The city of Grand Rapids restaurants are becoming more aware and accommodating of food allergies, and Erb Thai has taken it one step further.

Much to my surprise and enjoyment, there were five items on the appetizer menu alone that were gluten free. I chose the crispy roll bites. These crispy roll bites will be filling my deep-fried craving for years to come. They were served right out of the fryer, nice and hot. The ingredients seemed fresh and brought plenty of flavor. They were very crispy on the outside but juicy and tender on the inside, served with a side of chili sauce.

When it comes to gluten free food, the true test of flavor is to see if a person who eats gluten food enjoys it as well. My daughter who had ordered her own appetizer, but could not stop eating mine! She ordered the crab cheese, which were almost too pretty to eat. The star shaped crab cheese is also deep fried — however was very light and airy.

My main dish was the Pad Thai. Stir fried rice noodles with bean sprouts and peanuts, served with a side of peanut sauce. I added the chicken at an additional charge, but the options seemed endless. You can include beef, pork, tofu, shrimp scallops or “imitation” crab meat.

My daughter’s main dish was the garlic noodles. When I asked if these were gluten free they were able to tell me why it was not. I was very impressed with their awareness of gluten free foods. You can order the basic dish or add meat, seafood, tofu or vegetables. I think of their rice noodle dishes as a palate waiting for you to create.

You can come back to this restaurant time and time again and order the same dish, but due to all the options never have the same plate sitting in front of you. You can order your food from no spice at all, to very spicy. (Just a little tip, if you order very spicy, know that they mean business — it will make you cry!)

For dessert we ordered the banana sticky rice cake and from the name and description I was expecting something very sweet — cake-like to fill my sweet tooth. This was not the case. Although the sticky part was correct, the sweet aspect wasn’t there; it had a very bitter taste. I think I’ll stick with the coconut ice cream or custard next time.

Erb Thai really did think of everything though. From creating it “your way” to having a kid’s menu along with accommodating food allergies and vegetarians! So I left with my mango bubble tea smoothie in hand, and a big smile on my face.

The Electric Cheetah happens to be one of my favorite restaurants in Grand Rapids. With its exciting and bold menu, it never fails to impress me. So when the owners of the Electric Cheetah announced that they’d be opening a second restaurant, I couldn’t contain my excitement.

Despite the buzz around town, I’ve been extremely disappointed in the two times I’ve dined at the Electric Eel. The menu might sound like it’s full of flavor, but in reality, the Eel’s offerings are extremely bland and not the slightest bit exciting.

When I first walked in, I was surprised to see how small the restaurant really was. There were only about four tables, with a bar overlooking the kitchen. But the environment was interesting — it looked like it was taken right out of a scene from the movie “Kung Fu Panda.” But the food was a different story.

I started out with lettuce wraps and a Ginger/Lemon Lassi for drink. Or at least I was supposed to. The Ginger/Lemon Lassi is a yogurt-based drink, and it’s great to sip on during a hot summer day. But then, instead of the lettuce wraps coming to our table as an appetizer, my entree came out first, and it came out before anything else was delivered to the table.

Most restaurants bring out everyone’s meal at the same time, and they usually start with the appetizer. Yes, the Electric Eel is positioned as a take-out restaurant, but for those people dining in, it shouldn’t be treated as such.

So I started off by eating my Szechwan Peanut Noodles ($6.00), which featured rice noodles, carrots, bell peppers, bok choy and green onion, all seasoned with a spicy peanut sauce. Instead of a nice variety of flavors, I was completely overwhelmed by the peanut sauce. It literally tasted like I was eating a jar of peanut butter with each bite I took. There were no other flavors I could make out. In this case, my meal was heavily over-seasoned.

Eventually we got our lettuce wraps ($6.00), and the rest of our table got their meals as well. Labeled under “The Best Around” on its menu, I had high expectations for the lettuce wraps. Instead, the dish was placed in front of us and we had to make it. And despite the menu saying it came with a chili sauce and hosin-fish sauce, there was no sauce to be found. The dish was extremely bland, and it literally tasted like I was eating lettuce and grilled turkey meat.

While the rest of the meals weren’t terrible, they were extremely bland. Even the Lionel Ritchie — a featured sushi dish with salmon, avocado, carrots, and a spicy chili sauce — was anything but spicy. The best sushi is full of flavor, and this dish had apparently missed that memo.

For my second trip to the Eel, I thought I’d try a different approach to what I ordered. My roommate and I started with the Giant Crab Rangoons. This time, it was delivered before our meals. The appetizer certainly lived up to its name, but we were disappointed to find little to no crab meat or flavoring in the dish. All we could really taste was the cream cheese. The shells were very, very good, but beyond the outside shell, the dish reminded me of something I could get at any cheap Chinese buffet.

My roommate ordered the Fried Sushi, and I was interested to hear his thoughts based on what I had heard about the Lionel Ritchie dish the last time I had dined. The dish ($6.00) featured sushi rice, cream cheese, crab, green onion, and nori roll breaded with panko. Once again though, the dish was very bland — we were unable to taste any of the individual ingredients. And like our appetizer, there wasn’t nearly enough crab.

