Anaheim
Rainforest Cafe (Downtown Disney)
Sacramento
Carl's Jr., Downtown Plaza
San Diego
Town and Country Terrace Cafe
San Francisco
Blondie's Pizza (64 Powell Street)
Escape From New York Pizza (Polk Street) 
Gaspare's Pizza House & Italian Restaurant (5546 Geary
Blvd)
Michelangelo Caffe
Ristorante Umbria (198 2nd Street)
Coffee House Battle - Buckthorns vs. Starbucks
March 20, 2008
by Sandman
I was given two gift cards by Cathy Kirk – Colleen’s mom. I thought it was no better time to pit Starbucks against Buckthorns, to see which place was better. Here are my findings:
Cleanliness:
Both places are clean. On the outside of Buckthorns, the seating area is orderly and neat. On the outside of Starbucks, it too is orderly and neat. The bathroom at Buckthorns is very very clean and roomy. It is a one seater so if someone is there you have to wait. The last Starbucks bathroom that I went to was the one at Howe/Arden. It was clean but did not feel sanitary. The edge on the bathrooms here goes to Buckthorns. The inside of both coffee houses looked clean. The floors of Starbucks looked a little bit cleaner than Buckthorns and had an acid finish that made them look especially clean where Buckthorns had flat paint on theirs. The inside of Buckthorns looked a little bit cluttered, but so did Starbucks. There was no visible dirt on the counters at either place.
Edge: Draw
Customer Service:
The staff at Starbucks at times thinks that they are too cool for school. The folks as Buckthorns were more my style and seemed friendlier. One time at Buckthorns I ordered a drink called Decadence – the staff told me that I can have it either hot or cold – which I appreciated; there was no assumption what I wanted. I ordered the drink a second time and they prepared it cold – which is not what I wanted but did not specify, so I take partial blame on this gaff. Last time that I went to Buckthorns I ordered the breakfast sandwich. There was a little bit of a wait, but the staff brought our sandwiches over to us while we were seated – again, something simple, but appreciated.
Edge: Buckthorns
Ambience:
Because Starbucks tend to be in smaller strip malls the spaces run a bit small – they have a lot of tables but they are small – and when there it seems that people are crammed in like sardines so conversation is kind of hard. Buckthorns has plenty of tables and they are standard size. They also have a fireplace in the Wi-Fi section of the place – it looks especially nice on a cold day.
Edge: Buckthorns
Product:
Both establishments have good coffee. The home blends are equal. Starbucks offers a mean white mocha, but the hot Decadence coffee concoction at Buckthorns is heaven in a paper cup. It is the best coffee drink on this planet, bar none. Also, I like that Buckthorns offers true breakfast food, not just scones. Starbucks offers music, and ancillary products for coffee, which can be seen as a plus or a minus. Buckthorns keeps normal business hours, but the Starbucks at Howe /Arden is open 24 hours – at least the drive thru is. That is nice as just last Thursday the BMTG mafia went there at 2:00 am and got some coffee. [Editor’s note: After initially scoffing at the notion of ordering anything at a coffee place, Brother Nature opted for the Chai Tea, which he thoroughly enjoyed. He enjoyed it much more than one should enjoy it, but at least he was in a happy place.]
Edge: Buckthorns
Overall – The edge goes to Buckthorns. Better service, more true food to choose from, nicer ambience.
Report provided by Sandman – Official BMTG member since 1998.
Additional Commentary from the BMTG:
The Diesel
I would like to add that the Starbucks drink distribution process is flawed. I would prefer to get a simple 3 digit order number so that I can be sure I'm getting the drink that I ordered with the least amount of effort. However, at Starbucks they typically shout out the name of the drink with any unique features until the presumed customer comes up and grabs it. On occasion, they will use a person's first name which can also be problematic if there is more than one Cornelius waiting for a drink. When they use the drink name everyone is required to listen intently to every syllable of the description or else run the danger of having their drink nabbed by another person. Adding to the effort it takes to just get what you paid for is that you have to monitor who came before you. If a "Venti Café Mocha No Whip extra Shot" was ordered by several people it is upon everyone to keep track of who's next according to payment not who entered the store (2 cashier lines adds to the confusion.) Step in front of a person who didn't notice that you paid before them is commonplace and uncomfortable. Adopting a simple numbering technique which has been perfected by most all Mexican restaurants would alleviate confusion and the need for unnecessary early morning mental calisthenics. Until then, I will continue to order my drinks in an Elk skin canteen under the name "Assman" so that I can enjoy my order without all of the headaches.
