I'm back, babeh! After a long, soul-searching hiatus (read: getting lazy, running out of money, & generally upholding the "Student" part of the title), The Hungry Student has returned.
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As the Month of Jones draws to a close, I would like to indulge you in a special bonus review. These little mini-reviews are designed to cover certain culinary offerings too small to warrant a full-scale critique, but which I feel still deserve the Hungry Student's attention. This time, I visit Boko's Shake Shack.
Opened during the Fall 2011 semester, Boko's Shake Shack is the latest addition to the Jones Hall repertoire, offerings students sweet, creamy treats & lines longer & slower than the Starplex on a Friday night. The lines are now gone thanks to some wise restructuring, but are the treats still creamy & just as sweet? I'll give you the scoop, not blend the good with the bad, & try to shake things up around here.
Okay, no more ice cream puns. Down that rocky road, madness ripples.
Okay, seriously, enough.
Convenience remains the same as on the previous review (the Coup de Licious) since I visited BSS on the same occasion. So that score remains a C.
The service at Boko's was absolutely excellent. Even with an irritating friend pestering her about handing out free brownies, the girl working the counter remained a model employee: friendly, witty, but swift & professional, filling my order as quickly as possible while still being able to leave me walking away with a smile. So for service, I award BSS a score of A.
Unfortunately, that happiness was somewhat short-lived, as a nasty shock awaited me at the register, and at our next category: value. For this post-chicken treat, I had ordered one of the most basic items on Boko's' menu: a chocolate shake. Had I taken such an option, this would even have been covered by the university's meal trade program. As it is though, I was paying by bank card.
So, a chocolate shake. That can't be too pricey, right? I mean, it's not like I'm getting a full 2-course meal & drink here, right? How much could a measly little shake cost? $1? $2? $3 if it's a large size? Nope. You're wrong. For a 21oz. chocolate shake with no fixin's or nothing, it cost me $4.32. Now, I'm sorry, but that is patently absurd. Though I haven't yet checked, I would be willing to wager the difference that I can get a large shake from the Jack in the Box at the bottom of the hill for maybe half this cost. Perhaps there are other factors that drive the price here up, I don't know. But from what I know of the situation now, that price is ridiculous. And thus, for the first time ever on The Hungry Student, Boko's scores a value score of F.
So okay, it's way overpriced. But is it any good? Why yes, it is. While it may not have been the most spectacular choco-shake I've ever had (& certainly weren't worth no $4.32), it was still a most enjoyable dessert, a fine way to follow up a surprisingly good (if totally forgettable) meal. The thick, well-blended ice cream slides down the drinker's throat in a cool, refreshing morass, leaving behind a wonderful chocolatey taste that will leave you saying "Mmm!" for hours afterward. So for food quality, I give BSS a score of A.
Before I get to the final verdict, there is one important thing worth noting. Because the Styrofoam cups used by Boko's are of a non-standard size, Jones Hall does not currently stock lids that are large enough to cover them. So if you intend to take your shake to-go, you may want to drink a bit of it down first, as the creamy mixologists tend to fill the cups right up to the brim, and be extra careful as you wander to your next class/study session/office hours/conversation with your pals right in the middle of freaking traffic. Seriously people, just take two steps to the side so everyone else can pass & stop annoying us all with your self-centered blindness.
Aaanyway, time for the final verdicts:
Convenience: C. See Coup de Licious review.
Service: A. Countergirl on this occasion was a star, mixing me up the perfect choco-shake & sending me away with a smile.
Value: F. $4.32 for a freaking shake, without even any whipped cream or anything?! Really?!
Food: A. Oooh, so good.
So, is Boko's Shake Shack worth visiting? Absolutely yes! This sort of thing is exactly what our university has needed: a place to grab a quick ice cream treat (that wasn't made by Blue Bell or Hagan-Daas) for a low price. And while they still don't have the second bit down, the first bit is reason enough to give them a final grade of B.
So, what would I recommend to boost this place to full A-grade status? LOWER THE FREAKING PRICES!!! Or, at the very least, add a little something to your shakes to actually make them worth what you're charging, maybe some whipped cream, some chocolate sprinkles, maybe some nuts & a cherry on top. Just something more than a bunch of mixed up chocolate & milk in a plain Styrofoam cup.
That's all for this time. Tune in tomorrow when the Hungry Student takes on Gumby's Pizza Buffet. Until then, this is has been The Hungry Student bidding you to take care & keep eating.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Week 2 - Jones Hall - Coupe De Licious
Fee fai fou fum! The Hungry Student has finally come! As always, I am sorry for the delay. I would also like to announce that henceforth, all reviews will be posted on Fridays.
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The Month of Jones continues. Last week, I visited the Route 90 Grill, with... let's put it nicely, lackluster results. So can the Coupe De Licious Chicken Joint improve on Jones' unfortunate first impression? In a word: Kinda. What say we just jump in, eh?
Last week, I tried getting to Jones by the most direct route, by hiking up the hill & through the Alkek parking garage. This was not the best option, leaving me exhausted. This week, I decided to try Option #2: Catching the Campus Loop bus from the namesake station. This was a considerable improvement, turning what was an arduous slog into a comfortably seated, air conditioned ride. Unfortunately, it should also be noted that while this route was by far the most comfortable & least tiring so far, it also took about 15 minutes to get from the Campus Loop to Jones, a journey that could have been done in roughly 6 minutes via the hill climb. Thus, for Convenience, the Campus Loop bus route to Jones earns a score of C.
Okay, not a great start, but we're already up on the previous review. So what's next? Service... Oh dear.
