Charlotte, NC - Bar-B-Q King

A year and a half ago, my dad and I went to a drive in called Bar-B-Q King in Charlotte, N.C. While on a road trip a few weeks ago, my dad knew we were going to pass right by it (it is less than 1.5 miles off the highway) and decided to time our drive so we could stop there for lunch. Because this is a drive-in you have to eat in your car. Just make sure to get extra napkins, because this BBQ is going to get messy!

The outside of Bar-B-Q King

But the messiness is totally worth it! This is the best barbecue you will ever eat, guaranteed! Guy Fieri did a Triple D (Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives)  review on this place and said it was the best barbecue he'd ever eaten.  He also talked about it on the show "The Best Thing I Ever Ate." If that isn't reassurance that this place is great, I don't know what is. Guy Fieri's Triple D review of this place is how I found out about Bar-B-Q King. My brother ad I were watching Triple D, and when this place came up, i just knew I had to go there and try this great-looking food.  Guy Fieri also spray-painted his face on the wall, so if you do go there, try and find it! BBQ King itself is pretty interesting. It's been around for decades, and the food, or the people who own it, hasn't changed in over 40 years!

My barbecued pulled pork platter!

When you drive up to a little lane/spot, you park there, and wait for someone to come and take your order. It's kind of like a regular restaurant, but without a table. The menus are printed on these little stands next to where you park your car, and you just sit in your car and pick out what you want. Since my dad and I had been there before, we knew what to get. We got two barbecue chicken platters, two pulled pork platters, and an order of hush puppies (deep fried corn meal in the shape of balls). I liked the pulled pork better than the chicken, but they were both really great! The barbecue that BBQ King uses is a vinegary barbecue, which in my opinion, is the best type of barbecue! They also "double-dip" their chicken in barbecue sauce. Once before frying it, once after. If you order any type of platter, it comes with the main part (chicken, pulled pork, ect.), a container or house-made coleslaw, a buttery, flaky biscuit, and a hush puppy or two! My dad and I are both coleslaw fans and we both really liked theirs.  The platter is definitely a better value than the plate, so I strongly suggest that you go with that!

All the people that work at BBQ King are really nice and friendly. Most of them have worked there for a long time, and will help you with anything in any way they can. If you have any questions, just ask! The people there will be happy to help you! Overall, this is an awesome place! Great food, great people, great barbecue! So if you happen to be driving by, be sure to stop in for a quick bite! I guarantee you'll be coming back for seconds.

As always, I will be rating the places I go on my Cookie Counter Scale of Cookieness, with one cookie being burnt, old, stale, burnt, oatmeal raisin cookie nastiness, and ten cookies being the perfect, gooey, warm chocolate chip (my favorite) cookie. My Cookie Counter ratings for Bar-B-Q King are:

Food: 8 Cookies
Atmosphere: 7 Cookies
Service: 9 Cookies

Bar-B-Q King's Website: http://barbqking.com

Boca Raton, FL - Taco Bell

     This past Friday, after a sports practice, my dad and I were heading to my school's winter carnival. Along the way, we both realized that we were getting pretty hungry.  Not wanting the carnival to close before we arrived, we did something we almost NEVER do - we opted for fast food. There were a few places around us, but we ended up choosing Taco Bell. I am a pretty big fan of mexican food, so I didn't object. When we walked in, I immediately noticed to decor. The building itself was painted in

pretty neutral colors, with some checkered patterns on the walls, and a red horizontal stripe that went around the room. But what really caught my eye were the paintings. There were these really neat paintings on the walls that were done in a graffiti style. They were super colorful and really vibrant.

I'm a grilled "stuft" nacho bandit!

My shredded chicken burrito

     My dad and I ordered two shredded chicken burritos, a grilled "stuft" nacho, and two Doritos locos tacos (1 cool ranch, 1 fiery). Our food was ready about 60 seconds after ordering, so very convenient. My favorite thing I ate was the shredded chicken burrito. It was a burrito with shredded chicken, rice, and an avocado sauce that was really creamy and really yummy. The grilled stuft nacho was also pretty good, but it was basically a triangular tortilla with beef, nacho cheese, and some corn chips. Unfortunately all of the beef had gone into one corner of the triangle, so in each bite you either got all meat or no meat. I normally like Doritos, so I was surprised when I didn't really like the locos tacos. The cool ranch one was okay, but the shell (Doritos) didn't really taste like the chips, and the filling of the taco was about 70% lettuce,  23% beef, and 7% cheese. Not great... The fiery one was pretty much the same story, except for the fact that shell was spicy. I don't like most spicy foods, so I wasn't a fan.

