Overpriced, Underwhelming - Me Thinks Not

23rd Street Brewery
3512 Clinton Pkwy
Lawrence, KS 66047
Phone: (785) 856-2337
Website: brew23.com

Other reviews were mixed, but you cannot make everybody happy, so we decided to give 23rd Street Brewery a try when some of my wife's classmates suggested we meet there for dinner. For a Monday night, they were pretty busy, why I am not sure because the food was only "fair" and the prices rather "high". 

Five of us had to cram into a booth for four, so our meal was rather claustrophobic. The server was very nice and came quickly to take our drink orders. I tried a pint of their Bitter Professor IPA ($4.75) which, by the way, was not nearly as dark as the photo on their website indicates. It was very good with a robust hoppy, bitter taste indicative of a good IPA. I tried their More Cowbell Milk Stout (also $4.75) later in our meal. I love stouts, but this milk stout was not at all "milky" or as smooth as some I have had in the past, having a "burnt" taste as if someone had left the malt and barley unattended during roasting. I cannot imagine that it was intentional because it was not pleasant. One thumbs up, one down.

On to the food. The food is not abundant and the prices a bit high for what we got. I ordered the French Dip sandwich, advertised as 8 ounces of sliced prime rib "stuffed into a French loaf" with horseradish sauce, Swiss cheese, a side of beef au jus and seasoned fries. ($12.49). The first thing I noticed was the size of the sandwich, coming on a bread roll about the size of a hot dog bun, not a "French loaf". $12.50 for this I said to myself? I think the advertised "8 ounces" of beef was also a bit of a stretch, but it did overwhelm the diminutive bun and making it look like there was more meat than there was. The meat was flavorful and the fries crispy, hot and tasty, but the sandwich was a disappointment and the plate would have been a much better value in the $7 to $9 range.

My wife went with the Max's Mac & Cheese, advertised as "shell pasta in a creamy mozzarella, provolone, and cheddar cream sauce ... baked and topped with bread crumbs" ($12.99). Again, the portion was small for $13 considering that was all she got (a side salad is $3 extra), a plate of pasta with very little cheese sauce. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese has more flavor and I can buy a box of it for about a buck, so that tells you what a poor value this dish was. The dish was dry and flavorless.

I saw on their website that they have a "Mug Club" and their advertised Monday Night Special was a 24 ounce schooner of draft beer for $3.50 - for Mug Club members. However, I could find no information on this "Mug Club" on their website or menu nor did our server mention anything about it. So when she returned with my 16 ounce, $4.75 IPA, I enquired. She told me that for $50 a year "our regular customers" get discounts on beer. Well, I am not a regular customer and very likely will not be, so I guess $5 for a pint was not a bad price. Our bill came to a little over $38, $46 including tip, for two beers, a sandwich, and small plate of pasta, a poor value even in comparison to the routinely underwhelming and overpriced cuisine of Lawrence, Kansas.

Guess I will go to the liquor store, buy two good $1.50 to $2 bottles of beer ($9-$12 per six pack), and enjoy a couple boxes of Kraft Mac and Cheese at home with my wife next time, saving $42 in the process.


CombatCritic Gives 23rd Street Brewery Four Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "Elite '14/'15"

TripAdvisor - "Top Contributor" 

Tabelog - "Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - "Super Foodie"

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: Overpriced, Underwhelming - Me Thinks Not

Key Words: 23rd Street Brewery, 23rd, 23, street, brewery, beer, micro, Lawrence, Kansas, mug, club, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor

Translation: BOHICA - Bend Over, Here It Comes Again

Alcoholic Root Beer? No Warning? No Apology!

Dempsey’s Burger Pub
623 Vermont St
Lawrence, KS 66044
Phone: (785) 856-5460
Website: dempseyslawrence.com
Prices: $$$$

Root Beer - 5.9% Alcohol By Volume

This is an update to my previous review which was selected "Yelp Review Of The Day". The burgers and fries are still good, maybe the best in town, but this visit was fraught with issues. I hate to replace a previous stellar review with this, but I have been left no choice.

First, between the AC and the fans, it was quite a bit too chilly. Pick one or the other, you do not need both. Go with the AC.

Second, my wife ordered a "root beer" and our server brought her a "Not Your Father's Root Beer" which is actually an alcoholic beer (5.9% - $4.50). Fortunately, my wife is not a recovering alcoholic or a Muslim. but she does not drink alcohol and that is a huge problem. So much for our designated driver!

