The Senior Scene

Mad Dogs Diner
21185 Hiway 410 E
Bonney Lake, WA 98391
253 891-8818
Hours 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily

Tucked into the middle of a strip mall on the 410 highway is Mad Dogs Diner. Doing business at the same place for 13 years, family run, it is a friendly, bright, retro eatery and pub serving good food and drinks. The walls are covered with snapshots of family dogs, (a message on the menu invites to you “Hang your pet at Mad Dogs”) fun to look at, and the black and white tile floor and red booths takes you back to a friendlier time. Alcoholic drinks are served at a long wooden bar separated by a heavy metal rail which adds to the charm of the restaurant. Service was prompt and friendly. This is a nice casual place to stop for a meal.

The extensive breakfast and pub grub menu is served all day, and the portions are large and tasty. We went at lunch time, but sampled the breakfast melt, which was thinly sliced ham, scrambled eggs and American cheese on grilled egg bread, served with home fries or hash browns at $8.75. We also tried the Short Stack of pancakes, two six inch pancakes at $3.99 and the Mushroom Cheeseburger, served open faced with sautéed mushrooms and melted Swiss Cheese, $9.99.

The pancakes were light and fluffy and came with really good maple syrup, which was nice since they were not too sweet.  The Breakfast Melt was very good, a large sandwich, with cheese dripping off the edges and lots of ham. The home fries were not greasy and there were a lot of them.  The Mushroom Cheeseburger was excellent, and was loaded with toppings, which included sautéed mushrooms under a good helping of Swiss cheese, which helped to keep the mushrooms on the hamburger patty. There was also lettuce, onions, tomato slices, and ketchup.  Delicious.  We substituted onion rings for the fries, and they were crisp and uniform in size.  There was plenty to take home, and we looked forward to having leftovers.

We did not have a shake or malt. But there was a steady stream of customers carrying out these delectable treats while we were there, in spite of the cold rainy weather.  Draw your own conclusions.

Service dog friendly, accessible bathroom, plenty of parking.

6108 Mt. Tacoma Drive SW
Lakewood, WA 98499
Hours: Monday – Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Phone: (253) 588-5777

The German Pastry and Coffee Shop in Lakewood is the perfect place for coffee and something sweet.

Located in the same building as well known Hess’s German Bakery, the German Pastry and Coffee Shop, run by Dominique and Sandra Lakaque since 1963, is the perfect place to satisfy your sweet tooth. The shop also sells great sandwiches and salads, but I was there for dessert. Bright and cheerful, with plenty of tables for even the largest group, the shop has two big displays. The first has cakes…beautiful delicate amazing cakes. No pies here, this is indulgence on a plate The second is full of Danish-type pastries. Less sweet, but perfect with the coffee I ordered.

We stood in front of the counters and tried to decide on one thing and then we quit trying. We ordered cheese cake ( rich and dense), fruit topped cake (a light cake with fruit and jam on top), marzipan cake (soft green fondant over layers of almond flavored cake and butter cream) chocolate mountain cake ( chocolate and cherry layers with cherries between the layers) and grenades ( a cake cone filled with chocolate butter cream and dipped in dark chocolate that look like chocolate Christmas Trees). We also ordered plain coffee cake (dense cake with crumb topping, not too sweet but buttery) peach danish ( flaky pastry with sweet filling) and almond layers ( flakey layers of almond covered pastry filled with sweetened whipped cream).

Nothing cost over $2.00 and the entire bill with coffee came to just over $18.00.

Katy, running the family-owned establishment for the morning assured us that everything was baked on site, as she brought plates, forks and coffee. Everything was delicious  and we loved it all. We took most of the rich desserts home but that just made the fun last longer.

Plenty of parking, service dogs welcome, accessible bathroom.

1455 Wilmington Dr.
DuPont, WA
(253) 912-4730
Monday thru Friday – 11am to 9pm
Weekends – 12pm to 9pm

Viva Mexico in Dupont, one of three family owned restaurants, has the décor of a souvenir shop in Tijuana, very cheerful and clean. Your eyes are entertained by examples of Mexican pottery, advertising props, and colorful wall décor. The water comes in big blue striped glasses, and adds to the feeling of a party. Chips and salsa arrived on the table but the chips were greasy and the salsa too watery.

An appetizer of a half order of nachos grande, was $6.99. These were not ordinary nachos, no heavy gloppy salsa, but were very fresh and enjoyable. There was plenty for the three of us. Nachos are an American invention, but everyone expects them at Mexican restaurants, leaving the ingredients to each establishment.

Our orders included one chicken chalupa at $7.50, chorizo con huevos, which is Mexican sausage and eggs, with soft flour tortillas at $7.75, and beef taco, enchilada and tamale at $11.25.  All orders came with refried beans and rice. We also had cajeta de leche, a pudding-like burnt cream dessert.  I found it too sweet and sticky, but others liked it.

The chalupa was the best meal with warm gently spiced chicken, two types of cheese, and a shredded lettuce salad. The chorizo con huevos looked like it had been dropped on the floor and then scraped up onto the plate The mildly spicy flavor, not even a bite on the tongue, was good, but a sweet note from an unidentified spice clashed with the chili powder and cumin of the dish. The tamale proved to be small and flat with a thin coating of the traditional masa which was inadequate and the enchilada sauce overwhelmed the whole plate. We were disappointed.

The restaurant and its bathroom was clean, accessible and service dog friendly.

Really good food, family operated, Pho PQ is a good place to go for a hearty lunch if you like big servings of soup. The place needs a lot of upgrading in the restaurant and bathrooms, but it is clean and bright. The sign outside says Pho Joy, so don’t be confused.

Pho, sort of rhymes with “duh”, is a result of French influence on Vietnamese cooking and culture in the mid 1800s. The basic soups are standard chicken and beef stock with lots of vegetables and meats, and at Pho PQ are not spicy at all. However, on the table are jars and bottles filled with fire! Chili, and soy and pepper. Add them to your taste and at your own risk.

We started our meal with fresh spring rolls at $1.75 each or 2 for $3.00. These were delicious, large, with rice wrappers, filled with noodles, lettuce, large shrimp, home made barbecued pork, and shredded carrot. Delicious, not spicy, peanut dipping sauce was provided. We tried the chili paste from the table, and it made my eyes water.

We ordered wonton pho, $8.95, with egg noodles, spicy pork wanton, onions, barbecue pork, bok choy, and shrimp. The meats were all at the bottom of the one-quart serving and the vegetables on top. You stir them together and get a mixture in each bite. Slurping is encouraged.

Crab noodle pho, $8.95,was also loaded with noodles, vegetables, and meats, and was rich and tasty. There are carry out cups for leftovers.

Also sampled was the spiced pork chop platter at $6,95. Two very thin, tender spiced portions of pork chop, on the bone, with a scoop of white rice and a salad, served with a very delicate fish sauce for the rice. It was very good, and plenty to eat.

Pho PQ is worth trying for a change of pace and big bowl of soup.

Pho PQ

10706 Bridgeport Way SW
Lakewood WA 98499
(253) 584-0229
Hours:
Mon-Fri 10 am – 9 pm
Sat-Sun 11 am – 8 pm

2 stars