Tasty Buddha

Tasty Buddha
25 NW 16 Ave
and
2410 NW 43 St

2.5 thumbs up

I've already reviewed this place back when it was called Buddha Belly. They changed names and I ate there again and decided to update my review. The first time, I had their fried rice, which I think is beyond disappointing. I learned that the people who used to run Steamers by campus ran Buddha Belly and it totally made sense. Steamers' fried rice wasn't good either. The first time I ate at Buddha Belly, the place reeked of deep-friedness and the food wasn't great, so I said "don't go here!" But after sampling some other menu items, I've slightly improved my opinion of the place.

First off, the first re-visit featured a spectacular meal. I ordered the peanut curry with tofu and the zucchini fries. The meal was stellar. I was prepared to give the place 4 thumbs up, but I got lazy and never wrote the review. The curry was savory and appropriately seasoned. The tofu light and fluffy. The zucchini fries were a marvel of fried beauty. It was a great meal. Not healthy, but certainly delicious.

The second re-visit was a repeat of the first. The food was so good last time, I had to get it again. This time, the curry was undersalted, which is easy to fix but you shouldn't have to. Also, the tofu was clearly pre-fried and just warmed up and thrown on top. It was soggy and rubbery. The zucchini fries were also not as good as last time. The breading on the slices was so heavy, it prompted my lunch companions to joke that they breaded the zucchini with chicken fingers. The meal wasn't bad, but it wasn't great.


I don't understand how major inconsistencies can exist in a restaurant aggressively trying to franchise itself, but maybe I'm being too demanding.

Overall, this restaurant isn't bad. People seem to love it. I'm just not the hugest fan. The food is inconsistent and unhealthy (it seems like everything is deep fried). It can taste quite good when they're on, but you're not guaranteed that they'll be on.

A Wrap up for 2011

I'm constantly amazed that this blog keeps resounding with the local community. I figured that a few friends would read it and laugh at my rants, but never expected the attention we've been getting.

If you've just joined us, I'm pretty picky. I don't like alot of places, but I'm loyal through and through for my favorites. I think there are some great restaurants in town and many terrible ones. It's a college town with a college mind for food. It's also a market that seems easy to open a new restaurant up in. What this means is that you're going to get some unqualified restauranteurs serving some sad food. I try to not always dwell on the negative, but offer praise where it's due. I've traveled all over the country and have eaten some amazing food along the way, but there's no place I'd rather call home for the present than Gainesville. Therefore, I have to write about what's around me.

I also like to eat healthy. This forces me to judge some places based on menu items that might not be their proudest. I try to avoid fried, fatty foods, but I do try to sample enough of a variety before making a solid decision. Sometimes I'll even re-visit a place 3 or 4 times before writing a review.

If you haven't noticed, I work on a 5 thumb system. My ratings are typically as follows.
5 thumbs up: Best around!
4 thumbs up: Great restaurant
3 thumbs up: Nothing wrong with this place but don't go out of my way to eat there
2 thumbs up: Not bad, not great
1 thumb up: Not good
0 thumbs up: Bad
-5 thumbs up: Horrible

So, I'm going to continue doing what I do. If you get offended or disagree with my reviews, so be it. You don't have to read the blog. If you do like it, however, please continue to read and recommend to friends.

Hope you're eating well!