Men In The Kitchen — Restaurant in Manchester Township

Despite high hopes, my recent visit to Men in the Kitchen was a disappointment, marked by a disconnect between its beautiful presentation and underwhelming flavors.

Atmosphere: It’s hard to determine what theme they’re aiming for. It’s too bright to feel intimate and lacks enough decor to be festive. They only have high-top tables (which my mother has trouble getting into). Not having any booths also limits the possibility of an intimate or private dinner. The random TV placement and background music all seemed out of place.

Service & Ordering: They offer printed menus, but they encourage you to order from your phone with a $5 discount. The issue is that everything ordered via the app ended up costing more than what's on the printed menus—$1 here, $2.50 there. We ended up saving about a dollar using the app. The food took a long time to arrive, despite the restaurant being relatively empty; there were only two other tables when we arrived, so the long wait was inexplicable. When our order was unusually delayed, I said, "It's fine. This means our food will be hot and fresh." I was wrong.

The Food: The mac and cheese (pictured) was slightly above room temperature and clearly had been sitting out for hours. The lack of any seasonings in the mac and cheese is baffling. Even some fast food chains have better mac and cheese! The greens (pictured) tasted as if they came straight from a can. Don't get me wrong—canned greens can be good if they’re seasoned well. But they didn't even attempt to season these; they just came straight from the can into the bowl. It’s possible they were reheated at some point, but I couldn't tell.

The Fried Smashed Potato (pictured) is a great idea, but poorly executed and not worth the calories. The Fried Corn on the Cob (pictured) was the best among the sides, but that's not saying much. It's the only side I'd consider trying again. The Cuban Sandwich (pictured) should be a flavor medley with roasted pork as the star, but the generous layer of mustard was overpowering. The ham overshadowed the pork flavor. It turned into more of a "Grilled Ham and Mustard Sandwich" with some roasted pork and cheese.

I was really looking forward to The Sunken Crab Cake (pictured), which is a Crab Cake in Seafood Bisque! The crab cake was good but not great. It was not good enough to order again. The garlic bread slices that came with it were more like rubber discs than bread. Ugh. The bisque should have been served hot with steam rising, but it was only warm and bland. No restaurant claiming to be Cajun-American should serve such bland food!

The Verdict: I don't understand how Men in the Kitchen maintains a 4.8-star rating. The dining experience is barely a step above fast food, just at a much higher price. I’m giving it two stars, which I consider generous. This place could be good, maybe even excellent, with a little effort. But as of now, I can't...

This was a spontaneous find when my dinner plans fell through. I ordered online a Cuban Sandwich and Deep Fried Cajun Corn -on-the-Cob as my side. I had a 16 minute drive and the food was ready to be picked up within that time. I walked right in and picked it up within no hassle and a friendly young person handing it to me with a smile and my name. Was packaged in foil container with plastic lid and corn wrapped separate in foil. This was smart and kept my sandwich free of the corn juices and flavoring. The Cuban was large with what looked like fresh made bread. The bread had a nice toast on the outside and was not too thick. It held up well to the mustard and juices of the meat and pickles without being too much. Plenty of meat filled the sandwich. The pork and ham was tender, moist and fresh. The mustard was quite good and the amount was on point. The pickles were right where they needed to be for an authentic Cuban. Though for me, I would have like to see a couple more(there was a place I could have requested more). The corn came as a whole cob. It did not look like anything special but, the flavor was sweet corn with a great Cajun heat to it. It was not heavy and it was done just right. Not to soft and not too hard. I rate this as 5 stars on everything although I cannot 100% the atmosphere as I did not dine in. It was small with a more casual feel. There were about 8 tall square tables seating 4 a piece. So unless there was more space I do not think a large group would be ideal. As far as the price, I was at first thinking it might be a little too high. For a Cuban sandwich and a corn cob about $16.00, I assure you it was worth every penny! I think about what a value meal at a fast food place costs now and that for 5 bucks more you can get something fresh and unique and with way better service. Support local business to boot. I was glad I chose this place for sure. I will be coming here for takeout on the reg. If this is what their sandwich tastes like, I am sure the rest has to be fantastic! You will not regret...

Let me tell you about my awesome lunch experience at Men in the Kitchen! Well, I purchased a ton so get ready...LOL! But first, warmly greeted and then the server (Synyae-based on the receipt) was so upbeat and sweet. Alright to the food. I started with dessert before my meal. I had the strawberry crunch cake! Where's your mama? (insert so good you could slap your mama!) My guest had the blueberry lemonade cake and that was very good and refreshing...both were AMAZING! Then we ordered sides to eat, collard greens and sweet potatoes, and the oooooohhhhh sooooo goood deep fried cajun corn on the cob...what the world...MMMMM---GOOD! We ordered orders chicken wings (lemon pepper, honey bay, hawaiian bbq, and peach something - last two were guest's choices). My fave was the honey old bay! I had the jerk chicken quesadilla and my guest had the new york strip steak melt. Now see...line up the entire family because everyone was about to be slapped over that new york strip steak melt....I mean the caramelized onions, the butter, and those cheeses--Yes...people would fight over that like they did for those Popeye chicken sandwiches..LOL! The restaurant was very clean and service was amazing. Now that you have managed to read the entire thing, then get over to Men in the Kitchen and get to eating! I will be...