This little hole in the wall is located between Princeton and Bluefield, in an area called Green Valley. Growing up, this was a favorite of Chris's, and reminded him of earlier times. No offense to Chris, but he loves places that are "comfortable," as opposed to "good." This place packs some childhood memories for him, so I'll try not to be too harsh.

The restaurant, from the outside, looks kind of like a trailer. I would've assumed so, had I not known better. The only entrance, as far as I know, is a wheelchair ramp. There are a few picnic bench-like tables outside with an awning covering. When we went to open the door, a sign caught my eye that said they open at 6:45 a.m. By this point, I was putting two and two together: "Country" restaurant, wheelchair ramp, open at 6:45 a.m. This was old people city. But ... I'm okay with that. Old people restaurants can boast some of the best homemade comfort foods.


When we walked in, the place was larger than I imagined. There were at least three dining areas that I could see. We seated ourselves in the second section while I took in the scenery. A large TV was placed on the wall, and the typical patron was about three times my age. The third dining area seemed to be a Dale Earnhardt, Jr.Sr.(thank you, Chris, for lending me your redneck trivia) memorabilia room. I opted not to go back there.

As we perused the menu, it seemed pretty run of the mill - breakfast, chicken strips, some plated dinners. On their special board, they had "Fish-N-Chips" which caught my attention. I looked through the menu to see they had a fish sandwich for only $3.50. Now, this is where I take the blame. Some homestyle restaurants have killer fish sandwiches. For instance, I got one of the best Coleman's fish sandwiches at a little mom and pop shop. It's definitely a risk ordering fish at a non-specialty store. It's really hit or miss. In this case, it was a miss. A big miss. The square, once-frozen, fish byproduct left something to be desired. You know the taste - slightly freezer-burnt, crispy enough to not taste any flavor and mush of some odd fish flavor. It was probably an off-brand frozen fish chunk deep-fried.

For my sides, I got macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes. Comfort food to the max, you can't really go too wrong. The macaroni and cheese had the pseudo-homemade look. Some of the noodles had cheese on them, while others were drenched in the oily butter sauce. The look threw me off a bit - I've made homemade mac & cheese before, but this worried me. The taste, however, was good. It doesn't have that powdered cheese like Kraft. There are some actual ingredients in there. The mashed potatoes were very good. Garlicy, creamy and delicious.

Chris chose a basket of shrimp. Typical, tiny popcorn shrimp breaded with tail still on. Not ideal for popcorn shrimp, since it makes it much more unpleasant to eat. He was pleased, though. He said he used to get chicken strips, which maybe I'll have to try for next time.

For dessert, I ordered a berry cobbler with ice cream. I'm not really sure what to say about this. At first, I was excited, but once I got down to the actual cobbler part, it was kind of a gelatinous texture that seemed very artificial. The edges were formed as if it had been in the corner piece of a pan and just molded there. The blueberries were a little not fresh, so it didn't leave the best aftertaste.

I think I need to try another dish - meatloaf or country chicken - to get the real feel for this restaurant. Because the fish sandwich just doesn't cut it.


Grade: D

Instead of trying the chain restaurants in Princeton, we opted for two native to the town: Sister's Coffee House and Burger Boy.

Sister's Coffee House
This gem of a restaurant is hidden off the main stretch of town in a large purple and brick house. Once you step foot inside, it is completely eclectic and unique, with local art adorning the walls, mismatched chairs, different colored placements and knick-knacks at every corner. When we went to the front, there was a counter with freshly baked goodies and a menu written in chalk on the wall. I ordered a philly cheesesteak sandwich with a salad. I also ordered a coke, but they don't serve pop. Instead, Chris and I both got lemonades - a fantastic decision.

I'd be confident saying this is the best meal I've received in Princeton. My sandwich had tender meat, grilled onions and green peppers all on a buttery warm croissant role. The sandwich wasn't huge, so I wasn't weighed down. I was very pleasantly full. The side salad was fantastic, with crisp greens and juicy tomatoes. Our lemonade had the best blend of sweet and tart, but refreshing, satisfying and thirst-quenching. We also received a small pitcher to pour our own refills. Because our meal was amazing, we ordered dessert here, too. We got a coconut bon-bon, which was coconut dipped in chocolate. Pretty good if coconut is your thing. We also had a brownie sundae. With fresh-baked chocolate brownies, a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream drizzled in chocolate syrup and caramel, this meal was to die for.

Grade: A




Burger Boy
I should have listened to Chris when he said not to try Burger Boy. Before even ordering, we were approached by an elderly woman who complimented my hair for a solid minute, then began saying Chris and I were a very good-looking couple. Then, she asked for $10. That was our sign. When we got to the counter, I ordered what I thought may be their special "big boy burger," along with a side of cheese and potato bites. Chris got a 20-piece chicken nugget meal with a side of french fries. The atmosphere left much to be desired, and the food was mediocre. I think my time was spoiled after the initial incident, but excellent food could have made a comeback. I only had a couple cheese and potato bites, and though they were OK, there simply weren't enough for the money. The burger was slightly dry, and bland. I found out halfway through there was ketchup on it, but you could've fooled me. Chris' nuggets weren't bad - especially if you don't mind Kroger ones that have been deep-fried.

Grade: D

I found out about Albasha through a DA article. It is located on University Avenue, behind Tudor's and Hibachi. I knew Albasha had Middle Eastern cuisine, which isn't my favorite, but I'm always willing to try a new place. This "restaurant" is really more of a sweets shop with four tables. We picked up the menu, and there are really only four "dishes" to choose from - kebabs and shawarmas in chicken and beef. I choose the chicken kebab, as well as a spinach pie.

Before our dishes were complete, we were served hummus and pita. I seem to think most Middle Eastern food is bland, and this wasn't really much different. It was also served on a paper plate, which put me off a bit. The spinach pies were served soon after, and I was happy with the pie - the spinach wasn't too salty or bitter, but it was tasty with the doughy bread.


When my chicken kebab dish was ready, it came on a bed of basmatti rice and sweet peppers on the side. The four-piece chicken kebab tasted like four pieces of chicken, slightly spiced, on a stick. I wasn't impressed, considering I could have probably made it myself.

Since their specialty was sweets, I decided to get a variety dish that had just a bunch of their sweets in one box. I don't know any of the names, as the woman who served the candies just took a few from each tray and put them in the variety box. Unfortunately, there wasn't one single candy I was impressed with. Some were gel-based, none were really sweet, and most were pastry-like. It's just not my type of food, so that didn't help their case.

In addition to my not being satisfied with the food itself, the atmosphere made me very uncomfortable. I felt like I was intruding on a family business, with kids running around and the owners were sitting at a table, as well. Brittany would go back, but I'd rather not.

Grade: D