Bubba's Sports Bar (Rockley, Barbados)

It was a wonderful Saturday afternoon, St. Patrick's Day to be exact and I was really craving some nachos.  I've only had them once since I've been here and it was at Cafe Sol which I've already reviewed so I apologize for the lack of posts.  Now, I must admit I might have been a tad hungover on this glorious St. Paddy's Day because the night before I had been out at a place that offers unlimited drinks from 10-3.  This is dangerous add that I live directly across the street from this place haha, can't get much better than that. So my friend Ally and I decided to make it Splurge Saturday and we rented lounge chairs on the beach and ordered pina coladas like we were cruise tourists and then figured..go out for nachos? Why not! So we headed to this sports bar in Rockley called Bubba's that we had both never been to before, but I'd done my research and knew that they served nachos, plus how can you go wrong with a place called Bubba's when looking for healthy food ha.  When we got there we ordered the chilli nachos and a Caesar salad, can't go wrong with those two.  The nachos arrived very quickly, considering things in Barbados move at their own pace.  The nachos were topped with cheddar cheese and a chilli salsa, sour cream, jalapeños and guacamole were served on the side, but I dumped them right on top.  The nachos were fantastic! The chilli salsa had a great little kick to it and sort of like a curry taste which I don't usually prefer, but it added a unique flavor atop the crispy chips.  There was a perfect balance between toppings and chips which is usually hard to find.  We devoured the nachos, as expected and I scooped up every last bite.  They definitely aren't number one, but they sure did satisfy my cravings and my hangover! I'm giving them an 8.2/10.  Barbados remains at a 47/10.

"Two for Two" Mews Tavern (Wakefield, RI) 2nd review & Brick Alley Pub (Newport, RI) 2nd review

Yesterday was a momentous day for sure.  I had the pleasure of enjoying nachos twice in one day!   Amazingly enough, myself being such a nacho freak, I have never done that before. First stop was the Mews for a farewell lunch with my Aunt and Uncle and little cousin.  The Mews actually has a new menu and unfortunately one of the items that has been affected is the nachos.  The selection has decreased from about four different kinds of nachos to just one.  But, of course we were still getting them.  My Aunt ordered them right away as we sat down at the table, without even asking. Then I proceeded to order a Shirley Temple as did my seven year old cousin. Oddly enough mine came with no cherries and hers appeared to have four swimming at the bottom of the glass.  I think someone at the bar was trying to hint that I may be too old for them.  I will never be too old.  We get the chili on the side because my Aunt is a vegetarian.  The nachos arrived minutes later and they did appear to be much different from the old ones.  The cheese was not burnt on top of the chips as it has been in the past.  The chips were different, much thicker and so was the chili.  The chips were topped with tomatoes and black beans.  The chili was meaty-er too. Always a plus.  The nachos were served with guacamole, salsa, and sour cream on the side. The biggest disappointment was that the cheese was not evenly distributed throughout the layers.  The first layer of chips and cheese was outstanding! However, as you got beneath that first layer there was barely any cheese at all! I swear I saw 30 naked chips under there and it was colddd yesterday.  So for a return visit I definitely see an improvement, but please someone layer that cheese!  They get an even 8/10.  Next stop was the Brick Alley Pub, a personal favorite, with my two friends Sarah and Ariana. Sarah insisted that we had to get the nachos and I didn't disagree in the least.  She was actually with me on my last visit to Brick Alley when we had the Texas chili ones, this time we opted for the "Ultimate."  They came with freshly made tortilla chips (you can always tell the difference), cheddar-jack cheese, refried beans, salsa, sour cream and guacamole.  These nachos were exactly the opposite from the Mews.  We needed to ask for more chips because of the amount of cheese and beans oozing over every layer.  They were amazinggggg.   The guacamole tasted very fresh and the sour cream didn't not overpower the plate as it had on my last visit.  There was a lot of it, but it mixed in great with the salsa and beans.  The chips were buried beneath a beauty of a melted mixture of cheese and beans were a layer below that and I couldn't get enough.  We literally stuffed ourselves.  "Belly-bombed" as Sarah would say.  These nachos were great! The three of us are all very good eaters and we couldn't even finish them!  Definitely an upgrade from last time!! I'm giving them a 9/1/10.  Unfortunately, the picture doesn't work for the Mews, but here is Brick Alley's.

