The Critical Consumer

I have reviewed this restaurant in my head so many times, I feel like its all been said before, but it continues to change over the years, so I continue. This popular college favorite is located above Cheeseburger Charley’s on 21st Avenue, just across from Vanderbilt University, thus explaining its predominantly young adult patronage. On warm days, you can sit out on the balcony, overlooking the parking lot, people watching and enjoying the nice weather. Heck, even last night at 62 degrees, they had a full balcony.

For the first time in all the years I’ve been coming to Med Cuisine, there were three, that’s right three people working the restaurant. On a Wednesday night! Usually we’re lucky if there are 2 servers, but most often there is just one person working the whole dining room and balcony. Their menu has changed a little, so by the time we were ready to order, we’d been asked by all three servers if we were ready to order. I have to say, I’d rather have too much attention, than not enough.

The dining room is nothing too impressive, its main accent being a large mural on the far wall as you enter and then a few middle eastern trinkets on the walls. In a restaurant like this, less is more, as was evident with my trip to Horn of Africa mentioned below. I’d rather see a distinct theme, even if its somewhat subtle.

If you have a thing against middle eastern music that consists mostly of one woman performing similar sounding songs all night, then the music might really annoy you. I’ve learned to tune it out, but sometimes it’s just loud enough that you can’t block it out and it can really get on my nerves.

We’ve always been pleased with the value of the food at Med Cuisine. The portions are generous and everything is always fresh. There are plenty of selections for vegetarians and meat lovers alike and you can get a large platter for about $10. Pita bread is served with every meal, so you don’t have to worry about ordering it, which is nice. Sometimes it can be a little stale, but they usually try to keep it warm.

If you’re up for this sort of thing, you can stick around for a Hookah, a smoking water-pipe that comes in a variety of dessert flavors. If you’re ever in the restaurant when someone is enjoying one, it fills the room with a nice, non-offensive scent, much different from traditional smoking devices. Not to mention it just looks cool and you become the center of attention if you order one. I have still yet to try it.

Alright, here are the scores:
Atmosphere: B-
Service: B+
Food Quality: A
Food Value for the money: A
Food Presentation: A- (nothing fancy)
Drink Selection: B (at least the fountain drinks come with free refills)

Overall Score: B+