Monkey Business

50/50 Reviews 4/8/22

You've just landed the job of restaurant reviewer for the local newspaper.
Visit the other challengers' Banana Bar Fine Dining Establishments from their April 7th entries, then write a review for each of them.

Review of jondakota's McBanana Bar & Grill

Upon arrival at the McBanana Bar & Grill, I was immediately welcomed with bright colors and friendly characters from days of yore. I was transported back to my childhood. The employees were all very friendly and took my order with a smile and a "Thank You". As I waited on my order, I walked around looking at all the memorabilia from a time long gone. Then I sat down at a table and waited for one of the youths to bring me my meal and drink.

When my food came, it was hot and true to my order, a plus in my opinion. The fries were deliciously salty and mysteriously addictive. The Quarter with cheese that I ordered tasted like a flashback to the 1980's, back when the meat products were actually some kind of meat (unknown as it might be). My bun was toasted to perfection and the veggies were fresh. The apple pie I ordered for dessert was crisp and cinnamony sweet.

I give this restaurant 4 stars on the Fast Food Restaurant scale. The range of choices, freshness of the food, and friendliness of the employees all work together to make The McBanana Bar & Grill a Top 5 Fast Food Restaurant in our area. And kudos for bringing back all our favorite burger buds!

Review of QueenNormaJean maybesnow?!'s Bistro Bengali

All the hype about Chef Sunita Patel is just that, hype. Chef Patel could have done amazing things with an Indian restaurant at the Banana Bar, but she didn't. It begs the question, "Is she really a chef at all?" The samosas were bland, lacking any flavor other than the oil with which they were cooked. The meat inside questionable as to its origin. The tandoori chicken had an overabundance of spices, namely the turmeric, cayenne, and ginger, which made this dish unpalatable. The butter chicken was equally a bomb, as it was dry to the point of being mummified. The rice was decent, other than the fact that I could make better rice at home and the so-called chutney was simply chopped up fig particles mixed with brown sugar, ginger, and Hing. Hoping it would be the saving grace of the meal, I was let down by the flavor of the lassi, as it turned out to just be buttermilk seasoned with curry of all things. All in all, the best part of this meal was the food fight instigated by the monkey waiters in the so-called Bistro. It was a great time, but it took me almost a week to get over the food poisoning from the meal. I'd unfortunately have to give this establishment one star - and this is only because you cannot give establishments negative stars.

My recommendation for the owner of this Bar and Fine Dining restaurant would be to find an actual chef to create your dishes. Any old monkey could have done a better job in the kitchen than Ms. Patel.