Anyone who knows me knows I’m typically pretty forgiving when it comes to crappy food. I usually try to look at a place within context (fast food, fine dining, purpose, etc) or give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that if I’ve had...a sub-par meal perhaps it was an off day. But then there are those rare instances where the food and/or service is just not good and there’s no real way to rationalize it. Doris’ Delicatessen in Kitimat is one such instance. Located away from the heart of town and in a residential area, Doris’ Delicatessen looks pretty non-descript. It’s attached to somebody’s house and gives the impression that it is therefore a side business of sorts. Upon entering the premises, I couldn’t help but notice how . . . empty it was. And I don’t mean in terms of patrons (there was nobody in there); rather, I mean with regard to actual items for purchase. In the majority of delicatessens I’ve been to, there’s usually a host of meats, fresh sandwiches, soups and a few other hot items available. That wasn’t the case during my visit to Doris’. The pickings were slim: There were a couple of sandwiches in a cooler next to some pizza that looked like it had seen better days. I also spied some Chinese food sitting in warming pots. At this point, a friendly fellow came from the back and asked if I was there to grab some dinner. “Yes,” I replied. After seeing that the pizza on offer looked no better than a Western Family frozen pizza, I opted to try the Chinese food, which looked OK (Chinese food at a delicatessen. . . hmmm). Anyway, options were limited so I got a combo of chow mein, chicken balls and dry pork spareribs. As the owner (?) was preparing my food, he offered me a free sample of the spareribs I’d just ordered. This, for me, was the first major alarm: I bit into it and felt like I was going to break my teeth. The sparerib was hard as a rock and clearly not fresh. He then asked me if I’d like some sweet & sour sauce with my food. Thinking it was going to either be put in a separate container OR conservatively placed over the dry as dirt spareribs, I said “sure.” He then proceeded to pour an excessive amount over the entire order. Mmmm . . . nothing like Chinese food swimming in THICK sweet & sour sauce. I satisfied my bill and then went on my way. Once in my vehicle, I drove a short distance and pulled over at a quiet area adjacent to the local Esso gas bar to sample the food. None of it was even remotely good. The chow mein was cool and flavourless, and both the chicken balls and spareribs were hard as little rocks, despite having soaked in the thick sweet & sour sauce for about 10 minutes. In the end, I had literally one bite of each item before tossing the entire order in the trash. On the bright side, at least I spent very little on the food. FOOD: 1/5 SERVICE: 3/5 VALUE: 1/5 RECOMMENDATION: For a deli, this place is lacking in a major way. Yes, the owner (?) is very friendly, but the food is the absolute pits, and that’s something I don’t say lightly or often. If you’re hungry, eat anywhere else in Kitimat. And I mean anywhere else. Even Al’s Esso gas bar is better and more inviting. Strong recommendation to avoid. PS: If you found this review helpful in any way please consider hitting the "helpful" button!More
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