Canvas Pinot Grigio

 This is the "hotel house wine" for Hyatt, which apparently is "Developed exclusively for Hyatt by the Michael Mondavi family"! I had a, like, 5 minute wait to check into my room at the hotel, so they gave me a free wine at the bar. Pretty nice -- am I going to turn from a Hilton girl to a Hyatt girl? Anyway, this was surprisingly sweet and crisp -- it was cold, and I enjoyed it quite a bit even though I was awkwardly and sweatily drinking this alone like the anxious weirdo that I am. But I would order it again for pay! For pay! 

Overall
Cost: 5/10 (7$, I think)
Taste: 7/10

Autumn Arch Beer Project

This is a big open warehousey space on the south side of Newark with lots of creative beers (mainly sours). Sounds amazing, right? Except one of their brews has PEANUTS in it, so I can't actually drink any of them. But that's a personal problem for your girl, so I still end up going here with friends pretty often. Luckily they have local wines (chardonnay, cabernet) too and I drink those with no issue. I do like that you go to the counter to order because it avoids the awkwardness of trying to get a bartender's attention, so if it weren't for the nut thing I'd be very into this joint. Indoor and outdoor seating, dog-friendly, cute. Servers are nice but not "too" nice. Good vibes, just bad for allergy girls.

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 5/10

Argilla Brewing Co at Pietro's Pizza

This place has a lot of good qualities: they actually answered my FB message about allergens (so rare!) and they answered that it was all basically nut-free except desserts. Hooray! The food and beer were also great, and the location is pretty close to me, with parking, and also not super crowded with undergrads since it's a driver.

The negatives: they don't take reservations, but were busy and we had to wait a while for a table (even though there were lots of empty tables -- I'm guessing they just didn't have enough workers, which is true basically everywhere these days). We also weren't told we could chill at an empty table while we waited, which seemed like a nice thing to do. So the whole check-in process was awkward. But the server at our table once we got it was perfectly fine.

I ordered a pizzo (personal size) with mushrooms and spinach, and it was a good size (I finished it and wasn't dyin') and tasty enough, although nothing earth shattering. I also got the Cherry Berry Whipped beer, which I really especially liked -- it was a milky opaque pink, not super fizzy, nice sour fruity beer.

Good times! I'm looking forward to going back either with family or boyf later.

Later: Ha, joke's on past-me, 'cause I no longer have a boyf and I hardly have any family! But I did go with my dad, and sadly, he did not like the pizza at all and they didn't have fish. So it was a bust for him. For me, I got the Kennett personal pizzo, which was solid, good cheese (ate it all) and a Pineapple Citrus Whipped beer, which I also especially liked. Their beers are great! Their pizza is good! Someone go here with me! :p

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 7/10

KFC

Holy heck, I haven't reviewed KFC yet? This is a shocker. KFC is a solid fast food chain in my book because apart from their desserts, they've always been nut free. One tragic point in my past is that the chocolate chip cookie that came with all their box meals used to be safe for me, per the website menu anyway, and I ate it every few months and it was a fresh warm cookie and one of my only joys in dessert-life. And then once I checked the menu and it was no longer safe. RIP cookie. But their chicken is still fine, and I like the biscuit and cole slaw a lot. Today I decided to go partially because I'm super stressed out but also because I was getting gas from the Wawa next door and I wanted a treat for doing the stressful gas-getting. (Long story I guess). Anyway, KFC is cool.

Spicy Famous Bowl: This was off-menu and cost 3.99 instead of 3$, but that's still a solid deal per calorie. This is mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, popcorn chicken, shredded cheese, and hot sauce drizzle. It was super hot and is giving me mad reflux. But it was good enough, warm and filling. I liked the potatoes and gravy a lot; the rest was just OK. I would say it was good but too spicy for my tastes! 7/10

Regular Famous Bowl: OK, this was weird. They made it nicely, lots of gravy and fresh and the cheese was nice and melty on top. But now that I could taste it, that was weird. I mixed it with a frozen bag of brocco and cauliflower lol. It was filling and warm but made me freak out about allergies, which is maybe dumb but IDK, I think my soy thing is actually legit now that I read about other people who can't eat canned soups and frozen chickens. The gravy might be sketch! But anyway, it tasted OK. Lol. The potatoes had that floral taste. I like the gravy but it was spooky. 6/10

Popcorn Chicken Combo: I got this with Mountain Dew and Cole Slaw, and also it comes with a biscuit. The chicken is a little box and I didn't get a dipping sauce because the server didn't have a mask and I was distracted. Anyway, Allergy Genius me didn't realise there's potentially soy protein in the popcorn chicken (per their good allergy menu), but I ate it before and lived so I ate it again even though I've been avoiding all soy protein. I lived, again, though it was scary I didn't really get any itchiness. Apart from that the chicken tastes good but I'd never repeat this, it is too scary. Slaw/'scuit/dew were are tops. 4/10 for fear, 7/10 taste. 

Finger Lickin' Good Sauce: I am aware this is not a meal, but you can get some for free with a meal (as I did with my #3 3 piece combo) so I was excited to try it out. But to be honest, it didn't live up to the hype for me. Allergen free but not especially tangy/spicy/savory, just kinda an oily version of thousand island dressing almost. Maybe it is better with fries than with chicken, but I think I'd rather have BBQ sauce than this! 5/10

 

Crispy Colonel Box: The Crispy Colonel is a chicken sandwich made to compete with Popeyes, I guess, cause it's got a pickle and a tiny bit of mayo-that-tastes-like-tartar-sauce on the bottom. The sandwich itself is pretty good, the chicken is fresh and moist and not too greasy, and they didn't overdo it on the mayo. The bun was a little old (and firm), but it tasted very neutral. The box comes with popcorn chicken, which is fine but soy-containing, and cole slaw which I love, and their new fries, which I don't really like -- they look fun but have basically no seasoning. However I also asked for 2 packs of BBQ sauce with this, so that made the fries (and the chicken) a lot tastier. This is also a ton of food, probably good for 2 meals. I didn't even drink the Pepsi that comes with it! 6/10 sandwich, 5/10 box (box is 10$, not very cheap!)

