Mackys Grill in Payson AZ: The Ooey Gooey Burger

I was told about Mackys Grill nonstop pretty much, drivin to the point of madness. This place got so hyped up to the point that I really didn't even wanna go, but I did, and what happened?

Madness. Delicious madness. I had myself some fried pickles for the first time ever, and they were magical. Then came the main course, the Ooey Gooey Burger. Three cheese melted on top of the burger patty, with some mayo and lettuce. Im sure an artery or two got clogged up, but it was damn good.

Now, I also discovered another strange thing. There is no such thing as Dr Pepper in Payson AZ. They have Doc Holiday. Tastes the same, but named different, no idea why, but it was awesome.

Mackys Grill doesn't have a website, so well just link the map. Because if you ever find yourself out in Payson AZ for whatever reason, and are looking to grab a bite to eat, go here. You will be a happy camper.

Sonic Drink Combos: Whats Your Poison?

I'm not a huge fan of Sonic. But where I live there isn't much choice. It's Sonic, or McDonalds. But one thing Sonic does that makes me a happy guy, is provide an endless variety of drinks. Not many people notice it, or even think about it, but you can add almost any flavor to any drink you want.

Recently I have discovered the glorious taste of Sprite with watermelon flavor. Holy dear it is delicious. But there are literally hundreds of different varieties you can go with. So, we ask you readers, when you hit Sonic, what flavors do you mix up to create the ultimate drink??

Smashburger Thoughts- Restaurant Review Smashburger Phoenix Arizona

Went into Smashburger on 59th and Thunderbird in Phoenix for the first time the other day. Their logo is weird because from afar, you might mistake this place for Game Stop. Anyways, Smashburger actually contacted us and inquired about a review. Something about free samples of food and all that, but to stay true to our readers I did not go through with it. I went in as a normal paying customer. Mainly for the fact that special treatment woulda meant a biased review. And damnit, I tell it how it is!

Smashburger. The place was empty pretty much. The inside was kinda boring, not much goin on. Some walls, and some tables and chairs. The service though was very good, pleasant smiling faces all around, making sure you were taken care of. Which was nice, not too many places do this.

The food? Well........meh. I got the BBQ Bacon Burger. And it tasted like, a BBQ Bacon Burger. I know that sounds weird but, it just tasted normal to me. Nothing stood out or blew my mind when I took a bite. My main feeling on burger places is, if I can make a better burger at home, then you're not doin a good enough job. This burger was pretty simple and tasted like something I could get or make anywhere.

The fries, I got the Smash Fries and they are pretty gross. I wasn't diggin all the oils and crap thrown on them, just make me some fries with some nice seasoning on them. Don't try to make them all fancy.

I wouldn't recommend this place if you're a die hard burger fan. I would choose Five Guys over this place any day. But, I might have to try Smashburger at least one more time, maybe they were having an off day?

You can check out the menu and find locations near you at SmashBurger.com.

Thanks For Nothing: Carls Jr.

I shoulda known I was doomed from the start. Carls Jr. is one of those idiotic places where in some parts of the country they are called Carls Jr. and other parts it's called Hardees. Why? There is no point. Stop being stupid. ANYways...

Wasn't really hungry, but in the mood for a little snack while I worked tonight. This was hours and hours after the Sonic incident mentioned in a previous blog. And my parents wanted some hamburgers, so I went to pick up some Carls Jr. And all I wanted was a simple chili cheese fries, and a coke. Pretty easy right?

Wrong.

I get back and open up the box of chili cheese fries and find this monstrosity....

Now what the hell am I supposed to do with that? I got a giant handful of fries, and a splash of chili with a sprinkle of cheese slopped into it. Look at that! Would ya look at that?! Seriously. How do you screw up pouring chili on top of fries?

And now for the really weird part. A first time ever problem at a drive thru. Now we have all been given a messed up order, or a wacky looking crapfest like my chili cheese fries, but this just confused me to no end.... I take a bite out of my pathetic looking chili cheese fries, and take a drink of my........warm coke?! My coke, had NO ice in it. And my parents, and nephews drinks? NO ICE. Now, it's not that big of a deal, because we have ice, it's just weird. Why would you not put ice in someones drink order?

