Restaurant Review

For the past couple of years or so when I’d drive down Chester I’d notice a little coffee shop on the corner of 20th Street. Tina Marie’s is always open for breakfast and lunch, but I’ve never seen anyone inside. This morning I decided to give the place a try.

It’s a big space with comfortable booths and plenty of potential. Unfortunately the potential was lost who ever did the decorating. Most of the stuff in there looked like it either belonged in a flower bed or like it had just been purchased in a garage sale. The ceiling has a cool space age looking over hang with inset lighting, but the whole thing was ignored by the decorator. On a scale of 1 to 10, the atmosphere is a big, fat 0.

The first thing my friend and I noticed when we looked at the menus was the every thing was $6.99. I really didn’t matter what it was, it was going to cost you $6.99. Bowl of cereal? $6.99. Steak and eggs? $6.99. Cup of coffee? $6.99. Alright, I’m exaggerating slightly. Still, the prices would have been okay if there were some interesting items to choose from. Two pancakes, anegg and sausage just doesn’t inspire me.

I had the biscuits and gravy. The biscuits were good, the gravy was not. One side of my plate was hot, the other was not. Talk about a half-assed operation. I couldn’t even get one of the two waitresses standing around to refill my cup of tasteless coffee.

By the time we left we had mentally redecorated, changed the menu turned the place into a really happening sushi bar. Now that’s what we need downtown.