Stuffy's (Closed)

Stuffy's
786 Echles St.
308-2342

There's been a lot of internet chatter about Stuffy's, the "serious burger joint" over by the University of Memphis. Warren, the monkeys (Satchel, 9, and Jiro, 7) and I decided to check it out last Friday night after soccer practice. It's in the building that has been several other restaurants over on Echles. Their sign has a bit of a font issue--as in it is way too small to read--so it's a bit tricky to find unless you know exactly where it is.



We arrived around 8pm and there were just a few other tables. In the back, a young man was playing piano, and after awhile several of his friends (I presume) turned out to hear him play. But at no time would I say it was crowded.

We approached the ordering window and studied the menu. I appreciate it's simplicity. Basically at Stuffy's you need to decide if you want a single or double, what toppings (the usual lettuce, tomato, etc., fried mushrooms, fried onion, banana peppers, or jalapenos) you want, and what kind of mayonnaise (Old Bay w/dill, lemon cilantro, chipotle, bbq, hot wing with blue cheese, steak sauce, caper & dill, Italian, and horseradish). For a little extra you can get bacon, chili, or cole slaw on your burger.



I especially liked that the kids' meals were reasonably priced ($3.99) and included the option of carrots instead of fries. There was a choice of chicken tenders, wings, a burger, or a BLT. All meals come with a drink, so overall I'd say it's a pretty good deal. I ordered the monkeys each a basic burger and fries. They were drawn to the juice display on the counter, so we subbed a bottled juice for a fountain drink for an up charge. Satchel wanted some hot wing mayo on the side, which I thought was cute.

Warren and I also went with burger combos, or so we thought. Turns out only the special Taco Burger of the night came as a combo. We paid individually for the fries and drink add-ons. That was pretty dumb considering I just drank water. At least that's my explanation for our $28.14 bill.



Actually now that I look at the combo prices on the special, maybe it does add up. $8.25 for Warren's large, $7.25 for my small, and $3.99 each for the kids, plus the juice upcharge.

We got our drinks which proved a little challenging since several choices had pieces of paper taped over them with the word "out" on them. Then we went about picking a place to sit. Warren rejected a booth, or maybe it was just a table, near the wall because it looked dirty or greasy or something. Then I took the kids to the restroom to wash up since we'd just left soccer practice. Both the men's and the women's rooms were one toppers with no changing table, but only the men's was in service.



I'm going to give Stuffy's the benefit of the doubt here. With all of the internet buzz, maybe they've been slammed. Hopefully they'll be able to get everything working again soon.

Back at our table, there was a little table topper advertising Coke Zero, which Jiro referred to as "Healthy Coke." Then we had a little discussion about what actually constituted healthy. Both monkeys were thrilled when our food arrived, thus ending my lecture.

The burgers all arrive wrapped in foil.



Inside the foil is the good stuff. I ordered mine fairly standard with the addition of banana peppers and hot wing mayo. Also, supposedly it's the "Small Stuffy" though it didn't seem small at all.



Here's a close up of the hot wing mayo with blue cheese that Satchel got on the side. It wasn't especially spicy.



Warren immediately fell in love with his burger. He cooed about it's "bakery bun" and immediately started telling it that he liked it more than Huey's.



He had mushrooms and onions on his burger. Not sure on the mayo.

On to the kids. Despite being a part of the kid's meal, the burgers were nice and big. Satchel moaned that he didn't want cheese on his, but I explained that cheese comes standard issue (and stuffed inside the meat) at Stuffy's. Then he stopped complaining and went about adding ketchup-ed fries to his burger.



Jiro asked me to put ketchup on his, then he happily ate it until there was none left.



Satchel, who actually ate his fries, couldn't finish his last few bites.



We were kind of joking about the piano player when we first sat down and definitely got a few giggles when he started playing Billy Joel, but he was actually pretty good and the kids seemed to enjoy it. I was especially impressed when Satchel said, between bites, "That's Beethoven!"

Also at one point during our meal, the guy from the back came over to check on us and see how everything was, which I thought was a nice touch. We had no complaints, and no leftovers. I really did not want to eat all of my food because it was so much, but I couldn't stop myself because it was really good.

I still kind of like Burly's better, mostly due to the awesome Buffalo fries, but their heinous service and non-existent milkshakes--oh and a small fire--have kept me from going back. Stuffy's is actually right off of the bike path that leads down Southern, so we might someday make a trek over on our bikes. However, if we ever find ourselves hungry & in the University District, then it's definitely on.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Tropical Smoothie Cafe
2105 Union Avenue
791-9251

On a recent play date, Satchel (age 9) went to Tropical Smoothie Cafe with some friends. He really liked it and started craving it. It was annoying to Warren because he makes a smoothie every morning, offers it to the kids, and they usually both say no. (He has been known to throw in some weird stuff.) Satchel drank a strawberry and banana smoothie almost everyday of his life from age 2-5, though.

After making his signature "I must have it now" slurping noise, we finally gave in and went to see what the fuss was about.



