Mac's Burgers

Mac's Burgers
4698 Spottswood
901-512-4604

I would just like to preface this review by saying that dining with one tween and a teen is not always fun. Ha!



Last night the monkeys (Satchel, 13, and Jiro, 11) and I met my mom at Mac's Burgers over by the "old" Target/Williams Sonoma outlet. It's in the bulk of what used to Dan McGuinness. (Dan McGuinness is still open, but in a much smaller space.) We arrived at 6:00pm and the front of the restaurant was pretty full. They seated us at a tall table by the bar. Satchel looked over and saw that there was a huge screen showing the US National Men's soccer team, and was immediately smitten. "It's already better than Skybox," he said, meaning he didn't have to request a channel change.

Unfortunately where we were sitting it was FREEZING. I mean, uncomfortably so. I am not a wimp about A/C, but it really was too much. They couldn't adjust it so they moved us back up front by the window with the general population. By this point the teenager was 1. mortified by his mother being too cold to sit at the table he liked; 2. mortified by his mother complaining about the cold; and 3. annoyed that even though 3 out of the 4 of us wanted to move we did not bend to his wishes. There were TVs everywhere so he could still see the game if he wanted, but he opted to sit where he could not just so I knew how miserable I had made him.

Good times.

Next, we consulted the menu. I had already decided in advance on a salad. Jiro quickly informed me that he wanted the Mac and Cheeseburger which comes with macaroni. This was quite adventurous for him. Then he said, I don't know what a double is, but I want that too. When I explained it was two meat patties, he was thrilled. (Someone was hungry!) My mom asked the waiter a few questions about the mac and cheese options (you can pick three), further mortifying Satchel. By the time it was his time to order, he said he felt pressured to get the mac and cheese with grilled shrimp instead of the Boom Boom Chicken that he originally wanted.

He just could not even.



Anyways! I commented that I couldn't believe no one got one of the fancy frozen lemonades that the populous has been raving about. Eventually we agreed to split a mango lemonade.

The food came out crazy fast and all at once. Sweet!

Jiro's burger was beautiful.



He said it was hard to eat, but he was up to the challenge.



Satchel is usually good about asking that offensive menu items are removed from his meal prior to ordering, but not this time. He quickly ate the shrimp and picked at the macaroni that wasn't touching the peppers.



My mom was very happy with her mac n cheese trio (grilled chicken, grilled shrimp and cheesesteak).



My salad was clearly less exciting, but very tasty. (Are you seeing a grilled pepper theme?)



The mango lemonade was very delicious and very sweet. I would definitely recommend adding a little alcohol--especially if dining with a teenager.



Because I am sweet and I love my cranky teenager, I asked if he wanted to order the Boom Boom Chicken. It was clear he was still hungry. He grumpily agreed to eat it if I ordered it.

Look! A real smile.



Do you need a closer look at his food?



Uh, yum, right? I am a sucker for Boom Boom sauce. I had one fry and then another and so on. Clearly getting a salad was dumb. Just as he was finishing, a runner brought over a separate bowl with more chicken in it. We were all confused until the waiter came over and said that the chef didn't think he put enough chicken on the first time. Uh, ok, we'll take it! My mom and Jiro had a taste and then Satchel asked that I take the waiter up on his offer to go box the rest of them.

Just when I thought everyone was happy, Jiro started in with the "can we leave yets." I had visions of strolling through Williams Sonoma or making a quick run through Target, but it wasn't happening.

I paid the bill ($69) and we hit the road.

We'll be back (with hoodies) and hopefully the boys will be less moody. If not, there's always spiked lemonade!

Skybox Grill & Bar

Skybox Grill & Bar
2140 W Poplar Ave (Collierville)
(901) 854-0509

The Skybox is in Colliervile where the old Petra Cafe used to be. It opended up earlier this year and I had never heard of it. I needed to try the macaroni eggrolls for a story I was working on, so I loaded up the monkeys (Satchel, 12, and Jiro, 10) and headed east. Since we have to pass my mom's house on the way, we picked her up too.



I wasn't really blown away by the decor and was a little iffy on the sports bar concept, but soon a waiter switched on soccer at Satchel's request and then chatted with the boys about different players for a few minutes. He even told them that Tim Howard comes in from time to time. They were sold. Soon they were very happily watching the Man City v Crystal Palace match.

There is a separate bar, and I was impressed with the beer list.



On the regular menu, we had no trouble finding things we wanted to eat.



First up, the macaroni eggrolls. YUM!



I really wanted to not like them so I wouldn't be tempted to drive all the way out to Collierville again!

Our main orders came out soon after. As the waitress was setting everything down, Jiro pulled his arms out of his shirt (he was cold) and acidentally caused her to drop his plate. She was super cool about it and said she'd get another one ASAP.

