Lawrence, KS: UPDATE - El Mezcal Open Again ... Same Location, Similar Menu, Upscale Decor, But No Margarita Specials

El Mezcal

1819 W. 23rd Street
Lawrence, KS 66046
Phone number: (785) 832-8775
Website: elmezcal.com
Prices: $$$$

Old information and reviews do not apply to "new and improved(?)" El Mezcal. There is a new menu and no great margarita specials like they had before they closed ... "We're still deciding" I was told ... Well, I am still deciding whether or not I want to come back! We used to eat at El Mezcal 3-4 times a month, now we eat there 1-2 times max.

Deep fried tacos (3 - $9.99) with shredded beef new on the menu, are a welcome addition, although they are much smaller and skimpier on meat than Mi Ranchito down the street. Unlike Mi Ranchito's deep fried tacos, El Mezcal's fall apart by the time you get to taco #2 and #3 and I do not like having to eat my tacos with a knife and fork. Otherwise, the food is pretty much the same and the decor more upscale after the infamous Italian/Mexican fiasco and expensive building renovation.

Cheese Quesadillas ala Carte

Taco "Plater" (Platter)

Cheese and Onion Enchiladas ala Carte

KU students cannot afford $7+ margaritas, so they should add some margarita specials soon or we and many others will be eating at Mi Ranchito where the food is better. If El Mezcal is trying to make up losses for the expensive renovation, they are going about it the wrong way. I have heard from many friends that the lack of reasonably priced margaritas (like before) is one thing keeping them away and I am sure that is the case with KU students. Cheap, strong margaritas was one of the few things that made the "old" El Mezcal stand out from the other mediocre Mexican restaurants in Lawrence, so they are losing customers and revenue by trying to recuperate losses by charging more for drinks. They could also offer daily specials like $1 tacos (e.g. El Potro) on Monday night ... their place is packed, El Mezcal is not.

CombatCritic Gives The "New And Improved" El Mezcal 4 Bombs Out Of 10 With A 2 Bomb Deduction For Overpriced Margaritas ... More Bombs Are Better!

Four Bombs Equates To:

Read Chris S.'s review of El Mezcal on Yelp

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Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

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Title: Lawrence, KS: UPDATE - El Mezcal Open Again ... Same Location, Similar Menu, Upscale Decor, But No Margarita Specials

Translation for Civilians: BOHICA = "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again"

Key Words: 66044, burrito, CombatCritic, eat, El Mezcal, el, enchilada, food, guacamole, Kansas, Lawrence, margarita, Mexican, mezcal, restaurant, taco, travel, TravelValue, value

Lawrence, KS: Good Pho ... Nothing Bulgogi

Little Saigon Cafe

1524B W. 23rd Street
Lawrence, KS 66046
Phone number: (785) 856-8010
Website: littlesaigonlawrence.com
Prices: $$$$

Order at the counter when you go in, pay, and take a seat quickly if a table is open because they do not have many. Not particularly friendly, the folks behind the counter are all business, but they are efficient. Your food arrives at your table shortly thereafter and you may get your appetizer(s) before your entree(s), but don't count on it.

Their eggrolls are not bad, but they are small for Vietnamese eggrolls and have been burnt both times we tried them. You have to ask for lettuce, grated carrots, and cilantro to wrap them in and Nuoc Cham dipping sauce, but they do not have mint leaves which round out the appetizer.

They do pho well. Fresh veggies, aromatic herbs, flavorful broth and tasty noodles, but the two main entrees I have had, a beef curry with egg (?) and noodles and the most recent bulgogi, left much to be desired. Five ounces of stir fried beef, and onion, on a pile of rice with no seasoning and zero taste ... if you love bulgogi, DO NOT order this 'cause it ain't bulgogi girlfriend!

Bottom Line: Good pho, but everything else is not up to par with most other Vietnamese restaurants I have eaten at.

CombatCritic Gives Little Saigon Cafe 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Four Bombs Equates To:

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Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie





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Read Chris S.'s review of Little Saigon Cafe on Yelp

Title: Lawrence, KS: Good Pho ... Nothing Bulgogi

Key Words: Little Saigon Cafe, little, Saigon, cafe, Lawrence, 66046, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, Vietnamese, Vietnam, pho, curry, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: BOHICA = "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again"

Lawrence, KS: Black "Thai" Food And Service At T-Shirt Prices Equates To An "Excellent Value"

Thai Diner

2223 Louisiana Street, Suite E

Lawrence, KS 66046

Phone number: (785) 551-7528

Website: ThaiDinerLawrence.com

Prices: $$$$

As you know, I love Thai food and I love Thai Diner ... OOH-RAH!

