Cheap Food Critic

5008 Maryland Way
Brentwood, TN 37027

Mon-Fri 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM & 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Sat 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm

The short time I’ve spent in the Nashville-area I didn’t see many Asian restaurants. So when I was recommended Soy Bistro for lunch I was a little skeptical. I did a quick Yelp search and notices that there were a decent number of reviews and it still had five stars. I was still a little suspicious. You don’t really see many place with that many reviews and still have five stars. So I have to try this place out for myself. I came here in a group of six right at noon so I was expecting to stand around waiting for people to leave but we were luck and got a table pretty quickly.

When you walk into this place you will notice the menu on your right side. Pick between their different tacos or rice bowls. I tried a little of both with a chicken traditional bowl for $6 (plus $2 for meat) plus tax and a beef taco Korean style for $2.50 plus tax. The taco came out first and was really awesome. Very reminiscent of Koi Fusion in Portland flavor-wise. The taco had bulgogi beef with some type of slaw on top. Much like Koi, this place was way above average but still playing runner up to Marination in Seattle for Asian style tacos. The rice bowl was really just fried rice. Again really delicious and above average. The rice was really moist and they gave you plenty of chicken. The portions for the rice bowl was pretty big. I was really stuffed after trying to finish the whole bowl.

My only complaint was that they close for two hours between lunch and dinner. I tried to come back around 4:30 PM the next day for a to go order; unfortunately, they were not open for dinner yet. Despite the weird closure times, I was pleasantly surprised to get such good Asian fusion food in this area. Seriously though, who would have known there would be this awesome of an Asian restaurant in Nashville, TN (Brentwood, TN to be exact).

Note – Very fast service. Great for a quick lunch.

Yelp – 5.0/5.0 Stars (51 Reviews)

123 Ewing Dr
Nashville, TN 37207

Tue-Thu 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Fri 12:00 pm – 4:00 am
Sat 2:00 pm – 4:00 am

I heard about Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack from Esquire magazine’s website for being in the running for the “Most Life-Changing Fried Chicken in America.” Ezell’s in Seattle ended up winning that honor but I wanted to see if the people at Esquire were right (it’s actually voted by the people not Esquire, so it’s more of a popularity contest).

As much as I enjoy Ezell’s fried chicken these guys have something very special going on here. But because of the location I can imagine people not wanting to come here. The single storefront location is located about ten minuets north of downtown Nashville in a pretty sketchy part of town. Buildings in the area are pretty decrepit (including the one that Prince’s is located in) and the people hanging around the area are characters to say least. I’ve been to worst places (like Newark, New Jersey) and was never scared for my life. You just have to mind your own business. I would however, recommend you get your food to go.

When you arrive in the restaurant you will probably see a crowd of people (normally half locals and half tourists) sitting and standing around waiting for their food. Make your way through them to the second counter where it opens up to the kitchen to place your order. Now remember your order number and find a place to stand/sit for the next 30-45 minutes. No joke. It’s going to be awhile. You maybe thinking is that worth it? Well, I would not be taking the time to write about it if it wasn’t.

So, what about the food? Well, in short…its amazing. I got the half chicken (hot) for $11. I’ve never had anything like this fried chicken before. It was saucy like chicken wings but still had crunch like normal fried chicken. I got my chicken “hot” and it was pretty hot even for me. So if you can’t handle heat get it mild or medium spiciness. Your order also comes with some Texas toast that helps to soak up some of the oil and sauce as well as a few slices of pickles (don’t know why these are included). The half chicken would have stuffed two people easily. I would also recommend you just get the quarter chicken for $5. That will fill you up plenty.

If you can deal with horrible service, long waits, and the shady neighborhood you will be treated to one of the best fried chickens you will ever have.

Note – If you want to spend less time in the store try calling ahead to place your order.