Here, we have another bout of misfortune. Upon my arrival, I found that there was no fried chicken left, nor any mashed potatoes. The only remaining options were baked chicken, black beans, rice, and a substance that I can only describe as "orange chicken-y gloop". "Alright, fine," thought I, "Baked chicken is fine. And I guess I can get some rice with it & it'll be fine." Unfortunately, the Hispanic lady manning the counter had a very quiet voice and evidently couldn't understand my attempts at communication. And thus, guess what I got for my side dish? If you guessed "the orange chicken-y gloop", you win the grand prize! For this breakdown in communication, Coupe De Licious earns a disappointing Service score of D.
As for value, this also took me surprise. At just $6.24, this is by far the best value that I have ever come across. Thus, Coupe De Licious earns a remarkable Value score of A+.
But what of the food? I must admit, I had my doubts at first glance. But once again, I was pleasantly surprised. To clarify things for later, my meal consisted thusly:
1x Baked chicken leg
1x Serving of "orange chicken-y gloop"
1x Dinner roll
1x 21oz. Coca-Cola
To start with, the chicken itself was something of a surprise. Past experience has taught me that food court chicken can go one of two ways: Either dry & inedible or greasy & messy. I am pleased to say, however, that the chicken was cooked very well, although it did lean a bit toward the greasy side. The chicken was juicy & quite flavorful, although I did feel like I needed to wash my hands & face from all of the grease that came off of it. Still, it was quite good.
Then I came to the "orange chicken-y gloop". For those of you who are wondering what I'm on about when I keep mentioning this dish, allow me to try to describe it. Imagine if you will a pile, almost a blob, of melted cheese and other unknown substances, with bits of shredded chicken mixed into it. That is basically "orange chicken-y gloop". I must admit, at first, I didn't want to eat it. It looked like the sort of thing that one might be served in a high school cafeteria, the sort of thing that's labelled "mystery meat" or something like that. But, for the sake of you, my dear readers, I bit the bullet, stiffened my upper lip, and shoveled a fork-full into my mouth. To my surprise, it was actually quite good. In addition to the flavors of the chicken & queso-like cheese, there was also a distinct, Mexican spice to the dish, as if this were actually chicken bits mixed into a thickened queso.
The roll was just a roll. Nothing really special about it, even by bread standards. If anything, it was rather stale.
The coke too was nothing really special. I must admit though that the sweet taste did compliment the spice of the meal quite nicely.
All things considered, the food wasn't bad. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad. So all things considered, I'd be willing to give the Food a generous score of B.
Oh look! It's wrap-up time!
Convenience: C. It's certainly easier than climbing up the hill, but if you're pressed for time before your next class, probably not the best option.
Service: D. I'm sorry to have to say this, but we live in an English-speaking nation. If you intend to gain employment in this country, especially in public service, make sure you're fluent in our national language. Otherwise, you may end up serving an unwitting customer some "orange chicken-y gloop".
Value: A+. At $6.24, this is by far the cheapest meal I've seen anywhere on campus. Even off campus, I can only think of two places that could possible beat it, both of which will be getting reviewed later in the season.
Food: B. I was surprised at how good the food was. While I've certainly had better chicken elsewhere, this still made for a very satisfying meal.
Wow. We actually got a score of pretty muck every level this time. This did make calculating the final grade rather tricky, but after much thought & consideration, I hereby give the Coupe De Licious Chicken Joint a final grade of B.
And with that, I bid you a bientot. Until next time, this is The Hungry Student signing off.
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The Month of Jones continues. Last week, I visited the Route 90 Grill, with... let's put it nicely, lackluster results. So can the Coupe De Licious Chicken Joint improve on Jones' unfortunate first impression? In a word: Kinda. What say we just jump in, eh?
Last week, I tried getting to Jones by the most direct route, by hiking up the hill & through the Alkek parking garage. This was not the best option, leaving me exhausted. This week, I decided to try Option #2: Catching the Campus Loop bus from the namesake station. This was a considerable improvement, turning what was an arduous slog into a comfortably seated, air conditioned ride. Unfortunately, it should also be noted that while this route was by far the most comfortable & least tiring so far, it also took about 15 minutes to get from the Campus Loop to Jones, a journey that could have been done in roughly 6 minutes via the hill climb. Thus, for Convenience, the Campus Loop bus route to Jones earns a score of C.
Okay, not a great start, but we're already up on the previous review. So what's next? Service... Oh dear.
Here, we have another bout of misfortune. Upon my arrival, I found that there was no fried chicken left, nor any mashed potatoes. The only remaining options were baked chicken, black beans, rice, and a substance that I can only describe as "orange chicken-y gloop". "Alright, fine," thought I, "Baked chicken is fine. And I guess I can get some rice with it & it'll be fine." Unfortunately, the Hispanic lady manning the counter had a very quiet voice and evidently couldn't understand my attempts at communication. And thus, guess what I got for my side dish? If you guessed "the orange chicken-y gloop", you win the grand prize! For this breakdown in communication, Coupe De Licious earns a disappointing Service score of D.
As for value, this also took me surprise. At just $6.24, this is by far the best value that I have ever come across. Thus, Coupe De Licious earns a remarkable Value score of A+.
But what of the food? I must admit, I had my doubts at first glance. But once again, I was pleasantly surprised. To clarify things for later, my meal consisted thusly:
1x Baked chicken leg
1x Serving of "orange chicken-y gloop"
1x Dinner roll
1x 21oz. Coca-Cola
To start with, the chicken itself was something of a surprise. Past experience has taught me that food court chicken can go one of two ways: Either dry & inedible or greasy & messy. I am pleased to say, however, that the chicken was cooked very well, although it did lean a bit toward the greasy side. The chicken was juicy & quite flavorful, although I did feel like I needed to wash my hands & face from all of the grease that came off of it. Still, it was quite good.
