Big Boy Dining Out

10/21/2025

09/25/2025

Carmen's Restaurant and Catering 2280 Harris Ave NE Palm Bay, FL 32905

4 Stars

After what appeared to be a mistake in my last Jamaican joint review (whoa, that has a few connotations), I thought I was being punished by immediately being sent to another one by my random name generator. After smacking it on the side a few times and shaking it, I found it to be working correctly, so I proceeded to Carmen's Restaurant and Catering in Palm Bay, FL.

What a world of difference! Carmen is the proprietor and a one-woman show and boyo, let me tell ya, she sure shines. I found Carmen's menu to be a joy to behold, as eclectic as my vinyl collection. As such, I decided to go in a different direction today and steered away from the traditional Jamaican fare such as Jerk Chicken and Curried Goat and went with an order of Carmen's Fried Chicken with sides of rice, beans and potato salad along with an order of her Bang Bang Fried Shrimp Tacos (the same name as the drek at the horrid Bonefish Grill) with fries.

As Carmen got to work on my eats, I took in the interior. I found it to be open, welcoming, bright, and cheery, not unlike the owner! Carmen was out in no time with my foodstuffs. Taking a few before pictures, I got to work. I turned my attention and palate to the Fried Chicken. The first thing I noticed was the crunch of the coating. If you look at the picture I've attached, you can see what I mean. That coating was slathered on without care for conservation. It wasn't too much, it was just enough. The chicken, blanketed in a tender, juicy, succulent coating, tasted superb. The rice and beans were well-cooked and seasoned with love. The potato salad, like everything else, I assume was made by Carmen and if your Grandmother makes a better potato salad, I will eat these words!

I can't speak for you, but when I hear or read the words, Bang Bang, I immediately think of three things. First, playing cops and robbers as a child and “shooting” the bad guy with my finger gun while shouting, “Bang! Bang!” The second is the Bollywood bad remake of a worse film, “Bang Bang!” The third thing I think of is Chinese Street Chicken. None of this has anything to do with Carmen's Bang Bang Fried Shrimp Tacos, other than the Bang Bang sauce is loosely based on the Chinese Street Chicken tossing sauce. Carmen's Bang Bang sauce was a mixture of mayo, spicy stuff and it was mahvalous, dahling! The shrimp were coated with the same love and care as the chicken and were just as tender and juicy. Got Dayum! Carmen knows her way around a kitchen. I can only assume these are her recipes as well. She should open a restaurant and share this with...oh, wait. Never mind. With this meal and the success of the Fried Chicken at Cajun Soul, my hopes have been raised considerably.

The Big Boy says, “If you want good eats served with love and a friendly smile, visit Carmen. Tell her the Big Boy sent ya (it's safe this time)!”

09/17/2025

Cantina Louie 2400 Dairy Rd., Melbourne, FL 32904

1.5 Stars (chain restaurant review)

With ten locations in the Sunshine State and two in North Carolina, it's safe to say this is a local chain with aspirations of interstate expansion. I will get to my thoughts as to why, in a moment. But, I get ahead of myself. My server today was Taylor. She puts the "c " in the word competent. She is a pro anyway ya look at it. Great job, Taylor! I asked Terrific Taylor for a Fajita Burrito, an order of Grouper tacos, one Pineapple Al Pastor taco and as they offer Pepsi products, a tea from their drink station.

