Friday, January 28, 2011

Red Hot and Blue Bar b Que

2175 Marlton Pike West
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002

We met friends at Red Hot and Blue in Cherry Hill the other day for lunch.  When deciding where to go, BAJ chose this from the list our friends gave us because, as he said, "I'm always up for some Bar Bee Que!"  It turns out, he had a conference at the attached Holiday Inn, and had eaten here before.

For a hotel restaurant, it definitely doesn't have that hotel restaurant vibe.  It feels much like any chain restaurant or sports bar (lots of tvs, in fact, a lot of people were there to watch the big football game on that day).  Yet, because it was so early, the restaurant was nearly empty.  Perhaps this was the reason we had such good service, but it's worth mentioning that our server was very attentive, helpful, and smiled saying "it's no problem, really!!" when I apologized for my young son's mess.

It's hard to comment on the kid-friendliness of a restaurant when there really aren't many people there, but they do have a kids' menu as well as coloring and crayons for the kiddos.

As far as the food--it's pretty middle of the road.  It's not something I'd rave about, and it's not something I'd complain about either.  We all enjoyed our meals, but my husband and I like the chain BBQ place down the street better.  We were so happy when we saw a variety of BBQ sauces on the table, but no one in our party thought they were so exceptional.  Again, if you're stuck in the Holiday Inn or at a conference and have to eat quickly, Red Hot and Blue is quite serviceable, but in an area with a ton of dining choices, this is definitely not a place I'd choose to go to when you can go elsewhere.

Red Hot and Blue BBQ Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

 (908) 756-7770
5020 Hadley Center Dr
South Plainfield, NJ 07080


Like so many others, I've heard wonderful things about Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and so wanted to give them a try.  Alas, a look at their menu shows they really only serve what the name says--burgers and fries.  With a husband who doesn't like the taste of beef, I knew I wouldn't be bringing him here.

So, he's working late and I took a different kind of date to Five Guys; two little boys under the age of four.  My three year old and I split a cheeseburger; Five Guys has two sizes of burger:  "Burger" and "Little Burger."  The difference is that the Burger has two roughly 3oz patties while the Little Burger has one.  I chose a Cheeseburger for the two of us to share.  It was just the right size for the two of us, especially considering how badly the little guy wanted to dig into that cup of fries.  I'll turn to the fries in a minute.

I really like restaurants like this; ones that allow you unlimited toppings.  I went pretty typical:  mustard, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, relish, and I requested sauteed mushrooms on the side (though Little Man went for those too).

This burger is deserving of the hype.  It was really really tasty, not at all fatty or tough, and very messy.  And the price of around $6.50 certainly beats any of the chain restaurants, which would also charge you extra for additional toppings.

The fries were really delicious too.  I do wish they had a smaller size than their small because we threw away about half the container.  Definitely enough fries, though, for my fry loving self and my little buddy.  I chose to dip mine into bbq sauce, which was a great choice, but they also have malt vinegar around because these fries are the kind I just know malt vinegar would be great on as well.

For some reason, I thought they also had shakes here, and sort of jazzed myself up for a strawberry shake.  I guess I was thinking it was Cheeburger Cheeburger or something.  At any rate, I really  like Five Guys, and hope to twist hubby's arm into starting to like beef.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries on Urbanspoon