White Russian
While I enjoy a Café Mocha on occasion at Starbucks, I feel that there are plenty of drawbacks to this juggernaut of a franchise. A major negative to Starbucks is their hours. Apparently Buckthorns fares no better in this category, but I can only go from first hand experience so I will leave them out of it. To have only one location out of a multitude in the entire Sacramento area that stays open 24 hours a day is shortsighted and a poor business decision. One might argue that in the semi-sleepy town that is Sacramento there would be no need to stay open late, and you may have a decent argument. But I can assure you that this plays no factor in their decision on what hours to keep. I can say that because the BMTG Big Four saw what hours Starbucks keeps in their own home city of Seattle. On the Washington leg of the Northwest Road Trip, the BMTG made numerous attempts to find late night coffee for the sleep deprived Sandman in Downtown Seattle. While the clubs were hopping and the streets were littered with debris, not one Starbucks was open. It was at this point I decided Starbucks was thriving in spite of itself. Their fatally flawed drink distribution process, as detailed by The Diesel, is further evidence to support this notion. Somehow it got anointed the cool place to go and that has allowed them to pop up franchises on every other corner, charge exorbitant prices, and employ a staff that takes on airs, as Sandman referenced, as being “too cool for school.”
Starbucks has long been ripe for a fall, a fall that they seem to be in the middle of right now. Will Buckthorns be the one to fill the void? While I have never been to Buckthorns, I can say that the unusual, but uninspiring name does not strike me as one that will carry them to the next level. If they consider a name change, perhaps “Coffee Town,” and make every effort to keep prices reasonable, they may be able to position themselves as the friendly, unpretentious alternative to a Starbucks franchise that has grown too enamored of itself.
The Diesel
Buckthorns sounds like a Jackie Treehorn movie starring Karl Hungus.
Carl's Jr., Downtown Plaza, Sacramento
Review
by White Russian
Within the first five minutes after placing my order, I experienced the following:
This location has long had its problems and unofficially entered the Dog House several years ago. Back then it got so bad that a majority of the employees quit one day. Management seemed to turn over repeatedly. Service was painfully slow, orders were typically wrong, the soda machine did not work properly 80% of the time with the output being either no carbonation or no flavor, and the place itself was usually messy with sticky floors that would put any discount movie theater to shame. The only way it has survived, it seems, is because it is one of the few fast food places left downtown. Burger King, Taco Bell, McDonalds, Arbys, and Wendys have all left, leaving the Downtown Plaza food court, Quiznos, and several Subways to go with the overpriced alternatives.
Fast forward to today and it seems they have put some of the problems behind them, but it is still not a location to be recommended. I have avoided going there, but have given them a try once in a while. Now the service is not so slow, orders are correct, the soda machine works more like 50% of the time, and the place is not quite as messy most of the time. Something new is that a group of hobos have taken to occupying the tables nearest the exit while they play chess. They are not a problem, though, and instead add a bit of ambiance, as they are not disruptive and do not ask for money.
Review
by White Russian
The
Rainforest Café in Anaheim is located in Downtown Disney, across from
the ever crowded ESPNZone. Relying heavily on a jungle theme, the ambiance
at the Café is impressive. There is foliage and animals throughout
along with jungle sounds in the background. Every once in a while there are
simulated storms and the animals scattered through the restaurant move and
make noise. It is a cool place to take a family and the atmosphere is pleasing.
That is the good side.
The bad side reveals extra long waits to get a table, sticky menus, slow service to place an order and get your food, watered down chocolate milk for the kids, and high prices for what you are getting in return. Naturally the prices are elevated because of the extra touch in the whole jungle theme and, overall, the food tastes fine, but after your meal you still feel like you could have spent your money better elsewhere. In the end, the atmosphere alone is just not enough to offset and mask the mediocrity of the rest of the experience.
