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

Gustav's 1705 SE 164th Avenue Vancouver, WA 98683 Phone number:  (360) 883-0222 gustavsvancouver.com Prices: $$ $$ After redeploying fro...

Monday, May 20, 2019

Portland, OR: Four QC Concerns During Our First Visit Led Me To A Mediocre Rating

Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House 
210 NW 11th Avenue
Portland, OR 97209
Pearl District
Phone number (503) 296-4906
Website: deschutesbrewery.com
Prices: $$$$
Needing some chow before the play we were going to see at The Armory, which is just next door, we decided on Deschutes because of its proximity and Portland's inclement, crappy weather that particular evening.

The place was packed on a Sunday evening around 6pm, a surprise because downtown Portland is not normally particularly busy on Sunday nights in our limited experience. We were told it would be a 30-40 minutes wait, too late to eat and still get to he theatre in time, but we happened upon a table in the bar that was just being vacated by a very nice young couple ... we're in!
I ordered a Clearly An Imperial Ale (IBU 70, ABV 6.7 - $5.75), but was not particularly hoppy about the snifter it came in. I guess I should have read the small print, but my eyes, along with a few other of my body parts, are not quite as good as they used to be. DRAT!
We decided on an IPA Pretzel, coming with melted Monterey Jack Cheese Sauce and Black Butte Porter Stone Ground Mustard ($10.50) as an appetizer. The pretzel was piping hot, straight out of the oven, crispy outside and soft inside, but the cheese sauce was lukewarm and a bit of a bummer.
I tried to order another beer before our meals arrived, having asked three servers that had come by over a ten minute period to drop off the pretzel, fill our waters, and so on, but they all told me I had to wait for the bar staff. About 10 minutes later, a male server finally came by with another snifter half-full of the same IPA, but I told him that I had planned to order their Extrafjordinary Porter ($6.25). He took the IPA back, giving me a strange look as if the faux pas was somehow my fault. The porter arrived a few minutes later and everything was copacetic.
I went with the Pub Burger w/ Bacon and Garlic Fries ($18.25) and my wife the Black Butte Porter Mac & Cheese ($15.75). My burger was quite tasty, coming on a toasted brioche bun along with a side of fries covered with garlic sauce and an unknown grated cheese. The fries were also lukewarm and the garlic sauce a tad chilly, another QC problem and the third (cold pretzel sauce and wrong beer) in our short time there. My wife's Mac & Cheese came with some very odd looking pasta and there was hardly enough cheese sauce to coat the pasta. The presentation was OK, but there were drops of extra cheese sauce scattered around the rim of the bowl. It was also extremely bland with not enough sauce and very little flavor - QC problem #4. The server was nice enough to remove the Mac & Cheese from our bill, a very nice gesture, after we told him about the lack of flavor in the dish.
The ambiance of the large room was quite pleasant, reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest with lots of carved oak, open doorways, tall windows, and old photos and paintings on the walls. We had a decent meal and enjoyed the space, but the problems and positives resulted in a zero sum outcome and a very middle of the road rating from me.

CombatCritic Gives Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Five Bombs Equates To:


Translation for Civilians: "Continue Mission"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18/'19 
  • 650,000+ Views A Year
Read Chris S.'s review of Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House on Yelp

Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"


Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!
Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

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Title: Portland, OR: Four QC Concerns During Our First Visit Led Me To A Mediocre Rating

Key Words: Portland, OR, CombatCritic, Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House, Deschutes, beer, brewery, public, house, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2019 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Washougal, WA: Great Haircut + Fair Prices = My Highest Recommendation

Washougal Barber Shop
1922 Main Street
Washougal, WA 98671
Phone number (360) 835-2302
Prices: $$$$

I had hesitated to try this barber because they do not advertise prices in the window or on the wall and they do not have a website as far as I can tell, but I decided to mosey on in one sleepy morning last week.

I received a friendly greeting from the owner and her two doggies, one a black Bulldog puppy and the other an older Yorkshire Terrier. I asked about prices for a haircut and was asked if I was retired. Having replied to her question in the affirmative, she told me $12 ... SOLD!

