Arby's is the fast food restaurant du jour at my house. My son is in an "Arby's" obsessive phase that just won't quit and I guess things could be worse. After all, this is the closest fast food restaurant to my house. But that is just the first point in a list full. Arby's is actually a great place to eat for the entire family. It has meals that are sophisticated enough to please my husband and I, and simple enough for my picky 4- year-old.
The Arby's that we visit is located on Hwy. 27 East in Lincolnton, North Carolina. The store is only 2 years old and it looks nice and clean. The parking lot is a little tricky to get into and out of, but well worth it!
Food:
The food is really above average fast food. It has menu items that would appeal to everyone, and since I am not especially fond of hamburgers, I am always impressed with the secondary menu items like chicken and fish.
The food offered here includes roast beef sandwiches of every kind. You can order yours plain or cheddar cheese sauce, grilled onions, or bacon can be added for a change. The Beef and Cheddar sandwich is very good. They also offer deli sandwiches and subs. The subs are on a hoagie roll and the deli sandwiches come on these huge slices of wheat bread that remind me of Texas Toast. I ordered the ham deli sandwich, which was very costly, but weighed about 2 pounds. I would not recommend this sandwich, as it was bland. They offer a number of chicken sandwiches that include fried, grilled or roasted chicken. I like the Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich which comes with a fried chicken breast, sliced ham, slice of Swiss Cheese and honey mustard. They also have Adventure meals for the kids, but they are kind of sparse (2 chicken strips!) so I order my child a regular order of strips.
Arby's is also famous at my house for its side items. Our absolute favorite is the Curly Fries. They are seasoned in a special batter and have just the right amount of crispiness. They also offer regular French Fries if you don't like seasoned variety. They offer 3 "Side Kickers" that are distinctive: Jalapeno Poppers, Mozzarella sticks and Onion petals. The Jalapeno Poppers come with a Bronco Berry sauce that I could just drink! I have found the recipe at a copycat site, and will include it here in case you'd like to make it at home. My son loves to use this sauce for his chicken strips.
Arby's Bronco Berry Sauce
by Todd Wilbur
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
3 tablespoons pectin
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vinegar
50 drops or 1/4 teaspoon red food coloring
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
dash cayenne pepper
dash garlic powder
dash paprika
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced canned jalapeno peppers
1. Combine all the ingredients except the bell pepper and minced jalapeno in a small saucepan. Whisk well.
2. Set saucepan over medium/high heat, uncovered. Add peppers and bring mixture to a full boil, stirring often.
3. Reduce heat and simmer sauce for 5 to 7 minutes, or until thick. Remove from heat and let sauce sit for about 10 minutes. Stir and cover.
4. Use sauce when it reaches room temperature or cover and chill until needed. (http://www.topsecretrecipes.com)
Makes 1 cup.
Service:
Like many fast food restaurants, service is hit or miss. Some days I can drive up to the drive thru, place my order and be out in no time, but there are many times when the opposite happens. This particular restaurant's drive thru can be slow and gets much traffic, so you will wait if there is even one car in front of you.
Managers are generally available, and usually over the age of 16, so the operation inside runs smoothly. Generally requests for extra sauce are met with a smile and a handful of the delicious stuff. My order is usually pretty accurate, but a few mishaps cause me to quickly plow through my bag before pulling off the front line.
Decor:
The restaurant is clean and new. This is always so important since a dining room is always a reflection of the cleanliness of the kitchen. This restaurant is decorated nicely, following a red, white and black theme. It has a large window in front so the dining area is very well lit. The restrooms are usually clean enough.
Special Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations:
One special that Arby's is famous for is its Five for Five deal. For five dollars you get 5 regular roast beef sandwiches. I get a bagful of these and a handful of Horsey and Arby's sauce before the college football games begin on Saturday. My husband and I sit and have a mini tailgate party in the living room! I should mention that these sandwiches don't really reheat well in the microwave, so don't get the 5 for 5 deal unless you mean to eat them right away!
Recommended: Yes
Read all 289 Reviews
|
Write a Review
