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4306 Pacific Hwy E
Fife, WA 98424
(253) 922-5599

Open Feb. 1 to Nov. 30
M-Sat: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sun 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

On a nice Saturday we were driving down Pacific Highway in Fife when we saw a line of people standing out front of what appeared to be a hot dog stand.  Being a lover of a good frankfurter, in a few minutes I was parked outside of the Pick-Quick Drive-In, a tiny establishment with a big reputation that goes back 63 years. They have a walk up window, a basic menu of hot dogs, hamburgers, shakes and fries, lots of parking and picnic area with about 20 tables. You need a little patience since the line can be two dozen people deep. If they are busy, be sure to check your order before you leave the window because the three women taking orders and cooking are friendly but frazzled.

We had fries two ways, with chili (lots of mild meaty chili) for $3.65, and plain for $2.05. The fries are hand cut, thin, with skins on, and very tasty. We had a Polish Coney dog at $4.40, a plain Polish hot dog and a plain hamburger at $2.65. The Coney dog was a good spicy dog with lots of chili, cheese, and onions on a big soft roll.. The flavors blended in a moment or two as the heat from the hot dog and chili melted the cheese and warmed the onions. The plain hot dog was pretty standard but big. I got the plain hamburger just to see what a basic burger was, and it was a commercial patty on a very good hamburger bun. We had a mountain blackberry shake at $3.01 that was thick and tasted just like blackberries.

If you are in Fife and you are not in a hurry, eating at the Pick Quick is a lot of fun, inexpensive, and pretty tasty. They have a big fancy new restaurant in Auburn, but I like the casual atmosphere of the Fife Store.

Wheel chair accessible, no indoor seating.

Carolyn Augustine by — July 3, 2012 in Food, People

Carr’s Restaurant and Bar
11006 Bridgeport Way SW
Lakewood, WA 98499
253 584-4622

Monday-Thursday
6 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Friday
7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Chris and Ellen’s Carr’s Restaurant is fun. In the 4 ½ years it has been open, the restaurant has become a local favorite in the community. The walls are covered with automobile memor-abilia and the chairs at the tables have a Hawaiian theme, giving you the feeling you are on vacation.
The menu has breakfast, sandwiches and entrees, at prices from $1.49 for an egg to $20.99 for a big steak dinner.

The portions are very generous, and the service is friendly but during a busy lunch or dinner hour be prepared to wait. I went at 12:45 p.m. and food came in ten minutes.

I ordered the Hummer at $13.99, and substituted onion rings for French fries for $.99. This is a huge hamburger, which can easily serve 4, with a pound of meat, lettuce, pickle, tomato, cheese, bacon, onion, mushrooms, and mayo. I added ketchup. It was eight inches across, with a six inch sesame seed bun, and a patty an inch thick, with a total thickness of five inches. I measured. I tried the medium well done burger and it was delicious. Juicy, crunchy, with lots of different flavors and textures. The onion rings on the side tasted like they were wrapped in yummy little crispy biscuits. A cup of the house soup was $3.49 and was Italian vegetable, very good, and served blazing hot. It was full of chopped vegetables of every kind, including squash, beans, carrots, potatoes, celery, tomatoes and onions, in a slightly spicy base that left a little bite on the tongue.

I also had the chocolate cake, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, at $7.99. This was rich, dark, sweet, and had lots to take home for later.
The restaurant is accessible with an easy open front door, wide aisles between tables, and a nice handicap friendly bathroom with décor continued from the dining room.

Don’t be in a rush when you go to Carr’s. Be hungry and enjoy.

Carolyn Augustine by — June 5, 2012 in Food, People

Anthony’s at Point Defiance
5910 North Waterfront Drive
Tacoma, WA 98407
(253) 752-9700

Monday to Thursday:
11 a.m.–9:30 p.m
Friday and Saturday:
11 a.m.–10:30 p.m.
Sunday:
10 a.m.–9:30

One of a chain of 21 restaurants in the Puget Sound Area, Anthony’s at Point Defiance has a beautiful location, plenty of free parking, and is handicap accessible. An early dinner on a Friday evening was ordered and the experience, in spite of decent service, was so negative there will not be a return visit.

The view was wonderful on this clear afternoon, but beware the afternoon sun since there are no shades. Regular prices range from a side of sourdough bread at $1.95 to Dungeness Crab Cakes at $24.95. There are plenty of specials, including the Sunset Special with a shrimp cocktail (small) a choice of entrees and a dessert for $19.95. The plain shrimp cocktail wasn’t interesting so the general menu was used to order the shrimp, crab and artichoke dip for $10.95, the ling cod and chips which came with slaw for $16.95, with an extra order of coleslaw at $1.95 and diet coke for $3.00. The food tasted just fine, but there were a lot of problems with preparation and portion size.

The dip came with little pieces of buttered toast, and was good, but the serving in a small ramekin was disappointing, and the 12 little toast pieces appeared to be the left over ends of other orders, every size and shape. The coleslaw, made with red and Napa cabbage was cut in very uneven pieces, many a couple of inches across and impossible to eat. The dressing was a tangy vinaigrette with poppy seeds, but was very sparse. The ling cod was tasty but the three little pieces, about the size of rolls of quarters, would have been very greasy if they had not been served blazing hot. There were plenty of thin cut fries but they did not make up for the lack of quality of the dinner. For this much money there should be more attention to detail and larger serving sizes. Generally the meal was disappointing in quality and value.

srmedia by — April 30, 2012 in Food, People

Great Cuisine of India
9518 Gravelly Lake Dr. S.W.
Lakewood, WA 98499
253 581-1333

Lunch

Mon – Fri: 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Sat – Sun: Noon-3 p.m.

Dinner

Mon – Thur: 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Fri: 4 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Sat: 3 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Sun: 3 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Daily Buffet $8.99

Indian food is delicious. Some of it can be very spicy and the flavors can be unfamiliar to many people but Great Cuisine of India is a fine place to try new things. Serving the Lakewood area for 11 years, the family-run establishment is welcoming and bright. Service is attentive and the staff is happy to answer questions.

At $8.99, the buffet offered daily is a great way to try things, and our trip through the buffet line was interesting, with unfamiliar colors, and sauces, and names of foods we had not seen before. We tried the familiar, like plain green salad, very fresh, and mango custard, a sweet smooth dessert, and the unfamiliar such as Chicken Korma and Meatball Korma, main dishes cooked in yogurt, onion gravy, cashews, raisins, and spices, and Vegetable Pakora, a deep fried fritter-like appetizer of mixed vegetables battered with chick pea flour, garlic-ginger paste, and a blend of spices. Chicken Vindaloo was chicken pieces cooked with garlic, ginger, vinegar, tomato paste, onions and spices. It was aromatic and exotic tasting. Naan bread resembles pita bread and was wonderful for sopping up all the great sauces. Other choices were available, and a return visit is in order to try everything. All the buffet food is mildly seasoned, but there are spicier chutneys and curry available on the buffet and the regular menu can be served with any level of heat. I also ordered Chai tea at $2.00 and it was creamy, aromatic, herbal and comforting.

The total restaurant experience was comfortable and family friendly. Prices range from mixed pickles at $1.50 to the Tandoori Mixed Grill at $17.95. An online menu is available.

There is plenty of parking right in front; the establishment is service dog friendly. And there is a clean restroom.

Carolyn Augustine by — March 21, 2012 in Food, People