InDemand 901 Reynolda Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27104

"Let me first admit my bias up front. The idea of "Asian Street Food & Burger Bar" is RIGHT up my alley, but I have purposely not come here simply because of the branding (the yellow/purple sign or the neon looking burger) or the name. Talk about judging a book by its cover! I got takeout here last weekend for the first time and LOVED it. I tried the Bao hot chicken buns. The pickles added a nice crunch to the meat which was flavorful but not spicy, and the buns were incredibly soft and delicious. I also tried the mac-n-cheese balls (based on Yelp recommendations) and those were excellent as well, though I couldn't find a sauce I loved. I feel I need to apologize from judging you from a distance - I would ABSOLUTELY come here again!"

"I’ve given InDemand three goes and I like it, but I have a few concerns for its longevity. First the food. Everything I’ve had has been quite tasty. I opted for a sweet & sour chicken special. The sauce was a tad too sweet for my tastes, but dominated by pineapple flavors that I did enjoy. The steamed rice was perfectly cooked. The pork gyoza appetizer is fried; good, but I prefer steamed with maybe just a touch of pan fry. Regardless, I’ve ordered it every time. The next outing, I had the skewers. These are splendid. Four is not quite enough for a meal, but there are options for more and they allow you to order a variety. Pork belly and steak were particularly good. Chicken and shrimp were also satisfying. For my last lunch, I chose the Korean BBQ chicken bao buns with gyoza for my meal. I did have to pick off the cabbage, which I didn’t know was an ingredient, but they were delicious. The Japanese street food is a great concept and unlike anything else in town. But there are also burgers and fries on the menu and that confuses me. I’m not sure why that’s necessary. They could expand the Asian menu without the non sequitur burger and fries. Winston-Salem has no shortage of good burgers and fries, so it’s hard to imagine it being a draw. The service was excellent. Attentive and helpful and pleasant. Everyone accommodated my specific drink needs. Then there is the name. I fear that people driving by don’t know that a place called InDemand is a restaurant. It sounds like a tech or media company. I can’t help but think it is the cause for the sparse lunch crowd. But their loss is your gain, because there is no wait for a unique and delicious lunch. For now."

"Located where the old Hops burger Bar use to be. It has a few parking spots in front but they have a private parking lot a few steps away on Northwest Blvd. There is a bar to your right as soon as you walk in with seating and to the left is the main dining room. Open and warm with regular and high top tables. Staff is welcoming and attentive. They offer Asian street food as well as burgers. The specials are pretty good, today was drunken noodles, Pad Thai & Thai fried rice. I opted for the steak sandwich with toasted garlic bread. I loved it. A thin cut of steak with arugula and a nice pink sauce, I added a little Texas Pete for a slight kick, I got mine without the onions. The steak was flavorful and tender, the garlic bread was not overwhelming, it was just right. Bread was also perfectly toasted. I loved it. I got regular fries with it put they have a great choice of different fries like the Garlic Truffle rosemary that my daughter got. They were really good. She also got the Crunchy Tortilla Burger which has avocado, caramelized onions and tortilla chips. She liked it put said some type of sauce on it would have made it better. I stole a bite and agree. Over all we liked it and will be back to try other dishes even though I’m hooked on the steak sandwich now!"