Your satisfaction with the Rainforest Café will be related to your expectation going in. If you have spent the day at Disneyland and want to take a break, you will initially be frustrated with the long waits, especially if you had to fight the masses on Main Street just to get through the latest parade traffic jam. On the other hand, by the time you get there you may be programmed to accept another wait and you will just spend your time and money in the expansive gift shop that is strategically placed at the entrance of the restaurant. Once you are seated you will either be glad to sit in one place and take in the surroundings, or you will be anxious to get back to Disneyland to use your Space Mountain fast pass before it is too late.
Town and Country Terrace Cafe, San Diego
Review
by The Diesel
The
Terrace Café is located in the center of the sprawling Town & Country
resort complex in San Diego, California. Despite the resort's many rooms,
the Café always appeared to be sparsely populated.
I made my way towards the café after arming myself with the sports page that I swiped from the concierge to avoid the exuberant gift shop prices. My waitress was Bonnie who was a middle aged motherly type that checked on me regularly throughout my meal and seemed genuinely concerned that I made the most of my dining experience. I first ordered a club soda, which often times gets a double take and sometimes gets outright denied as not being on the menu. Bonnie proved she had ice in her veins as she calmly listened to my order and said, "okay." The scribbling on her notepad appeared illegible to me, as I looked at it from upside down and at a slight angle. Bonnie knew I was watching her write but her pen flowed without intimidation and she soon looked up and asked, "Are you ready to order?" I quickly gave Bonnie the one-two punch and told her that I needed blueberry pancakes and a three-cheese mushroom omelet, with toasted rye bread. Sweet Bonnie looked at me and said, "That's a lot of food, as we make big portions here. How about I make you the omelet and the you can order the pancakes afterwards if you like?"
At first, I felt ashamed that my Bonnie must think of me as a common glutton that needs to be protected from his own uncontrollable cravings. As she spoke her paternal smile eased me into believing that she was just looking out for me and didn't want my tummy to ache. I succumbed to Bonnie's logic and told her to skip the pancakes, for now. Within moments, I had a huge glass of club soda in front of me and I spent the next 10 minutes sitting quietly at my table enjoying the USA Today sportspage and the soothing silence of the empty café. The soft pitter-patter of Bonnie's shoes signaled the arrival of my omelet and an assortment of jellies for the toast. Unfortunately, there wasn't any orange marmalade mixed among the other jellies but the strawberry served as an ample backup.
The omelet proved to be very satisfying and as Bonnie had told me earlier, the pancakes would not be necessary. I sat there eating and reading the paper for another 40 minutes in complete relaxation until I had read the entire sports page, including the articles about mildly interesting subjects such as fishing and motorcross. Bonnie tended to me through my entire meal like I was one of her own children and her pancake warning was truly heartfelt. The meal cost me $8.24 with another $3.76 for Bonnie's tip (46%) which in today's world of impersonal service is a bargain.
When in San Diego, you would be remiss if you didn't stop by the Town and Country café to satisfy your hunger and meet the waitress that makes you feel as though your sitting at your own mother's breakfast table.
Blondie's Pizza, San Francisco
Review
by White Russian
Located
next door to Rasputin Music, Blondie's Pizza is famous for its pizza by the
slice. Unfortunately the pizza is not as good as the Berkeley location circa
1989.
The Blondie's Frisco location offers two things the Berkeley location did not have - seating downstairs and an expanded menu. The seating is significant because Blondie's Pizza is also famous for making their customers stand while they consume their large slices of pizza. The expanded menu now includes nachos, chicken tenders, and fries.
On the downside, the seating downstairs is limited to 15 minutes for slice customers, while customers choosing from the rest of the menu presumably can sit for as long as they like.
The other downside is their pricing scheme. Overall their prices are good based on their prime location, as you can get a large slice of pizza and a soda for $3.75. The price for chicken tenders and fries is $3.25 and the 16 ounce soda is 95 cents. Where they went wrong on the pricing is with the combo meal, where the same size chicken tenders, with the same size fries and the same size soda is a whopping $4.50. If you purchased the items separately, your total would be $4.20.
