French Dip Reviews

We're still going strong...and expanding...12 years later!

2023-06-07T19:06:00.003-07:00

Just wanted to let you all know that the French Dip reviewing project continues to go strong and all is well. There are now over 210 restaurants and 11,000 comments, images and scores in the system and it keeps growing all the time.

The review data that originally started in Blogger has been migrated into a new tool which will lead to more fun and more adoption of our fun hobby.

And we are expanding beyond "just" French Dip sandwhiches into whatever dish you may love most: Side Salads, yes. Spicy Chicken Teriyaki, yep. Bitterballen, of course. Green Mango Salads, my favorite. Burger Dips, they're great! French Fries and more.

Don't like food? Maybe you'd like to review something else like cars, trips, or something else.

Claimjumper

2022-01-02T18:14:00.001-08:00

Food

Didn't feel like eating any of their other "free" sides right now so I splurged on a side salad.

Side salad #sideSalad

Comments

Salad sold separately. 😔

I want more on my salad than just the standard fare. This was definitely the standard fare and I wasn't all that enticed. It wasn't too different from my GREAT salad the night before in Oregon but it wasn't great. Cheddar cheese maybe makes it a little bit nice but it's not enough to differentiate. I think it needs to have something like olives or cucumber or really anything (red onion?) that makes it different and better than "just a side salad". Basics: good greens Performance: more basics Excitement: any unique feature.

Greens

Were fine.

Croutons

Were crunchy.

Diced tomato

Don't really like seeing this usually.

Shredded cheddar

Was fine. Not as thickly-cut as what I had the previous day.

Original Tri-Tip Dip #frenchDip

Sandwich

Alone it's pretty good. I think I just didn't like the messiness and lack of finishing touches.

Meat

Overcooked. Black pepper taste. Not much of it.

Bread

Toasted and buttered.

No skewers.

Non-meat toppings

There were caramelized onions but I didn't really taste them.

Cheese

Good but not overly flavorful, which is fine.

Caramelized Onions

Jus

Dark and rich. They didn't bring enough initially. They should know better.

Could have perhaps been upgraded to a score of 4 if it wasn't so messy and they actually cut the sandwich so a normal person could eat it. They should have skewers as well. I tore my sandwich in half like I was a ravaging animal. Maybe they gave me a steak knife to cut it but I didn't see it.

Had been told that it's messy.

Primary flavor is salt and pepper.

Served "uncut" (not sliced). This seems like a bad call. Pretty large size, generally. Buttered. Lots of cheese that fell out.

Not sure I've seen green chilies on an FD before. Didn't taste or see them in this one.

La Conner Brewing

2022-01-02T18:11:00.000-08:00

House Slow-Roasted Prime Rib Dip #frenchDip

Temperature its biggest issue. Also undisclosed horseradish Mayo.

Has a bit of a smoky taste.

Could have been better with more size and served hotter.

Description

$17.50.

Prime rib with horseradish aioli and smoked cheddar cheese on a toasted Telera bread roll with au jus. Served with soup, salad or beer battered pub fries.

Bread

The telera is a white bread made from wheat flour, yeast, water and salt, used in various Mexican sandwiches. It is about sixteen centimeters long, flattened and oval shaped with two longitudinal cuts at the top from side to side.

Some sogginess on the bottom.

Sandwich alone

Looks small. Didn't look like a lot of beef. Beef looks good.

It's a 3 based on looks alone but probably 4.

Medium rare beef which is nice.

Size

Quite small.

Not overly hot.

Meat

Amount

Not much.

Non-meat toppings

Horseradish Mayo not mentioned.

Jus

Quite oily.

Not hot enough.

The Old Edison French Dip Review, Edison, WA

2021-11-01T20:34:00.004-07:00

My new view. Nov 1 morning. Cool, moon, lovely.

View of a Great Blue Heron from my telescope.

So it was dinnertime and I was Old Father Hubbard and had nothing. Out I went.

Seemed like I needed to know.

My seat. The clientele were a bit seedy. I wasn't all that impressed or having too much fun. I was trying to watch the KC Chiefes playing Joe Judge's NY Giants on Monday Night Football.

My water. Service was slow. The bartender was also the waitress...running ragged.

Here it is. Doesn't look too bad.

Bread looks okay. Meltedness and all that looks good.

Swiss and caramelized onions. Seems like it's going to be good right. M, not really great.

"Smooth" bleu cheese dressing a bit of a bummer. Didn't stand out.