Unlike most of the chain shops with young, inexperienced beauticians, I was engaged in pleasant conversation while she cut my hair, finishing the job with a complimentary razor cut, hot towel, and short massage on the back of my neck. The cut was exactly as I had asked for, no modifications required.

I have finally found my new go-to barber, something I have not had since my retirement from the Air Force. I will return here from now on and recommend that you do the same if you want a good haircut at a reasonable price when in Washougal.

CombatCritic Gives Washougal Barber Shop 10 Bombs Out Of 10 And A Spot On My "WALL OF FAME" ... More Bombs Are Better!


Ten Bombs Equates To:


Translation for Civilians: 

HOOAH!: "Phonetic spelling of the acronym HUA, which stands for 'Heard Understood Acknowledged.' Originally used by the British in the late 1800's in Afghanistan. More recently adopted by the United States Army to indicate an affirmative or a pleased response." - Urban Dictionary

"The Department of Military Science and Leadership, University of Tennessee claim HOOAH 'refers to or means anything except no' ... Regardless of its meaning ... the term is an expression of high morale, confidence, motivation and spirit." - WarChronicle.com

"The U.S. Air Force stole 'HOOAH' from the Army because we were part of the Army until 1947 and rather than waste a bunch of time coming up with something new and unique like "ROO-YAH" or "HAL-A-LOO-YAH", we said 'screw it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH!" - CombatCritic
Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18/'19 
  • 650,000+ Views A Year
Read Chris S.'s review of Washougal Barber Shop on Yelp

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"


Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!
Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

View my food journey on Zomato!

View my food journey on Zomato!

View my food journey on Zomato!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicleswith Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Washougal, WA: Great Haircut + Fair Prices = My Highest Recommendation

Key Words: Washougal, WA, Washougal Barber Shop, barber, shop, hair, haircut, style, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, service, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2019 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Sunday, April 28, 2019

Washougal, WA: SNAP To, ADJUST Your Attitude, and HEAD On Over To See Dr. Hunt

Washougal Chiropractic & Massage Center
1901 Main Street
Washougal, WA 98671
Phone number (360) 835-3150
Website: http://www.washougalchiropracticcenter.com/
Prices: $$$$

I have been going to see Dr. Hunt for nearly six months, having been referred through the VA's Veteran's Choice Program. It is normally easy to get an appointment and their receptionist, Melissa, is always very efficient, helpful and friendly.

Dr. Hunt is very personable and knowledgable, taking the time to get to know me instead of treating me only as a patient. His adjustments have helped me a great deal as I struggle with numerous spinal problems resulting from my 20 years of military service and four combat tours.

I just recently found out that the VA also covers massage, so I have had two appointments with the masseuse so far. She seems to do a good job overall, but she is not all that personable even though that is not part of her job description.

In summary, I have been very pleased with the treatment I have received and staff are both professional and helpful. I would highly recommend them based on my experience.

CombatCritic Gives Washougal Chiropractic and Massage Center 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

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

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18/'19 
  • 650,000+ Views A Year
Read Chris S.'s review of Washougal Chiropractic & Massage Center on Yelp

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"


Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!
Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

View my food journey on Zomato!

View my food journey on Zomato!

View my food journey on Zomato!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicleswith Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Washougal, WA: SNAP To, ADJUST Your Attitude, and HEAD On Over To See Dr. Hunt

Key Words: Washougal, WA, chiropractor, chiropractic, Dr. Hunt, doctor, Hunt, massage, center, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, service, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, Google, Facebook


Copyright 2019 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Monday, April 22, 2019

Washougal, WA: Great Service, Tasty Food, Healthy Portions and Reasonable Prices ... HOOAH!

Peggy’s Place
3010 Evergreen Way
Washougal, WA 98671
Phone number (360) 210-5500
Website: None
Facebook Page
Prices: $$$$

Peggy's has more traditional breakfasts and is a better value than the other breakfast and lunch (only) spot in Washougal. No metrosexual, foo foo menu options here, just good ol' traditional omelettes, scrambles, bacon and eggs, biscuits and gravy, French toast, and pancakes as well as burgers, sandwiches and a few entrees on their lunch menu. What you see is what you get.




