Arby's, Riverside

Well, I had a meeting over lunch today, and we settled on the Arby's on Hole Ave.(10160 Hole Ave., Riverside). I like Arby's well enough. It's something different from the usual fast food fare. I had the Pop Corn Chicken Shakers with Bar-B-Q sauce, A Beef and Cheddar sandwich, Curly Fries and a drink.

Immediately, I wished I'd have gone for the buffalo sauce with the chicken. I'm a sucker for good buffalo chicken. Still, it was hot and fresh, and pretty tasty. I've had this item before and this was neither the best or worst Pop Corn Chicken they have served me. I like the shaker cup. It lets you coat the chicken with sauce, without needing a ton of napkins afterward.

What Arby's does consistently well is roast beef sandwiches. I know, they have really diversified their menu, but they have the roast beef down pat. The Beef and Cheddar was great, hot roast beef, creamy melted cheddar sauce, and a very soft onion roll. I'm not sure I believe there is such a thing as too much Arby Sauce, but today I did not supplement it.

I wasn't feeling the fries. Usually when I come in, it's pretty quiet and they drop and order of fries just for me. Today they weren't super fresh, and I think maybe I wasn't really feeling like fries in the first place. (I actually dislike regular fries, and only tolerate the seasoned criss-cut or curly variety)

I like that the Soft Drink bar at this location is always really clean and never out of ice. In fact, cleanliness is something this location does very well. And that's pretty important to me. I hate sticky tables, and unless it's moments after the lunch rush, they are pretty inexcusable.

Service can be hit or miss at this location, but today it was right on. Our order was ready before I poured my drink. The staff was upbeat and friendly. My associate had a spill at the beverage bar on the way out, and they were on it pretty quick. We tried to clean up a bit, but they woman insisted it was ok and that she'd get it. I guess I spent about 16 bucks picking up the tab for both of us. Not too bad.