Carl’s Jr.

Kamloops, BC

I once wanted to own a Carl’s Jr. franchise but somebody else beat me to it in Kamloops.  Carl’s Jr. is supposed to be an upscale fast food Burger restaurant that serves the finest and juiciest charbroiled hamburgers in places in the US South-West and Western States, such as California.  So now that it has opened up a location in Kamloops, I decided to check them out in their first week of operation.  Here are some of my thoughts.

To ensure you get what you want, order by the Combo # as their staff are still not very familiar with their menu. The combo includes a small refillable drink and small fries. For an additional cost, you can up size to medium or large fries and refillable drinks. Burger size remains the same regardless of the combo size. Please note that some cashiers are inadvertently up selling people the medium size combos. I ordered the regular $9.99 combos but found out later that they had charged and served up the medium size combos. According to the manager that I spoke to, this has been a common occurrence and that they are working to address this with their cashiers.

The Charbroiled Burgers tasted great and had lots of flavor but they were slightly on the dryer side. Our fries were perfectly cooked and seasoned properly. The size of the burger was plenty big for us and even though their fries were not as plentiful at Five Guys Burgers, it was adequate for our us. But the question remains, were these burgers better than the other fast food joints where the prices are much cheaper? I personally prefer the BK Whopper and the A&W Teen Burger when it comes to fast food burger restaurants and when compared to the Red Robin Burgers, my personal preference is for the latter’s burgers, considering for about a buck more gets you table service at Red Robin and unlimited fries.

The Kids meals are regularly priced at $2.99 each. It comes with fries, refillable drink and a toy. For a limited time, kids eat free on Mondays. For every combo, you get order a child a kids combo for free on Mondays.

The restaurant was clean and maintained promptly with tables being wiped as customers left their tables. Staff members are friendly and eager to please. Please remember, this restaurant is brand new and so are the staff members. I experienced a lot of growing pains on this visit. The cashier as mentioned above was not familiar with the menu. The order taking process was quite challenging for both cashiers that were working today during our visit. As this was the first Monday in operation for the Kamloops location, I was expecting some issues with the Kids Eat Free promotion and as expected our cashier did not know how to process the transaction. Three other managers tried to figure this out but ended up manually crediting my bill. There was no piece of cheese in one of our burgers but it was promptly replaced when we brought it to their attention.  They all will get better over time so please be patient with the staff but please check your orders to ensure you pay the right amount and get the food you ordered. Welcome Carl’s Jr. to Kamloops.

Photo on the Run: Dinner at Original Joe’s tonight consisted of Long Beach Fish Tacos, Chicken Fingers and a Pacific Rim Noodle Bowl. Our meals continue to be excellent at Original Joe’s.

The Keg Steakhouse & Bar

Kamloops, BC

Disney’s Hit Musical Beauty and the Beast was on tour in Kamloops and we had tickets but first, it was off to the Keg Steakhouse for a pre-show drink and dinner.  I have been to a lot of Keg Steakhouses from St. John’s to Downtown Vancouver, but I have to say that the Kamloops restaurant located in the historic CN Rail Station ranks in the top 3 for its decor and ambiance.   Kamloops is very fortunate to have a restaurant of this caliber.

Even though they are not priced as high as such American iconic steak houses such as Hy’s Steakhouse, Morton’s Steakhouse and Ruth’s Chris Steak House,  The Keg Steakhouse is Canada’s Steakhouse chain that reigns supreme from coast to coast to coast.  Expect to spend more than what you normally would elsewhere but don’t expect mediocre food at this steakhouse.

We started with some drinks.  A glass of Okanagan’s finest Sumac Ridge Merlot Cabernet for iLove2Shop, a very nice big round glass of Summer Sangria (merlot, gin, rum, cherry brandy, fresh juice and fruit) for yours truly and because it was a special dinner, no milk or real fruit juice but rather the most finest Pepsi for iLuv2Dance.   Exquisite choices so far, don’t you agree?  iLove2Shop ordered the 8 oz Top Sirloin Steak cooked medium well and of course, I had to have their 12 oz Prime Rib.  We both ordered the dinners Classic Style, meaning that you get a starter salad and also get mushrooms and perfectly cooked seasonal vegetables with your dinner.  

