Lawrence, KS: You Can Get Anything You Want At "Alces" Restaurant ... "Moooooooose"

Blue Moose Bar And Grill

525 Wakarusa Drive. Suite D

Lawrence, KS 66049

Phone number: (785) 727-4999

Website: thebluemoosebarandgrill.com/lawrence

Prices: $$$$

My friends, yes I actually have friends, had told me wonderful things about Blue Moose, but when I read the reviews on yelp*, I had my doubts. Lawrence is not all that big, but we rarely get over to West Lawrence, so having dropped off a UHaul in the area, we decided to give the Moose a shot (pun intended).

We were told there was a 30-minute wait, but there were a slew of empty tables, at least seven or eight on the side of the restaurant we could see alone. How can there be 25 people waiting in the lobby and a 30-minute wait with so many empty tables?

The menu is eclectic - "American New - in metrosexual speak, with choices from Mexico (empanadas, fish/carne asada tacos, quesadillas), Italy (pasta, flat bread pizza), Asia (wontons, curry, and America (burgers, steaks, chicken). The decor is modern and tasteful, but cold with the stone and wood surfaces that have become so cliché these days.

We decided to sit at the bar to speed things up, but the bartender pretty much ignored us for 15-20 minutes after serving us our drinks and giving us menus. Now I have seen firsthand why they have only garnered 2.5 stars so far. Our order was finally taken by his assistant and our starter, the Beef Empanadas ($7.99), arrived shortly thereafter. They (3) were actually quite good with a deep fried cornmeal exterior and a beef, cheese and poblano pepper interior, accompanied by an avocado salsa and sour cream. They were crispy, not greasy, and the flavors quite pleasing to the pallet ... Olé!

My wife's Build Your Own "Mac N Cheese" ($9.99) with sauteed mushrooms and steamed broccoli (99¢/ea) were topped with garlic butter breadcrumbs and came with a ciabatta in an interesting bowl that presented the dish rather nicely. I thought it was a bit bland, but my pasta loving Italian thought it was quite good ... Mama Mia!

Like most restaurants I visit for the first time, I like to see if they get the basics right, so I ordered their Blue Moose Burger ($10.99), medium-well, with sauteed onions and bacon. You can "add a house salad" to an entree for $1.99, but the sandwich menu states: "Sub a 'small' house salad" for $1.99. I found it hard to believe that you could get a "whole" house salad with an entree for $1.99, but you had to substitute your fries (etc.) for a "small" one for the same price, so I asked the beertender. He confirmed my disbelief, telling me that you in-fct have to give up your side in order to get a salad ... and you have to pay an extra $1.99 ... Good Grief!

The burger arrived with fries, sans small salad, but also missing were the sauteed onions I ordered. I do not like bloody meat and medium is about as raw as I will go, but this burger was well done and dry. The flavor was not bad and the patty big enough, but the sauteed onions would have added some much needed moisture had they been where they were supposed to be. The highlight of my meal were the fries, hot and crunchy, not crispy, with a spicy zing that was a pleasant surprise ... Holy Cow!

I was torn ... bad reviews, only a few weeks in business (bugs to work out), 30-minute wait, empty tables, inattentive bartender, decent service, great empanadas, overcooked meat, incomplete order ... Oh My! 

In the end, feeling overly liberal - with our pending move to the Left Coast - I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt , adding an additional BOMB or two (1-star on a 5-star scale - rounding up). Normally, a somewhat lackluster performance such as this would result in 4-5 Bombs, but I decided to increase their "middle of the road" yelp* average by just a tad because I see some potential ... You're Welcome!

CombatCritic Gives Blue Moose Bar And Grill 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... Ore Bombs Are Better ... SHAZAAM!

Six Bombs Equates To:

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Read Chris S.'s review of Blue Moose Bar And Grill on Yelp

Title: Lawrence, KS: You Can Get Anything You Want At "Alces" Restaurant ... "Moooooooose"

Key Words: Blue Moose Bar and Grill, Blue Moose, blue, moose, bar, grill, Lawrence, Kansas, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, American, new, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: G2G = "Good To Go"

Lawrence, KS: No Road-Kill Here, Just Decent Food, Fair Prices, And FREE PEANUTS

Texas Roadhouse

2329 Iowa Street
Lawrence, KS 66046
Phone number (785) 312-7427
Website: texasroadhouse.com

Prices: $$$$

Not that busy for a Friday night, unlike many other restaurants, I never had a burning desire to try the Roadhouse, being a steak chain and all, until recently.