When we went inside, I had a nice giggle about the tropical decor. They really want you to feel like you are on an island instead of Union Avenue. Satchel knew exactly what he wanted--a kid's meal with an American cheese and ham wrap, chips, and a Jetty Junior smoothie (strawberries and banana).

Instead of chips, he could have subbed fruit or a cookie. Also on the kid's menu is a flatbread sandwich (turkey, ham or grilled cheese), a cheese quesadilla, and cheese pizza. Not bad for $4.99. (You can skip the smoothie and get a soft drink for $3.99.) Jiro (age 7) opted for a cheese pizza, Sun chips, and a Chocolate Chimp smoothie (banana & chocolate). They also have a Banana Mania smoothie option (banana and non-fat yogurt) and Awesome Orange (orange, white chocolate and non-fat yogurt).

The menu at TSC is fairly extensive featuring soups, salads, sandwiches, and all day breakfast in addition to the smoothies (and coffee smoothies!). I was definitely overwhelmed by the choices. I wish I had come more prepared. I did a quick glance trying to find something healthy, but once Warren decided what he wanted--a Jamaican Jerk chicken wrap--I panicked. I blurted out that I wanted a Baja chicken flatbread.

Now that I've had time to peruse the menu I brought home with me, I would totally order differently next time. They have a pretty sweet Island combo which gives you a choice of any two of the following for $6.99: smoothie, half bistro sandwich, half gourmet salad, or cup of soup. The Paradise combo for $9.99 features a smoothie, chips or fruit, and your choice of a wrap, bistro sandwich, or salad.

Anyways, what we ordered was pretty tasty, and only $22 for the four of us. Satchel ate every bite of his food and every drop of his smoothie.



I liked that his sandwich came plain without having to ask.



Jiro's cheese pizza was nothing special, but he ate most of it along with his chips. He was too full for his smoothie despite it being chocolatey.



Warren's Jamaican jerk chicken wrap was actually quite good. He gave me a bite and half of his bag of chips, which was sweet. (The flatbreads come with chips, bistro sandwiches do not.)



My bistro sandwich tasted good, but it was a little heavy on the cheese and sauce.



Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the Tropical Smoothie Cafe. I was also surprised to learn that there are five stores in Memphis. I will definitely keep it in mind for when the kids are starving and we don't have a lot of time. Since they open at 7am, I think it would also be a good alternative to morning donuts, which the monkeys are a tad addicted to.

I'm not a huge fan of chains, but this seems like a pretty good one. I'm assuming a local person owns the franchise, but I don't know for sure.

They used mostly paper products for food, but the smoothies do come in styrofoam.

None of us made it to the bathroom to do a changing table inspection.

Noodles Asian Bistro

Noodles Asian Bistro
7850 Poplar Avenue, Suite 12
755-1117




After an afternoon of bowling in Cordova, we decided to eat dinner at a little Asian bistro by my mom's house in Germantown called Noodles. My mom had been a couple of times and reported that it was good. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to try a new Asian place!

It's in a strip mall, and fairly generic on the inside. It's basically a Pei-Wei type place. However, at dinner they have servers rather than letting you order at the counter. The service was nice, but a little slow. My mom thinks it goes quicker when you can order at the counter.

Before eating we made a bathroom run to wash the bowling alley off of our hands, and I noted that there was a changing table in the handicapped stall. I like this arrangement much better than having it near the communal sink. (My diaper changing days are over, but I remember what a nightmare it could be when dining out, so I look out for my readers with babies and toddlers!)

Back at the table, things were off to a bit of a rough start. The monkeys (Satchel, 9, and Jiro, 7) were freezing because Noodles was blasting their air conditioning. (It was one of the first cool days we had outside which made it worse.) My mom offered Satchel her jacket, but it was just a rain slicker and offered little warmth.



Jiro had to go sit outside with his arms inside of his shirt.



The worst part about the plunging temperature was the fact that we ordered the monkeys each a bubble tea! If you've never had bubble tea, it isn't really tea at all. It's basically somewhere between a smoothie and a milkshake with large tapioca pearls, aka bubbles, inside.

Satchel basically said he was too cold to drink his, but Jiro soldiered on. My mom had never seen bubble tea before, so the boys tried explaining the tapioca bubbles to her. "They feel like a snail turd or an eyeball," Satchel explained. Surprisingly she still tried it. Then Jiro commented, "Next time get my tea without the gum."




We ordered Satchel some emergency egg drop soup once we determined that he could get it without the unusual add ons of scallions and chicken. It's hotness finally calmed him down and he told us, "The soup tastes like hot and sour soup but egg droppy," which I thought was hilarious.



Noodles did have a kids' menu which was pretty decent. For $4.95 you had a choice of brown or white rice, a drink, and an entree (Sweet & Sour Chicken, Chicken Lo Mein, Chicken Nuggets & Fries, Honey Seared Chicken, Broccoli Chicken, and Chicken Fried Rice). I hate to see the chicken nugget option, but I'm sure there are just as many parents who need it in order to survive the meal. Satchel wanted Sweet & Sour Chicken and Jiro opted for Lo Mein.

