Category: Free Inquiry (page 1 of 1)

Well folks, this is it. We’ve made it to our final blog.

Yes, you read it right at the top of the post. This will sadly be my final food blog. As they say, all good things must come to an end, so this must too. It’s a harsh reality but the only answer. Anyways, let’s remember the good times and do one final review. For this week’s blog, I stopped in at Bold Butchery and Grill! Located at Quadra and Pandora, Bold Butchery is a small eatery serving various types of Middle Eastern food. Can it overtake the list and take the top spot for the final blog? Let’s find out.

My Order: Chicken Shawarma Wrap

Appearance: 7/10

I mean there’s nothing inherently wrong about the appearance of this meal. It honestly looks quite yummy. Really really really yummy but that’s only if we’re talking about this beautiful cross-section here. If we look at the first picture, at the top of the blog, we are left to see quite a bland sight. In no way is it unappealing, it’s just bland, it’s just meh, 7/10.

Taste: 9/10

This was actually my first time trying shawarma (I know how lame) and holy moly, was I impressed. Obviously, since this was my first time trying it, I had nothing to compare it to, but just from the initial taste alone, this was absolutely delicious. The flavours all paired together perfectly and made for a little party in my mouth with every bite I took. Even flavours I don’t always enjoy, such as tomatoes, were great in this meal! That’s how you can tell when something is good when it makes something you don’t usually like to be very enjoyable. I gotta say, after this meal, I will 100% be getting shawarma more and more, I have been missing out! 9/10.

Customer Service: 9/10

I really don’t have much to say about the customer service here. I walked in ordered my food, waited about five minutes, then my food was ready and I left. There was no line to wait in and no chit-chat to be had. I just simply ordered my food and received it. Nice, I like it, 9/10.

Bang for your buck: 4/10

Surprisingly, this was my most expensive meal yet. In total, my meal came to twenty dollars and 16 cents, taxes included and with a two-dollar tip. Wow, that is quite a hefty price, to say the least. When the man behind the counter told me the price, I honestly cried a little inside. It all became worth it once I took the first bite but still, the price hurt. So yes it is worth it, but just be prepared to spend if you go to Bold Butchery.

Final Score Breakdown

Appearance: 7/10

Taste: 9/10

Customer Service: 9/10

Bang for your buck: 4/10

Final score: 29/40

Final Thoughts

For my first-ever shawarma experience, this place was awesome. Exceptionally delicious and with speedy service, I would recommend this place to anyone. Just be ready to spend a bit more than usual as this place is very very pricey

Jaxon’s Top Takeout in Victoria List

1. Rise and Grind, Downtown – 35/40
2. Italian Food Imports, Downtown – 33/40
3. RedFish BlueFish, Inner Harbour – 29/40
4. Bold Butchery & Grill, Downtown -29/40
5. Sunnyside Cafe, Esquimalt – 27/40
6. Big Wheel Burger, Numerous locations – 26/40
7. Foo Asian Street Food, Downtown -25/40
8. Lee’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 20/40
9. Mary Brown’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 12/40

Final Inquiry Reflection

There we have it folks, the last review has been written. I hope you all have There we have it, the last review has been written. I hope you all have enjoyed reading these blogs just as much as I have enjoyed writing them for you! In the end, Rise and Grind came out on top of this highly coveted list, which it very much deserves. That place is absolutely amazing, if you haven’t been there yet, it is a must. In last, came Mary Brown’s chicken which I would only recommend if you like soggy bread and wet chicken.

Overall I think my inquiry process went very well. I explored my question to a high extent and although I stuck to a very formulaic approach, I achieved exactly what I wished to. Which was to explore the city I have lived in my entire life, in a way in which I have not before and to eat some yummy food! I can confidently say I achieved both of these goals and I am quite happy with how it all turned out in the end. Thanks for reading and refer to these blogs when you’re hungry!

For this week’s blog, I must admit I was struggling quite hard. After a long night on the town, I awoke feeling oh so icky. My body needed something, it needed to be healed. So how did I go about this process? By buying an overpriced breakfast burrito, of course! Thus, for this week’s blog, I stopped in for a meal at Sunnyside Cafe to heal my broken self. Located along Esquimalt road, beside the memorial park and across from the Esquimalt library, sunnyside cafe is a locally owned breakfast/lunch restaurant serving a variety of delicious meals! Can Sunnyside cafe dethrone its direct competitor, Rise and Grind? Let’s find out.

