eXXXcellent!

Today I reviewed XXX Root Beer in Issaquah and I fell in love. I didn't think it would happen until junior high, but it did.

On decor of restaurant, I give it a 5! It was very retro and old school. There are huge gumball machines when you first walk in, but if you don't want to necessarily walk in, there is a walk up ice cream and milkshake bar open to the patio. Everyone seemed to be getting rootbeer floats. XXX makes their own rootbeer and they have had the same recipe since 1930. The walls and ceilings are covered with pictures, Coke stuff, license plates with puns and old items that I can't even name. There is a creepy doll called Howdy Doody. Don't even look at it. There is an old working juke box and it was very cool. They had oversized sunglasses that you can wear and my two friends and I all had fun wearing them. Pictures of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis surrounded me everywhere, and that is not really a bad thing if you really think about it. There was 50's and 60's music playing and it gave me an idea of what it was like back then. 

Here is the huge gumball machine...it stole 50 cents from me! Why me?

Walkup ice cream bar...

On friendliness of staff towards kids, I give it a 5! There were a lot of servers and they were really nice. They made sure we knew about the silly sunglasses and made sure we felt welcome. I could really tell that they like kids and were happy we liked it there. Whenever I asked for something, they were not annoyed in the least. Doesn't everyone need a knife, ranch dressing, more ketchup, more water....?

On service speed, I give it a 5! The food came out much quicker than I thought it would and everything was hot and crispy.

Root beer float...

Cheese balls...

Bacon cheeseburger with garlic fries...

Don't worry. I didn't eat this all myself! On taste of food, I give it a 5! The cheese balls were pure bliss. Basically they are just cheese rolled in batter and fried, but what is better than cheese or batter or anything fried? I'll tell you what is better, their bacon cheeseburgers. Like I said, I wasn't prepared to fall in love.  My life totally changed today. I never thought that I could have a burger this amazing. The soft sesame bun absorbed the delicious sauce. The bite with the burger, cheese, crisp pickles, lettuce, bacon and tomatoes was like a bite of pure heaven. The bacon was crispy and smoked and the burger was cooked to perfection. It was so delicious it is making my mouth water and I am at a loss for words. Just try it. The root beer float was a whole other story. It was even more special since the root beer is house made. It is very sweet and tingles your taste buds. They put a swirl of soft serve ice cream on the side of it and let me tell you, that made the whole drink. Hungry yet?

On appearance of food, I give it a 3. The floats are served with rainbow sprinkles and little toy animals on the ice cream which was kind of cool. Really though, what am I going to do with a tiny camel? Let it loose in my tiny Sahara Desert? The sprinkles looked like a party but didn't make any difference on the taste. The burgers looked sloppy, but not everything has to be super pretty to be super good. Like my hamster, he looks crazy but he is really sweet.

On price, I give it a 3.  The  burger and fries cost $13.00 and the floats cost $2.99. This is not too expensive but don't just come here with your Sunday allowance. Not that I get any. Thanks mom.

For an over all score of 26/30 (-: If you want to have this eXXXcellent root beer at home you can buy it in gallons to go. It's a CASH ONLY joint but don't worry, there is an ATM just in case. XXX Root Beer is a great place for kids. They have car shows on the weekends so it is a great place for dads too. Let's just say it is perfect for families. Take your family there and have an eXXXcellent eXXXperience, like I did.

It's Dinner Thai'm!

It's dinner Thai'm (ha ha) and today I went to Thai Kitchen in a strip mall in Bellevue. Let me tell you one thing that makes this place stand out from all the others, it is the first Thai restaurant to open in Washington and maybe that is why it is so delicious!

On decor of restaurant, I give it a 4. There was dim lighting and very calming music that made me feel very calm and collected. I felt like I was supposed to be in a spa and I love spas! There was a very nice and bright fish tank in the center of the place and it was loaded with tropical, colorful fish and neon coral. This made the tank look very clean and eye catching. There were booths without cushions, but it was not uncomfortable so I will let that one fly. In the center of the tables there were little flower pots with fresh pink flowers.

On friendliness of staff towards kids, I give it a 5! The servers were super nice to me. The waitress checked on us a lot but not too much. After we ordered, they made sure to check that our meal would not be too spicy.When I asked what ingredients were in the phad thai, the server actually talked to me about it. The woman's English wasn't great, but she spoke the universal language of friendship:)

On service speed, I give it a 4. The servers were very quick and all of our food was served hot.

 

 

 On taste of food, I give it a 5! I ordered chicken satay, chicken phad thai, and mango sticky rice for dessert. The chicken satay was warm and tender with the perfect combination of salty and sweet. I could tell the chicken was marinated for a long time and then grilled, and that made it taste amazing. It came with a sweet peanut sauce to dip it in. It was so good I could eat it with a spoon! It also came with pickled cucumbers, technically just called pickles, but these were not good. Most kids wouldn't like this sour flavor. The chicken phad thai had the softest noodles with a mouth watering sauce. The chicken was perfectly cut into bite sized pieces. It was all topped off with chopped peanuts. If you have a peanut allergy, don't eat here! The mango sticky rice dessert was so delicious I want to fall asleep and dream about it! I know it sounds weird, but believe me, it will be the best thing you have ever tasted. It had freshly sliced, juicy ripe mangos, and sticky rice covered in coconut sweetened condensed cream. The warm rice and the cold fruit made it melt in my mouth. All kids should try this, and I promise you that you will be dreaming about it too!

On appearance of food, I give it a 3. The food was served on pretty white dishes. Everything was served "family style" which means that it is meant for sharing. It looked nice enough but was average. They didn't do things to make the food look extra special. Even though it tasted extra special.

On price, I give it a 2. Each dish cost $8.95 and everything ended up being around $30. It seemed a tad bit expensive but maybe it was worth it.

For a grand total of 23/30. Thai Kitchen is a great place to have Thai food. If you have never had it before, it is "Thai'm", and don't be afraid to try something new! This is a family owned business that has been making the same authentic recipes for many generations. I have heard that there is "fish sauce" in all Thai foods. I don't want to talk about that or think about that. Nothing I had tasted like fish. Moving on...Thai Kitchen is extra good for kids because there is a playground in back of the restaurant, and Plato's Closet is in the same strip mall. Plato's Closet is a great place to find used vintage clothes. Don't forget the buttermints on the way out! Thai'm for me to head to bed, and dream about more mango sticky rice.