Dining out

JumBurrito Opening on Wednesday

2011-05-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

Every time I go to Midland, I make it a point to go to JumBurrito. But I was in Midland over the weekend, and as hard as it was, I did not go. Why? Because I am waiting for the big day here in Abilene. I am sure you have seen the activity and the sign at the old Taco Bell on North First that reads JumBurrito.

I have been going to JumBurrito for years in Midland, where my Mom lives. I usually go when I get there, and it's the last place I stop before I make my way back to Abilene from visiting Mom. But now I never have to go visit mom again, because now I have JumBurrito here in Abilene. Just kidding, I love you Mom.

For years there was no Taco Bell in Midland and it had to be because of JumBurrito. I mean, it's really good. O.K. the Pop (La Popular) still rules, but JumBurrito is just as good.

Let me break it down. It all comes down to the tortilla. Although the tortilla is much bigger (in circumference) than a homemade tortilla, it's close, as far as texture and taste, to a home made tortilla. For example, a Taco Bell tortilla is nothing like a homemade tortilla, although I still have to have Taco Bell sometimes.

Now as far as the stuff that goes inside a JumBurrito, my favorite is the large combination burrito. I can eat two. Not sure how many small ones I could eat because I have never had them. My second favorite is the bean and bacon. For some reason their bacon really stands out in the burrito.

As far as condiments, they have a green salsa and a red that they serve in single serving containers and they give them to you cold -- very nice. My favorite is the green, but I have never had the red, because it's not as hot, but I bet it is just as good.

My kids love the chips and cheese dip. They order that every time we go, and we are going this Wednesday on the first day of business.

By the way, it's called JumBurrito for a reason.

Al's Mesquite Grill Open for Business

2011-04-21T09:22:00.000-07:00

From the folks behind Square's BBQ comes a brand new restaurant that branches out from barbecue basics.

Al's Mesquite Grill, located at 4801 Buffalo Gap Road, is now open after being in the works for more than a year.

Before constructing the new building, the owners had to seek rezoning of the property, which was zoned for single family homes and office buildings. Some neighbors objected to the rezoning plans, because they were worried about even more restaurants coming to the area which would bring smells and potential runoff.

The Abilene City Council approved the rezoning in February 2010, and construction began over the summer.

Al's Mesquite Grill is run by Brian Callaway, who's father, Al, owns Square's BBQ. Unlike Square's, Al's offers an expanded grill menu with steaks, burgers, chicken and pork chops. Both restaurants sell take-home and vacuum-packed meats for larger occasions, and offer catering.

Have you tried the new joint? Leave a review in the comment section!

Pizza Inn... The Sequel

2011-04-06T13:42:00.001-07:00

Abilene will soon have a second Pizza Inn restaurant, chief photog Andrew Carlson reports.

Building permit records indicate Pizza Inn is building a new restaurant on Ridgemont Drive near Lowes and Outback Steakhouse.

This will be the second Pizza Inn in town, joining the one on North Judge Ely Boulevard that opened last year. The opening of that restaurant marked Pizza Inn's return to Abilene after several years.

New Jason's Deli Opening in Abilene

2011-03-11T12:54:00.000-08:00

Jason's Deli is opening a second location in Abilene near the northside Walmart between Dollar Tree and Cato.

It's scheduled to open in July.

Owned by the same franchisee, Kirk Jeffries, the restaurant will have the same menu as the one on Catclaw Drive in South Abilene, but will have more parking and more seating inside. The decor and layout will be different as well.

The restaurant will be hiring approximately 70 new employees, Jeffries said this afternoon.

He's excited about expanding and servicing that area of town with the restaurant and with catering.

Construction will begin in April.

Fresh Meets Old-Fashioned at Rancho Loma

2011-03-07T11:33:00.000-08:00

My handsome date and I made a short hour and 15 minute drive from Abilene for dinner on Friday night. Heck, why not?

He'd heard about this tasty, intimate, set-menu restaurant outside of Coleman called Rancho Loma, and eagerly made a reservation.

I, myself, had reservations as we drove farther and farther into the middle of nowhere. What kind of fine dining experience could possibly be found in such a remote area?