My Order: Breaky Burrito

Appearance: 9/10

Holy moly, this looks simply exquisite. Although the picture may not fully do it justice, the looks of this meal are next level. Coming in a classic white takeout box, at first, I was apprehensive to see what was inside. In many of my experiences with takeout food, when it comes in a box like this, the meal is often just thrown in, with no regard for appearance. To my surprise, as I opened the box, I was greeted with the most perfect sight of a massive burrito carefully cut and placed into two pieces with hashbrowns lining the side. Steam rose from the box to my face as I took a look in as well, making for a truly magical experience. I felt like I was at Disneyland, 9/10.

Taste: 6/10

In all honesty, this may have been my toughest score to decide to date. Why you ask? Well honestly, this burrito was very tasty, but it was also kind of gross at the time. Let me explain. The flavours were all there, but the texture was so very off. I’m not sure exactly what caused it, but sadly after a few bites, the burrito became very soggy. This was quite disappointing because those first few bites were so delicious. Had it not gotten soggy halfway through, we’d be looking at an 8+ score. All the ingredients perfectly complemented each other and were evidently fresh. I just can’t deal with no soggy food. Sorry Sunnyside, you were so close to being delicious, but a wet burrito is not the move, 6/10.

Customer Service: 9/10

Although struggling with the effects of a long Saturday night, I must say, I very much enjoyed my time at Sunnyside Cafe! All the workers were personable and more than happy to take my order. This made for a very welcoming experience and all around, the vibe of the little cafe was great. I really have no qualms with this place. Within 10 minutes of ordering my meal was ready to go. It really doesn’t get much better than that, 9/10.

Bang for your Buck: 3/10

Now here’s where my problems with Sunnyside Cafe really begin. THIS PLACE IS EXPENSIVE. In total, my meal was roughly 19 dollars after taxes and with a two-dollar tip. Now, Yes, the burrito was massive and came with a side of hashbrowns, but 19 dollars is simply too much for a takeout meal. If I wanted to pay that much for breakfast, I would have gone to a nice sit-down spot, not a speedy takeout spot. Its only redeeming factor is that it could be split into two meals due to its size, but nonetheless, I’m very disappointed, 3/10.

Final Score Breakdown

Appearance: 9/10

Taste: 6/10

Customer Service: 9/10

Bang for your buck: 3/10

Final score: 27/40

Final Thoughts

Sunnyside Cafe had so much going for it. It had the potential to grace one of the top spots of this list. The service was amazing, the presentation was exquisite and the flavours were all there and oh boy were they good. Sadly, the expensive cost of the slightly above-average food coupled with the burrito becoming soaked halfway through the meal diminished my experience too much. It’s sad it had to end this way, but I had no choice. You did this to yourself, Sunnyside Cafe.

Jaxon’s Top Takeout in Victoria List

1. Rise and Grind, Downtown – 35/40
2. Italian Food Imports, Downtown – 33/40
3. RedFish BlueFish, Inner Harbour – 29/40
4. Sunnyside Cafe, Esquimalt – 27/40
5. Big Wheel Burger, Numerous locations – 26/40
6. Foo Asian Street Food, Downtown -25/40
7. Lee’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 20/40
8. Mary Brown’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 12/40

For this week’s blog, I may have bent the rules a wee bit. Instead of getting my takeout meal in Victoria, I got my meal up island in Parksville. I know, I know, this is supposed to be the top takeout spots in and around Victoria’s list, but hear me out. As we all know, this past week was our winter reading break. In light of this, me and a few friends went up to Parksville for the weekend. Unfortunately, while in Parksville, I spent A LOT of money on various items. Including a few stops to get some takeout. So, for the sake of my wallet, I decided instead to write about my favourite meal I got while away. Rather than buying a whole new meal while in town. To keep the integrity of the list though, this week’s addition will only be a part of the list for one week.

Anyways, for this week’s blog, I stopped in at the Coombs Ice Cream Parlor for a meal. Located along the Port Alberni Highway and found within the Coombs market, Coombs Ice Cream Parlor is definitely an interesting place to eat. You may be thinking, “did he just get ice cream for lunch?”. As much as I would have loved that, the answer is no. Deceivingly, the Coombs Ice Cream Parlor is much more than its name may lead one to believe. Inside its tall wooden walls is a takeout restaurant serving a wide array of food along with an art gallery featuring numerous wood-carved pieces. It’s definitely no ordinary takeout spot, but nonetheless, it still is, and thus, it deserves a proper review. So, can an Ice cream shop take down some of the top spots in Victoria? Let’s find out.

