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It seems that little Chinese restaurants with great lunch special prices are all over Jacksonville. Most of them would get a 2-star rating from me. They're okay if you really have a Chinese food...
It seems that little Chinese restaurants with great lunch special prices are all over Jacksonville. Most of them would get a 2-star rating from me. They're okay if you really have a Chinese food craving, but otherwise? No thanks. Green Lake is an exception. Their food is always fresh and excellent, and the portions are plenty. Their lunch specials are $1 or so more expensive than, say, Takee Outee, but it is SO WORTH IT, even in this economy. The service has always been quick, and once when we ate in we were given a free order of crabmeat rangoons just because! That's customer service, if you ask me.
This is my go-to Chinese restaurant in Jax!
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The other day my laptop died, out of nowhere. I had some guesses as to what the cause was, but had no clue how to fix any of them. So, on another computer, I searched for a computer repair place in...
The other day my laptop died, out of nowhere. I had some guesses as to what the cause was, but had no clue how to fix any of them. So, on another computer, I searched for a computer repair place in town. I came upon Chesser's Computers and I realized they are nearby, so I brought my computer to them.
The exterior and interior of the shop are nothing to look at, but don't let that keep you from using their services. From the moment I walked into the store I was treated kindly and professionally. I told Mike what happened and he told me the cost to diagnose the problem and the labor charge per hour (which is a lot less expensive than any of the on-call services and many of the in-shop services). I agreed to that, and left my baby - er, laptop - in his hands.
The next afternoon he called to say it was ready. Turns out it was an easy fix and he happened to have the replacement part on hand. Because it was such an easy fix, he did not charge me either the diagnostic fee or the labor fee. There are a lot of repair people who would have charged those fees anyway and lied about how long it took them to fix it. Mike did not do that. He was honest and professional.
Want to know how impressed I am with Chesser's Computers? Well, I just got my repaired laptop up and running and this is the first thing I have done on it: written this review. I will not hesitate to bring any future problems, if any, to Mike, and I will be referring all my friends!
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As far as I know, there is only one place to get real Brazilian food in Jax, and that's Julio's Restaurant on San Jose Blvd. in Mandarin.
Julio's features a delicious lunch buffet with lots to...
As far as I know, there is only one place to get real Brazilian food in Jax, and that's Julio's Restaurant on San Jose Blvd. in Mandarin.
Julio's features a delicious lunch buffet with lots to offer. I nearly stuffed myself with their black beans and rice, which are the best I've ever had. There's also a salad bar with some unique salads, plenty of side orders, and also pork and beef hand-carved for you. It was all excellent. They also offer unusual juices like that of the Cashew fruit and unlike any other Brazilian restaurant I've been to, they have normal sodas (Coke, Sprite, etc.) from a fountain so you get free refills. Guarana is unfortunately not one of those, but I definitely recommend you try it if you've never had it.
Prices are not too bad, though for someone as cheap as I am, I'll only go with a coupon from Restaurant.com or on special occasions. I'm dying to try the rodizio they have at night, which is basically all you can eat steak and other meats brought to and carved right at your table. I've been to other churrascarias featuring the rodizio and they are fantastic, and at $25 per person at Julio's, that's actually a great price. Now I just need an excuse to go!
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With all the fantastic thrift stores on Beach Blvd, I had high hopes when I pulled into the parking lot of the Humane Society Thrift Shop. I was quite disappointed with what I found. They had an all...
With all the fantastic thrift stores on Beach Blvd, I had high hopes when I pulled into the parking lot of the Humane Society Thrift Shop. I was quite disappointed with what I found. They had an all right amount of merchandise, but it was so very cluttered, it didn't smell very good in there, and the clothing was not marked so you didn't know what each rack held until you got over there. Plus, apart from what item of clothing it was (jacket, blouse, pants, etc.), the clothes did not seem to be in any sort of order. The things I saw were in decent shape, but the prices, if you could locate them, were too high. If it's on your way, you may want to check it out, but I wouldn't go out of my way to visit it. I'll stick to the thrift stores I know are good.
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Until just a few months ago, I had to drive all the way to Orlando to get my fix of Guarana. Then my mom happened upon this store, Brazil Imports. Finally! I only have to drive across town to get my...
Until just a few months ago, I had to drive all the way to Orlando to get my fix of Guarana. Then my mom happened upon this store, Brazil Imports. Finally! I only have to drive across town to get my supply of Guarana and some Dulce de Leche, or my brother's favorite, Guava jelly.