With the lack of ice, and the half attempt at putting chili on fries, I dub this Carls Jr. as the LAZIEST fast food place around. Sure Sonic and other places screw up an order here and there, but they at least try. Carls Jr. didn't even try. They failed.

Thanks for nothing Carls Jr.

Thanks For Nothing: Sonic!

So I live up in Anthem AZ. Not much fast food wise around these parts. So Sonic is usually where I have to make a trip to get my wife some lunch since she works at home. So today, was the usual Sonic trip, but something didn't seem right...............

First thing I notice, is instead of the usual chirpy lovely sounds of some chick on the drive thru speaker, its some dude. Hmmm ok, and then I notice instead of the usual girls skating around handing out food, its dudes in jackets. Strange. Every Sonic I've ever been to, its basically almost all females everywhere.

So I order the same thing I get every time. A medium number 2 for my wife, with mayo and ketchup, no tomatoes, no lettuce, and fries with a cherry limeade. And for me, medium number 1, no tomatoes, no onions, and tots with a coke with chocolate flavoring (try it, its UHMAZING.) Well dudeche bag on the intercom re-reads my order and reads mine as having it with no tomatoes and no lettuce. I inform him that I wanted it with no tomatoes, no onions. He says to hold on one second, assuming corrections were made. And he tells me to pull around.

I sit there and wait, my food comes out and the guy re-reads my order, and reads it correct. I get home, only to find both of our hamburgers having NO TOMATOES NO LETTUCE. REALLY? Really? I corrected this guy after he messed it up the first time, and he STILL manages to mess it up!

So thanks for nothing Sonic, because of your epic fail I had to settle with just some damn tater tots for lunch. Go F yourself!

Food That Makes You Go Poop: Totinos Pizza Rolls

Yes, I know all food in some way or another makes you go take a crap at some point, but there are certain foods that make you go instantly, and you KNOW what food caused the sudden press of the poop NOS button to come rushing. Tonight? Totinos Pizza Rolls.

Totinos Pizza Rolls have been around for years and years and have always been a favorite of mine ever since I was a little kid. I mean how can you not be a fan of pizza rolls?? Its the taste of a pizza, wrapped up in bite size treats! Well alright I have yet to ever taste a pizza that is anything close to tasting like a pizza roll but who cares? They're delicious!

I have many problems with these bad boys though, I always make too many. I think just 10 or so will do the snackin trick, but then I end up cooking 30 (the image to the left is the actual rolls right after I took them out of the oven). And I always manage to get down 25 or so, before I get too full and can't finish. But then I see only 5 left and try to stuff the remaining 5 down. Then not 30 minutes later, I feel the bubble guts, and everything in my stomach shifting around, and a trip to the toilet is in order.

That is where I am now. I found it only fitting that I write this article about food that makes you rush to take a poop, while taking the Totinos Poop. (Yes, I do have a little stand in my bathroom that my laptop sits on).

So, if you're a fan of taking a crap, eat some Totinos Pizza Rolls. They'll do the trick.

Taco Bell Beefy Crunch Burrito Review

Many readers of this site know my love/hate relationship with Taco Bell. Everything on their menu is good if not great, but at the same time, makes me go to the bathroom like no other. Saw the commercial for this new burrito and decided to give it a quick try.

Eh.

Its ok. There is more rice than meat in it, the fritos you can barely notice. So the crunch part of it is kinda gone. Of course if you dine in, you might get it, because if you get it to go by the time you get home to eat it, the fritos have gotten a bit soggy.

I don't think I'll ever get one of these burritos again. Just did nothing for me. No real spice to it, no crunch, just tasted like mush. Pass on this Taco Bell fans.

Jersey Mike's Subs Review

Sandwiches are my favorite food. Mainly because it's hard to mess up a good sandwich. But some places get it right, by using awesome bread, the right seasoning and fresh meat and veggies, while others, like Subway, us flakey crumbley awful bread and meats that taste strange. And for some strange reason when I get a fountain drink in Subway it tastes strange as well. I also like sandwiches because I enjoy fresh food. The greasy stuff is good but always leaves me feeling like death afterwards. So I try to stick to the fresher side of things.