3 piece chicken combo: This is #3, and it comes with 2 wings and a drumstick. I like the wings, they are like smaller thighs. The drummie is OK. The biscuit I got was super hard, but I think the Lebanon KFC is just bad (sorry, dad). Cole slaw is bangin' as always. Pepsi was a lil watery. It is what it is. 6/10

Sweet Lightning Mountain Dew: This is a limited edition flavor of Dew! It's supposedly peach and honey. The peach is very real. It tastes like peach rings candy, which it turns out, I don't really like. Massively inferior to regular mountain dew. It is a fun color and tastes more juice than soda, which is neat, but it's just not for me. Glad I collected this rare bird anyway, though (on a road trip to see my favorite band! but with weird medical problems that prevent me from fully enjoying any thing :( ) 5/10

Overall
Cost: 7/10 (Usually very cheap for a meal - 5$!)
Taste: 7/10

Q says "It's pretty bad. 3/10"

Buffalo Wild Wings

Surprised I haven't reviewed B-Dubs yet! So many memories there over the last decade, like: my tragic friend calling it BBWs by accident, watching UFCs there with my roomies and exes, and awkward morning soccer games as a third or fifth wheel! But seriously, this place is great: unlike PJ WHELIHANS, they don't have a peanut butter flavor with peanuts on it, and in fact have an allergy menu online somewhere. I basically only get apps (the corn dogs are amazing, as are most of the apps unfortunately for the ol' waistline) or the Asian Zing classic wings, which are sweet and Asian, I guess. And a lil hot too! The snack size is plenty and you get nice celery with it. I will say, they don't post the prices for their drinks on the menu, which is super annoying. But they have lots of options.

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 8/10

Stone Balloon Ale House

I'm so surprised I haven't reviewed Stone Balloon yet, since I've been there quite a few times! They used to be called the 16 Mile Taphouse (taproom?) for like a random year a few years ago, but they always have had pretty much the same ethos. Good fun and lots of fun drink options. I love their beer menu, it's like a tiny version of the Federal Taphouse's massive drink menu, with lots of options and info. They also have a decent selection of 5$ all day cocktails, and lots of good expensive cocktails too. As for the food, I've only ever gotten burger, chicken sandwich, side salad, and side of mac n cheese, but they are all wonderful. They do have some stuff with nuts on the menu. Once I went for a surprise brunch and mentioned my allergies when I ordered the chicken sandwich (just in case yanno) and they brought out monkey bread as the bunch app bread thing, and I didn't eat it and the waitress came back and said it was nut free, without me asking! I was like :O she remembered :O :O what a great waitress, what a great place. I have fond memories of going here with my department buds after colloqs, too. I even ate here with Lars's parents and dog once! Weird!

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 8/10

Ramen Kumamoto

Talk about a trendy resto in my local college town! This place opened a few years ago to rave reviews, even from the Japanese people I know (n=3). I like it because there's no nuts (though there is a lot of fish) and because it's Japanese. I don't like it because there's no alcohol, you can't use credit cards with bills under like 20$, and the seating is kind of communal. Also, you have to ask for a fork if you can't use chopsticks and sometimes they don't ever bring it and you feel sad. I always only get the tonkotsu (pork) ramen, which is good but not amazing for me. The broth and egg and bamboo and meat are all amazing, the noodles don't do it for me though. They're thin and more italian than chinese if that makes sense. Very filling and warm but I wouldn't want it super often. I wish I could order other stuff but I think it all has fish in it.

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 5/10 (for me)

Pachamama

I was looking forward to trying this place, since it moved into the location of two of my favorite sit-down nut-free restos (Del Pez and Cucina Di Napoli). And indeed it turned out to be a worthy successor! I got the 1/4 chicken with stir fry rice and the salad, and it was all tasty and fun. You get 3 dipping sauces to try, all of which are decent and unique (not earthshattering though). The chicken itself is very tender and juicy, the stir fry rice was super gingery but didn't kill me, which I love, and the salad was a standard good small salad. I also got a sangria which was big and good, and a Corona which was pricy but also...good. A fun experience! I'm trying to convince someone to go back with me.

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 7/10

Jersey Mike's

Sub time! Subs are pretty solid meals, usually not too greasy and solidly filling. Sadly, Subway isn't super tasty, Capriotti's is far away, and Primo's may contain nuts. Jersey Mikes seems pretty sweet just based on their website, because they have a comprehensive allergy menu (and that menu says that basically all the sandies are nut-free, too). Plus they have an enigmatic numbering system, which makes me want to be a completionist and try them all. We'll just have to get the boyf on board because there isn't one by me (yet?)!

#7 Turkey and Provolone: I got this on white bread because I panicked and didn't know if the wheat bread was safe. I also got it "Mike's way" which is LTO and oil and vinegar. The only perhaps odd thing is that usually I get turkey with mayo and not oil, but to be honest it's probably healthier and it ended up tasting pretty good. The turkey was nice and fresh, and the cheese was cut really thin which I liked. Tomato was juicy, the lettuce and onion was whatever (maybe too much lettuce). I got a regular size and it was plenty of food, and cut in half too. I think I'd get "mini" next time! 6/10

#16 Chicken Philly Cheese Steak: This was good! They didn't even offer a wheat roll or any customization (the guy who took my order kinda rubbed me the wrong way TBH) but it was tasty as it came, with pepper, onion, and white American cheese only. I had to cut it in half myself, but it was still a great size (regular size) for a filling meal and didn't make me sick. The cheese was great and the rest tasted good too. Noice. 8/10

Grilled Veggie Wrap: This was OK - I got it with a wheat wrap, which itself was good, very fresh/thick. The inside had ranch, which was OK for me taste-wise but my boyf hates the smell so it wasn't really worth it. There's only cheese, peppers, tomato, lettuce, and possibly onion inside. It was definitely good for a veggie wrap, but not really full of much veggie, and not very healthy or better tasting than the other things, so this wasn't my favorite random pick. Would try it without ranch if I get it again. 5/10

#31 California Chicken Cheese Steak: This was a chicken cheese steak with mayo, yet it was not bad! I liked the chicken a lot and the mayo didn't really stand out to me. The cheese was good and the flavor overall was good, although maybe not as good as #16. Not bad though. 7/10

#11 Stickball Special: This was fine; it was basically the same as an italian sub. Maybe a bit too much dressing on this though. 6/10

#55 Big Kahuna Chicken Cheese Steak: I got this at the airport, and I was so grateful to have normal food! Even if it was 10 dollars. I got the only size they had, regular, on wheat bread, and it was only 720 cals which is totally manageable for a cheesesteak! I think it was really good, cheesy and warm, and spicy because of the jalepenos. The mushroomy cheesey chicken bits that fell out were great. 8/10

#2 Jersey Shore's Favorite: Jersey Shore's Favorite is...Italian. Ham, cheese, and circle meat. I got mine without oil, which turned out to be a great choice -- it was fresh and filling and made me feel happy. It even made two meals. Good stuff. 7/10

