Report Card: Nick’s Fresh Seafood & Steaks

The very imaginatively named Nick’s Restaurant

 

Overall GrubGrade B

 

The Breakdown:

 

Atmosphere: Grade C-: We decided to hit Nick’s Fresh Seafood & Steaks on our first night in Virginia Beach. We were pretty tapped out from the drive in, so we were not real happy when we realized we misjudged the distance Nick’s was from our hotel. It was quite a trek, and we were heartbroken when we arrived. From the outside, Nick’s looked a little on the dumpy side. Nick’s could have just as easily been a dry cleaner judging by the exterior of the place. Upon entering, there wasn’t much about the look of the place to put our minds at ease. Nick’s Fresh Seafood and Steaks looked more like a dive bar than a restaurant. There was enough crap on the tables and walls to be overwhelming, and it doesn’t look like the place has had a facelift since the Brady Bunch was still filming. There was no hostess, so it was seat yourself. Plus there were no menus on the table, so when I took it upon myself to grab a couple from a nearby bin, I was rudely told they were the wrong menus. Overall, off to a real bad start.

High marks: None

Low marks: Cluttered, old, outdated, dirty…the list goes on and on

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Service: Grade B-: Apparently, old Nick isn’t dropping a fortune in labor costs. There was only one server that we could see, and the place was pretty busy. Despite what appeared to be an overwhelming situation, our server did a really decent job handling all our needs. Our server was fairly attentive, but not really engaging at all. That, however, is probably less her fault than that of the Einstein that decided one server would be adequate to handle 20 or more tables. There were other employees milling around, but we have no idea what their function was. Our order was accurate, and although there was a bit of a wait for the food, the wait wasn’t anything we’d consider to be inappropriate.

High marks: Accurate and attentive

Low marks:   Frenzied and not engaging

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Food/Spirits: Grade B+: Had Nick’s Fresh Seafood and Steak not been a 20 minute pilgrimage from our hotel, I might have made the family turn around and go elsewhere (I can sometimes do that since I usually carry the wallet, but Katina doesn’t let me wield too much power too often). It turns out that fleeing would have been a mistake. Nick’s had some pretty good food. The hush puppies were well prepared and delicious, and our daughter, Morgan, would have been happy making her entire meal out of them. Morgan did decide to go with her traditional plain turkey sandwich, which must have tasted better than it looked because she scarfed it down. But it was just turkey and bread, so that would be pretty hard to screw up. Katina ordered the “all you can eat flounder.” The flounder was lightly battered and according to Katina, perfectly cooked. She thought it was delicious, and we both found the French fries to be really good (although not the absolute best we’ve had). I ordered the bacon cheeseburger, which was advertised on the menu as being the best in Virginia Beach. I believe it. It was a really simple burger that was absolutely perfectly cooked with just the right amount of bacon.

High marks: Good flounder, fries, cheeseburger, and hush puppies      

Low marks: Entrees were overly simplified

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Value: Grade A-: We’ve got to hand it to Nick’s. Most of those who will visit this restaurant will be on vacation and probably working with a budget. Nick’s will be a good choice for you. Despite the poor start, Nick’s Fresh Seafood and Steaks turned it around with good food, generous portions (“all you can eat flounder” for Pete’s sake), and a completely reasonable price. We feasted for a mere $53, and we didn’t even order the least expensive dishes on the menu.

High marks: Portion size, quality, price

Low marks: Tidy up the appearance and increase staffing, and it could be an A+ next time

 

 

 

Report Card: Beef O’Brady’s

Beef O’Bradys. from the inside

http://beefobradys.com

 

Overall GrubGrade B

 

The Breakdown:

 

Atmosphere: Grade B-: Well, we missed the turn for the Beef O’Brady’s parking lot, but that has more to do with my horrible sense of direction and a really damn slow navigation program. Beef’s looks pretty nondescript from the outside, and on the inside Beef O’Brady’s looks like exactly what it is – a sports bar. Lots of big flat screen televisions and OSU memorabilia adorn the walls, but that’s pretty much the case with every sports bar located in and around Columbus. The B- score comes from the high noise level, which normally is to be expected in this type of establishment, but not one that is pretty much empty, like Beef O’Brady’s was during our visit. The tables are spaced nicely, but the seats are fairly uncomfortable. Add to that the fact that there were a plethora of menus on our table, and all of those were really sticky, which makes us wonder a little bit about the hygiene of the place.

