Guys...GUYS...it's been a year. An ENTIRE year has passed since I first sat down and talked myself into doing this. Shout out to Facebook for reminding me of that little milestone. It's hard to even process in my mind, but it sure seems to be a reality. I'd like to thank each and every one of you for the support, whether it's sitting down and taking the time to read my reviews, or just lending some good old-fashion moral support. Nothing about this work or process could exist without you! It can only get better from here, so you're welcome to stick around and see what the next year brings to the table (literally and metaphorically).
As with any journey, coming full circle is an inevitability. So, for the first time since day one, I've returned to my hometown of Hindman in beautiful Knott County, Ky for a review. There was but one place that I felt was worthy of a one year "blog-iversary", and that place is one of my all-time favorite spots; The Holly Hills Mall Restaurant.
I can almost hear the collective "Knott County has a mall?!?!?" types of reactions as I type this sentence, and of course it makes me grin a little. In fact, yes we do have a mall. And, to my knowledge, it's the only mall of its kind.
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| Hold your applause, please. |
That's right. We're the home of the one, and possibly only, "Mini Mall". It's part of the Holly Hills shopping center at the very edge of Hindman. The shopping center itself was built in the early 80s, on land generously donated by the Preece family. The Mini Mall has been there since its inception, and has become a staple of the area.
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| It's also home of a veteran's memorial, which we simply refer to as "the tank". We're proud to have such a display in our town! |
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| The plaque of the fallen. |
Monday (the actual one year anniversary of the blog), I decided to take a little extra time, and head on up to Holly Hills on my lunch break. Thankfully, it's only about 5 miles from where I work. I had to go about this a little bit differently than in the past, though. How do you review a place that you've visited so many times? How do you not be biased? What if you're friends with the owner and don't want to tick her off?? I'll tell you how. By being honest. So, I pulled in to the parking lot a little after 2 pm, and went on in.
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| The mall entrance. Dion's clothing store, Kid's World clothing store, The Jewelry Chest, Holly Hills Footwear, The Eye Care Center, Magic Mirror salon, Merle Norman Cosmetics, a cool wishing fountain that everybody in town has thrown at least 5 dollars worth of change into over the years, and The Mall Restaurant. |
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| Through the entrance of the restaurant. It's basically divided into two sections. |
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| The main dining area. |
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| Main dining area, from a different angle. I love the decor. |
Speaking of decor...
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| Very cool! |
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| BBN year around! |
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| The coffee station. |
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| A lounge/waiting area. |
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| Nice. |
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| :) |
After ogling at all the decorations, I finally sat down for lunch. A nice waitress came up immediately and took my drink order. Any guesses at what I wanted?
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| It makes the world go 'round! |
She also brought something else with her as she took my drink order. You local folks know what I'm talking about, right? The thing we all get...for free...at the mall restaurant?
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| That's right! |
Yep, you get free popcorn with every visit. If that doesn't put a smile on your face, then just stop reading right now.
The next order of business, is trying to figure out what on Earth to order for lunch. I've reviewed enough sandwiches already, and everything here is good, so what do I do? I don't want to review something I already know I'm going to like. That would defeat the purpose entirely. This is the part where I awkwardly and frantically peruse the menu.
This is just a portion of the menu. As you can probably tell, this place focuses on Americana. There's a lot of great appetizers, a variety of salads, burgers, hot dogs, various sandwiches, steak dinners, fish and shrimp dinners, soups, desserts, soup bean dinners, homemade pizzas, etc. There's a great, wide variety here, so if you're interested in any of the above mentioned yums, you wont be disappointed. But the question still stands; what do I get? What do I get that I haven't already reviewed somewhere else, that I haven't already gotten a thousand times here?
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| Wait, hold up... |
Did I just see the words "new" and "Fried Chicken" side by side?? In the same sentence? I can get a Fried Chicken dinner at the Mall Restaurant? When did this happen? Read this paragraph again, using the "Arby's guy" voice in your head. It's funny.
Needless to say, I've found what I was looking for. The proverbial golden ticket. I placed my order, sat and fiddled with my phone for a little while, and 10 short minutes later, out it came.
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| No words. I think this is deserving of another angle. |
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| Yeahhhh there we go. That's where it's at. |
Three big pieces of boneless fried chicken, a generous helping of mashed potatoes, some green beans, one of those awesome rolls that we've all had at some point, and a side of cole slaw.
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| Yep, it's there. I didn't forget. |
I couldn't wait to dig in to this thing. The Pop-tart I'd had for breakfast almost 7 hours earlier wasn't quite doing the trick anymore. So, I took my knife and fork, and decided to rip into one of those pieces of chicken.
