I am on a new work schedule which unfortunately does not get me home until past 8PM, which leaves me with limited choices on late dinner places! It was right after finals and I was craving pizza and decided it was time to visit Papa's. Papa's is a staple in Ft Smith and is widely known for their delicious pizza and pub-like atmosphere.
After I got off work I met my husband and a friend of ours down there. It is open seating so we picked out a booth that could easily fit all of us. We were quickly greeted by a waitress and she took our drink order. My husband and friend both ordered sodas (we were there for the pizza!) and as soon as they did our waitress no longer cared for our table. She was very slow to get drinks, unfriendly and quickly dismissed us. We even had another waitress come to check on us after she hadn't talked to our table for half an hour.... That being said, after we placed our order our pizza was quickly out and it was everything I dreamed it to be.Papa's does pizza a little different. Topping on the bottom and then layers on layers of cheese on top! My husband and I got a large and could hardly finish half of it. That just means more pizza for later right? I can easily say that Papa's has the best pizza in town! Not sure if the atmosphere and the terrible service would be good for a date night, I would recommend getting your pizza togo and eating in the comfort of your home. Our ticket was less than 20$ for the large pizza and drinks! Not bad at all if you're looking for a great value. Skip the chains next time and order a pizza from Papa's! For my readers with children, Papa's is a bar so unfortunately this location is not kid friendly.
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Hello there 30 Dollar Dates family! Sorry for my absence, finals have completely taken over my life at this point. Actually, I did not plan to write anything until after finals but then I had this delicious dinner and had to run to my computer to write about it. So far my reviews have been over Ft Smith favorites, but this eatery is located up the interstate in Fayetteville, Arkansas. After being glued to my books and laptop studying (for what seems like forever), I was more than happy to take a break to celebrate my friends birthday at Farrell's! If you have been to Dickson street I am sure that you've seen this giant castle looking restaurant, but have you been inside? The upscale atmosphere is one of the many things that sets Farrell's apart. When I visited Farrell's it was a Saturday night and we had a 15 person party. Immediately I expected sub-par service (you can't expect too much when you're bringing a huge crowd in!). I was beyond surprised. We were immediately greater and our friendly waitress hurried and got our drink order. Once we even ordered our food it was hardly even a wait for all of our dishes to come out. It did take us awhile to order though. The menu had so many choices from delicious salads, wings, crab cakes and even steaks. For a started had to go with the wings! Then for dinner I decided to order the crab cake burger and my husband ordered the Caesar wrap. Trust me, I know what you're thinking. Crab cake.... burger? Risky choice! I was beyond blown away from the quality of this sandwich. The crab cake was HUGE, cooked to perfection and not at all greasy. It had this sauce on it that put a nice little sweet kick on the dish, and I loved it. My husband was also impressed with his wrap, said it was beyond delicious. Since we had a larger party, I had to taste test some other dishes as well! My friend got the truffle mac and cheese.... Seriously, the best mac and cheese I have ever had in my life. I also tried a bite of the steak and it was also cooked to perfection. All in all, I can not say enough about the positive experience we had. Farrell's also has an extensive drink menu with plenty of options for all tastes!