Salad looked pretty good generally.

Jus looks light in color but does have floating bits so I assumed it'd be good. It was fairly "oily" which was good. 4 of 5.

Sandwich looks good but doesn't taste all that great standalone. 2 of 5.

Money shot is not looking real great. Jus too light in color. The jus did "save" the sandwich though and brought the flavor up to a 4 of 5. Quite good. Oniony.

Also seen: the picture of this lady at the bar. Risque!

Oh and she's hanging on the wall in the men's room as well. Risqueeeee!!

My "new" review system. I continue to perfect and explore. It's fun.

Here's the side salad review.

Food

French dip
- 3 #score
- Good but only passable. #comment
- Sandwich alone
  - 2 #score
- Size
  - 3 #score
- Bread
  - 3 #score
  - Soft
  - Not notable
- With jus
  - 4 #score
- Jus
  - 4 #score
  - Oiliness
  - Darkness
  - Flavor
    - Nice
    - Oniony
  - Temp
- Meat
  - 2 #score
  - Meh #comment
  - Prime rib
    - Not fresh
    - Overdone
    - Pan fried
- Caramelized Onions
  - 3 #score
- Cheese
  - 3 #score
Side salad
- 3 #score
- Freshness
  - 3 #score
- Purple stuff
  - Cabbage
  - Onion
    - Too much
- Dressing
  - Not notable. #comment
  - 3 #score
- Diced tomatoes

The Farmhouse Inn French Dip Review, Mount Vernon, WA

2021-11-01T20:27:00.004-07:00

So I made green beans earlier this day. Roasted. Were great.

The result. Yum!

This is the "pie display" at The Farmhouse Inn. Seems like the Farmhouse has been there my whole life. It's a classic. I wasn't expecting much but had to do my "research".

This is a view 7 miles north from The Farmhouse.

The money shot. Looks good. Great beef flavor and the texture of the bread was wonderful. Like "bao".

Side of creamy horseradish.

Dark jus! Yum!!!!

Nice looking sandiwch. Skewers. Cut partially on bias.

Looks good. You see the richness of the jus.

Meat may look a bit dry but not bad.

One orange, one blue skewer.

Side salad was quite good.

Really enjoyed it. Fresh and cold. Good chunky bleu cheese dressing, crunchy croutons.

My seat at the bar.

The Prime Rib Dip. Nice!

Menu.

Food

Salad
- Quickly served #comment
- Dryness
- Dressing
  - Bleu Cheese Dressing
    - Bleu chunks
    - Texture
      - Creaminess
  - Small plastic cup
- Greens
  - Temperature
  - Fancy lettuce
  - Basic lettuce
  - A little red cabbage
  - A tiny amount of shredded carrot
- Cucumber
- Red onion
  - Quantity
  - Flavor
  - Crunchiness
  - Slicing
- Croutons
  - Crunchiness
  - Saltiness
- Plate
  - Clear Glass
Prime Rib Dip
- 4 Pickle chips
  - Delicious #comment
- Horseradish sauce
- Sandwich
  - Skewers
    - Orange and blue
  - Size
    - Good enough
- Bread
  - Doughiness
    - Like bao #comment
- Meat
  - Quantity
  - Texture
  - Fat content
- Jus
  - Saltiness
  - Richness

The Corner Pub French Dip Review, Bow, WA

2021-11-01T20:19:00.003-07:00

Well organized. Lots of outdoor seating and roomy inside as well. Doesn't have pool tables like Longhorn Saloon but that's okay.

Clean place.

Good beer selection. I like their staff as well. Love the vibe here.

And this is the salad when you "unfold" it.

Money shot looking great with cheese and onion goodness.

Good bread. Salad seemed fancy. Beef was great.

Doesn't that look good? :)

Again, real pretty salad.

Jus looks good. Maybe a little low on volume but good.

Brisket looks great. Bread looks great.

Looks lovely. What a pretty salad. Brisket! Nice to have fancy greens and grape tomatoes.

Was going to a movie this night. I liked Free Guy.

The Corner Pub. Out in the middle of nowhere. Great treat. Love it here.

So nice. Low tide. Lots of birds and herons.

Another "inverse" review. This is my new view. Really nice!

I kind of goofed and didn't have great notes when I had this FD the first time. So I went back:

Love this place. Such a good local spot. Friendly service. Clean. Great food. Well lit. Looks good from the outside. Good ambience and good music from the 80s for the most part. Fun location out in the middle of nowhere in Skagit Valley.