The service in the back matched the service up front as my order was soon seen marching to my table via Taylor. After taking the before pics, I got to work on the Fajita Burrito. Originating as faja, Spanish for strip, Fajitas were introduced to the world by Sonny Falcon in Kyle, Texas, in September of 1969. However, until the 1990s it still referred to a cut of meat (strips), when Mexican fast food joints began using it as a marketing term. Now, every Tex-Mex place serves some form of Fajitas. Well done, Madison Avenue! Back to the mission at hand. If you turn your attention to the before pics, you will notice that the fetid green goop (their version of guacamole) slid off the burrito prior to me receiving it. It's as if the burrito itself said, "Begone, Foul sludge! Begone!" The rice was overcooked by a few days and the other ingredients came straight from can found under the shelf by a local food distributor.
Thankfully, I was here for a review, not a meal, so I didn't have to finish this repellent representation of a favorite Tex-Mex food item. I grabbed a Grouper taco, took a bite and immediately spit it out. Holy Ghastly Grouper, Batman! Rarely do I come across something so bad I can't finish a tasting sample. This had to be the foulest fish taco I have ever tried to eat. Look at the pictures again. I ask you, are fish tacos supposed to be slimy?

Thankfully, this brought me to the last item ordered, the Pineapple Al Pastor tacos. I ordered this because I had never tried it before and it seemed intriguing on the menu. Consisting of pork, pineapple salsa and a pineapple wheel together with white rice, a veggie medley, black beans and topped with pico de gallo, my palate was interested from the get go. However, after sampling the previous slop, my taste buds were a-sceered. In the words of USMC Private Pyle, "Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!" This meat was actually edible and flavorful. Not to be outdone by the previous samplings, the veggies were sad, flavorless and wilted while I found the beans finished on the palate like a succulent tin can.

In my experience, when a place has fountain tea and Pepsi products, they are cutting corners. And Man oh man, did this place prove that to a T. The only reason I can fathom them being open with 12 locations is that they must be some part of a vast money laundering scheme. Otherwise, I have no explanation.

The Big Boy says, "If you want terrible Tex-Mex, then you have landed in Heaven as this stuff is horrid."

09/14/2025

Jolie American Bistro 4720 Dixie Hwy. NE Palm Bay, FL 32905

3.5- Stars

They're back! The team that brought Miami Beach a modern Italian eatery that soon became the locals' "go-to" spot 15 years ago, owners George and Traci, recreated their gastronomical magic with Jolie American Bistro in Palm Bay, FL. I was warmly greeted and seated upon entry, and before too long, I was approached by my server, Kristine.

Kristine knows what to do and does it kicking butt. She has consistently been in the BBDO Top 5 Service Pros over the years. I asked Kristine for an order of their Burrata Tomato appetizer, a Butcher's Meatball appetizer and one Bistro Steak Frites, which consisted of a New York Strip (medium-rare), French Fries, Montelier Butter and House-made steak sauce.

My ace of a server, Kristine, was back with my order in no time. I took a few pics and got right to work. I began today's raid on Jolie American Bistro's menu with a bite of their Burrata Tomato appetizer. If you zero in on the picture, you can see the slime coating the exterior of the cheese. I'm no expert on cheese, but I don't think that is supposed to be there on fresh mozzarella. In addition to the slimy mozzarella, the namesake of this appetizer were about as ripe as Minnesota Sweet Corn on the 4th of July, which is to say, not at all. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, my palate began to try to decipher the seasonings. Surprisingly, it was short work as there were none. Yep, that's right--zero seasoning. We are off to an inauspicious start.

Moving on to the Butcher's Meatball appetizer. This was at least two steps above average. The meatballs were handmade and infused with fresh Rosemary. The sauce was also made in the back and hit my taste buds with the complexity and danger of the Goodfellas' prison red sauce. Magnifico! The bread is fresh, well-baked and clearly the star of this show. The bread and meatballs, like Underdog, saved the day.

Moving on from the Butcher's Meatball appetizer was one of the more difficult things I have had to do lately. Still, I forced myself to the last item on today's Italian-American influenced food journey, the Bistro Steak Frites. After one bite, I had to concede that it was hard to get mad at this offering of cooked Bovine flesh. It's steak en Papillote. The Strip was cooked to a perfect medium-rare and exceedingly well seasoned. The house-made steak sauce was fresh, tasty and added nicely to the overall flavor of this dish. I never discuss price, but I feel I would be remiss if I didn't say that this is a decently priced steak for what you receive.

