South Mountain Villager

A Positive News Publication About the South Mountain Village

Posts Tagged ‘review’

Restaurant Review (Nov 10)

Posted by South Mountain Villager on November 5, 2010

Memphis Best BBQ

Chelsey Heath

cfheath@asu.edu

 

Memphis BBQ Following family tradition, Darryl Alexander decided to get into the restaurant industry after a 22-year stint as a Marine. After five years of research and planning, Alexander brought the Memphis Best BBQ brand to Arizona, opening up his first location in Buckeye at 608 E. Monroe Ave.

Now, he celebrates his one-year anniversary at the second location in the Laveen Village Center at 6260 South 35th Avenue in Laveen.

Alexander said he concentrates on keeping a great staff and establishing a family atmosphere. He recently reopened the Buckeye location after finding staff that had a passion for food that they could share with the customers. Local police officers stop in for lunch every day at the Laveen location, and regulars come in every week.

He added that everyone approaches BBQ with the expectation that it taste like what they grew up with, but even when people debate or discuss different types of BBQ, he’s happy that everyone enjoys eating it at the end of the day.

The rest of Memphis Best’s menu is based on their stellar sandwiches, made Memphis-style with coleslaw and their family recipe BBQ right on top of the smoked meat. My dining guest and I sampled both the chopped park shoulder and beef brisket, which were equally delicious with even more slaw or a side of mac n’ cheese to round out the meal.

The best part is the price – the lunch special includes either sandwich, one side, and a medium drink for around $6.

Other treats include BBQ spaghetti ($7.40), a full plate of rib tips ($8.80), and homemade peach cobbler ($4.25). For families, Memphis offers three sizes of dinners including meat of choice, sauce, buns, sides, and bread.

Call (602) 268-9545 or visit http://www.bestbbqofmemphis.com/ for more information. Memphis Best also caters.

 

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Restaurant Review Dec 09

Posted by South Mountain Villager on December 13, 2009

Duner’s Pizza, Another Great Restaurant

As soon as I walk through the doors of Duner’s Pizza, I smell the freshly oven-baked pizza and the aroma of the hot wings. It is an inviting smell to a feast of carbs! I initially had in mind ordering one of their delicious chicken Cesar salads, but as I placed my order, my brother who joined me in the experience looked at me confused and said, “Jackie, you’re at Duner’s, you HAVE to order pizza!” He was right.

Duner’s is a family owned restaurant with three locations around the Valley. My brother, Eloyd and I visited the location in the Laveen Village on 51st Avenue and West Baseline Road that has been in business for three years now.  From the get-go, the experience was pleasing. As mentioned, the aroma of the freshly baked food pierced the nostrils and prepared us for an appetizing pizza and wings dinner. I ended up ordering their personal sized pepperoni pizza and Eloyd ordered the 12-piece hot wing deal. With that and two drinks, dinner was less than 18 dollars! At the end, we even had a few slices of pizza left over. This place is welcoming to families who enjoy sports, since the dining area is surrounded by three HD flat screen TV’s always on sports updates and booths that look like sports car leather seats. The Duner’s Deals are always an option such as the Dinner for $25 including a one large one toping pizza, 25 wings, and a two-liter soda. Now, if you are interested in ordering from home, a delivery service is also available.

Pizza, wings, and salads do not make up the entire menu. A selection of 10-inch submarine sandwiches served cold or hot also add to the assortment in the Duner’s menu at prices ranging from only $5.95 to $7.95. Aside from their great menu and amazing prices, their customer service is excellent, which is what I look for in a great dining experience. Friendly people, such as Raul Gracia welcome you to a pleasant dining experience of pizza, wings, or even a fresh chicken Cesar salad. It was around 5 o’clock in the afternoon on a Wednesday and we were one of three families dining-in that evening. From the time we ordered to the time our food was served, we only waited 10-15 minutes. Not bad in my book!