So the big question, what will an experience like this cost you? For the wings, sandwich and wrap.... is 31.8 before tip! It is very hard to get high quality meal and atmosphere for that price! We also had so much food we could not even halfway finish it. Great for leftovers though! For all my parent readers out there, I would not label Farrell's (at night at least) as "kid friendly". Kids are allowed and I did see children, but the night crowd at Farrell's is more suited for adults! Also, I am doing away with the 30 Dollar Dates scoring system. I feel like everyone's standards are different and a number doesn't define a restaurant. So try Farrell's out for yourself and let me know what you think! There are few things that I love more than Thai food. The spicy, the noodles, the soups- I want all of it! Always so delicious. Awhile back I wrote about Fried Rice #2 (still drooling over how delicious it was). So this will be my second Thai restaurant that I am covering! These two restaurants are actually very close to each other. You can find Laos Thai off Towson Ave headed toward the downtown area of Fort Smith. The building and parking lot are a little strange, but the establishment is fairly easy to find! I am blind as a bat, so if I found it without issue- you should be fine! My husband, friend and I visited on a Tuesday evening. The crowd was minimal so we were greeted and seated right away! Our waitress was very kind and attentive towards our table. I will have to say though- this is the quietest restaurant I have ever been to in my entire life. I whispered to my friend to have a conversation, only to ask myself why I was whispering? It was a little comical. My husband and I ordered some sushi, they have an appetizer that comes with two sushi rolls for only 8$! Great value! For dinner I ordered a Pad Thai (how could I not!) and my husband got a steak meal. The sushi came out in a flash and was very appetizing. Not remarkable, but for the price- it was excellent value. My Pad Thai was absolutely delicious! They are light on the spices though, so if you would like your meal a little painfully spicy make sure to ask. My husbands meal was cooked perfectly. His steak literally melted in my mouth and the vegetables were so good! The portions were so large, we definitely had to get a Togo box ( although the Togo box did not last long in our fridge!). Before tip, for our sushi and both of our meals- was a total of 33.40$. This is just a little above our 30$ mark, but not by much! As far as our ranking system....
Cleanliness of Restaurant- 5/5 The space itself was very clean, although it is a little harder to tell with the dim lighting. Speediness of Food and Service- 3/3 The timing on the food was perfection! I was a little impatient just due to hunger and the amazing smells from the kitchen. So I am very happy that it did not take a long time. Quality of Service-3/3 Our waitress was very sweet and tended to our needs. Quality of Food-3/5 The food was delicious, but I do have a high standard for Thai and Sushi and the quality of ingredients that go into the dishes. Creativeness of Dishes- 1/3 Laos Thai has all the fan favorites and staples! If you are looking for something different though, there is not a lot of diversity in the menu that cannot be found in other Thai restaurants in the area. Atmosphere- 1/2 The dim lighting really sets the mood but the building is just a little bit older. Value-3/3 This is where the kicker is for Laos Thai! Good food, good service and at a great price. Those are the main selling points to any successful restaurant, and this place has it! Overall Score for Laos Thai - 19/25 or 7.6/10 This restaurant is also VERY family friendly, so bring them in to try these traditional Thai dishes! If you're anything like me, you've seen all the insane social media buzz around this new place! The crazy shakes stacked miles high and some with full size ice cream sandwiches and donuts?! Of course I had to take a stroll with the family and try this place out. Unfortunately for me, I decided to take my nine year old around 8pm.... Even while eating her shake she looked at me and said " I'm not going to sleep tonight!". Ha! Anyway, from the exterior you would never guess that such an awesome ice cream place would be inside! The space is pretty average, but it was packed with people whenever I went! My husband and I split this spicy mango shake (delicious). Filled with fresh fruit and topped with a spice. The little one got a cotton candy shake that came with actual candy and a donut. This place was very impressive and affordable. Considering one shake would be more than enough for 2-3 people and the prices vary from about 5-7$ depending on what items you get. Here's a peak at what we got... I really cannot stress enough to you all how delicious these were. My kiddo even let me sneak a bite of hers. Presentation is also key here! It is just more fun to eat something whenever it just looks so fun! Whenever we went I also got my brother a shake, and we walked out paying 17$! Yeah, that's right- 3 of these delicious shakes for 17$! Also, not one of us finished ours. This place is also very bright, safe and kid friendly. Making this the perfect family date night. Lets see how Vargas Fruteira stands up to the rankings...
Cleanliness of Restaurant - 5/5pts This place was very impressively clean considering how large the crowd was! Speediness of Food and Service- 2/3pts Now, perfection takes time. It did take about half an hour to get our shakes, but they were also VERY busy (line out the door!). I would try to hit this spot on a slow weeknight instead of a Saturday. Quality of Service- NA. There is only counter service here. Quality of Food- 5/5pts The quality of ingredients is amazing! Creativeness of Dishes-3/3 You saw the pictures! No denying the creativeness here! Atmosphere- 1/2pts Standard ice cream parlor atmosphere. Value-3/3pts Considering the size of the shakes, this is an amazing value! Other places we easily would have spent close to double! Overall this would leave us with a score of 19/21 or 9/10!!! Click below to check out their menu!