#42 Chipotle Chicken Cheese Steak: Got this delivered in the quarantine times. They also did not do contactless delivery even though it said they would online. Maybe in a few weeks people will be better at this! Anyway, the sub was delicious as ever. I love Jersey Mike's and the peppers and the cheese and the bread (wheat!) and whatever else they got going on. Actually, this is a chicken cheesesteak much like 55 and 31 and 16, but I don't really like the Chipotle sauce they put on. It's not terrible, but it doesn't add anything and feels too oily or strong or something. Still a delicious sub but I prefer the other chicken sub options that don't have the sauce. 7/10

#13 The Original Italian: Got this delivered in the quarantine times. They AGAIN did not do contactless delivery even though it said they would online and it's been about 3 weeks! I think I probably shouldn't get Jersey Mike's anymore. :( But this was great as always, I got wheat bread and no oil, which is the best and makes it a little healthier too. I think they cut the cold ones in half, which is great. I only ate half and it was nice and filling, lots of classic italian meats and peppery lettuce. Just a few onions and a tiny bit of tasty, thin cheese. 7/10 

#3 The All-American: This is actually "The Ham and Cheese", but whatever you call it, it's a solid not-too-exciting sub. Just overall decent (with no oil), tastes fresh, filling, good ratio of meat+bread, not too unhealthy. And they actually succeeded in the no-contact delivery this time! 7/10

#43 Chipotle Cheese Steak: This is great, just like all the other cheese-steak varieties (chicken and steak). The chipotle sauce really adds nothing for me though; it's still tasty but I think it'd be equally (or even more!) tasty without the chipotle sauce. 7/10

#17 Jersey Mike's Famous Philly Cheese Steak: Feels like I've had this before, but I guess I've only had variations on the theme! Anyway, this is great. I guess the Kahunas are better because they have mushrooms, but I still like the "plain" cheese steaks a lot, and they taste pretty darn similar to each other anyway! Good with wheat bread too. 7/10

#9 Club Supreme: Roast beef and bacon (and turkey) at Jersey Mike's?! This is different! Unfortunately, I was a fool and got this without the mayo (and oil), so it was way too dry. They give you a lot of turkey and RB! It was still good though -- I like the taste of the bacon a lot, and the cheese and beef. But it needs mayo. Added mustard but that wasn't quite right. 6/10 for now.

#56 Big Kahuna Cheese Steak: Much like the chicken version, this was very good. A little unhealthy, maybe, but the taste can't be beat. I also currently have a stomachache for Gordon/Pat's related reasons, so I'm blinded by that, but JM's is always solid. 8/10

 

#5 The Super Sub: I got this because I guess the number 4 isn't on their menu by me. This seems similar to the 4 that I wanted though -- basically it tasted like slightly spicy ham, a little provolone, tasty and fresh. I got it with white bread and no oil, and I enjoyed it! 7/10

 

#12 Cancro Special: It occurs to me now that I probably should have ranked these by number and not by recency. Oh well! This was really solid, especially with vinegar only. Very nice. 8/10

 

#66 Portabella Cheese Steak: Surely this is the devil's sub, as it took me two tries at ordering it and I'm still not convinced I've had it properly. The first time it had no mushrooms at all, and the second time, I think there were maybe 2-3 tiny mushroom pieces. I can't imagine what the meatless version is like if this is actually right. It was still tasty because the cheesesteak is tasty, especially the cheese, but I don't think it's worth the extra price/stress of trying to add mushrooms! 7/10

#26 Bacon Ranch Chicken Cheese Steak: I'm not really a fan of ranch dressing or ranch sauces, but this was not bad. Better than the chipotle mayo that JM has, I think. The sub I got has wrapped kinda messily, but it tasted decent, and was more refreshing than the other hot subs just because of the lettuce and tomato. I think it'd taste way better with mayo (or no sauce even) but I'd still eat it again. 6/10

#4 The Number Four: This was off-menu, but they made it with no trouble! For once I didn't tip though because it took a long time for someone to help me and it made me feel like a loser. Anyway the sub was fine, basically ham and cheese and maybe 1-2 Italian meat. Like a peppery ham and cheese. Solid. 7/10

#1 BLT: Hard to mess up a BLT, right? Although the bacon was your premade cold hard stuff, not the fresh chewy warm baco of my youth. And the mayo was mayo and not miracle whip. But that's to be expected, and they didn't skimp on the cold baco, at least! I thought it was decently tasty and BLT-ish, even if not perfect. 7/10

 

Overall
Cost: 6/10 (20$ for two people)
Taste: 7/10

Q says: It was pretty good. I was also hungry though. Slow. 6/10

Sushi Sumo

Despite being in a random strip mall, I think this place looks really nice inside. It's quiet and classy and chill. It's also just Japanese food (no Chinese fusion here), which is an upside for us nut-allergy sufferers. Sure, I can't eat the sushi or the soup or anything else, but I can eat the chicken yaki udon, which is basically chicken lo mein but with thick (udon) noodles. It's great and has great chicken pieces, little onion/carrot/celery bits, and randomly 2 orange slices. Only like 12 dollars, a filling amount, and very tasty. They also do takeout! Downside: you shamefully must ask for a fork if you can't use chopsticks (like me). Also, don't use the hot towel on your face.

The plum fuku wine is really sweet, but also unique and fun!

Overall
Cost: 7/10
Taste: 8/10

McDonald's

Eww, right? Who eats McDo's?! As a kiddo, it was by far my least favorite fast food place, mainly because they put chopped up onions on all their burgers and I thought that was gross. I also think the 3-bun Big Mac concept is terrible. But now I'm a little chilled out, PLUS they have breakfast all day, PLUS they have a vanilla ice cream cone with no nuts. Mmm, soft serve, so rare for nut allergy sufferers! So I've come around, and on a road trip or a lazy day, I'm A-OK with a little allergy-menu-having McDos.

I like their apple pie, vanilla cone, egg mcmuff, and way too creamy iced coffee. Hot coffee is standard/fine too.