My Order: Bacon Poutine

Appearance: 8/10

Holy moly, does this ever look beautiful. Before I continue, I must say that I am a die-hard fan of poutine. Thus, my opinion of the looks of this meal may be biased but, c’mon just look at this. The cheese curds are evenly spread out and frequent, the gravy is covering each and every fry and the bacon is placed right in the mix of it all. How can it get much better than that? The beautiful part about poutine is how simple it is and here all aspects have been covered. Even if, in comparison to other meals I’ve ordered, it seems bare, I just love it, 8/10.

Taste 6/10

As much as I hoped it would, this meal did not taste as good as it looked, but I must admit, it was pretty yummy. To start, the fries and cheese curds were immaculate. Perfectly cooked, the fries were not too mushy and not too hard, all while being seasoned just the right amount. The cheese curds were nothing special taste-wise, but they were large and found in every bite. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I order poutine and it comes with like three total curds, so having many elevated the dish. Unfortunately, the gravy and the bacon were both lacking in various areas which brought down this meal’s score greatly. Although it was perfect consistently, the gravy just didn’t really have much flavour. It added more to the meal by melting the cheese curds than it did with its taste. As to the bacon, there was no bacon. To my surprise, the meat used for this meal wasn’t bacon but instead, it was ham. Of course, the ham still tasted delicious, but I was expecting actual bacon, not Canadian bacon. Leaving me longing for real bacon after each bite, 6/10.

Customer Service: 7/10

This place is just straight weird. First off, the restaurant is very divey and on staff was a single old granny. Furthermore, as I mentioned in the intro, this restaurant is located in the same building as a wood carving art gallery. These two things coupled together created a very interesting vibe. I felt like I was in someone’s grandma’s kitchen while being surrounded by wood sculptures. Many of which were carvings of naked people. In no way does this take away from the nice old lady’s customer service. She was awfully friendly and more than happy to make me and three of my friend’s meals. The ordering process was simple and smooth and the food came in no time, 7/10

Bang for your Buck: 8/10

In total, my meal came out to 10.50, taxes included and with a one-dollar tip. I must say, that’s pretty dang good. The portion size you get is massive. After finishing my meal I was completely and utterly stuffed. If I was asked to eat just one more fry, I may have exploded. So really, for all the food you get 10 dollars is cheap, 8/10

Final Score Breakdown

Appearance: 8/10

Taste: 6/10

Customer Service: 7/10

Bang for your buck: 8/10

Final score: 29/40

Final Thoughts

For an Ice cream parlour in an art gallery, the food here is surprisingly good. The prices are cheap, the portions are great and the service is friendly. Just be prepared if you do plan to go, that it is an incredibly weird place. You will feel awkward but you will also be full. So pros and cons, but I’d recommend Coombs Ice Cream Parlour!

Jaxon’s Top Takeout in Victoria (and Parksville) List

1. Rise and Grind, Downtown – 35/40
2. Italian Food Imports, Downtown – 33/40
3. RedFish BlueFish, Inner Harbour – 29/40
4. Coombs Ice Cream Parlour, Coombs – 29/40
5. Big Wheel Burger, Numerous locations – 26/40
6. Foo Asian Street Food, Downtown -25/40
7. Lee’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 20/40
8. Mary Brown’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 12/40

For this week’s blog, I stopped into Messob Ethiopian Cuisine. Well, at least that’s what the plan was. Unfortunately, when I pulled on the front door, it didn’t move an inch. The place was closed, my heart was broken. Luckily, all I had to do was a 180-degree turn to see where I was going to eat instead. To my surprise, directly beside Messob Ethiopian Cuisine is a Big Wheel Burger. So now, for this week’s blog, I stopped to eat at Big Wheel Burger! Although there are numerous locations on the island, this Big Wheel is Located on Cook Street, directly across from Cook Street Village. Big Wheel Burger is a high-quality burger restaurant that focuses on being completely sustainable. From their ingredients to their packaging every aspect of a big wheel burger was cultivated through sustainable processes. This may be good for the environment, but will it taste good? Let’s find out!

My Order: The Big Onion Burger

Appearance: 7/10

Well guys, as you can see, it is definitely a burger. Nothing too special about it at all. The red onion peeking through coupled with the lettuce gives it an unexpected pop of colour, but besides that, this is fairly basic. Is that necessarily a bad thing though? In my opinion, for this meal, it isn’t. When I come to a takeout burger restaurant, I’m not expecting to see something out of a Michelin-star restaurant. I’m expecting to see a burger. A nice bun, with some meat, cheese and vegetables, is all that’s needed to please me. So although it is fairly bare bones, that’s exactly what I expected from Big Wheel Burger, 7/10

Taste: 8/10

Just like its appearance, when it comes to taste all I can say is, it is definitely a burger. A good burger at that. The problem is, almost all takeout burgers taste the same. Whether it’s big wheel, Bin 4 or the now closed Pink Bicycle, they’re all pretty much the same, albeit a few special patties. What it really comes down to here and why it scored so high is because how high quality and fresh the ingredients. You can truly tell through each bite that what you’re eating is fresh. The bun is soft, the vegetables are crisp and the beef is delicious. Even if it didn’t blow me away, the overall quality of this burger increases it’s rating, 8/10.