Photo from Google, submitted by owner

Once we pulled in, I instantly fell in love. The farm house, which according to the website was built in 1878, looked completely up-to-date. Charming strands of lights laced between the stone restaurant and the surrounding trees. Chickens clucked in the not-too-distance, although it was too dark to see where the sound was coming from. Two big, sweet dogs greeted us as we got out of the car, store-bought wine in hand. The outdoor lounge made me wish we'd gotten there early enough to enjoy it in the daylight.

Photo from Google, submitted by owner

The inside is every bit as fresh/modern/Old West as the outside, with sleek leather dining chairs, large vivid photographs, and a creaky wooden floor.

I wish I'd written down exactly what the set menu was, but I'll have to rely on my memory. The five courses were: peppercorn pate and bread, white asparagus soup with pine nuts, risotto with fresh mint and peas, lamb chops with white beans and two choices of dessert! I can't for the life of me remember what the desserts were called, but one was a baked meringue with yuzu cream and fresh blueberries and the other was a slice of frozen chocolate goodness. I believe it was $65 per person, plus a $5 corking fee.

The menu changes weekly, and you can find it on the website. You have to make a reservation first, as there are only 34 seats.

I can't wait to go back in the summer time when we can enjoy the outdoor area, listen to the sounds of nature and pet those lovable dogs, which got cuter with each sip of wine! ;)

(Free) Breakfast for Dinner

2011-03-01T11:08:00.000-08:00

In celebration of National Pancake Day, IHOP restaurants nationwide will offer each guest a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes in an effort to raise awareness and funds for Shriners Hospitals and other local charities.

This year, IHOP is hoping to stack up more donations than ever before, with a goal to raise $2.3 million, for a total of more than $7.65 million six years with its National Pancake Day fundraising effort. To find a local IHOP or to donate online, visit http://www.ihoppancakeday.com/.

For every delicious short stack of buttermilk pancakes served on National Pancake Day, IHOP guests are invited to make a donation to Shriners Hospitals. Donations made at IHOPs in the Abilene area will benefit local Shriners Hospitals.

Quick Facts:
When: March 1, 2011, 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.
WHERE: Participating IHOP restaurants nationwide.

Let Lunch Come to You!

2011-02-22T11:21:00.000-08:00

No time to go out and grab lunch in Abilene? No problem, soon lunch could be coming to you.

The Shortbus Hot Dog stand is calling it "delivery on demand. "

You may have seen the roving vehicle at local events such as the 4th of July fireworks in Tye or at the Big Country Balloon Fest.

Now the couple that started it is making it a full-time business in Abilene beginning March 1.

You can have the bus visit your place of business for a $40 order minimum.

Short-Bus has over 50 toppings for hot dogs, and also serves sandwiches and nachos.

You can reserve the bus by contacting Shortbus Hot Dogs on Facebook.

Let them eat cupcakes!

2011-02-17T15:17:00.000-08:00

A new shop in Abilene is serving up sweet treats!

Sweet Celebrations is a new bakery in downtown Abilene.

It has 35 different flavors of cupcakes which rotate in availability seven days a week.

There are also specialty cupcakes including sugar free and gluten free options.

They also sell a variety of cakes, cookies and other baked goods and do specialty cakes.

The new store is in the 400 block of Pine Street.

Facebook
Website

Reported by: Morgan Bond

Squares' New Brand Opening Soon

2011-02-11T14:38:00.000-08:00

A new restaurant in southwest Abilene is nearing completion.

The signs have gone up on Al's Mesquite Grill on Buffalo Gap Road just south of Rebecca Lane.

The restaurant has the same owners as Squares Barbecue on Leggett.

Managers told us they hope to open around the middle of March.

Margarita, Anyone?

2010-12-22T13:13:00.000-08:00

TaMolly's Mexican restaurant in Abilene is hoping to add booze to its menu.

The restaurant on Ridgemont Drive is in the process of applying for its mixed beverage license which would allow them to sell liquor, wine, and beer on the premises.

The Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission requires interested businesses to post a sign showing their intentions sixty days before they are eligible to apply for the liquor permit.