Yelp – 4.0/5.0 Stars (151 Reviews)

1075 Bellevue Way NE, Ste B-2
Bellevue, WA 98004

Mon-Sun 11:30 am – 3:00 pm
Mon-Thu and Sun 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Fri-Sat 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm

So I had heard rumors of an amazing Taiwanese restaurant in the Bellevue-area. So of course I had to make the trek to the east-side and try it myself. Coming here for the first time was quite an ordeal. The restaurant is fricking hidden and the the parking although plentiful was cramp. After circling the parking lot trying to ID this place and find parking were I would not get door-dinged, I ended up parking on the street behind the strip-mall. Once in the restaurant I realized I must have just missed the lunch rush. There was plenty of seating and plenty of waiters/waitresses just kind of hanging out. But once seated, they were all really attentive and made sure we had everything we needed including making sure my water was never less than half full (I’m a optimist).

The menu had a pretty large assortment of Chinese/Taiwanese dishes. So for my order, I recon’d the other patrons’ food. Everyone seemed to be eating the Pork Burger (not really a burger, it’s braised fatty pork in a bao) so I had to pick up one of them as an appetizer. I also ordered the Noodle with braised beef and a to go order of the Homestyle Egg Noodles.

I was super excited for the pork burger since everyone was eating it…it has to be good right? Correct! It was amazing. When you take your first bite you will get the peanut sauce right away. The braised pork will then shine through along with the cilantro. The bao/bun was also very soft, obviously fresh. For $3.70 it was a steal.

The Noodles with Braised Beef was also very good. It had a pretty strong garlic flavor but was manageable when eaten with the noodles. The contrast of the soft noodles and crunchy bean sprouts was also really nice. I would have like it to have a little spice to it though. But for about $7 for a filling and delicious lunch I can’t complain too much.

And my favorite item from this place…the Homestyle Egg Tofu with Mixed Veggies and Pork. I have to note that I’ve had egg tofu dishes at many other places restaurants but this one has to be my absolute favorite. The tofu was braised just enough to harden the outer layer of the tofu but still maintaining a soft inside. The sauce had a nice balance where it was savory without being too salty but also had a little sweetness to it as well. Texture-wise there was a nice with the crunch from the veggies with the softness from the tofu. On the high-end of $10 I almost did not write about this dish but after thinking about how good it was I had to do recommend it to everyone.

Yelp – 4.0/5.0 Stars (577 Ratings)

4543 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105

Mon-Sat 11:30 am – 9:00 pm
Sun 1:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Right in the heart of the Ave you will find one of the best Thai food places in Seattle, Thai Tom. Back in college I really didn’t get a chance to come here too often because the place is always so busy. Things have not changed too much in the last six years other than these guys are a lot busier then it was back in the day. The wait here used to be 20 minutes wait max but my last trip here I waited about 45 minutes for a to go order. So if you have the time and patience to come here you will be handsomely rewarded.

The place is typically filled with college kids looking for good cheap food. But even with five other Thai places just down the street it continues to be very busy. In addition to the place just being very popular it is also very very small. It seats 20 max and you will be stuffed in there right next to your neighbors. Getting food to go is the best choice for sure. The food is also cooked right in front of you with very little ventilation inside, so if you get it to go you will avoid getting your clothes smelling like Pad Thai.

I ordered the Pad See Ew with chicken for $8.75. It came with healthy portions of eggs, veggies, and noodles. It was a little skimpy on the chicken. Flavor-wise you’ll notice it is a little sweeter than most pad see ews but it is absolutely delicious. I also got the noodles with 4 stars spiciness and it was really spicy. These guys don’t joke around with the spiciness; scale down one star if you are getting any type of spiciness. I think it would have been a 5 star at any other Thai place but this was perfect for me.

I’m glad I had a chance to revisit this place and realized I would probably come here everyday if the lines were not so busy. But if it’s a 45 minute wait or I could go down a block and get Thai food almost as good with no wait…I think I would go with the no wait.