Then I came to the "orange chicken-y gloop". For those of you who are wondering what I'm on about when I keep mentioning this dish, allow me to try to describe it. Imagine if you will a pile, almost a blob, of melted cheese and other unknown substances, with bits of shredded chicken mixed into it. That is basically "orange chicken-y gloop". I must admit, at first, I didn't want to eat it. It looked like the sort of thing that one might be served in a high school cafeteria, the sort of thing that's labelled "mystery meat" or something like that. But, for the sake of you, my dear readers, I bit the bullet, stiffened my upper lip, and shoveled a fork-full into my mouth. To my surprise, it was actually quite good. In addition to the flavors of the chicken & queso-like cheese, there was also a distinct, Mexican spice to the dish, as if this were actually chicken bits mixed into a thickened queso.
The roll was just a roll. Nothing really special about it, even by bread standards. If anything, it was rather stale.
The coke too was nothing really special. I must admit though that the sweet taste did compliment the spice of the meal quite nicely.
All things considered, the food wasn't bad. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad. So all things considered, I'd be willing to give the Food a generous score of B.
Oh look! It's wrap-up time!
Convenience: C. It's certainly easier than climbing up the hill, but if you're pressed for time before your next class, probably not the best option.
Service: D. I'm sorry to have to say this, but we live in an English-speaking nation. If you intend to gain employment in this country, especially in public service, make sure you're fluent in our national language. Otherwise, you may end up serving an unwitting customer some "orange chicken-y gloop".
Value: A+. At $6.24, this is by far the cheapest meal I've seen anywhere on campus. Even off campus, I can only think of two places that could possible beat it, both of which will be getting reviewed later in the season.
Food: B. I was surprised at how good the food was. While I've certainly had better chicken elsewhere, this still made for a very satisfying meal.
Wow. We actually got a score of pretty muck every level this time. This did make calculating the final grade rather tricky, but after much thought & consideration, I hereby give the Coupe De Licious Chicken Joint a final grade of B.
And with that, I bid you a bientot. Until next time, this is The Hungry Student signing off.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Week 2 Special - Dos Gatos Kolache Bakery
Greetings once more, my fellow culinauts. The Hungry Student returns with another review. My apologies for the delay of this one. There is a bit of a story behind it, which shall be explained in time.
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For some years, Dos Gatos Kolache Bakery has held a unique place in the TSU community, offering its tasty pastry treats to hungry students with a mind to descend from Campus Hill. I myself have favored this small shop with many a happy visit. But will this popular off-campus attraction hold up to the Hungry Student's scrutiny? Let's dig in & find out.
As far as distance from campus goes, it doesn't get much better than this. Located across Sessoms Drive, behind the Music Building, it is only a roughly 3-minute walk from Flowers Hall, down a fairly gentle slope. The only part of this trip that could even be called "difficult" is getting through the crowds of students waiting for the Bobcat Stadium or Campus Loop buses and waiting for the crosswalk signal at Sessoms. With such supreme ease of egress, I give Dos Gatos a Convenience score of A.
But what of the service? Well, to fully explain this factor, I must tell a little story, which will also explain why this review has been so delayed.
As you know, I originally scheduled these reviews to be made on Wednesdays & Fridays, with Fridays focusing on off-campus eateries. To this end, I tried to take steps to ensure that this review would go off without a hitch, namely placing my order in advance, the day before. However, when I arrived on Friday, I was informed by a very bemused crew that they had not been told about my advance order and that they were sold out of the item I had ordered. Defeated but determined, I resolved to try again today.
I am pleased to say that this story does have a happy ending. Upon hearing of this incident, the manager was extremely apologetic and accommodating, even going so far as to fill my order completely gratis. This is service that cannot be beaten. There are not many restaurants in this day & age that, when confronted with such a situation, would handle it so well. And lo & behold, when I arrived at noon today, my kolaches were indeed waiting for me, along with a kind, smiling staff. Thus, for this impressive attention to customer satisfaction, I award Dos Gatos a Service score of A.
As far as value goes, considering the unique circumstance, I only had to pay a little over $2 for the bottle of tea that I got to go with my kolaches. However, I did ask the cashier what my order would have cost normally. For 4 bacon & cheese kolaches, it would normally cost $8.18. While this is slightly above my baseline, I think the overall value, when quality of food, filling-ness, and overall satisfaction are taken into account, all easily compensate for the added expense. Thus, I have no hesitation in giving Dos Gatos a Value score of B.
And for the food. Oh, mein gott, the food. I have eaten many things in my time, but few put me in a state of absolute taste nirvana, inducing what has sometimes been called a "food-gasm". The bacon & cheese kolaches from Dos Gatos are among this elite culinary club. Chief among this symphony of flavor is the bacon, an excellent brand which has been diced up into tiny bits, its salty, slightly greasy-in-a-good-way taste filling the tongue with endorphins of pleasure. This is further complimented by the cheese, a mild cheddar or American which adds a subtle, understated creaminess to the flavor orchestra. And of course, containing these ingredients is the pastry itself, adding its own delicious flavors & textures to the mix, from the light, fluffy texture of the bread, to the slightly buttery taste, right down to the domed chamber that it forms which seems to usher the smells right to the eater's nose even as he or she devours this miniature flavor amphitheater.
It's really good, is what I'm saying.
The tea I cannot comment on too much as it was a corporate product, namely Sweet Leaf brand original sweet tea. While it certainly lived up to the basics of its label, I found it to be unpleasantly bitter, as if the tea back at the bottling plant was being brewed too hot.
Thus, taking all factors into account, I have no hesitation in giving Dos Gatos a Food score of A+.
And now for the wrap-up.
Convenience: A. It's hard for any off-campus eatery to have a better location than Dos Gatos, with the gentle slope making descent from campus a breeze & the climb back up similarly non-arduous.
Service: A. In spite of Friday's minor snafu, the service here was excellent. The way the management handled my situation is truly commendable. It should also be noted that this was, so far as I know, an isolated incident. I have done this dance many times, bacon & cheese being a favorite flavor of mine, and apparently everyone else on campus, thus necessitating me to order in advance on many occasions. This is the first time that this system has gone wrong, and I do not expect it to fail again.
