Author: Sandi

Brie Mac and Cheese- 5

God bless Texas for having Mac and cheese on so many menus. But of all the ones I’ve tried so far this is my favorite. Just looking at this picture makes me long for this creamy bowl of heavenly deliciousness. Go get this now.

Addendum- I went back. Still awesome. Still a 5. Thank God!

Sautéed Garlic Green Beans- 4.5

Cooked perfectly and excellent flavor. And they are the perfect side to the Mac and cheese, which let’s face it is why I have been here several times…

Whipped Potatoes- 2.5

I’m not sure what went wrong here. There wasn’t anything bad about them, it’s just compared to everything else I’ve had, they were just kind of blah. The gravy, which I was initially thrilled to learn was actually vegetarian, is just ok and the potatoes themselves had a strange consistency.

Pimento Cheese Fritters- 5 (not pictured)

I wasn’t really interested in these but my date ordered them and WOW. The cheese is so creamy and the panko crust is amazing. Maybe we fought over who got the last one. And maybe I won…

Addendum- They are now pictured and holy cheese of cheeses are they still amazing!

House Fries- 3

They’re fine. Very basic, plain and salted. They weren’t bad at all! But there are so many amazing things on this menu, you just don’t need them.

Hen House salad- 4

This is Super tasty! The goat cheese and candied pecans are trendy and seen on a lot of menus but these are extra good some how. And I Loved the garlic cilantro dressing!

Overall, the service is excellent and the atmosphere is casual and relaxing. I will say that it is unsettling that there is an entire wall of chickens on one side of the restaurant but I usually sit with my back to it since inevitably the company I’m with has ordered a plate of fried chicken and ya know, ick. It is pretty cool though that even in a restaurant that specializes in chicken, all of the many sides are vegetarian, which our server told us was deliberate so there’d be something for everyone. 🙂

Addendum- So I have now been here 3 times and every time is awesome. Great service and great food. This time our server’s name was Jean. (That’s pronounced French like Jean Valjean from Les Mis.) Jean confirmed for us that even brand new servers to this establishment are expected to be super friendly and helpful and make sure diners have an excellent experience. Can’t wait to go back again!

Veggie Fajitas-3.5

So here’s one of the fabulous things about Mariano’s. You will never leave hungry. Ever. The portion sizes are generous and long before you start fighting over the last chips in the basket you will have another full basket WITH fresh salsa brought to your table.

The veggie fajitas are pretty good! I appreciate the freshness and they came sizzling to the table which is always fun to enjoy the looks of envy around you 🙂 All of the accompaniments were very fresh as well and the guac was good and chunky just like I like it. I know it will sound silly, but really the biggest let down was the size of the veggie chunks. The green peppers and onions were in strips but everything else was in large chunks which made building my perfect fajita a challenge. I obviously don’t have the patience during my hunger to cut the chunks into smaller bites so I’m forced to just throw them all in to the tortilla! Madness!

Fajita quesadillas- 4 (not pictured)

I definitely confused my server with this. “So you want cheese quesadillas?” “No thank you, I’d just like the fajita quesadilla without meat.” In the end it worked out and they were delicious.

Overall, Mariano’s has fantastic service and a relaxed, casual environment. Oh and don’t skip the frozen margaritas . They invented them, Literally.

Veggie Quesadilla- 3

Finally! Someone makes a veggie quesadilla that’s got more than 2 different vegetables! The veggies tasted fresh and it’s a generous portion. The guacamole was pretty good as well but I’ve definitely had better. The reason this didn’t get a higher rating is because although you wouldn’t know it from this pic, the quesadilla is pretty greasy.  Which left for a soggy bottom of each tortilla slice.

Overall, the service was slow but it was very busy and they had some large parties. The margaritas were awesome. (Try the mango margarita but skip the coconut one.) It’s super casual, great chips and salsa. I would go back, but there’s much better Mexican in our delicious city.

Pro-tip= If possible eat outside, the inside gets VERY loud and it’s hard to hear even the people at your own table.

Nuggz – Fried Mozzarella (not pictured) 3.5

They were interesting. Definitely not your typical mozzarella stick. For one, they’re not a stick. They are little round balls. And they give you a whole bowl of them!

Spangler Square- 5

This pizza is awesome. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. I am a pizza snob. Growing up in Jersey and going to school in NYC, I know what real pizza is supposed to taste like. This was pretty darn close to an authentic Sicilian pie. The crust is awesome. The sauce has just the right amount of flavor and it’s the kind of pie you just know you’re going to eat WAY too much of in one sitting but you commit anyway, because, ya know, YOLO.

Overall, service wasn’t that great, the hostess and our server seemed irritable and bored. But the atmosphere is enjoyable and casual and the pizza would definitely bring me back again.

Vegan hot dog- 4.5

I must first volunteer that it’s possible that part of why this hot dog is SO wonderful, is because I can actually get a hot dog at the ball park! But that admission aside, it really is VERY good! You can get it plain, you can get it with mustard or ketchup, you can add relish, you can get raw onion or grilled onions. You can add veggie chili! ( Also a fantastic topping on the nachos.) The only thing I’d steer clear of is the vegan cheese. The flavor is not bad at all, but it’s very runny and makes the bun pretty soggy. And let’s talk about the bun for a second. The bun, friends is the only reason this hot dog isn’t a 5. It’s just not very good, it’s bland and kind of crumbly. I was very tempted to get a bun at one of the real hot dog stands and put my veggie hot dog inside…But that’s just a little too much work I think we can agree.

Garlic Parmesan Fries- 4

I kept smelling this heavenly garlic at times during different games and never knew where it came from. Until today! Enter garlic French fries into my life. I love garlic. And you must love garlic to enjoy these, because they are garlic on steroids. You must insist that whomever is with you at the game also have some too because you will be offensive. But totally worth it 🙂

Vegan Top n Go Frito Walking Taco- 5

These are AMAZING. The pic doesn’t do it justice. My only regret is getting one to share. I could easily have housed these on my own. It’s got some heat to it from the chili so you’ve been warned. But ice cold beer helps that;) Seriously, these are awesome and one of those items that even the most cynical of carnivores would have to admit are just tasty as hell.

Caprese salad- (not pictured) 4.5

Ok ,so maybe I was so hungry that I forgot to take a pic of the app! Sorry! But this was excellent. And perfect sharing portion. Crisp flavorful tomatoes and wonderfully creamy mozzarella.

Mashed Potatoes – Roasted Garlic, Salted Butter 2.5

I know what you’re thinking. How can mashed potatoes be below average? I understand. It upsets me too. But the truth is, they really were! It may be hard to tell by the pic but what appears to be creamy is in fact a pool of butter. Now I like butter as much as the next person, but these were almost liquid and pretty greasy. The only reason they weren’t lower on my ratings is because the flavor was still good.

Grilled Asparagus – Salt, Pepper, Hollandaise 5

These were perfect folks. Cooked well,  excellent simple flavor. My date actually took more of mine once his were gone from his entree.  And the hollandaise sauce? OMG you could put that on anything!

Overall, elegant atmosphere, mediocre service. The waiter seemed distressed when I informed him that I’m a vegetarian.

I have plenty of steakhouses and meat-oriented establishments that I have had an incredible dining experience, however, for the cost? This was not one of them. So although the asparagus appetizer was awesome and I will miss the hollandaise sauce, it is unlikely I’ll be back.