I tried recently the Pico Guacamole Buttermilk Crispy Chicken, because it had guac and I wanted some veg. It gave me mad heartburn, but otherwise it was filling and fine. I think it'd be better with no cheese and no ranch sauce. So maybe a plain chicken sandwich would have been better. 5/10

I also tried the Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken, and even though it had little black beans I had to pick out, the dressing/chicken/strips/corn was good and refreshing (and healthy-ish!). The only downside was that it made me make eating noises and also smell bad and my boyf was perturbed and now I'm neurotic about eating this salad. But it's good though. :D? 6/10

Cheeseburger: McDonald's is gross and this burger was gross too. It was only a dollar though. But it has onions which make me vom and are so small they're impossible to remove, the burger is gross, and the bun is pretty good. 4/10

Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Sandwich: This was a crispy chicken sandwich and it didn't make me gag, so I guess it was fine. About 650 calos for a weird fake-looking shiny bun, vaguely buttery crispy chicken, small tomato, tiny lettuce, and massive gorp of mayo. But it was OK. 6/10

Quarter Pounder with Cheese: When will I learn that I hate McDo's burgers? I got this without onions because I thought I just hated little onions, but the burger still tasted the same gross way! It's like the onions are inside the patty! Or whatever bad thing is in there, maybe it's not even onion at all.  But it's truly terrible. The burger patty is the McDo's downfall. 3/10

Grilled Chicken Sandwich: This was devoid of any flavor and it was over 5 bucks. Yet it was only 380 calories, and fairly filling. It didn't have any mayo (or sauce at all), yet somehow it wasn't too dry. A weird product, but could have been worse. 6/10

Hash Brown: Don't understand the love for hash brown. Plain Mcmuff is better choice, this is oily and not great. 5/10

Bacon Smokehouse Artisan Grilled Chicken: Mistakes were made; I got this because it's chicken and not beef, and I like onions and BBQ and bacon, but the mustard made this weird, it could have used lettuce/tomato, way more BBQ and overall just wasn't a good mix for me, even though none of the parts were truly heinous. 4/10

Iced French Vanilla Coffee: This was difficult, because ordering it got us a "Sugar Free Vanilla Coffee" instead, which was freakin' gross. Second try, we learned just "Vanilla Coffee" (don't say french) is the way to go. Anyway, this is a solid way-too-creamy/sugary coffee, but it tastes good and not artificial or metallic or anything. A little like what I imagine milk is like for people who drink milk. Got a medium and it was more than enough, 'cause they don't put that much ice in. 6/10

Iced Latte: G-dang, McDonalds coffee is so difficult. I ordered plain iced latte (medium), no modifications or swirls or sugars. But it was SO PAINFULLY SWEET. Wtf. Full disclosure though, I got this via delivery (no issues there), and it was in a little cup inside of a bag lol. Very weird and cozy. No straw! I mean, it tasted like a sweet treat, but that's not what I wanted. Sigh. 5/10

McChicken: McChicken is a cute name for a sandwich. This was actually not bad; it was only 1 dollar and yet was filling and satisfying. It's just chicken/mayo/lettuce, and it could use more lettuce and less mayo, and maybe the addition of tomato or cheese or something would improve it, but it's still decent. 6/10

Pumpkin and Cream Pie: This isn't even on their online menu, but you can find the ingredients if you Google for it. And it's safe! And so good, this was awesome. It doesn't look like much but the inside is basically pumpkin pie filling and cream cheese. This is great. Spicy (in the pie way) and sweet. 8/10

McRib: Ah, the cultural zeitgeist! Top of the morning to you, Mr. McRib. I think I basically agree with the general sentiment on this sandwich: it's not bad, but not amazing. The first bite impressed me a lot; I thought it really did taste like rib insides. But then it became more bread/pickle/onion/general food-like substance. Not bad though, and the ingredients don't have any weird fillers (or legumes!). Good but not really great either. 7/10

Blueberry Muffin: So disappointing! I was so hype for the purported nut-free bakery additions since the Dunkin muffins are now may-contains. But while the top was good and moist/sweet, the rest was not sugary or wet or good, and the whole thing had kind of a chemical flavor. I like that the berries are real blueberries, but they didn't taste like it -- they tasted just like the artificial ones from my 99 cent muffin mix. Ultimately a letdown. 5/10

Hamburger (+Happy Meal): This Happy Meal came with apples, a toy, a little milk, a little fries, and a hamburger. Not bad, McDos. I was expecting to hate Hamburger as I have hated all Burger from McDos, but honestly it wasn't bad. Maybe I was just really hungry, maybe they're different now? maybe I got a good one? But the bun was nice and buttery, the meat was meat, and the onions and pickle were edible since they were focused in just one spot in the middle. Not very filling, but pretty tasty/fine. 6/10

Deluxe Crispy Chicken Sandwich: So McDo's added 3 new chicken sandwiches to compete with the Popeye's / Chik-Fil-Trash hype. Sadly, I tried this one first, and I thought it was kind of a dud. The bun was nice and buttery, but the chicken itself had a weirdly fishy/old oil taste. It really threw me. The lettuce/mayo/tomato really did not add anything, either. Maybe I just got a bad patty. 5/10

Honest Kids® Appley Ever After® Organic Juice Drink: I got this with a Cheeseburger Happy Meal, which again, is way more lit than I used to find it. This Apple Juice itself was also fun! It was not sweet at all, which is really different from any apple juice I've ever experienced, but I thought it was pretty tasty and also healthy. Very cute stuff. 7/10

Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich: The second of the three new chicken sandwiches, and sadly I won't be trying the third since these buns apparently have pea protein in 'em now (wtf). It was alright while it lasted, though -- really spicy to me, but much better than the deluxe sandwich. The chicken and bun were good (but really spicy), the sauce was just OK. 7/10

Double Cheeseburger: Again, honestly this was pretty satisfying. I still don't love the onion bits, but the pickle/ketchup/cheese is good, the meat is fine, the bun is fine. It's filling and it's fine. 7/10

 

Sprite: On the one hand, Sprite is Sprite, and it's not very good. On the other hand, I didn't like this version much. I've had better fast food sodas. Partly Sprite is to blame, but dare I say, McDos is not the best iteration of Sprite I've had this year. 5/10
 

McDouble: The name is good, good branding. But the burger was kind of dry, I still don't like the little onions on here, and even though this was edible and safe, it was honestly not very enjoyable. 5/10

Overall
Cost: 8/10, fast food is great for this (just avoid combos)
Taste: 5/10

Q says: It seems like the renovation has been bad for it. Later: This was a different McDonalds.

Iron Hill Brewery

I've always liked Iron Hill; they have good, nice food and good fun beer. Whenever I tell them I have a nut allergy, they're responsive and comforting about it. But today I went with my parents and the waiter was like "OK but is it a serious allergy? Because we have nuts all over the place!!" and I was like "?????!!!!". But I didn't die and they also have an allergy menu and I think that guy might just be new or something. Anyway, don't let that deter you, me. I like the margarita pizza with mushroom and spinach. I tried the ribs but they were weirdly sweet (but very tender). I got a Belgian Blonde beer and it was a solid IPA, and a Witbeer is a good standby in general. Today, since my parents were paying, I got the Flat Iron, which came with fajita veggies and a chipotle sauce. I really like flat irons, and the sauce was pretty strong mexican flavor, but it was good. It came with smoked mac 'n cheese with breadcrumbs, which was obviously good, it's mac and cheese. Mmm. I ate all of it and was pleasantly full! A solid meal.