High marks: Straightforward décor, good table spacing

Low marks: Nothing really unique, sticky menus, uncomfortable seats

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Service: Grade B-: We really don’t like being served by committee. A good service to us means the same person takes care of our needs from start to finish. We don’t mind if runners bring the food to us, as long as our server accompanies them. The server’s name on our receipt is Steven, but we were served by no fewer than 3 different servers. All of them did an okay job, although the service wasn’t really engaging. The B- score, however, reflects a mistake (albeit small and quickly corrected) made with Katina’s order. We ordered our food pretty much straight up with very few tweaks (which is rare, especially for Katina), and the joint was far from jumping, so there was really no excuse for any mistakes.

High marks: Okay service

Low marks:   Not engaging, multiple servers, less than perfect accuracy

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Food/Spirits: Grade B: We started with a Whole Lotta Steak Nachos for our appetizer. While it didn’t seem to have near the amount of steak on as the menu picture suggested it would, it was still delicious. These were probably the most “American” tasting nachos we’ve ever had. The tortilla chips were nice and crispy, the steak was tender, and the use of a little bit of cheese sauce and shredded cheese instead of dousing the whole pile in cheese sauce kept everything nice and crisp. These nachos were better than most nachos we’ve gotten and Mexican restaurants. Katina opted for the Signature Sangria to drink, and I chose a Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold for my drink. The sangria was pretty good (not the best we’ve had) and was very fruity with some blackberry dominance. I’ve reviewed the Dortmunder Gold before, and I still enjoy the thick texture and hint of spiciness. I was just a touch disappointed with the beer selection at Beef O’Brady’s. It seemed a bit anemic, but the beer menu was so confusing that there was a good chance that I just missed half the selections. Katina ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich with onion rings instead of fries (she got fries delivered to her, hence the aforementioned mistake, but was quickly presented with a plate of onion rings).   The pork was nice and tender and the sandwiched was dressed with Sweet Baby Ray’s barbeque sauce, which is one of Katina’s favorites. We were impressed with high quality, lean pork on the sandwich. I ordered the Prime Rib Sandwich with fries. We’ll start by saying the fries may have been the most perfectly cooked fries we’ve had – they were scrumptious (Katina even ate some of the fries she received in error, which is like buying a dress, wearing it once, then returning it to the store the next day). The Prime Rib sandwich was probably the driest, greasy sandwich I’ve ever eaten. There was supposed to be a creamy horseradish sauce and brie cheese on the sandwich, but I am almost 100% convinced those ingredients were left off. I mean how can you miss the taste of horseradish – it’s a dominating flavor. Thank god for the au jus or the sandwich would have been difficult to choke down. Overall, it was pretty good, but I don’t think it was quite served the way it was supposed to be.

High marks: Great nachos, really good pulled pork, phenomenal fries   

Low marks: Prime Rib sandwich didn’t live up to the hype

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Value: Grade B: Two or three drinks, and appetizer, and a couple of decent sized sandwiches took us just north of the $50 mark. Not too bad. We left satisfied, but there was definitely not enough left over for doggie bags, so portion size was good but we wouldn’t call it generous. Beef O’Brady’s is definitely a nice place to eat if you looking for some pretty decent bar/pub style food. Make sure you stop by if you can navigate that stupid round-about in Hilliard.

High marks: Decent quality, not too expensive

Low marks: Portion size could be a tad more generous

Report Card: J. Alexander’s

One of the fine steaks and fries at J Alexander’s

Home

Overall GrubGrade A

 

The Breakdown:

Atmosphere:  Grade A:  Many people would look at J. Alexander’s and not pay too much attention.  With a nearby Hyde Park and Ruth Cris, it is easy to look past J’s when considering an upscale dining experience.  If you’re one of those people, then you’re making a huge mistake.  The décor is upscale but not pretentious – you know that you’re eating someplace really nice but aren’t embarrassed that you wore jeans.  This is our type of place.  The interior was very clean, and the booths had really nice, high-backed seats that allowed for some privacy even though other diners were seated nearby.  J. Alexander’s gives off a real comfy vibe.

High marks:  Upscale, comfy vibe, clean

Low marks:  Easy to miss or overlook because of bigger, more pretentious neighbors

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Service:  Grade A+:  On this visit to J. Alexander’s, our server’s name was Erin.  If we were on the fence about whether we liked the place or not (and we were most certainly NOT on the fence), then Erin pushed us over.  She was very personable and self-deprecating.  We felt like we had gone to college with her and we were being served by an old friend.  Erin was very engaging and had us laughing at some of her stories.  Plus, the service was quick, accurate, and flawless.  This is what we mean when we say we’re looking for some “umph” when it comes to this category.  If anyone in the management at J. Alexander’s happens to read this, Erin is a rare find and provided phenomenal service.