Value: B. A very respectable score under my system. While there are a very few places that may be able to beat this value, Dos Gatos makes up the difference in quality of product. And remember, I was being slightly glutinous by getting four kolaches. Had I only gotten two or three, this value would have been unbeatable.
Food: A+. There are few things better than a Dos Gatos kolache. If you're looking for the perfect meal to start your day, or even a post-class treat, this is most certainly the place to go. And although I focused on the bacon & cheese, I have also sampled some of their other flavors in the past, all of which are similarly excellent.
This, with all of these scores totted up, Dos Gatos Kolache Bakery has earned a final grade of: A.
This was truly the epitome of a satisfying dining experience. The only slight disappointment came in the form of the wretched tea, a factor that Dos Gatos could do nothing about, and thus cannot be blamed for. For a more favorable beverage, I would recommend hopping next door to Mochas & Javas for a nice Cafe Au Lait with lots of raw sugar. This combo, especially in colder weather, simply cannot be beaten.
So what, if anything, might I change to make Dos Gatos even better? Absolutely nothing. They have a fine establishment, staffed by good, courteous, helpful people, and serve an excellent product. How can you improve on such perfection?
Now if only they could keep a double stock of bacon & cheese, their best seller, during the semester...
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For some years, Dos Gatos Kolache Bakery has held a unique place in the TSU community, offering its tasty pastry treats to hungry students with a mind to descend from Campus Hill. I myself have favored this small shop with many a happy visit. But will this popular off-campus attraction hold up to the Hungry Student's scrutiny? Let's dig in & find out.
As far as distance from campus goes, it doesn't get much better than this. Located across Sessoms Drive, behind the Music Building, it is only a roughly 3-minute walk from Flowers Hall, down a fairly gentle slope. The only part of this trip that could even be called "difficult" is getting through the crowds of students waiting for the Bobcat Stadium or Campus Loop buses and waiting for the crosswalk signal at Sessoms. With such supreme ease of egress, I give Dos Gatos a Convenience score of A.
But what of the service? Well, to fully explain this factor, I must tell a little story, which will also explain why this review has been so delayed.
As you know, I originally scheduled these reviews to be made on Wednesdays & Fridays, with Fridays focusing on off-campus eateries. To this end, I tried to take steps to ensure that this review would go off without a hitch, namely placing my order in advance, the day before. However, when I arrived on Friday, I was informed by a very bemused crew that they had not been told about my advance order and that they were sold out of the item I had ordered. Defeated but determined, I resolved to try again today.
I am pleased to say that this story does have a happy ending. Upon hearing of this incident, the manager was extremely apologetic and accommodating, even going so far as to fill my order completely gratis. This is service that cannot be beaten. There are not many restaurants in this day & age that, when confronted with such a situation, would handle it so well. And lo & behold, when I arrived at noon today, my kolaches were indeed waiting for me, along with a kind, smiling staff. Thus, for this impressive attention to customer satisfaction, I award Dos Gatos a Service score of A.
As far as value goes, considering the unique circumstance, I only had to pay a little over $2 for the bottle of tea that I got to go with my kolaches. However, I did ask the cashier what my order would have cost normally. For 4 bacon & cheese kolaches, it would normally cost $8.18. While this is slightly above my baseline, I think the overall value, when quality of food, filling-ness, and overall satisfaction are taken into account, all easily compensate for the added expense. Thus, I have no hesitation in giving Dos Gatos a Value score of B.
And for the food. Oh, mein gott, the food. I have eaten many things in my time, but few put me in a state of absolute taste nirvana, inducing what has sometimes been called a "food-gasm". The bacon & cheese kolaches from Dos Gatos are among this elite culinary club. Chief among this symphony of flavor is the bacon, an excellent brand which has been diced up into tiny bits, its salty, slightly greasy-in-a-good-way taste filling the tongue with endorphins of pleasure. This is further complimented by the cheese, a mild cheddar or American which adds a subtle, understated creaminess to the flavor orchestra. And of course, containing these ingredients is the pastry itself, adding its own delicious flavors & textures to the mix, from the light, fluffy texture of the bread, to the slightly buttery taste, right down to the domed chamber that it forms which seems to usher the smells right to the eater's nose even as he or she devours this miniature flavor amphitheater.
It's really good, is what I'm saying.
The tea I cannot comment on too much as it was a corporate product, namely Sweet Leaf brand original sweet tea. While it certainly lived up to the basics of its label, I found it to be unpleasantly bitter, as if the tea back at the bottling plant was being brewed too hot.
Thus, taking all factors into account, I have no hesitation in giving Dos Gatos a Food score of A+.
And now for the wrap-up.
Convenience: A. It's hard for any off-campus eatery to have a better location than Dos Gatos, with the gentle slope making descent from campus a breeze & the climb back up similarly non-arduous.
Service: A. In spite of Friday's minor snafu, the service here was excellent. The way the management handled my situation is truly commendable. It should also be noted that this was, so far as I know, an isolated incident. I have done this dance many times, bacon & cheese being a favorite flavor of mine, and apparently everyone else on campus, thus necessitating me to order in advance on many occasions. This is the first time that this system has gone wrong, and I do not expect it to fail again.
Value: B. A very respectable score under my system. While there are a very few places that may be able to beat this value, Dos Gatos makes up the difference in quality of product. And remember, I was being slightly glutinous by getting four kolaches. Had I only gotten two or three, this value would have been unbeatable.
Food: A+. There are few things better than a Dos Gatos kolache. If you're looking for the perfect meal to start your day, or even a post-class treat, this is most certainly the place to go. And although I focused on the bacon & cheese, I have also sampled some of their other flavors in the past, all of which are similarly excellent.
This, with all of these scores totted up, Dos Gatos Kolache Bakery has earned a final grade of: A.