The Big Boy says, " If you want to be deluded into thinking you are eating something special for a fair price, then give them a try."

09/10/2025

Bravo Taco 1250 Garden St., Titusville, FL 32780

3.5 Stars

Cruising up to Titusville in the Big Boy Mobile made me remember why I actually do like living here, regardless of the foodie scene, or lack thereof. I do love the ocean. Today, my random name generator directed me to Bravo Taco in Titusville. They have an interesting story that I will get into after the food.
A-aron (iykyk) was the counter help for my excursion into this offering of Tex-Mex on the Space Coast. A-aron was engaging, professional and invaluable with his menu knowledge. The New Streak stands at 2! Can we break the current record of 12 consecutive fantastic servers? Only time will tell. Now, back to the job at hand. I asked The Ardent One for one of their Shredded Beef Burritos and one of their new specials, the Bravo Double Crunch Supreme.

While waiting for my order, I snapped a few photos of the interior. It was clean, bright and cheery. I really like the outside of the building. The colors are bright, vibrant and inviting. It wasn't long before my order was up, and I retreated to a table and got to work.
First up on the Big Boy's reputable palate was the Shredded Beef Burrito. This extensive offering was wrapped in a 13" flour tortilla and packed with shredded beef, rice, beans, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheddar jack, corn, jalapenos and sour cream. The meat was well seasoned and quite enjoyable. All the other ingredients, except for the corn, seemed fresh and were extremely tasty, with just enough jalapenos to give it a nice kick.

Next, I turned my attention to the Bravo Double Crunch Supreme. This was touted as a new special added to their menu. I guess management went to Taco Bell and liked their Crunch Wrap? This fun sandwich was packed with beef, beans, Bravo red sauce, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, jalapenos and sour cream. The ingredients are sandwiched between two tostadas, wrapped in a 13" flour tortilla and then grilled. This was far superior to the Taco Bell crud that seems to be at the top of the Mexican food chain in these here parts. Why, I will never know, as it sucks and has nothing in common with Mexican food other than the names of the dishes and some of the ingredients.

While driving up here, I passed Shiloh's, which may be the worst north end food joint, and they were packed. Bravo Taco is owned by the same group that owns Third Culture Kitchen and Vine & Olive. These are both 4-star eateries that, if placed anywhere except the Space Coast, would show 5-star skills to people who could appreciate it. However, here? Meh, again, people think Taco Bell is the top of the mountain when it comes to Mexican food.

The Big Boy says, "This is the best Tex-Mex in Titusville. However, that ain't saying much due to a lack of competition."

09/07/2025

Cajun Soul Bistro & Bar
333 King Street Cocoa, FL 32922

5 Star

***New Brevard County Number 1***

When Lady Luck smiles upon you, your life is bright and shiny. Well, I have to say she was beaming at me on Sunday. Cajun Soul Bistro & Bar came up in my random name generator, which happens to be Soul Food Sunday here. Let's just say we've got a new number 1 in the county. This place has been open for about a year and a half, according to my EIC. I had him call to get their back story. While neither Kenya nor Lance were on site, he did speak with Mika. Mika said she had been with Kenya forever, going back to the food truck days. They still have a food truck and use it to cater events and such. Kenya, from Georgia, brings the Soul and Flavor to the menu, while Lance, from Louisiana, adds the Cajun and Heat. Only in America! In the words of Yakov Smirnoff, "What a country!"
Manny was my waiter today and he was adequate. He performed his duty with professionalism and slightly above average competency. I asked Manny for some Buttermilk Fried Chicken, one Chitterlings Dinner, a Meatloaf Dinner and some Banana Pudding to round out my incursion into Cajun Soul Bistro & Bar's menu.
The day chef was on top of his game as not only was our food out in no time, but take a peep at those pics! The food was plated with care, made with love and served with a goodly portion. Not what it would have been 5 years ago, but bigger than your average "shrinkflation" serving you get these days.

