Trinh T.
Yelp
Kitchen 101 is a fast casual restaurant, a coffee shop, and a bar all in one. It's located in the heart of the Toyota Music Factory in Irving-Las Colinas. It's also a unique gem that serves up creative comfort dishes and is a must visit if you're in the area.
My Overall Rating - 5 Stars (Atmosphere, Service, Food, Return)
Atmosphere - Full Disclosure - if you visit on a weekend when there is a concert, parking is limited. You've been warned. Inside, Kitchen 101 is very thoughtfully designed. An assortment of delicious goodies behind the glass display are on your left as you enter, and a long bar with plenty of beers on tap is on your right. There is plenty of mixed seating all around. 1 Star.
Service - Like most fast casual restaurants, you order at the counter, receive a number, and your dish is brought out to you. Water/Tea are self-serve. The staff has been super nice on both my visits, always smiling. 1 Star.
Food - While Kitchen 101 is a fast casual restaurant, the menu items are very creative and seem like they would be on the menu of a chic sit down restaurant. All the meats are spit fired. On my first visit, I ordered the pimento cheese fritters, brisket, and mac and cheese. The fritters were great. Not too much batter, just enough crunch, and the tangy pimento cheese was warm and creamy. The brisket was good not great, but Kitchen 101 is not a smokehouse, so I'll give them a pass. The mac & cheese was very creamy and cheesy - everything a growing boy needs! On my second visit, I started with the tater tots. Be warned - these "tots" are more like mini hashbrowns. They are filling so be careful not to over do it. I went with a Medi bowl. Surprisingly delicious, it had all the flavors of a great Mediterranean dish, including olives and pita. But the star was my dessert - the banana pudding tacos. A churro shell filled with banana pudding, bananas, and whipped cream? More, please. Each order comes with 3 tacos. I had to share with my party, so next time I'm putting in two orders. 2 Stars.
Will I Return? - Yes. If you're going to a show at the Toyota Music Factory, or if you find yourself in the Irving-Las Colinas area, Kitchen 101 is a must visit. I went twice in a month and am already planning my 3rd visit back. 1 Star.
My Yelp Rating Scale (Sum of all parts):
1 Star - Atmosphere - Is it a cool dive? Perhaps an upscale place? No matter the type, atmosphere plays a big part and I'll give a star if I like it or thinks it has great charm.
1 Star - Service - You can have a great meal with bad service. But that's also what can make a five star joint drop to four. It's important to the dining experience that service is great and on point.
2 Stars - Food - I'll award up to two stars for the food, since this is the main reason we dine out. Sometimes the extra star is given for value, but it's really all about the food.
1 Star - Will I come back? - If I know for a fact I'll return, I'll give this a star. A place has to make an impression for me to return.
Each Category can be given up to 1 star except food (2 stars) because I consider all these categories important to the overall dining experience. I will sum them up to provide my final Yelp score.