This was truly the epitome of a satisfying dining experience. The only slight disappointment came in the form of the wretched tea, a factor that Dos Gatos could do nothing about, and thus cannot be blamed for. For a more favorable beverage, I would recommend hopping next door to Mochas & Javas for a nice Cafe Au Lait with lots of raw sugar. This combo, especially in colder weather, simply cannot be beaten.
So what, if anything, might I change to make Dos Gatos even better? Absolutely nothing. They have a fine establishment, staffed by good, courteous, helpful people, and serve an excellent product. How can you improve on such perfection?
Now if only they could keep a double stock of bacon & cheese, their best seller, during the semester...
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Week 1 - Jones Hall - Route 90 Grill
First off, I would like to apologize for the delay of this, the inaugural review of The Hungry Student. I had originally intended to write this on Wednesday afternoon shortly after the meal itself, however personal engagements and good ol' exhaustion caused me to delay this article until tonight. I promise you, my viewers, that future reviews will be posted on a more regular schedule.
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For many years, one dining hall has stood out to Texas State students more than any other. For its longer business hours, variety of cuisine on offer, and unique charms, Jones Hall has long been one of the most popular dining halls on our most esteemed campus. Thus, it seems only appropriate to begin my quest through the culinary world of Texas State with a full month dedicated to this fine establishment.
And to this end, my first meal of Jones Month comes from one of this hall's most popular kiosks: the Route 90 Grill.
My experience did not have the greatest of beginnings. Due to the mass construction surrounding Jones, the only access from the main part of campus requires one to hike up the hill, up the stairs that surround the Alkek building, go down the ramp to the subterranean parking garage, then cross the road to enter the hall from its north side. Under the best of circumstances, for a fit, active person traveling light on a cool autumn day, this would be a mildly difficult task. For a mildly unfit (read: fatarse) gentleman like me, hiking up the hills in the late summer heat with a 20lb. leather case hanging from my side, this crossed a long from merely difficult to arduous. If not for these reviews, I would probably not attempt it.
Thus, I must give the main quad foot route to Jones a convenience score of D.
This being said, there are two alternative routes, one being to descend from Campus Hill to Woods St. & enter Jones from the south side, the other being to ride the Campus Loop bus, which stops directly adjacent to Jones. I will be trying both of these routes for the coming week's reviews to see if they may be better alternatives.
Now that we've covered convenience, we move on to the next category: Service.
And here, I am sorry to say, we have our first minor disappointment. To start, the system of ordering one's meals from the Route 90 Grill, Jones' purveyor of cuisine a la Americana, is unique to every other kiosk in Jones. Rather than speaking to a human being, as is the custom elsewhere, ordering from Route 90 takes the form of paper order cards, with options checked off by the students themselves, who then sign the card and slide it to the far end of the counter where a member of staff picks them up & puts the order in to the cook. Personally, I have never liked this system, as it seems to show an unwillingness to communicate directly with the customer, an unnecessary uniqueness that differs from every other kiosk in Jones, who all seem to be faring just fine with taking orders in person, and a distinct possibility for things to go wrong. I myself accidentally checked the wrong box on my first card and had to start again, an eraser not being provided.
Once an order is placed, then comes the waiting... and waiting... and waiting. As I said before, the hall was very busy at the time, and thus a wait could be expected. Even so, I did not expect to have time between placing my order and receiving it to wander across the hall, get the drink that would come with my combo, return, and overhear an altercation, all with lengthy pauses in between. All together, I would estimate that I was kept waiting for around 10 minutes before receiving my burger and fries.
This would not be so distressing, except that the burgers from Route 90 are not even cooked fresh to order. The patties are pre-cooked in Jones' main kitchen, then brought to the front counter in metal bins filled with what appears to be water and beef broth, presumably to keep the patties moist while they wait. They are then reheated on the flattop grill to order, cheese being added at this stage, and the burger assembled.
But I would even be willing to forgive this corner-cutting and still give the service a passing grade, if not for what happened while I was waiting. At one point during my wait, a young lady received her order only to discover that she had been given a Patty Melt burger, a popular choice that day, rather than the normal cheeseburger that she had ordered. As it happened, the manager of Jones Hall was present at that moment and was attempting to assist the cooks on staff with the increasing backlog of orders. When said manager heard of the girl's complaint, she replied to the cook that "It's basically the same thing." It seemed to my eyes for a moment that the manager was going to refuse to correct the mistake. While it may be true that the only difference between a patty melt and a normal burger is the difference between buns & toast, but this near incident of failing to correct the simple error violates a basic commandment for any restaurant:
"Thou shalt satisfy the customer, such that thigh customer might yet be willing to return."
It was fortunate that the cook on hand did indeed correct the error, slipping the still-warm patty onto a fresh bun. However, due to this incident and others like it that I can only theorize have happened before or will happen since, I am saddened to give the service at Route 90 a score of D.
Next on the menu is the factor of Value. "But wait," those of you who have dined at Jones before may be saying, "Just because you got your food doesn't mean you're home free. Wouldn't you count the cashiers under Service?" Normally, you would be correct. However, as these reviews are primarily focused on the food vendors, including the cashiers in the same rating would add an unfair bias, especially as not all eateries on campus operate under the same system as Jones. It is worth noting though that the Jones Hall cashiers are the unsung heroes of the whole operation. Daily, they are swamped by waves of hungry, inattentive students, which they must shuttle through the lines and into the dining rooms as quickly and efficiently as possible. This occasion was little different. Although the bulk of the lunch rush had passed during the wait for my burger, the line for the southern-side cashier had still grown to a considerable length. Indeed, things were moving rather slowly through the single open cashier line until a second line opened up for meal trades & dining dollars only. As I have never bothered with meal trades, preferring to pay in cash or bank card, I remained where I was and was soon quickly & cheerfully whisked through to the dining room.
