CombatCritic's TravelValue™: IN

Showing posts with label IN. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Camas, WA: Great Potential, Less Than Perfect Execution

K&M Drive-In

3414 NE 3rd Avenue

Camas, WA 98607

Phone number (360) 210-5803

Website: kmdrivein.com

Prices: $$$$

We recently moved to the area and had driven past K&M Drive-In on several occasions. It looked interesting and the Yelp reviews were very good (4.5 Stars - usually a good omen), so I decided to give them a try.

The interior dining area is small with just 5 or 6 tables (they also have a drive-up window) and the place clean. I was approached immediately and professionally by a man I assumed to be the manager, taking my order and telling me "your order will be out in 7-8 minutes".

I ordered two Grilled Onion and Mushroom Garlic Bacon Cheeseburgers ($6.79 each), one with an extra 1/4 pound beef patty ($1.50), a large side of Hand Cut French Fries ($3.69), and a House Made Chili ($3.49). I was asked how I wanted the bacon cooked (chewy, medium or crispy - I asked for medium) and if I wanted jalapeños on my chili (I have severe GERD, so I told him "no"). Then I waited and waited and waited ...

I figured that they were busy, but after about fifteen minutes I assumed there was some sort of problem, a fact verified by the look on the manager's face when he still saw me sitting there waiting for my take-away order. He came to me and explained that the order in-fact never made it to the kitchen because of a computer glitch, that my order would be remade and that I would have it in "7-8 minutes". They also gave me a coupon for a free "K&M Burger" ($5.69 value), a nice gesture. So, I waited and waited and waited ... it was like deja vu all over again!

After another 10-15 minutes, another gentleman (the owner I found out, the "K" in K&M) came out with two paper bags, claiming that my first order had in-fact been made, but given away to a drive-in customer by mistake. He apologized profusely, promising to do better next time. I gave him my card - CombatCritic Was In The House! - and proceeded home to sample the chow.

Comparable to Five Guys in taste, you get only 4 ounces of beef instead of the 6.6 ounces (two 3.3 ounce patties) you get at Five Guys for a similar price (I paid $8.29 for 8 ounces), so they are not cheap. The "medium" bacon was more on the "chewy" side, but the burgers were pretty damn good I have to admit. The hand cut fries were hot and tasted OK, but were too mushy and greasy for my taste in addition to being a tad on the expensive side (nearly $4 for less than 50¢ worth of potatoes). When I opened the chili, there was an array of red and green jalapeños on top, just what the doctor (colonel in this case) HAD NOT ordered. I was expecting a thick, robust, beanless chili only because they offer chili cheese fries which routinely come with that type. What I got was a somewhat watery, tomato laden, acidic and not very tasty (but spicy, thanks to the hot peppers) variety with kidney beans, my least favorite bean in a chili (if there are any at all) due to their hard, pasty consistency.

I want to like this place mostly because of the lack of restaurants in the area and my desire to support locally owned, small businesses. This place has tons of potential and it seems as though they make a lot of their customers happy, but I was not very impressed due to the order SNAFUs (lost order, chewy bacon and jalapeños in my chili), their somewhat high prices, and the fries and chili which need, in my opinion, a new recipe or some quality control.

Maybe it was a bad night, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt and not hammer them as hard as I normally would for similar shortfalls, but time will tell the tale. So, for now, ...

CombatCritic Gives K&M Drive-In 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... "Pretty Damn Average" ... More Bombs Are Better!

Five Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Continue Mission"

Monday, August 1, 2016

Yachats, OR: Drift Inn And Try To Find The Front Desk Or Someone Who Cares ... Good Luck!

Drift Inn

124 Hwy 101 North

Yachats, OR 97498

Phone: (541) 547-4477

Website: the-drift-inn.com

Prices: $$$$

I found the place on Airbnb and the price was right at $50 per night, but the room was the size of a large closet and the reception I received upon arrival and in the restaurant's bar was inadequate.

There is no reception for the hotel, so I had to find a server in the restaurant to show me to my room. It was small, but semi-functional with a queen size bed (that took up most of the room), a TV and DVD player, and a small table and folding chairs. When a single chair was unfolded, it was impossible to move or store anything in the room except for under the bed (which I did).

The reservation said "bed and breakfast", but when I inquired with Gretchen, who I assumed was one of the owners/managers, she said "it was a mistake", but grudgingly giving me a coupon for coffee and a muffin for ONE of the three mornings I was staying there.

The food in the restaurant was overpriced and the bartender (and co-owner), Ernie, was a rude jerk. Required to sit at the bar even though tables were available (because I was alone I guess), I tried to make conversation and ask a question about the local draft beers to Ernie, but he was either too busy or too important to respond. The guy is a bit of an ass**** and the food was mediocre, so I do not understand why they are so busy. Must be Ernie's jovial personality!

I stopped for a beer on my way back to the room after eating at Heidi's Italian Dinners (where the food was good and the reception friendly BTW) one evening around 9:15PM and after being there for about a half hour (it was 9:45PM) I asked for a final draft beer before going to my room, but was told rather rudely by Ernie that they closed at 9:30 and it would not be possible. No "last call", a crappy attitude, and a bar that closes at 9:30pm ... what kind of place are they running?

In all, it was a cheap, very small place to stay, but they obviously do not care about hotel (and I use that term loosely) guests, focusing on keeping locals happy and drunk. Yachats was a quiet, lovely, small town and I had much warmer receptions at other bars and restaurants nearby where I spent most of my leisure time and money.

Combat Recommendation: Call Gordon Ramsey and have Hotel Hell come and give you some tips on how to properly run a hotel, restaurant and bar.

CombatCritic Gives Drift Inn 3 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Three Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - #1 Ranked Foodie

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: Yachats, OR: Drift Inn And Try To Find The Front Desk Or Someone Who Cares ... Good Luck!

Key Words: Drift Inn, drift, Inn, Airbnb, in, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, hotel, bar, Yachats, Oregon, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: SNAFU = "Situation Normal, All Fucked Up"

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Indianapolis, IN: $85 For This Dump? DO NOT Waste Your Money!

America’s Best Value Inn (East Indianapolis)

7314 E. 21st Street
Indianapolis, IN 46219
Phone: (317) 359-5500
Website: americasbestvalueinn.com

The room was a dump (cigarette burns on the bedspread and around the sink, broken and mismatched furniture) and breakfast was pitiful (coffee and packaged sweet rolls). I've stayed in nicer hotels in India while paying less than $5 per night. How they got a 7.5 rating on Booking.com and $85 of my money is beyond me.

The only reason I did not give them a single bomb was because the bed was reasonably comfortable and the sheets appeared to be the only clean thing in the room.

CombatCritic Gives Americas Best Value Inn Indianapolis East 2 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Two Bombs Equates To

"Tits Up"

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

TripAdvisor - Top Contributor

Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - #1 Ranked Foodie

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: Indianapolis, IN: $85 For This Dump? DO NOT Waste Your Money!

Key Words: America’s Best Value Inn, East Indianapolis, Indiana, IN, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, hotel, accommodation, motel, dump, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Zomato

Pages - CombatCritic's "TravelValue"

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Vancouver, WA: Operation Schnitzel: Gustav’s Remains a Trusted Rally Point