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

Fast Casual: Fudruckers

Fudruckers is one of my favorite places to eat even though I am vegetarian and I can only eat one thing, their veggie burger. I love the fact they have a create your own burger bar where you can put pretty much any topping/ or ingredients you can put on a burger. The staff at this particular establishment is always happy and friendly as they greet you every time you walk in within 5 seconds, even if they are with another customer. I do think it is a little overpriced for a fast casual restaurant. The decor of the restaurant is not my favorite but I understand the history behind it. It was very clean though, except for the drink station, as it needed to be restocked every time I went up to get a refill. I do still enjoy eating here because of the quality of the food and the different choices I have to put on the burger. I would just prefer to get my food to go, as I am not a big fan of the atmosphere when dining in.

Fast Casual Rank: #2

-Nikit Bhatt, Senior

Fast Casual: Mcalister's Deli

I visited McAlister’s after the lunch rush hour close to 2 pm.  When the server was taking my order, he didn’t smile or look at me at all. He doesn’t look pleasant and he seems like he hates his job. He even mumbled when he was talking to me. However, when I order the soup, he knows the different options for soup of the day. He handed the drink to me right after I ordered. During my dining time, servers delivered the food and maintain the cleanliness. The food was great with proper temperature. However, I was really disappointed by the service. 

Fast Casual Rank: #3

-Emily Chen, Senior

Fast Casual: Cafe Express

 

 

I decided on Cafe Express only because whenever I use Yelp, it takes about an hour for me to decide on a place to eat and I chose it since it was nearby on West Grey. I haven't been to one of these places in quite a few years, the last time in the Museum, so only a few things were familiar to me. I was greeted by the manager who at the time was taking orders so I was going back and forth between the two identical menus right next to each other even though there was only one register. I ordered the spicy Italian pasta which I thought was OK but I tried to dress it up with their mega condiment bar which didn't make it anymore spectacular. Luckily I received a coupon for a free meal that I can start using now so it wasn't too big of a loss for me. Now I can decide between breakfast, apps, sides, sandwiches, pasta, burgers or I guess salad. No, I wouldn't waste a free meal on salad. I thought this location could have vacuumed and swept a bit more but I suppose if one is actually looking for things to analyze, then the cleanliness of the floor would be more noticeable but in general, the restaurant was clean and bussed in a reasonable time. Dinnerware was a mix of paper, ceramic and cheap metal. Employees wore blue T's, black hats and black pants. Unless I get something really amazing with my free meal, I won't be a frequent guest at Cafe Express. Nothing against them but...meh.

  Fast Casual Rank: #4

-Terry Chung, Senior

Fast Casual: Jason's Deli

For a fast casual experience, I took a trip to Jason’s Deli. I wasn’t greeted immediately, but soon after when the cashier came to the register.  He seemed to be knowledgeable about the menu when I asked him about the manager’s special. He was friendly and we carried a pleasant conversation. I feel like this type of employee that makes relationships with guests is more common at a fast casual restaurant than a quick service restaurant and gets more common the more upscale the style.  My order was hot, correct and arrived at my table in around five minutes. Jason’s Deli’s menu is appropriate for the fast casual style because it serves many items that are not made in store but also has much more selection than a fast food style restaurant. The décor is designed to be welcoming with warm colors and casual wall decorations. The glassware, flatware, and dinnerware are a clear upgrade from quick service.

Fast Casual Rank: #1

-Kadie Fields, Junior

Quick Service: Popeyes

Originally I went to Chick-fil-a for my fast food assessment but I ended up losing the reciept. Luckily for me, I eat multiple times a week so I decided to go to Popeyes which the closest one from me was in the Heights. Upon reaching this location, I noticed that it was slightly different than typical franchise locations because the restrooms were located outside, parking was in the back, the dining room was much smaller and there was outdoor seating. I was only the second customer inside and once I got up to order, the little lady was already putting the chicken into the box as I ordered along with the sides. This in comparison to visits to other Popeyes was amazing to me since those visits consisted of waiting 5 to 20 minutes just for someone to put chicken in a box. Whether this girl broke SOP or not did not matter to me because that was literally the fastest I've gotten my meal ever at any Popeyes. But just from my deduction skills, I could tell that most oftheir business came from drive-through orders since most of the half dozen employees were goofing around in the back and the manager was just eating chicken in plain sight. The menu was generally chicken, chicken, and more chicken plus their signature sides plus Coke products and sweet tea. All their decor and supplies were standard things you would find at any fast food restaurants ie paper and plastic everything with Popeyes logos plus Popeyes window decals and table tents. The employee uniforms were basic blue T's with red and yellow trim, blue visors and black pants, of course adorned with the Popeyes brand.

  Quick Service Rank: #2

-Terry Chung, Senior