Customer Service: 6/10

Let me give you a quick rundown of my experience at Big Wheel Burger. I walked in, I ordered my food, I sat down, I picked up my food and finally, I left. That is quite literally it. Nothing of note happened. I ordered, I sat and I left. So I guess that means good customer service? I honestly don’t really know what to write, it kinda just happened. One second I was burger-less the next I had a burger, 6/10.

Bang for your Buck: 4/10

Now, this is where Big Wheel Burger really grinds my gears. In total, my meal came to 15.91, taxes included and with a two-dollar tip. Yes, you heard me right. For a single burger, it was 15.91. Now I did not get the cheapest option on the menu, but still, almost 16 dollars for a burger is insane. If I had gotten fries and a drink, I would have been in the 20-25 dollar region. That’s more than most sit-down restaurants! Maybe it’s the high-quality ingredients that drive the price so high? Nonetheless, this is too expensive for a single burger, 4/10

Final Score Breakdown

Appearance: 7/10

Taste: 8/10

Customer Service: 7/10

Bang for your buck: 4/10

Final score: 26/40

Final Thoughts

Although it was nothing special, I must admit it was quite delicious. Sustainable practices and high-quality ingredients make this a burger that feels good to eat as well as tastes good. As long as you don’t mind paying the big bucks for an above-average burger, I recommend you stop and check out Big Wheel Burger.

Jaxon’s Top Takeout in Victoria List

1. Rise and Grind, Downtown – 35/40
2. Italian Food Imports, Downtown – 33/40
3. RedFish BlueFish, Inner Harbour – 29/40
4. Big Wheel Burger, Numerous locations – 26/40
5. Foo Asian Street Food, Downtown -25/40
6. Lee’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 20/40
7. Mary Brown’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 12/40

For this week’s blog, I have to admit I’m fairly swamped with homework. Due to this, I didn’t have the time to go to a fancy takeout spot as I have been for my past few blogs. I did, however, drive right past a newly opened chicken takeout spot, so I decided why not and stopped in for a meal. This restaurant was Mary Brown’s Chicken. Located on Admirals and Aldersmith in Esquimalt, Mary Brown’s, in the nicest way possible, just like every other chicken restaurant. The question is now, is it better than all those other chicken restaurants? Lee’s Chicken scored 20/40 on my scale, let’s see if Mary Brown’s can top it.

My Order: Buffalo Mary Sandwich

Appearance: 2/10

Ummmmmmmmmmmmm, to say the least, this is bad. Bland, bland, and blander are all I can think of when I look at this. The sandwich is mushed, and overall just not very appealing. I gotta admit though, the box the fries come in is pretty cool. I’ve never seen a fry box like this before, so for that alone, Mary Brown’s gets a few points in the appearance category. Other than that, I’m fairly disappointed, 2/10

Taste: 3/10

For what this sandwich lacks in appearance, it only somewhat makes up for in taste. To begin, the buffalo sauce they used was very sweet. Sweet to the point of it not tasting like buffalo sauce anymore. This really threw me off on my first bite. I expected the oh-so-delicious taste of buffalo sauce. Instead, all I got was disappointment. After a few more bites, I mean, I guess it tasted good? It definitely wasn’t bad tasting but it also was in no way good. Oh, and I almost forgot, THE WHOLE THING WAS SOGGY. Not just damp, but soggy. How does this even happen? I can understand if the sauce got the bun a little damp, but legitimately, the sandwich was wet. Just came out of the pool on a summer’s day wet. Not something I want a sandwich to be at all, 3/10.

Customer Service: 3/10

This place is just straight-up weird. Bad vibes all around for sure. Much like Lee’s chicken, when I went to Mary Brown’s, at that point, it had just been open for a few days. Meaning you’d expect some things not to go according to plan. The usual being misplaced items or long wait times, but here, the staff was just rude. Genuinely rude, not only to me but to many other customers. They were even rude to other coworkers. This wasn’t just one employee either. It was multiple employees, who seemed to not care one bit. They also asked if I wanted gravy with my meal, which I of course said yes too. I assumed it was free, but to my surprise, when looking at the receipt, I noticed that the gravy cost two whole dollars. Nobody even told me it was extra. Not an ideal look for a newly opened spot, 3/10.