Loud country music and servers line dancing greeted us as we sat at a corner table. Our server was attentive, but not very efficient. He forgot to bring my son's salad and instead of "mashed potatoes twice", be brought me mashed potatoes and rice.

We did not order an appetizer, only because after eating free peanuts, I knew I could not possibly eat a full meal.

My better half went with the Beef Tips ($10.99), chunks o' beef sauteed with mushrooms and onion and smothered with brown gravy atop a heap o' mashed potatoes (or rice). The potatoes were her first side dish (you get two with most entrees) and fresh vegetables (steamed carrots and broccoli) the second. A generous portion, the tips were tender, succulent and savory and a very good value.

I love Prime Rib and do not splurge too often, but it sounded good and at just $15.99 for a 10 ounce cut and two sides, I could not resist. I like the end cut and the one I got was about the right size, tender as a whore's heart, but a tad overcooked even for me and a little dry. The smoked flavor was not what I was expecting either, but a dip in the aus jus and creamed horseradish sauce eliminated the dryness as well as the smokiness of the cut. But for $15.99, I have to say that although dry, it was flavorful and also an excellent value.

My only complaint is the drink menu that lacks prices, another pet peeve of mine, as I have learned NEVER to order anything unless I know the price first. I might have ordered a beer or a glass of wine or two, increasing the tab by 1/3 as well as the tip, but we stayed with water instead, only because I am neither going to ask how much a menu item is nor find out post de facto that a glass of wine cost $12.

CombatCritic Gives Texas Roadhouse 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Six Bombs Equates To:

"Good To Go"

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Title: Lawrence, KS: No Road-Kill Here, Just Decent Food, Fair Prices, And FREE PEANUTS

Key Words: Texas Roadhouse, texas, roadhouse, Lawrence, Kansas, KS, Iowa, steak, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, product, service, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Lawrence, Kansas: HuHot Is HoHum With Nary A "Crab" In Sight

HuHot Mongolian Grill

2525 Iowa Street

Lawrence, KS 66046

Phone number: (785) 551-7100

Website: huhot.com

Prices: $$$$

Just opened next to Planet Fitness on Iowa, Lawrence finally has a Mongolian barbecue ... HOOAH!

About $10 for lunch and $15 for dinner, it's "all you can eat" which should go over well with KU students or anybody else for that matter. The place is big, but the bowls you put your meat, noodles, veggies and sauce in are very small and my main complaint. My recommendation, take two bowls, one for meat and one for noodles and veggies, that way you get a full plate of food rather than a half.

We tried A Taste of the Bounty appetizer ($9.99), with three each crispy egg rolls, Asian potstickers and krab rangoons, whatever the hell they are, accompanied by a rather boring sweet and sour dipping sauce. The egg rolls and potstickers were rather flavorless. The "krab" (note the spelling folks because there ain't a microgram of "crab" in these puppies) rangoons taste only of Philadelphia cream cheese in the center, again boring, bland and blah. Do not waste your money on any of the appetizers. 

They have a nice variety of traditional meats (beef, chicken, pork) for the Mongolian Barbecue, adding some novelty with meatballs and sliced sausage, mild and hot. The veggie selection is somewhat inadequate with the basics that I like (mushrooms, onion, cabbage, and bell peppers), but not much else other than carrots and a few others. You get white rice, soup or salad for the extra $5 at dinner, but do not get your hopes up. Go for lunch and save your $5.

The food is decent, but not anywhere near the best Mongolian barbecue I have had and I have had it many times for less than $15. However, as Bob Barker would say, "The Price is Right", so sachet your little behind over to HuHot and try some of their mediocre Mongolian, then to Planet Fitness to work off some of them Krab Rangoons.

CombatCritic Gives HuHot An Initial 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Five Bombs Equates To:

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Read Chris S.'s review of HuHot Mongolian Grill on Yelp

Title: Lawrence, Kansas: HuHot Is HoHum With Nary A "Crab" In Sight

Key Words: HuHot Mongolian Grill, Chinese, Asian Fusion, Mongolian, HuHot, grill, barbecue, Lawrence, Kansas, Iowa, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: Charlie-Mike = "Continue Mission"

Lawrence Kansas: Adios Fuzzy's!