The chicken tenders were not sampled because for some strange reason they stop selling from their expanded menu at 6 PM. It is at this time that most of the downstairs seating is shut down. The chicken tenders looked like they could be delicious, but they can't be that great if they stop selling them early.
Overall the pizza was satisfactory and the price was right (except for the combo meal scam). The quirky policies (15 minute limit for slice customers, closing major portion of menu early, price irregularity) do not add to the charm of the place. Instead it just makes them look lazy and like they are unable to make sound business decisions. Ultimately their success or failure will be based solely on their pizza by the slice, and in this case they are found wanting.
It should be noted that all comparisons to the Berkeley location are based on visits made more than a decade ago. The last time we were at the Berkeley location we were standing inside by the window, while a Berkeley crazy stood on the other side of the window making faces with his mouth full of pizza, while pressing said faces against the glass. It was mildly entertaining, but mostly disgusting as chewed up pizza ventured from his mouth to the window and back into his mouth in a seemingly never ending cycle.
Escape From New York Pizza, San Francisco
Review
by The Diesel
We were shopping at Macy’s in Union Square in Frisco and had the desire to eat pizza for dinner. I asked the flamboyant clerk in the menswear department where would be the best place to get some and he was happy to help. He first barraged me with several pizza centric questions before providing any useful response. “Slice or whole pie?”, “nearby or anywhere in city”, “Chicago style, New York style, etc…?”. Once he was done completing my eHarmony pizza profile, he suggested Escape from New York Pizza. He said that they had several locations and was the best pizza in town, but he was admittedly biased as he had worked there for 2 years. I was hoping for something in walking distance that didn’t require a GPS. Not wanting to be bothered with following detailed directions I just started to drive from Union Square towards the direction of the Golden Gate Bridge. I wanted to get away from the skyscrapers and into a neighborhood that would have a pizza joint. I would drive a few blocks then turn left or right not paying much attention to the street names just the look of the neighborhood. In about 15 minutes I spotted Escape from New York Pizza on Polk Street, having landed on its doorstep totally at random.
It’s a very small place with enough seating for about 10 people. There were several pizzas located in a window with all being cut into very large slices. Once we ordered, the slice is removed and heated in the pizza oven for about 2 minutes. The pizza was hot, crispy and delicious. They have several choices and can custom make them but we selected from about 8 different choices already made. We had slices of:
We then ate at the street table, bistro style, checking out the human traffic in a busy area as the San Francisco fogged filled the street. The pizza was excellent and fresh. The crust was thin and snapped almost like a cracker that was loaded with toppings. The slices were large yet manageable and the sauce was a tangy sweet. They have a wide range of great toppings to choose from, including sundried tomatoes, roasted potatoes, and roasted red peppers. This is definitely a place to get something tasty, fast, and cheap in a city that likes to overcharge on everything. Additionally, there was a Dutch family that arrived and was very excited to be eating American pizza. The blond father was wearing long jean shorts that ended at the middle of his shin along with a Euro style V-neck shirt. He was served without hassle and wasn’t harassed by anyone in the neighborhood, so if you accidentally dress even that poorly you will still be fine.
Gaspare's Pizza House & Italian Restaurant, San Francisco
Review
by White Russian
Gaspare's
offers 27 varieties of pizza along with a full menu of traditional Italian
offerings. Located just a few blocks away from "Jeff's Jeans" on
Geary Street, Gaspare's is nestled among a few other Italian fooderies as well
as numerous Russian, Japanese, and American establishments.
The pre-meal bread was a bit dry and the crust too hard. The Chicken Parmigiana was breaded and fried, which is not was anticipated. While it was satisfactory, it was not as good as in the past. The pizza was very thin and greasy. If you like your pizza paper-thin, then Gaspare's pizza is to be considered "Food of the Gods".
Each booth has a jukebox, where you can pick three songs for a quarter from a selection of Italian classics and American oldies.
The bathrooms, located at the top of a steep, narrow stairway, are tiny and a bit run down, but that is to be expected at many Frisco restaurants.
