Lights Coffee Shop Bakery

This is just as the waitress presented it. I haven't touched it
yet. You probably can't guess what this is from the photo.

Lights Coffee Shop, very AMERICAN-COFFEE SHOP-DINER, 211 West Second Street - see map for directions, 

Diner type restaurant with a bakery. Ok, we have to talk about this. One egg over easy and a side of corned beef hash should not look this UGLY. Presentation was pretty bad today. Tasted fine, but come on now. $. Last visit 10/16/2016, 3 guests - breakfast. 

** Food 1 out of 10 see photo for presentation **

Service 5 out of 10

Cleanliness 8 out of 10

Ambience 7 out of 10

Value 5 out of 10

Total score 26 out of 50 points

Evergreen Express

Chicken with Garlic Sauce - a big YES!

Evergreen Express, CHINESE, 505 North Main Street - see map on right for directions. Hit or miss, but, OH when its a hit! This time was great. $. Last visit 5/12/2016 - 2 guests - dinner.  Take-out please - not the best ambience for sitting. 

Food 8 out of 10

Service 7 out of 10 

Cleanliness 5 out of 10

Ambience 1 out of 10

Value 9 out of 10

Total score 30 out of 50 points

Wonderfully fresh Moo Goo Gai Pan.

Tuna II, Tuna 2, Tuna Two

The chef is an ARTIST!

Tuna II, Tuna 2, Tuna Two, JAPANESE, 1900 Grand Central Avenue - see map on right for directions. 4-star perfection in Elmira Heights, New York. EXCELLENT and probably the healthiest choices in Chemung County. Beautiful presentation, attentive service, delicious food, reasonable prices. Don't be scared from the outside - it is not at all what you think - we promise. Be brave and walk right in. $ - $$$. Last visit 5/20/2016, 2 guests - dinner - takeout. SUPERB. "Order your sushi and when it comes to the table, put it in your mouth and close your eyes. ORGASMIC. This food could not be more perfect." Phoenix Roll, Shogun, Spicy Girl, Spicy Tuna Rolls, Summer Rolls, and Tuna sushi!!! Take out, too. Thank the chef on the way out. In the many, many, many times we have reviewed this restaurant the food has been consistently good. 

4 STARS. Easily, the best restaurant in Elmira.

**Food 10 out of 10**

**Service 10 out of 10**

**Cleanliness 10 out of 10**

**Ambience 10 out of 10**

**Value 10 out of 10**

Total score 50 out of 50 points 

our HIGHEST score EVER!

1900 Grand Central Avenue in Elmira Heights
Don't be shy - go on in.

M & M Red Hots

Four with everything

M&M Red Hots, 212 Baldwin Street, Elmira - see map on right for directions. Hot dogs. Old Elmira kind of place. The delicious meat sauce recipe dates from 1919. Last visit 5/20/2016 - 2 guests - lunch. Smothered in meat sauce and PERFECT. $

Food 8 out of 10

Service 8 out of 10

Cleanliness 7 out of 10

** Ambience 9 out of 10 **

Value 8 out of 10

Total score 40 out of 50 points

Garcia's Mexican Restaurant

La Bandera - my favorite :-)

Garcia's Mexican Restaurant, MEXICAN, 2446 Corning Road - see map on right for directions. Last visit 5/22/2016 with 2 guests - dinner. $-$$ This is the only Garcia's of the small chain that is located on a bowling alley. In fact, if you weren't a local your wouldn't even know it was there. Food has been absolutely perfect the last 12 times we visited. The hot and mild salsas were especially flavorful & spicy. In the many times we have reviewed this restaurant the food has been consistently good.

**Food 10 out of 10**

Service 8 out of 10

Cleanliness 8 out of 10

Ambience 8 out of 10

Value 9 out of 10

Total score 43 out of 50 points

Tanino Ristorante

Everything I could ever want in an Fettucine Alfredo with shrimp!

