Argyle Restaurant - Kearny, NJ

Each time we visit our doctor's office, we would park in front of Argyle Restaurant or Piper Cove (his office is located directly across the street), where are there always ample metered parking spots. From the signs outside the restaurant, we sort of figured out that it was a Scottish restaurant. After some research online, I found out that Argyle Restaurant and Piper Cove is actually under the same management. Pipers Cove is a specialty shop that carries all kinds of Irish and Scottish products, from candies to highland regalia, kilts and bagpipes! Each time we passed by, we would say that we need to check it out someday, but we never got around to doing so.
I was looking at some Living Social deals there other day (yes, I do that religiously every morning! :P) and saw a deal for Argyle Restaurant. Only $15 for $30 worth of food. I had some left over Living Social credit, so we ended up paying only $5 for $30 worth of food. A very good deal indeed! After reading some reviews on Argyle Restaurant, I found out that it was featured in the NJ Monthly magazine not too long ago and many claim that they serve the best and highest quality Scottish fish and chips in the whole of NJ! Wow, so yeah, we were really excited to check it out.
We decided to go for an early dinner and the the dining room was practically empty. Just us and two other tables. I guess it's a lunch and late dinner place, who knows. The decor of the place was nothing to shout about, just basic furniture and they had Scottish themed photos lining the walls. However, there was a certain charm to the place. Since it was a Scottish place, Kevin thought that he would try the Shepard's Pie ($14.95). Kevin is a huge fan Shepard's Pie, so he was quite eager to try it. I didn't get a chance taste the Shepard's Pie but Kevin said that he totally loved it! He said that it was really flavorful and yummy. From his almost licked clean plate at the end of the meal, I am guessing it must be really good!
Now, the piece de resistance, my Scottish Surf and Turf ($16.95)! A large portion of Fish and Chips, Coleslaw and a Meat Pie. Firstly, let me start with what I didn't like. The coleslaw wasn't really my favorite, it had a weird taste to it. I let Kevin try a little and he agrees with me. There is just something not right about it. Now that the coleslaw is out of the way, I must say that the rest of the meal rocked my socks off! The fish and chips was really one of the best fish and chips I have ever tasted. The batter was light and really good. Add in a little vinegar, and you will be in fish and chips heaven! For an additional $1, you could get curry on your chips. Trust me, that would be a dollar well spent. The mild curry goes so well with the freshly made chips, mmm mmmmmmmm goood! The meat pie was really yummy too. It's crust was flaky and the meat filling was really delicious. I ate that with some HP sauce and boy oh boy, it was good!!

Overall, we had an awesome meal. I have never been to Scotland before (so that I could compare) but I think we had some really authentic Scottish food that day. It doesn't really matter even if it wasn't authentic, because it was really yummy! The fish and chips was seriously one of the best fish and chips I have ever tried. No wonder so many people swears that Argyle serves the best fish and chips in the whole of New Jersey. I wouldn't go that far (since I haven't tasted all the fish and chips in NJ), but I can say that yes, the fish and chips there is mighty awesome!

Argyle Restaurant
212 Kearny Avenue,
Kearny, NJ 07032
Tel: 201-991-3900
Web: http://argylerestaurant.com/index.html

Applebee's - 2 for $20 deal

We were out getting Kevin some new shirts in Jersey Garden Mall a couple of days ago and since there was a Chili's there, we wanted to go try out their new $9.99 deal promo. However, we later found out that the outlet in Jersey Garden Mall is one of the few outlets that wasn't participating in that promo. What a bummer :( We then remembered that Applebee's was also having some sort of promo. So, we headed back to Kearny to check out Applebee's instead. By then, it was already nearly 8pm but the restaurant was still packed! We were however lucky enough to get a table without having to wait, so all is well :D

We have seen the ad on TV for the "2 for $20 deal" just about a million times but have yet to actually try it. It's a pretty decent deal actually. You get to choose one appetizer to share and you will each get your own full size entree. There were four different appetizers and seven yummy entrees to choose from.

We chose the Boneless Buffalo Wings as our appetizer. We had a choice of Classic, Hot or Honey BBQ sauce. Since we both have a really low tolerance of spiciness, we stuck to the Honey BBQ. When the wings came, we were pretty surprised at the portion. It was pretty big! We figured that we would get a smaller portion, since it's part of a promo but no, it was a huge full sized portion. The chicken tenders were lightly breaded, with a little crunch and it was tossed in just the right amount of sweet honey BBQ sauce. Yummy yummy!

Kevin ordered the Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger. The burger was nicely grilled, really juicy and nicely marinated. It came with some lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pickles and was topped with some gooey cheddar cheese and crispy bacon. Oh and it was also served with a side of fries. Good stuff!

I ordered the Riblet Basket and got to choose between the Southern BBQ, Sweet & Spicy or the Honey BBQ sauce. I went with the Honey BBQ and what a good choice it was! I just love the Honey BBQ sauce! :D The Riblet Basket originally comes with a side of fries and since I am not a big fan of fries, I asked if they would change my side to something else. The server rattled on a whole list of other sides and I went with the Southwestern Rice. It was a little spicy, not a whole lot but just enough to give it a nice kick. Pretty good actually. The riblets were good too.

I think Applebee's hit a home run with this new 2 for $20 deal promo. Our total bill came up to $26.56 (2 for $20 deal and two refillable sodas). For that price, it's really a very good deal. A nice two course sit down dinner at a restaurant for a lil over $25! The portions were just right, not too small and not huge either. Good job Applebee's. Two thumbs up!

Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar
175 Passaic Avenue,
Kearny, NJ 07032
Tel: (201) 246 0020
Web: http://www.applebees.com/