Riverbend Seafood, they might have to go catch it first

If you're looking for a speedy meal, it isn't going to happen at Riverbend Seafood in the K-Mart shopping center. A nice man sitting behind me probably described it best when he asked me, "You think they've got to catch them before they cook them?"

Despite the long wait, over 30 minutes, our food was fresh, hot and delicious, minus the coleslaw which tasted like rotten cabbage and mayonnaise all mixed together. But, fortunately I waited to try it last, or I might not have been able to stomach the rest of it.

Only two people were working the day of my visit, which were a server/cashier and a cook who apparently wasn't very happy about another customer complaining that she didn't receive enough food. Although we couldn't see the argument, I could hear it from our booth - it ended with the cook remaking the order.

With only one cook making food that requires individual battering and dropping in grease (I.E. fish, onion rings, shrimp and such), it only makes sense that our order took 30 minutes. If one were to try to drop it all in at once, it would get stuck together and not cook well. Making good fried food is tedious, especially with one person cooking. The tedious work was well worth it, the onion rings were freshly battered and among the crunchiest, best-tasting I've ever had.

I also had a catfish fillet sandwich which was only $3 and the onion rings were $1. But, of course they get you on the drink which totaled my meal right at $6. Which is still a good price for the food, but you can expect slow service, from the kitchen, not the waitress, who kept my tea filled during my hour-long stay.

There wasn't a drink fountain so don't expect free refills, unless you get sweet tea, and it's certainly sweet. Our waitress was friendly for the most part, even though she had a very obvious problem with the cook. I'd probably go back if I had a lot of time to waste, but I'd definitely take my fishing rod to help catch the fish and speed things up. It might take all day to catch a grouper in that holding pond.


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Dairy Queen dogs the competition

When I think about good fast food, it's hard to imagine it at all. Most of the time it's too cheap to eat, or too expensive to enjoy, but I think Dairy Queen is pretty close to the happy medium. I like to think of myself as a chili dog connoisseur, trying them at almost any restaurant with one on the menu. Those delicious little wieners haunt me wherever I go, I just can't turn them down.

When I ordered up two, with cheese and onions, at the DQ in Bainbridge, I didn't expect anything special. But, the all beef dogs with just the right amount of melted cheese were delicious. The chili beats some of the best chili made anywhere, I'd even venture to say it rivals the famous chili dogs at the Varsity drive-in in Atlanta and Athens. A five minute drive to the DQ and you've got a better dog than a four-hour drive to Athens would get you. If you're looking for good onion rings you'll probably need to go somewhere else. It'd probably be best if they were just left off the menu.

If you're into ice cream, they've got it there too. The soft serve is excellent especially in a blizzard. My favorite is the Reese's Cup blizzard, but make sure you get the long spoon so you can get all the good stuff at the bottom of the cup. A cheaper way to go might be the dipped cone which you've got to eat fast because the hot chocolate melts the ice cream. (Beware of the ice cream headache afterward)

But when you talk about service, that's what you get at DQ. It's always fast and friendly. Even with the lunch rush on full throttle, the cashiers were efficient and personable with smiles on every face. The many times I've been to DQ, I've never had a bad experience. It's also just a block away from a pleasant view of the Flint if you're into the outdoors. Either way you can't go wrong with the food at DQ, just stay away from the onion rings.


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