I eagerly wrapped my mits around a piece of fried fowl and ripped off a nice-sized chunk. The chicken was tender, juicy and flavorful, while the batter was obviously applied by hand and just as succulent as the meat. How did they do this? The chicken is marinated in a Buttermilk brine. Yes, you read that right. A Buttermilk brine. Day-um, Kenya! Brilliant!! My chosen sides of Mac & Cheese, Corn bread and Butter beans were on par with the Chicken. The whole thing was a dance of joy on the palate and I was in Southern Heaven.

Forcing myself to move on, I took a cautious taste of the Chitterlings Dinner. I always order this when given the opportunity in a place that serves Soul Food, as it is a disgusting food item and MUST be prepared properly even to be edible, let alone scrumptious. Today, 40 years after my first taste of this Soul Food staple, I found the embodiment of Chitin perfection. Holy Wilbur, Charlotte! I done died and went to Soul Food Heaven. Un. Real.

Once again, I had to force myself to move on as I had a job to do and if I didn't stop "sampling" the chitlins I wouldn't have room for the Meatloaf and Nana' Pudding. Speaking of the Meatloaf, one bite in and I was in love. It was dense in texture and complex in flavor. The side of Cajun Yams were banging. These were also the BEST collard greens I've ever had. The Candied yams were flawless and the Banana Pudding so freakin' addictive I wanted to buy the whole tray and take it home.

The Big Boy says, " When the worst thing you can say about a place is that they have above average (not spectacular) service, you have a grand slam home run and we have a new Brevard County Number One. Go. Go now."

09/02/2025

She was killed in a murder su***de and they won’t release name or face of killer except to say his name is “Lincoln” and this happened in Detroit

08/31/2025

Botta Neapolitan 7500 Lake Andrew Dr. Viera, FL 32940

New Number 1 Pizza in Brevard.

5 Stars

I don't know about you, but when I hear the word "Neapolitan," I think of two things: the first being ice cream, the second being Napoleon. The ice cream is legit, as the word stems from Naples, Italy. It means, in this case, ice cream from the city of Naples. Neapolitan, in general, refers to food and/or culture influenced by a city (founded by Greeks in the Neolithic period) that is one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban areas on the planet. Talk about history! Why does Napoleon come to mind as well? Other than similar phonemes, I don't have a clue. Upon research, and by that I mean Google Translate, Botta means blow as in to strike. In other words, this place serves up dishes that will knock the Naples into ya! Oof-da!

Anna was my service pro for this meal and after dealing with Shemene the Mean, she was a breath of fresh air. She was so kind and helpful. I asked Anna for a Caprese salad (against my EIC's recommendation, as he says you should never order this in a restaurant), some meatballs, sauce, and bread, along with a Four Cheese Pie, and some iced tea with which to wash it all down. The back was hoppin' as much as Anna was, as my food was out in no time. I now refer you to the food pics.

Starting with the starter, I dug into the Caprese salad. The Basil was fresh and delicious, the cheese was good; however, the tomatoes were a few days shy of being fully ripe. This was the only weakness found on the table, but I get ahead of myself.

Moving on to the homemade meatballs, sauce and bread. This was outstanding. Everything was made in the back. The flavor of the meatballs hit my palate like Sonny beatin' Connie's husband on the stoop. Hard, fast and powerful. The sauce was complex, not too sweet, and bursting with the essence of the City of the Sun, that is, Naples, Italy.