Read The Fine Print Before You Drink!

Third, when I explained to our server that my wife does not drink alcohol and that they should warn people about the alcohol in the root beer, she did not seem the least bit concerned ... which should be a BIG concern for management. No apology, no nothing.

Finally, I was more than a bit dismayed when told that they had no dill pickles. What kind of burger joint does not have dill pickles? They have "sweet" pickles, but they just do not belong on a good burger, so I passed. So sad.

CombatCritic Has No Choice But To Downgrade Dempsey' Burger Pub To 6 Bombs Out Of 10 For Their Various Faux Pas ... More Bombs Are Better!

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "Elite '14/'15"

TripAdvisor - "Top Contributor" 

Tabelog - "Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - "Super Foodie"

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Truffle Fries - $5

Shroom And Swiss Burger Minus The Swiss Add Cheddar No Pickle 'Cause They Don't Have Dill - $9

Portobello Burger - $9?

$4.50 for a root beer? Oh, there's alcohol in it? What if I were Muslim?

Title: Alcoholic Root Beer? No Warning? No Apology! 

Key Words: Dempsey's Burger Pub, Dempsey's, burger, hamburger, pub, bar, fries, truffle, French, food, beer, root, drink, Vermont, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, Lawrence, Kansas

Big Pizza Plus Little Pints Equal Mild Disappointment at Johnny's Tavern West

• Johnny's Tavern West
• 721 Wakarusa, Ste 100
  Lawrence, Kansas 66047
• 
  (785) 843-0704
• johnnystavern.com

Price: $$$$$

A tentative review, I was invited to Johnny's last night by some new friends and did more talking than eating and drinking.

I was warmly welcomed by the lovely bartender who attempted to help me find my party. Once found, I imbibed in a couple pieces of sausage and pepperoni pizza and a glass of draft IPA.

The pizza was the right thickness and consistency for NY style pizza, standing up well to the sauce and remaining firm enough to eat by hand. Cheese to sauce ratio was right on although the sauce had an odd taste that was slightly off-putting. The toppings were abundant and delicious.

The IPA, oddly enough, came in an unusual glass, maybe 12 ounces instead of the "pint" I was expecting. IPA is uniquely English and should come in a pint glass, preferably AN ENGLISH PINT which is a little over 19 ounces as compared to the whimpy US pints (16 ounces) we colonials have somehow become accustomed to. It was tasty enough, but another 4 to 7 ounces would have quenched my thirst much better.

Our young blonde server was very sweet and attentive, a former swimmer with an engaging personality and a keen eye for empty glasses. She hovered around just enough to keep everyone happy, removing waste as she came and went. The service was excellent!

CombatCritic Gives Johnny's Tavern West a Tentative 5 Out of 10 Bombs with room to grow ... MORE BOMBS ARE GREAT!












Follow CombatCritic on Yelp and Read More About Johnny's Tavern West

Key Words: Johnny's Tavern West, Johnny's, tavern, west, Lawrence, Kansas, Wakarusa, 6th, street, pizza, beer, ale, IPA, food, eat, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value

Deliciously Greasy Burgers, Cold Beer ... And Air ... Yummy Truffle Fries - Must Be Dempsey's!

Dempsey's Burger Pub
623 Vermont Avenue
Lawrence, KS 66044
(785) 856-5460
DempseysBurgerPub.com
Price: $$$$$

I was a bit reluctant to try Dempsey's after reading recent reviews by my Elite '14 brothers and sisters in Lawrence, Kansas saying that "things have gone downhill" and that the burgers are "greasy", but heck ... don't burgers and grease go hand-in-hand? I am sure glad we gave 'em a shot!

Don't want to gross you out, but in preparation for two scopes being inserted into my body, one in each end so to speak, two days later and the inevitable PREPeration (H), I knew I would not have a decent meal for at least 36 hours, so a big greasy burger and basket of truffle fries sounded pretty darn good!

The place is a local haunt for KU (college basketball powerhouse University of Kansas) students and this particular Tuesday night in Lawrence was no exception. With about half of their burgers being offered at half-price ($4-$5 a pop) to students, I know why they were busy. But a pub with just 5 or 6 draughts available on-tap was a bit unusual.  I ordered an O'Dell (not O'Doules) IPA and at $4.50 for a British-size pint it was a good value with a strong, rich, hoppy flavor as all good IPAs do.