My Yelp friend Cimmy told me about this place with a nondescript storefront in a stripmall behind Panera at 23rd and Louisiana. The first time I saw it, they had a hand painted sign out front, now replaced with a much nicer blue neon sign.

The inside is modern, not my thing, but tastefully decorated. There are no four-top tables, only two-tops pushed together to form whatever size table they need I assume, so you have to deal with the crevice between you and your neighbor. No biggy.

They have an extensive chalkboard full of monthly specials (can't call them "blackboards" anymore I recently found out ... aren't we becoming a bit excessively PC? ... they still call whiteboards "whiteboards" and I am not offended) as well as a nice selection of appetizers, curries, stir fries, noodle/rice dishes and more on the menu. Oh, and you can get a cup of the "soup of the day" for just 95¢, in this case a Curry Powder Vegetable that was one of the best vegetable soups I have ever had.

We started with two of our favorite Thai appetizers, Crispy Spring Rolls ($4.25) and Grilled Chicken Skewers (chicken satay - $6.25). The spring rolls were three, filled with minced chicken, noodles, vegetables - cut into six halves - and served with a sweet and sour sauce. They were crispy and tasty, not too greasy, and of reasonable size for the price. The chicken satay, marinated in a garlic, cilantro, and sweet chili sauce were four and large, grilled on wooden skewers and served with a savory brown sauce as well as the traditional peanut sauce (upon request). They were tender, well seasoned, and delicious as were the accompanying sauces, peanut being my favorite. I would have to say that they were a tad overpriced compared to the other three items we ordered, likely being a better value in the $4.95 to $5.25 range.

For main courses, my lovely wife had the Dark Soy Noodles with tofu ($8.25) and I the Massaman Curry Bowl with beef ($9.95), both accompanied by the "appetizer of the day", a crispy egg roll in our case. They call it "dark soy noodles", but the menu said that they were actually "flat rice noodles" with broccoli, green onion, and egg stir fried in a mildly sweet, dark soy and garlic sauce. The serving was decent in size, not too much nor too little, and my wife absolutely loved it. I had a taste and agreed, it was much better than the Pad Thai she normally orders. I ordered the curry "medium" hot (spicy), coming with chunks of white potato, carrots, and roasted peanuts in a massaman curry sauce cooked with coconut milk. The curry was accompanied by a large serving of white rice, the bowl of curry was plentiful, and the curry sauce exquisite. It was one of the best Massaman curries i have had and I have had quite a few at many different Thai restaurants all over the country.

The bill came to a little over $31 including tax, an extremely reasonable price for two appetizers and two entrees, particularly considering the quality of the food. The service was friendly and outstanding, efficient and timely. All in all, we enjoyed our meal very much and will return again soon as it is one of the best restaurants and best values in Lawrence or Kansas for that matter.

CombatCritic Gives Thai Diner A Near Perfect 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better ... HOO-RAH!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

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Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie





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Read Chris S.'s review of Thai Diner on Yelp

Thai Diner

Title: Lawrence, KS: Black "Thai" Food And Service At T-Shirt Prices Equates To An "Excellent Value"

Key Words: Thai Diner, Thai, diner, curry, pad, Lawrence, Kansas, 23rd, Louisiana, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: OOH-RAH = "U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

Lawrence, KS: A "World" Away From a Great Cafe

Global Cafe

820 Massachusetts Street

Lawrence, KS 66044

Phone number: (785) 838-4600

Website: globalcafelawrence.com

Prices: $$$$

I have to agree with my fellow Elite and friend Scott T in his less than stellar impression of Global Cafe. We also sat for nearly 10 minutes while the two servers walked to and fro, ignoring us to clean tables rather than greet us and give us menus.

Once the server arrived, turns out she is one of the owners, we got a lukewarm greeting, menus, and an inquiry about what we wanted to drink. I said: "I'll have a coffee please", but she said, "let me get you a drink menu". I just ordered a coffee! Once the drink menu arrived, the $2.50 price tag for a cup of drip coffee seemed excessive, so I opted for ice water.

My wife ordered a short stack of pancakes, two large pancakes for $3.75 and an extra $1.50 for a tiny pitcher of "real maple syrup". I guess you get Aunt Jemima syrup and a high fructose corn syrup buzz if you opt out of the "real" thing. Anyway, the pancakes were pancakes, nothing special.

