Effie’s Grill

With the abundance of chain restaurants around here, I was excited to try Effie’s.
My husband and I split the pulled pork burrito supreme with the green sauce and with Mexican rice and Cozumel corn for sides and the grilled Portobello sandwich with shoestring fries.
The burrito was so smothered in cheese sauce that it was hardly visible. Once I was able to dig it out from underneath, the pulled pork had a decent flavor, but as a whole, it was just unbearably salty. The rice was the only somewhat enjoyable part of this dish, and the corn was not good (I don’t know what was in it, but yuck). The mushroom sandwich was, well, a mushroom sandwich. It wasn’t good, it wasn’t bad, it was just… forgettable. The fries were prepared well but obviously pre-​frozen.
The only saving grace was the complimentary chips and salsa (only the first serving, additional servings are $ 1 per each) and the sliced jalapeño appetizer. We didn’t pay much attention to the description when we ordered the appetizer, so we thought we were getting something more like jalapeño poppers. These were better: sliced and lightly breaded and served with ranch. I’m not normally a huge fan of jalapenos, but these were tasty and we enjoyed them.
It’s categorized as Mexican/​Tex-​Mex, which is somewhat accurate, definitely nowhere near authentically Mexican. The interior is somewhat reminiscent of Chili’s. There is no beer on tap, only cans and bottles, and our server was clueless as to knowing anything about any of them (specifically the Cigar City beers). Aside from that, the service was pleasant, but there is really nothing about Effie’s that will bring us back.

Love Effie’s! The staff is very sweet, Cassie was our server and she was great. Our wait time was pretty short and the salsa was excellent, (the first order of chips and salsa is free, but it’s a dollar for chips and a dollar for salsa after that.) We had the lunch special, which was the supreme taco with a side of mexican rice, and we were not disappointed. My only complaint is the bad lighting.

I gotta say, I was looking forward to taking my wife out to here on a date night, ended up doing lunch with her and our son. I ordered the garden salad with chicken on top with blue cheese dressing on the side. The blue cheese dressing was Italian dressing with a few small chunks of blue cheese. Yuck. Wifey ordered a taco with beans and rice on the side. Really you pay extra for the rice??? Any other Tex Mex restaurant they give those to you hand in hand. Son got some kids nachos. Cheese tastes like it was right from the can. But I did give them 2 stars, their appetizer tortilla chips were thin fresh and crispy the way my wife likes them and their salsa was good. But seriously, you are going to charge extra for refills on chips and salsa. Shmaa… Waitress was good and friendly. So I will not knock them on that. But we won’t be eating there again. Really was let down…

good burger, bartender was great and the tortilla chips are awesome

I think this place is a renovated biker bar — turned family restaurant. I went here last night with a friend, sat at the bar. The large friendly bartender was a cool dude. He told us what was good and as we patiently awaited our food, I noticed how much he liked working there. All the employees seemed happy and to dig their jobs. They worked fast and with a smile while the place was packed.
We ordered burgers and they were hand made patties, no grease, nice and clean burger like if you made it yourself on the grill. Thick patties too. Crisp tomato and good fixings.
I watched the drinks being made. Everything was well poured and fresh. I’d definitely come back here and sample the menu a little more. It wasn’t overly loud, lighting was dim but not dark, lively atmosphere, family friendly.
The bar is well located, so you’re not next to families and you feel like you’re at a cool bar. Good feel.
I’ll be back.

A friend told me to try out this place. So I decided to go there for dinner tonight. It was not at all what I expected. I had no idea that it was a mostly Mexican inspired dinners with a few American dishes scattered into the menu. I was not particularly in the mood for Mexican and was more in the mood for some traditional American dining. But the burrito I had was not bad. Full of chicken and lots of toppings. My husband said the burger was pretty good. The onion rings were really greasy. Casual atmosphere. Overall not a bad place for this area.

The food was decent. We had fajitas, chimichanga and chile burrito. The chili burrito was just hamburger in a tortilla smothered with chili, i wouldnt get again. The fajitas and chimichanga were good. The atmosphere was fair, even with most tables full you could still have a conversation without yelling, but the service although friendly was so slow it ruined what would have otherwise been a good meal.

The reason I can’t give it 5 stars is because they charge $ 2 for a basket of chips and salsa. Now, it is probably the best chips and salsa around but I have NEVER been to a Mexican restaurant that charged for their chips. The food is phenomenal but I feel like the portions are somewhat on the smaller side. Still pretty filling though.

Excellent service, food was fresh. We both ordered lunch specials and were pleased with the flavor and portion. The décor is something to revel at. The host attire included a vest and bow tie…

Authentic and tasty TEXMEX food made to perfection with quality fresh ingredients. A true revival of the popular Effie’s Cantina of old. The chimichangas are to die for and they must be finished with some delicious flan.