If TaMolly's meets all TABC requirements, the business could likely start selling alcohol within 75 days.

Tru Blue Catering Opens "Bonterra Blu" in Clyde

2010-12-08T09:53:00.000-08:00

Mushroom ravioli with marscapone creme and duck confit.

Angus beef tenderloin with fig demi and stilton bleu cheese.

[I could go on, but I haven't had lunch yet and my stomach is begging me to stop.]

Chefs Joel Trueblood (left) and Steve Howard have opened a new restaurant on South 1st Street in Clyde called Bonterra Blu, serving "West Texas nouvelle cuisine."

Now, I haven't eaten there, but I can give you the top three reasons why I KNOW it's to die for.

3. I'm a sucker for ambiance. You can serve the best food in the world, but if you're serving it on a paper plate at a rickety table with a cheap-o sign hanging above the door, you can't sell me on it [read more about my fear of hole-in-the-wall restaurants here]. But check out this decor!
2. The menu changes from night to night or weekend to weekend, which I find terribly exciting.

1. I've had Chef Trueblood's food before through True Blu catering at various events in Abilene and it's not only unique, but very true to Texas and leaves you wanting more.

Bonterra Blu is open for dinner on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 5 - 9 p.m. You may want to call and make reservations first, though, because Chef Joel today told me he's booked for several holiday parties.

Bon appetit!

Photos from Bonterra Blu on Facebook

New Frozen Yogurt Shop

2010-12-06T13:48:00.000-08:00

Those of you with a sweet tooth can look forward to a new place for dessert in Abilene.

A new business called Nikki's Swirl Shoppe is moving into the former CitiBank location inside the University Hills shopping center on Judge Ely Boulevard.

Frozen yogurt will be served up next to the Sharky's burrito joint. The company says its yogurt is fat-free, gluten-free, and sugar free, and that there are only 25 calories per serving.

Nikki's Swirl Shoppe is expected to open next month.

Bye Dos Primo, Hi Papa Jack's

2010-12-01T14:44:00.000-08:00

A new Mexican restaurant opened in South Abilene this week in the place of an old one.

Papa Jack's is in the old Dos Primos building at Treadaway and S. 26th.

The owner says the menu is pretty much the same as Dos Primos, and it will be open for lunch and dinner six days a week.

Free Tacos at Jack in the Box!

2010-11-16T07:12:00.000-08:00

Um, so, basically that's it. Free tacos (two per customer) today from 2 p.m. to midnight.

What else...

Um...

You don't have to buy anything else. You do have to ask for them...

And...

Oh, it's not valid in Kansas City or San Antonio for some reason.

Yup, that's about it!

Holler if you love the United deli

2010-11-03T12:24:00.000-07:00

This is a press release from the company:

LUBBOCK, TX (Nov. 2, 2010) – InStore Buyer magazine, the only national business-to-business magazine covering the in-store bakery, deli and foodservice markets, announced today that United Supermarkets has received the 2010 InStore Deli Operator of the Year award.

InStore Buyer Assistant Editor Anna Comstock presented the award during a special ceremony today at the company’s headquarters in Lubbock, Texas. United’s Diane Earl, director of deli/foodservice, and Corporate Chef Chris Wilson accepted the award on behalf of the company.

United was chosen for the award based on recommendations from in-store bakery/deli executives across the country and the publication’s own panel of supermarket industry experts, Comstock said.

“We are extremely proud to honor United Supermarkets with this award – our highest honor and one that is bestowed upon the recipient by supermarket industry peers,” said John Unrein, executive editor of InStore Buyer magazine, based in Kansas City, Mo.

United was cited for its innovative marketing program, superior merchandising efforts at store level and dynamic multi-faceted approach to offering high-quality, innovative deli products geared for today’s consumers.

Schlotzsky's opening brings out the big wigs

2010-11-01T12:04:00.000-07:00

The new Schlotzsky's on Judge Ely Blvd. in north Abilene opened today, where the old Burger King used to be.

And the president of Schlotzsky's himself, Kelly Roddy, is there for the big event.

As we first reported in January, it's owned by the same fine folks who own the location on South 14th Street in front of Hobby Lobby.