Now I know, how many options do you truly have for 1$ tacos? Well at Hero's, you actually have three: chicken, beef or shrimp! I HIGHLY recommend the chicken or shrimp tacos. Also what sets Hero's apart, is their freshly fried shells. Normally I do not even like hard shell tacos, but they definitely changed my mind! Also along with their fully loaded tacos, they also always have beer specials. Its heaven on earth folks! For 6 tacos and two beers, our grand total was 11$!! This type of value is almost unheard of, but makes a perfect appearance on 30 Dollar Dates. Make sure to mark Hero's on your Thursday date night calendar!
Quality of Food- 4/5pts
I love tacos, and I can be very picky! The quality of their tacos is awesome and the shell is the best part. They even stack the toppings so high that they have to give you a fork to eat all the leftovers! Creativeness of Dishes-NA I am going to take out this part of the scoring system since we are only grading their Taco Thursday. I will be back to see their full menu another visit! Atmosphere- 1/2pts The atmosphere is your typical bar atmosphere, which may attract some and send others out the door. They do have some really great locally painted murals inside that are beautiful! Value-3/3pts 1$ tacos and 2$ beers? Do I need to say more? Overall this would leave us with a score of 14/18 or 7.8/10 * I will advise that since this is a bar, it is not family friendly.* It is time to upgrade how we do scoring here at 30 Dollar Dates! Fort Smith is such a diverse town with many different places to eat fine food. This could include anything from 5 star steakhouses to some of the best curry you've ever had- but by a gas station? 30 Dollar Dates felt the need to disclose a new system so we could level the playing field for reviews! Moving forward, this will be our new scoring system.
Cleanliness of Restaurant - 5pts Speediness of Food and Service- 3pts Quality of Service- 3pts Quality of Food- 5pts Creativeness of Dishes-3pts Atmosphere- 2pts Value-3pts *1 Bonus point available for quirky characteristics* We will also be including whether or not the location is family friendly, sometimes date night includes the kids too! 30 Dollar Dates will be going back and updating scoring on past restaurants as well! If you think there is anything else that should or should not be included in scoring, please leave a comment. We would love to hear from you!
Updated Scoring 3/30/18*
Due to our new scoring system, I will be updating this review! Cleanliness of Restaurant- 5/5. The restaurant itself is immaculate, which is a huge bonus! Speediness of Food and Service- 3/3. It does not get much faster than "build your own" type meals. Quality of service, N/a. There are no traditional servers at the burrito bowl. Quality of food- 3/5. The food was delicious but may have been sitting out for just awhile. Creativeness of Dishes- 1/3. The dishes here aren't as creative as some in town, but the food is still delicious! Atmosphere- 0/2. The parking lot is very hard to navigate and the inside of the restaurant is lacking character. Overall, very average. Value- 3/3. Burrito bowls value is amazing! The amount of food you get is perfect and you could practically pay with pocket change! Overall scoring: 15/20 or 7.5/10 Food trucks have been a new trend that has blown up! Unfortunately, we don't have too much of a selection here in the River Valley. Lucky for us locals- we have something better than just an ordinary food truck.... We have Truckin' Delicious! I will admit that I have eaten here before, probably too much. I can't help it! It's so good. Try to stop me. But really, the whole concept is amazing. The menu changes weekly and the dishes are so creative (and creatively named) it makes you so excited for your meal! The location is frequently changing, so you'll have to chase it down- but that is half the fun of a food truck right? Recommendations on this menu are hard to give because the menu changes every week! This time around, I grabbed a Cheesus loves you (which is a grilled mac n cheese sammich- GENIUS) and my husband got the Boss Hog Burrito. The blend of flavors makes everything on the menu so fun and brilliant! Here is a quick peak at our menu choices.... Everything we had here was delicious. But here is the real question.... How much money we talking here? For both of these meals was 20$ before tip (and please tip the cooks, the food is too good not to!). Truckin' Delicious is perfect for any kind of date night, but even more perfectly suited for an outdoor lunch date. I give Truckin Delicious 8.5/10 ! Don't believe me on how good this place is? You don't have to! They were just awarded Best Food Truck (in all of Arkansas) by the Reader Choice Awards! Kinda a big deal. While I don't have a "stable" menu to share with you, I will include a link below to Truckin' Delicious so you can always have their up to date menu and location. * Updated Scoring 3/30/18* Here is our new score for Truckin Delicious based on the new scoring system! Cleanliness of Restaurant- N/a.