The waitress had told Satchel the wings were really good, so he had to try them. He was not disappointed.



"These wings are quality," he said.



My mom had the grilled shrimp BLT which she said was surprisingly delicious. She credited the bacon which she described as exceptional. She liked the ciabatta bread which she said was interesting. We all tried the fat fries and gave them the thumbs up.



I had the Mahi tacos with cabbage and pico. I thought two tortillas was too much and dropped one. They weren't super flavorful, but nothing a little hot sauce couldn't fix.



Jiro's replacement burger came out fairly quickly and he compared to it to McDonald's because the patty was very thin and the burger hung off the side of the bun. Though he didn't like the looks of it, he did like the taste.




We absolutely couldn't leave without trying the deep fried moon pie with salted caramel ice cream. Holy shit.



The monkeys literally got out of their chairs and hovered on either side of me to eat it up as fast as possible. It was really, really good. Another thing I did not need to like!

Our total was $55 plus tip, which is pretty good considering we had an appetizer and a dessert.

We really enjoyed our visit and we all plan to go back for the boys' family birthday dinner.

Local

Local
2126 Madison Avenue
901-473-9573

I work downtown and have been to the original Local a couple of times, but was never that impressed. However, I heard lots of good things about the new Local in Overton Square--including the fact that there is a brand new menu--and couldn't wait to check it out. Warren and I went for dinner with friends a few weeks ago, and I've been back for late night grub and brunch since. I'm pretty much addicted to the Bar Fries with blue cheese and bacon.

On all of my visits, I never saw any kids, which isn't surprising. Local is definitely geared to a mature audience. I had never been to weekday lunch, and I figured off all times that would be the time to take the monkeys (Satchel, 10 and Jiro, 8) so we all went yesterday around 11:30am.



We went with a friend, who has never been, and he arrived first. When we walked in we saw that they seated him at the big community table. That's where they sat us on our very first visit for dinner. I'm pretty sure most people don't like sitting there, so they prey on newbies.



It's not a bad place to sit, and both times we sat there we never actually shared it with anyone else. The thing is that there just many other better places to sit--sunny tables in the window, cozy booths, etc. Upstairs is really the best place to be--it has a super casual feel with another bar, sofas, extra TVs, etc.

I didn't complain, I just sat down.

I have had good experiences with service on all of my visits and this was no exception. Our waitress was very sweet and on top of things. Menus were distributed, drinks ordered and received, specials read, and orders taken. Jiro knew right away that he wanted a burger and fries, and since the burger and fries is huge, Warren decided to share with him. Satchel was a bit unglued and extremely hyper for whatever reason. There were plenty of things he likes on the menu, and he was eventually able to decide on chicken & rice soup and an order of Parmesan fries.

My friend, Chip, order the Pho Boy from the special lunch menu.



When the waitress told us we could do 1/2 sandwich with soup or salad, I decided to go against getting the lobster tacos which I loved on my first visit in favor of a turkey sandwich and Ceasar salad. (Dumb!)

As we waited on our food, we chatted about the amazing transformation of the building. Seriously, it is a major upgrade. Local is a great addition to Overton Square.

We happily watched the MemShoppers along Madison and discussed the wares we'd seen over the weekend.

We also marveled at the size of the meatloaf delivered to the women behind us in a booth. In fact, I knew one of them, and we had a little chat about it. Her and her friend both immediately go to go boxes and boxed half of their lunches up before taking a single bite. I later noticed that a man at the table to the right of us got a much smaller serving about 15 minutes later!

Our food actually took awhile to come out. We all agreed that the meatloaf was probably already ready, but that our food had to be made fresh. When I eventually asked the waitress if a very spazzy Satchel could maybe have his soup, she said that everything was ready except the burger.

Soon everything came out and we dug in.

Here is a really misleading picture of the giant burger, which is being dwarfed by the fries in this shot. Jiro loved it.



Warren, who was a little queasy from the night before, took his half home. He did finish off his side order of spiked greens, which he said were good.



Satchel tore into his soup right away and he seemed happy.



He barely made a dent in the fries.



My turkey sandwich was good, but not as good as the lobster tacos.



My Ceasar salad was good, too, but not as good as the lobster tacos.



I was actually most jealous of Chip's lunch. His Pho Boy looked YUMMY. He did not offer me a taste.



I'm definitely getting that next time. And I really want to go for Friday lunch or weekend brunch so I can taste the chicken and waffles, which the waitress raved about.