There is also a Cinnabon located inside the restaurant, so you know it's smellin' good in that neighborhood.

The drive-thru opens at 7:30 a.m. for Cinnabon cookies, coffee and drinks, and the restaurant stays open from 10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Is this Heaven? No, it's The Turtle.

2010-10-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

It's no secret I'm a huge fan of Rahr & Sons beer. We first discovered it when we moved (back) to Fort Worth in 2006 and our friends led us to this dream world where an unmarked brewery in a sketchy urban neighborhood opens its taps every Saturday afternoon and serves free beer to TCU frat boys, bikers, homeless men, gals like me, and the occasional dude dressed like Jesus.

Rahr has come a long way since then, while its grass roots marketing (free beer every weekend creates a fiercely loyal customer) and local sustainability keep it from expanding faster than it can pour.

I could go on, but this blog is called Dining Out in the Big Country, so let's get back to business!

Last night, The Turtle Restaurant in Brownwood hosted an Octoberfest paired beer dinner, featuring German cuisine by Chef Curt Sassak and four of Rahr's brews (my favorite four, mind you!).
I've only been fortunate enough to eat at The Turtle once before, so I'm not sure what the regular Thursday crowd size is, but last night nearly every table in the small, brightly colored, eclectic eatery was filled.
Let's get to the food, shall we? Course #1 (pictured above) was a large portion of a mild Camembert cheese served with a pear and dried cranberry chutney, arugula, and a buttery baguette toast with a sweet balsamic drizzle. This course was paired with a 6 oz. serving of Rahr's Blonde Lager. The Blonde is a very tasty but light golden beer, malty and sweet. It went very well with the likewise mild and sweet first course. The food was delicious, although the portion was too large, considering we had three more courses to go!
Beer No. 2 was what made the 90-minute drive worth it: our only taste of Rahr's delicious Oktoberfest this year. Fritz Rahr (Rahr rhymes with bar) was there and visited our tables during each paired course to talk to us about the beers. We were very familiar with the tastes and with the brewing process, having toured the brewery more than once, but talking to the owner one-on-one was great.

Everyboy's doing an Octoberfest these days, and they're doing it earlier and earlier each year, Fritz said. So Rahr had to ramp up its recipe this year by increasing the alcohol content from 5.5 percent to ?? percent. I can't remember. Ha. The beer was a classic Oktoberfest, not too heavy, with its amber color and sweet, bready taste. Isn't it amazing when you don't know what you're tasting, then someone puts it into words for you, and "Aha..."? That's what happened when Fritz told me he couldn't overemphasize the breadiness of this brew. I got it.

The course was a Pederson-brand bison Polish smoked sausage with a warm, buttery potato salad. It was delish!
Course No. 3: A pork schnitzel served over braised red cabbage with spatzel. New word for me! It was a tender pasta with a bit of a mac-and-cheese nod. If I'm somehow defiling it with that description, please forgive me. And forgive the fact that I kept tearing into the food before remembering to take a photo!

This course was paired with Buffalo Butt, a red beer that compliments meats. "A burger and a Butt is what we always recommend," Fritz told a nearby table. Buffalo Butt is a dark amber, caramel-y beer that I like with spicy foods. The schnitzel, while very tasty, wasn't spicy. I actually don't know that I've ever eaten spicy German food. Oh, the epiphanies.
Hello, Gorgeous. Here, my friends, you have my favorite beer of all time, Ugly Pug. It's dark, somewhat sweet, chocolaty, with a bit of coffee. It's not as heavy as a lot of black lagers, but if I'm not careful I can accidentally make a meal out of this beer. And apparently it's great served over vanilla ice cream. YES, please.

The fourth course here is probably the most beautiful cupcake I've ever eaten, called a Macho Chocolate Cupcake, which is very cute considering a leopard-print chocolate medallion is far from macho. This doozie had a truffle baked inside and was swirled with a layer of buttercream icing. Tiny bites and tiny sips allowed this course to last a good half hour. My mouth said thank you.

And I say thank you to The Turtle and to Rahr & Sons for an amazing paired beer meal, which may have been my first ever! It was definitely my first Rahr pairing.

Turtle, I will return.