Thunder Burger (Georgetown, DC)

Decided to make a little sneaky trip down to DC to see some friends for New Years before I depart for Barbados. Just had my wisdom teeth out last Wednesday, have to say really not that bad at all. I think I was pretty lucky. Anyways, I did know that I couldn't have nachos immediately because if I tore my teeth stitches I knew I'd be in big trouble. So I waited two days. I arrived in DC Friday morning and went out to lunch at this amazing burger joint in Georgetown with my friend Dan. He had told me that I was writing too many nacho entries from RI so I knew I needed to make this next one a DC entry. We met at Thunder Burger around noon. It's really great inside. It's got this biker chic look going on- leather couches and chairs, cow skin scattered about, bright red walls, just neat and different. They have an amazing selection of burgers, one of my other favorite food groups, but they also have nachos! Chuck beef chili nachos to be exact. They were topped with salsa, guac, sour cream, of course covered in cheddar- jack cheese and piled high with this rich and chewy chili. They chips were blue corn, which is a personal favorite, and yellow corn. I thought the nachos were great, the portion size was perfect for two good eaters and the soggy chips at the bottom of the pile covered in toppings were just what I needed for my sore gums. I wish the nachos were a bit hotter, but that is probably the only thing I would change. The chuck beef chili was amazing. The beef was tender and succulent and the texture was much better than the standard ground beef based chili. Definitely a great afternoon! I'm giving them an 8.5.

Fat Belly's (Wakefield, RI)

It was a lovely Sunday afternoon that quickly turned into a memorable Sunday Funday.  My parents and I and our friend Lynn decided to meet up at Fat Belly's after my mom's yoga class.  What's a better way to top off a nice relaxing yoga class than to polish off some beers and BBQ chicken nachos at a place called Fat Belly's.  Sounds about right to me.  So we met up at Fat Belly's around 4 and proceeded to stay until about 8.  It was nothing too crazy, but it was a great afternoon- couple of Magners, some nachos and a juicy cheeseburger just to get us all in the mood for the work week-although have to admit my work week isn't too bad..just have to wake up by 2pm to babysit. Anyways, we had a great server, who was very friendly and never left us thirsty- he was trying to make sure we stayed "happy" as Lynn would say.  It's the polite way to say buzzed on a Sunday afternoon with the over 50 crowd.  We ordered the BBQ chicken nachos and they arrived at our table minutes later.  The serving of nachos was a great size for the four of us.  The chips were topped with chicken, cheddar-jack cheese, diced jalepenos, onions, scallions, tomatoes, black olives, BBQ sauce, and a dallop of Daisy.  They looked delicious as they were placed in the middle of our table and I was excited to dig right in.  The nachos were layered very well as each chip had plenty of toppings.  The nachos may have been left a little too long in the oven, however, because the cheese was burnt in some places.  I also didn't love how thick and salty the chips were..thin crisp ones would have been perfect to hold the diced chicken.  The BBQ sauce was evenly distributed across the nachos and I enjoyed it this time because it did not overpower the dish like my last run-in with BBQ sauce did.  However, the BBQ had a strange tang that I wasn't completely in love with, but they were a good starter.  I wouldn't say amazing, but definitely satisfying.  The Irish pub-like atmosphere of Fat Belly's offers you the perfect setting to enjoy some nachos and beer and therefore they are a must when visiting this restaurant.  I'm giving them a 7.5/10.

Grill on Main (East Greenwich, RI)

Since I've been home I've been trying to be really good about saving money for Barbados.  Having a financial planner for a mother makes that task a joy.  So, when I decide to go out to dinner I have to know it's going to be good.  And if my friend who's allergic to wheat sacrifices her digestive tract for some nachos I know they're going to be delicious.  My friend Ariana has been talking about this restaurant and their nachos for a while now.  So, naturally I've been dying to try them.  We decided to go last night, pre-binge drinking escapades, to coat our stomachs.  The Grill on Main is a great locals pub with dark wood paneling, a large bar area and a friendly atmosphere.  All of the food on the menu looked good, some better than others. Guess which some I'm talking about.  Loaded nachos baby.  I was ready to eat, so we ordered them right away.  Our waitress was friendly, but one of those talkative types, you get the whole life story and can't tell if she's sincere or just talking about having a 10 month old at home expecting more pity tips.  Anyways the nachos arrive and they look scrumptious.  They are the perfect size for sharing amongst two or three people, depending on your level of glutton-ness.  The tri-colored chips are served on a long white plate which adds a little sophistication to their presentation.  The chips are covered with chili, cheese, salsa, diced tomatoes, jalapenos, olives, lettuce and sour cream.  Everything tasted really fresh, nothing was too greasy or too heavy and after devouring them I was left with a satisfied feeling rather than a bloated one.  The only change I would make would be to spread out the toppings more evenly as some chips were left bare.  Otherwise the yellow, blue, and red chips were crispy and crunchy just the way I like them and were the perfect base for the "loaded" toppings.  They were great! I would have them for breakfast tomorrow.  I'll have to call and see if they're open.  The nachos get a 8.6/10.  Our night out in Newport following the feast receives a 14/10.  Love me a shwasted Saturday!

