order a glass of wine) when she cut me off saying "the wine and beer menu is right there". I then proceeded to order a glass of the house red wine ($6) when she asked, "Are you ready to order your dinner?", to which I replied, "we just sat down, can we have a few minutes please?".

Our water soon arrived, then my wine a minute or two later, when again we were asked, "have you decided on your order?". "Not yet", I said, but Amy was back less than five minutes later, asking again and hovering like a helicopter apparently hoping to move us along so she could fill the table as many times as possible in one night. Finally, on her fourth pass we were ready to order, veal Marsala ($18.95) for my wife and veal parmigiana ($18.95) for me. After ordering, we noticed a board with specials listed behind us by the bar which Amy had failed to tell us about, but by then it was too late so we let it go.

Dinners come with soup (minestrone or clam chowder) or salad (house or Caesar) and bread, and not surprisingly our house salads and what Amy called "garlic bread" soon arrived. The bread was toasted and good, but I could locate little if any garlic. The salads were of decent size and the best I have had in recent memory, with romaine and iceberg lettuce, sliced olives, shredded mozzarella, pepperoncini, artichoke heart, grape tomatoes, croutons and bleu cheese dressing. My wife eats faster than I do and finished her salad a few minutes before I did with Amy quickly scooping up her plate and looking at me like "aren't you done yet?.

Once again, with little surprise, our meals quickly followed my salad plate being whisked away. My veal parmigiana looked quite nice, a good size portion of breaded veal covered with tomato sauce and baked mozzarella cheese and a side of spaghettini (not spaghetti as posted on the menu) with meat sauce. The veal was tender and very good, the pasta with a bit too much sauce as is the norm in many stateside Italian restaurants. The sauce was fair, nothing special, with little "meat" visible to the naked eye. Overall, I was pleased. My wife's veal Marsala was probably one third the size of my portion, maybe half when you factor in the breading on my parmigiana, and the sauce was creamy unlike any Marsala sauce I have ever seen. Although unconventional, it was also pretty good with a fair number of sliced mushrooms accompanying the four ounces or so of sauteed veal and a side of spaghettini also with the creamy Marsala.

I had not even come close to finishing my meal when Amy swooped by again, taking my wife's empty plate and asking if we wanted dessert. "Would it be OK if I finish my meal first?" I thought to myself, but by then I was so fed up with the pushy service that I kept my mouth shut and went about eating my dinner. Amy was never unpleasant, only overeager to move us along and with a fake friendliness and forced smile, never once treating us like fellow human beings but more like cattle being led to slaughter. "Git along little dogies"!

Beside the pushiness, Amy was efficient for fairly obvious reasons and we were never left waiting for anything. In fact, we were in and out of there in record time considering we had to eat a two course meal. The food was actually pretty good overall and the prices reasonable, probably meriting an additional star (or a bomb or two) in my rating had it not been for having felt so rushed. I would likely return again if in the area, hopefully in the seating area of a more personable and patient server.

CombatCritic Gives Mondo's Ristorante Italiano 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

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Yelp - "Elite '14/'15"

TripAdvisor - "Top Contributor" 

Tabelog - "Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - "Super Foodie"

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Mondo's Ristorante' Italiano on Brookside

Title: Good Food, But Pushy Service Was Very Annoying

Key Words: Mondo's Ristorante Italiano, Mondo, Mondo's, ristorante, Italiano, Italian, Tulsa, OK, Oklahoma, Brookside, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor

Translation: "G2G" - Good To Go

Tulsa, OK: WORST THANKSGIVING MEAL OF MY LIFE ... Thanks Hard Rock!

Hard Rock Casino (Tulsa) Buffet

19250-19254 Timbercrest Circle

Catoosa, OK 74015
Phone: (800) 760-6700
Website:HardRockCasinoTulsa
Prices: $$$$

At $22 a pop for the Thanksgiving buffet, I expected more, much more.