Speediness of Food and Service- 2/3, Sometimes master pieces take time! The food is made fresh to order, which also means there is usually a little bit of a wait! Quality of Service-N/a. Quality of Food-5/5. The food quality is like none other in this area! Everything is made fresh and is always a delightful surprise to my taste buds. Creativeness of Dishes- 3/3. What makes Truckin Delicious a staple in this area is the their creative menu. The owners are so creative, in fact, that they have to change the menu every week! This is a place to eat where you would never get tired of the food! Atmosphere- N/a. Value-2/3. While Truckin Delicious may be slightly more expensive than other food trucks, the food you are eating is beyond worth it, and they still make it into the 30 Dollar Date realm! The fresh ingredients and the amount of food you get- is well worth the asking price! Truckin' Delicious is such a staple and is so quirky with their menu and presentation... they are being awarded a bonus point! Overall Score for Truckin Delicious- 13/14 or 9.3/10 Fried Rice is a local favorite and I was very excited to give it a try! This certain location is tucked away off Towson ave. If you get lost (and you probably will ) I promise it is worth the effort to find it! I had always heard friends speak highly of this place, but the other location was a little bit of a drive for me. So whenever I saw a sign with the new location, I didn't waste any time! I have always really loved Thai food, and lucky for me- this area has been opening new Asian restaurants all over. Fort Smith has really become a booming area for Thai restaurants so the competition is heavy, but Fried Rice is a top contender. The area is small and casual, perfectly suited for a dinner date with some friends! My sister in law and my best friend actually joined me here before we caught a movie. While the movie was way to scary for us, at least our meal beforehand was amazing! Everything about Fried Rice is A+. From the moment you walk into the restaurant you instantly feel welcome, all the staff is smiling and the portion size is easily enough to feed two people. What more could you ask for? Now... I couldn't go to a place named Fried Rice without getting an order of fried rice! It was the best I have ever had. My friend got the Pau Kee Mao Spicy and loved it! For both of these meals, two drinks and an order of eggrolls *not pictured but delicious* was a grand total of 26$ before tip! Fried Rice is perfect for any appetite and on any budget. All in all, I would certainly give this a 8.5 out of 10! Make sure to visit Fried Rice for your next date night. Wanna take a peak at the menu? *Updated Scoring 3/30/18*
Time to update this score with our new scoring system! Cleanliness of Restaurant- 5/5. Speediness of Food and Service- 3/3. Quality of Service-3/3. Quality of Food- 5/5. Creativeness of Dishes- 1/3. Atmosphere- 1/2. Value-3/3. Overall Score for Fried Rice #2- 21/25 or 8.4/10! Miss Anna's is somewhere I would frequently drive past without any thought. On the outside this establishment may not look like much and really on the inside it isn't much either. Whenever it comes to restaurants this just appears to be a normal diner atmosphere. I sat down with my best friend to catch breakfast on Saturday (one of my favorite past-times is breakfast, friends are a plus!). My very first impression may have not been astonishing, but Miss Anna's comes through where it's important... THE FOOD! I was so impressed by the portion size, the quality and the speediness of the service! Here is a sneak peak at what we got....
Not a huge fan of what we ordered? Take a look at the menu itself! * Updated Scoring 3/30/18*
Time to update scoring on this review with our new scoring system! Clea5nliness of Restaurant- 5/5 Speediness of Food and Service- 3/3 Quality of Service-2/3 Quality of Food-4/5 Creativeness of Dishes- 1/3 Atmosphere- 1/2 Value-3/3 Overall Score for Miss Anna's- 19/25 or 7.6/10 |
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