Your friend invites you to try a new restaurant - but it's in a strip mall. She's heard really good things about it - but it's in a strip mall. You immediately look up the restaurant on Urbanspoon and find mostly positive reviews, sprinkled with hackneyed phrases like "a hidden gem" or "don't let the strip mall exterior fool you!"
We've all dined at strip malls, and they are certainly not a new concept, but what is it about these restaurants that make us uneasy? Why is there a difference in attitude towards the standalone versus the strip mall locale?
Strip malls are places we pass every day, places that are near and easy to access, yet we keep saying we'll eat at that one place someday. If we do muster the courage to go, there's the fear of walking into a deserted restaurant. Pulling up to the strip mall, you notice there are cars parked there, but where are their owners? Are they getting their hair cut? Picking up dry cleaning? The impermeable tinted windows make it difficult to catch a glimpse before you decide to jump ship. Once inside, there's no turning back.
It's also difficult to give these restaurants a chance when the location acts as a revolving door for each new tenant. No one wants to spend time and money on a place that will close down within the year. Economist and professor Tyler Cowen writes about finding good, affordable places to eat in his newest book, An Economist Gets Lunch: New Rules for Everyday Foodies. He points out that restaurant owners in strip malls have more flexibility to be creative and innovative since their overhead costs are lower.
Cowen suggests exploring suburbs for the best ethnic restaurants. Areas where a particular ethnic cuisine dominates will serve above-average food. These areas have plenty of competition, along with an informed clientele that makes them immune to mediocrity and gimmicks. Restaurants with poor quality will quickly be run out of business.
Next time you're looking for a new place to eat, don't let the strip mall exterior fool you. You just might find a true "hidden gem."
These strip mall restaurants have high ratings on Urbanspoon:
- Ripe Eatery in El Paso, TX
- Pupatella in Washington, DC
- Pho 95 in Denver, CO
- Jebena Cafe in Seattle, WA
- Da Rae Jung in Chicago, IL
- The Chicken Lady in Los Angeles, CA
- KoMex Fusion Express in Las Vegas, NV
- SpecialTea Lounge in Miami
- Café Sarajevo in Phoenix
- Savera in Toronto, ON
Now it's your turn! What are your favorite strip mall restaurants? Share your suggestions on our Facebook page or create a guide of the best strip mall restaurants in your city.
Post written for Urbanspoon by Lisa Martinez of El Paso Veg Snob
Source: http://www.urbanspoon.com/blog/95/Strip-Mall-Stigma.html
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