Place was super empty tonight. I actually thought it was closed but I was there about 45 minutes before close. I was literally the only one in the place on a Thursday night. The bartender was friendly and we got to chatting eventually. We were the same age and got to chat about New Jersey, Jewish people, kids, parenting, relationships and a few other topics.

I had a long and weird day at work and waited too long to eat dinner. I had an Old Mother Hubbard type of experience with my refrigerator this evening and realized I better go out and grab something decent to eat. I was going to go to the Longhorn but on my way there it dawned on me that the Corner Pub is way better. And more fun, too. So I made a right turn and found myself at the right spot. I was a bit spooked when I rolled up because it looked so empty but was delighted to see it actually open.

Address

14565 Allen West Rd, Bow, WA 98232

Food

French dip

2 dill pickle slices

This was really great. It's a delicious sandwich. The chef serves it with mayonnaise on board which I actually did enjoy. The man is did not overpower or ruin it. A bread was buttered and delicious and absorbent. The shoe was rich and delicious. The brisket is delicious and nice textured.

Bread

Absorbent. Buttered.

Meat

Their brisket is really good. They make a lot of it and they put plenty on the sandwich. It's delicious and beefy and has that risk and texture one might enjoy.

Non meat toppings

The brisket bread and as you are definitely be the star of the show. Mayonnaise and caramelized onions are added here but to me they did not stand out or mean much to me.

Jus

Rich. Hot. Dark. Enough.

Side salad

3 cucumber slices

They have a delicious side salad. They're greens are impeccable. So much volume to their greens. They're blue cheese dressing is nice but perhaps not notable. But the greens themselves with other vegetables like cucumber slices and carrots are delicious and full of pillowy volume.

Beverages

1 mason jar style glass

I just drink ice water tonight.

Longhorn Saloon French Dip Review, Edison, WA

2021-11-01T20:13:00.004-07:00

Longhorn Saloon. It's right down the road now. Nice place. Feels cozy and lively. Food is good. Has pool tables, etc.

So they have sandwiches...nice, now we're talking.

And a French dip even!

And beer!

Looks good. Cut on bias. No skewers. Jus looks dark.

Medium rareness. Nice.

Melted cheesy.

Medium rare beef looking good.

I'm liking the bias cutting and size is large.

Side salad topped with parmesan.

Dark jus.

Looks a bit bedraggled but good.

Really bedraggled.

Lots of dressing on the side.

Was a decent salad in the end.

French dip - 4

Swiss makes it taste gamey - sad! Don't get Swiss ever again?
Good, hot jus, plentiful - nice. 5.
Good size
Lots of meat
- Medium rare parts

Side Salad - 3

Parmesan
- Shredded
- Plentiful
Good
Temperature
- Reasonably cold
Tomatoes
- Diced
Greens
- Small pieces
Served in small cereal bowl
Croutons
- Plentiful
Size
- Big enough
Dressing
- Good and plentiful
- Not noteworthy

Conway Tavern French Dip Review, Conway, WA

2021-11-01T20:07:00.006-07:00

It'll eat.

Jus doesn't make money shot look all that great.

Jus too clear-looking.

Toasted and melted.

Looks toasted, though.

Still sad looking. Swiss.

Looks fairly sad. Maybe cut it on bias at least. No skewers. Jus looks a bit weak.

Iceberg. 2.

Like really quite a place.

Quite a place.

Not nice in here.

Another "reverse review". Lots of FD choices.

Divot's French Dip, Indian Creek Golf Course, Hood River, OR

2021-11-01T20:03:00.006-07:00

So was out of town with my college buddies for the weekend. Middle of the summer. Nice place, we had fun. Golfed or hiked every day and had a fun, relaxing weekend. Got to show off my new guitar skills for the first time to some of these guys.

The night before at a brewery.

We're out golfing and needed a bite. I needed the Sudden Death French dip, it seems. I was pressured to do it.

Their menu. Restaurant at our golf course.

Looks good. I got onion rings.

Good bread, nice pickle spear.

Looks like puffy bread. Yellow skewer.

Lots of toppings happening. Medium beef.

The money shot. Mushrooms made it nice.

Yummy dregs.

Bread 5

Meat 4

Jus 5

Non-Meat Toppings 5

Overall 5

Was real good.

Toby's, Coupeville, WA

2021-11-01T19:58:00.001-07:00

Doesn't look too big but it does look good.

The money shot looks pretty good!

Looks pretty good. Medium rare beef is always nice to see.

