RGV Clubs » Restaurants

P. F. Chang’s in McAllen, TX

dparker — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:37:23 +0000

Drive by P. F. Chang’s in McAllen on any given weekend, and you’re likely to see an hour long line every time. Consequently, I expected the place to be pretty amazing, the way that a bulldog on a skateboard is pretty amazing. Ya know, a little wow factor. Otherwise, what the hell is everybody waiting for?

But instead of wow, I got hmm… that was ok.

The seating time was right around 35 minutes, which I suppose is acceptable for a busy restaurant in a popular shopping center. I was a little disappointed with the atmosphere of the restaurant, which I’ll admit wasn’t bad, but had the ambiance of an upscale cafeteria. If they ever open a Luby’s in China, this is what it will look like.

Table service was very good, and the food was delivered pretty damn quickly (under 15 minutes). The dishes (wok seared lamb and sweet and sour pork) were well prepared, and served hot. Overall, the meal was good. Not great, but good.

And that’s the rub. When it comes to food, there are only three things I’ll stand in line for: Bargain prices, buffets, & awesome food. Since P. F. Chang’s is neither a low-price fast food restaurant nor an all-you-can-eat establishment, I was really counting on some awesome food.

P. F. Chang’s isn’t bad, but it’s a little short on awesomeness.

RGV Clubs Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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P. F. Chang’s
3100 E Expressway 83
Mcallen, TX 78501
(956) 664-1516

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse in McAllen, TX

dparker — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:03:13 +0000

I really wanted to like BJ’s in McAllen since it’s right down the road from my house, and the line at P.F. Chang’s is goddamn ridiculous. The restaurant itself is nice enough with all the charm of your typical contemporary corporate owned American restaurant. Think Applebee’s with better interior design.

The seating time was very reasonable, and the table service was good. The food, however…sigh…

I went with the Grilled Burger Melt, and well, I’m really grasping for a more descriptive word, but mediocre isn’t harsh enough, and disaster is a bit much. Let’s just say it resembled something I would throw together in the middle of the night. Drunk. And I don’t mean that in a good way.

One more thing. The floor in the dining area will try to kill you. It seems to be covered with a thin film of grease or cooking oil. Maybe the janitor just used too much wax, but either way, you’ll want to wear non-slip industrial work shoes to avoid a potential trip to the hospital. Sure, stiletto heels are sexy, but head injuries? Not so much. They might as well just replace it with ice and let the servers skate to your table. It would be just as dangerous but far more awesome.

Overall, it wasn’t the worst dining experience I’ve suffered through. I’ll probably give it another shot in the near future, but BJ’s has a lot of making up to do.

RGV Clubs Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

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BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse
3200 Expressway 83
McAllen , TX 78501
956.687.2005
956.683.9153 FAX
Palms Crossing Shopping Center

Kumori

Admin — Thu, 18 May 2006 04:02:22 +0000

Pros
Contemporary decor and pleasant atmosphere with light jazz background music. Good place for a date or dinner with friends.

The food is good and the prices are reasonable.

Cons
Service at lunch time is hit or miss.

RGV Clubs Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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Kumori
400 Nolana St # E
McAllen, TX

Kokos Uptown Restaurant

Admin — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 03:55:44 +0000

Koko’s Uptown is the prettier upscale version of their popular downtown restaurant with exactly the same food. This is a good thing.

In fact when I compare enchilada plates at other restaurants, Koko’s is always my point of reference. So far, Koko’s is still on top, and I eat a lot of enchiladas.

Service is excellent, bordering on amazing, food portions are generous, and the prices are very reasonable.

Another bonus: Even when it’s busy, parking is good.

Cons
None (except that they’re not open 24 hours and located in my front yard).

Miscellaneous
There is no bar but they do serve alcoholic bevarages. This may be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your preferences.

RGV Clubs Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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6100 N. 10th St.
McAllen, TX
(956) 630-5656