More foods:

Pulled Pork Sandwich (Carolina style sauce): I should have gotten the St.Louis style sauce! Anyway, I got this with green salad, which is a tasty heap of spinach and carrots and light dressing. The sandwich is big, comes with sauce on the side and a lil cup of cole slaw. The cole slaw is more creamy than zingy, sadly, but it passes here since there's sauce anyway. Overall this was good, but the sauce wasn't amazing. Too mustardy, maybe, not sweet enough? (I know that's what carolina style is, but I've had better!!) Last time I ordered they gave me both sauces, which was sweet. I used the St. Louis one and it was nice like a regular BBQ sauce. The pork is good and moist. 7/10

Reindeer's Revenge beer: This beer was a cool 9+%, so I don't remember much about it, but I got two so it must have been decent. Update: I still like it, one of their better beers. Goes down v easy. 7/10

Happy hour nachos: This is a ton of nachos! I got it with my idol Janey but I ate like all of them. Chips, cheese, guac (weird pasty guac but whatever), lots of sour cream, pico, lettuce. We got it without beans. It was good. However, not good to take home. Should get perhaps soup next time. 6/10

Happy hour pretzel sticks: Only 5 pretzel sticks! They were good. I love the cheese dip and eat it with a spoon. Didn't try the mustard. Good though. Second time we got them they had a ton of seeds, that I scraped off. Didn't die though. Eventually I tried the mustard, it's OK but really strong/spicy! Also they gave me like 7 sticks that time, with fewer seeds. Huh.

Tangaroa beer: Really good and fruity, like tangerine! Wasn't sure if the alc level is 5% or 2%, since I saw mixed info. But it was good. I think it's 5% based on my drunk level, but I'm not positive.

Pumpkin ale: This was really nice, normal ABV and a vanilla and pumpkin flavor. Dessert-y! 7/10

Castroville pizza:  I wanted to try something new, but I shouldn't have - the marg pizza is already flawless. OK, so this is lots of veg (spinach, artichoke, pepper?) and no red sauce, which I didn't realise. It's quite tasty, the crust and cheese is good, and I like the veg, but it also gave me crazy heartburn. Not worth it! Tasty but other pizza is even tastier. 6/10

Fole's Gold beer: This was fine, but not a super standout. I couldn't necessarily sense the plum flavor. I do like beer, however. 6/10

Santa's Little Helper beer: This was a nice yellow color, but surprisingly I didn't love it. It had a very strong type of flavor, kind of like the Iron Hill Witbeer (I think??) has. Not an IPA but like a malty IPA, or something. I definitely drank it still, but it wasn't my favorite. 5/10

Cherry Vanilla Porter beer: This is for valentine's day, which I resent. But it was OK. Definitely a dark beer, malty, which I guess is what porters are? 5/10

Chewie IPA beer: Got this as a pint, and it was nice and yellow, tasty and mildish. 6/10

Double Doink IPA beer: The name is pretty embarrassing, but it was good and solid. 6/10

Rising Sun beer: I got this by accident. It has coconut and dill, which is weird. I do not like coconut flavor in beer. No thank you. 3/10

Thirsty Boots IPA beer: My favorite IPA, nice and hoppy, goes down easy. 7/10

Sweet Leaf IPA beer: JK, this is my favorite IPA. It's sweet and tastes a little like a leaf, no joke. Not super duper hoppy, but a little bit. Very drinkable, I love it. 7/10

Mushroom soup: This is really good, just a small snack though. Tasty, warm, creamy, bits of mushroom in it. Nice. 7/10

Cherry Kalas beer: Sweet Leaf is gone, so this is my new pick. It's fairly low alc, and it's a nice red color. Strong cherry flavor. Super drinkable. 7/10

Brewski burger: This was good! I got it with the lil salad greens, which had good dressing but lots of bitter arugula. Still tasty. I added ketchup to the burger which really elevated it. Got American cheese, but it was white and almost tasted like swiss, so I might try the other cheesers next to compare. It was filling but not overly so. 7/10 edit: cheddar is good, swiss is less good

Clock Out Lager beer: I got this because it's new and Jane likes it, but it wasn't bad. Mild and a little malty. 6/10

Pub Burger (special): This had "pub sauce", which is mayo+lea+perrins which means it had fish but I still ate it. Oh yeah! It was good, juicy and had onions. 7/10

LeBruce beer: This beer is sad because it's an "In Memorium" namesake beer. I guess that's a legacy I'd want, though. It's a very high alc beer, and really tastes...peppery? I guess it's fine, but it got me too durunk. 6/10

Ribs (half rack): This sauce also had fish but I didn't die. But these were weird. Spicy and fruity. Like the sauce was fruity. WTF is that! The meat was tender but the sauce was too novel, I didn't like it even though it wasn't BAD, but not BBQ that I wanted. Also the Newark + Hershey Iron Hills don't have pizza anymore. What's the point of going there!!! :( 6/10

White Walker IPA: Yo, Lancaster got rid of pizza too! WTF. Just when I became a member, Iron Hill! It's like they are pivoting to steaks. Anyway, this was high alc, so in the mug it got me pretty loopy. Tasted like a standard mild IPA. 6/10

Chicken sandwich: Ardmore also got rid of the pizzas, RIP joy. Anyway this sandwich was good. Not burger style like I expected, but 2-halfs of a regular bread sandwich. The sandwich was good, I like bacon and the vibe was fairly moist, even if the chicken was a little dry/boring/tall for my tastes. The mayo didn't really taste like anything, and there was randomly yellow cheese but not bad. 7/10

Demeter IPA: I thought this was the Pink Boots one but I think I mixed them up. Anyway, this is something about women. It was fine, mild enough, but made me feel itchy, so I probably won't repeat it. 6/10

Margarita Flatbread: This was fine (it's an app), but not the same thing as their regular pizzas were at all. There's less "stuff" on it overall, and a little parmesan cheese?? Plus the crust is less crispy. Eh. 6/10

Voodoo Chicken Flatbread: This one was better! Reminded me of Kildy's BBQ Chicken Pizza. For some reason, the crust on this one tasted like sour cream & onion ritz thins. Odd. But I liked it, it was good and fatty and cheesy. 7/10

Jaeger Schnitzel: This was good! Now I know what Spätzle is (kind of?). The pork was good, the Spätzle was good. It was overall oily and meaty. I did not eat the green beaners. 6/10

Azacca Matata beer:  Good, smells nice and fruity and basically tastes like an IPA. 7/10

Philly Special beer:  Good, hoppy and citrusy and basically tastes like an IPA. 8/10