Note – The waitresses try their very best to provide good service but it’s so busy here that they forget a lot of stuff. Make sure to kindly remind them if you are missing anything.

Yelp – 4.0/5.0 Start (828 Reviews)

3221 SE Division St
Portland, OR 97202

Tue-Thu, Sun 11:30 am – 8:00 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am – 9:00 pm

I came here on a nice sunny day and the entire pod of food stands/trucks was super busy for dinner. Although a little out of the way from downtown Portland it was worth it to get this unique treat of a meal. Their specialties here are the arapas. You can grab any of them for $6.

I haven’t had much experience with Venezuelan food so was excited to try something new for a chance. I was recommended the chorizo and plantain arepa. However, with few high-quality plantains at the market that day the guy running the stand sold out before I got there. I was pretty disappointed but I can appreciate him wanting to maintain high standards for his food even if it is served from a food truck/stand. He recommended I try the Pork belly in a red chili maple sauce arepa. When I got the arepa it was presented beautifully like a piece of art (see picture below). It almost looked like an open faced sandwich made by Van Gogh. After taking a few glamor shots of the food I dug into the meat first. It was a good amount of spice with the really flavorful maple sauce. It also didn’t seem too greasy like most pork belly sandwiches. I next grabbed a piece of the corn bun that was soaking in the juices below. Wow!!! The corn bun, the maple chili sauce, and the pork belly runoff made a killer combo of flavors and textures.

Note – Credit cards are accepted here.

Yelp – 4.5/5.0 Stars (41 Ratings)

3201 4th Ave S
Seattle, WA 98134

Mon-Fri 10:00 am – 5:30 pm

Finally, a proper cheese steak with Cheez Whiz in Seattle! Its been about 6 years since I had the real deal in Philidelphia so I don’t really remember how the cheese steaks tasted out there. However, I do remember all the good locations didn’t use all that fancy-pants cheese and toppings. It’s all about the Cheese Whiz, meat, and onions (in some instances).

Having driven by this place many times I decided to do a little research on Yelp and Urbanspoon. The results…overall good but there really wasn’t much out there on these guys. Normally when there is a place serving up good food all the foodies flock to the location and jack up the number of review. So coming here I didn’t really expect too much based on my research.

Boy was I wrong. These guys are probably one of the most under rated food trucks in the area. I don’t really know why it’s not more popular…It could be because they don’t really participate in the mobile food meet-ups, or maybe it’s because they don’t really move from the SODO location, or maybe these guys are just are not as good at marketing themselves. Who knows?

Serving up really only 3 products: the Steak, the Cheese Steak, and the Pizza Steak. All three come with the delicious steak chopped up so fine that it’s almost like ground beef consistency (when cooked up) then stuffed in a long hoagie roll. The hoagie held together pretty well considering the amount of cheese and meat juices thrown in them. The meat could have use a little more seasoning (but that just my personal preference). No matter which menu item you get make sure you head to the sidebar and load up on the pickled peppers. I don’t know if the peppers are homemade or canned but they added an awesome little kick to the sandwiches.

During my trip to Philly Boys Cheesesteaks got the Cheese Steak with Cheez Whiz for a total of $8.50 after tax.

Note – Cash only and there is only one table. So get your food to go.

Yelp – 4.5/5.0 Stars (399 Reviews)

14314 Greenwood Ave N
Seattle, WA 98133

Tue-Sun 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Tue-Sun 4:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Whenever I’m craving dumplings in the north end this is my go to spot. Fu Man makes their dumplings fresh from scratch. The TLC in these little guys are obvious from the first bite you take (they are actually not that small…dumplings are bigger than the ones at Din Tai Fung). However, before you take your first bite make sure you do it right. The dumplings are best eaten hot and lathered in the plum sauce provided. Let the dumpling bathe in the sauce for a few seconds to soak in the sauce and cool down a little before taking your first bite. You will immediately taste the sweetness of the house plum sauce but the flavor from the pork and veggie filling will come through shortly after. After you got the process down repeat 11 more times

