Max & Erma's - MacArthur Mall, Norfolk VA

In the news this week, Max & Erma's Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from its creditors, listing between $1 million and $10 million in debts.
Original Post September 3, 2009
I have always found the food court in MacArthur Center to be underwhelming, which is disappointing considering its proximity to my office. When venturing to the mall for lunch there are three places I frequent. I have already reviewed two, those being Nordstrom Café (my favorite) and California Pizza Kitchen. The third is Max & Erma’s. When heading out for lunch this past Tuesday with *Brianna, I told her I was going to finally review Max & Erma’s. She said something to the effect of, “We’ll see how it goes. They can be hit or miss.” This is so true, especially when it comes to service.

Upon arriving we were promptly seated (often there is a wait during lunch hours), but noticed that the place was packed. We were seated next to a rather large party of 10-12, which appeared to be a work group celebrating something. They have a fairly extensive menu. The primary fare is soup, salads, sandwiches, burgers and appetizers, but they also have a nice variety of steak, chicken, seafood and pasta dishes. The menu seems to change a lot. They used to have a salad I loved, the Shrimp Stack that was eliminated with a menu update. I haven’t fully recovered from that loss. If I am ordering an appetizer, I usually get the Black Bean Roll Ups. There is enough in the portion that these could serve as a meal for one too. They are tasty and a healthy, lower fat/calorie option. Our server was prompt, and having been there a gazillion times, we didn’t really need to peruse the menu, but instead ordered right away.

It took roughly 45 minutes to get our order. I knew this was going to happen because they were busy and the large table was seated before us. Oh well. It was really the only glitch in the meal. I have developed an affection for their Apple Pecan salad, which is mixed greens tossed in a maple vinaigrette, topped with apples, sweet & spicy pecans, dried cranberries, crumbled bleu cheese & a balsamic drizzle. I always get the dressing on the side on my salads, but I especially recommend it on this one. Since it is tossed in a dressing and then drizzled with another…that’s a lot of dressing. I know this is the big trend now, salads mixing fruit, goat or blue cheese and candied nuts. This is a perfectly proportioned salad mix. The pecans are really well done, not overdoing the sweetness, which can fill you up and add calories, and just the right amount of spicy kick. Additionally, the chicken is perfect. A lot of places serve you prepackaged meat, or a dry and overcooked mess. Not so here. My chicken was flavorful and tender.

*Brianna also ordered one of her favorites, the barbecue sandwich. She swears by it. Her only complaint is that it does not come with Cole slaw. I have to agree with that. How can you even eat a barbecue sandwich without slaw on top? As noted in about.com “…the combination of Cole Slaw and barbecue goes back a long time. Traditional Carolina style barbecue sandwiches are typically topped with shredded cabbage or Cole Slaw. This is probably the biggest reason why Cole Slaw is the number one salad of the American cookout.” If you want Cole slaw with your barbecue sandwich at Max & Erma’s you can order it as a separate side and pay for it. They will not let you substitute it as your side. After trying to get past this with several different servers *Brianna is over it by now, but I still find it annoying. They need to hook up their Southern clientele with some slaw!

The food at Max Erma’s is consistent. It isn’t going to bowl you over, but the variety offers something for everyone. Service is a toss up, depending upon the day and time you are there. The décor is primarily the hokey, contrived collectibles look that you find in so many chains, with the exception of a few local sport champions’ memorabilia. For some reason they have clung to this creepy looking cartoon couple who I assume are the original Max & Erma couple. They are scary looking and severely outdated. I suggest the company either hire Carson Kressley to lead a make over for those two or completely eliminate them as soon as possible.
_Laine

The Max & Erma's reviewed is located at:
MacArthur Center
300 Monticello Avenue
Norfolk, VA 23510
(757)625-7771

Anchor Inn - Virginia Beach, VA

The Anchor Inn has been around a while. Its current location is on North Landing Road, down by the Virginia Beach Courthouse. This weekend my husband and I went there with two other couples; comprised of my brother and sister-in-laws. With recent news highlighting restaurants going out of business due to the current economic conditions (Magnolia Steak, The Winehouse Bar and Bistro) I think Anchor Inn is really being smart about offering daily lunch and dinner specials. And by specials, I don’t mean something fancy the chef is preparing. I mean special pricing.