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop

1115 Massachusetts Street

Lawrence, KS 66044

Phone number: (785) 841-8226

Website: fuzzystacoshop.com

Prices: $$$$

I am a loyal Fuzzy's patron and disabled veteran and have ordered on the phone for pick-up for nearly four years at their Lawrence, Kansas location. 

I just made a batch of guacamole and called to order our dinner, but the young man on the phone said" we're too busy right now and are not accepting take-out orders". Seriously? Too busy to take my money? What kind of operation are you running in Lawrence?

I have given Fuzzy's high marks on my popular blog and Yelp, Zomato and Tabelog reviews, but that has now come to an end as I will never set foot or call-in to Fuzzy's again. 

Adios amigos!

CombatCritic Gives Fuzzy's Tacos (Lawrence, Kansas) 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My "WALL OF SHAME"

One Bomb Equates To:

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Read Chris S.'s review of Fuzzy's Taco Shop on Yelp

Title: Lawrence Kansas: Adios Fuzzy's!

Key Words: Fuzzy's Taco Shop, Fuzzy's, Fuzzy, taco, shop, Lawrence, Kansas, KU, University of Kansas, university, Massachusetts, street, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp

Translation for Civilians: FUBAR = "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Lawrence, Kansas: A Good Value With $7 Discount, Not So Great Without

Bayleaf Indian Restaurant & Bar

947 New Hampshire Street, Suite 120

Lawrence, KS 66044

Phone number: (785) 840-0855

Website: bayleaflawrence.com

Prices: $$$$

We have been wanting to try Bayleaf since they opened, but had not until tonight. The food was ready as promised, 20 minutes exactly after I ordered on Eat Street. The place was empty at 5:35 on a Saturday, a bit odd, but the friendly server gathered our order post haste, listing the contents by memory exactly as we ordered them ... meat samosas - check, beef vindaloo - check, palak paneer - check, plain and garlic naan - check. She handed me my bag and I left.

With the $7 Eat Street discount, the tab came to just a tad under $32, not bad. But $39 for one appetizer, two entrees and some bread - no soup or salad, no drinks, no dessert - without the coupon it would not be a great value.

The Meat Samosas ($4.95), savory pastries with a chicken and vegetable filling and two dipping sauces (a red sweet and sour and a mild green) were big and good. The Naan (Plain - $2 and Garlic $3) were large and as fresh and good as any I have eaten.

My wife's Palak Paneer ($10.95) with fresh spinach and homemade curd cheese in a mildly spicy sauce was also as good as any we had during my four months in India. The Beef Vindaloo ($14.95) had plenty of beef and a few potatoes in a tomato and onion curry that was delicious. Both the palak paneer and beef vindaloo came with basmati rice, but $14.95 for a medium size curry and rice is a bit on the pricey side. At $8.95 and $11.95, they would have been a much better value, but the Indian restaurants in Lawrence seem to think they can get away with charging $15 for a curry and rice, so they do. That is why we do not eat at the two Indian restaurants (across the street from each other) in town all that often.

OK, maybe I am spoiled, but having eaten similar, but much better, meals for two in India for $10-$12 max, I find it difficult to shell out nearly 4 times as much stateside. If it were not for the $7 Eat Street discount, we probably would not have bothered, but I am glad we did because the food at Bayleaf was very good. Having lived in England for three years and traveled India for four months, I am used to good Indian food at reasonable prices. The Indian restaurants in Lawrence need to drop their dinner prices if they hope to fill their tables, which they are not doing currently.

I am basing my rating on a dinner for two for $31.50 (7 rating  - with coupon), not $38.50 (5 rating  - without coupon) ...

