TRIPLE XXX FAMILY RESTAURANT

Address: 2 North Salisbury Street, West Lafayette, IN 47906

I’d be remiss if I did not do a post on one of West Lafayette’s most well-known dining establishments for almost 80 years.

From my understanding, Triple XXX started out as a root beer brewing company, using a recipe involving pure cane sugar (which is still the same root beer sold at the restaurant today). The individual X’s in their name are from a rating scale of root beer quality back in the old days, with a triple X rating meaning that you possess the best quality root beer. Having heard about this place from the Guy Fieri’s Food Network program Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, my family went here during our first visit to campus.

One of the things that makes this restaurant great, especially on a college campus, is that it is open for 24 hours. Those four words alone are enough to make a college student smile. It is a pretty small restaurant, with a bar-style seating area that loops around inside. There’s pretty much a single aisle to get to the other side of the restaurant, so things can get pretty cramped if you’re trying to get through. I have found, however, that the staff has always been very friendly to everyone that dines here. This place will certainly get packed anytime there’s a sports game going on at Purdue or on various nights during the week. I’ve walked by on Thursday nights and this place is jam-packed like a can of sardines!

I’ve gotten my chance to have both their burgers and their breakfast here, and I think that I’m more of a fan of their breakfast. Don’t get me wrong, their 100% ground sirloin burgers are quite delicious by their own accord; I’m not sure if there’s just something about eating out for breakfast that intrigues me a bit more. But having tried the Boilermaker Pete, the Bert Burger, the Duane Purvis (one of their signatures that includes peanut butter spread on the bun), and the Bernie Flowers, I can say that each of those burgers are really fantastic. My go-to on the breakfast side of things is the Drew Brees Breakfast Platter, with eggs, chicken fried steak, potatoes, buttermilk biscuits, and gravy.

It’s a Purdue tradition to visit Triple XXX at some point during your college career or even if you are visiting the campus from out of town. The restaurant has also been named among USA Today’s list of 51 Great Burger Joints Across the USA. With a great menu that is available at all hours of the day, along with some great root beer (and root beer floats) to go along with it, you really can’t go wrong.

Here are my rankings for Triple XXX:

Food: 4.5 / 5
Serving some great options for all meals throughout the day, Triple XXX has food that will fulfill a variety of appetites.

Atmosphere: 4 / 5
It’s certainly much more of a retro feel when you walk in and sit at the counter to eat food, rather than at a table like many other restaurants nowadays.

Service: 5 / 5
The waitstaff have always been very nice and the food comes out of the kitchen very quickly.

Price: 4.5 / 5
I think that the prices for the food are very reasonable and money well spent. Quick note: Triple XXX is cash-only.

Overall: 18 / 20 (90%)

SCOTTY’S BREWHOUSE

Address: 352 East State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47906

When I first visited Purdue as a prospective student almost four years ago, I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn right down on Wabash Landing. I remembered seeing the Scotty’s name from walking by the place doing some exploring that night. I passed the place off as just another bar; little did I know, however, of the appetizing food that also awaited inside. In the numerous times that I have been to Scotty’s in the past four years, I have never been let down. In fact, this is the restaurant where I got my primary blog picture (up here on the left hand side) taken, with me tackling the Big Ass Brewhouse Burger, one monster creation with 24 oz. of meat and a ton of extra toppings.

I’ve had the opportunity to try a number of different items on their menu, ranging from their starters to their burgers and sandwiches to their salads. All of those foods have their individual flavor profile and consistently keeps me satisfied and coming back for more. I’m pretty sure that I’ve almost tried half of the burgers that they offer, and each one of them is fantastic.

As for the Brewhouse Burger, that was the second burger that was over 1 lb. that I have ever eaten. I’m pretty sure it had around a 10 inch diameter, just to give you an idea of that the “Big Ass” descriptor wasn’t tacked on there for nothing. Yet, I found it to be so good that I actually managed to finish that burger before some people around me finished their regular meals! Not sure if that speaks to how quickly I eat, or if other people around me were eating slowly to watch me take down that monster of a burger….