Looks like rich jus. Sandwich cut on bias. Pickle slices on top, which is unique. Bamboo skewers. Mom got mussels.

Or I guess I was feeling frisky and got fries. Rare move for me but I did it. Fries are always good, aren't they?

Well, they have a French Dip, what am I going to do? Order the French dip...and a side salad. :)

Decor.

Our window view. It's an old dive bar, generally and feels a bit "sticky" inside, I'd say.

Inside of Toby's

Nice little pic from Deception Pass Bridge.

This is the outside. We had to wait here for 30 minutes or more. It was packed just because things seemed so limited on this busy summer day.

Had never been here before. Old place.

This is like "Memento" of a blog post. I come to Toby's in Coopeville with my mom in the middle of the summer. It still felt like Covidtimes. It was REALLY hot this day. Mom and I were just looking for something fun to do and went for a drive to Oak Harbor and then farther south. We tried going to Captian Whidbey but it was closed. This was the only place in Coupeville that seemed doable and we were hungry.

Bread 3

Meat 4

Jus 4

Overall 4

La Conner Prime Rib & Seafood French Dip Review

2021-08-16T20:00:00.001-07:00

It was a slow Sunday and my mom and I went to "town" to spend time. Brian an his kids were on their way back to the big city so we were able to meet up in La Conner for lunch.

Kate, Brian and Dan enjoying coloring and beverages on the deck.

I was sitting by my mom who insisted I get the French dip. The pressure is intense on me. The description doesn't really "sell" it to me but I was hopeful it would be good. I was NOT, I repeat WAS NOT, allowed to select the "doneness" of my prime rib. This lose immediate points. My mom claimed to really like/love this sandwich but she could have just been hungry. For me, it was good, not great.

Served with good fries. Nice pickle spear. Bamboo skewers which might be the most respectable skewer choice.

There's the sandwich. Looks buttered and also a bit dry.

Looks beefy and meat-filled. Nice work. Smallish bun size but I'll take it.

Perhaps arid meat.

Jus semi fancy and with herb infusion.

My mom has developed an obsession with what this shop across the street could be. Janice has lots of big ideas for it but I think more than anything is missing her mother who was a retail store and gift shop person.

Setting the Stage

Mom and I were driving to La Conner when I got a call from Brian. Brian thought we could meet up for lunch which ended out working quite well. We met on the deck of La Conner Seafood & Prime Rib. The service was okay. Their deck is nice. It was a lovely, sunny, summer day and we got to watch many boats pass as we dined and chatted. Dan had a near tip-over on his chair but Brian saved the day with cat-dad-like reflexes. Kate was fun and chatty and colored.

Review

French Dip

Bread. 3. Kinda plain and meh.
Meat. 4. Decent prime rib but cannot select the doneness which makes me realize it's meh.
Non-Meat Toppings. 3. Wasn't much going on here. Probably buttered, toasted bread, which was nice.
Overall. 3.5. It wasn't bad but also not great.

Service. 3. Was okay. Our gal was friendly. I remember looking out at the 10 tables at one point and realizing that zero had food which was both spooky and unnerving.
Deck. 5. Nice location. Scenery and people watching.

Conclusions

Thanks to Brian for getting us together. He had a "Bacon Jam" burger that he said was meh. Mom claims that their cioppino is both good and variable there. She prefers it without the salmon, I believe.

Irish Dip at Union in Anacortes

2021-08-16T19:45:00.001-07:00

Sitting at one of the tables in the middle of Union in downtown Anacortes. I hadn't seen Josh for years so it was fun. Great to catch up with that guy.

Yeah, it's a bit of a dog and pony show but I pretty much have to get the French dip if it's on the menu and I haven't had it before. I was obliged!!!!!! Had never heard of an Irish Dip, I don't believe, so creativity points for that. Cheese and mayo on a French dip is just a waste of time and energy. These toppings are for "chefs" who don't realize that butter, toasting, great bread and jus are the truly essential components of doing it right. They must have missed the memo. Lo, I ordered it.

So here it is. Nice looking salad, I had three beers so my food was hardly my focus at this point. They slighted me on the jus as well, so that was incredibly sad. The sandwich looks a little flat and greasy. Radishes on the salad always help it seem a bit fresher.

Meek jus.

A second serving of meek jus. I took poor notes on this sandwich so you'll have to bare with me on my recollection. Overall good not great. 3 or 4, definitely not 5.

