Ruby Tuesday - Hilliard-Rome Road

   Hey there fans and other visitors who should bookmark this page!  (I kid)  Here's the deal.  I absolutely LOVE Ruby Tuesday and never usually say anything bad about them.  However, this is a review, and I always like to give my readers some cons to go along with the pros.  After all, they are sort of like peanut butter and jelly . . . Jelly (the pros) is just too sweet by itself and peanut butter (the cons) can stick to the top of your mouth and . . .  well, I'll be honest.  I'm going nowhere with this.  Here's the review.  CHEERS!


  My fiancée and I went to this lovely franchise recently and, as usual, we were very pleased with our meals.  Now, I know that most of the guys that go here usually get a steak or a burger, which is great!  However, I am a different breed; I'm the kind of guy that only goes to this place when I'm in the mood for seafood.  This is because of their awesome meal called the "New Orleans Seafood."  Basically, it is heaven . . . that is, if heaven were a plate of dead and delightfully "spicy, broiled tilapia topped with sautéed shrimp and rich Parmesan cream sauce. Served with your choice of two Signature Sides." (yes, that is definitely copied straight from the menu :p ).  


   Though I am a lover of the "New Orleans Seafood" dish, I have also tried a number of their burgers and their steaks a number of times.  Their burgers are nothing less than grand.  My very favorite is the Smokehouse, but they are all VERY flavorful and I have yet to get a bad one! However, I have to say that the steaks, in my experience, are not always cooked the way I ask them to be. However, the servers and management are top-notch and are usually very intent on making you a happy customer!


  Now for the bad news.  Once a friend and I went to this franchise (in Vandalia, Ohio) and he ordered just a piece of bbq chicken.  I have to tell you, it was the WORST thing I had ever seen come from a restaurant of this caliber.  Literally, it was a chicken breast (very dry) topped with some barbecue sauce, which was COLD!  After trying it, I couldn't help but wonder how such a thing was ever even put on the menu!  Though, if I am not mistaken, it may be off the menu now.  Anyways, the point is this: DON'T ORDER IT!  


    As I stated earlier,  I LOVE Ruby Tuesday.  Not that it's my favorite restaurant in the world, but it DOES satisfy my seafood and burger cravings.  Though, I heard on the radio this morning that there is a new seafood place called Fisherman's Wharf, which is the self proclaimed (via radio commercial) "best seafood in the Columbus area."  I think I know where I'm taking MY next seafood craving!  (Sorry Ruby, but I've got a blog to maintain here  ;p  )


Thanks for reading!


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Verdict 8.0/10

I have to leave room for improvement here.  I simply can't give this place more than an 8 because it is not all it could be.  First, I have never liked the idea of a salad bar (which Ruby Tuesday has).  At least, not for this type of restaurant.  Why can't they just do like the Olive Garden and bring a large bowl of Salad to each table.  It just seems much classier.  Also, the lighting isn't always great.  SOMETIMES they turn them up a notch and you can see just fine, but others, the low light just annoys me.  Overall, I LOVE Ruby and those of you who don't, well, call me a liar in a comment!  I'm down for some criticism; so lay it on me!

http://www.rubytuesday.com

Cici's Pizza -West Pointe Plaza off of Hilliard-Rome

    Alrighty guys,  I simply have to review Cici's here in Hilliard because I have always loved the concept of a pizza buffet.  Unfortunately for me, it is a love-hate relationship.  Lets just say, I love it, but it hates me.  I basically grew up with a pizza buffet in town and my family of six, which included two step brothers on my Dad's side, went there basically every weekend.  However, it was not a Cicis.  It was an East of Chicago pizza and most of you guys have probably never even heard of the chain.

    I'll start off by saying that all pizza buffets are just about the same stuff.  They all have some sort of meaty pizza, some weird Hawaiian pizza, a couple of dessert pizza's.  However, Cici's really steps it up a notch.  They have a HUGE spread at seemingly any given time and sometimes they even have some stuff I'd never tried before!  For instance, these guys have a buffalo pizza in which the tomato sauce is replaced with buffalo and it is topped with chicken bits;  it is now my personal favorite on their buffet!

   Unfortunately, when it comes to almost any buffet style restaurant, I feel that there is a huge decline in quality.  This is not to say that I don't like this pizza, but it just isn't my favorite in the world.  However, for a single parent feeding a child or 6, or even a family looking for a cheap, filling meal, Cici's is an awesome bargain!  Even their take out deals beat out Little Caesar's in my opinion.  Little Cesar's boasts a 5 dollar hot and ready large peperoni or cheese pizza, where Cici's boasts 3 medium 3 topping pizzas for 10 dollars . . you be the judge on that one.

Verdict: 10/10 for value and 6.0/10 for quality

Here, you will see the classic case of "you get what you pay for."  It is absolutely great for big families in need of something filling for 5.75 a head on the buffet. Though, if you are looking for quality, well, go to your favorite pizza place, which may even be Cici's I suppose!  Everyone is different when it comes to pizza it seems!

http://cicispizza.com