Lunchbox Ale beer:  This was bright orange like Sunny D! It was good and sweet, not really that sour either. 7/10

Oktoberfest beer:  I only had a sample of this (which I appreciate that they give), but that was enough. It really does taste like bread, bread and malt. Bleh. 5/10

Bramble On beer:  This was good! I could really taste the blackberry (which is rare in a beer) and indeed, the lactose, too! It made me super red faced but not allergic I don't think. Lol. 7/10

Maracuja IPA beer:  This was good! I had to look up what maracuja is, and it's supposedly passionfruit, a brazilian word (so the "j" is a voiced palatal fricative). Didn't taste much fruitiness, although it was a canonical IPA that I liked so I guess it must have been fruity. Super frothy. Very good, solid, filling, beer-y beer. 7/10

Char-Grilled Ribeye Steak:  I'm not a huge steak girl, but this was excellent! I think it's like 1500 calories but shhh. It was so, so tender, juicy, a little fatty but didn't feel gross. Big meat but not absurdly so -- I ate it all and didn't feel mad ill. Came with a few asparagus (standard/good) and some very buttery mashed potatoes (also good). Was nice to eat the whole plate. A good, huge meal, but it's 30$ so a real splurger. 8/10

Guacamole and Warm Tortilla Chips: This is a really big portion for one person! The guac is plentiful, which is nice. Good solid guac, some chunky bits of tomato and onion which I like. Not super spicy, mostly avo flavor, but that's OK. Chips are just "eh", they must be home made because my batch had a bunch of soft wet with oil chips, which is not great. But I didn't finish it all anyway so that's fine! 6/10

Dad's Favorite Blonde beer:  This was good! Super foamy. A nice yellow color. Very low flavor, just like a mild lager. Dad must be boring AF. But it's alright, it's beer! And 0 allergy fears. 6/10

Little Red Wagon beer:  This was really good! Very strong strawberry scent and presumably taste, but I was sick so it seemed just like juice. Might even be too much strawberry but I couldn't get a good read on it. I enjoyed this a lot, and it's low alc (3.7% or so) so you don't get schwasted. 8/10

Char-Grilled N.Y. Strip Steak: This was a solid steak, not too fatty or anything. The BBQ side sauce was good for the fries which were themselves just eh, kinda cold and tasteless. I loved the spinach side, nice and moist. Overall very filling and I would have guessed not too fatty, but apparently it was like 1500 calories? Um, OK, I should have eaten an entire pie instead lol. 7/10

Hipster IPA beer:  This was great! I had two special mugs of it. It was a nice hoppy IPA, no weird lemongrass or coconut flavors or anything, just notes of citrus and hops. Solid. I guess I'm a hipster at heart! 8/10

Brambleberry beer:  Is this the same as the former "Bramble on"? It seems like it is! I enjoyed it but it did indeed make me super duper red faced, honestly not worth the post-drinking anxiety even though it's otherwise a mild fruity wheat beer. 6/10

 

Saturday Morningz beer:  The bartender at Ardmore IH told me about this one because I like sours, and I do like it! It's a pretty red color, and it's a nice tart pear/cranberry sour, more tart and less lactose than the Lil Red Wagon. A good way to change it up in my sour lane. 7/10

 

Voodoo Chicken Pizza:  A very solid pizza! I think there's no red sauce, just cheese and BBQ, which I do like. It could use more of the BBQ though, since the saucelessness does seem evident. There's plenty of bacon on here, which is wild, but tasty! A fatty and delicious food, ideal to eat just half of it. 7/10

 

Homestead beer:  This was a really nice wheat beer, mild orange flavors and no weird flavors or me-redness or anything. Cool and refreshing and enjoyable. I got this on a bad first date and didn't even get to finish the whole thing, which I am unduly mad about (especially since I paid the check). D'oh, I should have just stayed there solo to drink more! More! 7/10

 

Chicken Tinga-Dilla:  Heck yeah. I was waiting to get this for months, and the payoff was good! It's 4 solid dilla wedges, nothing amazing, just chicken (a lil spiced) and cheesers, but comes with guac, pico, and sour cream, all are great, and the size is just right to be satisfying but not distressing. Plus 6$ at Happy Hour is an amazing deal. 8/10

 

Bedotter beer:  This was awkward to order because IDK how to pronounce it! Apparently it's Flemish for "Trickster" because of the 9% alc but smooth and light finish. Worked on me, it was delicious (tasted like banana and a tiiiny hint of bubblegum aftertaste) and definitely got me happy-drunk. 1 mug is more than enough. 7/10

 

Bumblebee Hefeweizen beer:  This was supposed to be a fruity honey-y beer, but to me it mostly tasted like a tire. Oh well, I still drank it (but didn't enjoy it). 5/10

 

Overall
Cost: 4/10 (about 15-20 a meal)
Taste: 7/10

MOD pizza

I was so happy that a MOD finally opened near me!!! It's only natural to give pizza the chipotle/subway/saladworks treatment, and I'm so into it. Mine also has shakes, salads, and random quinoa bowls (and charcuterie plates), none of which contain nuts (some are may-contains though). What a beautiful thing. The prices are also fixed no matter so many toppings you add, like Qdoba, which is good for a girl like me who loves toppings but wants to get the cheapest option always. Anyway, it isn't Jimmy-Johns fast, but for a pizza it's pretty fast (about 5 minutes). The price is about 8 bucks, which is OK. They have a ton of veg options, though, plus seasonal things, plus garlic!! Plus shakes!! God is good.

I thought even though I love the custom life I should try some of the premades too, so here goes:

Dillon James: This has garlic, asiago, and tomatoes. I love garlic but I think I don't love asiago, and something in this bad boy tasted a little soapy?? Hopefully the asiago and not the tomatoes or crust, but further eating will reveal the truth. Anyway, not into it, boring and too much asiag. Garlic is amazing though. And the basil was just "there" -- maybe that's the soaper? Hmm. 5/10

Kane (winter seasonal): A spicy pizza! Mostly tasted like roni, hot pepper, and maybe a bit of onion. Overall I really enjoyed it, but I made sure to get it without gorgonzola, which I dislike. Pretty solid and not at all soapy! 7/10

Custom: I got a standard red/mozz base with garlic puree too (amazing) and the seasonal cauliflower (good) and kale (spinach is better) along with classic standbys mushroom (good, needs more!) and brocco (fine). A solid pizza, super good. 8/10

Jasper: I got extra garlic on this, yom. Otherwise it just has mushrooms (classic) and sausage (yum). Tastes like the pizza you think of when you think of pizza! Delicious. Maybe a little stomachachey though. 8/10

Peppermint milkshake: Is there anything better in this world? If you have a nut allergy you know how nice it is to have a dessert. This is white mint cream vanilla-y shake goodness with little candy-cane chips in it. It's refreshing and decadent! Also like 800 cals but shhh. 9/10

Failure to get Lucy Sunshine: Went today and it was super crowded and they assumed everyone wanted a custom and also they didn't give out the pizzas in order once they came out of the oven and my boyf who ordered after me got his like 20 minutes before me and it was bad. But the pizza (brocco, garlic, mushroom, artichoke) still tasted good once it was re-heated.


