8-10-19 Hash browns Cajun Cafe Fargo ND

First time here after hearing good things. They did have a lot of Cajun things on the menu but I kind of went traditional other than some apps.

The hash browns were ok… nice and crispy with soft warm middle but really lacked seasoning and butter. Not saying they were done earlier and warming on the side but it was kinda like that. I’ll have to try this place again and see what it is like a second time.

8-7-19 Oak Ridge Inn Webb Lake WI chili/hash browns

This was a rare triple play having both red and green chili and hash browns. First off the red chili. Definitely home made with the rustic feel to it. Big chunks of meat and lots of big hunks of vegetable in here. It was a little “brothy” but had some unique qualities to it. Could have had some more tomato paste to thicken it up and some paprika but overall pretty solid.

Green chili was chock full of meat and some green chilis and jalapeños. It was pretty tangy with a lime type flavor. Like the red chili it was very brothy like a soup. I would give it a whirl again but ask for cheese to put on top.

This place must go through a thousand pounds of spuds for every breakfast based on the amount of hash browns that come with each meal. In my mind I was expecting bland, dry browns but on the contrary they were crisp, buttery and seasoned well. Not sure how this dude masters a couple square yards of browns on the flat top but he did it. Definitely get again!

7-31-19 Darby’s Minneapolis

Well I can say it looked pretty good….then I ate it. Honestly it had that “canned” chili consistency which was like a thick paste. There wasn’t a good sauce and a mix of meat and vegetables…it was a big glob of stuff. There wasn’t any discernible taste to speak of. It wasn’t all that bad but it wasn’t great either. I’d be hard pressed to try this again….

7-25-19 Herds and Horns Fargo ND

This is my first white chicken chili review. I’ve had plenty in my life, usually because a place has this as only option. I think there might be as many variations on this as red chili.

I was really happy and surprised with this one. It was a little thicker than I’d like but not too bad. The toasted bread wasn’t that good that was stuck in the side.

It has a creamy taste that was a little sweet but you also got that green chili flavor and other spices. The chunks of chicken were great and the portion size was excellent. I would definitely get again! Maybe more towards football season is when they get regular chili on the menu….

7-31-19 Manny’s Hash browns Minneapolis

This is my first hash brown review so why not start at the top with a traditional high-end steak house. I don’t think I’ve ever not got these here or any other steakhouse. These are they type I try to duplicate at home but can’t quite get it right. I’ve seen cookbooks and know most places use the stove top and oven….and tons of butter. There is definitely a crispy outer shell and the smooth silky interior with butter oozing out of every pore. I’m a ketchup guy but these are good enough to go solo. If I didn’t have a nice piece of meat in front of me I would have taken down the whole plate. Will be tough for anyone to top these!

6-27-19 D Brians Minneapolis skyway

As the place that is literally the closest to my office I had to give it a try. I’ve ate at this place a number of times now and have always had a good meal at a good price. The “soup” bar isn’t by the sandwich area so I never really saw the chili before. I wasn’t offered any extras with it, which I’m not sure if it is normal or not. Not bad taste, obviously a mass-produced corporate chili, unless I’m mistaken. It was pretty good, decent meat and beans and a little hint of some spices to make it their own.

I would get again as a side to my usual wrap, and maybe see if they can add some cheese next time.

Overall taste 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶6/10

Spice Level 🌶🌶🌶🌶4/10

Heat Level 🌶🌶🌶3/10

IT Factor 🌶🌶🌶🌶4/10

Value 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶6/10

6-21-19 Red Robin Arden Hills, MN

Red Robin is obviously known for it’s burgers/fries, which are great. I decided to get some chili to sub for the fries this time. First of the size of the “cup” was pretty small. I should have counted the spoonfuls before it was empty…

Overall I wasn’t too impressed. Just a “run of the mill” chili. Nothing really stood out and per previous posts I’m not a fan of tortilla chips on my chili. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad but just didn’t have any wow factor.

Overall taste 🌶🌶🌶🌶4/10

Spice Level 🌶🌶🌶3/10

Heat Level 🌶🌶🌶3/10

IT Factor 🌶🌶2/10

Value 🌶1/10

6-14-19 Big Erv’s Fargo, ND

New restaurant in Fargo at a golf course. Heard good things about this place and they did live up to it. I wasn’t asked if I wanted cheese or anything which ended up being ok.

This really had a unique flavor to it. Kind of a smoky chipotle type hint along with notes of chili powder. Not too many veggies in there and nice amount of meat. It did have a little heat to it as well which was nice. Would I get again? Sure…even get a bowl!

Overall taste 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶8/10

Spice Level 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶5/10

Heat Level 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶5/10

IT Factor 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶5/10

Value 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶6/10

6-3-19 Short or Tall – Rogers, MN

Can you say “underwhelming”? Nice quantity for a cup but outside of that not much to speak off. It was reminiscent of a blander, watered down Captain Ken’s store bought chili. Not sure if this will change over time but there wasn’t any offering of cheese, sour cream, etc.

Outside of have a nice quantity of meat the main taste I was getting was like a green pepper.

May I suggest getting some chili powder or paprika or something and dumping a bunch into the morning batch heating up on the stove.

Overall taste 🌶🌶🌶3/10

Spice Level 🌶🌶2/10

Heat Level 🌶🌶2/10

IT Factor 🌶🌶2/10

Value 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶6/10

5-24-19 Famous Dave’s St. Paul, MN

This one had something I really like which is that smoky flavor. Famous Dave’s is more noted for their BBQ so I’m sure they take some of their smoked meats for the chili. I wanted to say the meat was more like a sausage than beef but it was hard to tell. Either way it was really good. I’m having a tough time remembering if there was even any beans in it…which was just fine with me. There was a little veg in there but mostly just good ole chili goodness. You can see there was a little cheese on it which was perfect. I had the “cup” which was really a nice size and value. Overall I’d get this again hands-down. Solid chili flavor with that hint of smoky bbq to give it a unique profile.

Overall taste 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 🌶7.7/10

Spice Level 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶6.2/10

Heat Level 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶5/10

IT Factor 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 6/10

Value 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶5/10