Oct 18

HomeTown Buffet

4300 Florin Rd
Sacramento, CA 95823

Rating: ★½☆☆☆ 

After seeing the AD on TV for HomeTown Buffet advertising a $9.99 limited time offer for dinner, I wanted to see what they had to offer. After a long hiatus from American buffets, this visit to HomeTown Buffet reminds me about why I took a break from American buffets. Although the discounted dinner price of $9.99 is better than the normal price of $10.99, the fact that you need to shell out an additional $2 for a drink negates the value in the meal.

The new options this buffet touts is in regards to the 1 inch steak on the grill and the Mongolian stir fry. The steak was OK at best since the cut of beef did not seem very tender or flavorful. The Mongolian stir fry is a bit of a joke as it lacks much of any flavor. The main redeeming factors of the visit include their delicious cheesy macaroni and cheese, their fried chicken, and their dinner rolls. I also liked how they served cherry and blue raspberry Icee as well.

Overall, HomeTown buffet may still be valuable to those with extremely large appetites, but I feel that the flavors tend to make you stop eating, or are overly salty, which induces you to drink more anyways. The value isn’t really there in the meal. Also, if you wanted some good Mongolian stir fry, you are better off visiting a Sizzling Fresh Mongolian BBQ restaurant. If you still want American buffet, you should probably head to one of the local Indian casinos or to Golden Corral (although Golden Corral still requires drinks to be paid for). If you are hungry, I suggest you eat elsewhere.

Oct 18

Boba Cafe

5131 Freeport Blvd
Sacramento, CA 95822

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Boba Cafe is conveniently located on busy Freeport Boulevard near plenty of restaurants and services. Today, I did not order any of their small menu of food items. Their menu items are primarily Taiwanese based. I ordered the Lychee Slush with lychee pieces. The subtle sweet flavor balances with the refreshing crisp taste of the icy drink. The large straw easily allows the lychee pieces to flow.

As this review is based solely on this drink, I would have to say Boba Cafe did a great job. However, you do need to be aware that they take cash only, no plastic. Boba Cafe does have an ATM on the premises, but why would you want to shell out for fees when multiple banks line Freeport Boulevard. Enjoy your drinks!

Oct 18

Thai Chili

8696 Elk Grove Blvd
Ste 5
Elk Grove, CA 95624

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 

With an abundance of Thai restaurants in the Sacramento area, you really have to question yourself about who is really worth going to. In Elk Grove, Thai Chili seems to be a popular choice. Located in the older part of Elk Grove off of Elk Grove Boulevard and Highway 99, Thai Chili cooks up authentic Thai cuisine at OK prices.

Today, we ordered the Pad Thai and one of their lunch specials that included Thai fried rice and Thai sausages. The Pad Thai arrived a bit too saucy and orange. The taste of the Pad Thai definitely was mediocre. I did appreciate the fact that the Pad Thai did include both Chicken and Shrimp unlike other restaurants who only offer one choice of meat. The Thai Fried Rice and Thai Sausages were more of a disappointment. The rice seemed undercooked, or old as it was quite had and dry, lacking flavor. The Thai Sausages seemed to have rice in the sausage as a filler, and also carried an overly salty flavor. I did like how each table had its own carafe of water for you to fill your own water cups.

Overall, Thai Chili does not have my vote for good Thai Food. The food lacked flavor at times, but had too much flavor or salt at other times. I much rather prefer Siam Restaurant if I was in search for Thai food. Thai Chili may be an acceptable choice if you are in Elk Grove, but I would suggest eating elsewhere.

Oct 18

Leatherby’s Family Creamery

2333 Arden Way
Ste A
Sacramento, CA 95825

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Leatherby’s Family Creamery has been a Sacramento native for over 30 years, delivering decadent delicious ice cream to the masses. Known for their large ice cream contraptions, Leatherby’s has grown to 3 locations now covering most of the Sacramento area.

Today, we ordered Rita’s Strawberry Cake and Valerie’s Black & White. The strawberry cake arrived in a large sundae bowl with strawberry cake in the bottom portion of the goblet and massive scoops of delicious vanilla ice cream on top, topped with strawberries and strawberry glaze. The cake was soft and delicious, which went perfectly with the delicious ice cream. Valerie’s Black & White had rich chocolate, marshmallows, and vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate syrup dripping over the edges.

Overall, both sundaes were beautifully presented and deliciously consumed. At $8 per sundae, you would expect such great flavors. Portion sizes do reflect the high prices. Luckily, an Entertainment book coupon did save us $5. If you are craving for ice cream, even late at night, Leatherby’s Family Creamery is definitely worth driving to.

Oct 18

Pork Belly Grub Shack

4261 Truxel Rd
Sacramento, CA 95834

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Located behind a few buildings in the strip mall lies an interesting restaurant called Pork Belly Grub Shack. The name does imply the usage of crispy fatty portions of pork belly in its dishes. Due to its proximity to Sleep Train Arena, Pork Belly ends up being a convenient dinner before a Kings game.

Today, I ordered the Notorious P.I.G. which is a burger with bacon, cheddar, mixed greens (of which I omitted), and lemon pepper aioli. We also tried the pulled pork sandwich. The burger arrived piping hot on a deliciously toasted bun. The cheese sat in between two beef patties, topped with crispy bacon. The burger was DELICIOUS! The lemon pepper aioli went very well with the burger. The fries also came piping hot and were not over-salted. The pulled pork sandwich was also delicious, rich in flavor with tasty slaw filling. As you can tell, we did not opt to order items with pork belly during this visit due to the appeal of the items we did order.

Overall, Pork Belly offers an interesting menu filled with delicious flavors. Their use of lemon pepper aioli makes everything taste good. I did find that their pricing is a bit on the steeper side, costing about $20 for two people. Portion size and size of meal is good, but not spectacular. If you are willing to try some new flavors, even on a burger, then Pork Belly would be a great choice.

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