My mom, Warren, and I decided to split three entrees and ordered three appetizers. We were all way hungrier than we thought. We pounced on the appetizers as soon as they arrived.

The edamame was standard issue. Jiro ate almost all of it.



The fried tofu was a little more breaded that what you find in midtown, but we ate it up. The sauce and the sweet pepper and onion mixture on the side made it extra yummy.



The fried calamari was also more battered that I would have expected and had the same pepper and onion relish on the side. Despite the presence of jalapenos, it wasn't too spicy.



There was a bit of a wait between the appetizers and the entrees, but our waitress appeared every so often to let us know that she hadn't forgotten about us. Eventually everything came out together and we dug in.

Satchel's Sweet & Sour Chicken came out with lots and lots of onions. Thankfully, he didn't complain since they were easy to eat around. (Do any kids actually like onions?)



Jiro's Lo Mein was also a little sophisticated. It had mushrooms, carrots, onion, and a teeny tiny bit of chicken. He basically ate a few mouthful of noodles then picked out the chicken.



The dishes the adults chose to split weren't the best ever, but good enough. I think we all liked the Thai Mango Chicken the best. (You could get it with beef, shrimp, or tofu too. Had I known the chicken would be fried, I probably would have chosen a different option.)



The Wok-Charred Beef was pretty good, but would have been better with a little more kick. (We ordered everything mild since my mom has delicate taste buds.)



My second favorite was the Szechuan Street Noodles with fried tofu. We ordered it mild too, but they made it pretty fiery. My mom couldn't eat it, but Warren and I had no problem polishing it off.



We all ended the meal full and fairly happy with a good amount of leftovers. It took a good long while for us to get the check and then pay and get our card back. So long that my mom, who had her own car, decided to go ahead and leave! Our total came to $65 plus tip, which is definitely a bit high for dinner, but considering we had an extra adult, three appetizers, two bubble teas, and enough leftovers for another meal or two, I couldn't moan too much.

If we go back, and I'm not sure we will, I'd probably have the monkeys split a dish and go easy on the appetizers. Also going at lunch and ordering at the counter would reduce the tip from 20% to 10%. Since it is close to my mom's house, I might give it another try. The menu is pretty extensive and I feel sure I missed something fabulous.

Lee's Fresh Sushi

Lee's Fresh Sushi
6646 Poplar
681-0111

One of our favorite places to go when we are in a hurry is Lee's Fresh Sushi, a.k.a. "Gas Station Sushi." Yes, sushi in a gas station. It was one of my go to's for a quick lunch, and ever since I introduced it to the monkeys (Satchel, 9, and Jiro, 7) it has been ON. (One of our favorite things to do is to sneak it into the movies, shhh!)

On Friday night after a Target run (the monkeys have been saving their money for Nerf guns) we did a quick drive through.



Since we go so often, the monkeys don't spend too much time perusing the shelves. They go right for their favorite--the crunchy shrimp tempura with eel sauce but without spicy sauce.




Last night a woman walked by, looked at the monkeys with sushi in hand, and asked amazed, "You eat that?" They grinned and looked at each other. I assured her that there weren't any vegetables involved other than a little seaweed. Basically this is the chicken nuggets of sushi rolls. (In their defense they do like quite a range of sushi. Satchel has been known to down three house rolls at Sekisui and beg for a fourth.)

I really like the shrimp tempura roll. I'm pretty sure it is their biggest seller. I'm often tempted to get one with spicy sauce for myself, but the monkeys rarely eat all of theirs, so I settle for their cast offs. I typically get the spicy tuna or the spicy crawfish.



Instead of avocado, which tends to brown, they use cucumbers in most of their rolls. They also have a special rice formula that keeps it from getting hard. They make sushi fresh all day, but they still have to be mindful of the fact that it can be refrigerated for several hours.

In addition to sushi they have edamame, seaweed salad, squid salad, dumplings, and egg rolls. We usually stick to sushi although I have tried the squid salad a couple of times.

Each sushi roll is about $6 and has 12 pieces--a very good deal. Even better, with every four you buy, the fifth is free. You also get a free Coke product with every two rolls you buy.



I've completely eliminated soft drinks from my diet so I tried to pass on the free drink, but the check out dude was insistent. "You can get a Dasani," he told me. While we debated, Jiro quickly ran and got a Diet Sprite. I relented. Honestly I was happy that was all Jiro tried to sneak in. Going to the gas station for dinner can backfire when the monkeys remember that the candy and chip aisles exist.

Once in the car, it is time to eat. There are chopsticks available, but we usually just use our fingers like they do in Japan. Likewise, we don't use any soy sauce. Smothering sushi in soy sauce and wasabi is very American and quite rude especially if done in front of the sushi chef. But I say if you are eating sushi from a gas station you can make up your own rules.



Don't forget the napkins!