Mushroom, Bacon, Swiss Burger

We decided on a Mushroom, Bacon, and Swiss burger ($9), a House Burger with Bacon and Cheddar ($8.50), and a basket of Truffle Fries ($4).

The fries were plentiful and awesome! Lightly salted, the hand cut fries were sprinkled with Parmesan (parmigiana in the old country) cheese, parsley, and accompanied by no less than 6 different sauces (catsup, spicy mustard, old bay and tomato coulis aioli, sweet chili aioli, truffle cream, and roasted garlic aioli ... all made from scratch). We barely made a notch in the basket, taking half home for my wife to eat the next night while I fasted in prep for the next morning's procedure under the influence of "Milk of Amnesia".

House Burger with Bacon

As usual, on my first visit to this and many other restaurants, I ordered the simplest burger on the menu, the "House" cheeseburger ($7.50) medium-well with cheddar cheese, a big piece of butter lettuce, two thick slices of tomato, homemade dill pickle, and both grilled white (as I had asked) and raw red onion. I added bacon for an extra buck, well cooked but not too crispy. The bun was nicely toasted, looking like a "pretzel" bun even though that was not the way it was described on the menu. The burger was in-fact greasy, but perfectly so, thick, and cooked just as I had ordered it. The bun was in a bit of disarray by the time I finished, but held together until the last bite, keeping my hands relatively clean although I did go through about 20 of the rather thin napkins supplied on the table.

The Bacon Mushroom Swiss Burger ($9) comes with sauteed shitake and portabello mushrooms, Gruyere and Swiss cheeses, and Applewood bacon on a toasted pretzel bun. Unfortunately, on this particular night at least, the bun was not toasted and, in-fact, was slightly cold to the touch. The burger was delicious nonetheless, an 8 ounce patty cooked to perfection with melted cheese oozing out of the side of the bun.

Basket O' Truffle Fries  ($4)

The service was very good, especially considering the large, energetic crown consuming burgers along with mass quantities of beer. The place is a bit of a dive, plain with lots of rough wood and glass, making the room rather chilly, particularly next to the window on a cold winter night where we needed to keep our coats on during our meal. Who knows, maybe KU research indicates that beer consumption is inversely proportionate to the temperature of the room?

CombatCritic Gives Dempsey's Burger Pub A Solid 7 Bombs Out of 10 ... BOMBS ARE GOOD!

Key Words: Dempsey's Burger Pub, Dempsey's, burger, hamburger, pub, bar, fries, truffle, French, food, eat, beer, drink, Vermont, Lawrence, Kansas, CombatCritic, TravelValue

Nothing Is Free at Free State Brew Pub Where a Terrible $6 Burger Costs $9!

Nothing Is Free at Free State Brew Pub Where a Terrible $6 Burger Costs $9!

Free State Brew Pub

636 Massachusetts Street

Lawrence, Kansas 66044

(785) 843-4555

http://www.freestatebrewing.com/brewpub/

Mon-Sat: 11am-Midnight

Sun: Noon-11pm

Small Bar with Beer Barrels Behind

Free State Brewery … Free State Brewery … that is all I have heard since moving to Lawrence in August … “Free State Brewery”.  I have tasted some of their micro brews and they are excellent, but every time we wanted to try the food, the place was jam-packed.  Now I know why while at the same time wondering … WHY?

The reason WHY people are always outside the door on Mass (Massachusetts Street – Downtown Lawrence, Kansas), I now know, is because there is so little room inside.  The massive aluminum brewing barrels occupy a large percentage of the interior space, leaving room for a small bar and maybe 10-15 tables.  There appear to be more tables upstairs, but the rather large space is dominated by the massive beer making equipment, leaving much less room for patrons.

The reason WHY I wonder what makes this establishment attractive to their many customers is because our recent dining experience was UNDERwhelming!

We were walking down Mass last Saturday night looking at the Christmas lights and considering stopping for a bite to eat.  As we made our way north to the 700 block, I noticed that there was an absence of humans outside of Free State Brew Pub, so we went in.  We were quickly seated at a small table next to the bar and a four-top occupied by two attractive young lovebirds.  Let me digress for a moment …

What I am about to say is a generalization, but it is an observation that has become more and more frequent of late.  This lovely couple was sitting next to each other, he with his legs propped up on the chair across from him as if he were lounging in his apartment, not a restaurant full of people.  When they did not have their tongues in each other’s ears, they were both simultaneously buried in their cell phones, eagerly texting away, probably to each other!  I call it “social dystrophy”, the inability of many people, particularly the younger generation, but not exclusively, to communicate effectively with fellow human beings.  If interested, you can read more in my article “Social Dystrophy: Are Technology or Values to Blame”.

