For yeeeeeears everyone has been saying that Joy's Roti Shop needed some competition because let's be real, there is none. You may love or hate the food, the people, the entertainment but whether you love or hate it, Joy's will be Joy's and there is no denying that the vibes are almost always on 1,000, the location is perfect and so is the parking. So you have to have LOT'S to compete with that. Then here comes Lallo's!
When the building structure started going up, everyone (myself included) was just wondering but as each person got to find out that it would be a new roti shop, the eyes widened! Who in their right mind would dare open a roti shop right across the street from Joy's?
Opening night passed me like a full bus... I wasn't interested in going for the opening night because of the chaos. Everyone and their mother was there and if you want to know how good (or bad) an establishment is, you don't go on the opening night. Who 'slips' on the first actual day of business?
So last night was the night I decided to go. Some friends asked me to meet them, naturally I went...
Food. My curry order was a shrimp roti (buss up shot/paratha) with pumpkin and channa (chick peas) on the side. Only because I forgot to "hold the channa", * I don't care for it because not everyone cooks it to my liking. The curry shrimp was seasoned well enough. It wasn't like home food but it was good. The channa was a little bland and surprisingly cooked well enough for me. The pumpkin was good but come on, you have to be a real foreigner to a kitchen to mess up pumpkin. The skin however was a little to doughy for my part which made it a little heavy. Overall, out of 10 I'd give them an 8. I bagged up my food and was ready to leave but then more friends arrived so I stayed.
Now we're drinking and I'm hungry again..... Along with drinks, I need food. I'm no professional drinker and get twisted quickly. The menu had things your normal roti shop wouldn't so I decided to give it a try and order outside the roti shop norm plus, I already had that. I ordered crab cakes along with a beer bucket. About 15 minutes later a friend ordered shrimp sliders and fries (naturally we would nibble off one another's plates). About 10/15 minutes later, out comes the shrimp sliders. So now I'm a bit intoxicated AND my food hasn't arrived. Aggressively I ask where my food was and our waitress went to see what was taking so long. In about 5 minutes or less out came my crab cakes. Three crab cakes were served on mini burger buns with lettuce, a slice of tomato and a white tarterish sauce blend. It tasted so GOOD!!!! Happy food dance good. While chomping into my first crab cake 'burger' came another order! WIN! The waitress said that she knew I only ordered one and this one wouldn't be charged. My friend got an additional order of complimentary shrimp sliders as well. Between the shrimp sliders and crab cakes, the crab cakes took win! The shrimp sliders were served the same way as the crab cakes only replaced the crab patty with the shrimp and a different white sauce. Out of 10, I'd give the crab cakes a 9.5 on taste and the shrimp an 8. BUT what sweet in goat mouth, certainly sour in he bam bam!
When the belly start to wuk meh so it was over. I realized that it wasn't the curry. The first group of friends who had the curry are fine. It was the same crab cakes I was fighting everybody down for. The hubby and I who both went in on the crab cakes have suffered dearly for it. I have lost every electrolyte the body had and was even sent home early from work. The poor hubby can not keep anything down. If he doesn't stop throwing up, I may have to admit him to the ER. I didn't get it as bad as him maybe because he drank beer and I don't drink that, maybe because my belly like steal an can handle more than his can, I don't know but yet another friend is going through the same fate as we. All who ate more than one of the crab cakes are suffering dearly.
The vibes. It's a nice place to sit down, have a bite and have a few laughs. If the exciting night of dancing and drinking is what you're looking for, this isn't it. I believe they're looking for a more upscale crowd but I'm sorry I'm a music lover and no matter where I hear soca, I mustn't feel out of place to throw my hands in the air, close my eyes and let go. I mean there is time and place but it just feels off. We sat between the main dining area and the elevator which is outside and sheltered. Secluded enough from everyone yet my comfort level was lower than normal. Certainly not uncomfortable but not completely comfortable. I never felt to sing along with any song played and although I had an amazing time with the wayward friends I have, the vibes were as I said.....off.
Billing. I won't be petty and itemize the bill and I understand that beer buckets have the domestic and imported prices BUT, what about prices listed on the menu opposed to what I was billed for ninjas? Each item ordered had an additional $2/$3 added. By this time I was in a rush to get home to children and didn't have the time to sort it out as some friends did but there was definitely additional money added to each item on my bill and theirs... I never got a chance to ask the group of friends that stayed later than I did what happened and don't really care to. I know what happened to me. Could you imagine being "drunk" and not being able to actually check your bill? Then multiply that by the hundred people or more that would attend on any given Friday or Saturday night... I watched as the waitress took the bill from my friend and the response given for the overcharging was "let me see what happen". Although I was in a rush, I lingered to macco. She returned with a "they need to get their computers working". Wait what? Come again? So we're not going to fix this? The hubby gave me 'the look' and with that, I was out.
No pictures to show you but the place is built and decorated well. Expected more parking but it looks as if it's being worked on. I had to park one parking lot over, on the side by the Trini Bakery and walk. Nothing big, not even 2 minutes. So, I've done Lallo's. I can safely say that I've been there and done that. I can't say that I'll never return but I can say, it won't be in a hurry. Especially if I want a duck roti.
This was MY EXPERIENCE, don't send me no hate mail.
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