Aren't there times when a good solid three star performer really fills the bill? O'believe me it does! I've been out of town for two weeks on business (San Antonio) and it feels so good to come home to the basics.
I got a mini 4-cut pizza with pepperoni, capicola, and roasted red peppers on it. I could only eat half of it, so I took the other half home for my husband. My pizza really hit the spot.
So for me, three stars doesn't mean the place is mediocre. It simply means the place does the basics very well and they're good, solid, dependable performers.