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Ashley Furniture Homestore in Tyler TX

February 4th, 2010

Ashley Furniture Homestore

5007 Old Bullard Road
Tyler
75703
903 593 4161

Ashley Furniture sells furniture for the living room, bedroom, dining room and office, plus home accents such as rugs, lamps and some soft furnishings. They have a mixture of contemporary and traditional designs, some rustic styles and also furniture especially for kid’s rooms.

When we bought our new house we needed lots of furniture. We wanted something low cost, contemporary and yet something that would last a good few years and withstand abuse from kids! We looked and looked and in the end, kept coming back to Ashley Furniture.

Ashley Furniture Homestore in Tyler

Ashley Furniture Homestore

Ashley furniture in Tyler is the number one selling brand for furniture in the US. They are able to offer great value for money as their enterprise is enormous – they have their own designers, warehouses and even fleet of trucks for transport so they can keep costs low. The negative side of this is that you know when you buy from Ashley that thousands of other families have the same furnishings as you and that you are not in any way innovative in your interior décor.

On our visits to Ashley in Tyler we were jumped upon as soon as we opened the door by enthusiastic salesmen. I’m not sure if they get commission but there must be something that motivates them to be extra attentive to their customers! Luckily we struck up an easy rapport with one of the salesmen and asked for him by name on subsequent visits. He was, it has to be said, very helpful and knew his stuff about the Ashley stock. He did his best to get us the best deal and negotiated within his limitations to get us a discount and reduced cost shipping as we were buying more than just one item. The kids loved being offered a drink and a freshly baked cookie and were happy watching a cartoon sitting on a comfy sofa whilst we looked at the furniture all around them.

One thing I hate about Ashley is that there are no catalogues or swatch samples available. I was desperately trying to match colors for curtains to match the sofa we had ordered but there was no help available. There is also absolutely nothing custom, you just have to take what they sell as it is, no changes or additions to sets etc. There is no chance of an extra leaf for a table and so on.

You are also stuck if you want something that isn’t in fashion at the time – originally I had this notion that I wanted a blue couch but there were none in their inventory. However there were plenty in creams, fawns browns and reds – I just had to alter my taste to suit the current fashion! The website is really not very well designed either, it is almost impossible to get a good look at the furniture online and no prices are listed as they vary from state to state.

The furniture itself is – on the whole, good quality. Certainly our Durapella suite has withstood a lot of serious wear (and even a small child’s puking incident!) It really does clean up as easily as we were promised. We had a minor issue with the kitchen table but someone was sent very quickly to fix the problem and he was most apologetic. I must say, Ashley’s after sale customer service was very good.

The Worst Of The Buffets

November 17th, 2009

A couple of months ago I wrote a piece entitled “The best of the buffets.” It was primarily a response to my students who love Tyler’s buffet restaurants and couldn’t conceive of why I generally dislike them. In the interest of full discloser I made a list of the establishments I actually liked and why. Well, forgive the hubris but I thought it might be fun to make a short list of the buffets I personally consider some of the worst in town. The following are in descending order.

China King

When China King first opened it was trumpeted as the best Chinese buffet in the city of Tyler. As buffets go it may have been… But it didn’t last. China King has the largest selection of food, but the quality is poor to say the least. The dishes tend to sit far too long under the lamps and still manage to taste dry and lukewarm.

I must confess however, that my dislike of China King isn’t only about the food. It’s also the lack of atmosphere. (I realize this may reflect an unrealistic expectation for a buffet). The store seems run down and sloppy. The staff is more concerned with moving customers in and out quickly in order to make room for the next herd. Strangely, the straw that broke the camel’s back for me came when I visited the men’s room shortly before eating. While there I was treated to an obscene series of messages carved into the stall door. Now, I understand that this has little to do with the food the restaurant serves, but I don’t enjoy feeling like I’m eating at the local truck stop. When taking in the whole package, that visit to the mis-named “King” had the effect of making me feel vaguely cheap and ashamed. My conscience was inexplicably heavy. I decided then and there, to set my sights on more seemly establishments. The next time someone suggests having lunch at a Chinese buffet, don’t be degraded, try to steer them toward Chine Café. It’s a far better restaurant on every level.

Cici’s Pizza

I would love to give Cici’s the lowest rank, among these restaurants but unfortunately that dishonor is reserved for another establishment. I rarely miss an opportunity to take a shot at Cici’s Pizza. In fact I’ve stated on numerous occasions that I prefer Totino’s frozen pizza to that particular buffet. Why? Because I find the crust doughy, and the toppings cheap, (and by cheap I do not mean inexpensive).

