Winking Lizard Gateway
Cleveland, OH 44115
Phone: (216) 589-0313
05/12/2008 Posted by skacleve
First, let me say that this company operates a really tight ship. The system they've developed has made them highly successful in a highly competitive market. It's always crowded at lunch, but table turnover is fast. The menu is mostly sandwiches. Soup is almost always very good, although it's sometimes too salty and creamy soups get too thick later in the day. Burgers are very good. I need variety, and their weekly lunch specials add to their normal menu--some of them are hot dishes. The seasonal menu is even better, when available (pastas, jambalaya, etc.), but the downtown location does not always offer this. Their food is pretty good and fairly consistent, and service is always good and amiable. Where they fall short is in take-out orders. Although it's almost always ready when promised, a few times, the food in the boxes have been complete messes--sauces and fluids everywhere, leaking from the boxes and making sandwiches virtually inedible. They should package sauces and dressings on the side, without special requests to do so. Anything that should stay crunchy--chips or fried Chinese noodles--should be packaged separately so they stay that way after an hour or more. We had a few dinner rolls that were stale and even slightly moldy, and applesauce was slightly fermented. This can happen in a high-volume restaurant, but they should keep a closer eye on such things. They're doing a better job with the shells & cheese side dish, which once was dry with little cheese. The "cheese" sauce still needs to be cheesier. To their credit, managers are usually glad to make up for below-par food. When their prices increased, I expected more consistent quality. I'd like to see more than a just a few lunch items (not sides) under $6. Even most appetizers are over $6. Sometimes I just want a small bite or don't want to spend so much, so I'll go elsewhere. I'd also like more healthy choices: more veggies and fruits and more food baked or broiled instead of fried.
Pros: Lots of seating, fast turnover, pretty good food, very good service, close to arenas/stadiums
Cons: Smoking, loud, lines during lunch, parking expensive during games, sloppy take-out food
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