Guest Mini-Mission: Toppers Pizza

There are many pizza places in the local area, so finding a place that satisfies your every pizza need can be a bit tricky. I decided to try Topper's Pizza to see what they were all about. I dialed the number for some delivery deliciousness.

First, Topper's has an amusing phone screen program that gives you the specials for the day. Then it puts you on hold, but unlike anything you've heard before. It will give you options to either select comic voices doing silly things, or a chance to hear more "shameless Topper's promotions". Eventually, the phone picks up. I waited no more than 45 seconds, which is an acceptable wait, particularly because of the fun I had while I waited.

Next, the employee that answered immediately tried to sell me something, offering me a suggestion to buy some "Topperstix" (a cheese bread-like side dish). While I am normally bothered by this type of strategy, I was planning on buying some Topperstix anyways, so I went with it. The employee was friendly, but to the point. He answered my questions thoroughly about the boneless chicken wings, without rushing through the options. We even had a nice exchange of words on the weather, and that I didn't expect the driver's to be rushing around. He told me that they'd be there in roughly 40-45 minutes and that he appreciated my concern for the drivers.

Time: Excellent job here. Despite the nasty snow, my food arrived 25 minutes after I ordered it. I couldn't have asked for better delivery time.

Food: This was a bit disappointing. The Honey BBQ Boneless Chicken Wings were a little cold, a little soggy, and didn't pack much flavor. I would not recommend the Wings. The Pepperoni Topperstix were pretty good, which is expected because they are one of the main things that make Topper's what they are. Nothing to brag about in terms of taste, but dipped in a marinara sauce, they tasted like small bites of pizza. I enjoyed the Topperstix and would recommend them for anyone looking for a pizza snack or as a side at a party.

Price: Items were comparable to similar restaurants. Nothing too pricey but nothing incredibly cheap either.

Overall, solid experience. The wings were very disappointing, but the service was excellent and the Topperstix were pretty good too. If you are looking for pretty good (not amazing) pizza taste and good service, look no further. If you are looking for good wings, go someplace else.

Mission 2: Buffalo Wild Wings, Downtown Mankato

Mission Briefing: Dinner with a large group on a busy Saturday night at downtown staple, BWW. Eat, analyze, and report!


Buffalo Wild Wings, referred to as "B-Dubs" by frequent visitors, has the distinction of being the key component of the Downtown Mall revitalization. Even though it's part of a restaurant chain, B-Dubs is locally owned and has been in Mankato since before the brand took off nationally. Starting as Buffalo Wild Wings and Weck (BW3), the current sports bar/restaurant has expanded to include a large patio and private party room. B-Dubs also has an impressive standing in the community, partnering with various other businesses to spread delicious wing-age to the masses.

Properly briefed? Good, let's get to the mission!

Mission Report: Dinnertime!

I decided to start off with the Popcorn Shrimp appetizer - which you can get with cocktail sauce or any of the many BWW dipping sauces.

These shrimp are really what popcorn shrimp should taste like! The breading is crispy and has a great mix of seasonings. Plus, each one is a full shrimp; nothing chopped up or formed into a ball like some other places. As with most shrimp platters, you pay a little extra to experience the sea -- but if you like shrimp, it's worth it. Unfortunately, this app also comes with fries I didn't expect. B-Dubs added these fries to their meals a while ago, apparently pairing them at every opportunity. It's as bad of an idea for their menu as dropping the "Weck" from their name was a good idea for the brand. The fries are just bland - a complete lack of seasoning makes them one-step above a filler, and the consistency has never been... consistent. 

For our main courses, I had the Black'n'Bleu Burger (w/ fries, again!) and my cohort got the Ribs and Boneless Wings combo with onion rings instead of the fries (she's a smart one).

B-Dubs has a lot of great burger options, but none is better than their blue cheese mixed with Cajun spices. The burger itself is a good-sized chunk of beef on a soft bun, 'bottomed' with tomatoes, onions, and lettuce. I'd prefer some leafy romaine lettuce, but their chopped iceberg does just fine. Avoid the fries and replace them with either onion rings or buffalo wedges!

The combo meals on the Buffalo Wing Wings menu are the priciest options available, but may be what you're looking for if you are really hungry! Even though B-Dubs has an impressive array of over a dozen different sauces ranging from the uber-mild to their multi-alarm "Blazin" sauce (my fav is Parmesan Garlic), they've added 4 new dry-rub sauces to their repertoire. My cohort selected Desert Dry Heat as her rub of choice for the boneless wings - a nice bit of spice, but it wasn't overpowering. As with most wings, blue cheese always makes things better - this was no exception. The ribs are juicy and have a light barbecue taste - though yummy, I do wish they had a little more meat on the bones.