My dish, the Vietnamese Pho ($8.00), was delivered to our table nearly 10 minutes after my roommate’s. It was basically a big cup of noodles — think ramen, only about three times the size. On the side were vegetables, which I immediately added to the dish. Despite this, the broth was bland, and the noodles weren’t seasoned. It was like eating noodles and water, with a few veggies here and there.

And while the environment might be cool, the service is extremely poor. It’s a take-out restaurant, yes, but meals should be brought out at the same time for those dining in. Additionally, all your meals are served in boxes or bags, and everything is jumbo-sized. It makes dining in extremely uncomfortable and somewhat awkward when you have to throw out or take home over half of your meal.

All in all, in my two trips to the Electric Eel, I could only find one thing that I actually enjoyed — the Ginger/Lemon Lassi. It’s definitely worth the $4, but beyond that, I’m not sure if I could recommend the Electric Eel for anything else.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you burgers with endless fries and malts!

While the Electric Cheetah is known for great, local food, they kick it back to the 50s every Wednesday night. For $12.50, diners can receive one burger, unlimited regular or sweet potato fries, and an assortment of ice cream malts. Being the sweet-tooth I am, I took every advantage of this opportunity that I could.

I started out with a rich, chocolate malt. I expected it to be stirred and ready for me to drink, but was pleasantly surprised when I saw that I had to do some work. At first I was curious as to why, but then I realized it — the restaurant wanted us to see what was so good about these malts…thick ice cream, great-tasting syrups…what a great combination.

When my burger and fries came, I dove right in. The sweet potato fries were paired with parmesan buttermilk and garlic dressings, which were a perfect complement to the well-seasoned fries. We added their dill dressing into the mix later on, which offered a more flavorful alternative. The fries were perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, and perfectly…perfect.

By that time, I had forgotten all about the actual entree I had ordered — the burger! Served on a fairly large bun, I topped mine with tomatoes and swiss cheese. It was great with the meal; not too heavy, and not over-burdening with a ton of flavor either.

I was amazed with the amount of food we got for that little of price. By the time I had finished eating, my $12.50 bill was made of one burger, two orders of sweet potato fries and three malts (chocolate, caramel, and strawberry; though chocolate was by far the best). All in all, it gives diners a great alternative to what the Electric Cheetah does best, without any stripping of quality or service.

Taking advantage of a $10 coupon from restaurant.com, a friend and I visited Olive’s during primetime, 5:30 on a Wednesday evening. Although we weren’t in a hurry, it was a delight to see that there were only several tables occupied; while only several patrons were seated at the bar.

Upon seating ourselves, we were promptly greeted with a waitress who informed us about the wine selection as well as the Soup of the Day. Because my guest and I were heading to a business meeting afterward, we declined the $15 bottled wine.

As I began to peruse the menu, the distinct Olive’s ambiance made me feel like I was in for a treat. Although the plain exterior gives the impression of your classic 10-3 lunch shop, it is easy to tell the the interior design was well thought out. Glasses of wine, a well-tended bar and perfectly stylized chairs, tables and menu, make you feel included in a very professional and local establishment.

The menu included several sections: starters, soups and salads, entrees, sandwiches and “little olives”; the kids menu where all orders comes with fresh fruit and potato chips. Although I assume not a lot of kids eat at Olives, booster seats and high chairs were readily available.

At first glance of the menu, nothing had immediately struck my appetite. But I figured at a place called Olive’s, the olive burger was worth trying. I went ahead and ordered the 1/2 lb. burger for $9. All sandwiches come with a pickle and chips (substitutable for homemade fries). So I chose the fries with a water.

My friend also decided on a sandwich. Seeing how we were both on tight budgets, ordering the sirloin or stuffed chicken (both over 15 dollars) was out of the question. He ordered the turkey panini which came with cranberry compote, and arugula dijon on ciabatta bread. He also bought a Coke on the side which came with complimentary refills.

After placing our order, we figured it wouldn’t be too long before our food arrived. With the noticeable amount of open tables around us and the bar now beginning to thin out, we hoped one of the several waitresses working would bring us our food within the next ten minutes. However, it was actually around 20 minutes before our olive burger and panini sandwich were delivered to our table. For the amount of customers that were present and the number of waitresses on staff, I would say that this was the only negative aspect of my visit.

When the food arrived, everything looked as expected. The burger was as anticipated and the amount of fries seemed adequate. My dining partner was also satisfied with the amount of food as well as the aesthetics.

I had requested that the burger be prepared well done, and was pleasantly surprise that it had come that way — as most restaurants rarely get this right. As for the rest of the burger? Amazing. The olive sauce — a combination of chopped olives and mayonnaise — was just right. Added with lettuce, tomato and melted Swiss cheese on a kaiser bun, I must say Olive’s Olive Burger puts up a good fight against anyone other restaurant.

As for my friend, he was a little disappointed with his turkey panini. “The turkey was delicious and surprisingly went very well with the cranberry compote, but the bread seemed to be a little below quality. For the price I would’ve liked to see a little more.”

