The King & I

We went to the King and I on Sunday night. Always loved this restaurant...actually, Geoff used to take dates here in college since the service is usually quick. If the date is good you can leave and go to a movie, if it's not so good...well then, you can cut and run after 20 minutes. We tend to go here when we don't know what else we want. Will this time live up to all the rest??

Click the jump to find out!

Atmosphere

I've seen the King & I classified as Upscale...well, quite frankly, I don't know if those people are dining in the same restaurant. Don't get me wrong, it's nice inside, but no where near "upscale." There are a ton of tables in here and it's almost always busy. I don't think we've ever had to wait for a table though. It's definitely got a unique feel to it and I would say it fits for a few different circumstances...dates ;)...family nights...casual business meals... Definitely a casual place. I don't feel out of place in my tee-shirt here, but I also don't feel out of place if I was wearing a business casual outfit either.

Service
The service here is quick. As I mentioned in the intro, Geoff used to take dates here because it was so quick. In, out, you're done usually in less than 30 minutes. (Geoff's note: I had a lot of bad first dates. On the off chance one does go well, there's a movie theater right around the corner!). If you're starving but want a sit down place? Here's a great place to go.

When we went just this last time, I was parched. I don't know what was up with me, but I was so thirsty it was ridiculous. Our waitress didn't let my glass go empty, I was very happy about this. She eventually left a pitcher of water on the table, I don't really blame her! The thing about the waiters & waitresses here is that English isn't their first language and I think there can be a cultural difference here because I've seen some reviews where the wait-staff is called "rude." I've never seen them rude, I don't think they're warm & fuzzy, they're just efficient. If you're looking to bond with your server...probably not going to do it here. If you want fast, efficient service, you'll find it.

Food (and drinks)

We stuck with water here. I was so parched that I thought it best not go for anything else!! They do have different juices that you won't find elsewhere as well as an assortment of wine & beer. No liquor.

Here's the menu at the King & I. Prior to meeting Geoff, I was fairly timid when it came to trying new foods, but he loved Thai food, so I gave it a try. I can't tell you what most of the things on the menu are, but it helped going with him since he could guide me through. The items on the menu aren't explained too well, so if you're unfamiliar with Thai food, I'd do a little research before hand.

We started with the Fresh Spring Rolls.

We usually get the Combination Satay, but were feeling like something different. I really like these, Geoff likes the Satay. (Satay is thin slices of meat that have been grilled, served with a peanut sauce...or at least that's what I understand them to be!) Honestly, I think it just depends on the kind of mood you're in. If you want something fresh and light, go with the spring rolls. If you're looking for something heavier, go with the satay. Perhaps the time of year matters too.

Geoff had the Chicken Phat Thai.

Phat Thai is really an old stand-by for us. Geoff doesn't like the bean sprouts and forgot to ask for it without. We've been here before and asked for it without bean sprouts plenty of times. It wasn't a problem. Actually, they tell him every time they see the pile of bean sprouts, "next time ask for it with no sprouts!" ...he would if we remembered!! This is what I recommend starting with as an intro to Thai food. It's a pretty safe dish, and a standard at every Thai restaurant. Just rice noodles, bean sprouts, green onions (I pick them out!), peanuts, some egg, and Pad Thai sauce. Geoff squeezes the lime onto his dish, I tend to leave it off. We had plenty for lunch the next day too!

(Geoff's Note: I also recommend the Phat Kee Moun, another Thai staple, also known as "Drunken Noodles". They're on the spicy side, but if you can eat a hot wing, you shouldn't have a problem with it)

I decided to be bold and try something new, Shrimp Phat See Eeu.

I am so happy I tried something new! I loved this! It consists of wide rice noodles, Chinese broccoli, egg, and shrimp in a soy sauce based sauce. It's so simple, right up my ally. I'd say it's also a pretty safe beginner's-dish. I usually get the shrimp Phat Thai, but I must say, this might be my new standard. Still plenty left over for the next day's lunch!

Final Thoughts

This still remains one of our old stand-bys. We enjoy how quick we get our food (if you're looking for more of a dining experience, I'd try somewhere else.) You're not rushed, everything comes out hot & fresh, even when you make special requests. They also will do take-out, if you have a nice bottle of wine at home you want to have with it... It's a lot of food for the money, we always have a second meal out of it. And you know, if you're looking for a good first-date spot, keep this place in mind, if it's not going well, you can ditch her pretty quickly!!