Here's the sandwich. Looks pretty sad, I suppose. And a bit greasy, and a bit "flat", as I earlier expressed.

Setting the Stage

So I'm living back in the Anacortes area after "just" 20 years away. My good buddy Schaffer agreed to meet up with me for drinks. I was excited. I'd been to Union a time or two before but never for food. Josh and I had a couple of beers and ordered food; it was dinner time. I had to go with the dip because it's expected of me in some scenarios.

Review

French Dip

Sandwich. 3. Was decent, salty and tasty as a standalone unit. A bit greasy and "flat" like a car may have run over it.
Jus. 2. They gave you hardly any jus, which is always disappointing knowing that demand is much greater than supply. Just bad economics. I was given a second half-full cup of jus. I got by but this is worth the complaint.
Meat. 4. Fun to have corned beef and of course that's tasty and salty, let's not lie.
Non-Meat Toppings. 3. Don't need the rest of the stuff but that was part of their concept: aioli and cheese. Rich. Probably too rich and didn't make the jus mean any more to me than it could have.
Overall. 4. Giving this a somewhat high score because of the creativity and uniqueness. Shame for the mayo and cheese combo; that's just overkill....but again, that was part of their concept....

Salad - Didn't eat it but could have been fine.

Radishes. 5. Nice touch.

Conclusions

Was a nice visit to Union and fun to reunite with Josh. We ran into my friend Shawna while down there and ended up running into her and partying together with her and Jimmy at the Brown Lantern later. Dean Rowell, Mike Hartley and their ladies showed up later that night. A large bag of Cheetos and some Bud Light was involved later that evening. Whew. Back in A Town!

French Dips with Broiled and Buttered Ciabatta Bread at Mom's

2021-07-13T12:52:00.008-07:00

Setting the Stage

I was over at my parents for dinner. Mom said she'd be making French Dips. She had to run to a meeting so I was left putting them together. She'd done a great job and had the roast beef, nice ciabatta rolls, butter and au jus ready to go. All I had to do was butter rolls, heat the jus and meat. Dad was my customer.

The Result

French Dip

Bread 5. Was quite good: chewy and crunchy and buttery.

Meat 4. Was nice pretty thick deli-sliced roast beef that I heated in the jus on the stove.

Jus 4. Was good. Johnny's liquid variety. Ended up being quite good and was piping hot!

Overall 4.5. These were really good. Simple and classic. No miss no mess. The buttered, broiled ciabatta made it nice. Dad and I each had two. And we were treated to some nice side salads as well and fresh, cold, crunchy watermelon.

Sides

Broccoli Slaw with Bacon 5. Love his salad. Water chestnuts, bacon and red onion make it stand out.

Coleslaw 4. Good coleslaw. May have been burnt out on mayo-based salads at this point but was nicely made, had cold, crunch, fresh green cabbage and carrot and was light on the mayo.

Watermelon 5. Really good "do" on the watermelon. Hadn't enjoyed pieces of watermelon in awhile.

Thanks for having me over, Mom!

Burger Claim French Dip Review, Bellfair, WA

2021-06-11T20:41:00.021-07:00

Dregs.

Lots of onions.

Jus too light.

Burger looks good. Beefy.

Salad looks nice. I didn't eat it.

Doesn't look great.

Weak looking jus.

Nice bias cut.

I get a bloody mary with bacon vodka. Tasted horrible.

They serve chips. They were good.

I get the Ground Beef Dip.

Damn thing is adding photos in reverse order.

Bloody Mary

Olives
- 2
- Bad taste. Not good.
Flavor
- 1
- Probably the worst Bloody Mary of my life.
Bacon Vodka
- 1
- Ick. Too sweet and just awful.
Spiciness
- 2
- Not very spicy.

French Dip

3
Passable but not great.
Components
- Bread
  - 3
  - Passable. Buttered. Toasted.
- Burger
  - 3
  - A bit dry and meh.
- Toppings
  - Grilled onions
  - Swiss Cheese
- Jus
  - 3
  - Fine but not notable.

Side Salad

3
Didn't eat it. Wasn't hungry for it.
Croutons
Dressing

Buckley's Seattle - Prime Rib Dip

2020-10-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

Side salad with blue cheese was sloppy and I didn't eat it. Would get a 2 of 5.

Horseradish cream on side. Didn't really use it. Was fine.

Medium to well-done prime rib. Nothing too special here. Thinly sliced.

Jus was good but not not enough. Almost served cold. I didn't complain to the waiter; just lived with it.