PS - Rahr is available at Brookshires grocery stores in the Central Texas area, at many locations in North Texas, and I believe at all Central Markets in the state. And apparently, it may be sold in Abilene and Lubbock sooner than later, but not all distributors live up to the standards Rahr & Sons holds for itself... so for now we'll continue to stop at World Market in west Fort Worth to stock up.

New Mexican Restaurant Open for Business

2010-10-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

Remember when the restaurant at Sayles and Danville was called Enrique's? Well those owners are back and have opened a new restaurant there called Don Enriques.

They've owned the building all along, and most recently leased it to Amanda's which closed its doors earlier this year.

If you've ever been to Henry's in San Angelo, which gets fantastic reviews, you'll already be familiar with what the same owners are going for here in Abilene.

New Subway Drive-Thru

2010-10-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

I don't make it down to the Abilene Regional Medical Center area very often, but did today and discovered a brand spankin' new Subway restaurant (with a drive-thru!) on Antilley Road right next to American State Bank and across the street from the hospital.

It opened on Sept. 9 and was sparkling clean and had a very friendly batch of Sandwich Artists. The new location is a stand-alone building and is very spacious with lots of windows.

(Aside: There is no Subway assembly team faster or more efficient than the crew at the Subway on South 14th. Next time I'll take my stop watch. I love them.)

The best part was we discovered the Subway Club Footlong is on sale for $5 right now! Can you say cheap eats?

I like the idea of a drive-thru, but all the options are so specific that I think I'd rather watch it be made.

Stephanie Harris, on the other hand, is all about the drive-thru Subway.

Would you prefer to order at the drive-thru or at the counter when you go to Subway?

That's Jacked Up!

2010-10-04T11:14:00.000-07:00

We received this email from a KRBC viewer named Trish and I thought I'd share. I changed a few parts to make it a little shorter and easier to follow:

I contacted the Jack-n-the-Box manager about 3 months ago and informed him that his price on the drive thru sign ($2.49) didn't match what the register was charging ($2.59) for their Bacon Cheddar Potato Wedges.
I visited the restaurant a couple more times that week and spoke with 2 other people that said they were the managers. All three time I refused to pay the higher price and twice they gave me the lower price but the 3rd time they wouldn't honor what the sign said so I left and didn't purchase anything.

I finally sent a letter to the corporate office and received a letter apologizing for the problem and they would notify the store. I went out there again a month ago and the problem was the same.

I again notified the corporate office and as of today I have not heard from them. On Friday evening I was out there again and the problem still has not been fixed.I know 10 cents is a minor problem but I am wondering how many other items they have prices displayed yet are charging a higher price. This is false advertising and with the economy like it is, is this Jack-in-the-Box's way of making people feel they are not paying high prices for food.

So what do you think? Would you keep going back? Would you care if an item was a dime off? Is it customer manipulation or an honest mistake?

Cinnabon-sation!

2010-09-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

Imma be rolling down my windows on Judge Ely from now on.

Everybody and their mother (okay, a handful of people) are buzzing about the new location opening Saturday inside the new Schlotzsky's on Judge Ely.

This will be Abilene's only Cinnabon location. There's one inside the Schlotzsky's in Sweetwater on I-20.

Okay, so what Schlotzsky's on Judge Ely, you ask? It's the old Burger King location next to Rosa's.

The grand opening is scheduled for Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

Skeet's coming to Abilene

2010-09-15T13:53:00.001-07:00

Skeet's grill is opening up a new location in Abilene, across from the Wal-Mart on Southwest Drive.

This will be Skeet's fifth location, but the first in A-Town. There are two Skeet's Grills in Sweetwater, one in Snyder, and one in Merkel.

Employees say they're hoping to open on October 1.

While they offer a wide variety of food, and we hear the chicken fried steak is to die for, the staff says its ribeye steaks are the customer favorite.

Menu Changes Cause Stir at Starbucks

2010-09-14T03:59:00.000-07:00

While going through the Starbucks drive through on Monday, my wife noticed some changes...and apparently she was right (for once)! The cheap drinks have been removed from the menu! Here's more from USA Today:

What a difference a new sign makes.

