battle of the burgers...

in my town there are very few places to eat. unless of course you are partial to mexican or enjoy ordering through a loud speaker. recently we had two new restaurants open and of course everyone in town wants to try them. my ratchets and i have tried them both so i thought i would do a restaurant review.

 

 

restaurant #1: the blazing onion.  i'm not sure how far this franchise reaches across the united states and frankly i'm too lazy to look into it, but if you have one close to you and haven't eaten there yet, i say go, they have really good food for a burger joint.  however i have some major issues with the atmosphere of this establishment, especially since this is a "sit down" place.  from the moment you walk in, there is something different about this place. 

 

first of all you order from a kiosk.  there is a human standing at a slanted podium that you awkwardly sign your receipt on.  oh at this time you are supposed to include your tip for your "service" although you haven't experienced the service yet, but there is a giant sign that explains what you are tipping for.  i didn't read it.  the human hands you some cups and a number, then you find yourself a table.  you get your own beverages at a beverage station, unless it is alcohol then it gets delivered.  at the tables there are these touch screen computers that take up a lot of room.  this computer is for anything extra you have forgotten; ranch, more napkins, an additional burger, more fries, whatever.  the only human you have interacted with up until this point is the kiosk dude who took your order. 

 

all around the restaurant, if you want to call it that, i felt like i was helping myself in a glorified fast food joint, are giant screened tvs.  we counted almost 30.  they are hung back to back and surround you at every angle.  there were at least 5 different sporting events happening.  i noticed in the general dining area that the families, out to share a meal, were all looking at a different television, nobody was talking to each other.  i have a ginormous problem with this, the family dinner is a time to come together, not space out watching tv eating mindlessly.

 

then the food comes.  our "server" delivered our food and walked away.  i can't even recall if it was a male or female.  this human, at least i am assuming it is a human, i suppose it could've been a droid, never asked if we needed anything or made an attempt to interact with us at all. 

 

eating out should be an experience.  an opportunity to interact with humans you normally wouldn't.  in my opinion, this is not a place that encourages families to share a moment together.  this is a place where you can sit with each other, all get a sports fix, and eat a good burger.  i will say the burgers are really good, the price is reasonable, and the fries are fantastic. 

 

in case you were wondering, i didn't tip.  to all you waitstaff personnel who are probably screaming at me in your heads, i'm sorry.  but i think it is crazy to tip for service when there isn't anyone serving you.  yes someone else cooked my food (i hope he spit in it before it was cooked so at least the major germs were seared away), and yes someone delivered it to my table and i suppose someone cleans it up, but in my opinion that wasn't enough. 

 

 

 



restaurant #2: the ram.  again i have no idea how far this franchise reaches and i'm still too lazy to research it, but if you have near you and haven't gone, i say go.   this restaurant is the same type of set up; family dining, bar and a slew of burgers.  i instantly had a different reaction to the atmosphere of this establishment.

there was someone at the door, who opened it and greeted you.  now i'm not such a primadonna that i expect doors to be opened and a red carpet to roll out, and i would hate to be the door opener, but it is nice to be welcomed.  there was a traditional hostess and she escorted us to a cushy table.  our waitress ashley was quick to come to our table, introduce herself and ask how our days were.  the kids wanted chocolate shakes and she showed them a different shake (at no additional cost) that she thought they would like better, the dirt cup shake. 

this establishment is a dining experience.  the entire staff interacted with us; bussers, management, our server and others.  yes there were big tv's in the dining area, but there weren't as many and when i looked at other tables the humans were talking to each other instead of zoning out at a screen.  the price was about the same, but the service was ten times better. 

my complaint, the fries stunk.  i should say i'm not really a fry person, but when i do eat them i like them well done and seasoned.  these fries were soggy and naked, not a stitch of seasoning to be seen.  this strikes me as odd, because a waffle shaped fry lends itself to capture all the seasoning yumminess i'm surprised the chef hasn't capitalized on this.  anyway, these just weren't my favorite fries.

so there you go.  my official review of the two places.  i think they both have equally good food, but the atmospheres are very different.  i suppose depending on whether you enjoy your families company could predict which place you go to.  if you are sick of them and don't want to talk and just pack your face go to the blazing onion, however if you want to sit back, chat and eat go to the ram.