The owner is very personable and usually makes the rounds to all the tables to make sure eveyone has been taken care of. On this night he stayed at one table with a group of either his family, friends, or entourage. The clientele consists of many return customers who seem to know the owner well. The ambiance is quite pleasant, comfortable and has a genuine Italian feel.
In the past, Gaspare's has been excellent. On this occasion the food smelled better than it actually was. If you are uncertain where to go and you like Italian, this is a safe family place that is recommended - you will be treated respectfully and will not leave hungry.
Pricing is moderate, as there are no cheap places to eat in Frisco (even the prices at fast food joints are elevated). Pizza prices are on par with other pizza places.
Michelangelo Caffe , San Francisco
Review
by White Russian
Overall the Michelangelo Caffe is a good, safe Italian restaurant in Frisco’s Little Italy, which is in the North Beach area near Coit Tower. It was bright, clean, and casual. The people were friendly and the food was very good. I felt it was a bit pricey, but it is on par with other fooderies in Little Italy and in Frisco in general.
When the waiter went over the specials I followed him easily at first. I understood that lasagna with meat was the first one, but as he kept going it seemed like he switched to speaking Italian more and more. By the time he was done, I was lost. Since I didn’t have the BMTG’s token Italian, Sandman, to help translate, it took two waiters to explain that one dish he was describing contained lobster.
Before the meal, you are given bread (no butter), a bowl full of olives and some additional bread with tomatoes on it. During this time one of the waiters brought by a giant communal block of parmesan cheese. It looked intriguing, but it wasn't clear how we were supposed to partake of it. Do you just grab a chunk and knaw on it in between bites of bread? Or are you supposed to have some fine wine with your chunk of parmesan and think about the old country? Again, Sandman wasn't there to assist and I felt silly asking so I let the communal block go.
For the meal, I went with the Fettuccine Bolognese, which just means it is fettuccine with a tomato meat sauce. When the waiter asked if I wanted some parmesan on top, I indicated, DeNiro style, that I wanted a “little bit.” He then proceeded to add a massive pile, which actually turned out to be a nice addition. There were no hidden or unwanted surprises, like mushrooms or olives or onions, just the fettuccine and the meat sauce, which was very good.
The menu had plenty of seafood options for those so inclined.
The service was standard with a wait staff that was friendly. The Café Latte was good, though no refill was offered. I had to ask for sugar for both the Latte and the iced tea, and without Sandman to tell me, I couldn't be sure if this was a request you normally would not make, as it took some effort to get the bus boy to understand what I was asking for. While the refills on water came frequently, the refill on iced tea came at the end of the meal. It wasn’t crowded, so occasionally the two waiters would quietly pace the restaurant like you were sitting in a classroom taking a test. Those were the times where it seemed best to avoid eye contact.
Just when we were ready to leave the waiter brought out a plate full of small cookies (amaretto) and a plate loaded with gummi bears. This seemed a bit odd, but it was welcome.
While there were not a lot of children there, this is a good place to go in Frisco with a family, as the fettuccine, and presumably other menu items, was kid friendly.
Ristorante Umbria , San Francisco
Review
by White Russian
Categorized
in the “moderate” price range, Ristorante Umbria is a nice Italian
restaurant located within walking distance of the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
Being moderately priced in Frisco means you will pay a minimum of $15 for
your meal. We ate outside, so the interior of the restaurant, which was bustling
with activity, is not covered in this review.
The Italian waiter was friendly and the atmosphere was pleasing. Sitting outside gave a good chance to observe the citizenry of Frisco. The restaurant seemed to be a hot spot for plain clothes law enforcement and local comedians. Stand-up comedian Bobby Slayton, known as the “Pit Bull of Comedy,” was there as a customer and apparently is a frequent visitor.
If you like thin crust, the pizza was good, though pepperoni was not an option. The choice for toppings was limited mostly to things like mushrooms and anchovies, with the only meat option being sausage. Domestic beer is not an option either, so if you’re looking for a thick slice of pepperoni pizza with a Miller Genuine Draft, then this place is not for you. For some strange reason my coworker had the eggplant. Eggplant is one of the last selections I would willingly make and even though it did not look particularly appetizing to me, he did say that it was excellent.