Tanino Ristorante, ITALIAN, just off Hanover Square in Horseheads. Upscale Italian, trendy, lots of choices, good service. Last visit - 5/20/2016 - 2 guests - dinner. $$.

*Food 10 out of 10*

Service 8 out of 10

Cleanliness 9 out of 10

Ambience 9 out of 10

Value 8 out of 10

Total score 44 out of 50 points

"Tour of Italy" alfredo, chicken parmesan, and a manicotti.

Picnic Pizza at Arnot Mall

The "Lunch Special"

Picnic Pizza - Arnot Mall. The franchize only serves pizza at this location, Arnot Mall, I-86 in Big Flats - see map on right for directions. New York style pizza, perfect. Last visit 5/7/2016 - 2 guests - lunch. $. Yummy. Unlike other restaurants that we review, Picnic Pizza shares table space in the food court at the Arnot Mall. Picnic Pizza is our favorite choice. Considering it's a food court, the place is kept relatively clean by a roving band of elders who do a pretty good job. The floor show, fellow shoppers, moviegoers, anxious bathroom-seekers, and a steady stream of teenagers totally focused on only one thing - and that's not food or clothing. Bad taste abounds, but the PIZZA is great. We usually get 2 "lunch specials" and it's just right. In the many times we have reviewed this restaurant the food has been consistently good.

Food 7 out of 10 

Service 6 out of 10 

Cleanliness 7 out of 10 

Ambience 6 out of 10 

Value 8 out of 10 

Total score 34 out of 50 points

Classic Café

Patty Melt with homemade chips.

Classic Café, very AMERICAN, 805 Pennsylvania Avenue - see map on right for directions, 1950s theme - good hamburgers, onion rings, comfort food. $ -$$. Last visit 4/19/2016 - 2 guests - lunch. Diner-style but with a nice twist of "great burger attitude" and the staff really hustles. Good burgers. A professional diner -- and their HOMEMADE  potato chips are a treat. In the many times we have reviewed this restaurant the food has been consistently good. 

** Food 10 out of 10 **

Service 9 out of 10

Cleanliness 7 out of 10

Ambience 7 out of 10

Value 7 out of 10

Total score 40 out of 50 points

Central Hots

Four with everything. Fries with gravy.

Central Hots, HOT DOGS, 220 Roe Avenue - see map on right for directions. If you want hot dogs with hot dog ambience - this is it. Last visit 4/7/2015, 2 guests - lunch - take out. Very good Elmira-style Texas hots. Tasty and succulent. Food service fries held back the score. $.

Food 7 out of 10

Service 8 out of 10

Cleanliness 8 out of 10

Ambience 7 out of 10

Value 4 out of 10

Total score 33 out of 50 points

https://www.facebook.com/Central-Hots

Pudgie's Pizza - Southside

It's a "Super Sub." 

Pudgie's Pizza - Southside, ITALIAN and subs (submarine sandwiches), Southside location 350 South Main Street. Deep dish (Chicago) style pizza. Also try their "Italian Sausage Special," and their meatball sub, calzones and strombolis. We shared a large "Super Sub." Fresh and delicious. Nice fresh roll - still hot from the oven. An Elmira institution. $. Last visit 4/1/2015 - 2 guests lunch - takeout.

Food 9 out of 10

Service 8 out of 10

Cleanliness 7 out of 10

Ambience 5 out of 10

Value 7 out of 10

Total score 35 out of 50

Mmmm, stromboli.

Horigan's

Philly Cheese

Horigan's, 365 Davis Street - see map on right for directions. AMERICAN-IRISH, great food - which is great for Elmira, all kinds of daily specials. Our last visit was 4/10/2015 with 2 guests - lunch. OMG get the "Horigan's Benedict" poached eggs over corned beef hash over croissants with Hollandaise sauce. Possibly the best item on any menu with the city limits. Spectacular. The onion soup and cole slaw were excellent.  $ - $$. In the many times we have reviewed this restaurant the food has been consistently good. 