CombatCritic Gives Bayleaf Indian Restaurant 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To:

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Read Chris S.'s review of Bayleaf Indian Restaurant & Bar on Yelp

Title: Lawrence, Kansas: A Good Value With $7 Discount, Not So Great Without

Key Words: Bayleaf Indian Restaurant, bayleaf, Indian, India, curry, naan, Lawrence, Kansas, KU, university, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: S&G = "Shits and Grins"

Norman, OK: End Your Day At Days Inn In Norman, The Ramble On

Days Inn Norman

2543 West Main Street

Norman, OK 73069

Phone number: (800) 329-1073

Website: wyndhamhotels.com/days-inn

Prices: $$$$

On the outskirts of Norman and close to I-35, this Days Inn was a massive step-up from the Days Inn I remember. As Harry Carey would have said ... "Holy Cow!"

I was extremely impressed for $60+ per night. The lobby was upscale, nice and clean, and the staff behind the counter were helpful and polite. 

The room was spacious with AC, two queen beds, desk and chair, chair and ottoman, big screen LCD TV with cable and a bathroom with granite countertops and a jacuzzi bath. The wi-fi was fast and reliable, so we could not have asked for more in this price range.

The hot breakfast was good, not great, with waffles, powdered eggs and sausage patties, toast, cereal, and the like as well as decent coffee. The place was cheap, clean, convenient, and an excellent value.

With not a lot to do in Norman and in a nondescript recently developed area on the outskirts, this is a quick inexpensive stop on your way somewhere else, in our case Texas.


CombatCritic Gives Days Inn - Norman 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

"What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

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Title: Norman, OK: End Your Day At Days Inn In Norman, The Ramble On

Key Words: Days Inn, days, inn, Norman, OK, Oklahoma, university, University of Oklahoma, Sooners, OU, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, hotel, motel, review, Yelp

Translation for Civilians: 

San Antonio, TX: "Louie, Louie, Oh No, I Said" You "Gotta Go ... Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah"

Louie Italian Restaurant

4979 NW Loop 410

San Antonio, TX 78229

Phone number: (210) 481-4360

Website: louieitalianrestaurant.com

Prices: $$$$

This place was at the top of Yelp's list when I searched for "Best Italian Restaurants" in San Antonio, Texas with 4.5 stars out of 207 reviews ... pretty impressive. We joined their e-newsletter list (promising coupons and 1/2 price bottles of wine to "members") and made a reservation for that evening.

The exterior is strange, looking more like a 22nd Century burger joint than an Italian restaurant, but the interior was much nicer. Not "Italian", but a bit on the "classy" side. We were quickly greeted and seated and our server, Adelina, promptly took our drink order. I asked about the 1/2 price bottles of wine, but she told me (pointing to a placard on the table) that they are only offered on Tuesday and Wednesday, apparently available to the general public, not just members of their e-newsletter club as advertised. We ordered two glasses of house cabernet ($5.50 each), but Adelina quickly returned telling us that they were "out of the house cabernet" and only had Chianti. Chianti it was.

Our dinners would come with a salad, so we ordered the garlic bread ($3.99 - bread does not come with your meal oddly enough). The salads were small, but fresh, with a spring mix, tomato and cucumber slice, and exactly four croutons along with dressing of choice. The garlic bread was a good size loaf cut in two and tasty.

My wife had the Tortellini Michelangelo ($10.99) with cheese filled pasta in a mushrooms cream sauce. The pasta and sauce were both good, but the sauce had a unique taste we could not quite put our fingers on and definitely not Italian

I ordered the Veal Marsala ($15.99), sautéed with fresh mushrooms in a sweet marsala wine sauce and served over spaghetti. The sauce was actually quite rich and good with just the right number of button mushrooms, but the veal was not very plentiful with just two small scallops sitting atop the pasta. For the price, the veal was not a bad value at all and I went away satiated, not hungry.

The 1/2 price bottle promotion to lure people into signing up for their newsletter was misleading and the lack of bread accompanying the meal was odd for an Italian restaurant. The service was excellent and Adelina, an MBA student from Kosovo (where I served at the NATO HQ during the war in late 1998 and early 1999), was as charming and efficient as could be. Not the best Italian I have had by far, but good food and portions at a reasonable price.

CombatCritic Gives Louie Italian Restaurant 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

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Read Chris S.'s review of Louie Italian Restaurant on Yelp

Title: San Antonio, TX: "Louie, Louie, Oh No, I Said" You "Gotta Go ... Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah"

Key Words: Louie Italian Restaurant, Louie, Italian, pasta, veal, Italy, Loop 410, San Antonio, Texas, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

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