Brewery Burger with Cheddar and Fries - $8.80

Back to Free State Brew Pub.  The place was full, but not packed, yet the noise-level was high.  After 20 years in the Air Force working around very loud jet engines, my hearing is not great and I had a hard time hearing my wife from across the small table.  Wood and glass dominate the large open room, the lighting not too bright and not dim, making the setting comfortable except for the decibel-level.

Our server, a nice young man who never mentioned his name, arrived promptly to take our drink order.  I decided to go with one of two stouts ($4 for an American pint) on the menu, I tried the other later, a flavorful thick, rich chocolaty concoction that was complex, yet smooth.  The second, an oatmeal stout, was also very tasty and smooth with less complexity than the first, but it was delicious.

I ordered the Brewery Burger medium-well with cheddar cheese, figuring a brew pub would have a top-notch burger, especially at $8.25 “without cheese”.  The menu states that it is a “1/3-pound patty of Kansas pride, Creekstone Farms seasoned premium charbroiled ground beef on an onion bun, slice of onion, leaf of lettuce and a pickle spear. Hot fries stand ready to complete the feast.” Adding Provolone, Blue, Swiss, Jack or Cheddar cheese is an extra 55¢, bringing the price to nearly $9. 

When our order arrived, I was shocked by the size of the hamburger and not in a good way.  The plate was dominated by overcooked French fries that sat upon a single flaccid piece of wilted lettuce, NO ONION, and a small dill pickle spear hidden under the fries, leaving the small onion roll containing the meat and cheese.  That was it, a beef patty the size of a McDonalds ¼-pounder and cheese, no mayo, no catsup, no tomato, NO TASTE!  First of all, the beef patty was medium or medium-rare, pink throughout and NOT medium-well as I had ordered.  I added some catsup out of the bottle and rather than ask for some tomato or onion, deciding to eat it as is and thinking that maybe they knew something I did not … that it should be eaten this way, it should not!

Based on value, this was one o

f the worst hamburgers I have ever eaten … and people wait outside in the rain and cold for this?  Five Guy’s burgers, at less than $6, are eons better than this sad excuse for a hamburger and even (dare I say it?) Burger King’s Whopper is tastier, cheaper, and COMES WITH ONION AND TOMATO!

Gorgonzola and Mushrrom Gnocchi - $9.99

My wife had the Gorgonzola and Mushroom Gnocchi - $9.95 – consisting of Shiitake and button mushrooms sautéed with julienne red onions, then simmered in a creamy Gorgonzola white wine sauce with fresh made potato gnocchi and finished with sliced black mission figs, local micro greens and toasted rosemary focaccia.  Her dish was attractive and flavorful enough, except for the fact that the red onions had not only been caramelized, they had been burnt.  The burnt onion flavor overwhelmed the otherwise tasty, creamy Gorgonzola and white wine sauce which had just the right amount of the strong cheese which can be overpowering if not done correctly.  The gnocchi were cooked perfectly, not too soft and not too firm, making the dish a decent value except for the fact that the burnt onions ruined it.  For $10, a side salad would be nice considering the fact that sandwiches come with a choice of potato or salad, but that is not the case.

I honestly have no idea why this place is so popular other than the fact that it may have become “the place to be seen” by the local college crowd, the same folks that give Chipotle 4 out of 5 stars on Yelp.  The beer was very good, the food extremely disappointing.  Based on our experience and the few available options on the menu, I doubt if we will be back except to have a beer, but based on the size of the bar and the usual crowds, I also doubt if it will be worth the wait.

CombatCritic Gives Free State Brew Pub 5 Out of 10 Bombs … BOMBS ARE GOOD!

Key Words: free, state, brew, pub, brewery, beer, food, hamburger, stout, pasta, gnocchi, cheese, French, eat, drink, Lawrence, Kansas, Massachusetts, downtown, CombatCritic

The Mad Greek ... Good Greek Cuisine, Moderate Prices

The Mad Greek ... Good Greek Cuisine, Moderate Prices

Mad Greek Restaurant

907 Massachusetts

Lawrence, KS 66044

http://www.madgreekrestaurantlawrenceks.com

Phone: 785-843-2441

If you like arsenic poisoning, you will love the Mad Greek in downtown Lawrence! Seriously, this restaurant is actually pretty good and reasonably priced. The reason I made that comment is because they seem to serve rice and green beans with EVERY dish and rice has been linked to high arsenic content with recommendations, according to OneGreenPlanet.org and others, to limit rice consumption to once a week among other precautions.

