Making Flippy Floppy

I probably would’ve never noticed this little joint if my Dad hadn’t given me a coupon good for $5 off, which was given to him by one of his golfing buddies. We drove down into Riverstone and found the place next to Starbucks in the same strip as the movie theater. For some reason, I always get a cheap thrill visiting Riverstone businesses, like I’m taking a mini vacation to some new town I’ve never been to. It was lunchtime and the place was hopping with nurses in their ugly floral scrubs and shiny-haired realtors with their clients. All the tables outside were full, but it was too hot for outside dining anyway, so we grabbed the last little table inside. It’s really a tiny place, but it seemed to fit a lot of people comfortably. There’s even a little bar area with the sports channel on the TV, and a selection of local beers on tap.

Apparently, this is the second in what looks to become a chain of Joey's restaurants. A Google search revealed that the original Joey’s is located in Carlsbad, California and swiftly created a buzz with their “award winning” recipes. Their menu offers standard BBQ fare, including large portions of ribs and beef brisket, along with pulled pork sandwiches, all served with sides of fresh coleslaw. Being on a limited budget, we opted for the classic cheeseburger and fries. $6.99 seems like kind-of a lot of money for a burger, but it ended up being worth every cent. Joey’s unique BBQ sauce made ketchup unnecessary on this huge homestyle burger smothered in real sharp cheddar and served on a soft Kaiser-style bun with all the fixins: fresh lettuce, tomato, onion and a dill pickle spear. The fries were hot and crispy and cooked with the skin-on, the way I like‘em.

Service was fast and friendly despite the fact it was lunch rush and they seemed to be working on a bare-bones staff – one cashier/server and one cook. I’ll definitely return soon to try some of the heartier fare.

Ambience: 8 / Food:9 / Service:9

# posted by OrangeTV @ 7/09/2006 07:41:00 PM