text: I just went to the Tuck Shop for my birthday and yay I love it!  A friend recommended it to me and always being one to try new, local places I thought it'd be perfect for my birthday dinner.  Not to mention they were one of the few places that actually accepted reservations (for parties 6+) on a Friday night.  So 10 of my friends and I tried the Tuck Shop for the first time and I think we all walked away extremely satisfied!  \n\nMy initial impression was one of joy.   It's a great location in Central Phoenix.  Love the decor, simple but fresh.  In no particular order, here's what I have to say I appreciated about my first experience at the Tuck Shop: \n-great ambiance\n-knowledgeable, attentive and friendly staff\n-waiter previewed foods by our table as they were coming out and he was walking them to other tables  (ingenious, pretty sure we ordered everything he showed us!  good sales technique TS!) \n-sufficient and close parking \n-we were seated exactly at the time of my reservation (that never happens!) \n-constant flow of people but never felt overcrowded\n-could hear each other speaking, good background vibe\n-cucumber water\n\nOk, now on to the food review! I did Yelp it first (of course) to see what people had to say about this new find and what should be consumed.   We started with appetizers, pretty sure we ordered 1 of everything.  Roasted vegetables (not on the menu) were my favorite.  Red pepper hummus was delicious.  Lavosh and plum chutney were very tasty as well.  The cheese curds, oh magically transported me back to the midwest (I'm from Iowa originally)... yes, that was good cheese!   \n\nNow on to the main course.  My friend, mom and I decided to split 2 entrees between the 3 of us.  Wish we would have known that 1 entree would have been plenty!   Portions were quite generous.\n\nWe ordered the chicken and waffles, because surely Yelp could not lead us astray, right?   The second dish we ordered was the Pork T-Bone with broccolini.   The chicken and waffles came first, so we all dug in excitedly.     Yelpers... I'm a little disappointed, I must say!  For as rave of the reviews that were there, I think my expectations were a little too high.  Well, let me clarify  - the waffles, ooh the waffles!   Yes, I agree with the collective Yelp voice...they were divine!  White cheddar with maybe a cheddar sauce on top?   It literally melted in your mouth.  If you could get it to your mouth, that is, because they were so soft and fluffy they fell apart on your fork  (not complaining about that at all, just letting you know what to expect).  The chicken...well, again, I'm from Iowa originally.  I grew up on a farm that raised chickens, so perhaps that plus the Yelp reviews had my expectations utterly and ridiculously off base.  Or did they?   I thought the chicken was dry and hard to eat.  We had to ask for a steak knife.  For chicken?  A steak knife?   \n\nThe 2nd entree was the Pork t-bone.   Well, I sampled a bite of the pork and it was delicious.  Where we lacked in the first dish, I think the Pork T-Bone made a full recovery and then some.  But by then we were all so full that we just boxed the entire entree up and it's still sitting in my fridge. Maybe I'll do a leftover quality review tomorrow... however, the sample of the potatoes and pork do leave me salivating a little as I write this.   \n\nThe rest of the group ordered the following: red beans and rice, tamales, finger sandwiches, salad, and mac & cheese (hold the lobstah).    I tried a bite of the mac & cheese and it was tasty!   Everyone seemed to enjoy their food immensely, I think it was clean plates all around.  \n\nSo, would I order the chicken and waffles again?  Waffles are tempting, but I don't think so.   Would I go back to the Tuck Shop again?  Most definitely!!!   Creative menu, great ambiance, delicious food overall.   I'm in!  Love it!