Quick Service: Taco Bell

I had the chance to get a bite to eat at my favorite quick service/fast food restaurant, Taco Bell. This experience was not the best as it had many flaws. I started off ordering my Mexican Pizza (with no meat) and the cashier didn't seem to have much knowledge on the POS system for modifications.  I am a very difficult person at times when eating out since I am a vegetarian and have many substitutions, especially at fast food restaurants. So I finally got my order through and we waited for over 12 minutes for our food to be ready. They didn't seem to be busy as there were about 8 people total in the restaurant at the time. It was in the evening time as well so it wasn't like it was a slow time of the day as they had plenty of employees in the kitchen. Kitchen seemed to be very clean though and the restaurant was well stocked and clean as well.

I usually do not have experiences like this at my favorite place, but I chose to go to a different Taco Bell than I usually grab food from so I guess the management style and sense of urgency were very different from the other  Taco Bell establishments I went too. The food was awesome, as usual though. This will not stop me from going to Taco Bell but it will make me think twice about dining in this specific location next time I am a hungry Vegetarian looking for something to eat.

Quick Service Rank: #4

-Nikit Bhatt, Senior

Quick Service: Whataburger

I had a pretty standard fast food experience at Whataburger. Ideally the employees of a fast food restaurant would be knowledgeable of the menu (there is not much to it). However, the cashier had to look at the menu to answer a question about what came on a burger. The employees should also be friendly and welcoming. The cashier seemed to be ready to go home and was just going through the motions with minimal smiling and customer interaction.  This employee is an example of an employee I am very used to seeing at a fast food restaurant but I know more is expected from them. As far as timeliness, my experience was what I am used to for a Whataburger but most likely below the standard for most fast food. My food was not out until 6 minutes after I had ordered. The plus side is that they bring your food to your table.  The food is served on the standard try with the standard fast food wrapper and the drinks are in the standard fast food cup. 

Whataburger’s atmosphere is family style with plants and comfortable booths. It is a place to go after a high school football game or little league practice.  Some unique touches that set Whataburger apart from most other fast food places is the attention guests with the condiments being taken to the guests and refills being taken care of to allow the guest to remain seated.Overall, It was a mediocre experience for me at this Whataburger but I never expected this type of establishment to impress me by going above and beyond. 

Quick Service Rank: #3

- Kadie Fields, Junior

Casual Table Service: Olive Garden

The level of service I received is really what sets casual table service restaurant style apart. My server at Olive Garden was friendly and very knowledgeable about the menu. She wore a button down dress shirt with slacks as opposed to the polo and jeans that would be worn at quick service and fast casual. The food quality was good but I have to sacrifice time for the quality. It took about 4 minutes for appetizers and about 9 for the entree.  Olive Garden creates the restaurant to take the guests on a trip to Italy; from the stone outside to the colors and decorations inside. There is not a huge difference in the glasses, dinnerware and flatware from fast casual to casual table service. Olive Garden uses cloth napkins and some tables have a table cloth. The menu includes more variety and is set up in a way to encourage the guest to have multiple courses. 

-Kadie Fields, Junior

Casual Table Service: BJ's Brewhouse

I had the chance to go to BJ's and the service was actually one of the bests I've had since I started going here for the passed couple years. We were greeted very promptly and introduced to new seasonal craft beers they had for specials and also an entree special. The server seemed to be very knowledgable with menu and drink items. After being seated right away our order was delievered to our table very promptly. The decor of the restaruant was nothing special, but very casual, and the lighting was very relaxing. There are TV's everywhere and sports on everywhere so guests can watch their favorite games. The staff is very nice about changing the channel to a guests prefrence if they ask. Some restaurants are rude about that, but not this one. This BJ's is very close to my house so there's not much they can do to stop me from eating here as I think the quality of food for a casual restaurant is well above average.

