After checking out the Coppell Deli, my man and I decided to see if Deliman’s is any improvement on the original.

At Deliman’s they offer an expanded menu including lunch and dinner items like chicken fried steaks, pork chops, chicken, and shrimp. They also had a Mediterranean menu, with the standard offerings of kabobs, gyros, and grilled fish. The dining room is casual, substantially larger than the original, and Dallas Cowboys-love is evident everywhere. There isn’t a direction that you can point your fork at without finding a flat-screen TV looking back at you, so this is great for Cowboy- and sports-viewing parties.

However for our visit, my man and I went for the burgers again. He ordered the double-bacon cheeseburger while I opted for the patty melt. Again, I took a stab at their breaded onion rings and found it lacking–flavorless, like the kind you find in your grocer’s freezer. The fries tasted better, though they weren’t the same kind of wedges we got at the original location. My patty melt came with two cheeses oozing over the sauteed onions. While the burger came medium well, it was juicy and full of beefy flavor. My man reported that his came medium-well too but delicious, perhaps near the top of his list, as burgers go. His only complaint came from the bacon, which while plentiful, wasn’t fresh and too crunchy from sitting under a heat lamp too long.

Total damaged amounted to $22 and change with a soda. We’ll be back to try out their Mediterranean menu.

4013 W Parker Rd
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 943-8885

We missed the lunch buffet at this place, but I was craving some kabobs so the fiance and I hunkered down for an early dinner. For starters we tried their pita bread and baba ghanoush which I found very tasty–loved the lemony-garlic zing it added to the light, nigh-crispy bread that came out. The pita turned out even more delicious as we polished it off and requested a refill. I then ordered the lamb kabobs and sweet cheeks ordered the Mediterranean burger. (We found it intriguing that the outside canopy advertised burgers at this Persian grill…so we figured it was worth a try.) The lamb kabob came out juicy and flavorful, though some pieces turned out medium well versus medium rare. Still it paired up nicely with buttered rice, topped with a little bit of saffron. The fiance’s burger came out on a beautiful golden bun, topped with feta, roasted peppers and mushrooms. While the meat patty wouldn’t win any thickness awards, the entire burger was memorably good–so good that we wondered if we found a worthy challenger to rival the big name burger joints we visited lately. Saturday dining service came slowly here; our waitstaff were in no hurry to deliver our food and drinks too early, though when the food did eventually arrive, the pace quickened. We spent our time enjoying the decor however; Shandiz had some pretty blue tile, a serene water feature, and tasteful Mideast-influenced art on the high walls. The only thing that detracted were the large TV flat panels on 2 sides of the room, but the sound was thankfully low and unobtrusive. Because of this, we’re eager to revisit Shandiz and check out their buffet. However, if you miss the all-you-can-eat option, their short menu won’t be too challenging, offering the diner some sure bets.

810 W McDermott Dr
Allen, TX 75013
(214) 547-1440

No matter how many times I visit Mimi’s (usually dragged by third parties), I cannot bring myself to like their food. Sure, Mimi’s has pretty digs, a very cozy atmosphere, but the food is SUPER bland to the point that I wonder if consuming cardboard or sawdust would go down better. The only standout here are their baked goods, usually their bread basket featuring their freshest muffins and bread of the day. I am utterly convinced that only diners who are used to a liquid diet or have lost all sense of taste patronize Mimi’s…because it seems their menu of “safe” comfort food will neither shock or awe any delicate palates. Health-conscious eaters will flock to Mimi’s to pay for the overpriced fruit and salad options on their menu, but as for the rest of the home-cooked menu, one would do better crafting these dishes at home.