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Kennesaw, GA: The Boxcar, A Cheesecake cafe
on
Saturday, February 21, 2009
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American,
dining,
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restaurants,
reviews,
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Today for lunch my wife and I decided to try one of the restaurants near our home in Kennesaw, GA. I read about a cafe called The Boxcar; the menu looked simple with a good selection of sandwiches, wraps and salads.
The restaurant is located in historic downtown Kennesaw and has a very homey and comfortable setting. You can tell it is a place full of regulars as the wait staff pretty much knew everyone by name. Service is prompt and friendly and I was very excited to give the menu a try.
Despite all the great first impressions, we got off on the wrong foot. One of my biggest pet peeves is a restaurant that runs out of items listed on the menu. We wanted to start with the spinach and artichoke dip, but..."we ran out"...ouch, not good. We decided to order the Mushroom Quesadilla for an appetizer instead.
On to ordering the main course. My wife wanted the French Dip...again..."we have no roast beef"...how does a sandwich place run out of roast beef?
Instead, my wife ordered a chicken salad pita with chips and potato salad. I ordered a turkey melt on whole wheat with chips.
First came the Mushroom Quesadilla appetizer. It was cut into 4 pieces and accompanied with salsa and sour cream with a lettuce garnish. The quesadilla was filled with grilled mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese. The outside was crispy, cheese melted well but the mushrooms were just not that warm, at least for my liking. Regardless flavors worked well. The salsa was really ordinary and nothing special.
Next came the sandwiches. The turkey melt I ordered was great! Topped with lettuce, tomato, onions, mayo and cheddar cheese, the deli turkey tasted great and the portion of meat on my sandwich was just right.
My wife's chicken salad pita sandwich was not as good but I liked it. There were some elements of the sandwich that was not typical of chicken salad. A combination of pecans, apples, a little celery, and mayo made up the chicken salad, however it was served warm. I have never had warm chicken salad - not bad, but definitely unexpected. The pita was filled with lettuce and and cheddar cheese as well. Like I said it was a little unconventional but still okay. The meal came accompanied with my personal favorite item which was a mashed potato salad. Something I have never had but is apparently popular in the Tennessee area. It had just a hint of cayenne mixed in for a slight kick which made this a great little side item.
The Boxcar calls itself a cheesecake cafe, and sadly we did not try any! Gotta watch those calories. However, in the hour or so we were there a line of folks were waiting just for the cheesecake to take out, that has to be a good sign! Maybe next time.
Overall I like the place, we got off to a rough start with the missing menu items but the rest of our meal was good with the highlight being the mashed potato salad. The best part...PRICE! Appetizer, 2 soft drinks and 2 entrees totaled $22. Not a bad deal in my mind.
Check it out for a good inexpensive casual deli experience.
Here is a link to their blogspot: The Boxcar Cafe
The restaurant is located in historic downtown Kennesaw and has a very homey and comfortable setting. You can tell it is a place full of regulars as the wait staff pretty much knew everyone by name. Service is prompt and friendly and I was very excited to give the menu a try.
Despite all the great first impressions, we got off on the wrong foot. One of my biggest pet peeves is a restaurant that runs out of items listed on the menu. We wanted to start with the spinach and artichoke dip, but..."we ran out"...ouch, not good. We decided to order the Mushroom Quesadilla for an appetizer instead.
On to ordering the main course. My wife wanted the French Dip...again..."we have no roast beef"...how does a sandwich place run out of roast beef?
Instead, my wife ordered a chicken salad pita with chips and potato salad. I ordered a turkey melt on whole wheat with chips.
First came the Mushroom Quesadilla appetizer. It was cut into 4 pieces and accompanied with salsa and sour cream with a lettuce garnish. The quesadilla was filled with grilled mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese. The outside was crispy, cheese melted well but the mushrooms were just not that warm, at least for my liking. Regardless flavors worked well. The salsa was really ordinary and nothing special.
Next came the sandwiches. The turkey melt I ordered was great! Topped with lettuce, tomato, onions, mayo and cheddar cheese, the deli turkey tasted great and the portion of meat on my sandwich was just right.
My wife's chicken salad pita sandwich was not as good but I liked it. There were some elements of the sandwich that was not typical of chicken salad. A combination of pecans, apples, a little celery, and mayo made up the chicken salad, however it was served warm. I have never had warm chicken salad - not bad, but definitely unexpected. The pita was filled with lettuce and and cheddar cheese as well. Like I said it was a little unconventional but still okay. The meal came accompanied with my personal favorite item which was a mashed potato salad. Something I have never had but is apparently popular in the Tennessee area. It had just a hint of cayenne mixed in for a slight kick which made this a great little side item.
The Boxcar calls itself a cheesecake cafe, and sadly we did not try any! Gotta watch those calories. However, in the hour or so we were there a line of folks were waiting just for the cheesecake to take out, that has to be a good sign! Maybe next time.
Overall I like the place, we got off to a rough start with the missing menu items but the rest of our meal was good with the highlight being the mashed potato salad. The best part...PRICE! Appetizer, 2 soft drinks and 2 entrees totaled $22. Not a bad deal in my mind.
Check it out for a good inexpensive casual deli experience.
Here is a link to their blogspot: The Boxcar Cafe