Here's the meal. Bread was ok. Should have been cut into two. Bread was buttered. Bread fell apart in jus so wasn't that good. Bread 3. Meat 3. Jus 3 really a 2 given how cold it was. Salad a 2. Sandwich overall 3. Overall 3.

They could have done a much better job with the execution and finish here.

French Dip Review: Bastion Brewing Company, Anacortes, WA

2019-12-25T09:17:00.002-08:00

Their menu and FD. I got the one with brisket. I was a bit spooked by the term "BBQ au jus" which I would later come to fine was indeed just BBQ sauce, which was a major disappointment and slight. No one messes with baby... I mean E's jus.

This looked like quite a sandwich. I didn't order this one. This is not the French dip.

So I sat at the bar. I was there because my brother likes this place and I was getting him a little something something for Christmas.

This was the Hazy Pale, which was quite good; 4 of 5. I liked it. The bartender was friendly and did a good job. There were quite a few patrons in the place. It seemed like a popular local haunt. Many restaurants have been in this place over the years, by the golf course. I hope they will last a long time.

Brewery making stuff. These seats would fill up more throughout my stay.

I had to walk over to another room to order my food, which surprised me a bit. The food service was really slow.

Their menu and story.

You can see by this time I've ordered a second beer and my food got served. The barkeep selected a Winter Ale that he thought might pair well with my French dip. At first glance I realized that the sandwich was quite small. I wasn't impressed. The bread was "too white" for my tastes as well. Getting a large cup of BBQ sauce for dipping is also not so much a delight. There were orange skewers in use, which I enjoyed but otherwise I was skeptical of what I was about to receive.

There is it. Not a ton of meat. And the bread, like I said, was too white. And it's just not too large of a half-sand.

A close-up of the BBQ sauce "jus". zzzzzzzzzzzzz

The baked beans I got as a side dish. Their flavor was "sweet", which I didn't enjoy. The quality seemed reasonably high but I didn't so much love the flavor. Not bad, just not what I wanted.

A view of the 'burnt ends' on the sandwich. The sandwich alone was meh. Not too tasty. Lower bread slice too hard.

Another view of the sandwich while being eaten. Some fat in the brisket, which was fine. Just not overly tasty.

The "Money Shot" but it's just with BBQ sauce. :(

Another view of the sandwich. Maybe the bread was too dense?

So I didn't love that sandwich. The place was fine and the beers were good. I headed to my family home on the big island of G...

Where one might literally believe that the ferry is called NO SMOKING. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. Thanks Bastion Brewing for my first visit. I won't be getting the French Dip again any time soon. It's not a proper FD. Please change the jus and bread.

Raw Notes.

Beer

.Hazy Pale. 4. Quite good.

. Jolly Pig Winter Ale. 4. Also quite good. Spiced.

Food

. Baked beans.

.. Flavor. 2. Too sweet.

. French dip. 2. Expense, hard, small, lackluster beef, not real jus.

..Size. 2. Small.

..Bread. 3. Too hard and crunchy, homemade but plain.

.. Sandwich alone. 3. Fine. Small, too crunchy. Dry.

...Skewers. 4. Orange skewers.

..Jus. 2. Not jus.

.. Meat. 3. Not notable.

... Flavor. 2. Fine

..Non-Meat Toppings. There were none.

. Baked beans.

Location. 3. Whatever.

Service

.Speed. 2. Very slow.

. Ordering. 2. Odd. Had to go order separately then they delivered to the bar.

Summary: The "crouton bread" and the au jus because it was not au jus did not save the too-crunchy bread. For me it was just an overwhelming BBQ sauce forward taste and nothing like a French dip sandwich, really. And the beef did not play a prominent role.

Coming Soon: Better display of review summaries.

Burger Dip Review - Web Locker, Bellingham, WA

2019-12-01T17:34:00.002-08:00

Was in Bellingham the day after Thanksgiving with my brother and his boys. This is Ari playing at a new playground near the waterfront.

The Web Locker is down by LFS. I'd never been. There was a young woman working the cash register and a young fellow running the grill. They seemed happy and fine. You can't order the burgers a la carte: they necessarily come with fries which is a bummer. Everyone liked their burgers; I got a burger dip because that's how I roll. Always be on brand.

