Want to ride on Ollie's Trolley?

I visited a landmark institution of Washington, DC.  Ollie's Trolley restaurant has stood strong in DC for over 30 years.  They claim to be "Voted best in town for [their] famous seasoned burgers and fries with 26 herbs and spices including the to die for shakes." I'm so excited I could eat that description.  I ordered an Ollie's burger, the famous fries, and the "to die for" Oreo shake. The burger was better than average yet it lacked a dignified originality that should declare 30 years of awesome burgers. The burger was good, nothing more, nothing less, and certainly nothing stood out and made this an unforgettable eat.  Now, the fries are a different story. They are anything, but outstanding.  I couldn't find the 26 herbs and spices. I occasionally got a good bite, but nothing exceptional.  If you spend so much time seasoning food then it should be blasting with all kinds of flavor.  The one good aspect of this meal was the milkshake.  Its thickness, smoothness, and good size stood out, but I would never die for this shake.  It's not even on the same level as a chick-fil-a milkshake. Everything about this place was average and when you couple that forgettable average food with the weird, antique filled restaurant you leave wondering why you ever walked in.  Please ignore the advertising and don't be a silly tourist because it's certainly folly to eat a nine dollar burger at Ollie's Trolley.

I've got the "Red, Hot, & Blues"

   I needed a great meal to set my day on the right track after a long night of work, little sleep, and not remembering the last time I ate.  Instead of eating at burger joint, an Asian place, or a little cafe, I gave into my craving for barbecue by walking into a Red, Hot, & Blue with Quinn.
   We got excited as the waitress walked over with our drinks, which were not in any kind of glasses, but pitchers.  We then ordered our appetizer - nachos with pulled chicken.  The excitement continued to build.  We ordered our entrees.  Unusually, we both wanted the same thing...the "Carolina Chopped Pork" sandwich, except I got the "Ribwich Combo" of an added two ribs any way I want.
   After much anticipation and guzzling down our pitchers, the nachos entered the scene.  A nice sizable mound of hot and thick tortilla chips loaded with cheese, a fair amount of chicken, countless slices of jalapenos, sour cream topping it off, with a salsa on the side.  Presentation was mouth watering.  The actual nachos were pretty tasty.  The side salsa remained relatively untouched since it was served...on the side.  The chicken was poorly placed in random spots.  The nachos mainly consisted of oily fried thick tortilla chips, a ton of cheddar cheese, and a jalapeno slice in every bite.  Not bad, but can do better.
   The nachos didn't slow down the excitement for the sandwiches. If anything, it made us hungrier and more excited to eat.  I was immediately disappointed.  The ribs were hard, and didn't fall right off the bone.  The potato salad was above average. The sandwich was pathetic.  The chopped pork shoulder was so dry that someone could have served me a stack of three slices of bread and my mouth wouldn't have known the difference.  Also, the colesaw was kidnapped because it was no where to be seen on top of the sandwich.  It should have been a creamy, moist, barbecue mess of a sandwich.  Instead it was a disaster of dry and tasteless pork.  The food should exceed the menu, not the opposite.  I came in hungry and left with the blues, but no red hots.