As for the Value of the meal, it actually exceeded my expectations. On previous occasions, I recall this same combo meal costing me upwards of $8, but on this day I was surprised to learn that the price may have gone down from what I remember, costing me exactly $7.03. And since my baseline measurement of value ranges between $8-9 (as you will hopefully recall from the introduction), this mean exceeded that base considerably, giving this meal a value score of A.
But is this a case of "you get what you pay for?"
Sadly, it sort of is. So far as the Food factor goes, I am sorry to say that I was wholly unimpressed. To give some further pertinent information, my chosen meal consisted thusly:
1x Chubby Checker Cheeseburger, cheese & mustard only, as has been my custom all my life.
1x French fries.
1x 21oz. Sweet ice tea.
Let's start with the main course. The burger, as mentioned previously in the Service section, was precooked, set in a vat of juices, and re-warmed on a flattop grill, and it showed in the taste. Overall, it reminded me of the sort of burgers that I would get from a high school cafeteria. The patty was rubbery in texture & somewhat dry. It was also basically tasteless except for the cheese & mustard surrounding it. The fries were similarly disappointing, being so bland as to be practically inedible without the addition of salt, after which, I would describe them as being merely average. The tea was probably the better part of the meal; while it was somewhat bitter, a common problem for many fast food sweet teas, and it was not particularly sweet, it did still satisfy my considerable thirst.
Overall, I would describe this meal as "acceptable", but not quite as "good". Between the precooked burger, the bland fries, and the slightly bitter tea, I can only conclude that the food from Route 90 has earned a score of D. Not the worst, but must try harder.
So where does that leave us? Well, let's get a quick summary of the scores:
Convenience: D. The walk up the hill from Flowers to the garage ramp was grueling for me. Perhaps other routes will be better, but this one is one to avoid if possible.
Service: D. It might have scored higher if not for the manager being unwilling to correct a simple mistake, but not by much. The card system shows a disinterest in the customer, and the fact that burgers are not cooked from fresh and still take a good 10 minutes to get out seems absurd to my mind. Any fast food joint gets their burgers out faster.
Value: A. At just over $7, it'll be hard to find a deal that can beat this.
Food: D. While it accomplishes the basic goal of filling my stomach & not leaving me disgusted, this isn't what I'd call a satisfactory meal. It's not the worst, even on campus, but if you're looking for a good burger, this is not the place to go.
Thus, taking a rough average of all of these scores, the Route 90 Grill at Jones Hall earns a final grade of: D.
While not unsatisfactory, this meal certainly did leave me unsatisfied. There is so much potential for Route 90 to produce really great food that's not being fully utilized. It's not bad now, but it could be so very much better.
"So, smarty-pants," I can hear you trill again, "if it sucks so much, what would you do to make it better?" I'm glad you asked. Firstly, I would suggest getting an actual person to take orders, and cooking burgers up from raw beef. it may slow things down a bit, but I guarantee that the end product will be much more satisfactory for everyone involved. Along the same vein, I would suggest pre-salting the fries while they're still in the fryer. This simple step will improve the taste by leaps & bounds. For a more radical change, maybe offer milkshakes as a drink option for combos. There's an ice cream parlor right next door, which was completely unmanned when I was there, a real underutilized resource. I mean, burger, fries & shake? What's more American than that?
Next up: Dos Gatos Kolache Bakery.
-----
For many years, one dining hall has stood out to Texas State students more than any other. For its longer business hours, variety of cuisine on offer, and unique charms, Jones Hall has long been one of the most popular dining halls on our most esteemed campus. Thus, it seems only appropriate to begin my quest through the culinary world of Texas State with a full month dedicated to this fine establishment.
And to this end, my first meal of Jones Month comes from one of this hall's most popular kiosks: the Route 90 Grill.
My experience did not have the greatest of beginnings. Due to the mass construction surrounding Jones, the only access from the main part of campus requires one to hike up the hill, up the stairs that surround the Alkek building, go down the ramp to the subterranean parking garage, then cross the road to enter the hall from its north side. Under the best of circumstances, for a fit, active person traveling light on a cool autumn day, this would be a mildly difficult task. For a mildly unfit (read: fatarse) gentleman like me, hiking up the hills in the late summer heat with a 20lb. leather case hanging from my side, this crossed a long from merely difficult to arduous. If not for these reviews, I would probably not attempt it.
Thus, I must give the main quad foot route to Jones a convenience score of D.
This being said, there are two alternative routes, one being to descend from Campus Hill to Woods St. & enter Jones from the south side, the other being to ride the Campus Loop bus, which stops directly adjacent to Jones. I will be trying both of these routes for the coming week's reviews to see if they may be better alternatives.
Now that we've covered convenience, we move on to the next category: Service.
And here, I am sorry to say, we have our first minor disappointment. To start, the system of ordering one's meals from the Route 90 Grill, Jones' purveyor of cuisine a la Americana, is unique to every other kiosk in Jones. Rather than speaking to a human being, as is the custom elsewhere, ordering from Route 90 takes the form of paper order cards, with options checked off by the students themselves, who then sign the card and slide it to the far end of the counter where a member of staff picks them up & puts the order in to the cook. Personally, I have never liked this system, as it seems to show an unwillingness to communicate directly with the customer, an unnecessary uniqueness that differs from every other kiosk in Jones, who all seem to be faring just fine with taking orders in person, and a distinct possibility for things to go wrong. I myself accidentally checked the wrong box on my first card and had to start again, an eraser not being provided.
Once an order is placed, then comes the waiting... and waiting... and waiting. As I said before, the hall was very busy at the time, and thus a wait could be expected. Even so, I did not expect to have time between placing my order and receiving it to wander across the hall, get the drink that would come with my combo, return, and overhear an altercation, all with lengthy pauses in between. All together, I would estimate that I was kept waiting for around 10 minutes before receiving my burger and fries.