We had to wait in line for 30-40 minutes just to get in. The selection of entrees was dismal and what they had was poorly prepared. The turkey was obviously from turkey rolls, not whole birds, the pork loin was overcooked and dry, and the "prime rib" was bloody. I asked the carver if I could get an end cut or something medium-well or well, but he told me "no". Really? You don't have another piece of meat in the back with two ends on it at 3PM when the buffet is open for another 6 or 7 hours? I passed on the prime rib, one of the main reasons we drove 30 miles out of our way to eat there.

I know the mashed potatoes were mashed from real potatoes because there were massive un-mashed chunks of potato throughout and they were extremely dry, not creamy as they should be. The brown gravy, there was no "turkey gravy", had little chunks in it, so I asked if it had giblets. The nice lady told me "we were thinking the same thing, so let me ask the chef" who just happened to be passing by. He confirmed that they were giblets, so I asked if they had gravy without giblets, to which he replied "no, we made 80 gallons and they all have giblets". I passed on the gravy as well.

The salad bar was decent, the pizza was OK, and the desserts abundant, but of poor quality. I have been to many buffets in my lifetime and large casinos usually have good ones. Not the Hard Rock Tulsa. Turkey roll, dry pork, bloody beef, dry, half-mashed potatoes, and nothing but giblet gravy ... WORST THANKSGIVING MEAL IN MY LIFE ... thanks Hard Rock!

CombatCritic Gives The Hard Rock Casino (Tulsa) Buffet 2 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

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Yelp - "Elite '14/'15"

TripAdvisor - "Top Contributor" 

Tabelog - "Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - "Super Foodie"

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Hard Rock Casino Buffet

Title: WORST THANKSGIVING MEAL OF MY LIFE ... Thanks Hard Rock!

Key Words: Hard Rock Casino, Hard Rock, Hard, Rock, casino, Tulsa, OK, Oklahoma, Thanksgiving, buffet, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor

Translation: "Tango Uniform" - tits-up; dead; awful

Wichita, Kansas: Excellent Service, So-So Food, Reasonable Prices ... A Very Average Mexican Restaurant

Ruben's Mexican Grill

915 West Douglas Ave

Wichita, KS 67213

Phone: (316) 260-8045

Prices: $$$$

Again, I will preempt this review with a disclaimer: I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD and grew up in Southern California and was a Texas resident for 20 years, so I have eaten the best of the best Mexican food in the US. I, therefore, have to compare all Mexican restaurants to those, so here we go ...

West of the river and downtown on Douglas Avenue, this small place looks little like a Mexican restaurant, but the food was decent, the prices fair, and the service excellent.

The house margaritas ($4 - frozen or on the rocks) come in a mason jar and although a strange shade of green, were tasty but not very strong. The chips are made in house, crispy, and hot and they brought two salsas, one mild and one spicy, both were complex and delicious ... well done! Unfortunately, they add tomatoes to the guacamole, why I have no idea, like so many places, so I asked for a half order ($3) because my wife is allergic to tomato and I could not eat a full order ($6) alone. It was actually pretty good, one of the better restaurant guac's I have had in a while.

My wife hates Mexican food ... BOOOO! ... so she ordered a cheeseburger and fries ($8). The bun was toasted and good, the burger so-so, and the frozen fries (what do you expect in a Mexican restaurant, house-cut?) were hot and crunchy. Not bad overall, but far from the best burger I have tasted. My wife gave it 4 Bombs Out of 10 and I concur.

I had the carne asada tacos (3 for $10), accompanied by rice and beans minus the rice. Pleasantly presented with three slices of avocado, one for each corn tortilla, and far too little pico de gallo. The chopped carne asada was also not quite enough for the three tortillas, but it was flavorful nonetheless. I also ordered a cheese and onion enchilada ala carté ($3). It was awful! There was no sauce other than the tortilla having been dipped ever so briefly before wrapping the cheese and seemingly nonexistent onion. It was the worst enchilada I have ever had.

Our server was extremely sweet and welcoming, running back and forth to get our drinks, chips, meals, and check. Very efficient, she was the highlight of the night. The food, like most Mexican places in the Midwest was "OK", nothing special.

