Reviews by benchiees

This review is for Outback Jacks Bar & Grill, Blacktown NSW

verified email - 20 Sep 2012

I LOVE their $25 All-you-can-eat ribs & wings deal! It runs everyday of the week.
What you get is:
A rack of pork ribs, a small rack of beef ribs AND a small rack of lamb ribs (lamb lovers' heavennnn!) AND a bowl of crispy chicken wings in your choice of mild/med/hot sweet chill sauce AND a generous serving of chips all on a silver platter.

Finish this huge serving and they'll send out another platter with everything mentioned above but half the size of the first serve. Not the best pork or beef ribs I've ever had, but still pretty good, worth the $25 for sure. But I must say those lamb ribs... I'm sure they're pretty rare as I've never seen them at other restaurants before, but are SO GOOD.

I'm yet to try anything else on the menu but I did notice a huge range from seafood to chicken, to burgers to steaks (of course) - even KANGAROO & CROCODILE skewers!

The service is okay, courteous and polite, but nothing amazing and sometimes it was hard to get a waiter's attention as they were either just not around or weren't taking much notice of us. Being a steakhouse it's understandable that waiting times for food may be a little longer than other types of restaurants, but these guys are pretty good with bringing the ribs out quickly.

I liked the size of the restroom facilities too, no waiting for ages or trying to squeeze into one tiny little cubicle as there are plenty of cubicles and it was very clean too. Restroom conditions and cleanliness always GREATLY affect my opinion/attitude towards a venue if I'm eating there!

Also, the last time we went they gave us a voucher for a free round of drinks for everyone on our table next time we visited - a good way of getting people back there. Pretty cool :)

This review is for Frango Bella Vista, Bella Vista NSW

verified email - 20 Sep 2012

DELICIOUS.

The service could be a bit friendlier, cheerful maybe? When I went there the lady who served me at the counter didn't greet or speak to me, just simply listened to my order and that was it. Maybe she was just having a bad day? Or it was a one-off.

We also waited for quite a while for two burgers, about 15-20mins?

Because I would definitely come back again - the food is that tasty and the serving size is pretty huge! (for the burger anyway)

Try this place out for sure!

This review is for GPK (Gourmet Pizza Kitchen), Castle Hill NSW

verified email - 20 Sep 2012

I LOOOVE the different and interesting flavours of the pizzas here!! They are all named after cities around the world, reflecting their respective ethnic flavours, as well as a variety of Aussie inspired pizzas too!

I really enjoyed the entrees here too, especially the mozzarella sticks and garlic twists, really tasty! And they came out quite quickly, about 5 mins on a fairly busy night.

Pretty good value for the quality and flavour at this place. Pizzas are under $25, yes even the seafood ones! :)

Happy with the service too, both the waiters and the runners were courteous, prompt and caring the entire experience. The atmosphere in the restaurant is quite cosy, however on busy nights it can get a bit crowded when trying to move around between tables - no biggie though.

I highly recommend this place, especially for the pizzas!

Approximate cost: $under $25

This review is for Criniti's, Parramatta NSW

verified email - 19 Sep 2012

Delicious pasta here! You can tell the ingredients are fresh and of high quality.

As for their famous 1 metre pizzas, my friends and I absolutely loooved it - you can pick a few different flavours on the one pizza and share.

Love the wide range on the menu! Can't say the same for the prices though. Pastas and other mains $27+, burgers/wraps average $20-something, pizzas $30+ for a medium size.

The food is beautiful though, would probably go back soon - after payday :P

Approximate cost: $30+

This review is for Silver Spurs Steak Ranch, Penrith NSW

verified email - 19 Sep 2012

Amazing ribs! Definitely in my top 3.

I've been here four times and each time the service has been prompt, friendly and helpful.

The food is really great here - delicious, tasty and the serving size is generous. In saying that, the prices are quite hefty, but nothing ridiculous for a steakhouse. The burgers are pretty reasonable at up to about $15, while the ribs, steaks and combo mains will range from $30-45. Like I said, nothing you wouldn't expect from a good quality steakhouse.

The actual decor of the restaurant carries a native American-Indian theme. Cow print booths, statues of native American chiefs, and a ranch-like feel of the building make the experience fun and adventurous.

PLUS if I could rate it on family-friendliness it would get a 5/5: a cute little play room for the kids with enough PlayStation consoles and toys to keep all the little ones happy while your order's being cooked. And of course, kids meals that'll please the fussiest eaters!

They even get together and sing their Spur tune for birthday occasions :)

Love Spur and will definitely visit again soon.

