Shipley's Donuts

I stopped in to this location at 5:30am on a Saturday.  Got some nice fresh donuts and kolaches.  Service was prompt and reasonably polite (they had a full crew on hand).  The cake donuts were delicious, a bit lighter than what I usually get at other shops.  The sausage kolaches had pretty salty sausage in them, which I like but it's something to be aware of.  The restroom was clean and ready to go at that early hour.

Shipley's seems pretty proud of their coffee, you can get it in a k-cup, but I got a cup in the store and it wasn't anything special.  If coffee is important to you then Dunkin would be the place to go.

While their selection is good, they are missing old-fashioned donuts, which most other shops have and are a family favorite.  But their recipe is excellent.

Shipley's has had a couple of run-ins with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission over labor issues, including a 2017 lawsuit claiming that employees were forced to work unpaid overtime.  This may account for some of the variability in service.

My Yelp Review

Red Beast Smoothie and Nutrition

This is third of three local smoothie places I have tried recently, and is a very different take on that niche.  I stopped in at 6:45 the other evening to get a smoothie so I could drink my dinner.  I noted first of all that they were not cleaning up before their posted closing time (7pm)!  It's a pet peeve of mine that a business will sometimes be closing and not actually able to serve people when the sign says they are open.  Not here!

I was politely served by the owner.  I got a Mighty Beast smoothie, close in recipe to ones I make at home.  Delicious!  The owner is very concerned with quality control, and took a tasting spoon and tried mine to make sure it was satisfactory before serving it.

The store itself is larger than most smoothie places, with a wide selection of protein powders and nutritional supplements.  The bathroom is marked Employees Only, but it's set up to be public.  It was clean and well appointed, with lots of fun bodybuilder decor.

Both Smoothie King and Red Beast sell protein supplements and healthy snacks.  The Red Beast products have (somewhat) more macho marketing.  The Smoothie King website encourages you to talk to staff about what supplements are right for you, but it's hard to imagine the teenagers behind those counters giving nutrition advice.  The owners of Red Beast have very apparent success in using supplements to get results, and are very willing to talk with you and determine your needs.  Prices are competitive with Smoothie King.  If you want to support a locally owned small business, this would be the place to go in the area to get your smoothie fix.

My Yelp Review

Thai Express

We have no Thai restaurants in this neighborhood, so this was a welcome addition.  They deliver exactly what they say they do--I really can't find much fault with it.  It is advertised as "authentic" Thai food, but I would say it is more Asian Fusion than "pure" Thai.  The lemongrass and coconut milk are there, but only in a couple of dishes.

I had probably the most "Americanized" one--the General Thai chicken.  Overall I was pretty impressed.  The batter on the chicken was crisp and flavorful, and the sauce had great flavor.  I was afraid the pineapple would be overwhelming, but it wasn't--it was just right.  I got it with an Imperial roll and Thai tea.  The Imperial roll is a fried spring roll with meat, and it was very tasty.  Both fried items (the chicken and the roll) were done perfectly.  The Thai tea reminded me of a chai latte at Starbucks, in a good way.

The interior is very spare, just a few tables with plastic furniture.  They have the Pepsi Spire, the Pepsi equivalent of the Freestyle machine--I didn't use it this time, but it appeared to be in working order.  Some customers were confused by its menu.  The bathroom was clean and ready.  Several friends have been there and loved it--the Pad See Ew (wide rice noodles) dish comes recommended.  It's a unique choice in the neighborhood, and I would have to say it's my favorite "Thai" restaurant so far.

My Yelp Review

Smoothie King at Rayford and Kuykendall

Turns out I had a craving for another Smoothie King smoothie just a week later.  This time I went to the location next to Jet Pizza at Rayford and Kuykendall.  Had a 20 oz. original protein smoothie, chocolate flavor, with an energy shot.  That's the small, and it's still over 400 calories so it's good for a meal.  Service was fast and efficient, I was in and out of there with my smoothie in about 3 minutes and it was quite satisfying.  Overall, it's as close to exactly the same as the Grand Parkway location as it could be, except slightly smaller.  There's one unisex restroom, which was clean and ready when I visited.  Either Smoothie King is a fine choice when you gotta have a smoothie and don't want to blend it yourself.

My Yelp Review

Smoothie King at Grand Parkway Marketplace

I like smoothies as a meal replacement.  I eat six a day, so there's plenty of opportunity.  Normally I make my own, but I decided to check out our new Grand Parkway location.

This place is very popular with high school students in the morning, but I decided to go in for an afternoon snack.  The two kids on duty were polite and competent, and got my smoothie out pretty quickly.  I had the Slim-N-Trim Chocolate with peanut butter added, which was very tasty and satisfying.  The portions are huge--a 20 oz. would make a full meal replacement, and I had the 32.  Not a bargain meal necessarily, mine was close to $10 when all was said and done.  But a fine smoothie, and one of the staff pointed out that they are discounted on Friday afternoons.  The bathroom was clean and serviceable, not bad for an afternoon visit.  The reviews on most of these places vary--I think working at one has a learning curve, because they have a LOT of smoothies on the menu, and then you get into variations.  I'll come back when I'm in the mood for one I can't make at home.

My Yelp Review