Tasting Notes

Sandwich alone is a 4. Pretty good. Cheese is tasty and creamy, melted. Perhaps not Velveeta but seemed like government-grade cheez. Size of sanwich was large. Looked a little greasy/buttery, which wasn't a bad thing. Cut on bias, which was nice.
Toppings 4. Onions raw good. Added some crunchiness/crispiness. 4.
Jus 2. Was not hot and not flavorful either. Big bummer. Basically added nothing to an already lubricated sandwich.
Meat 4. Lots of burger.
Overall 3. Good size and creamy processed cheese make this burger dip work. They need to fix their jus, though!

Matt Eats the French Dip at Claim Jumper in Lynnwood, WA (Alderwood)

2019-11-24T16:38:00.003-08:00

Matt says, "3/5. A bit sloppy."

Other possible observations from Eric:

A) buttered toasted bread
B) some pepper flakes in jus could be tasty
C) some peppery beef, could be chewy
D) lots of cheese, if it's the good kind it could be beneficial
E) poor distribution of toppings and protein.

French Dip Review: Canyon Village Market - General Store, South Rim Grand Canyon

2019-11-17T12:49:00.005-08:00

Lovely place.

Very sad side salad.

Looks like a lot of roast beef. And it is quite a bit indeed. But was dry and not too appealing.

Setting the Stage

I was taking a trip to the Grand Canyon. It was grand indeed. I was hungry and it was lunch time and I found a market while there. I decided to indulge in the French dip. I was disappointed in the sandwich and its accompanying salad but it's pretty much always fun to find, order and review (and eat) a French dip.

Detailed Tasting Notes

Listed mozzarella but girl said they don't add it
Provolone only
One cook. Made service slow.
Watched him spray on butter. That could be a good thing.
Looks like it's going to be a lot of bread

Summary

Bread - looks dry. Plain. French. 2. A bit too soggy.
Meat - 2. Dry. Not much. Inconsistent amount between halves.
Non-Meat - 2. Added nothing.
Jus - pretty good and hot, 3. Not enough. Some visible fat.
Overall - 2. Dry bread, meat.

Salad. Very sad. Wilted. Ugly diced tomatoes. Italian.

Conclusions

Go to the Grand Canyon to be amazed and impressed. Order this French dip if you have nothing else you can order.

Tamarisk Restaurant, Green River, UT

2019-10-08T12:10:00.002-07:00

Full, New and Improved Review Coming Soon to frenchdips.pinion.com!

J Michael's Burger Dip, Redmond, WA

2019-09-19T15:37:00.000-07:00

I really liked this burger dip. J Michael's is a funny little place in Redmond. They had the Seahawks on there one day and they have pull tabs, which sounded like a fun activity, so we went for it. I had to show off my reviewing skills so here we are.

Bread 4. Pretty god.
Meat 4. Burger good and plentiful and had a little char flavor to it that could have been an accident but added character and richness.
Non-Meat Toppings 4. Onions were good and cheese was fine.
Jus 4. Salty and good with a nice flavor.
Overall 5. I have to give this a 5 because I really did like everything about it and wouldn't really change much. Nice job, J Michael's.

The Loft, Poulsbo, WA French Dip Review

2019-09-02T15:44:00.000-07:00

Quite a bit of meat. Looked quite good.

Attractive salad.

Quite a big bowl of jus.

Cute little salad with nice cukes, pretty radish slice, carrots, tomato, croutons.

Cute old service dog.

Sarah's tacos were quite good, too!

Raw notes.

Notes

Ambiance

Waterfront
Labor Day

Food

FD
- Overall
  - Looks v good
  - Comes with a steal knife for cutting
  - Nice size
  - 4 overall, jus and too absorbent bread the missing link
  - Sandwich good, dry
  - Price
    - $15
- Bread
  - Mentions soft baguette so could be too soft
  - Nicely toasted
  - Looks crispy
- Meat
  - Shaved prime rib. How is this possible?
  - Juicy actually
  - Looks crispy
  - Good qty
- Jus
  - They refer to it as 'real', so better be good
  - Big bowl
  - Delicious
  - Hot
  - A little weak
  - Mushroomy? Truffle?
  - Garlicky
- Toppings
  - Onions, peppers and provolone could be too much and too rich
  - Look good

Side Salad
- 5 of 5
- Bleu Cheese
  - Very liquid
  - Pungent, good
- Parmesan plentiful
  - Made the salad
  - Nicely shredded, a little thicker
- Greens
  - Fresh
  - A little kale
  - Good contrast on leaf
  - Dry
  - Good
  - Fancy
- Plenty, sharp
- Croutons
  - Nice
  - Cheesy
  - Chewy and crunchy
- Carrot nicely shaved
- Tomato good, crunchy