So when you are looking for great hand-tossed, oven-baked pizza and hot wings in a friendly environment around the Laveen area, Duner’s Pizza is the place to be. The 51st Ave and Baseline location is open seven days a week, Sunday through Wednesday from 10AM to 8:00PM and Thursday through Saturday from 10AM to 9:30PM. Now, if you decide to stay in for the night the number to call is (602) 237-1507 for their delivery service.

-Jackie Angel

Student at Walter Cronkite School of Journalism

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South Mountain Village’s Hidden Treasure

Posted by South Mountain Villager on July 8, 2009

By Mitch Hammes

Hidden under an un-assuming sign in the shopping center on the southeast corner of Baseline and 24th Street is South Mountain Village’s best kept secret.  That’s right…Pan Asian offers a wide range of great tasting Asian food in an atmosphere that rivals any restaurant found on Mill Avenue.

Pan AsianPan Asian offers a wide range of Chinese, Japanese, sushi and sashimi dishes that taste just like you would get in the Far East.  I know this because I returned from a year in Japan last August and was in heaven when I looked at the menu.  Most of the menu consists of authentic dishes with tastes just like I remember.  My first visit to Pan Asian was about a month ago and I’ve been going once a week ever since. Yep…it’s that good.

Featured lunch specials give you an excellent introduction into what is available.  Lunch begins with a salad and house ginger dressing that is made onsite and then you’ll have to choose one of a list of Chinese dishes and a sushi roll of your choice.  All this for seven bucks.  If you’re a bit more adventurous, then try one of the Japanese bento lunches.  There are four or five to choose from and you won’t be disappointed with any of them.  Those are nine bucks.

Dinners and a’la carte sushi or sashimi is a bit more expensive, but nothing compared to what you’d be paying on Mill, Scottsdale, Westgate or other trendy dining venues…but Pan Asian still offers you the same upscale environment that will impress your guests.

Mitch Hammes is the owner of The Hammes Group, a Phoenix-based restaurant and hospitality consulting company.  Visit www.hammesgroup.com for more information or to contact him.

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A Natural Burrito By Mitch Hammes

Posted by South Mountain Villager on October 29, 2008

Chipotle Mexican Grill has landed on the southeast corner of 24th Street and Baseline in our Village. I have been a fan of Chipotle for several years and am happy to have them here.

A quick-service restaurant with a full-flavored menu of burritos, tacos and bowl entrees is just the beginning. After deciding what you’d like to order, you get to play a part in its preparation. Walking the line along the preparation table, you decide what meats, salsa’s and other fresh ingredients go into your meal. The choices are all unprocessed, family-farmed, naturally raised, nutritious and hormone free. So you can feel just as good about your meal as it is for you.

My favorite burrito combination is the carnitas fajita burrito with just a little bit of rice, medium-spicy corn salsa, a tad of sour cream and guacamole and as much of the cool and crispy romaine lettuce as the friendly staffer can roll into the warm and fresh tortilla. Occasionally, I’ll order some chips, salsa and a cold bottle of beer to go with it (but only if I don’t have to go back to work!)

On most occasions though, I will get an iced tea and a story. A story you ask? That’s right. One of the most interesting concepts I’ve seen in recent restaurant history is Chipotle’s practice of highlighting special people and their stories on the cup. I’ve learned about the farmers who raise vegetables and the ranchers who deliver the naturally raised meats. I’ve learned about people that do business with Chipotle and even some people who have made an impression on Chipotle’s founder. I’d like to take some time to tell you about these truly interesting people, but then you wouldn’t get the whole experience. Chipotle Mexican Grill, 2415 East Baseline Road, 602-283-9500 (phone)
602-276-1917 (fax), Open 11am-10pm. Full menu including margaritas, specialty and domestic beer. www.chipotle.com.
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Mitch may be reached via email at mitch@hammesgroup.com. He is President and Founder of The Hammes Group, a Phoenix-based restaurant and hospitality services company. www.hammesgroup.com.

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