All Posts in "Food, People"

Cheers Grill and Casino took over the old building that housed Happy Days Restaurant in Lakewood. The vintage cars and 1950s posters are gone, replaced by a sparkling sports bar with a venue for events and food I would never have expected. The change is remarkable, and since this is the fifth Cheers in Pierce County, management seems to have the recipe for success.
We sat near the windows but were more interested in the neon, pull tabs, electronic games and sporting events being shown on the 10 big TV s on the walls. A full bar, pool tables and rooms for larger groups were provided. There is handicap parking, but bathrooms were small.
There was a full menu with the usual burgers and beef offerings, but we wanted to try something that looked different so we ordered the Santa Fe Pizza ($9.95) and the California Wrap ($9.95). I had water but my companion ordered a Doctor Pepper for $1.99. The food was tasty, creative and like nothing we had before.
The pizza came on a Nan bread base. Nan is the Indian flat bread found with curry and lamb dishes. The toppings were sauteed red and green peppers, red onions, pepper jack cheese, and Philly steak shredded fine. It was perfectly cooked, the Nan was crisp and the seasonings were delicious. The steak and peppers were so tender each bite just melted in your mouth. This pizza was delicious.
The wrap was just as surprising and just as good. On a plate with a stack of seasoned crunchy fries, it was rolled in a bright orange corn tortilla and contained some of the most tender, flavorful turkey I have ever tasted. It also contained lettuce, bacon, tomatoes, avocado and mayo. The seasonings were again perfect, and we were so happy with the food that we asked who was cooking and our server, Keshia, said it was Jjust C.J.” and that both of them had been there since Cheers 5 had opened earlier in 2015.
There is a complete menu with steaks, chicken, and fish, but we were certainly happy with our choices.
If you go: Cheers is at the southern end of Bridgeport Way in Lakewood, in a large parking lot , just north of the Bridgeport exit from I-5.

Cheers Casino and Grill
15521 Bridgeport Way S., Lakewood
253-587-8862
Open at 11 a.m. daily, closes at midnight except Friday and Saturday, when it’s open until 2 a.m.

Carolyn Augustine, who writes the Senior Eats column for Senior Scene, is a freelance restaurant writer.

Carolyn Augustine by — July 14, 2015 in Food, People

If you are driving along Custer Road in Lakewood near the corner of Bridgeport Way and 72nd and see a silver building shaped like an old-fashioned diner, you are at Best Burger, home of good hamburgers and very good fish and chips, and famous for their fresh berry ice cream in season.
We were looking for a carryout fish and chips dinner and found this one-of-a-kind eatery online. Established in 1999, Best Burgers is family-run and has good, fresh food at reasonable prices. Drive up to the menu stand on either side of the building and pick out your dinner, wait and get your hot meal. On a nice day, walk up and get your order and eat at the picnic table in front. I love diners, and just being at Best Burger gave me a warm feeling.
We ordered fish and chips at $9.99, chicken sandwich at $6.99, and a Banana Mango Raspberry Smoothie at $3.99. Everything was cooked on site. The fish and chips was perfect. The three pieces of cod were lightly breaded and fried very crisp without any extra grease or oil dripping from each piece. The taste was mild and sweet, fragrant but not fishy, and the fries were nice and thick and also crisp without any fish taste, which indicates good, clean cooking oil is used. The meal came with tartar sauce and ketchup on the side.
The chicken sandwich came with a large grilled chicken breast, house dressing resembling thousand island, and romaine lettuce and tomato on a soft hoagy bun. The spices were tasty but not too hot, just enough to warm the tongue.
The smoothie was thick and rich and very mild-tasting; no one fruit was overpowering. Berry season is coming, and we will be going back for Best Burgers’ homemade ice cream.

IF YOU GO

Best Burgers
7714 Custer Road
Lakewood WA 98499
253472 – 0736
9 AM to 9 PM Monday through Friday
8 AM to 9 PM Saturday and Sunday

 

Carolyn Augustine, who writes Senior Eats for Senior Scene, is a freelance restaurant writer.