The Prime Rib served with horseradish and red wine herb au jus was amazing.  It was cut with a fork tender and flavorful.  A word of warning about their horseradish, unless you have a cold and blocked sinuses, introduce them to your mouth with extreme caution.  I didn’t get a chance to ask her later on at the show, but I’m sure Mrs. Potts from Beauty and the Beast would have given her seal of approval.

A few words about the kids meal.  Sure it was $9.99 for iLuv2Dance’s Chicken Strips and Fries, but the appetizer plate containing fruits, veggies and dip that she received was well appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed. 

We were stuffed from all this food but a couple of trips each down the two spiral staircases to the washrooms quickly helped us burn off what we just ate.   It was a fantastic pre-show dinner that was only trumped by a sensational and sumptuous theatrical treat.

Milestones Grill + Bar

Kamloops, BC

It’s May already and I still haven’t posted our Family Valentines Day Dinner yet so here it is.  We wanted a restaurant that the family loves and a place where we could take the kids to on this special love day and for that, we chose the Kamloops Milestones Grill + Bar.

Milestones had a very special Valentines Day menu for us to choose from and as well as their regular menu.  The kids chose their dinners from the Kids Menu, which contained some of their favourite restaurant meals.

As always, we loved the slushy peach Bellini drinks and it was exactly what we needed to sit back, relax and await our first course, the Baked Goat Cheese & Slow Roasted Garlic flat bread which was served with a cranberry relish and fig jam accompaniments.  

I have always loved the Prime Rib at Milestones and it has never disappointed me except for when the kitchen runs out of them and I can’t get it for dinner when I want it (and this has happened many times unfortunately).  Not this time though, as I made sure we were one of the first diners to have dinner by booking an early reservation.   Apologies for the photo quality on this beautiful flavour intense piece of meat as it tasted far better then what it looks.  If you are a lover of Prime Rib, settle for nothing but the Chef’s Cut and you will be very happy with your decision. 

iLove2Shop’s dish, the Grilled Mediterranean Chicken was like a piece of artwork on a dish, too good to be eaten.  She thought the chicken was nice and moist and for someone that would not touch a piece of goat or lamb, she devoured the goat cheese and left nothing for me on the plate.  But this was a special dinner after all, and I was already stuffed after my own meal and needed to leave room for dessert.

Even though, this was our special Valentines Day dinner, you can order any of these items from Milestones regular menu.  It’s already been three months since our last visit and I think we have to return soon for more Milestones soon.  Stay tuned for our revisit.

Photo on the Run: Ever since East Side Mario’s shutdown their store, we have made Montana’s our favourite pit stop. So far, we have very much enjoyed dining here.

For dinner tonight, we had the Calamari appetizer, Grilled Chicken Sandwich and The Steak Fajitas.

I have been wishing for a Vietnamese Restaurant in Kamloops for some time now and still nothing here yet.  Any other Vietnamese food fans here? 

These photos were taken at Pho Sen Restaurant in Coquitlam.  The
phở was to die for and the prices were incredibly cheap.  Wish we had one like this in Kamloops.

Dee’s Country Corner Cafe

Kamloops, BC

If you are looking for a delightful, friendly and unpretentious cafe for a quick tasty lunch, may I suggest you give Dee’s Country Cafe a try.  Located on the Tk’emlups Land, Dee’s Country Corner Cafe attracts a a steady stream of customers for breakfast and lunch.

Their menu comprises of an extensive selection of burgers, sandwiches, soup and breakfast favourites.  I bet on the Rueben Sandwich and it did not disappoint as it contained copious amounts of corned beef and  sauerkraut sandwiched between perfectly toasted rye bread.  iLove2Shop truly enjoyed the taste combinations that Charlie’s Chicken Burger (does anybody know who this Charlie is?) brought to her taste buds and was even nice enough to let me have a taste test.  I made a mental note to order it for myself as it was a terrific tasting burger.  We would have liked our french fries a little more crispy but they were still quite edible.  

When it comes to sandwiches, there is nothing I love more than a really, really good Reuben sandwich!!  Dee’s Country Corner Cafe delivered on all counts.