At Starbucks (SBUX) drive-throughs — one-third of the chain's 11,000 U.S. stores have one — newly redesigned outdoor menu boards advise customers that they can buy Grande (16 oz.) and Venti (20 oz.) sized beverages. Curiously, the signs no longer mention the smaller, cheaper cup size that's still for sale: Tall (12 oz.).

This has set the blogosphere abuzz. Some believe Starbucks is being sneaky — nudging hurried, drive-through customers to spend a tad more than they might have intended.

While Starbucks' same-store sales have grown nicely the past year — following very difficult years in fiscal 2008 and 2009 — the brouhaha comes as the restaurant industry is desperately searching for ways to boost traffic and sales. Some 44% of restaurant operators reported a same-store sales decline in July, the National Restaurant Association says.

But Starbucks officials strongly insist this isn't about nudging sales. They say the change is actually something that drive-through customers have requested — a simplified menu board. Starbucks shrank the number of items on drive-through menus from 70 to about 25. The change was made at all drive-throughs on Aug. 31.

"We are not being sneaky," Starbucks spokeswoman Deb Trevino says. "We did it because our customers were frustrated with the difficulty of reading our drive-through menus."

What's more, she notes, drive-through customers can still order Tall beverages. For that matter, they can even order Short (8 oz.) drinks, which aren't posted on menus inside or out.

But Robert Passikoff doesn't buy it for a minute. The founder of Brand Keys, a brand consulting and research consultancy, says Starbucks is playing fast and loose with its customers.

"It's disingenuous to suggest that how they simplified the menu was to benefit the customer," he says. "I don't know why you'd suddenly drop your cheaper item off the menu."

Click here for the rest of the article

Get Abilene Company on Food Network

2010-08-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

Here's an email I received from Tasha DeKarske, who owns ShortBus Hot Dogs with her husband. They are trying to be on Food Network, and want your help in doing so!

We and have been nominated to be on Season 2 of The Great Food Truck race on FoodNetwork. We are the only truck nominated in the Big Country! We're hoping to drum up some community support with your help! To determine the finalist for season 2 there is a voting period and it's open right now until September 10, 2010.
You can go to: www.foodnetwork.com/foodtrucks and click on the link to VOTE (it's under the video box). On the voting page you can scroll by truck name or click on Texas on the map. The map will show you visually all of the trucks that were nominated in Texas.
We have participated locally with several events including the Balloon Fest last year and this year, 2 years at the Tye celebration, and several other smaller events around the Big Country.
We hope to hopefully put Abilene on the map with the FoodNetwork!

So if any of you have tried the ShortBus hot dogs, you might want to consider giving them a little help with this Food Network thing!

Arrivederci, Tuscany's

2010-08-25T09:22:00.001-07:00

Tuscany's Coffee House on South 1st Street will serve its customers for the last time on Friday.

The owner said it's unfortunate, but he needs to focus his time on other opportunities.

Almost everything inside Tuscany's will be on sale Friday, Sept. 3 beginning at 7 a.m.

All you can eat extravaganza!

2010-08-12T09:59:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to announce that Genghis Grill, a Mongolian stir-fry restaurant, will be opening a store here in Abilene in December!

It will open where the old Luby's stands on Clack Street. The restaurant hopes to be open before the end of the fourth quarter.

At Genghis Grill you pick your raw ingredients from a buffet, hand them to the chefs at the grill, and they cook it up for you and bring it to your table. There are 70 choices, with proteins, seasoning, veggies, sauce and starches.

From its website: According to legend, 12th century Mongol warriors, led by the mighty warrior GENGHIS KHAN, heated their shields over open fires to grill food in the fields of battle!

I love it, because you can control your own portion size and nutritional value. And, when you go back for seconds (which I've never done because I'm stuffed) you can cook up something totally different.

Other locations feature a fully-stocked bar, so it becomes a big hangout.

Check out photos of the restaurants on Genghis Grill's Flickr account.

Sugar and Spice

2010-08-05T10:38:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of the homemade chips at Alley Cats. In fact, I was on my way there Tuesday for lunch with two other Alley Cats lovers and a new hire who had never been there. We spent the entire car trip telling her how good the home made chips are, describing the thin, salty, seasoned and semi-sweet goodness.

