Matilda Loves Good Food Restaurant Reviews

Chop House, Pigeon Forge, TN

2010-05-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

When I first went into the Chop House, I was tired from a long day of shopping at the Tangier's outlet. The Chop House was "forest meets modern". I saw art work that was copper and looked like twigs. I liked the dim lighting and the dark, big booth we sat at in the corner near the bar. The waitress was very nice even through she was a little slow at first. She made sure my Shirley Temple was heavy on the grenadine and had lots of cherries.
Since we were celebrating my Aunt's graduation with the family and her boyfriend , Joe, we ordered appetizers. We got onion rings, oysters rockefeller, and corn tamales. I didn't try the oysters or the tamales, but I did try the onion rings and they were not my thing. The onion slices were too thick and the batter was "crackery". It tasted like thin shake and bake batter.
After the appetizers, I ordered my meal. It was amazing! I had prime rib with cheese fries and ranch on the side. The prime rib was charred on top and pink in the middle- just the way I like it. The cheese fries were fabulous. They were crispy and had bacon pieces on top. I also sampled some of my Mom's sweet potato fries and they were delicious, too. The were sweet, tasty, and sticky because they were drizzled with honey and brown sugar and cinnamon.
T- taste-5
A-atmosphere-5
S-service- 4

The Blue Moose, Pigeon Forge , TN

2010-01-21T18:35:00.000-08:00

I walked into the Blue Moose for a late lunch. To tell you the truth, I was starving and it was about four o'clock. The restaurant had a great atmosphere- very sporty with lots of football stuff and TVs everywhere you looked. The hostess quickly seated us in a booth in the center of the dining area.
I started out by ordering a Shirley Temple and it tasted like mostly Sprite, sparkling water, and red dye. It needed to be heavy on the grenadine and cherries. It could have also used more ice. The waiter admitted he was new and fixed me a new drink when I sent it back. The new drink had some improvements- or at least it had a cherry.
To eat , I ordered ranch wings, buffalo wings, and a "bad dog". A bad dog is a bacon -wrapped hot dog deep fried and cover in cheese. The buffalo wings could stand some work while the ranch wings were a bit overdone, bit still delish. The bad dog was a bit burnt on the ends and the bread was over toasted, but once it was dipped in ranch it tasted much better.
For dessert, I ordered a slice of Key Lime Pie and, frankly, it was disgusting. It was grainy, an odd color, tasted like lime rind, and topped with Cool Whip. While I know that some people out there like Cool Whip, I prefer homemade whipped cream.
T- 2.5
A- 5
S- 3

The Tusker House, Orlando, FL

2009-08-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

When I first walked in to the Tusker House I was so happy because it had AIR CONDITIONING! It had been a hot day in Disney World and I was ready to cool off. We only had to wait outside for fifteen minutes ( not bad for Disney) but it was so hot that I was glad to get in. The atmosphere was interesting- it reminded me of an African marketplace -it had baskets of fruits and vegetables( they were fake) and ceilings with terraces and blankets.
The waitress was very nice and explained that it was a buffet and we could eat as much as you want. She also said we didn't have to wait in a line, but could go to your favorite foods first. I order the buffet and had a passion fruit juice to drink. It was cool and refreshing and slightly sweet and tangy.
The buffet was huge. It had macaroni, roast chicken, beef, and pork, lots of pasta and rice ( even couscous) and fruits, veggies, and dessert. I got the roast beef, the macaroni, the marinated salmon, some pork and ham, and a pickle for the first trip. The waitress said to try everything to see what I liked so I did. The beef was juicy and tender and delicious. It was some of the best beef I have ever had. I also really like the salmon- it was slippery on your tongue and tasted like the sea. The marinade was perfect. The only thing I didn't like was the macaroni and cheese- it tasted like cafeteria food.
The last thing I got was the desserts. I had a chocolate cup filled with a strawberry mousse and a coconut macaroon with a gooey and yummy fruit topping. The desserts were delicious. I wish I could have ate more it was so good!

Ratings ( from 1-5)

T- Taste- 4
A- Atmosphere- 3
S- Service- 5

The Shake Shack, NYC

2009-07-20T18:56:00.000-07:00

When I went to the Shake Shack, I immediately knew I was really in New York City. They had t-shirts on the walls, neon signs, and a rec room downstairs. I didn't go down to the rec room, but it sounded like lots of fun. I waited in line for them to take my order, but it didn't take long and the man at the counter was very nice and patient. We got our food to go and headed back to the hotel room.
The food I ordered was very tasty. I had a plain burger ( it was normal size) and Yukon Gold potato french fries. The french fries were the best. They were so good they didn't even need any seasoning on them. I added ketchup to the burger and it was the perfect New York City feast-juicy and yummy.