I had the Classic Breakfast ($9), coming with two eggs over medium, hash browns, two slices of bacon, and an English muffin and a half-order of Biscuits and Gravy ($5). The eggs were perfectly cooked as was the bacon, but the hash browns, although plentiful, were not a crispy as I had asked for. The biscuit was large and tasty, and the gravy delicious, but, unfortunately, the biscuit was too large for the bowl, so there was not enough gravy and I ended up leaving almost half of the biscuit.



My wife ordered the French Toast ($8), arriving with four large halves of bread coated with a crispy egg batter, then grilled, and came with two slices of their yummy bacon. It also came with cups of fluffy, whipped cinnamon-honey butter and fresh maple syrup. My wife was one happy camper.



We even got complimentary bites (small squares) of their key lime and brownie cakes along with a pleasant Happy Easter after our meal. The service was excellent and the food came out post haste, quicker than I had expected for a new place with a decent size Easter Sunday crowd. The room is large, clean and open, and they have obviously spent a fair amount on renovations with four large booths, six four-top tables, and a lunch counter that seats about eight. They need some more stuff on the walls to make it feel more homey, but that will come with time.

I hear that their cheesecake is delightful, but at $8 per slice, I was not inclined to give it a try given the price and my satiated state. Their prices are fair for the most part, but at $8 for a whole order of Biscuits and Gravy and for a slice of cheesecake, I would say both are overpriced by at least a couple of bucks. I would also recommend giving a 10% Military/Veterans Discount and maybe a free meal for Vets on Veteran's Day, something no other Washougal restaurants currently offer.

CombatCritic Gives Peggy's Place 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!
Eight Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18/'19 
  • 650,000+ Views A Year
Read Chris S.'s review of Peggy's Place on Yelp

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"


Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

Peggy's Place Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

View my food journey on Zomato!

View my food journey on Zomato!

View my food journey on Zomato!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicleswith Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!


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Title: Washougal, WA: Great Service, Tasty Food, Healthy Portions and Reasonable Prices ... HOOAH!

Key Words: Washougal, WA, Peggy's Place, Peggy, place, Peggy's, breakfast, lunch, eggs, biscuits, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Facebook


Copyright 2019 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Friday, April 12, 2019

London, England: Shockingly Unprofessional Staff And A Complete Waste Of Time And Money

Madame Tussaud’s
Marylebone Road
London NW1 5LR, United Kingdom
Regent's Park
Website: madametussauds.com
Prices: $$$$

We paid very good money to be insulted by staff, then have management tell me "I've known him for 15 years, he wouldn't do that!" when I complained about the jerk's behavior. When customers pay the kind of money we paid, we should be treated with dignity and respect. Madame Tussaud's apparently thinks their poop does not stink and that people will continue to pay exorbitant prices to see the same wax figures that have been there for years, so normal customs and courtesies simply do not apply to them.

For the extremely high prices they charge, the very few wax figures on display and massive crowds pushing and shoving to have their photo taken with their favorite celebrity mannequin, hardly made it worth the price of admission. On top of that, they try to charge extra other attractions, leading you, quite literally, down the primrose path only to find that the attraction is not included in the price of admission.

I went to Madame Tussaud's (London) back in the mid-90s and was not impressed then, so I am certainly not now. The creep that insulted me upon arrival left a bad taste in my mouth and his manager was just as bad, so maybe my perception of the place was a bit jaded. Well, all I can say is tough titties and KISS MY BLOODY ARSE MADAME TUSSAUD"S!

CombatCritic Gives Madame Tussaud's 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My "WALL OF SHAME" ... More Bombs Are Better!

One Bomb Equates To:
Translation for Civilians: "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"


Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18/'19 
  • 650,000+ Views A Year
Read Chris S.'s review of Madame Tussaud's on Yelp

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"


Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!
Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

View my food journey on Zomato!

View my food journey on Zomato!

View my food journey on Zomato!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicleswith Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: London, England: Shockingly Unprofessional Staff And A Complete Waste Of Time And Money

Key Words: London, England, Madame Tussaud's, madame, Tussaud's, Baker Street, Baker, street, unprofessional, wax, museum, celebrities, stars, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, business, review, Yelp


Copyright 2019 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

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