I never pay full price, when I dine out. Never. (Big surprise, right?) I always have a coupon or promo in hand. That’s why I love Groupon. The vouchers give me an opportunity to experience new restaurants and shops that I would not otherwise try. (Don’t worry, I’m not a “bad cheapskate.” I always tip on the full amount of the bill before the discount and so should you. I’ve heard horror stories from wait staff of customers leaving a tip on the balance — sometimes just a buck or less.) To be honest, there are very few places I go back to (after using a voucher) because they’re just too expensive without a deal.
However, after using a Groupon voucher several months ago, I have a new favorite Chinese restaurant — Min J Asian Cuisine at 6585 Greenwood Plaza Blvd. in Greenwood Village. (It’s a relatively new restaurant — just a little more than a year old…I think.) It’s located next to the Greenwood Plaza Stadium 12 movie theater, tucked behind CB & Potts. (Perfect for a dinner-and-a-movie night, especially on Sundays because of the theater’s $6 ticket prices!) This is definitely a case of “don’t judge a book by its cover.” The exterior is a bit shabby, looking a little run down. However, it’s deceiving because the atmosphere inside is rather “fancy” and modern. The outside clearly does not match the inside, night and day.In the past six months or so, I have eaten there several times and the service has always been excellent and quick. More importantly, the food is always delicious. (Note: I only order the sesame chicken. However, my dining cohorts promise the other dishes are just as delicious. Plus, they like the fact that they serve a very full glass of wine!) I’m one of those “snobs” that’s very particular about my chicken. I can’t have any fat or gristle. Once I bite into any, I’m done. I can’t eat anymore. Done. However, I’ve never once had a “bad” piece of chicken at the restaurant. I actually now have a craving for its sesame chicken.
The dinner prices (around $12) are reasonable, with decent portions. Of course, the lunch menu is a better deal (around $8), especially because it’s served with soup, egg roll, fruit and fried rice. Unfortunately, every time I go, there are not many customers. I think it suffers from a bad location. You can’t see it from the street and, even then, it’s somewhat “hidden.” I hope my little recommendation helps.
If you love Chinese food, you really should give ’em a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. (The also offer FREE delivery within a three-mile radius, with a minimum order of $18.) They’re open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. (For those wondering, I was not paid or compensated for this review. I just really like the place! Of course, businesses using Groupon hope they attract new loyal customers after initially offering a significant discount. In some cases, it works — even on a cheapskate, like me.)
Don’t forget, Mile High On The Cheap has a Daily Deals page with a round-up of all of the deals from Groupon and other daily deal sites — click here. Clean up your inbox and let us do the work for you!
In fact, Min J Asian Cuisine continues to offer a voucher on Groupon — $12 for $20 worth of food and drinks.
Do you have a favorite place you found only because of a discount or promo?
I look forward to our next chat. And, remember, there’s always a deal, you just need to look for it. :-)
My wife and I definitely enjoyed Min J on the Groupon deal, too. Besides the good food, reasonable menu prices, and fancy surroundings, it was so easy to have a conversation with each other since there isn’t so much background noise and all the interactions we had with the staff were wonderful.
I agree with everything Bryan said-great food, nice atmosphere inside, great service.
My family has gone there 3 times and every time it had very few people eating there.
Great place to try :)
It seems the social discount sites have shifted from businesses attracting a one-time surge of new customers to a way for certain businesses to offer standing discounts: when I look for restaurants around me on Groupon or Living Social, it’s mostly the same handful of places always offering.
This is great if you’re interested in those places and the discount provides real value, but a “$50 dinner for two” always selling for $30 on those sites may not really be a better value than another restaurant that just charges $30 to begin with.