Greek "Side" Salad

On our first visit to The Mad Greek, my wife ordered the spinach pie ($7.99), spinach and feta cheese with herbs baked in a light phyllo dough with tzatziki (a creamy cucumber sauce used extensively in Grecian cooking) and fresh pita bread. The spinach pies were light and flaky with a perfect ratio of filling to crust. For the price, I would think a salad would be included, but you must pay $1.99 to add a Greek salad ($1.59 for "house" salad) to any entrée. My wife and I both ordered a Greek salad with our meals and at $1.99 extra, not a bad deal considering the quality. Fresh romaine lettuce, tomato, Greek Calamata olives, and crumbled feta cheese in a Greek olive oil and vinegar dressing. I would prefer chunks of feta over the fine crumbles, but the taste is the same either way…very good.

Moussaka with Pita Bread and Fries

I ordered the gyros platter, a reasonable ($9.99 - not abundant) amount of sliced gyro meat (a combination of seasoned beef and lamb), pita bread, tzatziki, green beans, and rice (of course). The gyro meat was fresh and tasty, and the tzatziki delicious, but the pita bread was a little too soft for my taste. The green beans were simmered in a tomato sauce and were "OK" and the rice was similarly boring, but I am not a huge rice lover. I ordered a side of french fries ($2.99), which were hot and crunchy just the way I like them, but I will probably ask to substitute fries for the rice and green beans on our next visit.

On our second visit it was my wife's birthday, so I ordered the "flaming" saganaki, a slab of fresh Greek goat cheese soaked in batter, deep fried, and served in a flaming extravaganza table side. The "oohs" and "aahs" of fellow customers followed the lighting of the cheese, but at $7.99 the dish was overpriced by AT LEAST $2.00 in my opinion, coming with one slice of pita bread (cut into six pieces). The birthday girl ordered the moussaka, one of her staples (along with Greek salad) during our month-long visit to Greece in 2005. The moussaka - eggplant, ground beef and other ingredients covered with a béchamel sauce and baked - looked as though it had been sitting for a while and the serving was small, a cube no more than two and a half inches in diameter and at $9.99, about one quarter of the size of servings we received in Greece. The moussaka came with pita bread, rice and green beans, so my wife substituted french fries at no additional charge. She did not like it and I thought it was very "average", being overpriced for the serving size.

Cannelloni Florentine

I decided to try one of the Italian offerings, so I ordered the cannelloni Florentine, pasta tubes stuffed with veal, spinach and seasonings then baked after being covered with alfredo (white) and red sauce. The cannelloni was actually pretty good, but the sauces were both rather boring, most likely coming from a can or jar, not homemade. Again, we had to pay $1.99 each to add a Greek salad and mine came with two small pieces of garlic bread ($9.99 for pasta and bread, $11.98 including the salad, not bad, but NOT A GREAT VALUE).

Wine is reasonable at $3.50 per glass for the house wine, a tasty, inexpensive burgundy that went well with both meals. They have a full bar and prices seem fairly reasonable with a decent selection of drafts at $3.99 to $4.59 (stout). Water is served wit a lemon slice, but I had to ask for refills, something that should not have happened considering the small number of customers that night.

The Mad Greek has original Greek recipes and decent food, but the value for the price is questionable. Ordering "ala carte" should be reserved for restaurants with cloth napkins and severs who take your payment rather than making customers stand in line to pay our bills (as is the case at The Mad Greek). I would recommend including a Greek salad with entrees and maybe increasing the price by fifty cents to a dollar to offset the cost and having servers handle payments as is done in even the cheapest sit-down restaurants these days. People should feel as if they are receiving a "good value" for their money and NOT feel like we are eating at McDonalds after having spent $25 each for dinner.

CombatCritic gives The Mad Greek 6 Bombs Out of 10 ... Bombs Are Good!
 

Key Words: mad, Greek, Greece, restaurant, gyros, moussaka, mousaka, phyllo, pita, bread, souvlaki, tzatziki, hummus, food, eat, wine, beer, CombatCritic, Lawrence, Kansas