Isaac (summer seasonal): I took a picture! It looks so pretty, right? Unfortunately, this was super dry and dumb and disappointing. This is partially my fault, because I got it with no balsamic since that is a may-contain peanut topping for some reason. They did as I requested, but they also didn't put on the garlic, and the pizza is already red sauce and mozz-less, so there was like, literally nothing there. Just dough, tomato, basil, onion, little ricottas. All those ingredients were good (basil too, so I think I just hate asiago) but it was just too dry. Also the ricotta at Marg's is so so so so superior to this one, which is fine but just kind of there (Marg's is like, sweet!). So, sorry Mod, try again later! 4/10

Kevin (fall seasonal): I took another picture! Not so pretty, but that's because of a Modemployee error, and not the pizza itself -- they put gorgonzola on it!!! Eughh!!! That's not part of the pizza description and it's not part of my diet, either, because gorgonzola is gross as heck. I tried my best to eat this pizza anyway but I really couldn't get it down. Luckily I think I got a good enough idea about the rest of the pizza anyway -- it's super weird. There's no red sauce, instead the sauce is pumpkin sauce, which is basically exactly like pumpkin pie filling. So it's good but it doesn't go with a savory pizza, at least not in my book. The canadian bacon smelled like bacon but tasted like ham - it was OK but again didn't go with pumpkin. Arugula could not be tasted over the gorgo, and the Mama Lil's peppers were good as ever but didn't seem to go with the pumpkin either. So, sorry Kevin Bacon, I don't think I'll try this again, even if it doesn't have gross gorgo on it. 3/10 

Ruthie (winter seasonal): Drat, I didn't take a picture! I might possibly get this again sometime though, it was good. Basically a regular pizza with roni and jalepenos. There's also arugula and parmesan, but they didn't stand out at all, and Mike's Hot Honey, which I didn't really taste much either (but which didn't kill me!). I thought it was tasty like a good pizza, but it also gave me a wee stomachache and is like 900 cals. So don't get this if you're on the go (or on a diet)! 7/10

Fred (spring? seasonal): I liked this, even though it wasn't quite what I expected! It was canadian bacon (aka ham, was fine but didn't really even taste it much), big red onions (also fine I guess), roasted pineapple (really good, but it was super sweet and not roasted at all??) and BBQ swirl on top, with mozz and red sauce. I never had most of these ingredients before, so that was fun, and it was all plenty good. But the main flavor note was definitely BBQ sauce, and it was sweet and smokey and good and all, but if you're looking for PIZZA flavor and not BBQ CHICKEN FLATBREAD (rip kildys) flavor, then you might want to look elsewhere! 7/10

Diego (summer seasonal): It's a pandemic, y'all! But there's still a new variety of Mod Pizza to try, and I finally got my grubby, weary hands on it. There were no substitutions needed on this for allergy reasons (or even grossness reasons, although I was nervous about how much I would dislike feta)! This is a standard sauce + cheese, with additions of roasted corn, onions, feta, chorizo, and cilantro. The feta honestly wasn't bad, and as soon as I bit into this, I realised that it's basically mexican street corn in a pizza! I really liked it at first because I like street corn, and feta+mozz isn't super different from cotija cheese or whatever it is. There's a little bit diminishing returns on this, especially re-heated, and it's 1000 calories which is a lot more than most of the Mod pizzas. So I don't think I'd get this on the reg, but it was fun to try, unique, and better than I expected. 7/10 

 

Bella (winter seasonal): Welp, the MOD by my house shut down. Thanks a lot, Covid! But I still got to try this new seasonal offering in PA, and it was super exciting because instead of red sauce, it has "mushroom pesto", but there's no nuts in this pesto! Oh yeah! The toppings are mushrooms, spinach, snausage, and maybe some herbs or something. It was tasty, a very good pizza. 8/10

Dominic: Not spring yet, so without seasonal pies we return to the classic lineup. This one is a white pizza (no red sauce) with sausage and onion. I got it with broccoli added (they finally have broccoli again!) so maybe I didn't get the pure Dominic flavor, but I thought it was pretty good. No weird soapyness vibes from the basil or anything. It was pretty heartburny though, so watch out! I don't know if i really love the sausage, but it's only 680 cals so not bad at all. I'd try it again, even without lovely brocco. 7/10

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 8/10
Ethos: 10/10

Q says: The girl* was bad.

*The girl doesn't mean me, it means the employee.

Seasons Pizza

Seasons Pizza is the diner of pizza places. I mean they really have everything, and it's at an affordable price. They are also a chain with online ordering/delivery/takeout/eatin, which I appreciate. What I don't appreciate is their total lack of allergy info, and their lack of response to my emails and messages asking for any allergy info. So I've only ordered things that I'm fairly sure won't have any nuts, which is quite limiting. But if you want a cheap, so-so Italian takeout chain, this is the place for you. The interior of mine is pretty chill as well; my friend Marie likened it to a nightclub.

I ordered today a cheeseburger with a side of steamed broccoli (it was a 7.50 lunch combo), and this was adequate. The broc was actually the star, since it was moist and heavily seasoned with salt and garlic and herbs, but still fresh tasting. The burger was OK, standard thicker burger with lettuce and tomato and I loaded on the ketch. I ate it all and didn't vom, so that's a win! 6/10

Overall
Cost: 8/10
Taste: 6/10

Taverna

So, I freakin' love this place. If anyone asks for my favorite restaurant on Main Street in Newark, this is it. The only reason I don't go there often is that it's fairly nice, and so I'd feel weird going alone. To be honest, it's also pretty pricy (but I feel it is worth it). Anyway, I went last night after my dissertation defense (no big deal), and ordered the RICOTTA CAVATELLI which is some little dense noodle tubes with a cream sauce, some pulled pork, some little ricotta chunks, and onions. Kind of a weird mix but it was tasty as always (8/10) and also filling (gave me two meals!). To be fair, I also got the antipasto appetizer, which came with broccoli rabe, prosciutto, and mozzarella, plus some tiny bread toasts. It was tasty as always (8/10) but I mean,  it's meat and cheese. And then they always bring you bread and some tomato oil to dip, which is great as well. What a great place. I wish I had room/social bravery to get dessert!!