Bang for Your Buck 4/10

In total, my meal came out to 15.11 taxes included, with a Pepsi and of course, the infamous gravy cup. Considering it would have been two dollars less without the gravy cup, this isn’t a bad deal. It’s pretty much the standard for all the chicken takeout places to be between 12 and 15 dollars for a meal, making it quite average. An average price for a less-than-average meal, 4/10.

Final score Breakdown

Appearance: 2/10

Taste 3/10

Customer Service: 3/10

Bang for your buck: 4/10

Final score: 12/40

Yikes

Final Thoughts

Mary Brown’s was a complete and utter letdown. I honestly thought it would be better than Lee’s chicken and Popeyes. Sadly, it was significantly worse due to numerous reasons. Maybe it was just a bad day for good ol Mary Brown or maybe it’s just bad. I’ll probably stop in another time soon to test this but as of right now, Mary Brown’s leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Literally and figuratively. Be very wary of eating here and happy Halloween!

P.S. Sorry for this being a shorter blog, as I mentioned I’ve been struggling with homework. Be expecting fuller-length food reviews again soon!

Jaxon’s Top Takeout in Victoria List

1. Rise and Grind, Downtown – 35/40
2. Italian Food Imports, Downtown – 33/40
3. RedFish BlueFish, Inner Harbour – 29/40
4. Foo Asian Street Food, Downtown -25/40
5. Lee’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 20/40
6. Mary Brown’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 12/40
   
   
   

For this week’s blog, I decided to get one of my favourite types of food, Italian food. Now you may be thinking hmmm, I wonder which pasta restaurant he went to? Fiamo maybe? What about II Terrazzo? This is where you’d be wrong. Instead of going with the stereotypical western idea of Italian food, for example, pasta and pizza. I decided to get an Italian sub from Italian Food Imports! Located on Blanshard and View Street, Italian Food Imports is a bustling market that serves as both a grocery store and as an Italian sandwich shop. Truly the best of both worlds, but does it have what it takes to crack the top of my prestigious list? Let’s find out.

My Order: Ultimate Meatball Panini

Appearance: 6/10

As you can tell from the video above, the appearance is nothing special. Personally, when I think of a meatball panini, I imagine cheese and sauce spilling out the sides with big meatballs splitting the middle of the sandwich. Here we have none of that. There is some sauce spilling out, but besides that, it just looks like two pieces of bread stuck together. Two ever so slightly burnt pieces of bread at that. Even with all these fallacies, I must admit, it does look pretty yummy, 6/10

Taste: 10/10

Here we have it folks, our first 10/10. In the taste category as well, like c’mon people we got something special here. Where do I even begin? This sandwich was just so yummy, like life-altering. Every single component worked so well together, culminating in each bite being an explosion of flavours. Not to mention, the ingredients were so fresh, the meatballs were delicious and I believe the bread is housemade. Making for a genuinely special sandwich. I legitimately can’t even describe how good this sandwich was. Even writing this, I feel like I’m doing it no justice, with this poor writeup, but there’s nothing I can do. This sandwich simply has me speechless. All I can say is you must get one. I can guarantee it’ll be one of the better if not one of the best sandwiches you will ever eat. What are you even doing still reading this, GO GET ONE, 10/10.

Customer Service: 9/10

The customer service at this place is awesome. To start, due to it doubling as a grocery store, this little shop is always packed with people buying all sorts of things. You would think this would mean, having to wait in line forever, but to my surprise, it was quite the opposite. Yes, the line was long, yet it moved incredibly fast as the pace of all the staff was insane. All the workers moved with speed and purpose. It honestly looked like they were on a cooking show or something with how serious they were taking their job. This incredible focus in no way stops the worker’s kindness. Everyone I spoke to was very friendly and personable. I even laughed a couple of times as in the few brief conversations I had, many jokes were cracked. All those positives culminated in an awesome atmosphere with even better customer service, 9/10.

Bang for your buck: 8/10

In total, my meal came out to 16.50, including taxes and a two-dollar tip. To top it all off, I also got bottled iced tea with my meal. On the surface, this may seem pricey but in all honesty, this is fairly cheap. Most takeout meals of this quality cost around 15 dollars alone. This price doesn’t include taxes, doesn’t include a two-dollar tip and most importantly, doesn’t include a bottled iced tea. So, getting everything I got for that cheap of a price is something my wallet is very happy about. It may not be the cheapest in the world, but for what you get, it’s pretty damn good, 8/10

Final score Breakdown

Appearance: 6/10

Taste 10/10

Customer Service: 9/10

Bang for your buck: 8/10

Final score: 33/40

Final Thoughts

All I can say is, just go. Italian Food Imports may not crack the top of my list but for the taste alone this place is a must. After eating my sub, I was genuinely flabbergasted by how good it was.

