If you live in Rhode Island you know about
GREGG'S (
www.greggsusa.com).
Persons you like, persons who appear to have reasonable food tastes, will say:
Gregg's has a great lobster roll, or
Did you know Gregg's has pastry chefs from Johnson & Wales? or,
Gregg's is a price performer. Since opening it's first place in Warwick in 1972
Gregg's has expanded its business, adding restaurants in East Providence, Providence and North Kingstown. They look like big
Friendly's or
Newport Creameries, landscaped with parked cars, appealing in that way that says to you, come in, forget your diet, drink a chocolate shake, eat a BLT, nobody has to know.
So, the lobster roll was ordered and a slice of giant weirdly-colored layer cake selected and neither was particularly good. A second lobster roll on a second visit, just to make sure, was not impressive - a not-good bun was filled with over-cooked claw meat and accompanied by not-good fries. Does $16.95 make a lobster roll a price performer if it isn't good? Hardly.
There are so many good lobster rolls nearby; you do not need this. Regarding the cake, if you have ever frequented NYC diners and tried a dessert from the rotating circular glass case of seven-inch cakes and fat lemon meringue pies piled with whipped cream you'll get the picture - all promise, no taste delivery. Roasted chicken was cooked about two hours too long and served on squishy stuffing. Pasta with fried calamari was poor (okay, so maybe not a wise choice in the first place). Bare, naked steamed broccoli was the best item on the table.
I don't think
Gregg's is a price-performer. It doesn't perform. I can live with
Walmart decor and a lousy waitress if the fare satisfies my inner urge for comfort food but
Gregg's doesn't satisfy.