Whenever a new sandwich shop opens up, I try to be in there asap, because they usually don't stick around very long. Case in point, there used to be a place called Dads Subs, which took over the same spot Quiznos once had. And Dads lasted about two weeks before closing down. That space in the shopping center has been empty for some time, until tonight when I noticed Jersey Mikes had opened up there. So after a long day of Christmas shopping, some fresh food was in order.

I went with the Club. All of my favorites in one sandwich. A simple signature sub that surprisingly some places just never get right. But at Jersey Mikes, you get your subs and you get them "Mikes Way". Which is lettuce, tomato, onion, and 'The Sauce". I won't tell you what "The Sauce" is, you have to experience it yourself. They also sprinkle on some seasoning, it says spice on their menu but my guess is some oregano.

So after all the build up, is it worth it? Yes. Mega huge fist pump from Jersey YES. Their bread is awesome, some type of seasoning or crazy magic is done to it, I saw something suspicious going on there. And it was delicious. The meats were all fresh, veggies were fresh, it tasted wonderful, and it also did a very nice job of filling me up. I actually have some left over, which is rare, I usually kill a sandwich in no time.

As for the service, it was top notch, very friendly and nice people working there who even slipped me a free sugar cookie for being a first time customer! They even made a sandwich that wasn't on their menu for me. My wife likes chicken with lettuce and ranch and I saw nothing even close to that on their menu, but they made it anyway. And was happy to see that unlike places like Quiznos, that appear to just have their chicken soaking in hot water to keep it warm. Mikes actually throws the chicken on the grill to cook and heat it up before it goes on your sandwich, giving your chicken that nice crisp fresh taste.

I will be back to Jersey Mikes in the near future. And hopefully unlike Dads, Mikes sticks around for a long time.

Find a Jersey Mikes near you!

Olive Garden Mixed Grill Review

Olive Garden has been an old school favorite of mine for years now, although until recently it's been a long time since I had the chance to visit.  Back in the old days I pretty much stuck with the chicken parmigiana, but I knew going in this time it was time to branch out and try something new. 

Before the main course, I have of course have to mention the Olive Garden salad which has always been 5 star, and I also went with the appetizer sampler which I don't believe has changed much in the 15+ years I've gone to Olive Garden (and that's not a bad thing.)  The toasted ravioli and stuffed mushrooms were great as usual and a nice warm up.

A few months back I checked out an Olive Garden take out menu and the "Mixed Grill" caught my eye.  The Mixed Grill consists of 2 skewers, one with steak and the other with chicken, and I decided that was right up my alley.  The server brought the giant plate with 2 skewers, then removed the meat, peppers, onions etc. and onto my plate.  Great taste, tender meat, and served with a side of squash/zucchini and roasted potatoes.  This meal is definitely one that will fill you up, so if you go with it you may have to hold back on appetizers or you will end up with a take home box like I did (which isn't necessarily a bad thing.) 

I would highly recommend this if you are looking for something that isn't the usual pasta with tomato or white sauce, or if you are just a fan of a great skewer.  This had great flavor and provided a plentiful amount of meat, with sides that compliment the meal nicely.

The Fast And The Furious Drinking Game

Yeah, us Hungry Jerks get a little thirsty, and sometimes we like to play games with our drinks while watching some bad ass stupid movies. So here is a game to play while watching one of the most legendary so bad its awesome movies in the world!

-Number 1 rule. You can have any beer you want while playing this game, as long as its a Corona. So please, to pay proper tribute to this insane movie, play this game with Coronas.

-When someone says "Dom" take a DRINK.

-When you someone shifts their car, take a DRINK.

-When someone hits the NOS, take a DRINK.

-When the camera goes into the engine of the car, take a SHOT.

-When Vince comes back to the BBQ, and Leon calls Vince "Old Coyotes R Us!" cheers, and then take a SHOT.

-When Vince smiles when telling Mia about "Cha Cha Cha" take a SHOT.

-Chug a DRINK during the Ferrari race!

-When Dom is hit by the semi truck at the end of the movie, begin to DRINK and continue drinking the entire time Dom is airborn.

That should get you good and hammered. Be back next week when I list the rules for a drinking game I actually played with some friends once. the SPEED drinking game.