Regular Joe's Guide

Latest visit: Jun 2025 (Colorado Springs - 8th St.) First visit: 1988 (Dallas - long closed) ---6/7/25 update Two+ years after my personal ban on Jersey Mike's, I relented and returned. This time to a different location on South 8th. I was running behind for lunch, so I only wanted a smaller meal than usual. And I was in the area. I found this location much better than our local one on Interquest. The employees were alert and the restaurant was spacious and clean. As far as the sandwich I went for the #2 and all was dressed up perfectly. Notably the "works" gal took her job seriously and made sure everything was prepared as it should be. Back in the RJG rotation goes Jersey Mike's. There are now 3,110 locations globally with 297 coming soon. They continue to grow at a rapid rate. Colorado has 55 with 10 in the Colorado Springs metro area. ---2/2/23 update Time for the annual update. Went to the drive thru. Figured out if I pay with cash, they don't ask for an une...

Latest visit: Jan 2025 (Interquest) First visit: Nov 1997 (Pleasanton, CA) HQ: Irvine, CA (founded: 1948 in Baldwin Park) Locations: 12 in Colorado (+3) with 3 here (+1), 8 in Denver (+2) and 1 in Fort Collins. Texas has 43 (+1) with 3 in NE Tarrant, including our two former stores of Hurst and Grapevine. Otherwise California: 280 (+5); Arizona: 38 (+3); Nevada: 23; Utah: 13 (+1); Oregon: 4; Idaho: 2 (+1). New Mexico and Tennessee are still on their radar for expansion Back at our favorite California based chain. On this Friday for lunch, Mrs. RJG joined me for the first time at our local Colorado Springs store. A slight deviation as we both opted for the Double Double meal deal with fries and a drink. Everything came out hot and fresh, and it was as good as always. Top notch friendly service. You know I really like that they wear uniforms. I don't think I've called that out before. My dad was in that business, and it was thriving in the 60s and 70s. It gives an air of cleanli...

Latest visit: May 2008 (Keller,TX) First visit: Sometime in 2004? (Keller,TX) Novrozsky's has 4 restaurants in Southeast Texas and 1 in nearby Louisiana. The Keller location has been closed for many years. --- Novrozsky's is based in Beaumont, TX, and have 10 locations. 7 are in southeast Texas and another couple in southwest Louisiana. The odd store out is the one here in NE Tarrant, located in Keller. One look at their website tells me that this Keller location is the beginning of a grander ambition. Many of the original stores look local and regional. So much so, that I feel I should visit one separate to this review. Though I've designated Novrozsky's as a hamburger place, as does the chain itself, it really fits the "eclectic" category better. And that's one of the problems I have with it: They really don't have a distinctive or specialty menu at all. It tries to be all things to all people, which is never a good idea. They have salads, baked po...

Latest visit: Nov 2008 (Keller, TX) First visit: sometime in 2007 (Keller, TX) Little Joe's now only exists in Tinley Park in the south Chicago area. The Keller location has been closed for many years. --- One of Mr. RJG's favorite places to travel on business is Chicago. Especially if I'm able to get into the city or "inner ring" suburbs. I was fortunate to work for a company who had an office in Westchester. Though it was a modern office, most of Westchester is a classic inner ring suburb (in this case, the "ring" is I-294). Not to mention the towns that border it to the east and north like Hillside, Bellwood, Cicero and Broadview. It is not uncommon to drive by places with colorfully painted windows that say "Beef" or "Italian meat sandwiches". I bring up these small details, because it helps distinguish the pretenders "Chicago style" from the real deal. Just driving up to Little Joe's and you know instantly it'...

It appears they've put their resources entirely to the Tirelli's Deli in Keller (also now closed), and have closed the Roanoke location. Last visit: May 2008 First visit: Sometime in 2007 --- Original review Occasionally my neighbor, Mr. SS, will join me on a weekday afternoon for a local restaurant lunch jaunt. Last week, we decided to venture on up to Roanoke. Now Roanoke is "jus' 'cross the counny liine", a short ways north of the NE Tarrant area, and into Denton County. It features a quaint old town area , and has a fair share of independent restaurants, most notable and popular being Babe's Chicken Dinner House. Roanoke is barely detached from the DFW Metroplex, and it won't be long before it's just another suburb in the sprawling mass that we call "home". Though the old town is a slight detour off the main highway, US 377 also has a few enjoyable places to dine. And one of those is C&A Italian Family deli, sitting peacefully...

Latest visit: Oct 2018 (Keller, TX)  First visit: 1992 (Durant, OK) We snuck into DFW to move the RJG's official Mom to Colorado Springs this past October. This was our only restaurant visit, as we were on a tight schedule. Could this be the last RJG visit in DFW (other than the airport of course)? It could very well be... wow, seems strange. Hard to believe the majority of the below review is now 10.5 years old. --- The RJG likes him some tacos. We mentioned in other posts that while Italian and Thai probably constitute our favorite restaurant experiences, taco places represent our favorite fast food excursion. And we'll boldly admit that it isn't even the authentic Mexican taco / taqueria stand that has been in vogue these last 25 years (though we like those too!). No, we like the good old fashioned American styled, crunchy taco. Taco Bell may be its iconic image, but it's hardly the best representative. Most taco chains are of the regional variety. And we've ...