The store’s ads constantly promise that the customer can eat at the buffet for under five dollars. I’ll pass on the “you get what you pay for,” reminder, and say simply that the last time I ate at Cici’s (quite against my will I assure you) I paid over seven for my meal. The selection was not what I was promised either. What I did find failed to satisfy even my two year old son, who prefers pizza to nearly every other food I can provide.

This brings me to the old issue of atmosphere. Let me just say that I’m still getting my hearing back. The doctors assure me that I should eventually be able to enjoy music and the arts again, but it will take time. Ok all sarcasm aside, I find it difficult to enjoy a meal when I need a bull horn to make myself heard across the table… Oops sarcasm again, sorry. As a kids restaurant, Cici’s does offer entertainment in the arcade but then so does Ken’s and the food is better. Even better yet, take them to Double Dave’s for some real pizza, and watch the game with them while you’re there. That’s how memories are made.

Ryan’s

If my reader has been placed on an all starch, all grease diet for any reason; Ryan’s is the establishment for you. Likewise if you prefer your steak tough and well done this could be your buffet of choice. Personally I’ve never had a hankering for restaurant style macaroni and cheese, so I don’t frequent Ryan’s. Honestly, it’s been a couple of years since I visited the store but there’s a reason for that, namely the quality of the food is definitely poor. My last visit was followed immediately by a dose of Tums and a counseling session with my priest. Alright so I’m exaggerating again but seriously, I do know people who people who actually enjoy Ryan’s, just not many. I will say this for the restaurant, the atmosphere is definitely quieter (and this is not due solely to lack of patronage). Next to the above businesses, Ryan’s is tranquil.

So there are my choices for the worst of Tyler’s buffets. There may be others that deserve to make the list but it’s now after midnight and I need some sleep. For those readers who find my criticisms harsh, put them to the test. China King is located in the French Quarter, Cici’s has two locations to choose from, one on the West Loop next to Atwood’s, the other on the South Loop next to Albertson’s, and Ryan’s can be found on South Broadway next to Olive Garden. But whatever you do just don’t say I didn’t warn you.

The Best Of The Buffets

September 18th, 2009

In past columns I’ve made no secret of the fact that I generally find the quality of buffet food a sacrifice to quantity. I’m certainly no foodie, and I may be a bit of a snob I admit, but my past experiences with these establishments have left me with an urgent desire to visit with my priest, as though I had committed some de-humanizing sin.

Unfortunately, most buffets serve what they consider ethnic food. I apologize to my students who absolutely love them but, it is impossible to have an authentic experience with cultural foods while eating at a buffet.

In spite of my views on buffets as expressed above, I do, on rare occasions visit them, I’m just selective about it; so here are the few that I actually like and why. Bye the way, there may possibly be another all you can eat restaurant that I like, but for the life of me I can’t think of any.

Double Dave’s

Although it’s not a round the clock buffet, (it runs about twelve to one) I’m including this bistro because the quality of pizza is among the highest in town. (I would probably put DD’s second to Bruno’s.) When it comes to pizza buffets, the pizza on the bar never seems to measure up to the pizza the customer receives when he special orders it. This is not true at Dave’s. The food is actually the same, and the all around flavor and freshness is clearly far superior to the other pizza joints in town. Also don’t forget about their fabulous pizza rolls. The environment includes several large screen televisions so patrons can enjoy whatever sporting event is going on at the time. I highly recommend this buffet. I give it a four out of five.

China Café

No Chinese buffet is going to be as good as fresh food. But if your crunched for time or determined to visit an all you can eat restaurant, I would suggest this one. The turn around on the dishes seems pretty good. Depending on the time of your visit, the food doesn’t sit under the lamps as long as some buffets, so it tends to be fresher. I don’t care for C.C.’s sushi, as it tastes sort of manufactured to me, (not that I’m an expert on sushi). I generally get takeout when I visit China Café; their hot and sour soup is worth the trip by itself. Overall I give China Café a three and a half out of five.

Ken’s Pizza

I include Ken’s more for nostalgic reasons than anything else. I like Ken’s because I remember going there as a kid on the first day of summer to eat lots of pizza and play video games. The food is decent, but I wouldn’t call it great. When put up against someplace like Cici’s however, Ken’s looks like four star dinning. The pizza sometimes sits on the bar a little long but overall it is passable. When grading Kens, I give it a three out of five.

If you’re a devotee of Tyler’s all you can eat establishments I won’t try to dissuade you from what you love. But at least consider the above restaurant establishments and try choosing a better buffet. Happy eating!