High marks:  Pretty much perfect service on all levels

Low marks:   None

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Food/Spirits:  Grade A-:  For the spirits portion of the meal, Katina started with a citrus mojito and finished with a drink called Centennial Kir Royale.  Katina, who is not a big mojito drinker, was overly impressed with the citrus mojito, but she really enjoyed the Kir Royale.  According to Katina, it tasted like “raspberry champagne.”  That actually does sound pretty good.  I ordered (with Erin’s stamp of approval) the New Holland Dragon’s Milk Stout, which was phenomenal.  Lightly hopped with a heavy malt and chocolaty finish, this dark brown beer is one that even those who aren’t fans of dark beer can enjoy.  It was very smooth and sessionable.   We decided to try the calamari for an appetizer.

the calamari at J. Alexander’s

The breading was light and near perfect, and the sauce had a nice spicy kick.  The portion size for the appetizer was pretty generous, and it arrived a mere few minutes after we placed the order.  For entrees, Katina chose the Haddock with crab and I selected the Cajun Ribeye.

Haddock with crab topping

the Cajun Ribeye

While Katina found the fish not to be bad, she thought there was little flavor to it and it was under seasoned.  She opted for the rice pilaf/orzo, which had a nice flavor but was served chilled, which took her off guard.  The Cajun Ribeye was supposed to be dusted with Cajun spices.  While I couldn’t detect any Cajun spices, I really couldn’t care less.  The steak was flavorful, and the butter it was basted with was heavenly.  Add perfectly cooked shoestring French fries and you get a dish that had one of the best prepared pieces of meat that I’ve ever had.

Now, if you’ve never been to J. Alexander’s, there is one vital piece of information that you need to know.  J. Alexander’s had a side named Not Your Ordinary Mac and Cheese.  If you visit and do not try this dish, then head to confession as soon as possible because it ought to be a mortal sin.  NYO Mac and Cheese has to be the BEST mac and cheese we’ve ever sampled.  We could visit and just eat bowl after bowl of the stuff and be completely content.  The cheese is creamy and rich, and the bread crumb topping is crispy and perfectly cooked.  And somehow there is a hearty, almost meaty taste to it.  Seriously…skip dessert and get extra mac and cheese.

High marks:  NYO mac and cheese not for those with addictive personalities, ribeye perfectly cooked, excellent beer    

Low marks:  Haddock a little bland, mojito good but not very memorable

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Value:  Grade B-:  We don’t weigh this category very much when it comes to the final grade, as good food usually had a cost to it.  The food at J. Alexander’s was excellent and worth the over $100 tab we racked up, but you shouldn’t if you’re trying to eat on a budget.  Otherwise, we highly recommend J. Alexander’s – we consider it to be one of the best in Columbus.

High marks:   Superior quality of food

Low marks:   Pricey – not for the budget constrained

Report Card: Captain Tom’s Seafood

One of the yummy seafood platters available at Captain Tom’s

http://www.captaintomsseafood.com/

Overall GrubGrade B+

 

The Breakdown:

Atmosphere:  Grade B:  It is kind of difficult to describe Captain Tom’s Seafood.  From the outside, it looks nothing like a seafood restaurant, but on the inside it definitely looks like a seafood restaurant.  The exterior of Captain Tom’s Seafood is pretty nondescript.  The inside has some appropriate seafood-type decorations.  There is a lot of space in Captain Tom’s, which allows for generous spacing between tables.  Captain Tom’s stays pretty busy, so it’s a good thing there lots of space for lots of tables.  We’re not sure if Captain Tom’s stays busy because of the quality of food or because of lack of options, but it’s probably a combination of both.

High marks:  Lots of space

Low marks:   Generic exterior

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Service:  Grade B:  Captain Tom’s Seafood is not an upscale seafood restaurant.  As such, we really do not have high expectations for the service.  At Captain Tom’s, we really just expect someone to bring out our food when it’s done and keep our drinks topped off, which describes the level of service at Captain Tom’s pretty accurately.  Here’s a tip from us to you – it you have to take your check up to the cashier after you eat yourself, then you shouldn’t have high expectations for your service (i.e. Bob Evans).  That being said, our servers at Captain Tom’s did indeed bring out our food and keep our drinks topped off, hence the grade of “B.”

