Instagram Food Wars: Mall Madness

Yes, it's the triumphant return of Instagram Food Wars!   There's been a veritable explosion of dining options just upstairs from my work at 'The Bunker.'  (Yes, I work in a windowless room somewhere in the basement of the Old Capitol Mall- it's a lot less glamorous than it sounds.)  Needless to say, given the unpredictable nature of my job (things can go bananas at the drop of a hat) we're sort of confined to the mall upstairs for caffeine, sugar, food and dining options and since there's been a few new additions, I thought I'd send the two newbies head to head and see what results.

First up, Sparti's Express:

First of all:  can I just say how awesome it is to get a genuinely good replacement for Sam's Caboose Burgers or whatever it was.  (Seriously:  I'm all for trying something new but I gave that place plenty of chances and it just didn't do it for me.  No offense to peeps that liked it, I just, well, didn't.)

Second of all:  They make a good gyro up at Sparti's Express.  I don't know if it rises to the level of Oasis Falafel but it certainly beats out Zaika (now Wraps N'Rolls), Pita Pit and George's Best Gyros in the Ped Mall.  (I have to give them another go. The Missus and I tried them a couple of weeks back when we were downtown for the Hispanic Festival and they didn't taste as good as I remember. Which means that either the quality has dropped, he was having an off day or they just taste awesome when you're drunk.  I suspect option number three- though I'd like to find out for sure.  I have fond memories of that gyro cart.)

The Verdict:  This is good shit.  Although I'm being a good boy these days and bringing food from home (most of the time) Sparti's will be a nice option to have if I crave it.  Plus, their Greek fries are AMAZEBALLS and THEY HAVE MAC N'CHEESE BITES.


Next up, Pizza Bros:

I was a little bummed out when Sbarro's closed as it had been there for years but at the same time, I wasn't all that surprised either.  When I was in junior high/high school, Sbarro's was awesome.  Thick, juicy, huge slices--  I don't know what happened.   Either I tend to notice grease the older I get or something went off the rails towards the end because it just wasn't as good as it once was.   Enter, Pizza Bros.

This is kind of a novel concept.  You pick a dough size (8 inch, 10 inch), step up to a condiment bar full of ingredients and sauces and all that good stuff.  You load up, pay by the ounce and three minutes later you're on your way.  It's efficient and at 45 cents an oz, it's pretty damn cheap.

The Verdict:  Meeeeeeeh.   It's an interesting concept but I wonder about it's staying power.  Plus, I'm not sure how I feel about all the ingredients just sitting out there in the open.  Some of them looked a bit dubious to me- but, I can assemble and make a good pizza!  Yet, curiously, I could also do the exact same thing, myself, at home.  

The Winner:  Sparti's Express.   THEY HAVE MAC N'CHEESE BITES.  And mac n'cheese bites will get you a win, EVERY SINGLE TIME.