Lets say you are just not feeling the dumplings today, what else is good? Well, the dumplings are definitely the star of the house but there also a cast of supporting dishes that can be a very good alternatives. Such as the Fu Man Special Fried Rice and the Ma Po Tofu. The fried rice comes with a mix of veggies, shrimp, chicken, and beef. The rice is very moist and has a peppery taste that I have never had in fried rice before. Although very good, the fried rice is no match for Green Village’s House Special fried rice.

The Ma Po Tofu was also really enjoyable; it was light, spicy, and sweet all at the same time. It came with tofu (obviously), ground beef, a mix of peas and carrots, and sauce that taste very similar to the house plum sauce for the dumplings. I got the tofu with 4 stars and I thought that was the absolute perfect spiciness (just a little spicy tingle on the tongue but not so much that you cannot enjoy your food).

The location itself is pretty small. There are about eight tables and can probably fit no more than 24 people total. Parking is very limited in the front. However, drive around to the back of the building to find more parking.

In summary, depending what you are feeling you can pick up the Fu Man Special Fried Rice or the Ma Po Tofu for a little over $10 (after tax), or the Homemade Dumplings for a little less than $10 (after tax). If it is your first time here I would definitely go for the dumplings. And if you do, don’t forget to apply the technique above.

Yelp – 4.0/5.0 Start (240 Reviews)

Location: Truly a Mobile truck.  Track them down here

Hours: Hours are normally lunch time on weekdays and afternoons on Sat but to be sure check their Twitter.

A newcomer to the mobile scene but they have made a huge splash winning the 2011 Mobile Food Rodeo in Seattle.

I tried their Seattle Cuban, the Picadillo, and Collard Greens with Ham Hock. I really enjoyed everything except the Picadillo which is what people seem to be raving about. I’m not sure what it really was about that Picadillo that let me down. I came here with high expectations that may have caused some of the disappointment. Or it maybe the lack of salt on the Picadillo. To me, all it really tasted like was Chinese five spice with bay leaves.

With that out of the way, now for the good stuff. The Seattle Cuban was fricking awesome. I really love the mojo pork and the red onion relish. The bread was also pressed perfectly leaving a crunchy shell for all the juiciness within. The sandwich came with a mango sauce which I though was not really necessary since there were already hunks of mango inside the Seattle Cuban. Maybe it would add more to the regular Cuban sandwich, since it does not come with mango. When eating the sandwich it was messy; the layer of butter on the bread will drip everywhere. Make sure you grab a few extra napkins.

As for the collard greens with smoked ham hock (meat from pig legs)…man, this was good! I definitely didn’t grow up eating greens but having traveled all over the US I have come to really appreciate it. For one, collard greens comes from the same family as kale; so the stuff is good for you. But most importantly it’s just delicious stuff (if cooked right). Snout and Co didn’t do anything anything with the greens I haven’t had already but the execution of the smoked ham hock added to the saltiness of the greens was an amazing combo.

In the end there was a lot more good than bad at Snout & Co. I would come back here for the sandwiches and the collar greens any day but will probably skip Picadillo in the future. So your next trip here, pickup the Seattle Cuban for about $9 after tax and if you really want to splurge try out the Collard Greens Carne style with smoked ham for about $5 after tax.

Note – The location I went to was in the Trident Seafood Headquarters at 5303 Shilshole Ave NW (they are here from 11-2). This location is really hidden. I had to drive all the way around this huge complex to find the food truck next to the loading bay for the semi-trucks.