Steak Tacos
- Great flavor
- Fresh
- Spicy

Summary

Bread 3. Too absorbent. Nicely toasted, buttered, okay size.
Meat 4. Pretty good meat. No real complaints. Was juicy, too. Plentiful.
Non-Meat Toppings 4. They added something. (Cheese, onions, peppers). Peppers made it look good and seem fancy.
Jus 4. Good smelling. Was initally hot, came in a large container. Additional richness and it could have made the whole sandwich a 5.
Overall 4. Was quite well done and fun to eat but I think the somewhat weak jus made it less then perfect. The sandwich alone was good but dry and I hoped the jus would save the day; it helped but didn't rescue it fully, in the end.

French Dip Review: The Golf Club at Echo Falls, Snohomish, WA

2019-09-02T15:24:00.004-07:00

Setting the Stage

Was out golfing with my buddy Ryan. After our round we stopped at the club house for a bit to eat and a beer. They had a French dip so I was obliged.

Raw Notes

3, 4 tops
Beef ok 3
Side 🥗 fine
Size okay
Jus just salty, no real beef flavor

Summary

Bread 2. Non-standard FD bread.

Meat 3.

Non-Meat Toppings 3. White cheese ok. Horseradish cream on side ok.

Jus 2. Overly salty with not the correct rich and beefy flavor.

Overall 3. What a person might expect at a golf course.

Cafe Flora (Vegetarian) French Dip, Seattle, WA

2019-06-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

Setting the Stage

I was on my way home from Seattle and chose to finally go to Cafe Flora to eat their Portabello French Dip. I had been here many times and really liked it but somehow had not had the French dip. I would not be disappointed.

Raw Tasting Notes

Jus great, special, very salty
Sandwich looks good, nice bread
Salad wilted, looks flat
Fresh cuke and radishes on 🥗 a nice touch.
Salad flavor and freshness great
++ For 🌻 seeds and julienned carrots
Jus smells awesome
Sandwich alone a five. Awesome flavor, crunchy but soft 🍞, seeds on bread fantastic. Anise?
Onion great
Didn't want to dip it was so good but felt blessed to know I could when it was in need.
Bread like a six with the seeds

Scores

Bread 6
Protein 5
Toppings 5
Jus 6
Overall perfect 5 soooooooo good

Conclusions

Man this thing was a delight. The bread, jus, mushrooms, onions, side salad, everything. Soooo good!

Cafeteria 15L, Sacramento, CA

2019-06-23T16:40:00.003-07:00

Cafeteria 15L

Setting the Stage: Background

I was on a work trip. My first trip to Sacramento that I can remember. To visit Tableau's client, Sutter Health. I was meeting up with some friends the night before our meeting and we met at Cafeteria 15L. I'd never been there. We met in the courtyard outside and it was really nice. It looked like mostly bar and comfort food (tater tots, for example). After a couple of adult beverages, I was encouraged by my colleagues to get their Prime Rib Dip. I wasn't really in the mood but I went forward with it. These particular colleagues also knew about my side salad review habit so I went through with that as well. We (I) probably annoyed the cute and helpful waitress.

Ambiance

Very nice outdoors
Very good service
A rat outside
Comfy outdoor furniture

Prime rib dip

Raw tasting notes
- Sandwich alone dry
- Jus luke
- Not enough jus
- Bread floppy like wonder Bread
- Some heb flavor in jus
- Small, pathetic yet cute ramikin
- Bread is mealy
- Bread too absorbent
- Lots of meat but it was dry
- Meat flavor fine
Summary

Bread 1 of 5 too absorbent
Meat 2 of 5 too dry but it was plentiful. No option for doneness
Non-Meat Toppings there were none. This is okay and does not cost the review. I suppose in retrospect that there could have been cheese or caramelized onions on this thing to hold it all together. It became messy and hard to manage/control
Jus 2 of 5 it seemed like it had good flavor but it was luke (warm, not Skywalker) and came in a tiny little ramekin. I ordered a second helping which shouldn't knock it on points but it seemed annoying to provide so little.
Overall 2 of 5 lots of meet and the flavor was pretty good but the meet was dry, insufficient jus, somewhat mealy and easily-damaged bread

Side salad

Greens only for salad
Bleu cheese crumbles on side
Nice spring mix
Two dressings offered
Viniagrette their house, nice herbs
Bleu cheese crumbles were in globs because of the heat
3 of 5 good quality, dressing too salty, fresh