-Nikit Bhatt, Senior

Upscale Casual: Yard House

For my upscale casual experience I decided to go to one of my favorite restaurants, Yardhouse in City Centre. I went during a peak hour in the middle of evening rush on a Saturday night but the hostess said the wait will be 30 min which is not long if you have been here on a weekend at any time. We actually got sat ten minutes earlier than said so that was a good start. Rarely do I have bad servers when I come here and this time was mediocre at best. The server did greet us within couple minutes but never introduced her name or specials they had going on. I did give the benefit of the doubt as I could tell she was fairly new and it was pretty busy. We received our food in a normal amount of time though and quality of the food was outstanding as usual. I love this place because of the tons of options they have to offer. The decor is very relaxing and laid back, nothing to loud or special. I don't think anything can stop me from going to this restaurant regularly whenever I get the chance.

Upscale Casual Rank: #2

-Nikit Bhatt, Senior

Upscale Casual: Pappadeaux

At an upscale casual restaurant everything is expected to be on a whole other level. From the service to the décor, I had a great upscale casual experience at Pappadeaux. My server demonstrated that he was very well knowledgeable about the menu when he detailed my appetizer and an entree I was considering ordering. He was also extremely friendly and outgoing. I did expect to wait longer than at a fast food restaurant or a fast casual restaurant but my entrée was out faster than at Olive Garden. It was also very nicely presented and a higher quality food. The décor is where I most notice the niceness of this restaurant. The flooring, furniture, upholstery and lighting are of a high quality at Pappadeaux. I will definitely return to this Pappadeaux sooner or later.

Upscale Casual Rank: #1

-Kadie Fields, Junior

Upscale Casual: Bonefish Grill

I visited Bonefish during the dinner period. The host led us to the seats right away. We waited about 2-3 minutes for our server to greet us.  Our server was smiling to greet us. He is very knowledgeable about the menu. He took about 5 minutes to go through the menu and told us about his favorite entrée or popular entrée in each section. He was really passionate about what he does. We waited about 2-3 minutes for our beverage and wine. The server poured the wine professionally.  We got our appetizer about 9 minutes. However, it took a long time for us to receive our entrée. Our server apologized to us that the entrée took so long. The appetizer and entrée was delicious! When the server refilled my beverage, he directly poured to my glass and it splashed to my assessment. The server didn’t apologize or even notice. When I had a chance to talk to the manager, he didn’t apologize or want to change the way they refill the beverage.  I was a little disappointed. The servers were all wearing chef coat which is very different from other restaurants. Servers also have portable mini computers that they can send the order direct to the kitchen and accept payments from customers. The overall dining experience was really good, but there are minor things that I think Bonefish can improve.   

Upscale Casual Rank: #3

-Emily Chen, Senior

Upscale Casual: Osaka Hibachi

 

Osaka happened to be my second choice after my free meal at McCormick and Schmick's for my free Veterans Day meal; however, after getting a free meal, one doesn't tend to remember to get a reciept before leaving. So Osaka drew me in because of their decent lunch sushi special but nothing really incredible. The absolute best sushi I've had was at a gas station just going into downtown but since a change of management, sushi is no more as well as good Chinese food. But anyways, Osaka located in the Gulfgate shopping area in the same strip as Boudreaux's is a decent place to go if you don't want to go across the freeway to the nightclub called V Star. I ordered directly from the lunch menu so options were limited even though I skimmed the main menu. I decided to get the sushi combo because that's what people should do when going to a sushi place. Employees dressed in all black long sleeves plus whatever color tie they chose to wear. The only thing paper I used was a napkin and it was plastic, ceramic or metal everything else.

Upscale Casual Rank: #4

-Terry Chung, Senior

Quick Service: Chick-fil-A

I visited Chick-Fil-A at 2 pm. All the staff welcomed me as soon as I walked in to the restaurant. They took my order right away since there wasn’t anyone waiting in line. The training manager was the one who took my order. He was really polite and repeated my order to make sure it was correct. I got my drink right after he put in my order. They took less than 2 minutes to hand me my food. The food was delicious with the right temperature. During my dining time, the staff walked around the restaurant and picked up trash. The staff also talked to different customers to make sure they have anything they needed. I am really surprised that the Chick-Fil-A has such great service and a clean environment. 

Quick Service Rank: #1

-Emily Chen, Senior