Olive’s definitely left a positive impression on me. Its location, relaxed atmosphere and quality food are all attractive features. There is also upstairs seating, private dining rooms, and a three-season deck located above the first floor. A definite plus. Despite this, we still had to wait about 20 minutes when the restaurant was clearly not busy.

The first time I ate at Brick Road Pizza, I was disappointed in the lack of service and the long wait times. The food was great, but the overall experience overshadowed the fresh, organic ingredients that I had on my pizza. But sometimes restaurants have an off day, and that’s when it’s time to give them a second chance.

I walked in with two GR Grub colleagues earlier this week for lunch. The lunch scene was quite different than the Sunday dining experience I originally had; we all went towards the lunch buffet instead of ordering directly from the menu. We were promptly greeted by our waitress, who took our drink orders and invited us to the buffet when we so desired.

Our drinks were brought promptly to us, and we were able to go up and pick out our favorite selections from the buffet. The buffet was basically a miniature version of the usual menu, and included four different types of pizza, a salad bar, soup, breadsticks and cookies. It’s what you’d expect from a typical lunch-time buffet.

I opted for two slices of pizza and some breadsticks, while my colleagues got a salad, some soup and pizza. The breadsticks were just as I remember them — buttery, fluffy and full of goodness. The marinara sauce was unique and was a great dipping sauce for the breadsticks. Likewise, my colleagues’ soup and salad were fresh and full of flavor.

But what about the thing that really matters? I was disappointed in the selection of pizza — they seemed to be pretty common (pepperoni, vegetable, meat and another I can’t recall). There wasn’t anything that really jumped out at me as “unique.” Despite that drawback, the pizza was good and full of flavor. The crust seemed to be cooked perfectly, and was a delightful surprise with the fresh ingredients that were on the pizza. Still, I would’ve liked to see some different types of pizzas available that I couldn’t get at my local Domino’s.

And as a great conclusion for our meal, the chocolate chip cookies were soft and gooey, and full of chocolate. It made for a great ending to our experience, and made me remember the great cookies that mom used to make.

To my surprise, the restaurant wasn’t too busy for lunch. Mind you that it was a Wednesday, but I still expected the restaurant to be rather busy. The lack of people dining in made the restaurant great for conversation, and allowed our waitress to check up on us more frequently. Drink refills were brought without having to wait, and our server was prompt at bringing us extra silverware and answering any questions we had. Compared to last time, the service seemed to finally be getting the attention it needed.

All in all, while Brick Road Pizza still isn’t number one in my book, I do appreciate the fact that they’ve worked towards improving their service. The prices are reasonable, and the fresh, local ingredients add something to the menu that you can’t find everywhere. It definitely puts Brick Road Pizza in a good spot.

Shortly after we walked in, we were greeted by our waitress. Once we were taken to our table, I noticed there were only two chairs. I had to unstack one of their cast iron outdoor chairs and bring it to the table to sit down. Once I was actually seated in the chair, it seemed like everything was done in slow-motion. It took nearly 10 minutes for our waitress to take our drink order. And once she took it, the owner came to our table asking us the same question. There was certainly a lot of miscommunication.

We took a look at the menu and were immediately overwhelmed. There were about eight pages of appetizers, salad, pasta, pizza, and a bunch of vegan items. For a pizza restaurant, it was probably one of the biggest menus I’ve ever seen. It was difficult to follow, and it took the three of us quite a while to go through.

We ordered an appetizer first. A few minutes later, Brick Road Sticks were delivered hot and fresh to our table with marinara dipping sauce. I must say, the Brick Road Sticks were a great take on the usually simple breadstick. The twisted dough, butter and parmesan cheese was a great, simple mix. I was excited for us to get our main entrees and see what other types of flavors we would experience.

Our waitress came back and took our order shortly after we finished the Brick Road Sticks, and that’s when things started to really go downhill. I went ahead and ordered Margerita pizza, while Steve went with a Hula Dance pizza and Sam ordered a pepperoni calzone. It seemed like a simple enough order, and something that could be made relatively fast.

Instead, we waited. For 45 minutes.

When our order did come out, we received an apology for the wait. While the food was pretty good, it wasn’t the best pizza I’ve ever had, and I don’t think I’d make a special trip for it. My pizza was lacking a bit in flavor, but Steve was quite adamant that he enjoyed his. The thin crust was definitely a good choice. And both of our 7″ pizzas (and Sam’s calzone) was plenty enough for us to eat. The pizzas could have been easily split between two people.

Once we wolfed down our food, a manager came by and apologized to us again for the wait, saying that they had been busy for much of the day, as they had a vegan brunch earlier on. She gave us leftover chocolate chip cookies as a parting gift.

Would I go back again? Probably. But would I make a special trip for it? Definitely not. It’s a great alternative to the pizza chains out there, but there are certainly better pizza places throughout Grand Rapids. Brick Road Pizza has some definite potential, but they need to fix the service issues if they want to be successful in Grand Rapids.