The Big Apple

Living in a small county in Kentucky growing up I was unfamiliar with the city of Louisville when I started to work downtown. This made the decision of where to go for lunch quite a dilemma because I did not know my way around the city and had limited time for lunch. Having a friend as a co-worker that was unfamiliar with city left many possibilities. We were both on a budget so we wanted a place that would not cost more than twelve dollars a person, was clean and accommodating to our time constraint. After a little bit of research we decided on Manhattan Grill and so began my evaluation.

Being on a budget, the first thing I looked at was the menu items and cost. Manhattan Grill had several different meal options that were all under twelve dollars. This was excellent for our budget. The menu had several options of soup, salad, deli sandwiches, burgers, pastas, sides and desserts. The entrées are served with chips but could be substituted with a side for an extra cost of ninety-nine cents. Considering the most costly menu item was only $7.99 the cost to substitute a side was still within our budget range. However, drinks were sold separate and ranged in cost from .99 cents to $2.95. This still made it possible to stay within budget depending on what we ordered. For instance, if I ordered the New York Giant with a side of steamed veggies and a red bull my total would be within my budget. However, if I had decided to order a desert also I would have went over my budget. The downside was that the portion size varied based upon what was ordered. Some items provided more food than needed and some not enough. This also was convenient if I was not very hungry.

The second item I used to evaluate this restaurant was the cleanliness of the restaurant. Manhattan Grill is a fairly small restaurant that only seats about fifty people. The kitchen is closed off but you can see into the kitchen from the order counter. Although a large view of the kitchen was not available, I...