calamarata: these are thick noodle tubes with a cream tomato sauce, spinach, and chicken. it's OK (duh) but I don't actually love the sauce. I will try to remember to get something else next time, because it's a little bland. the plus side is that the portion is very large! 6/10

margarita pizza: I split this with my boyf, and he didn't like this! When I saw this, I didn't think I would either - it's mostly sauce, and not much cheese and hardly any basil. However, the thin crust is really good, and the sauce is remarkably unsweet - almost like tomato soup, but if you can push that down, the crust/sauce/cheese is all really nice. Not too exciting but solid good quality cheesey bread. The plating could use some work though, I admit. 7/10

coffee: standard coffee. They bring separate cream and sugar. It's nice. 6/10

Free Range Chicken "Saltimbocca": This is baller -- I think I've had veal saltimbocca before, but chicken is less controversial and they all taste like meat to me! It's a filling and delicious garliccy wet meat with pig and cheese on top. You gotta love it. I also was able to take some home, so it's definitely enough food but it doesn't look like a huge portion like some of the pastas do. I love Taverna! 8/10

mushroom pizza: I split this with a first date, and I don't know if they liked it! (me OR the pizza). I thought it was just OK. Definitely edible, but mostly oily cheese, which is fair enough but not really the pizza vibe I covet. Shoulda just pounded some meats, lol. 6/10

chicken pizza: This certainly looked pretty, but it turns out I still don't love goat cheese, which was very noticable. all the other components were good and it was still solid though. the leftovers at home drunk were even better! :D 7/10

Overall
Cost: 4/10
Taste: 8/10

Sinclair's Cafe

A hidden gem in Newark, except perhaps not that hidden because it's always packed whenever I wake up early enough to go. Anyway, there aren't many places to get breakfast during the week, so this is a much-needed spot. They have eggs, pancakes, french toast, etc, along with a few lunch sandwich options too. The coffee is good, the service is friendly, and overall I like it. They also rotate out their pancake/french toast flavors every week, which is fun. I got an omelette where you can pick your own cheese, meat, and 3 veg, and it was good. The meat and veg are just chopped into squares and stuck in there after cooking the egg, it seems like, which is kind of weird and chunky, but whatever, it tasted good. A weird option they have is to mix all the stuff together, but it costs an extra dollar, so I refuse. Anyway the omelette comes with wheat toast that looks nutty but isn't (and there's jam on the table, it's a party) and some home fries that have a unique curry-ish spice. I like them but it took some getting used to, and I think a lot of my friends don't like it.

Overall
Cost: 5/10 (about 8-10$ per meal)
Taste: 7/10

Roots Natural Kitchen

This place is fairly new to Newark, and it has just one other location (so far?) at the University of Virginia. They serve "bowls", which are basically rice or greens with different veggies, proteins, or add-ons like cheese or pita chips on top, plus a variety of dressings (or just a squeeze of lime or some oil or vinegar). They have a variety of premade options with quirky names, as many places do, but you can also create your own bowl, too. That's what I do, since they do have almonds, chickpeas, and a variety of beans, plus a pesto dressing. No serious peanut or other nut ingredients, though. Anyway, I like to get kale or spinach with brown rice and avocado, brocco, sweet potato, corn, and a squeeze of lime. Sometimes I add chicken as well. This is a really filling meal and it also is pretty healthy, so I appreciate that it's around! This place is also hoppin', so I'm guessing it'll stick around.

Overall
Cost: 6/10 (ranges from 6.75 for just veggie to 8.00+ for chicken)
Taste: 7/10


Q says: Jefe! [Editor's note: El Jefe is a popular premade option!]

Big Z Pizza

Here's a local pizza place that I'm pretty sure is not a chain, but perhaps with good reason. It's fairly new (maybe 3 years old now), but I'm not sure if the particular grungy vibe of this place can be chalked up to growing pains. It's a real small hole in the wall, not super tidy, but everything is quite cheap! They also have online deals and student deals that are worth a look. The pizza is solidly mediocre, but for the price, everything is OK. If you're not up to going out or you want a quick pizza pick-up (or perhaps delivery), this is a decent choice.

Italian Stromboli: This was decent; it's big but it only comes with the tiniest cup of marinara (although I'm sure you could ask for more). The inside is strips of deli ham, onions, peppers, and mozzarella. The crust is a little too crispy/big for me, but I think I need to accept that most strombolis around here are this way. Anyhow, this was fine. 6/10

Turkey Club Sandwich: Don't get this! It had the usual club fixings, but with a lot of warm mayonnaise and bad tasting turkey. To be clear, this is a cold sandwich. Probably the worst club sandwich I've experienced! 3/10

Overall
Cost: 7/10
Taste: 5/10

Jimmy John's

Even though all their chips (prepackaged) are made with peanut oil, I'm pretty sure the rest of their food is nut free. However, that doesn't mean you should be excited, because the rest of their food is also pretty mediocre. They have a line of subs "slims" which are literally just meat and bread. Do not get these. The rest are varyingly OK, but none are good. However, they are a little bit cheaper than subway, and very very fast. Often done with the sub right after you order. So that's a plus!

#5 Vito: Don't get this, it's so dry (yet still simultaneously soaked in oil and vinegar) and not satisfying, even though it has everything you'd expect from an italian sub. Somehow it is deficient. 4/10

#4 Turkey Tom: This fares a little better; the flavor is good and normal, though still not great. 6/10


Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 6/10

Q says: Bad food fast. The delivery driver was reading a book.

Qdoba

I guess I've been on a Mexican kick lately! Anyway, my roomie texted me a picture of their brisket ad (which had a dumb pun in it), so I decided to give their new brisket a try! Alas, the brisket was bad! It was a little sweet, a little dry, and super weird. The flavor just did not match any burrito type ingredients at all. However, they did give me a good amount! For 8.40 I got meat, rice, veg, guac, queso on the side, and 2 salsas. It was super filling, and apart from the weird brisket, pretty tasty too. Definitely better than Moe's (although the queso is yellow and not sweet sweet white), and if you're sick of that distinct Chipotle flavor, this is a nice alternative. I will definitely try another protein option here soon!

Drunken Yardbird Taco: Dunno what this name is a reference to, but I like that you can just get one single taco. This one had no lettuce (don't want e.coli) but it had guac and chicken and green salsa and weird parm-looking cheese and possible onions. It was OK, a little spicy, and I like trying new things. 6/10

Taco Salad: The shell for this is super buttery! It's basically a bowl but with extra shell. For the same price, you can't really say no. Taco salad all the way, baby. 8/10

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 7/10