Yelp – 4.5/5.0 (31Ratings)

11728 Aurora Ave N
Seattle, WA 98133

Mon-Fri 9:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sat-Sun 10:00 am – 10:00 pm

Updated – New Physical Location:
5314 15th Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107

Mon-Sun 10 am – 10 pm

El Camion is doing it right up in North Seattle. Being on Aurora they are in stiff competition with many other Mexican Food trucks. These guys have maintained the authenticity that we all appreciate yet created an environment that anyone would feel comfortable coming to. The food truck is conveniently located in the North end of the Home Depot parking lot (where else can you get amazing tacos and a hammer). It has plenty of seating in the outdoor tent or on nice days in the uncovered tables. Parking is also plentiful and away from the Home Depot’s craziness (especially on the weekends).

As for the food, the quality of its meats and the other fillers are top notch. So far I have tried the Chicken Torta, the Adobada tacos (Marinated Spicy Pork), Fish taco, and Pollo Asada tacos (Grilled Chicken). I think out of all of these I really enjoyed the torta the most. The torta’s bread was super fluffy and crunchy on the outside where it was grilled. Plus the chicken is always seasoned really well. Honorable mentions for the Adobada and fish tacos also. Both would be great options if you didn’t want to stuff your face with the torta. One little disappointments here, the salsas/hot sauces are nothing special (average at best). My favorite green sauce is still from Rancho Bravo.

For a little more than $10 you can get the Chicken torta, fish taco, and a Adobada taco. Plus you can put it on your credit card.

Note – Although this location does not move these guys do have another truck that does. Find out where they are on Twitter.

Update (05/25/2013):
It seems to be the trend to start a food truck and then open a physical restaurant once you’ve made it. El Camion just joined the ranks of Marination and Skillet and opened a new physical location in Ballard. This location obviously has more seating but there will be lines at dinner. If you like the outdoor seating arrangements at the truck locations no worries because these guys have outdoor/patio seating as well. Another big big plus is that they serve beer. As for the food, it does seem to taste even better than the food truck. I had the Chorizo con Huevos Burrito for just about $7.00. It comes with egg,s chorizo, beans, rice, and cheese. It is so damn good. You just got to try it for yourself. Go get one.

Greenwood Location:
Yelp – 4.0/5.0 Stars (190 Ratings)

Ballard Location:
Yelp – 4.5/5.0 Stars (172 Ratings)

SW 5th Ave & SW Stark St
Portland, OR 97204

Mon-Fri 8:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sat-Sun 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Brunchbox is now one of my very favorite places to eat in Portland. Open pretty much all day every day it’s easy to come by get some breakfast or lunch sandwiches. It is a food truck but there are quite a few public benches you can use while eating…you will just have to fight the other lunch-goers and the local vagrants for them. But before you grab a seat, ordering here can be a little confusing so to help you out I have a step-by-step guide on how to order at Brunchbox:

Step 1 – Grab a placard and a sharpie posted on the walls of the food stand. You can find the breakfast on the left-side and the lunch sandwiches on the right-side.
Step 2 – Either select the set sandwiches of custom make your own.
Step 3 – Bring your card to the counter and pay for your food.
Step 4 – Wait patiently for about 15 minutes. It does take awhile to assemble these packages of goodness.

Not too difficult once you know what to do, right?

Well, I ended up getting the Redonkadonk based on some reviews online for $10. The sandwich came with lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, mayo, beef, cheese, bacon, ham, spam, and an egg all sandwiched between two Texas toast grilled cheese sandwiches. Yes, two grilled cheese sandwiches sandwiching all that protein! I know it’s a heart attack waiting to happen but it was so fricking good. This sandwich contains pretty much all the good stuff in life. How could it not be good? I would recommend everyone eat this sandwich! Make sure you bring a buddy and split it though. It is a whole lot of food.

I can’t wait to come back here and try some of the other sandwiches, like the Monstrosity (the Redonkadonk with more beef and bacon minus the veggies, egg, and spam) and their breakfast sandwiches.

Note – Credit cards are accepted here.

Yelp – 4.5/5.0 Stars (241 Ratings)