This restaurant is one of those places that you can take your parents to if they are in town visiting you at Purdue. With regards to the interior, I feel like the theme of the décor is something I like to call “outdoors inward” because the walls had a brick pattern that you could expect to see on the exterior (although have no idea if this is the correct term for it). They also had artificial gas lanterns that provided some minor ambient light as well. There is also a fairly large bar area that you can sit at as well. I’ve seen their drink menu and they do carry an extensive number of different beers, both bottled and on tap. The place also has a number of LCD televisions mounted on the walls, so it’s a great place to catch a sports game while you eat.

Scotty’s is a great place to check out for a meal, no matter what the occasion. In the times that I have been there, both the quality of the food and the service have always been consistently high. Although it feels weird to be writing this review now as a Purdue alumnus, I know that I will be returning here when I get the chance again.

Here are my rankings for Scotty’s Brewhouse:

Food: 5 / 5
A great selection of food to choose from and consistent quality makes this a real winner.

Atmosphere: 4.5 / 5
The high ceiling makes the restaurant seem very open in the booths. However, if you’re sitting in one of the high tables, you’ll definitely feel a little more packed in.

Service: 4.5 / 5
The waitstaff are all very friendly and very attentive to making sure that everyone at the table is taken care of. The food also comes out of the kitchen quickly.

Price: 4 / 5
The overall price for a meal here does tend to end up on the more expensive side than a college student might be used to, but it’s well worth it to me.

Overall: 18 / 20 (90%)

ORANGE LEAF

Address: 308 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47906

Self-serve frozen yogurt seems to be a big trend that is moving its way east across the country. When I came home to New Jersey a few weeks back, I discovered that there has been a number of  frozen yogurt places that had opened up. When I left to come back to school in January, there hadn’t been any.

That being said, back in West Lafayette, the dessert market right around Chauncey Hill has seen quite a bit of activity lately. First, Red Mango moved into Chauncey Square, and then Dairy Queen was soon to follow by moving into the Chauncey Hill suite that had been home to the  Greek restaurant The Parthenon previously. Now, Orange Leaf has set up shop right where the Chauncey Hill branch of the Follett’s Bookstore used to be.

I remember seeing the construction starting for this place, and then what felt like a blink of an eye, all of a sudden Orange Leaf was going to open! The management was smart to take advantage of the summer season to start drumming up some business from the students staying at Purdue for summer classes as well as people in the community. While it was a soft opening during the first week of summer classes, I expect that they will have a full grand opening once school comes back in session during the fall semester.

Right before I left to come back to New Jersey, my friend Tiffany and I took a trip down to give this place a try. Inside, it was a nice and open atmosphere with plenty of light coming in from the tall windows in the front of the store. There was also ample seating available, from lounge chairs to tables to booths. We both proceeded to the back of the store, where an employee greeted us and asked us if we wanted to try any of their 16 different flavors of yogurt. It was a staggering number, with quite an array of flavors to choose from as well. Ranging from strawberry and mango to vanilla and chocolate to birthday cake and brownie batter. There were so many choices! Both Tiffany and I took our time sampling before deciding what to go for. I was very impressed with how nearly each flavor tasted pretty spot on with the real item.

In addition to the regular-sized bowls, Orange Leaf also offers waffle bowls for you, which I thought was pretty neat. I ended up grabbing a waffle bowl and filling it with some strawberry, birthday cake, and cheesecake. All three flavors stood out by themselves, and all three put together were equally as delicious, if not better. One thing to note about the toppings: it was much more candy-based. You had M&M’s, Reese’s Pieces, Snickers bars, Oreos, Gummy worms, and other candies as well, but the fruit selection was limited to strawberries, mangos, or pineapples. I personally almost always fill up with more candy into my yogurt bowl than I should, but I think that it would be nice to see some more healthier pairing options for the yogurt.

Orange Leaf makes a great addition to the dessert scene over at Chauncey Hill, and I’m curious to see how it does when the majority of students come back to campus. The way I see it, frozen yogurt is good, no matter what time of day it is!

Here are my rankings for Orange Leaf:

Food: 4.5 / 5
The variety of flavors is impressive, and how closely the tastes were with the original items impressed me even more. This yogurt style is also a bit thicker and creamier.

Atmosphere: 4.5 / 5
The layout of the storefront really provided a nice “lounge-feel” of an atmosphere. The furniture, wall paint, and decorations all accentuated that nicely.