High marks:  Solid service

Low marks:   Not much effort involved with service

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Food/Spirits:  Grade B+:  We have family that live in the Martinsville, Va area, so Captain Tom’s Seafood has kind of become a tradition in our family.  We usually visit once each time we go see our relatives.  The nice thing about Captain Tom’s is the seafood is really good, the hush puppies are excellent, and you get so much food it kind of takes your breath away.  We always get combination platters with different types of fish, shrimp, etc.  We consistently find the food to be well prepared and tasty.  Hush puppies are savory and lightly breaded, popcorn shrimp is breaded nicely and has a nice pop to it when you bite into them, and the fish is always perfectly seasoned and breaded, with light, flaky fillets.  The food is brought piled high in baskets, and you’d be lucky to finish everything they put in front of you.  The fries and slaw provided as sides aren’t going to rock your world, but who cares?  You probably aren’t going to be able to eat it anyway.

High marks:  Really good food, and a ton of it    

Low marks:  You’re going to have to scrap the diet for the day

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Value:  Grade A:  Obviously, with the quality of food and the massive portion size, it’s not hard to see why Captain Tom’s Seafood gets an “A” for value.  If, for some ungodly reason, you have the occasion to visit Martinsville, Va, you should really stop by Captain Tom’s Seafood for some great grub.  It might be the best option you’ve got.

High marks:   Huge portions, excellent food

Low marks:  Seafood leftovers do not microwave well

Report Card: The Pub

The Pub at Polaris

http://www.experiencethepub.com/Polaris

Overall GrubGrade B

 

The Breakdown:

Atmosphere:  Grade A-:  Although nothing about the exterior really screams “Irish Pub,” once you’ve entered The Pub, there is no mistaking what type of establishment you’re in.  The décor is about as Irish as you’re going to find in central Ohio, and the server’s uniforms looked authentic (if plaid kilts, which are Scottish, and thigh high stocking make you think of the Emerald Isle).  The Pub was fairly busy, as it was a Saturday evening, but the dining area was well maintained.  We weren’t stacked right on top of other diners, and our table and eating utensils seemed clean.

High marks:  Clean, authentic decor

Low marks:   Kilts from Ireland?

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Service:  Grade B:  Our server, Maura, did a really nice job of taking care of us.  We had no complaints about the service, but nothing about it got us excited either – hence the grade of “B.”  If any of you reading this blog want to know how to get an “A+” in this category, check out our review of Fatz in the next week or so.  Our food was served in a timely fashion, and no mistakes were made with our order.  Maura kept the meal moving along at a good clip, and there was only one occasion where I felt her absence from our table was too prolonged.  We at Grubgraders expect our servers to have a clairvoyant like ability to sense when we need them.  That’s probably a bit unrealistic, but hey, it’s our time and money.

High marks:  Good pace to meal, no mistakes

Low marks:   Nothing exceptional about service

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Food/Spirits:  Grade B:  On to the good stuff, right?  We skipped appetizers on this visit and went straight for drinks and entrees.  Katina started off drinking a Berri Lemonade.  She really enjoyed it and stated that it did indeed taste like lemonade.  For her second drink, she went with a Twist and Shout.  She liked the Twist and Shout better than the Berri Lemonade and thought the Twist and Shout had a nice, tropical flavor.  I stuck with beer on this visit to The Pub.  Normally, this setting would require me to drink Guinness, but to my unexpected pleasure, The Pub had my favorite beer on tap.  What beer is that, you ask?  Well, if you have read our little piece on beer types, then you would know that it’s Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale.  Not only do they have it on tap, but were selling it for about ½ of what The Winking Lizard sells it for.  I was giddy as a school girl.  If you’ve not had one, you simply must rectify that situation.  Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale is smooth, with a slight vanilla undertone and an oaky aftertaste.  You get a hint of bourbon flavor without the burn.  It is simply magnificent.  Once again, we went with burgers, but in our defense we had already visited The Pub prior to my pledge to limit my burger intake for the purpose of this blog.  We both chose something called the Belhaven Burger.  Katina felt her burger was really messy.  It tasted okay, but the cheese sauce was overwhelming and she would have preferred just a slice of cheddar instead of the sauce.  She didn’t feel like her burger was too moist or too dry.  My burger was nice and juicy.  I ordered it medium well, and it came out well done.  Not a big deal since it wasn’t dried out.  I really enjoyed the rosemary seasoning in the burger, but could have done without the large chunks of onion.  I love the flavor of onion, but hate the texture, so I prefer my onions to be finely diced or be absent.  We both elected to try a dessert, mainly because one in particular caught Katina’s eye.  Katina ordered the Jamaican Cheesecake, which was loaded with bananas, caramel, and had an Oreo crust.  For Katina, that translates into yummy, yummy, and more yummy.  I selected something called the Tipsey Laird, which was sautéed berries with fried pound cake.  It was awesome (although the Jamaican Cheesecake was slightly better).  I would describe the Tipsey Laird like eating a thick funnel cake, and I love funnel cakes.