Jaxon’s Top Takeout in Victoria List

1. Rise and Grind, Downtown – 35/40
2. Italian Food Imports, Downtown – 33/40
3. RedFish BlueFish, Inner Harbour – 29/40
4. Foo Asian Street Food, Downtown -25/40
5. Lee’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 20/40

Instead of heading to the occasional lunch-dinner type spot, for this week’s blog, I decided to head to a top breakfast spot in Victoria, Rise and Grind. Situated on Broad Street, Rise and Grind is an experimental breakfast spot housing a variety of predominantly breakfast sandwiches. I’ve heard nothing but good things about this place, but I also said that about the last three places and found myself disappointed in all three. Will this be the outlier, lets’s find out.

My Order: Big Mac Drip Sandwich

Appearance: 9/10

Ok, before I get into the appearance of my meal, I need to set some things straight. First, I know my picture isn’t great but let me explain. So this past week I’ve frantically been in the process of getting my passport renewed so I can go to the Seattle Mariners playoff. It’s been such a grind honestly. On Tuesday night, they called and told me I would have to come to the passport office at 8:30 AM the next day. If I didn’t, they said I wouldn’t be able to get my passport, so basically, I had no choice. I went in, the meeting went smooth, and I decided to get some breakfast after. The only problem was, it was about 9:30 ish when the meeting ended. To say the least, I was quite late for class. Therefore, I rushed and got my food, I rushed to get back to my car and I rushed while taking the pic. So sorry guys, my picture isn’t great but let me tell you about this beautiful meal.

If you never had a Big Mac Drip sandwich, let me explain how it’s composed so you can visualize it for yourself. From top to bottom, layer by layer, here’s how it goes; Eggo waffle, bacon strips, egg, Eggo waffle, sausage patty, egg, bacon strips, Eggo waffle, bacon strips, egg and finally, one more Eggo waffle. Oh, and you get a cup of maple syrup on the side. What an absolute monstrosity, but boy is it beautiful. Trust me, 9/10.

Taste: 9/10

Just as it is amazing on the eyes, the Big Mac Drip sandwich is amazing on the taste buds. I don’t even know where to begin. The combination of flavours is overwhelming but oh-so-good. From the sweetness of the syrup to the salty of the sausage and bacon. Everything blends perfectly. Then on top of that, you have a fluffy Eggo waffle to piece everything together. It’s unconventional but it works so well, 9/10.

Customer Service: 9/10

I walked in pretty much right as they opened, which could have gone one of two ways. Either the workers would of been ready for the day and happy to help or they would of been still sleepy and the service would of been on the slower side. I expected the latter but to my surprise the service was fast, friendly and enjoyable. All the workers were extremely friendly and within 5 minutes I was out of the restaurant. Perfect for a quick morning bite, 9/10

Bang for your Buck: 8/10

In total my meal came out to 18.05, taxes included, with a two dollar tip and a 12oz coffee. This may seem pricey for a breakfast sandwich but what you have to remember is the absolute huge amount of food you get inside the sandwich. There’s 3 eggo waffles, 3 eggs, numerous pieces of bacon and a sausage patty. So although the price may seem steep, for the amount of food you’re getting it’s worth it, 8/10

Final score Breakdown

Appearance: 9/10

Taste 9/10

Customer Service: 9/10

Bang for your buck: 8/10

Final score: 35/40

Final Thoughts

To conclude, Rise and Grind is awesome. It’s easily my favourite breakfast spot in the city. I cannot believe how good it truly is. There’s not much more to say besides it’s amazing, you have to go.

Jaxon’s Top Takeout in Victoria List

1. Rise and Grind, Downtown – 35/40
2. RedFish BlueFish, Inner Harbour – 29/40
3. Foo Asian Street Food, Downtown -25/40
4. Lee’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 20/40

For this week’s inquiry blog, I decided to stop in at a Victoria takeout classic, Foo Asian Street Food. Found on the corner of Yates and Blanshard, Foo is a laidback eatery serving a range of Asian street food-inspired dishes. It’s a quaint little restaurant for sure, but this does not mean it doesn’t pack a punch. Does it have a big enough punch to top my list though? Let’s find out.