CombatCritic Gives Ruben's Mexican Grill A Very Average 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

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Yelp - "Elite '14/'15"

TripAdvisor - "Top Contributor" 

Tabelog - "Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - "Super Foodie"

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Title: Excellent Service, So-So Food, Reasonable Prices ... A Very Average Mexican Restaurant

Key Words: Ruben's Mexican Grill, Ruben's, Ruben, Mexican, grill, restaurant, review, menu, Wichita, Kansas, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, Yelp, TripAdvisor

Translation: "Charlie Mike" - Continue Mission

Wichita, Kansas: By Georges, This Bistro Is La Bombe!

Georges French Bistro
4618 East Central Ave, Suite 50
Wichita, KS 67208
Phone: (316) 831-1325
Website: georgesfrenchbistro.com
Prices: $$$$

When we arrived, the young hostess ignored us for a few minutes until she finished bussing a table. She finally asked if we had a reservation and I told her that I had been emailing back and forth with the owner who had confirmed our 6:30 reservation even though we were a bit early. There was no reservation listed, but she said "no problem" and asked if we wanted a high-top. I told her we did not, so she proceeded to take us to a table for four.

The place is not huge, having 20 or so tables and high-tops, but was full on a Wednesday night and just a couple weeks after opening, so they must be doing something right. 

We ordered a bottle of "The Dark" ($29), a deep, red wine, but our server could not tell me the varieties of grapes included. She guessed "Cabernet Sauvignon?" and "Pinot Noir?", but it would have been nice to know if it was 100% Cabernet or a Cabernet/Syrah blend. I prefer Syrahs first, then Cabernets, so blends are fine, but this one ended up being a very good choice. The color was a deep red and the flavor robust with fruity and peppery overtones. The wine menu is limited and glasses start at $8, bottles at $27, so it would be nice to have a "value option" at $6 per glass or under $24 per bottle for those on a budget.

The food was wonderful and very reasonably priced. We shared the Parisien Cheese Dip ($9), a blend of warm ricotta cheese, olive oil, spices, olives, and halved cherry tomatoes served with six small slices of toasted baguette. The dip was very tasty, but the bread quickly disappeared, so I asked the server if we could possibly get some more, un-toasted. I then noticed there were no bread baskets on any of the tables, quite odd for a French restaurant where bread is normally the first thing they bring out. We waited patiently for our bread and after ten minutes or so our server returned, looked at our dip, and asked if we wanted some more bread. I told her that we never received the bread we originally asked for, so she went in the back and returned five minutes later with two small pieces.

My wife had the Crêpe Diane ($9), a crispy, square shaped crêpe with smoked ham and Gruyére cheese inside and topped with an over-medium egg on top, accompanied by a bit of salad on the plate. It was savory and delicious as well as being a very good value.

I ordered the Steak Frites, about six ounces of grilled sirloin topped with L'Entrocôte de Paris sauce and accompanied by frites (French fries). The steak was perfectly cooked and tender, the sauce tasty, but not overbearing, and the fries hand-cut, crispy, and hot.

Georges, the owner, stopped by twice during our meal to introduce himself and ask about our meal. He is a very nice and obviously talented man in his 30s whose two lovely young children arrived during one of his stops. I told him that our meal was very good and the prices fair, but that the bread situation was a bit of a concern. French cuisine is known for its sauces and those sauces, escargots in particular, require bread to mop up the leftover sauce. He told me that he does not want to serve bread unless he bakes it himself, an admirable intention, but there has to be a bakery in Wichita where he can get decent baquettes until he acquires the capability. I know the local Dillon's supermarkets have decent baguettes and even they would do over no bread at all. I am sure he will figure it out because he seems intent on creating a positive customer experience.

My wife and I were discussing sharing a Crème Brûlée and just a few minutes after Georges' final visit ... voilà ... a complimentary Crème Brûlée ($6) arrived! It was not necessary as we were very pleased with our meal and the service, but a nice touch nonetheless. It was delicious - thank you Georges!

At $65 ($78 including tip) for a shared appetizer, two entrees, and a bottle of wine, Georges French Bistro is an excellent value. The food was outstanding, the environment comfortable, and the service quite good. A bit more attention to detail by the staff (reservation problem, inability to explain grape content in the wine, extra bread for dip), a good basket of bread on each table, and a larger wine list with a couple value options will make this a FIVE STAR (10 Bomb) restaurant very soon. Next time we are in Wichita, Georges will be our first choice for dinner.