This would not be so distressing, except that the burgers from Route 90 are not even cooked fresh to order. The patties are pre-cooked in Jones' main kitchen, then brought to the front counter in metal bins filled with what appears to be water and beef broth, presumably to keep the patties moist while they wait. They are then reheated on the flattop grill to order, cheese being added at this stage, and the burger assembled.
But I would even be willing to forgive this corner-cutting and still give the service a passing grade, if not for what happened while I was waiting. At one point during my wait, a young lady received her order only to discover that she had been given a Patty Melt burger, a popular choice that day, rather than the normal cheeseburger that she had ordered. As it happened, the manager of Jones Hall was present at that moment and was attempting to assist the cooks on staff with the increasing backlog of orders. When said manager heard of the girl's complaint, she replied to the cook that "It's basically the same thing." It seemed to my eyes for a moment that the manager was going to refuse to correct the mistake. While it may be true that the only difference between a patty melt and a normal burger is the difference between buns & toast, but this near incident of failing to correct the simple error violates a basic commandment for any restaurant:
"Thou shalt satisfy the customer, such that thigh customer might yet be willing to return."
It was fortunate that the cook on hand did indeed correct the error, slipping the still-warm patty onto a fresh bun. However, due to this incident and others like it that I can only theorize have happened before or will happen since, I am saddened to give the service at Route 90 a score of D.
Next on the menu is the factor of Value. "But wait," those of you who have dined at Jones before may be saying, "Just because you got your food doesn't mean you're home free. Wouldn't you count the cashiers under Service?" Normally, you would be correct. However, as these reviews are primarily focused on the food vendors, including the cashiers in the same rating would add an unfair bias, especially as not all eateries on campus operate under the same system as Jones. It is worth noting though that the Jones Hall cashiers are the unsung heroes of the whole operation. Daily, they are swamped by waves of hungry, inattentive students, which they must shuttle through the lines and into the dining rooms as quickly and efficiently as possible. This occasion was little different. Although the bulk of the lunch rush had passed during the wait for my burger, the line for the southern-side cashier had still grown to a considerable length. Indeed, things were moving rather slowly through the single open cashier line until a second line opened up for meal trades & dining dollars only. As I have never bothered with meal trades, preferring to pay in cash or bank card, I remained where I was and was soon quickly & cheerfully whisked through to the dining room.
As for the Value of the meal, it actually exceeded my expectations. On previous occasions, I recall this same combo meal costing me upwards of $8, but on this day I was surprised to learn that the price may have gone down from what I remember, costing me exactly $7.03. And since my baseline measurement of value ranges between $8-9 (as you will hopefully recall from the introduction), this mean exceeded that base considerably, giving this meal a value score of A.
But is this a case of "you get what you pay for?"
Sadly, it sort of is. So far as the Food factor goes, I am sorry to say that I was wholly unimpressed. To give some further pertinent information, my chosen meal consisted thusly:
1x Chubby Checker Cheeseburger, cheese & mustard only, as has been my custom all my life.
1x French fries.
1x 21oz. Sweet ice tea.
Let's start with the main course. The burger, as mentioned previously in the Service section, was precooked, set in a vat of juices, and re-warmed on a flattop grill, and it showed in the taste. Overall, it reminded me of the sort of burgers that I would get from a high school cafeteria. The patty was rubbery in texture & somewhat dry. It was also basically tasteless except for the cheese & mustard surrounding it. The fries were similarly disappointing, being so bland as to be practically inedible without the addition of salt, after which, I would describe them as being merely average. The tea was probably the better part of the meal; while it was somewhat bitter, a common problem for many fast food sweet teas, and it was not particularly sweet, it did still satisfy my considerable thirst.
Overall, I would describe this meal as "acceptable", but not quite as "good". Between the precooked burger, the bland fries, and the slightly bitter tea, I can only conclude that the food from Route 90 has earned a score of D. Not the worst, but must try harder.
So where does that leave us? Well, let's get a quick summary of the scores:
Convenience: D. The walk up the hill from Flowers to the garage ramp was grueling for me. Perhaps other routes will be better, but this one is one to avoid if possible.
Service: D. It might have scored higher if not for the manager being unwilling to correct a simple mistake, but not by much. The card system shows a disinterest in the customer, and the fact that burgers are not cooked from fresh and still take a good 10 minutes to get out seems absurd to my mind. Any fast food joint gets their burgers out faster.
Value: A. At just over $7, it'll be hard to find a deal that can beat this.
Food: D. While it accomplishes the basic goal of filling my stomach & not leaving me disgusted, this isn't what I'd call a satisfactory meal. It's not the worst, even on campus, but if you're looking for a good burger, this is not the place to go.
Thus, taking a rough average of all of these scores, the Route 90 Grill at Jones Hall earns a final grade of: D.
While not unsatisfactory, this meal certainly did leave me unsatisfied. There is so much potential for Route 90 to produce really great food that's not being fully utilized. It's not bad now, but it could be so very much better.
"So, smarty-pants," I can hear you trill again, "if it sucks so much, what would you do to make it better?" I'm glad you asked. Firstly, I would suggest getting an actual person to take orders, and cooking burgers up from raw beef. it may slow things down a bit, but I guarantee that the end product will be much more satisfactory for everyone involved. Along the same vein, I would suggest pre-salting the fries while they're still in the fryer. This simple step will improve the taste by leaps & bounds. For a more radical change, maybe offer milkshakes as a drink option for combos. There's an ice cream parlor right next door, which was completely unmanned when I was there, a real underutilized resource. I mean, burger, fries & shake? What's more American than that?
Next up: Dos Gatos Kolache Bakery.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Introduction: Please Read First.
Greetings, fellow Bobcats, and welcome to The Hungry Student, a restaurant critique blog written by a Texas State student, for Texas State students. I am the hungry student, Daniel Reginald Gilliam, and over the next 15 weeks, I will be offering my opinions on the numerous eateries on and around Texas State University.
First though, allow me to give you a quick run-down on how things work around here.