I had the Carnivore Omelet ($8.75) and a half order of biscuits and gravy, which were not on the menu, but advertised on a sign out front (with no price). The carnivore omelet came with ham, bacon, sausage, caramelized onions and sharp cheddar cheese, but very little of each and what was there was cooked into the omelet rather than folded on the inside. It came with "two sides" (toast, breakfast potatoes, cottage cheese, or sliced tomato), but the only enticing side was the potatoes, so I asked for a double order. I would hate to see a single side order of potatoes because the "double" side was extremely sparse and void of much taste. The biscuit and gravy came with green chili, an odd topping for biscuits and gravy (apparently a "New Mexico specialty"), so I asked for it on the side. The biscuit was small, the gravy thick, but rather tasteless (no sausage or bacon in sight), and the green chili thin (not thick as true green chili should be) and watery, but very spicy.

When the check arrived, it was not itemized, coming to a total of $19.08, so I assume that the single biscuit topped with mediocre country gravy and watery green chili ran around $4 ($19 - $3.75 - $1.50 - $8.75 - tax = about $4). At $23, including tip, I was not impressed considering that my wife had two pancakes, I had a mediocre breakfast, and neither of us ordered a drink other than ice water.

I have had much better breakfasts in town, so I doubt we will be returning here anytime soon. The interior is nothing special, the ceiling covered in flags of the world (hence the name I guess), and the service not very attentive, but semi-friendly. Therefore, ...

CombatCritic Gives Global Cafe 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Four Bombs Equates To:

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Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie





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Title: Lawrence, KS: A "World" Away From a Great Cafe

Key Words: Global Cafe, global, cafe, breakfast, lunch, Lawrence, Kansas, Massachusetts, street, KU, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: BOHICA = "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again"

Manhattan, KS: Not Quite A Star, This Aggieville Pub Is Decent And Cheap

Keltic Star Public House

1215 Moro Street
Manhattan, KS 66502
Aggieville
Phone number: (785) 320-7456
Website: kelticstarmanhattanks.com
Prices: $$$$

Claiming to be a Welsh pub, Keltic Star offers traditional pub food (Cornish pasties, shepherd's pie, bangers and mash, curry, fish and chips, and lamb stew) as well as appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, and an assortment of drinks from the bar.

Located in Aggieville, an area of bars and restaurants near the Kansas State campus, it was "Funday Sunday" the night we were there, so tap beers were $2.50 for what they refer to as a "pint". A true Imperial (British) pint is a little over 19 ounces and, as we all know, a U.S. pint is 16 ounces. These were neither, being closer to 12 ounces than 16 or even 19, but for $2.50, who is to complain?

We started with a Welsh Rarebit ($6) which has nothing to do with rabbit as many people falsely assume. Coming on five small slices of baguette, the seasoned cheddar cheese was broiled then topped with a few slices of green onion. It was pretty good, but at $1.20 per piece, a tad overpriced, likely costing less than $1 to make (all five).

My wife ordered the Cornish Pasty ($8.50) which is not Welsh at all, but as the name implies it is a specialty of Cornwall, an area in the southwest of England. A pasty has a savory filling, in this case ground beef, potato, carrots, onion, and rutabaga. The dish came with choice of one side dish, so she chose mashed potatoes and gravy. There was also a small cup of brown gravy for dipping the pasty in. The pastry was flaky and the filling tasty, and having had pasties in the UK, I have to say fairly well done.

I decided on the Pub Platter ($14.95), a combination of small servings of shepherd's pie, pasty, banger and mash, and fish and chips. The shepherd's pie was very small but good, obviously made with traditional minced lamb, carrots, peas and topped with a dollop of mashed potatoes. The pasty, as I said before was flaky and good, as was the banger (sausage) and mash, coming with sautèed red cabbage and covered with brown gravy. Everything was good, except for the fish and chips which were very greasy, likely pre-fried, stored, then tossed in the deep fryer a second time right before serving. The fish was flaky and the batter crisp, but both the fish and the chips (fries) were soaked in oil as you can see in the photo below. Otherwise, everything was good and portions were just right as to be not too filling, but not leaving me hungry.

The place has somewhat of a pub feel with an obligatory red British phone booth and other decor you might find in an English or Welsh pub. The service was efficient and friendly. In all, not a bad meal.

CombatCritic Gives Keltic Star Public House 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Six Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie





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Read Chris S.'s review of Keltic Star Public House on Yelp



Keltic Star Public House

Title: Manhattan, KS: Not Quite A Star, This Aggieville Pub Is Decent And Cheap

Key Words: Keltic Star Public House, Keltic, Celtic, star, public, house, pub, bar, Manhattan, Kansas, state, Kansas State, Aggieville, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: G2G = "Good To Go"