Not only is Naples known as the City of the Sun, but it is also known as the City of Pizza. This brings me to the final item on my taste buds, the Four Cheese Pizza. Naples is known for their thin-crust pizzas and fresh ingredients. Botta Neapolitan must have theirs shipped via the SR-71 Blackbird because this pizza was amazing! I have such a strong dislike for the bread and ketchup "New York" pizza that is so prevalent in Brevard. I also don't like the fried unleavened bread of Mister 01. This, however, was straight from the Pizza Godz. The crust was thin and flaky on the inside, and it was delicious. The sauce was complex, not too sweet, and... wait, I've covered the sauce. The cheese was freshly grated and piled high. If they aren't making their cheese in the back, it's the only thing missing. Because, wow. This might be the best Pizza I've ever had. That's saying a lot. I've had tons of pizza! I love pizza! Who doesn't?

The Big Boy says, "I'm gonna go 5 Star regardless of the woefully under-ripe tomatoes. THIS IS OUTSTANDING FOOD and the new Numero Uno Big Boy Pizza Joint. Go. Go now."

08/31/2025

What it takes to qualify for top 5 pizza

For the people in the back who just came in:

1. Dough made onsite BUT here is the rub. Water salt and flour and yeast don’t cut it. You need to bring more. (Believe it or not many do) also buying premade pizza dough from Sysco putting oil on it and letting it rise is a no go.

2. Vegetables need to be cut to order or recent prep. Prep Cutting Vegetables at 10:00am for use at 7:00pm is a disqualifier.

3. Meat and sausage products can’t be frozen pre-sliced pieces slapped on the pizza.

All of my top 5 and the two honorable mentions do this.

08/31/2025

Top 5 Pizza Brevard County

1. 5:00pm 08/31
2. Lello’s Pizza- Rockledge
3. Time Square Pizza- Viera
4. Napoli- Beachside Melbourne
5. New York Pizza Spot- West Melbourne

08/27/2025

1906 Farmhouse 25405 W Newberry Rd, Newberry, FL 32669

***SWILL ALERT***

Pulling up to the hitchin' post at the 1906 Farmhouse, all seemed well and fine. I don't mind themed restaurants (they can be fun). This place was designed to model the Farmhouse where the ranch hands gathered for meals before and after a long day of riding. I dug it. It gave off a warm, welcoming, one-of-the-family vibe. Kasey was my server for the meal and she was frowning before I asked one question. I placed an order for one Country Fried Steak with sides of Collard Greens and Mac & Cheese, along with some Strawberry Shortcake to round out the meal.
I soon saw Cantankerous Kasey begrudgingly returning with my victuals. I don't understand this attitude. Am I supposed to be grateful she deigned to work here? Anyway, if any of you are curious like me, you may have often wondered what it was like to spend a day in jail. To that end, I admit, I got myself hauled off to the County Hoosegow. Wanting to make the most out of my tax dollars, I booked my stay to include lunch. The dry bologna sandwich you receive, along with the juice bag to wash it down, is something you try to forget. As I looked at the slop my trustee, Kasey, placed before me, I began to long for the county jail government issue bologna.

The Country Fried Steak was fresh from the freezer and cooked with the precision of Stevie Wonder passing his behind-the-wheel driving test. I've been hit with hockey pucks softer than this garbage. The gravy was made in the Sysco factory and this had to be their bottom-grade slush. It was as tasty as flour and water. Wait.

The sides were a step down from the entree, if that is possible. Just look at the pictures and tell me, does anything look appetizing? While I am not one to ever judge a book by its cover, as looks can be deceiving. In this case, they are not, and the adage 'a picture speaks a thousand words' is spot on. The Collard Greens were obviously from an industrial can. Hey, don't get me wrong, all restaurants use a food service, but you don't have to be cheap about it and try to finagle the dining population by using the lowest quality they have to offer.

The Mac & Cheese looked more like something a dog regurgitated than actual food. It was dry and pasty on the palate--just the way it is not supposed to be. The Strawberry Shortcake is also food service, not unlike the stuff you got in high school, only worse. Kudos, 1906 Farmhouse, you officially serve Swill sans the fly. At least on this visit.

The Big Boy says, "I wouldn't serve this SWILL to a dead dog."