     One of the best things about Taco Bell was the staff. All the staff there were really nice, and circled the restaurant every 5 minutes or so to make sure everyone was okay, and that everyone was enjoying their food.

    Earlier, I reviewed a restaurant called Rocco's Tacos. If you are choosing between these two places, here's my input. Both places will offer mexican food, but the better one BY FAR is Rocco's Tacos. It is more of a dining experience, and is a lot better.  Taco Bell lived up to our expectations for being fast, but not much else.

As always, I will be rating the places I go on my Cookie Counter Scale of Cookieness, with one cookie being a old, stale, burnt oatmeal raisin cookie, and 10 cookies being a perfectly baked, soft, chocolate chip (my favorite) goodness. My Cookie Counter ratings for Taco Bell are:

Food: 5 Cookies
Atmosphere: 4 Cookies
Service: 7.5 Cookies

Taco Bell's website: http://www.tacobell.com/



   

Livery Tavern - Lewisburg, West Virginia

     Because I was on winter break, and because my family traveled up north to see some of our cousins, we got to go to some really great restaurants with some really off the charts food. Livery Tavern was one of those places that I was super happy to get to eat at.  We've eaten there a few times before and have really enjoyed it.  Before we went to eat there this time, I looked up the restaurant online, and found the entire backstory of the place. Turns out that the family that owns the Livery also owns another nearby restaurant, "Stella's". Stella's was their first

The Livery, all decorated up for Christmas!

restaurant, and was created as a beautiful and elegant restaurant, which they say is just like their mom (Their mom's name was Stella hence the name). When their first restaurant did really well, they decided to open another, called "Livery Tavern".  Because their first restaurant was modeled after their mother, they decided to model this one after their father. A masculine interpretation of a mid-1800's tavern, they certainly delivered. This place looks like a tavern in the woods, which in my opinion, looks AWESOME! The Livery on the outside is made of stone and wood, and the same on the inside. Inside there is a bar, waiting area with couches and a fireplace, and the dining area. One of the things that I really like about this restaurant is how it is such an open atmosphere. Unlike most restaurants, in which rooms and areas are separated by walls, The Livery is one large room, which is really neat.

   One of the really unique aspects of The Livery is that they change their menu every four to six weeks, so you usually have a different menu every time you go there. This way, you are always in for a new and delicious treat! This time I was there, a certain pasta caught my eye. It was a penne pasta with a tomato creme sauce and fresh vegetables. I was intrigued, and decided to go for it, knowing that anything I ordered would be awesome anyways! My dad decided to order oysters to start.  When our food came, I realized I was totally right about the pasta! It was phenomenal! The past was house-made,

My pasta! Yum!

which made the pasta fresh, soft, and just totally perfect! Now the sauce was a whole other ballgame. Normally when I get tomato creme sauce on my pasta at  a restaurant, it is more creme than sauce and you aren't able to taste the tomatoes. This was completely different. You got a really great and bold tomato flavor, and the creme didn't dilute that flavor, which made me very happy. The creme's only purpose was to improve the sauce's texture, and it did just that. The vegetables were fresh and cooked to perfection. Overall impression: Great Pasta! My dad's oysters were really good too! They came cooked three ways; fried, baked, and raw, and all were delicious! Not only is The Livery a place to get great food, it's also a great place to chill out and meet new people. Everyone, including the staff, are nice, and it's always fun to meet new and interesting people! I love The Livery, and I know you will too!

    Livery Tavern is a great place, but kind of far from where I live, so sadly, we can't get there often. But whenever I go, I make the most of it. I strongly suggest that if you're in town, or just nearby, drop in for dinner sometime. I think you'll be happy you did.

   As always, I will be rating the places I go on my Cookie Counter Scale of Cookieness, with 1 cookie being old, stale, oatmeal raisin cookie nastiness, and 10 cookies being the perfect, warm, gooey chocolate chip (my favorite) cookie. My Cookie Counter ratings for Livery Tavern are:

Food: 8 Cookies
Atmosphere: 9 Cookies
Service: 8 Cookies

Livery Tavern's website: http://liverytavern.com