** Food 10 out of 10 **

Service 7 out of 10

Cleanliness 8 out of 10

Ambience 8 out of 10

Value 8 out of 10

Total score 41 out of 50 points

D-'s Pierogy Place

6 potato/sauerkraut pierogies and a Kielbasa

D-'s Pierogy Place, Polish, 810 East Church Street, Elmira - in the car wash building. "Like being in Poland." Last visit - 2/11/2016 - 2 guests - lunch. $.

Food 6.5 out of 10

Service 6 out of 10

Cleanliness 9 out of 10

Ambience 6 out of 10

Value 7 out of 10

Total score 34.5 out of 50 points

Tag's

Philly Steak Wrap.

Tag's, On Rt. 352 Big Flats - AMERICAN, once in a while you find a place that you will never go back to, ever - this was one of them. Our last and only visit was 12/22/2015 with 2 guests - lunch. Mother swore by this place. She loved coming here with her crones. So we decided to try it. It was clean enough, not too busy. After waiting too long for our meal, it arrived wrong and was not what we ordered. Waitress made fundamental errors. A disappointment. 

** Food 3 out of 10 **

** Service 2 out of 10 **

Cleanliness 6 out of 10

Ambience 4 out of 10

Value 4 out of 10

Total score 24 out of 50 points

Hill Top Inn

Hill Top Inn, 171 Jerusalem Hill - see map on right for directions, AMERICAN-IRISH. The view is SPECTACULAR, unfortunately the food is not.  Their Angus burger was lackluster. Bun was dry. Fries were Sysco. Have a glass of wine and enjoy the view. Last visit 11/30/2015 with 2 guests - dinner.  $$-$$$

Food 3 out of 10

Service 6 out of 10

** Ambience 10 out of 10 **

Cleanliness 8 out of 10

Value 3 out of 10

Total 30 out of 50 points

Curly's Chicken House

The Curly's Special needed help with its presentation.

Curly's Chicken House, very AMERICAN, 2100 Lake Road - see map on right for directions. Chicken, chicken, and more chicken. Broiled chicken, chicken sandwiches, etc. Curly's is an old Elmira kind of place. Stuck in the 1950s. Our last visit was 7/16/2015 with 3 guests - dinner. A true Elmira experience. Elmirans at their most "Elmiran." Sort of a diner. We picked a bad day to go, huge party in the back. Waitresses were flustered - 1 1/2 hour wait - lost order. For you out-of-towners if you order barbecued chicken, do not expect standard the tomato/barbecue-style recipe - this is "Curly's style" barbecue rotisserie chicken. Get fries with gravy. Welcome to Elmira. This is us. $ 

A Curly's Barbecue Sandwich - they forgot the chips.

Food 6 out of 10

Service 5 out of 10 

Cleanliness 8 out of 10 

Ambience 6 out of 10

Value 7 out of 10

Total score 32 out of 50 points

Los Panchos

Quesadilla, beans and rice.

Los Panchos, MEXICAN, 250 West Water Street - see map on right for directions. Last visit was 9/17/2015 with 5 guests - dinner. Delicious! $ - $$.

Food 8 out of 10

Service 7 out of 10

Cleanliness 8 out of 10

Ambience 7 out of 10

Value 8 out of 10

Total score 38 out of 50 points

Charlie's Cafe

Charlie's Café's Fish & Chips

Charlie's Cafe, diverse menu, in the WOHO district- west of Hoffman Street, 205 Hoffman - see map on right for directions. Visited on 9/17/2015, 3 guests - dinner. The best cooked shrimp I have eaten this far inland. Excellent. $ - $$

** Food 10 out of 10 **

Service 8 out of 10

Cleanliness 9 out of 10

Ambience 9 out of 10

Value 8 out of 10

Total score 44 out of 50 points