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| It's a decision that I don't regret. |
Thick, juicy, seasoned batter, maybe some kind of marinade? It's hard to tell, but the moistness is almost a sure sign. This was wonderful, and the way fried chicken is suppose to taste. Every bite was just as good as the other. You can really sink your teeth into it, and when those flavors hit your taste buds, watch out. It could get dangerous at that point. Now, what about those mashed potatoes?
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| Peppered is the way to go. Always. |
They complimented the chicken very well. They were fluffy and flavorful, with a little bit of density to them. Great mashed potatoes, no complaints. I can say the same for the green beans. I know some are probably asking if they were canned, and the answer is yes, they're the canned variety. Are fresh beans better? Sure. These were still very acceptable though, and were prepared with the same care as the rest of the meal. no problems there. The roll was great as well. Light and warm with a little butter, just the way God intended.
The cole slaw is something that I can't really comment on...because I just don't care much for slaw in general. I know I'm probably committing some kind of hillbilly heresy by making such a statement, but I guess I'll just have to seek atonement for my sins later on. Still, I put it in a to go cup and took it to my girlfriend later that evening. She very much enjoyed it.
I ate until I couldn't. I enjoyed every bite that I took, and I took a lot of them, believe me. The clock was ticking, though, so I had to get back to work in just a few minutes. That means that there's no room for dessert. That's always a sad sentence to have to type, but it was true. This place is know for its after dinner sweeties, namely their cupcakes. Kari's Cupcakes are among the best you'll ever eat, and it broke my heart that I didn't have the room to scarf one down.
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| I guess this picture will just have to do. |
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| I certainly wont argue. |
There's a wide variety of them, and they're made in house, fresh daily. With lots of flavors to choose from, you'll never be without an option, so next time you visit, take one home. Or a dozen. Whichever.
I finished my meal with a ticket of around 11 dollars. Not bad at all really, considering the amount and sheer quality of the food I got, so I left a tip, paid up front, and went on my way out the door.
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| STOP TEMPTING ME!! |
So, let's recap! For a reminder of how I do this, check out the breakdown on my very first blog here!
Food Quality:Every item that I've ever gotten over the years at this establishment has been wonderful. Pertaining to the meal I just had, it was great. The fried chicken was moist, juicy, and flavorful. They were nice big pieces and were fried to a golden brown with seasoned batter. For those of you who have fried chicken before, you know that frying big pieces and retaining the moisture is no easy task. The masked potatoes were light, fluffy, and flavorful. The green beans were good as well, though they were canned. Even that being the case, they were still prepared well, and complimented the other items greatly. The roll was very good, light and buttery. I took the cole slaw home to my girlfriend, who later enjoyed it very much. I wanted so badly to get a dessert, but due to time constraints and an overly full stomach, it just didn't happen.
Overall Food Quality Score: 4.5/5
Ambiance:
They layout is really good, it doesn't feel cramped even in a relatively small space. It even has a divider for parties/business dinners, etc. That's always a plus. The decor is great and really helps to immerse you into the experience. The fireplace, pictures, the UK tree, illuminated grapes, clocks, candles, and all the other decorations are really nice. There are two flat screen tvs on the walls as well, for your viewing pleasure. The temperature and lighting were both fine.
Overall Ambiance Score: 4.5/5
Cleanliness:This place is clean. There's no other way to put it. It's always nearly spotless, from the floors and walls, to the tables and chairs, salt shakers and napkin holders. Everything is always wiped down and nicely organized. The restrooms are actually outside of the restaurant in another part of the mall area, so they aren't maintained by the restaurant staff. Even though, the men's room was still clean and sanitary. No problems with cleanliness at all.
Overall Cleanliness Score: 5/5
Service:
The service was really good today. It always is, but again, I'm just (trying) to focus on today. My drink order was taken almost immediately as my popcorn was brought to the table. I was given enough time to look over the menu, my order was taken, and I got my food in about 10-11 minutes. Chicken needs time to fry, so 10 minutes is wonderful timing. Everyone I was in contact with was smiling and helpful. Great service, no complaints.
Overall Service Score: 5/5
My experience on this day was very positive. My food was great, the establishment itself was clean and well decorated and organized, and the service was wonderful. It's always this way, and this day was no exception. If you're ever in town, stop by our very own Mini Mall and duck into The Mall Restaurant for a nice lunch (they have a 5 dollar lunch menu!) or a late evening dinner that wont disappoint. They have a Facebook page right here, so go on over and check out some of their selections that I just didn't have time to mention today. They also do catering!
Again, I want to thank everyone for your continued support on this journey of mine. Without you, it wouldn't be possible. Here's to the next year!
Thanks for reading!