The only slightly negative thing I can say about Local (ok if you are counting my lukewarmness about the community table, then this is the second slightly negative thing I can say)--it isn't cheap. For the five of us to each lunch our total was $58.45 plus tip. Keep in mind that Warren and Jiro shared a meal. So it's in the $12-$15 range even without a drink.

Speaking of drinks--they have a great cocktail menu and plenty of high gravity beers, so definitely go visit even if you aren't hungry!

I have been to the restrooms on other visits and can attest that they are lovely. I do not think there is a changing table.

Probably won't go back with the monkeys, but I'll be back.

Slider Inn

Slider Inn
2117 Peabody
901-725-1155

I was really excited when Slider Inn opened last year...until I found out that they were a 21 and up establishment. Warren and I joked that it made no sense to sell tiny hamburgers and not let kids eat them. But more seriously I thought that the location--just down from Peabody Park--made it a perfect spot for families.

One night when I was without children and it was really late, some friends and I popped over for some food. Once inside I definitely got the bar vibe, and got over my little grudge. Soon Slider Inn became my late night go to place.

Then a couple of weeks ago I met my sister for a drink after work. Slider Inn looked a lot different in the daylight, and it turned out they wouldn't let anyone smoke inside until after 9pm. "Does that mean you guys allow kids now?" I asked. The bartender confirmed that kids could come in before 5pm.

So, Saturday after basketball, Warren and I took the kids over for lunch. Warren was a little wary of bringing them, so I went in and just made double sure it was ok.



We arrived around 1pm and there were several full tables, but none with kids. We grabbed a table and I noted that we had seen the people at the next table the night before at the Cove. They had clearly just woken up, unlike those of us with children.



The very sweet waitress did her best to talk us into a mimosa or a Bloody Mary, and eventually Warren relented. The kids and I ordered water, but the bartender came over and asked the monkeys if they liked lemonade. When they said, "Yes!" he brought them each a cup of their signature fresh squeezed lemonade that he just made. I thought that was a very nice touch and made us feel welcome. The monkeys declared it delicious. Jiro even gave me a sip.



Next we had to figure out what to order. The menu is pretty basic so it isn't too hard to decide.



Typically, Warren and I split the Original Memphis Sliders and some plain nachos, but he wanted to try the hot dog and I wanted to try some of the specialty sliders. I went with the "mix & match" option and ordered a Lowrider, Vegan Triple B, and a Veggae Reggae. We decided to let the kids each get an order of Originals, even though I doubted either could eat all three. We all chose fries as our side even though the waitress made all of our other options (potato salad, soup, salad) sound appealing. I was also very tempted by the special brunch bacon egg and cheese sliders, but I resisted.

While we waited for the food, Jiro actually watched the Louisville game on TV and commented on the defensive plays! What?

The food came out fast and Satchel was thrilled.



He did have a moment of ennui when he saw that they had cheese on them, but decided to suck it up. Jiro likes cheese, so that wasn't a problem. Neither noticed the bourbon mayo hiding under the patty, so that was a blessing.

My sliders looked very fetching on the plate...er pizza pan. (Must be a new trend...BGR does the same.)



Though I had tried most of them before, I had never done it sober or in the daylight. I have to say that the Lowrider was definitely missing the Sriracha aoili and was therefore rather boring. Also the chicken was microscopic. The Veggae Reggae is probably the dumbest slider ever invented. It's basically a burger with everything, except the meat. Not sure what I was thinking when I ordered that. Thankfully the Vegan Triple B was yummy and Jiro let me have one of his originals.

Warren's hot dog had bacon on it, so it had to be good!



The dog was nitrate free and indeed very tasty. I think the best part was that the bun was actually toasted. (If they toasted the buns on the sliders they would be even better.)

He ate it all, and we all snarfed down the fries like nobody's business. I asked everyone if they knew the secret to the fries but they couldn't guess. When I said, "Sugar!" Warren did not believe me. "How do you know?" he asked. "Because I did a story on it," I said. Then he sheepishly said, "I can't read Commercial Appeal stories on my phone." I replied, "It was in the Flyer. Busted!" (You can read it here.)

When all was said and done, Satchel ate two sliders and some fries, and Jiro ate one slider and all of his fries and some of mine. He was going to eat a second slider, but he didn't like the way the patty looked. "I think someone took a bite out of it," he said. At $9.99 a pop, I might force the monkeys to share an order next time.

We got a to go container, which was not styrofoam. Score!



I should note that the kids' waters were also styrofoam free.



I thought we were pretty much done, but when the waitress asked, "Who has room for dessert?" Jiro said, "I do!" So, we ordered a slice of strawberry cake. Look how pretty!



Our resident strawberry lover was thrilled.



It was a very nice ending to a nice meal. Our total was $48.74, which was pretty steep for lunch, but considering we had a Bloody Mary and dessert I can't complain. Plus, we had two free lemonades!