Tucker's Bistro (Newport, RI)

On special recommendation of my friend Sarah's dad John, I made a reservation for Thursday night at Tucker's Bistro. "Katie, I didn't know you had a nacho blog! These were some excellent f*ing nachos. You have to try this place- Tucker's Bistro." I was in.  As we know I love trying new restaurants and have been leaning towards more "foodie" places lately.  Tucker's fits the bill perfectly.  It's a cute little French bistro right on Broadway in Newport.  The lightening is red and romantic, the art is eclectic, the service is superb and even the bread bowl was beautiful- nice beading work. Now, Tucker's Bistro has a way with foods and interesting combinations of tastes and ingredients. So, I knew these nachos would be one of a kind.  And they definitely were.  The were listed on the menu as Thai Shrimp Nachos and I thought- this is going to be great, very different, so I prepared my taste buds. They were amazing! The portion was perfect for three people I would say and there were five in our group, but we're excellent sharers and seemed to make it work. They came out in a wide set bowl instead of the usual plate which I thought was a nice touch for their presentation score.  Instead of tortilla chips, the nachos were based with crispy wontons topped with sauteed shrimp, red peppers, scallions and leeks all swimming in a coconut Thai red curry broth.  The taste was fantastic! Honestly, it's a little bit difficult for me to describe in words.  The coconut broth was sweet. but not overwhelmingly so.  The wontons had such great texture, taste and stability that they were the perfect base for the six or so jumbo shrimp.  The sweet bell peppers gave the nachos another unique taste as they were soft on the outside, but the right amount of crunch on the inside. Creating that perfect chip or shall I say wonton required shrimp, red pepper, leeks, scallions and then a spoonful of the curry broth in that order.  The flavors exploded in my mouth and each ingredient perfectly complemented the others.  These sure were some delicious nachos and they are definitely the most creative ones I have seen so far in terms of presentation and experimentation with different flavors. I'm giving them a 9.2/10.

The Ocean Mist (Matunuck, RI)

So this past Friday was actually International Nacho Day, unfortunately it's not listed on the calendar so some of you may have missed it.  I didn't.  But, I did go to the Willows which I've already written about to celebrate so I decided to write about my most anticipated nacho adventure at the Ocean Mist.  The Ocean Mist is by far my favorite bar in RI because it is right on the water- the views are incredible and the waves crashing on the shore is one of my favorite sounds.  Every Tuesday is reggae night and let's just say I frequent there so often to the point that sometimes I leave my tab open only to restart it the next week.  I do it on purpose I swear.  Anyways, I've been dying to try the nachos at the Mist for awhile now. But, every time I've gone in for the infamous brunch on Sundays there's been over an hour wait and when you're hungover that just doesn't cut it.  But, this past Sunday we were celebrating my good friend Sarah's birthday and I decided that I was going to be patient and enjoy a few mimosas while we waited for our food. The Mist is truly a locals spot, the vibe is so laid back that anyone who steps foot inside feels comfortable. The only thing that was not comfortable was seeing the bathrooms in the daylight. Anyways we all got started with some bloody Marys and mimosas as we perused the menu. Chili nachos was a unanimous vote at the table as an appetizer and I was overjoyed. As overjoyed as one can be on Sunday morning after binge drinking. So, we ordered the nachos and our entrees.The nachos arrived only about 40 minutes later which was a great surprise for my stomach as I had been preparing for an hour wait. Although, we ordered the loaded nachos we were surprised to see that all of the toppings came on the side. However, it was a bit coincidental that when the nacho was first created in Piedras Negras, Mexico in 1943 its only toppings were cheese and jalapenos which is exactly what these nachos were topped with.Black beans, salsa, chili and sour cream were served on the side. For atheistic appeal I decided to dump all of the toppings onto the nachos for the picture. The nachos were very good, although I wouldn't say great. The serving of chili was small and the serving size of the nachos themselves was also on the smaller side. I prefer when nachos have all of the toppings piled high on top of them smothered in cheese. I do not love making it an art project and preparing them myself. But,because it's the Mist, I'm raising the grade a wee bit, I'm giving them a 7.3/10. There she is!