High marks:   Outstanding desserts, great beer at an even better price

Low marks:  Burgers were sloppy and not cooked to order

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Value:  Grade B+:   We actually spent less at The Pub than we initially thought.  Considering the amount of drinks and that we each had a dessert, escaping The Pub spending less than $100 was pretty good.  No doggy bags for us, but we were starved when we arrived and had burgers, so we really didn’t expect any.  The Pub is definitely a good place to hit if you’re looking for a nice relaxed meal with the option of getting your drink on.

High marks:   Great beer price, lots of food for the money

Low marks:   Better burgers would have sealed a grade of “A” in this case

Report Card: Matt the Miller’s Tavern

http://mtmtavern.com

Overall Grade B+

 

The Breakdown:

Atmosphere:  Grade B+:  We should start out with a disclaimer:  we visited Matt the Miller’s Tavern for lunch, so the atmosphere and service may be totally different for dinner.  Matt the Miller’s Tavern was more spacious than I expected based on its name (tavern = tiny, usually).  The tavern was very clean and fairly quiet (remember: lunch), but there were still quite a few diners present.  We were fairly surprised at the amount of business this tavern was generating for lunch.  Once we got our food, we understood why.  Décor was standard tavern fare with nothing that takes your breath away.  That being said, Matt the Miller’s Tavern came across as a really nice place to eat.

High marks:  Clean, quiet, and bigger than expected

Low marks:  Décor is pretty standard for a tavern

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Service:  Grade B:  We usually scoff when our server is the bartender (especially if we are not seated at the bar), but the duo behind the bar at Matt’s did a nice job with our service.  Drinks and food flowed appropriately, and no mistakes were made with the meal.  The only negative was that our servers were a little too busy to really engage us (which is why there is scoffing at bartender/servers), but overall they did a very good job.

High marks:  Good service, minimal wait for drinks and food, no mistakes

Low marks:   Bartender/servers too busy to engage us

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Food/Spirits:  Grade A-:  As we were having lunch and Katina and I are trying to keep our secret lives as lushes on the DL, there were no alcoholic beverages consumed at Matt the Miller’s Tavern.  Mark this on your calendar – it may be the only time I say we visited a “tavern” and did not drink any grown-up drinks.  For an appetizer, we decided to try the Bavarian Pretzel Bites.  Just between you and me, Katina has an unhealthy attraction to pretzel bites, something she passed on to our daughter.  The bites came with a roasted garlic sauce and a sweet and tangy mustard sauce.  Both sauces were absolutely amazing.  The actual pretzel bites looked odd, but they tasted delicious.  Once we were done with the pretzel bites, our server almost lost a hand trying to remove the leftover sauces from our table (not a good idea if you are providing us with knives).  We were definitely thinking about our fries (we left the ketchup untouched) when we demanded our sauces remain on the table.  Katina had something called Matt’s Burger and I had the Bacon Burger.  Both burgers were delicious.  Burgers are not that hard, but it is astounding how hard it is to get a really good one.  What we are looking for primarily is whether or not the burger is cooked to our specifications.  Medium-well is our default temperature, so we want some pink without the pool of blood.  That doesn’t happen very often, but Matt’s nailed it.  Katina had sweet potato fries (fancy) and I had regular fries (plain).  The fries were great (especially with our sauces).  Everything was well prepared and delicious.  We can’t wait to go for dinner.

High marks:  Excellent fries, pretzel bites, sauces, and burgers

Low marks:  Near casualties because of premature sauce removal

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Value:  Grade B+:  This is a tough one because we usually are grading dinner services.  We dropped a decent amount of coin considering we got burgers.  However, the food was excellent and we highly recommend you stop by when you’re in the neighborhood.

High marks:  Didn’t break the bank

Low marks:  A little pricey considering our dishes