Before leaving, Jiro and checked out the restrooms. Clean, eco-friendly (everything is automatic), but no changing table.

I think when it warms up, there will be lots of families on the patio. (It converts to open air.)



I think Team Oster will certainly take a bike ride there.

Bosco's

It's been more than four years since I reviewed Bosco's! It was a group effort and probably a bit wordy for my casual readers, so here's a new look at an old favorite.

Bosco's Squared
2120 Madison Avenue
432-2222

The past few Sundays, we've found ourselves driving around in search of food. A couple of weeks ago, we decided to go to Bosco's. We used to live right behind Bosco's and it was my regular drinking spot. I go for lunch and late night drinks from time to time and Warren and I have been known to pop in before a movie, but we hadn't taken the monkeys (Satchel, 8, and Jiro, 6) in over four years!



We arrived pretty early--around 6:00pm--and found the restaurant fairly quiet. (There was also snow in the forecast.) We were seated along the west wall in a large booth. There was one other family dining in the same area and I was glad to see it.

When we sat down, we had an immediate issue--the candle on the table. "Can I blow it out?" was the first thing Satchel asked. We went ahead an let him so that the fire would not continue to be a source of conversation/annoyance for the rest of the meal. (Sadly, I can't blame the lack of candlelight for the quality of these pictures. Half way through our meal, they adjusted the lighting to be even lower than it already was. Good for ambiance, bad for pictures.)



The hostess gave the monkeys fancy crayons to color their kids' menus/placemats. I love that they are still young enough to tackle kids' pages with gusto. Our first order of business was getting drinks. Warren ordered a Poor Richard's Ale and the rest of us got water. (Had it not been a Sunday after two nights of imbibing, I probably would have had a beer too.) The kids' waters came in styrofoam cups. (Doesn't it seem like an institution like Bosco's should be PGF certified?)



In terms of food, the kids' menu seemed about the same as I remembered. It cracks me up that you can get fruit with a side of fries. The macaroni and cheese is Kraft, and overall I think the menu is pretty amenable to little kids.



Jiro quickly decided on the cheese pizza, but Satchel wanted soup. The soup of the day was clam chowder and he was fine with that. Warren and I went back and forth. If I wasn't on a healthy choices kick, I would have totally gotten the Buffalo chicken pizza. Instead, I opted for the ahi tuna tacos. I offered to share them with Warren for a bit of his steak sandwich and he agreed.

The first thing to come out was Warren's side salad. It was fine. Nothing exciting. Looking closely at the picture, I'd guess it came from a bag. The carrots definitely did.



Then the tuna tacos arrived. They are an appetizer. The description reads "Chopped Sushi Tuna, Shredded Lettuce, Pico De Gallo, and Smoky Sour Cream in Crisp Wontons." I've had them several times and like the way the pico and the sour cream combine. I am also a fan of the crunchy shell. However, the tuna was cooked way more than I would have liked.



Our main dishes arrived soon after. Jiro's pizza looked very small. He can pack away an entire slice of the Trolley Stop Market's giant pizza, so ordering from the kids' menu may have been a stretch for him. He complained that the cheese was sliding around, but once it cooled off a bit, he easily ate it up. (I definitely expected him to be hungry about an hour later and he was.)



Satchel's clam chowder, on the other hand, was gigantic. I definitely should have gotten him a small. He loves nothing more than dipping bread into soup, so he was golden. (As much as he claimed to like this soup it took a lot of string arming to get him to polish off the leftovers a few days later.)



Warren's Angus steak sandwich looked yummy, and it was, but I definitely did not feel the power of my healthy choices with the buttered and grilled bread smothered in mayo. Oh well. I ate some fries and got over myself.



We all cleaned our plates, except Satchel. Warren was still working on his beer (he tried enlisting Jiro's help to polish it off!), so I agreed to get a slice of Key Lime pie for everyone to split. I think it must be the first thing Satchel looks for on a menu!



It was good--again, nothing special. Our tab came to $50, $60 with tip. Ouch!

Looking back, I guess I never noticed how blah some of the food is at Bosco's. Next time, I'll suck it up and have a Flaming Stone and the Buffalo chicken pizza. This is not the place for healthy choices! Although, I think the seared tuna salad probably would have been a better--and more filling (but more expensive)--alternative to the tuna tacos. And I'd probably have the monkeys split a regular pizza and avoid the kids' menu.

I am a fan of Bosco's and love that they continue to bring in the crowds. Overton Square definitely needs a solid place to anchor it. The patio is amazing and the service is usually just fine. Definitely worth going to, especially if you are monkey free and thirsty.