TakoSushi

Name: TakoSushi

Location: 210 The Alley, Aiken, SC 29801
# 803.642.8899

Guests: Ahmed, Bethany and Joy (resident sushi connoisseurs)

Thoughts: This unique restaurant, located on The Alley in Historic Downtown Aiken, combines Japanese with Southwestern cuisine for a truly creative meal experience. The diner has his/her option between ordering "Takos", Burritos, Enchiladas, Quesadillas or...Sushi! One should be aware that when ordering a seemingly Southwestern dish that the flavors will be more Asian inspired, but for better than worse. Upon walking in we were greeted by the hostess who promptly showed us to our seats and the waitress followed shortly after. It seemed to be kind of slow for being the lunch hour on a weekday and the service also seemed a bit slow as well, however, everyone was friendly enough. We were fortunate to have three guests with us on this visit to review the sushi. Sam and Lacey do not care for sushi, but we felt that it still should be given a try for the sake of the review. Ahmed, Bethany and Joy all gave their plates rave reviews! Ahmed ordered the Firecracker Sushi roll which can be seen pictured below (it has the bright orange sauce). Joy ordered the Pyramid Sushi roll which boasted a fried outside with a raw Tuna center (see fried roll below). Bethany enjoyed the Rock 'n' Roll...featuring eel, (see rice roll below). Along with their sushi our three guests also each ordered an appetizer of Tempura Asparagus, which we also tried (also pictured below). Sam and Lacey stuck with the Southwestern side of things. Sam ordered the Lime Pork Burrito and Lacey ordered a Shrimp Lettuce wrap (not really a wrap it came in a bowl). Both were enjoyed very much leaving us stuffed as we walked out of the restaurant. Overall, the experience was enjoyable, however the ambiance of the place would be quite different at night as more people would be present. The restaurant also has a full bar for all of you party animals.

Ratings:
Flavor: Good
Service: Average
Presentation: Excellent
Price: $$*
Ambiance: "Far East, Southwest" as TakoSushi would say

Pros/Cons:
Pros: Menu has a wide variety; free refills; full bar service; fair prices; ambiance is such that one could go for a romantic dinner or relaxed lunch; indoor and patio seating.
Cons: Service was a bit slow considering the restaurant was not real busy; food took awhile to come out.

Final Thoughts: Overall TakoSushi was a unique experience that we would recommend to folks visiting Aiken, provided you like Japanese cuisine. If nothing else its a fun place to taste some unlikely food combinations.

Website: TakoSushi














*Price Scale: $ - Under $10 per person; $$ - $10-$20 per person; $$$ - $20+ per person

Arri's Grill

Name: Arri's Grill

Location: 1533 Whiskey Road, Aiken, SC 29803
# 803. 642. 3930

Hours: Monday-Friday: 7:00am-8:00pm; Saturday: 7:00am-3:pm; Sunday: Closed

Thoughts: Arri's Grill (pronounced Ares) located on Whiskey Road in Aiken, is your typical hole-in-the-wall greasy diner and was voted to have the best burger in Aiken. We walked in and were immediately greeted with a warm "Hi Ya'll" from what we could tell was the only waitress in the place, (although we noticed another later). Karen, our (the) server was great! Though it was the busy lunch hour she was at our table in seconds asking if we would care for a sweet tea to drink. She was back in no time with drinks and when we asked what she would recommend she quickly pointed us to the special of day: the Lottoburger, a 6.5 oz, burger with everything you could want on it and fresh cut fries on the side for only $5.99, $6.28 if you wanted cheese. "That's what we'll have then!" we replied. Sam ordered his with American cheese and mustard, Lacey went all out with lettuce, cheese, mayo, ketchup and bacon. As we waited for our food to arrive we took a moment to look around. Arri's had proudly displayed their "Best Burger" awards on the wall as well as a few "Best in Aiken County" awards. We also noticed the presence of the "regulars" who needed no time to order and were greeted with "I'll be right out with ya burger, Baby!" from Karen. We could not have been more please when our food arrive-it was just what we expected/wanted. Hot, fresh and greasy and tasted fantastic! Overall, we enjoyed our experience!

Ratings:
Flavor: Excellent
Presentation: Excellent
Price: $*
Ambiance: Typical Greasy Diner :)
Service: Excellent

Pros & Cons:
Pros: Inexpensive options; Great food; Great/Friendly/Fast service; Not fancy; Scored an A for cleanliness from the Health Department.
Cons: No free refills on soda (Iced Tea and Coffee only); No separate kids menu; Kitchen is visible from all dining areas (this did not bother us, but it might for some).

Final Thoughts: Arri's Grill scores 4 out 5 stars in our book and we would recommend it to anyone and will be returning ourselves for another meal in the near future!


* Price guide:
$ = under $10 per person
$$ = Between $10-$20 per person
$$$ = Over $20 per person