Service: 4.5 / 5
The employees were very nice and also knowledgeable about the yogurt when I asked for an opinion about which of the 16 choices would have been the best.

Price: 4 / 5
At 45 cents per ounce, this place’s price matches right on with Red Mango’s. An average cup of yogurt could run anywhere from $3 – $5, but I think that treats like this are definitely worth it.

Overall: 17.5 / 20 (88%)

LA SCALA

Address: 312 Main Street, Lafayette, IN 47901

Last night, my three friends (Kayleigh, Kyle, and Tiffany) and I decided to head into downtown Lafayette to hit up La Scala, an Italian restaurant that has a good community reputation of serving up delicious authentic Italian cuisine with fresh, locally grown produce. I would certainly say that the restaurant lived up to its reputation.

The restaurant’s interior gave me a more rustic feeling, with the dimmed lighting and decorations. I was surprised at the size of the dining area, as it was a little smaller than I had imagined. I had placed a reservation just in case on OpenTable, and it’s good since it looked like the dining room was rather full when we arrived. We were seated promptly, and our waiter brought out some freshly baked bread and an olive oil / basil leaf blend for dipping. The menu focuses around pasta dishes, but gives you an abundance of options to choose from. All four of us went for different dishes, and everyone said that each choice was really good.

I opted for the Miguel Angelo, which was sautéed chicken, spicy Italian sausauge, spinach, green peppers, and mushrooms tossed in a white wine and marinara sauce, served over fettuccine. All of the meats were cooked really well and seasoned with a lot of flavor. From my past experience cooking Italian food, however, the sauce is usually the hardest component to nail down well. But the chefs at La Scala did a wonderful job with this white wine / marinara blend, giving an excellent balance between sweet, rich, and a hint of tanginess. It blended everything together for a really great and quality dining experience.

La Scala was an excellent choice for a great dinner, and certainly a choice that I would gladly make again. You can taste the freshness of their ingredients with every bite and the overall experience was fantastic.

Here are my rankings for La Scala:

Food: 5 / 5
With a wide variety of dishes and fresh ingredients, their food is top-notch.

Atmosphere: 4.5 / 5
Like I mentioned in the review, the rustic feel of the restaurant really added to the overall dining experience. The dining space is just a bit smaller and some tables are placed closer to you. However, they aren’t too close that it feels cramped.

Service: 4 / 5
The service was a bit slower than expected. It took a little while between when our waiter said he was getting us our bread / salads and when he returned with them. However, our waiter was very friendly and seemed to be knowledgeable about the food.

Price: 4 / 5
For dinner pricing, I would say that the food is reasonably priced. For a college student coming here, the price could make your wallet frown a bit.

Overall: 17.5 / 20 (88%)

SOUTH STREET SMOKEHOUSE

Address: 3305 South Street, Lafayette, IN 47904

I’m a pretty big fan of barbecue. Sure, you have your stovetop cooking and baking in the oven, but I think that barbecue is just as much of an art form as the other two, using grills and smokers, things like that to really enhance the flavor and help showcase the star of the show: the meats (with my personal favorites being chicken, pork, or beef). That being said, I was excited to hear about South Street Smokehouse when one of my friends here at school recommended it to me to give it a try. Believe me when I say that I’m very glad that I took that trip out.

The food is definitely highlighted here, as evident by the diverse selection on their menu when you first take a look at it. Ranging from pulled pork or chicken to beef brisket to ribs, South Street Smokehouse has something to satiate your barbecue needs. During my most recent visit, I opted in for a Kansas City brisket sandwich – slices of beef brisket layered with two onion rings and a slice of melted provolone cheese served over a toasted bun, served with a side of French fries.  The restaurant also has two different types of barbecue sauce: Smokehouse and Mike’s, with both ranging in three degrees of heat, making for six possible barbecue sauce options. For me, I tended to lean more towards the Smokehouse sauces, since they were more sweet than the tangy Mike’s. I added some barbecue sauce to my sandwich, which definitely pulled everything together really nicely. The brisket was very tender and the onion rings gave the sandwich a nice crunch, while the barbecue sauce added moisture and the sweet finish to each bite of the sandwich. In the past, I’ve also gotten their pulled pork sandwich, which I found had a very good balance between the taste of the meat and the flavors of the barbecue sauce, something that I’ve tried to match when I’ve made pulled pork sandwiches at home.