You might notice the lack of onion rings with the meal above. They brought it out with buffalo wedges, but quickly put in an order for rings once we pointed out the problem. To be fair, it wasn't really a problem because both are tasty options, but we really wanted to review the onion rings! The buffalo wedges with the meal were delicious - these are well-seasoned and crispy on the outside and the perfect kind of mushy on the inside. If you want to bump the yummy up a notch, ask for them with melted cheese! The onion rings are those classic diner-type rings, made from full-sized sliced onions and battered in golden glory.

Mission Summary: Experience and Scoring

While B-Dubs has room for lot of patrons, this can sometimes be their downfall. Like many sports bars, when it's busy...mistakes are made. Waiting a while to get our orders in and for the food to come out is mildly frustrating, but to be expected in a packed restaurant with a large group. Overall, they were quite accommodating and the front-house manager checked in to make sure we were happy a couple of times. If your goal is to chow down on some good food and watch coverage of the local athletic team taking a pounding, B-Dubs is your place. However, don't expect to be able to hold a conversation of any kind with the people next to you, let alone your buddy four seats down. Buffalo Wild Wings gives you the stability and conformity of a chain restaurant with the feel of a local haunt. Here's how our scores breakdown:

Ambiance -         1 2 3 4 5

(4 if you want a Sports Bar)

Speed of Service - 1 2 3 4 5

Taste -            1 2 3 4 5

Menu Selection -   1 2 3 4 5

Quality -          1 2 3 4 5

and finally, the Covert Diners "patented" Bang-for-your-Buck meter (measuring the price you pay to what you get out of it):

$$$ 1 2 3 4 5 Bang!

Mission Complete

Mission 1: Pub 500, Mankato

Mission Briefing: Grab dinner on a Friday evening at local-favorite, Pub 500. Eat, analyze, and report!

Tonight the Covert Diners went out with a few friends to one of the newest additions to downtown Mankato's so-called "Bar-muda Triangle" (which is actually a weird polygon these days). Pub has a great feel to it; there's plenty of tables and an often reserved back section for gatherings. They have a lot of varied entertainment - from live music to poker tournaments to weekly trivia, and they play host to a number of community events.

But enough background, let's get to the mission!

Mission Report: Apps and Dinner

We started out with the deep-fried mac'n'cheese and the Norwegian Hot Sauce boneless wings.

The mac'n'cheese is a tasty bit of comfort food; not exciting, but never disappointing. My pick for a great appetizer would be the wings! While Pub has 5 different sauce choices, you have to go with Pub's own creation: Norwegian Hot Sauce. It has the kick and flavor you expect in a spicy sauce without the burn. While not the hottest sauce, those who like things a bit mild should get it on the boneless wings as the sauce is baked in and less potent. For the full flavor potential, try the traditional wings dripping in sauce. In my mind, these are the best things on the menu!

Moving into our main courses: Pub's Signature Fish and Chips and the Downtown Smothered Turkey Sandwich.

The turkey sandwich was okay, but nothing life-changing. Your standard pulled-turkey (which is tasty in itself) covered in cheese sauce and topped with bacon and tomatoes. Unfortunately, the cheese sauce is the same sauce used for other cheese items. It's just liquid cheese and doesn't add much to the sandwich. But still, it's a decent choice along with the soup-of-the-day, Bacon Cheeseburger Soup - which tastes just like it sounds.

Fish and Chips is Pub's self-titled signature dish, and it's a good one to put their name behind. The beer-battered fish is crispy on the outside and moist and flaky on the inside. Their tartar sauce tastes homemade and adds a nice taste to the fish. Pub fries can be quite tasty, but they do lack seasoning - so, you'll probably want to grab your favorite dipping sauce (Pub does supply Ketchup and Vinegar, even though I dislike the latter). My meal also came with coleslaw (decent, but you rarely get to it) and a bun (which I've never received with this meal, and had no butter) - thus, the plate will fill you up.

Mission Summary: Experience and Scoring

Our experience was a little lackluster compared to other visits. Service was pretty slow for a mostly empty restaurant, waiting a while for an initial drink and refills and received no silverware until we had to request it. In our experience, this is not standard operating procedure - maybe just an off night. Pub 500 is still one of the first names that'll come up when you're looking for some good food, a great selection of drinks, and a relaxed atmosphere; especially if you want to avoid a chain. Here's how our scores breakdown:

Ambiance -            1 2 3 4 5

Speed of Service -    1 2 3 4 5

Taste -               1 2 3 4 5

Menu Selection -      1 2 3 4 5

Quality -             1 2 3 4 5

and finally, the Covert Diners "patented" Bang-for-your-Buck meter (measuring the price you pay to what you get out of it):

$$$ 1 2 3 4 5 Bang!

Mission Complete

Welcome!

Welcome to Covert Diners!

Very soon we'll post our first review, from there the sky is the limit!

Thanks for checking us out.