But when we got there, after upgrading our wraps to include chips and a drink, we were told they were out of homemade chips. So, BBQ Lays would have to do. Boo!

Today I needed to run an errand downtown so my date and I decided to head to Alley Cats again, since we were still craving the chips 48 hours later.

Alas, they're still out.

This sounds rude, but we turned around and walked out. Not because I don't like Alley Cats, but because we'd already been there once this week. They did have a delicious looking build-your-own burger bar with all kinds of tasty-looking toppings, but I wasn't in a burger kind of mood. I was in a wrap with salty/sweet chips kind of mood!

So my date and I walked to Cypress Street. They have good homemade chips, right?, we asked ourselves.

C'mon, say it with me in the Twix guy's voice --
OHHHHH YEEEEAH.

I got the blackened chicken wrap and my date got the club. Both came with a heapin' helpin' of homemade chips! I think these are a lot sweeter than Alley Cat's chips, and may actually have enough granulated sugar in the seasoning mix that a diabetic should inquire about it. I should have asked what all is in the seasoning.

So, which restaurant has your favorite homemade potato chips? Alley Cats or Cypress Street? Or maybe you crave homemade tortilla chips and salsa from somewhere?

BBQ Journeyman Reviews Sweetwater's Bucks

2010-08-04T12:37:00.000-07:00

A blogger-slash-barbecue lover is tracking his meat-filled journey around Texas and writing about his sticky-fingered experiences, and recently stopped at Buck's Steaks and BBQ in Sweetwater.

Here's an excerpt from TexasBBQJourney.blogspot.com.

The Brisket was the absolute finest I have had in years. It was perfectly cooked, tasty and "cut with a fork" tender and moist. The Ribs were long, thin and full of meat. The flavor of the Ribs was good and they were cooked well with just the right amount of fat and meat to be pleasing to the eye and easy to eat. Click here to read the rest of the review, which now makes me want to go there!

Graham McFarland tells us: "Texas BBQ Journey is one man's journey to review and report on one of the greatest Texas comfort foods of all time, BBQ. Discover the many BBQ joints around Texas and find out which ones are worth the trip."

McFarland has only reviewed three BBQ joints so far, so we'll see whether Buck's makes the must-visit list.

Free Whataburger on Tuesday!

2010-08-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

Found this on Whataburger.com. Ok, let's be honest, I "found" it on Facebook and "confirmed" it on Whataburger.com.

Free Whataburger for our 60th Birthday

Pull out your best orange outfits and wear them with pride. We’re celebrating our 60th birthday on August 3rd from 5pm-8pm. Just stop by your neighborhood Whataburger, show off your orange and get a free Whataburger.

New Restaurant Opens Shop in Cisco

2010-07-31T21:05:00.001-07:00

From the Cisco Chamber of Commerce:

The Cisco Chamber of Commerce welcomes our newest chamber member, Barbwire Grill and Café. Owners Lovey Moore and Danny Foster are cooking up some fine food for the locals and the county. Some of the favorites are Chicken Fried Steak, Hamburger Steak smothered in brown gravy and onions, Lemon Pepper Chicken, and their famous Barbwire Burger. For lighter fare, they have an all you can eat Salad Bar. They are open Monday-Thursday 11 to 8, and Fridays 11to 9. On Saturday and Sunday they are open from 7 to 2 with a Breakfast Menu along with their Full Menu.

Barbwire Grill and Café is located in Cisco at 303 Interstate 20 East. Their phone number is 254-442-2300.

Carino's Launches Low-Cal Kids' Menu

2010-07-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

Copied from Carino's news release:
Carino’s Italian restaurants today announced the arrival of its new kid’s menu featuring dishes that are all less than 500 calories. The new kid’s menu illustrates Carino’s Italian restaurants commitment in providing healthy meals to children as the nation continues to combat childhood obesity.

“Since the inception of Carino’s Italian, we have been providing guests with freshly cooked dishes and many healthy choices from our regular menu,” said Creed Ford III, CEO of Carino’s Italian. “With the new kid’s menu, parents can be assured that when they dine at Carino’s their children are served healthy and delicious dishes.”