The store has, as I've mentioned, some food for sale. Not a lot, as it's a small store, but it has many of the things people love from Brazil. They also sell some of those famous Brazilian bikinis and Havaianas flip-flops, some Portuguese CDs, and other various Brazilian imports. It's a small selection for now, but the owner has assured me both times I've been in there that more merchandise will be coming. She also said she is undergoing certification to open a small bakery-ish part of the store.
The reason they only got 3 stars, though, is due to the small selection and the higher prices. I realize imported items cost more all the time, but their prices are higher than the Brazil store I frequented in Tampa and the one I found in Orlando. But to have it in MY town, I suppose, makes it worth it!
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What I mean by "something's fishy", is that when you walk into the Hung Thinh Supermarket (on the corner of Normandy Blvd and Lane Ave), something smells... well, fishy. And not in a good way. Not...
What I mean by "something's fishy", is that when you walk into the Hung Thinh Supermarket (on the corner of Normandy Blvd and Lane Ave), something smells... well, fishy. And not in a good way. Not in a terrible way, just not in a good way. Of course, I'm sure this is just because they sell seafood there, so it's only natural. Just always a bit of a shock to me.
However--if you like Asian food, don't let that keep you away! This is one of the best Asian markets I have ever been to, and my sister-in-law who loves wasabi peas, Pocky, and sushi, wholeheartedly agreed when I took her there. They have TONS of merchandise, in several Asian ethnicities, and many varieties of just about everything. Prices are what you'd expect with the cost of importing and all that. It's worth it to me to get authentic Asian food.
Basically, I very highly recommend the Hung Thinh Supermarket if you're looking to make or buy some authentic Asian food!
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This Solomon Ventures store has a nice location and a fair amount of merchandise, but their prices are a bit high for the quality of items they offer. The store is dimly lit, but not too bad to make...
This Solomon Ventures store has a nice location and a fair amount of merchandise, but their prices are a bit high for the quality of items they offer. The store is dimly lit, but not too bad to make it feel dirty. However, the floors were dirty when I was there, and that, added to the dim lighting, made it feel messy. The aisles were mostly clear, however. They offered an okay selection, but nothing compared to Shep's Discount, or even Denny's Discount shopping center on San Juan Ave., which Solomon Ventures recently purchased. Obviously, if you live on the east side of town, a visit to Solomon Ventures might be welcome to see what kind of deals you can find, but it's not worth driving from the Westside again. That's fine, though, because over here we have Denny's Discount and Shep's!
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...and all their inventory has been moved next door to the Discount Warehouse and is neatly arranged! Hooray!
...and all their inventory has been moved next door to the Discount Warehouse and is neatly arranged! Hooray!
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I had driven by Denny's Discount Clothing (recently purchased by Solomon Ventures) several times but never been able to go inside. Finally, I got so curious about what it was like, I stopped in. I...
I had driven by Denny's Discount Clothing (recently purchased by Solomon Ventures) several times but never been able to go inside. Finally, I got so curious about what it was like, I stopped in. I was pleasantly surprised with what I found.
The clothing store is neat and clean, has some really nice stuff (including name brand stuff you could find at JC Penney's or Sears for much more $$$), and definitely decent prices. The staff is friendly and helpful, though you will need to seek them out instead of waiting for them to come to you (something I prefer, rather than being hounded by salespeople). They have nice dressing rooms as well, and more than just clothing. There is also a few jewelry counters, some shoes, and some miscellaneous home decorations. The best buy I found there was a satin bathrobe for only $1.50! Needless to say, I got one for me and one for my mother.
Basically, if this store is remotely near you, give it a try. Like all discount stores, I'm sure their inventory changes frequently, so even if you don't see something the first time you go there, you may the next. And with prices like theirs and a clean store to shop in (something not always found in discount stores), why not head over there?
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This is another of Jacksonville's great bargain shops! The Thrift Center in the Cedar Hills Shopping Center is a large store with a lot of inventory, friendly employees, and great prices. Their...
This is another of Jacksonville's great bargain shops! The Thrift Center in the Cedar Hills Shopping Center is a large store with a lot of inventory, friendly employees, and great prices. Their definite high point is their clothing. Their furniture and electronics are limited and often dirty or in disrepair. The clothes, however, are plentiful and usually in great shape. Prices are average for thrift stores, but they always have one color tag 50% off and another 70% off so you can get some GREAT deals. My #1 thrift store find ever was found there: a pair of $140 jeans for just $8! They fit me great, but I intend to sell them on Ebay for more than I paid and make some money off them. I haven't since found anything quite so wonderful, but I've bought several pairs of capris and a few tops from them and been tempted to buy much more. They have plenty of changing rooms and they're all well-lit, though I think they were designed for petite people. I can't see my head at all in the mirrors because they're hung so low! But that is not enough to keep me away. This store is great!
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