My Order: Red Coconut Curry

Appearance: 7/10

I’m going to be honest, when I first opened the takeout box, I was caught a little off guard. I mean look, it’s like everything was just tossed in there with no regard for appearance. Of course, I don’t expect them to make it look like a 5-star meal but still, some care is appreciated. I must admit, it still looks pretty good though. The assortment of vegetables gives it a nice pop of colour in contrast to a rather bland-looking assortment of chicken pieces. Overall, I wish a little more care was put into the appearance but still, it looks quite yummy, 7/10.

Taste: 6/10

Coconut curry is something my mom has made for dinner for years in my house. It has practically become a staple meal of our family. Thus, my exceptions were very high for this coconut curry. Not to mention, all I’ve heard about Foo in the past few years has been positive. So did it meet expectations? Well, sorta. I’ll start with the positives. The curry sauce was impeccably creamy, albeit a little too coconutty for my taste. Ok, that’s all for the positives, now time for the negatives. First off, non of the vegetables were cooked properly. Almost all, if not all, of the vegetables, were between this weird middle area of being cooked and being completely raw. Soft and crunchy at the same time, not exactly ideal. Next, the chicken just felt off. I don’t know how to explain it but something was weird there. It was rubbery but slimy and some pieces appeared undercooked. Finally, the rice was 100% overcooked and tasted like it had been left out for a while. Honestly, it probably was. So, to be honest, I’m very conflicted when it comes to this meal. It was delicious, I can’t lie about that, but so much just felt off with it. The taste was there but the texture wasn’t, 7/10.

Customer Service: 7/10

The customer service was fine. It was quick, I only waited about 10 minutes for my food. Although I have to admit, the person who was taking my order was a little rude. They seemed entirely distracted by their friend who happened to walk into the restaurant right after me. I was practically forced to speed up my order just so the server could chat with their friend. I understand that this was a specific circumstance with a specific person but nonetheless, it made my experience while in the restaurant less enjoyable, 7/10.

Bang for your Buck: 5/10

In total, my meal came out to 23.00, taxes included, with a two-dollar tip and a Phillips rootbeer. I’m not entirely pleased with this price. The portion size was above average, but nothing special. Plus, when you add in all the problems I had with the food, it just feels a bit pricey. I dont know, pretty average, 5/10.

Final score Breakdown

Appearance: 7/10

Taste 6/10

Customer Service: 7/10

Bang for your buck: 5/10

Final score: 25/40

Final Thoughts

To conclude, Foo left me conflicted. Nothing about the experience was inherently wrong. So much was just off. It may have just been the item I ordered, it may have been the restaurant’s wrongdoing or maybe the staff was having an off day. We will never know, but what I do know, is that my experience was tainted. I came in with high expectations and left disappointed. I wish it could have gone another way foo, but here we are.

Jaxon’s Top Takeout in Victoria List

1. RedFish BlueFish, Inner Harbour – 29/40
2. Foo Asian Street Food, Downtown -25/40
3. Lee’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 20/40

For my second inquiry blog, I decided to stop in at Red Fish Blue Fish. Located downtown, right on the ocean, Red Fish Blue Fish is a seafood eatery housing various fish dishes. Ranging from common Victoria bites like fish and chips to more experimental plates. For example, the cod dog, which is a hot dog made with cod rather than the standard beef concoction.

Red Fish Blue Fish is definitely a cool little spot to take a picture at but is it also a good place to eat? Let’s find out.

My Order: Two Piece Cod Fish and Chips

Appearance: 7/10

Coming in a standard takeout fry tray the two-piece cod looks exquisite. Evenly distributed with everything placed with care, I was truly pleased with what I received. I mean just look at this meal, you cannot tell me it doesn’t look good. Although, it does look a bit bland which knocks some points off. I think this has to do more with the two main items of the meal being brown, nonetheless, 7/10.

Taste: 6/10

I can’t lie, when I saw how delicious the meal looked, I was so excited to eat it. Plus, I’ve had numerous people tell me how amazing this place is. After a few bites though, I realized that RedFish Blue Fish is not the godsend everyone raves it is. Instead, it was just some pretty average fish and chips. I could have gone to any common fish and chip spot in Victoria and gotten the same thing. It may be my fault for having such high expectations but that doesn’t make me any less disappointed. The fish was extremely fresh and flakey though so it gets raised above a 5, simply for that, 6/10

Customer Service: 8/10

There’s not much to say here besides that the service was quick and efficient. I waited in line for 10 min, ordered, and then received my food 5 minutes later. The servers were also extremely personable and sparked a quick conversation with me, which I appreciated. I have heard, that if you go around lunchtime you may have to wait in line for 30+ minutes, as it is quite a popular spot. So be cautious if you plan to go for lunch, 8/10

Bang for your Buck: 7/10

In total my meal came out to 23.26, taxes included and with a two-dollar tip. This is fairly standard when it comes to ordering from fish and chips places. If anything it’s pretty cheap for two huge pieces of fish. Halfway through the meal, I was completely full and decided to save the rest for a later occasion. Great bang for your buck as it provided me with two separate meals, 7/10.

