The Ambler Feedstore - Guest Written by Duff

Today's post is a review provided by Duff.  Check out his musings at his personal blog.

(As a little background info, Ambler Feedstore is a restaurant in Ambler, PA.  They’re known for their “handcrafted burgers, sandwiches, salads & snacks.  They cater to many diets and allow certain substitutions.  You should definitely check out their website at amblerfeedstore.com.)

Today’s post is a review provided by Duff. 

This place is awesome!  The burgers are well-prepared but the combinations and toppings are the creative “spice” that puts this place on top.  I love the Greek fries with feta and tapenade.  Check for the special sandwiches.  I had a meatloaf sandwich that was glory in my taste buds.  The kid loves the piggy mac (mac’n’cheese with pulled pork BBQ). 

One drawback is the portion size.  You definitely get your money’s worth, but it is a lot of food and it is hard to put down.  If you do have the self-control, it does make for good leftovers.

The Village Tavern

Location: North Wales, PA
Date Visited: 1/22/10

The Village Tavern is a restaurant and bar located in North Wales, PA. Its appearances are deceiving, as it is much bigger inside than it looks from without. It has two bars, and in the summer the outside bar is a very popular place for happy hour. They offer a wide variety of foods, from your standard burger to comfort foods with a twist. They have several uncommon beers on tap to complement the full bar.

This is a family favorite, with us frequenting more often than most of our restaurant choices. The steak is wonderful, but so is pretty much any dish ordered. A particular favorite is the crab macaroni and cheese, with at least one person in the group getting it on most visits.

We have had times when every type of beer we first tried to order was out, and sometimes the second. It has becoming a kind of running joke in the family. Also, during this last visit, the service was very slow. Thankfully, the food was spectacular, but the wait was very long.

10 words or less: Great food for a decent price.

Bear Rock Cafe

Visit Date: 8/14/09
Location: Dekalb Pike, King of Prussia, PA

The Bear Rock Cafe is a relatively small cafe that is very similar to Panera Bread. The food was quite tasty and the menu has a good variety. I had a you-pick-two combination of half a sandwich and a baked potato. The potato was a nice change to the standard offerings, but I could have used a larger half sandwich. All of the dishes chosen by the group were pretty tasty. This isn't a place I have to go all the time, but it was a nice change.

10 words or less: Like Panera without the bakery.

Famous Dave's Barbecue

Date: 8/9/09
Location: Rte. 202, Wilmington, DE

Famous Dave's is a barbecue pit that has a wide variety of options on the menu, and even offers 5 varieties of barbecue sauce on every table.

Luckily, my husband and daughter had eaten there previously, so they were able to recommend various items to me. We agreed on the cheese potato chips for an appetizer. Prior to this arriving at our table, our waitress brought out a plate of homemade potato chips for us to sample the sauces. The cheesy chips were also homemade, with melted cheese and bacon on top.

My husband and I each got a combo platter. He got the catfish and brisket, while I got the brisket and pulled pork. Each came with two sides and corn on the cob. The cole slaw was quite tasty, but the garlic mashed potatoes were some of the best I ever had that I did not make myself. The pork was good, and my husband said the catfish was OK. The brisket, however, was the best I have ever tasted. It fell apart like pot roast, and was just as juicy. Then it was slathered in barbecue sauce, and the whole thing was simply delectable. Next time, I will probably get just a dinner of the brisket, rather than a combo platter.

I love barbecue pits, but this one surprised me with just how good it was, especially considering it is a chain. I will definitely have to go back, and I hope sooner rather than later.

10 words or less: Go for the brisket. It's sublime.

Tamarindo

Location: Broadaxe, PA
Dining Date: 7/3/09

Tamarindo is a BYOB Mexican restaurant located in Broadaxe. Now, when I think Mexican food, I typically think of tacos, burritos, and the like. This was much more upscale, and had a much smaller menu than most other Mexican restaurants. However, the food was so much better than any other Mexican restaurant I've ever frequented.

My friend and I both had steak meals. She had the filet, while I tried the skirt steak. Aside from hers being slightly overdone, they were both excellent. The dessert was very tasty as well. Thr establishment also provides margaritas free-of-charge, although they do not offer a non-alchoholic version.

Overall, I would definitely go here again. It was a little pricy for a Mexican restaurant, but well worth it based on the quality of the food.

10 words or less: Yummy upscale Mexican BYOB with free margaritas.

Lucky's Coffee Shop

Location: Wilmington, DE

We've been going to Lucky's since we first moved to the Wilmington area, and it is wonderful. At least some members of the family go about once a week. You get good food for a good price, and it's a fun atmosphere.We enjoy playing cards while we wait for our food, and often go after a nice workout. It's also got a good location along Rt. 202, which is the main shopping drag along the Delaware side of the border with Pennsylvania.

10 words or less: Check it out if you're in the area.

South Street Diner

Dining Date: 6/13/09

This is a diner located on South Street in Philadelphia. It is close to the end of South Street close to the river, which isn't nearly as crowded as the rest of the street. This was a great find when I was looking for a dinner location one night after a long day of work and a seriously delayed public transportation system. This diner has all you could want for VERY reasonable prices, and everything we have eaten there has been fantastic. Most meals also include sides and dessert, as well as sometimes salads. The cakes are marvelous. I have been to many diners, and this is definitely one of the better ones.

10 words or less: Check this place out.

Texas Roadhouse

Location: Montgomeryville, PA
Dining Date: 6/12/09

We went to this steakhouse for our standard Friday night dinner eating out. For being a Friday night and having a full parking lot, our wait was not outrageous, and we were seated within about 20 minutes of our arriving. To keep you occupied during your wait, they had large barrels of peanuts available that you could eat and leave the shells on the floor. The place was huge, much bigger than it looked from the outside. And yet, you are also given lots of room, so you don't feel like you're sitting on top of the next group. It was noisy, but typical of a steakhouse on a Friday night, and not overwhelmingly so so we could still converse. The temperature in the restaurant was also nice, where it was not too hot but not cold enough that you froze.

When you are seated, they bring you freshly baked rolls with cinnamon honey butter. The flavored butter was a very nice change from the standard. For a steakhouse, the menu had a large selection of items. Other members of my family really enjoyed the combo options, while I enjoyed the options for steaks. Unfortunately, I did not review vegetarian options, so I am unsure what is available on that front.

We started off with a Baby Cactus Blossom, which I was very disappointed in. I have had a lot of these type of appetizers, and this tasted very similar to one that I made at home. The batter was not seasoned enough, and the sauce needed less mustard and more horseradish. Many other restaurants have better. Next came the salads. Both the Caesar and the house salads were quite good, and the homemade dressings were very tasty. One item of note was that the house salad came with hard-boiled egg, which is quite unusual in my experience. The sirloin was fantastic, as was the pulled pork. The ribs fell right off the bone. The sides were very good, but the beans were very chili-like.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable experience, and we will probably frequent this restaurant again.

10 words or less: Very good, will go back.