Ratings ( 1-5)
T for taste- 4
A for atmosphere-5
S for service -5

Jack's City Grill, Johnson City, TN

2009-06-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

When I walked into Jack's City grill, I noticed the great atmosphere. It was bright with cool colors and crazy decorations like painted windows and knick-knacks on the walls. The tables were interesting, too. They were painted with different symbols, dots, and patterns.
The food at Jack's City Grill was pretty good and had huge portions. The kid's menu was good because you had several choices including mini-burgers, chicken poppers, and quesadillas. I ordered off the menu and requested grilled chicken and shoe string fries. The waitress was nice and had no problem doing my special order.The chicken breast was very juicy and had perfect grill marks. The fries were too hard and oversalted. I like Cootie Brown's homemade potato chips better.
The service as Jack's City Grill was great. The waitress was nice and didn't mind waiting for us to look at the menu. She also brought plenty of beverages. The check-out lady was nice, too. She talked about Harry Potter.

Ratings( 1 to 5)

T for taste- 4
A for atmosphere- 5
S for service- 5

The Prime Time Cafe, Disney World Orlando

2009-06-21T09:16:00.000-07:00

The Prime Time Cafe was the worst restaurant in the whole eating history of Disney World. The food was below average. The atmosphere poor- it was a little dark in the lounge and crowded and it took forever to get a table. But by far, the worst part of the experience was the service. It was so horrible- the waitress was suppose to be a "MOM", but wasn't even nice to kids.
To eat at TPTC, I order the kid's chicken tenders and fries. The chicken was just so-so. It reminded me of frozen chicken tenders and Wendy's nuggets mixed together. It was not delicious. The fries were bland and over salted and way too crunchy and the portions were too big for the average kid. The only good thing on the menu was the malts. I got a chocolate malt and it was thick, creamy and delicious.
The atmosphere wasn't that special either. You sat at a 1950s style table and had to follow the rules of that time.
The service at TPTC was the absolutely worst service ever. The wait took forever to get a table and the waitress was bossy, rude, and gave Disney homework. Because I didn't finish my huge plate of food( it was the size of a small child's head), I didn't get stickers. The waitress was also rude to my Aunt Mole and actually made her eat her leftover cold, wet, stinky green beans by shoving them into her mouth. It was horrible and did NOT make me feel like a princess.

Final Ratings ( from 1 to 5)
T for Taste 2
A for Atmosphere 2
S for Service 0

Alta Cucina, Johnson City TN

2009-06-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

Alta Cucina is an Italian restaurant that has a beautiful setting. The atmosphere is so wonderful. The walls are covered in paintings including alot of still lifes. The seating is very kid friendly because some of the seats, the booths, have fancy cushions. It reminds me of a little restaurant in New York City.
The day I went to Alta Cucina, I tried the calamari and the penne pasta. Before the food came we were served a flat bread with olive oil and herbs. It was so fun to dip the bread into the oil and it tasted great.The calamari was crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The penne was buttery and delicious with freshly grated Parmesan. The tiramisu dessert was cool, creamy and tasted like sweet cappuccino and lady fingers.
The service at Alta Cucina is just as good as the food and the atmosphere. The service is so good because the staff treats kids like adults.

Final Ratings ( going from 1 to 5)

T for Taste- 5
A for Atmosphere- 5
S for Service- 5

T- Rex Cafe, Disney World Orlando

2009-06-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

It had been a long day of shopping for souvenirs and I was ready to relax and eat. I was with my Mom and Aunt Mole and I wasn’t too excited about the T-Rex at first. I thought it would be like the Rainforest Café and that place had been too noisy and the service was terrible. I was happy that I didn’t have to wait to get a table. We were seated in the “ice cave” in just seconds.
The ice cave was amazing. The whole cave was covered in ice – it was so real that I even felt cold! Every couple of minutes the cave changed colors (neat blues and pinks) and every twenty minutes or so there was a meteor shower and the whole cave turned red. The meteor shower was great because all the animatronics creatures in the restaurant reacted to the shower. Even the baby mammoth was upset!
The ice cave wasn’t the only thing that was good at the T-Rex, the food was wonderful and very kid friendly. The chicken trilobites were delicious, the waffle fries yummy- crunchy, salty, and great with ketchup- and the cinnamon apples were a sweet treat. We all shared a chocolate extinction for dessert and it was literally a third the size of the table and was exquisite.

T- Rex Final Ratings (1 to 5 with 1 being BEWARE and 5 been the best place ever to take your kid)
T for taste- 5
A for atmosphere- 5
S for service - 4