Jade Garden - New Bedford, MA

When we head out for Chinese food we expect to get the typical Chinese menu choices.  That is exactly what you get at Jade Garden in New Bedford (1309 Phillips Road).  My husband had been in the mood for Chinese food and though we have a few choices in the area, we have been to Jade Garden before and find it to be one of the better options.

Bahama Mama

After a long week of work I was looking for a good drink and the drinks from a Chinese menu never seem to fail me.  Normally I would order a Mai Tai but tonight I opted for a Bahama Mama ($4.95).  My husband ordered his typical Long Island Iced Tea ($5.15) but noted that he has had better drinks before.  Perhaps he should have stuck with one of the typical Chinese drink specials!



General Tso's Chicken

We both decided that we would choose a combination plate and my husband was able to make his decision quickly. He ordered a #23 – General Tso’s Chicken with Crab Rangoons ($7.95).  (All of the combination plates also come with Fried Rice.)  What I was really in the mood for was Pork LoMein and Sweet & Sour Shrimp but unfortunately they didn’t have a combination plate with those two choices.  I explained to the waitress what I wanted and she figured out a creative way to accommodate my request.  At her suggestion, I ordered the LoMein combination plate, which came with Chicken Fingers.  I substituted the Chicken Fingers for Fried Shrimp and she was going to bring me a side of Sweet & Sour Sauce.  I love when a waitress is able (and willing) to accommodate a special request to make a customer happy! 

My "custom" Combo Plate

After just a couple sips of my Bahama Mama, our food arrived.  The food was just as expected, with three heaping servings of each item piled on a divided plate.  I asked for some hot mustard (for my Fried Rice) and saw that there was already duck sauce on the table (for my husband’s Crab Rangoons).  Nothing classy here – just plastic ketchup and mustard bottles for the mustard and duck sauce. 

Looking around, there really wasn’t anything classy about the restaurant at all. Jade Garden had typical Chinese décor with lots of booths and tables to accommodate the guests. There is a small bar at the front of the restaurant with seating for eight and a small counter to accommodate the take-out customers.  For a Friday night, the restaurant was not extremely busy but I did notice that there were a lot of take-out orders being served.

Overall, this was a typical Chinese restaurant experience.  We had some strong drinks and some decent food, with enough to wrap up and take home for a meal the next day.  We received our bill ($33.22) along with two fortune cookies and were on our way in only 47 minutes.

My fortune: “Doors will be opening for you in many areas of your life”.

Buster's Sport Bar & Grille - Dartmouth, MA

Although I don’t typically consider going to a sports bar for our Friday night out, we enjoyed our dinner at Buster’s.  Buster’s is located 227 State Road in Dartmouth and seems to be the place to go if you want to catch some sports or even if you just want to enjoy a good meal.

When we arrived I noticed that there were two separate entrances – one for the dining room and one for the lounge (bar).  Although the entrances basically lead to the same place, I found this a great solution for knowing where the patrons wanted to sit.  We walked in through the dining room door and were greeted by a hostess who was able to seat us right away.  While walking to our booth, I noticed that there was also a sunroom and thought this would be a great place to eat during the warmer months.  The décor was typical “sports bar” décor with lots of televisions, booths, brick walls, and bar seating.  The bar was a bit separated from the rest of the dining area so it made the dining room atmosphere pleasant and not too loud.

Swedish Fish Martini



Buster’s had a very long list of beers on tap and a specialty drink menu filled with lots of delicious choices.  My husband ordered a Long Island Iced Tea ($8.00) and I decided to be a bit more daring and ordered a Swedish Fish Martini ($7.50) from the specialty menu.  This was a great choice – in fact I ordered a second one before the night was over.



French Dip Sandwich

I reviewed the menu and noted that there were also some specials available including a Lobster Roll, a Fried Clam Plate (made with fresh, whole belly clams), and Surf & Turf made with Sirloin Steak and Shrimp prepared in Mozambique Sauce served on a sizzling platter.  I also noticed that they had a French Dip Sandwich available on Friday’s and Saturday’s for $8.49.  The menu describes this as slow roasted prime rib dusted with seasoning, sliced thin topped with caramelized onions, melted Swiss cheese, served on a crusty French bread with Cajun fries. Although it’s not something I would typically order, it sounded great.   I ordered the sandwich with Regular French Fries (instead of Cajun Fries) and added a side salad for $2.99.

 


Monterey Chicken

My husband ordered the Monterey Chicken ($8.49).  His chicken was a boneless breast of chicken topped with BBQ sauce, diced tomato, cheese and Applewood smoked bacon, served with mashed potatoes and seasonal veggies. He substituted his mashed potatoes for Sweet Potato Fries and was told that a Squash Medley was the seasonal veggies.



Both of our meals arrived within a reasonable amount of time and both were great.  Even though I didn’t set out to go to a sports bar, I’m glad we decided to give it a try.  We will be visiting Buster’s again.  Total bill including tax was $51.31 which was very reasonable for two meals and three drinks!

You can find the complete menu for Buster’s on Menu Joy or you can like them on Facebook to find out about their specials.