Here is an old restaurant meme. If you want to play, here are the rules:
1. Link to name of person that tagged you.
2. Include state and country you live in.
3. List top 5 favorite local restaurants.
4. Tag 5 other people and let them know they've been tagged
I live in the East Valley area of Phoenix in Arizona.
Favorite Restaurants
1. Applebee's - They have an amazing all-you-can-eat lunch of soups/salads and they also have an amazing Happy Hour where some of their appetizers are half-off (including the Boneless Classic Wings, Spinach Dip, and Cheese Quesadillas are our faves). Their flavored lemonades are yummy and refills are free. They have several delicious desserts as well.
If you're on a diet, check out their "Under 550 calories" menu. But keep in mind that doesn't count fat. They're also kind enough to provide nutritional information for most of their menu items.
2. Boston's - Jared has struggled to find something he loves AND is reasonably priced. That must be why this restaurant also struggles to stay busy (means shorter wait for YOU). But I LOVE the Ultimate Pepperoni pizza. It has 3 types of pepperoni and the little square pepperoni makes the pizza! Also, their appetizer nachos are pretty dang tasty. Oh, it's on Gilbert and Warner if you want to check it out.
If you're on a diet, they have a few choices involving salmon or chicken with vegetables but I haven't tried them.
3. Cracker Barrel - I love breakfast, lunch and dinner, and this place has all three. It's a match made in heaven! Their chicken and dumplings are delicious. Jared loves their Eggs in a Basket. I love their carrots, hashbrown casserole, real maple syrup and pancakes, and much more.
If you're on a diet, they offer Egg Beaters, sugar-free syrup, and a low carb menu.
4. Cheesecake Factory - I don't get to eat at CF often, but I've found enough tasty items to return every chance I get. First item is the avocado egg rolls with dipping sauce. Those things are amazing! Second item I fell in love with was the Miso Salmon. It's buttery and sweet and served on a bed of rice. I couldn't finish the whole thing but I sure as heck tried! (Funny bit of trivia: We ran into the person who tagged me AT Cheesecake Factory on Valentine's Day and they invited us to sit with them and we had a lovely time.) Oh, I almost forgot the actual cheesecake. I have found the best cheesecake is actually the 30th Anniversary cheesecake (have your chocolate cake and eat it too - in the middle of cheesecake layers) and next time I'll go I'll try the Red Velvet Cheesecake since I've heard rave reviews on it.
If you're on a diet, don't go here. They have "Weight Management Salads" but they're still extremely high in fat.
5. Paradise Bakery - I am a frequent diner of this place. I love their Tomato Basil soup, their Cranberry Turkey sandwich, their Asian Chicken salad, and their Chopped BBQ Chicken salad. Their oatmeal chocolate chippers are super-addicting. For breakfast, the pumpkin or zucchini muffins are perfect for nut-lovers (like me :) and their chocolate croissant is dark and rich and delicious. They also have Caffeine-Free Diet Coke. And I won't neglect their cookies - Ginger Molasses, Coconut Chocolate Chip, Sugar cookies with sprinkles. You can't go wrong.
If you're on a diet, their Yogurt Parfait doesn't taste like a diet food but it's low in fat and has yummy homemade granola. They also have their Summer Berry Salad that has fruit and poppyseed dressing on a bed of lettuce. It's yummy and low fat. I love that they have nutritional information posted for most items.
Honorable Mention:
6. Logan's Roadhouse - They have great deals for 2 adult meals on Monday-Wednesday (cheap kids meals those days too). Their sirloin is really good. So is their Santa Fe Tilapia. Their yeast rolls are melt-in-your-mouth-good. This is a place I frequent much more than Cracker Barrel (too far) or Cheesecake Factory (too expensive), so I had to include it.
These are all chains. The only actual local restaurants that come to mind are:
Giant Hamburgers (AMAZING hamburgers, giant too, but not diet-friendly)
and
Gecko Grill (try the chicken quesadilla grande, green salsa, bean dip, BBQ beef sandwich, or green sauce enchiladas).
Anyways, I tag:
Matt Peterson (he writes for a living so this should be good...)
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