CombatCritic Gives Georges French Bistro 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "Elite '14/'15"

TripAdvisor - "Top Contributor" 

Tabelog - "Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - "Super Foodie"

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Georges French Bistro

Title: By Georges, This Wichita Bistro Is La Bombe!

Key Words: Georges French Bistro, Georges, French, bistro, wine, escargots, cheese, Wichita, Kansas, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor

Translation: "WTFO!" - What the F@%$ ... Over! (In a good way)

Overpriced, Underwhelming - Me Thinks Not

23rd Street Brewery
3512 Clinton Pkwy
Lawrence, KS 66047
Phone: (785) 856-2337
Website: brew23.com

Other reviews were mixed, but you cannot make everybody happy, so we decided to give 23rd Street Brewery a try when some of my wife's classmates suggested we meet there for dinner. For a Monday night, they were pretty busy, why I am not sure because the food was only "fair" and the prices rather "high". 

Five of us had to cram into a booth for four, so our meal was rather claustrophobic. The server was very nice and came quickly to take our drink orders. I tried a pint of their Bitter Professor IPA ($4.75) which, by the way, was not nearly as dark as the photo on their website indicates. It was very good with a robust hoppy, bitter taste indicative of a good IPA. I tried their More Cowbell Milk Stout (also $4.75) later in our meal. I love stouts, but this milk stout was not at all "milky" or as smooth as some I have had in the past, having a "burnt" taste as if someone had left the malt and barley unattended during roasting. I cannot imagine that it was intentional because it was not pleasant. One thumbs up, one down.

On to the food. The food is not abundant and the prices a bit high for what we got. I ordered the French Dip sandwich, advertised as 8 ounces of sliced prime rib "stuffed into a French loaf" with horseradish sauce, Swiss cheese, a side of beef au jus and seasoned fries. ($12.49). The first thing I noticed was the size of the sandwich, coming on a bread roll about the size of a hot dog bun, not a "French loaf". $12.50 for this I said to myself? I think the advertised "8 ounces" of beef was also a bit of a stretch, but it did overwhelm the diminutive bun and making it look like there was more meat than there was. The meat was flavorful and the fries crispy, hot and tasty, but the sandwich was a disappointment and the plate would have been a much better value in the $7 to $9 range.

My wife went with the Max's Mac & Cheese, advertised as "shell pasta in a creamy mozzarella, provolone, and cheddar cream sauce ... baked and topped with bread crumbs" ($12.99). Again, the portion was small for $13 considering that was all she got (a side salad is $3 extra), a plate of pasta with very little cheese sauce. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese has more flavor and I can buy a box of it for about a buck, so that tells you what a poor value this dish was. The dish was dry and flavorless.

I saw on their website that they have a "Mug Club" and their advertised Monday Night Special was a 24 ounce schooner of draft beer for $3.50 - for Mug Club members. However, I could find no information on this "Mug Club" on their website or menu nor did our server mention anything about it. So when she returned with my 16 ounce, $4.75 IPA, I enquired. She told me that for $50 a year "our regular customers" get discounts on beer. Well, I am not a regular customer and very likely will not be, so I guess $5 for a pint was not a bad price. Our bill came to a little over $38, $46 including tip, for two beers, a sandwich, and small plate of pasta, a poor value even in comparison to the routinely underwhelming and overpriced cuisine of Lawrence, Kansas.

Guess I will go to the liquor store, buy two good $1.50 to $2 bottles of beer ($9-$12 per six pack), and enjoy a couple boxes of Kraft Mac and Cheese at home with my wife next time, saving $42 in the process.


CombatCritic Gives 23rd Street Brewery Four Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "Elite '14/'15"

TripAdvisor - "Top Contributor" 

Tabelog - "Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - "Super Foodie"

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Title: Overpriced, Underwhelming - Me Thinks Not

Key Words: 23rd Street Brewery, 23rd, 23, street, brewery, beer, micro, Lawrence, Kansas, mug, club, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor

Translation: BOHICA - Bend Over, Here It Comes Again