Monday through Friday they offer $5 lunch specials. These come with 2 sides and a dessert. Now that is a deal anywhere. I cannot think of a single place downtown where I can get a lunch for five bucks. My brother-in-law works out that way and says he has become a lunch regular. Dinner is served Wednesday through Sunday nights, each night having a different special. The special on our night, Saturday, is called “Cheap Date Night”. This is a 3 course meal with beverage for $35. That is $35 for two, not each. The diners get two salads or shared appetizer, two entrees, shared dessert, selected beverages including glass of wine or large draft. The portions are hearty and there are multiple choices.

When ordering, me being me, I promptly told my husband I was not going to be a cheap date. He didn’t bat an eye. I had a hankering for the steamed platter featuring crab legs and shrimp, which was not one of the cheap date night selections. He skipped the shrimp and went for just the crab legs. It’s pretty hard to screw up either of these unless you overcook them, which they didn’t. We started out with the raw oyster appetizer. I thought these were just okay. Not bad, but not very plump or “meaty”. One couple got the crab dip appetizer. The portion quite large and we all were invited to share. It was delicious.

I find the interior very reminiscent of old Virginia Beach. There are all types of fish mounted here and there, round wooden tables, an open bar area and primarily nautical accessories. The server was great; very warm and friendly. After eating, our server brought the crab eaters each a finger bowl. I have to admit that I was expecting something more like an individually wrapped hand wipe. Anchor Inn really isn’t fancy and this surprised me. The one negative I have is climate related. We were seated close to the front door. It was cold, wet and windy last Saturday night. Every time someone entered or exited the restaurant we got an arctic blast of air. It was uncomfortable.

Finally, I have to talk about the restrooms. As I mentioned earlier, this is not a fancy place. I know that in some very high end establishments there will be a porter in the restroom who may hand you a towel, or offer a spritz of perfume, etc. Other locales may offer some of the amenities, but in a self serve manner. Perhaps they may display a nice basket on the counter with a variety of items to choose from. Well, Anchor Inn has its own take on this. Located next to the single sink is some sort of cart or shelf upon which several full sized toiletry items are located. Several perfumes and lotions, a full sized bottle of Scope mouth wash, and a full sized can of Arid XX deodorant. Even now as I sit here and write this it is making me giggle. The Scope was pushing the limit as there were no little cups or anything offered for dispensing it. The deodorant I found hilarious. I was really kicking myself for not having my camera with me. My brother-in-law confirmed for me, upon request, that the men's room did NOT have deordorant. Interesting....

Overall, I enjoyed myself at Anchor Inn. The food was all good, the service very nice and prices are great. They have a children’s menu for kids 12 and under. All of these items are $5 except Fried Shrimp, which is $8. Again, very reasonable pricing. It is definitely the type of place you could bring children for dinner, although I didn’t see many there. The restaurant was mostly full during prime dinner hours, so I would recommend calling ahead and making a reservation on weekends, especially if you have a large party.

_Laine

Winter Specials

Anchor Inn
2484 North Landing Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
(757)689-3456

Burtons Grill - Virginia Beach

I haven't tried this restaurant yet, but they are running a great wine promotion. I'm not sure how long it will last, but it is an excellent deal!

The Glass is Half Full
Burtons Grill Offers 1/2 Price Wine Selections Every Sunday!


(Virginia Beach, VA) – Burtons Grill, located at 741 First Colonial Road in the Marketplace at Hilltop, Virginia Beach, VA, is launching their new “Glass Half Full” offer, a 1/2 price wine list available every Sunday, all day long. Come in to Burtons Grill and sample wines from their large wine selection for only half the price. While the price is half off, the glass is still full!

WHAT: “Glass Half Full,” 1/2 Price Wines at Burtons Grill.

WHERE: Burtons Grill at 741 First Colonial Road in the Marketplace at Hilltop,Virginia Beach, VA.

WHEN: Every Sunday from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm at Burtons Grill.


Burtons Grill 1/2 price wines include all wines sold by the glass, inventory reductions and special purchases. Wine selections change weekly and all items are subject to availability. For more information please visit: www.burtonsgrill.com.


If you have been here previously or decide to give it a try, let us know!


_Laine