Kenny Roger's Roaster

I apologize beforehand for the extremely long sections. I just had a lot to comment on this time.

Overview:

Being one of the only American-style roasters in Bahrain, it didn’t take long for Kenny Roger’s to grow in popularity. After its growing success in Sanad, Kenny Roger’s opened up a branch in Adhari Park. With the popularity increasing and the advertisements plastered everywhere, we decided to try it out.

Service:

When we entered, we were unsure of what to expect. We came at an odd hour, somewhere between lunch and dinner. For some strange reason, the waiter was so eager to get us to sit upstairs. He argued that the view there is “nicer”. He insisted on moving us even after we were comfortably seated at a table on the bottom floor. We followed his directions not knowing what the commotion was all about. The view turned out to be just an ordinary view of the highway, nothing spectacular. I question the waiter’s true motives for moving us. Oddities aside, it took the food about 25 minutes to arrive, an acceptable time, but not an excellent one. As far as I saw, there was only one waiter. Perhaps this is due to the odd work shift that does not require many employees. This was not impressive. More employees are needed. What if there was an unexpected barrage of customers that the few employees would not be able to handle? Perhaps there were more workers stowed away in the deep underbellies of the restaurant that I am unaware of. I will give Kenny Roger’s the benefit of the doubt.

2.5/5

Presentation:

When I first ate at Kenny Roger’s on one of my trips to Malaysia, the food came straight out of the broiler, piping hot. The overpowering aroma of the chicken would envelope the table. I am sad to say this experience was nothing like the one in Malaysia. In fact, it was almost the opposite. The food was barely warm and hardly gave off an enticing smell. The bolognaise sauce in my colleague’s spaghetti was extremely diluted, having a water-like texture. Well..at least the rice looked like what it’s supposed to…

2/5

Atmosphere:

Let’s put it this way: if you were blindfolded, taken to the inside of Kenny Roger’s, and asked to state what kind of restaurant you’re in after the blindfold is taken off, you would fail miserably in answering correctly. Well, the pictures of Kenny Roger plastered on the walls would give it away; I am referring to the red modern décor that has no relevance to the type of food served at the restaurant. Perhaps a Chili’s or a TGI Friday’s ambiance would have been more appropriate. Moreover, one would expect some country music playing in the background, specifically Kenny Roger’s music. Once again, Kenny Roger’s Roaster fails to impress. The extremely loud air conditioner was all that could be heard. We were all the way on the other side of the room and the air conditioner’s noise was still irritating. It’s one thing to ignore playing appropriate music, but it’s another thing entirely to overlook the fact that your customers are constantly being bombarded with an aggravating noise. If you’re not going to play music, you should at least ensure that the restaurant is quiet and peaceful.

2/5

Food:

As I mentioned earlier, my colleague’s spaghetti bolognaise was smothered in a much diluted sauce. He reported that the taste of the spaghetti was not impressive and that he tasted better at the school cafeteria. I ordered the roast chicken, a dish the restaurant is well-known for. To my surprise, it tasted nothing like the one at the Malaysian branch. The other branch allows you to choose the sauce that the chicken is cooked in – not this one. The chicken itself tasted very dry and stale. I was really upset. The side dishes that came with the chicken were satisfactory; however, when compared to the horrendous dishes that we were served, they seemed fit for kings. The chicken meal also came with a muffin, which was the peak of excellence in this ghastly ordeal. The restaurant makes these muffins fresh. I recommend the muffins. I don’t know if it was because of the below-average food I was served, but the muffin I was served tasted heavenly.

2.5/5

Pricing:

Expect to pay about BD5-6 per person. That should cover a meal, a drink, and a muffin or two. I must say, the price does not justify what I got. I would be more satisfied with a KFC meal at a cheaper price.

3/5

OVERALL: 12/25

Think I was harsh? Let me know what you think in the comments below!

- Yousif Al-Said

Cafe Italia (Seef)

Overview:

Cafe Italia is (as you've probably already guessed) an Italian restaurant situated in Seef Mall. This long-standing restaurant is quite reputable throughout Bahrain. It is loved by many, but disliked by some. The restaurant offers several authentic Italian dishes such as oven-baked pizzas.

Service:

The first thing you'll notice after ordering your meal at Cafe Italia is their speed. Your meal will arrive very soon after you order it (within 10 minutes), and don't worry about it being sloppy; it won't. However, note that some dishes such as the pizzas will require more time. Regular meals such as salads and pastas will arrive within said time frame. The staff at Cafe Italia aren't too special, but they'll get the job done, and I can't say that I have any complaints about them.

4.5/5

Presentation:

Cafe Italia is a restaurant that I've personally frequented several times myself, and I can earnestly say that I'm surprised by how consistently appealing the food always looks and smells. This is definitely one of those restaurants where what you get actually looks the same - if not better - than the picture in the menu. There are many simple yet effective touches that are added to the food or drinks, such as the cherry in the Shirley Temple, the parsley on the pizza, or bread buns by the pasta.

4.5/5

Atmosphere:

When you walk into Cafe Italia, you'll be able to immediately recognize the fact that someone tried to create a unique atmosphere, what with the decor and what not. Whether the created atmosphere is desirable or not is arguable; I'm sure that it will strike a significant amount of people as a bit tacky. However, the atmosphere is not all bad. After all, this is a matter of taste, and not everyone can be pleased. Music is always playing in the background, but nothing relating to Italy. Again, this isn't a bad thing, but it doesn't help in creating an Italian atmosphere. The atmosphere is most definitely Cafe Italia's weak point, but don't let it stop you from trying it out.

3/5

Food:

Oh, the food. This is most definitely the most important aspect of any restaurant, and Cafe Italia most definitely nails it. The salads at the Cafe are always astoundingly fresh; it's literally as if they're growing the stuff right around the corner. When it comes to the pastas, you should also expect a similar standard of excellence. There's always a perfect proportionality between the actual pasta and the sauce. The freshly-baked pizzas don't disappoint either. As you savor the pizza slice in your mouth, the freshness of its dough will be apparent. In terms of variety, Cafe Italia provides guests with quite a few options. You'll be offered a choice from soups, sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, salads, and other types of dishes. They really do cater for every taste. Also note that the food is regularly of a suitable temperature.

4.5/5

Pricing:

Cafe Italia's pricing is yet another reason why you should definitely give it a go. I honestly can't think of anywhere else in Bahrain where you could get food of such great quality for such great value. It's not incredibly cheap or anything, but once you take how good the food actually is into consideration, you realize what a bargain you'd be cashing in on. Expect to spend around 7 BD per person, (i.e. appetizers, main course, drinks, and desert).

4/5

Overall, I think it's apparent why Cafe Italia has maintained its position as one my favorite restaurants in Bahrain. Whether you've never tried it, or just forgot about it existing, you should try it out.

Final score: 20.5/25

Think I'm being too generous? Let me know, we appreciate your feedback!

-Yaz