Final score Breakdown

Appearance: 7/10

Taste 6/10

Customer Service: 8/10

Bang for your buck: 8/10

Final score: 29/40

Final Thoughts

To finish, RedFish BlueFish is an awesome spot with great views and good food. Although it’s nothing particularly mindblowing, the fish is fresh, flakey and delicious. I would recommend this restaurant to any of my family or friends. Be wary though of the long wait times. Make sure that if you are planning to stop in for lunch that you go early to beat the rush.

Jaxon’s Top Takeout in Victoria List

1. RedFish BlueFish, Inner Harbour – 29/40
2. Lee’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 20/40

Preface: Hello, everyone, and welcome to my first free inquiry blog! Over this semester, I will seek to answer the question: What are the best take-out spots in and around Victoria? To determine the top spots, I’ll be stopping into a new venue of varying prices/styles and rating them based on a 40-point scale one to two times a week. The 40-point scale is determined by the sum of the four subcategories. These are, appearance, overall taste, customer service and bang for your buck. As you may have guessed, each subcategory is worth 10 points. My blogs will all follow a similar format consisting of a simple introduction to the restaurant followed by my full review of one of their items based on the 40-point scale. At the end of each review will be my compiled list of restaurants, ordered from highest to lowest scores. Hopefully, by the end of the semester, my compiled list of top spots will help you in deciding what to go eat! 😀

Chicken with a View

To some, the small city of Victoria, British Columbia, is best known for its cool climate, vibrant culture and rich history. To others, mainly me, it is known for its deep array of high-quality takeout spots. Over this semester, I will seek to answer the question of what are the best takeout spots in and around Victoria?

For my first blog, I wanted to keep it simple, so I decided to check out the newly opened Lee’s chicken in Esquimalt. Lee’s chicken is a fast food style chicken restaurant; think that of popeyes or Chick-fil-a, but with a local feel rather than a corporate one. Due in part to Lees being, to my knowledge, a Vancouver island-only franchise. Meaning higher quality ingredients and a feeling of a little more care in every meal. 

My Order: 3 Piece Chicken Meal with Fries  

Appearance: 3/10

As you can see, it’s nothing special when it comes to the presentation at Lee’s chicken. The meal comes in a bland white box sporting one logo on the side. Once opened, you are greeted with a pleasant sight of delicious-looking chicken, so how could I not award at least a few points. Nonetheless, very dull appearance, 3/10. 

Overall Taste: 6/10

Where Lee’s lacks in appearance, it somewhat makes up for in taste. The chicken was extremely crispy, like genuinely the crispiest chicken I have ever had, which was appreciated, but unfortunately, it was also dry. The spice combo they used, was quite nice, increasing the overall taste of the chicken by a lot. The fries were bland as they had little to no seasoning and they were a bit cold, so not great. Included in every meal is a free biscuit and gravy. They were both fine, bland like the fries, but on the contrary, they were actually hot. Overall, better than KFC or Popeyes but nothing to go crazy over, 6/10.

Customer Service: 6/10

As it is a newly opened restaurant, I expected a few hiccups in the service. Surprisingly it went pretty smooth. The person at the till was exceptionally friendly and helpful, making for a quick interaction there. After ordering, I’d say it was about 3-5 minutes before my order was ready. Leaving the restaurant, I was very pleased with the service and planned to give it a very high rating. That was until I was far away from the restaurant and checked my bag. To my disappointment, they forgot my sauces. Instantly, I was devastated, drastically lowering their customer service score, 6/10.

Bang for your Buck: 5/10

The meal came to 15.39, not including taxes. This price may seem high, but it’s fairly standard when It comes to ordering from chicken-specific places. Much like the rest of the restaurant, pretty average, 5/10.

Final Score Breakdown

Appearance 3/10

Overall Taste: 6/10

Customer Service: 6/10

Bang for your Buck: 5/10

Final Score: 20/40

Final Thoughts

To conclude, Lee’s chicken scored a 20 out of 40 on the Jaxon Roorda 40-point takeout scale. Reflected in its score, Lee’s is criminally average, but still, it’s an excellent spot to grab a bite to eat if you have a craving for higher-quality chicken. The chicken is quite tasty, the staff is friendly, and it’s averagely priced, so I would recommend Lee’s if ya get the chance!

Jaxon’s Top Takeout in Victoria List

1. Lee’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 20/40