Carolyn Augustine by — June 16, 2015 in Food, People

Eating at The Grill at Chambers Bay Golf Course is an out-of-the-ordinary experience. The setting is spectacular, overlooking one of the most beautiful rustic golf courses in the country, the ambiance is interesting, being a combination of golf (it’s where the U.S. Open will be played in June) and northwest scenery, and the food is beautifully served, as well as being very good.
We watched golfers on the course as we ordered, and also enjoyed the view of islands, mountains and the Sound. Our server, Shunley, was attentive and was happy to answer questions and talk about the daily operation of the restaurant, which has been open since 2009, when the site of a former gravel pit opened as one of the foremost links-style golf courses anywhere. There is plenty of seating, they cater events, and bathrooms are very nice and accessible. Plenty of parking; watch for walking golfers.
We were seated at a window table and ordered French toast at $11, ham and bacon omelet at $11, coffee at $2.50, lemonade at $3, and blackberry pie at $6. When the food came, I was amazed at the size of the brioche (sweet, big French loaf) French toast. It was easily the size of my spread fingers, and very thick. Two large slices cut in half, with butter and warm syrup, were moist and fluffy and very good. The two sausage patties that came with it were hand-formed and rich, lightly spicy and tender.
The omelet was very big, threggs, with plenty of chopped ham and vegetables. The hash browns were well-cooked, with browning on both sides.
The coffee was good and rich, and the lemonade was fresh squeezed. The blackberry pie was actually a small pie, with a sugary, crunchy crust. It had a good amount of filling and came with vanilla ice cream.
We thought the food was very good, but I couldn’t finish the toast, even after sharing.

IF YOU GO

The Grill at Chambers Bay Golf Course
6320 Marine View Dr. W., University Place. (The entrance to the golf course is at the southern end of Marine View Drive. Turn west off Bridgeport Drive anywhere from 140th Southwest to 67th Southwest and watch for signs).
253-552-4868
Hours: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. to sunset, Friday-Sunday 7 a.m. to sunset. Reservations suggested. Closed to the public June 6-30 for U.S. Open

Carolyn Augustine, who writes the Senior Eats column, is a freelance restaurant writer.

srmedia by — May 20, 2015 in Food, People

We decided to find some authentic Mexican food, and the Taqueria el Antojo was mentioned as a place where the food was very good, at reasonable prices, and we tried it.
Located in a little strip mall at 56th and Orchard in University Place, the Taqueria takes up the entire west end of the strip. The restaurant has a front counter, a massive bar area, and seating for nearly a hundred in the main dining room. There is a large popcorn-style case near the counter, filled with self-serve nacho chips with a variety of sauces nearby. Bathrooms are accessible and spotless.
The menu is expansive, and we ordered three fish tacos at $3.96, three mixed papusas at $6.30, three beef tacos at $3.96, chicken tamales at $5.24, flan at $4.50, one bottle of Mexican Coca- Cola at $3, one Berry Sexy 4 You cocktail at $5.70, and one strawberry margarita at $5.70.
The fish tacos were my first, and the crisp fried fish portions were lightly seasoned and surrounded with fresh shredded cabbage and offered with a variety of sauces. No cheese came with any meal, which I thought was odd, but was reassured that not all Mexican food has cheese. The little street-style beef tacos were loaded with flavorful beef and came with sauces, and the tamale was loaded with shredded chicken and had a generous corn flour coating. The flan was a perfect, soft vanilla egg custard with caramel sauce. It melted in your mouth.
On this day, the three young women who were staffing the place seemed overwhelmed and we had trouble getting our drinks until we were almost ready to leave. Still, the meal was mostly so enjoyable, and the prices so reasonable, that I would recommend the Taqueria for authentic Mexican food.
Enter the strip mall off Orchard or 56th. Be careful parking, since the parking lot is on a gentle hill, and a disabled person might not notice. Large lot, plenty of parking.
IF YOU GO
Taqueria el Antojo
5502 Orchard St. W., University Place
253-212-0914
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to midnight

Carolyn Augustine writes the Senior Eats column for Senior Scene.

Carolyn Augustine by — March 31, 2015 in Food, People