The interior of the restaurant is not overly decorated, and the dining area itself is rather small. The staff themselves were friendly and would give recommendations to customers if they were having a difficult time choosing a particular item from the menu. I would recommend South Street Smokehouse if you’re looking to get some good barbecue flavors in town. It’s a very reasonable price, and the flavors of the food definitely speak for themself.

Here are my rankings for South Street Smokehouse:

Food: 5 / 5
The barbecue taste is great and the selection of dishes is outstanding, with the restaurant doing a great job on all the ones I’ve tried.

Atmosphere: 4 / 5
It’s not an extremely fancy place, but it does the trick. Windows all around the dining area let in a lot of light, but the table seating arrangements can get a bit cramped sometimes.

Service: 4.5 / 5
Your food is always ready very expeditiously, and the people behind the counter are very efficient.

Price: 5 / 5
I think that for the price point of about $7.50, you do get quite a bit of food. Between my brisket sandwich and my French fries, I walked out of there stuffed.

Overall: 18.5 / 20 (93%)

D.T. KIRBY’S

Address: 605 Main Street, Lafayette, IN 47901

Good burger places are hard to come by. Great burger places, now those are even harder to find. D.T. Kirby’s serves some phenomenal burgers.

D.T. Kirby’s does offer a number of different items, including hot dogs, sandwiches, and salads. But the two items that I have always heard about from this place are the hamburgers and hot dogs, and what crazy things they are piling on top of them to create some truly delicious combinations. I truly admire a place where I open the menu and I am stumped for a good five minutes, thinking about what exactly I want to get because everything sounded so amazing. Here are a few just to give you an idea:

• Grilled Cheese Cheeseburger: Two grilled cheese sandwiches, acting as the bun, around a patty with lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, and special Mayo
• Pretzel Burger: two soft pretzels acting as the bun on a patty covered with cream cheese, hot mustard, and a sliced pickle
• Da Bear (doing this one from memory since it wasn’t on the main menu):  Burger covered with barbecue pork, coleslaw, lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles

And that is just a sampling of the menu. You can see why you might want to try out all the burgers on the menu (your health and physical well-being can certainly take a backseat for this).

When the burgers all first arrived, they looked great, and made your mouth water almost immediately. I took my first bite out of my Grilled Cheese Cheeseburger, and it was fantastic. The burger itself had great flavor to it and was cooked really well. The grilled cheese sandwiches certainly made for a great supplement, and surprisingly so did the cucumbers with their refreshing, crisp taste. I expected a lot of these burgers to be very greasy from their descriptions, but I have to say that I was surprised at how clean a lot of them were. I asked my friends around the table about what they thought about their burgers, and they all said the same thing: delicious. The fact that everyone finished these huge burgers was also a testament to that.

The thing that we did spot on the front of the menu that got everyone curious was two words: food challenge. When we asked the owner (I think Don is his name), he pointed us to one picture of a burger that looked it could easily be level with my face when I sat down at a table. He then proceeded to describe that for the challenge, one would have to eat the 3.5 pound gargantuan of a burger in 20 minutes to complete the challenge. Jaws dropped when he showed us the picture, but they dropped even further when Don went on to lay out what all went into the makings of it. I didn’t catch the name of the challenge, but I’m going to go ahead and call it the Monstrosity Challenge.

2 out of 100 have successfully completed the challenge? Kyle Loux, Bennett Olson, let’s raise that success rate to 4.8%.

Here are my rankings for D.T. Kirby’s:

Food: 5 / 5
With the fantastic choices and great tasting dishes, you will never leave this place hungry and will always want to come back (for the intrepid eaters:  to take down the next item on the menu).

Atmosphere: 4 / 5
For a place that started as a bar with some tables and expanded to include a dining room area, it’s not too bad. A casual ambiance to enjoy some food with friends or family.

Service: 4 / 5
Our waitresses were very attentive about refilling our drinks and checking in on us during the course of the meal.

Price: 5 / 5
I thought that for both the quality and quantity of the food, it was a very reasonable price.

Overall: 18 / 20 (90%)