Approximate cost: $30

This review is for Nunzio's Pizza & Pasta Family Restaurant, Stanhope Gardens NSW

verified email - 19 Sep 2012

I was hesitant to try this place out after seeing quite a few negative/unsatisfactory reviews about, but since it's just down the road from me, I thought why not?

And I'm glad I did! The food is delicious and fresh, much better than many other Italian places I've been to. The boscaiola here - usually a simple, fundamental Italian pasta dish which has failed to satisfy at other restaurants - was absolutely heaven! You could tell the ingredients were fresh and were cooked to perfection.

The pizzas are also pretty good compared to other traditional Italian pizza places.

My friend and I had lunch there and got great service - polite, professional and friendly. Quick service too, but then again it wasn't very busy at that time.

I gave Nunzio's 3 stars for Value because they have pretty average prices, if not a little steep considering the local family atmosphere. However the quality is quite good. And they do offer a lunch special deal, but I still believe the prices could be a dollar or two lower.

Try it!

This review is for Mizuya Japanese Restaurant And Karaoke, Sydney NSW

verified email - 19 Sep 2012

Lots of fun at this place!
Whether you're there for a much needed relaxing after-work cocktail, an intimate dinner with that special someone or if you're on a karaoke spree with the gang, Mizuya makes the experience fun.

I love their touch screen ordering system: makes the dining experience fun and different. It also lets you keep track of your bill and what you've already ordered. But this doesn't mean you get slacking off on the service. All servers/waiters are friendly, helpful and make sure your experience is perfect.

Great range of cocktails/mocktails, beer wine and spirits. And don't forget that killer sake!

Karaoke is a lot of fun here, nice spacious rooms, comfortable and cosy. And they'll usually have a good weekend deal for groups.

If you try anything at mizuya, DEFINITELY try the creamy miso & cheese scallops, ohhhh so divine and reasonably priced. Ordered it and let my friends at the table try and sure enough they were all ordering their own!

Approximate cost: $5-15

This review is for Takumi, Haymarket NSW

verified email - 19 Sep 2012

SUPERB VALUE. $3 for ALL dishes on the sushi train - YES that includes sashimi, scampi, hand rolls, grilled dishes as well as dessert!! The only dishes that aren't $3 are the upon noodle soups, I'm pretty sure.

But wait - there's more lol! Have your student ID card or market city parking ticket handy at the checkout and all dishes you had are reduced to $2.50 each!! That's everything on the sushi train mentioned above (excluding soup dishes). Amazing value for money!

My friends and I often have our uni lunch breaks here or as an after uni pig out sesh when we can really feast for a good hour or more and not have to worry getting smacked with a crazy ass cheque once we're actually full (which is often how most meals end at other quality sushi trains).

In saying all this praise about the prices, you're probably wondering what the actual sushi dishes are like. Being completely honest, the standard of the food is excellent, fresh and tasty, but different to recipes of other sushi restaurants like sushi bay or sushi train which use a lot more sauces and seasonings. Instead, takumi focuses on simple and traditional flavours and fresh produce.

Service is also very good, friendly, and fairly quick considering how busy the place is every time I've been - packed.

Recommend if you want to chow down a whole lot of fresh, quality sushi while being easy on the wallet (:

Approximate cost: $2.50-3.00

This review is for Spicy Aroma, Canley Heights NSW

verified email - 19 Sep 2012

This place is great if you're looking for a wide range of Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. The first thing I'll say is the price range is GREAT. The most you'll probably spend on a dish is about $15 and that's for a soft shell crab main dish (which is beautiful by the way - a must try).

Tasty, delicious food at a great price. On top of that the service was pretty good, friendly.

Nice atmosphere in the restaurant too, cosy and intimate but has a wide open window looking out onto the street, giving it a local feel.

I wouldn't rate their curry in my top 5 Thai curry venues though, otherwise I'd recommend anything else on their menu (:

Approximate cost: $10

This review is for Thai Spice, Stanhope Gardens NSW

verified email - 19 Sep 2012

Quick and courteous service! Delicious fresh Thai food, good serving sizes too!
I'm a regular customer here and the staff have seemed to recognise this and they always serve and greet you with a smile, even on my very first time there until now.

The ambience in the restaurant is very intimate, peaceful but not dull. In fact it's one of the most beautifully decorated Thai places I've visited, considering its a small local business. From the chairs to the walls to the statues, this place makes you feel like you've just arrived in Thailand.

They have a great takeaway discount on weekdays, and delivery options too.

Definitely try the pineapple fried rice , YUM!

Approximate cost: $15