TJ's Deli and Grille

Yesterday I went on a Foodie field trip to Mooresville. I was in search of a new restaurant, and wanted to see some new scenery. So, after driving around in circles for a bit, I settled on a place that wasn't a chain, and looked fairly new. TJ's Diner.

Well, that's what the door said. The Take Out Menus have TJ's Deli and Grille listed, and incidentally, that is also what Google Maps says, so I suppose I'll go with TJ's Deli and Grille. Which makes more sense, considering this place is definitely NOT a diner.

After walking through the doors, I found myself inside a large and cavernous room. There were LOTS and LOTS of empty tables. Off to my left was a cash register, and since I didn't see any wait staff (I still thought it was a diner at this time), I headed there. Behind the register, the menu was posted against the wall.

I didn't notice anything spectacular on the menu. It contained the standard hamburgers, chicken fingers, gyros, etc. But something caught my eye -- the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. I LOVE THOSE! So, I ordered it, with a side of Curly Fries. YUM!

While my friend and I were waiting for out food, I filled my styrofoam cup with soda, and we took our seat. This restaurant is definitely new, and apparently took over the space from another restaurant. The decor and feel of the room were inconsistent with the fast-foodish menu. I got the impression that the type of restaurant had changed, but the decor didn't. The current restaurant was definitely a notch lower on the food chain.

The food arrived, and we were both underwhelmed. On my styrofoam plate was my sandwich and a paltry amount of curly fries (yes, you read that right, I had a styrofoam cup AND a styrofoam plate). My sandwich was below average. The buffalo chicken meat wheel that was on the cold bun was adequate, but hardly noteworthy. While comparing my order with my friend's, we noticed that his onion ring order had a deep-fried treat. A crispy human hair! YUK!

Thank God I was already done with my meal -- because my appetite would have been completely ruined.

After that little treat, I headed to the bathroom to use the facilities. It was a mess. There were at least a dozen paper towels on the floor, and the toilet looked like it hadn't been scrubbed for weeks. Ugh.

To be honest, I couldn't wait to leave. And fortunately, the restaurant did nothing to keep me there.

Score:
Atmosphere: 2/5
Food: 1/5 (This would've been a two if my friend didn't have a hair in his food, and a zero if the hair was on my plate.)
Service: 3/5
Total: 6/15
Price: $ (less than $10 per person)

Conclusion: I can get better food with bigger portions at a Jack in the Box. I will never go here again.

Restaurant Info:
TJ's Deli and Grille
120-A Marketplace Ave.
Mooresville, NC 28117
704-799-2801