I had been pestering my husband for months to take us to Bob Evans. I got this particular bee in my bonnet when I read an article on the Top Ten Family Restaurants in Family Fun Magazine. It rated Bob Evans highly. Ever heard the old adage, "Believe none of what you read and only half of what you see?" Never should I have given heed to this advice more than the night of our fateful visit.

While shopping in the new Concord Mills Mega Outlet Mall near Charlotte, my family got hungry. We have, in tow, a picky 3-year old. At this upscale mall we see Sushi bars, Japanese Grills, Alabama Grill, California Pizza Kitchen and a few other places along these lines. It was my bright idea to leave all of these wonderful restaurants and go to Bob Evans, THE FAMILY RESTAURANT. We visited the one right up the road in Concord, North Carolina, not far away from the Lowe's Motor Speedway. Whew, did I have a few people sore at me before the night was over!

Food:Even though the food was edible, I hate to have to pay for it. I know there are some of you who know what I mean. One of my pet peeves is to go to a restaurant and taste food that I can cook. If I go out, I want it to taste better than cuisine you can fix at home. That is how I would describe Bob Evans; marginal at best.

The menu was diverse and the food looked pretty good in the pictures. They have Pancakes, Waffles, Omelets, Eggs, Sausage and Bacon and some other breakfast specialties. If you want lunch fare they offer Burgers, Sandwiches, Salads and Soups. If you go there looking for that home-style dinner, you will find classics like Chicken Fried Steak, Fried Fish, Roast Beef Dinners, Meat Loaf, Roasted Chicken, Chicken Strips, Pot Pie, Spaghetti and more. They also have a dessert and child's menu.

My family's reviews were mixed. My Mom ordered the Wildfire Burger which she thought was sufficient. She concedes that she was starving, and a cheeseburger is hard to mess up in that predicament. My husband had the Farmer's Market Omelet which was not too great. It was loaded with crispy vegetables; we are from the South and like our vegetables to be somewhat mushy. It came with a side of season-less home fries. I got the Wildfire Chicken Salad which was probably the best thing on the table. It had those hot chicken tenders chopped up on top of lettuce with corn tortilla strips, tomatoes, onions, cheese, and a pretty good dressing. It was really nothing special. Finally, my son, for whose sake we were there, got the pancakes which came out room temperature and he wouldn't touch them.

Service:When we walked in the door, the place was slightly crowded, but not overly so. Even still, we waited at least 30 minutes for a table and all the while I'm seeing free tables everywhere! This is another one of my pet peeves. It's like they're openly taunting you.

Finally we were seated by a surly hostess who walked so fast you had to practically jog to keep up with her. She slung menus on our table and walked off, mumbling something about the waiter and when he'd be there. This turned out to be a blatant lie, since we had to flag our own guy down 10 minutes later. Our waiter was openly hostile to us, and he and several other wait staff exchanged rude comments back and forth about other employees during our meal. He got our drink orders wrong, and then was irritated when we asked him to fix the problem. After an eternity, our food arrived and that was the last we saw of our manager/waiter. This really was no shock since I did not discover one employee over the age of 23 in the building.

Decor:The decor was cute, if you like the country barn thing. It is reminiscent of a Cracker Barrel or a Po' Folks. Our restaurant had a small country store which kept Ty somewhat busy for the long wait. The bathrooms were not horribly disgusting, but I did feel the need to tell Ty "Do Not Touch Anything." The tables were not cleaned off well from the previous visitors, and you could see food remnants in other evidently "hard to clean" spots in the restaurant. Nothing like a little dried gravy on the table divider to squelch the appetite!

Special Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations:I know this review sounds scathing, and that there must be some Bob Evans supporters out there. But if you want a real home cooked meal, you'd do better to stop by my house. At least the pancakes are hot!


Recommended: No