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| - Review based on my visit on the 2nd official day of opening to the public 04-27-17
Service: (5/5 stars) Andy was my server and he did an exceptional job at explaining and educating my family on why ranch-raised bison meat is at the core of the menu. Here are the highlights on what I learned.
Who is Ted in Ted's Montana Grill? It's Ted Turner, media mogul (founder of CNN / TBS). He is one of the largest land owners in the US with 15 ranches, 1.9 million acres. (Source: Wikipedia...who know's if it's really accurate but if it's even close that's pretty impressive) Why is this relevant for the review? All the bison meat served come from his farms. Notice the American flag in the middle of the burger in the album. I love cuisines that have a story.
So after the formalities of getting drinks; which by the way they serve Boylan Cane Sugar Sodas and glass Coca-Cola products and hand-crafted drinks, we received what my niece calls not really pickle pickles. Our server Andy stated they're actually called "Half Sours" (4.65 / 5 Stars...see picture as I linked to the cucumber supplier that actually sells this to the public). Instead of vinegar like normal pickles these are infused with garlic and cured in a basic salt and purified water brine, with a hint of bay leaf, black peppercorn, coriander, mustard seed, all spice, dill, and cinnamon bark, enhancing the natural fresh taste of the cucumber. It's totally complimentary and comes automatically in-lieu of baked bread like other places.
Eco-Friendliness:
1.) Earth friendly straws. A stash of straws are conveniently next to the typical salt and pepper shakers. What a nice customer experience to not having to wait for the server to give it to you.
2.) So being the great uncle that I am I wanted to ensure my niece and I wash our hands before we dive into our meal. Why in the world am I bringing this up? Well, my niece and I immediately commented how different the soap felt. They have Boraxo powdered soap. Being the inquisitive consumer that I am I researched and the brand claims it contains no phosphates, is 100% soluble, wont clog drains or harm fixtures, and are gentle on hands. It smelled just fine and I can see it being used by mechanics and those that need to do a deep hand cleaning. NOTE: I didn't want to take a picture of the actual soap dispenser in the bathroom...don't want to be that tacky and weird guy taking pictures where one should never take pictures. Instead, I took a screenshot of the Boraxo wikipedia entry in my photo album.
So let's start with the starter...Bison Nachos (4.25 / 5 Stars). My family love nachos and these definitely rank as one of the best in Charlotte. The cheese was creamy and didn't solidify and look like plastic like some of the other chain restaurants I've been to. The portion size was really big and for only $ 9 I see the value in the price point. I may consider this as a take-out item to snack on at home to watch a game or movie night.
For the main courses I'll outline and rate each item.
Bison Pot Roast (3/5 stars)...what I really wanted was the Bison Short Ribs but the menu clearly says...Saturday Only...so the next closest dish would be what I ordered. Honestly, this wasn't my favorite. It was good just not great. Granted, pot roast is pretty basic and the gravy is what you would expect. It just didn't pop with any distinct flavors.
Garlic mashed potatoes (3.25 / 5 stars) it was fine. Obviously fresh and the garlic was subtle and not over done.
Roasted Asparagus (3.5 / 5 stars) It was cooked just fine. It wasn't soggy or over cooked. Flavor was subtle and a bit smoky. You can't go wrong with this side dish.
Avalon Bison Burger (4.75 / 5 stars)...talk about a tender piece of meat. The second I held up the burger the meat was juicy and felt like it was ready to pull apart and melt in your mouth. If this is what a burger is like I can't wait to try the bison steak next time. With quality ingredients like gruyere, blue cheese, bacon caramelized onions, roasted garlic aioli, and baby arugula you enjoy each and every flavor in this well thought out menu item. I had mine cooked medium which was just perfect.
50/50 Fries & Onion Rings (4.15 / 5 stars - fresh and battered and just the right amount of saltiness. Andy hooked us up with what is likely a house-made horseradish sauce to dip our onion rings in. What a considerate suggestion as it nicely balanced the overall flavor.
Kahlua Fudge Brownie (4.25 / 5 stars...caramel sauce, coffee icing, Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, Kahlua fudge sauce) Seriously, how can you go wrong with fudge + ice cream. You can definitely taste the cocoa powder. The brownie itself was cooked just right and was still soft and moist. Andy indicated the only item they freeze is just the ice cream. No other ingredient in the restaurant is frozen as everything is scratch made and as fresh as possible.
Overall, good experience and will likely revisit to try the bison steak.
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