Each week, I will visit two different restaurants, on-campus on Wednesdays & off-campus on Fridays. During my meal, I will record various factors and compile them into four main categories:
Convenience: This is how easy or arduous a given restaurant is to get to, or how short or long a journey it is. A place can have the best food in the world, but if it's miles away from campus, it would probably not be the best choice. As a point of reference, I will be considering the distance from Flowers Hall. This is where I have most of my classes, and where I will be departing from to get to my next meal.
Service: This covers all factors related to the staff of a given restaurant, including friendliness, efficiency, speed of service, and overall satisfaction. A place can have the best food in the world, but if the waitress keeps you waiting for over half an hour, or is rude or dismissive to the customers, you would probably be better off going somewhere else.
Value: This will probably be the most important factor to most students, though it is only the second most important to me. It primarily concerns how expensive or reasonably-priced a meal is. A place can have the best food in the world, but if it's too pricey, other options may have to be sought. For reference, I will be using an average of between $8 & $9, with meals costing less being a better value, and those costing more a lesser value. This seems to be about the typical cost of a full meal on campus. It should be noted that this is not a solid baseline, and may be bent slightly one way or the other. It is also worth noting that money may not be the only factor in a value rating; Other factors, such as exceptional service or quality of food may be considered.
The Food: This is, in my opinion, the most important factor. It covers, as might be deduced, hot good or bad the food is. Obviously, the place with the best food is where you'll want to go. I will try to describe this factor in as much detail as I am able.
After considering these factors, I will give them a rating from A to F, A bring excellent, B being pretty alright, C being meh, D being not great, and F being terrible.
At the end of the whole review, I will offer my final verdict, including a final score that will be roughly an average of the four previous scores. I will also cite particular positive or negative factors, as well as suggestions of where the restaurant can be improved.
Before we get started, there are a few more things I would like you to keep in mind.
1. These reviews are all purely my opinions, which you may take or leave as you will.
2. If you're looking for diet tips, health food suggestions, etc., then this is not the blog for you. I am more concerned with how good my food tastes than how healthy it is.
3. I will confess to it right now, I have no experience in the restaurant business, I am not a chef, I can barely cook. So what right have I to critique the culinary work of others? Well, I have eaten out for probably the majority of my life's meals and have developed an understanding of what makes good restaurants good and bad restaurants bad. I have also counted several chefs and food-service workers among my family's dear friends, and yes, I've seen many an episode of Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares and similar shows.
I believe that covers everything for the moment. I will be paying close attention to the comments on my reviews. I am still very new to this, so any critique of my critiques will be welcome, so long as it contains more info than "You suck". Please, be descriptive with your comments; tell me what parts you feel I'm getting right, and suggest to me how I might fix the parts I'm getting wrong.
And with that, I thank you for reading through this lengthy & rambling intro segment. Now it's time for the Hungry Student to slake his hunger. My first stop: Jones Hall's Route 90 Grill.
First though, allow me to give you a quick run-down on how things work around here.
Each week, I will visit two different restaurants, on-campus on Wednesdays & off-campus on Fridays. During my meal, I will record various factors and compile them into four main categories:
Convenience: This is how easy or arduous a given restaurant is to get to, or how short or long a journey it is. A place can have the best food in the world, but if it's miles away from campus, it would probably not be the best choice. As a point of reference, I will be considering the distance from Flowers Hall. This is where I have most of my classes, and where I will be departing from to get to my next meal.
Service: This covers all factors related to the staff of a given restaurant, including friendliness, efficiency, speed of service, and overall satisfaction. A place can have the best food in the world, but if the waitress keeps you waiting for over half an hour, or is rude or dismissive to the customers, you would probably be better off going somewhere else.
Value: This will probably be the most important factor to most students, though it is only the second most important to me. It primarily concerns how expensive or reasonably-priced a meal is. A place can have the best food in the world, but if it's too pricey, other options may have to be sought. For reference, I will be using an average of between $8 & $9, with meals costing less being a better value, and those costing more a lesser value. This seems to be about the typical cost of a full meal on campus. It should be noted that this is not a solid baseline, and may be bent slightly one way or the other. It is also worth noting that money may not be the only factor in a value rating; Other factors, such as exceptional service or quality of food may be considered.
The Food: This is, in my opinion, the most important factor. It covers, as might be deduced, hot good or bad the food is. Obviously, the place with the best food is where you'll want to go. I will try to describe this factor in as much detail as I am able.
After considering these factors, I will give them a rating from A to F, A bring excellent, B being pretty alright, C being meh, D being not great, and F being terrible.
At the end of the whole review, I will offer my final verdict, including a final score that will be roughly an average of the four previous scores. I will also cite particular positive or negative factors, as well as suggestions of where the restaurant can be improved.
Before we get started, there are a few more things I would like you to keep in mind.
1. These reviews are all purely my opinions, which you may take or leave as you will.
2. If you're looking for diet tips, health food suggestions, etc., then this is not the blog for you. I am more concerned with how good my food tastes than how healthy it is.
3. I will confess to it right now, I have no experience in the restaurant business, I am not a chef, I can barely cook. So what right have I to critique the culinary work of others? Well, I have eaten out for probably the majority of my life's meals and have developed an understanding of what makes good restaurants good and bad restaurants bad. I have also counted several chefs and food-service workers among my family's dear friends, and yes, I've seen many an episode of Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares and similar shows.
I believe that covers everything for the moment. I will be paying close attention to the comments on my reviews. I am still very new to this, so any critique of my critiques will be welcome, so long as it contains more info than "You suck". Please, be descriptive with your comments; tell me what parts you feel I'm getting right, and suggest to me how I might fix the parts I'm getting wrong.
And with that, I thank you for reading through this lengthy & rambling intro segment. Now it's time for the Hungry Student to slake his hunger. My first stop: Jones Hall's Route 90 Grill.
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