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Lindburgers

Sunday night we headed to Lindburgers, located at 2157 Penfield Rd, Penfield. It's in the Penfield Wegman's plaza. Geoff & I had heard good things about this place, so we had wanted to try it out for a while. It has an aviation theme (get it? Charles Lindbergh?? It took me awhile to figure that one out...) and a huge menu of various burgers. A casual place that's definitely family friendly. But the question is...should you bring your family here? Keep reading!

Atmosphere

As mentioned in the intro, it's got an aviation theme. Since my brain was working a bit slow, it took me most of the meal to figure out what burgers have to do with flying (hint...they don't!) But it's where I assume Lindburgers got it's name. Cute, if you ask me. A little strange, but it's not pretentious, so okay, I'll go with it. Lindburgers is definitely a casual place. Most of the people eating there were long-time diners, loyal customers...always a good sign. While there's a Bills sign on their window, there's not a TV in the dining room or the small bar area, so don't plan on catching the game here. It could do with a face lift, it felt a little dated, but honestly...it's a burger joint. It was clean, what more can you ask for? What was interesting to me is that they have multiple locations in Florida, but only one here in Rochester. Why I found that particularly interesting is because it still had that "home town feel" to it. I mean, the guys working knew the regulars and knew what they were going to order. I dug it.

Service

In this aspect, I felt like Lindburgers could use some help. They had 2 servers and 1 cook (from what we could tell...we had a clear view into the kitchen from where we were seated.) The poor kids serving were running around. Adding just one person would have really helped. We were offered refills on water and then had to remind our waiter. He apologized and we didn't mind because we could tell he was a little overwhelmed, but seriously...hire another guy! The restaurant wasn't packed, but it was full. Another couple tables being occupied would have really swamped these guys. They did an adequate job, but I feel like if they weren't overloaded, the service would have really been stellar...they were very friendly.

Food (and drinks)

That night neither of us were really feeling boozy, so we stuck with water. I did check out their drink menu...all for you good people! They only served beer & wine, no liquor. The beer selection seemed adequate as well as the wine. Nothing fancy, but again...it's a burger joint, what did you expect!! I don't really drink beer, I only drink stuff like Mikes, and they did not have any Malt Beverages on their list. Just a heads up for anyone like me!

For food, of course we stuck with burgers! They did have a selection of chicken sandwiches, a kids menu, salads, wraps, etc. Typical finger food. But their burger menu? Oh. My. Word... What a selection! We had to ask for more time just to review it all!! Eventually we made our selections...

Geoff got the "Far East" burger, it had Teriyaki sauce and Herb Cheese...yes, herb cheese... Quite an interesting choice to put on a burger, but he's a bit more adventurous than I am. He subbed the sweet potato fries for regular ones.

He really enjoyed the burger, herb cheese and all! We asked our waiter what the herb cheese was exactly, and it's made from a cream cheese base. While he'd order this one again, he also wants to try the Hawaiian which has Sweet & Sour and Pineapple.

I ordered something a bit more standard...I was a little overwhelmed by the choices. I went with the Bacon and Cheeseburger, with provolone. And I got bacon and cheese fries instead of regular ones...apparently I was gunning for a heart attack!!

As you can see, this was a ton of food! While a fairly normal burger, nothing too exotic, it was very tasty. Here you can order your food cooked to how you like it. Geoff & I both ordered our burgers Medium, but I think they came out more Medium Rare. Okay when you're ordering a steak (we like them Medium Rare) but when ordering a burger, they should be more cooked.

Prices here are very moderate. With the subs on the fries, it cost less than $10/plate and we didn't come close to finishing.

Final Thoughts

We'd definitely head back here. I might order my burger Medium Well (though it would pain me!) Geoff thinks that his was cooked exactly like it said on the menu, mine was red in places. So perhaps ours differed slightly. Usually when we're in the mood for a burger we head to Red Robin. I think instead I'd opt for this place. Not only is it pseudo-local, it's also just as tasty, if not better. Plus we didn't have to wait. I wouldn't hesitate to bring a family here, it's definitely family friendly. I did see that they would sub a veggie burger if asked, so it's good for vegetarians too (though I'm not sure what kind of veggie burger and if it's as good as their burgers.) A good place for a bite!

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