Created by Chef Chris Peitersen, Executive Chef at Carino’s Italian, the new kid’s menu features the following specialty dishes:

* PIZZA PASTA -- Chopped spaghetti tossed with tomato sauce, topped with sliced grilled chicken, pepperoni and mozzarella

* CHICKEN & BROCCOLI PENNE -- Penne with sliced grilled chicken and broccoli with alfredo sauce

* KIDS PANINI -- Mozzarella and turkey grilled panini sandwich served with mandarin oranges; Also available as plain cheese panini

* PIZZA DIPPERS -- Cheese pizza slices served with tomato sauce for dipping

* GRILLED CHICKEN -- Grilled chicken with spaghetti and tomato sauce or Italian vegetables

* CHEESE STUFFED PASTA -- Cheese stuffed pasta with tomato sauce

“Children’s well-being and their health have always been important to Carino’s Italian,” said Chef Peitersen. “We are excited for our young guests to try the new items on the kid’s menu. This is proof that healthy meals can be tasty meals.”

Buffalo Wild Wings is back open

2010-07-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Boneless wings with medium sauce and a side of bleu cheese for everyone! Ok, that's my usual. But you can go get whatever you want now that Buffalo Wild Wings is back open for business after about six weeks of renovations (building and staff alike). Now my Wednesday nights can be complete again!

UPDATE: Buffalo Wild Wings is set to reopen for business on Friday.

It's been closed since June while the owners renovated and redecorated it. A big portion of the staff was also replaced.

Original post: On June 6, Buffalo Wild Wings in Abilene will close for renovations and redecorating. It's expected to open back up for business in mid-July.

I, for one, will be very sad while it's closed! My husband and I go there almost every single Wednesday night. Yes, there's karaoke, but that's not why we go. It just works with our schedules and we love having a place like that to unwind!

I don't know what redecorating will be done, since almost every inch of the place is covered in cool memorabilia and interesting posters, so that'll be something to check out.

If only it was expanding into part of the old Circuit City! That would be awesome. Our old hangout, the BWW in Bossier City, was really huge and that's the first thing we imagined when we read the sign saying there would be remodeling. But marketing manager Larry Sanders says that's not the case.

By the way, we had an awesome time there last night for the Biggest Loser watch party! Yes, there were cheers for Melissa and Lance, but we probably all cheered louder every time a Randy Turner commercial came on. I didn't check to see if Randy was cheering for himself too...

Blue Taco Listed for Sale

2010-07-15T16:11:00.000-07:00

Abilene's Blue Taco restaurant has been listed for sale on restaurants-for-sale.com. The website lists the price at $110,000 and says the business generates $375,000/year.

The listing says:

"Blue Taco is a fast casual restaurant located in Abilene Texas. The restaurant has a small but very diverse menu. Large burritos, Tacos, and Taco Salads with many topping choices. Very simple operation We also sell Margaritas out the drive thru and inside. Great consept for expantion to other locations."

Blue Taco is located at 4500 Buffalo Gap Road. It opened in 2009.

Click here to read the complete listing

Relocation

2010-07-14T11:57:00.000-07:00

When a restaurant shuts down it doesn't just affect regular customers, it affects groups that meet at those locations on a regular basis.

That's the case with Amanda's Restaurant and Cantina.

Keep Abilene Beautiful board members usually met at Amanda's once a month and went dutch. Their meeting last Monday had to be canceled when Amanda's shut down.

The group took its business then to Golden Corral. Of course the manager of Golden Corral hopes it becomes the new permanent KAB meeting location.

Heck, it would make separate checks easier, right?

Perini House Manager Lands State Honor

2010-07-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

Squares BBQ Opening New Location

2010-06-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

Squares BBQ on Leggett and South 1st has been operating in Abilene for more than thirty years...And the owners are excited about adding another location on Buffalo Gap Road.

Construction is already underway.

The new restaurant is expected to offer more than just BBQ. And the owner says the new food joint might not be called Squares.

The new restaurant is expected to open sometime after the first of the year.

Cafe Rico in Eastland

2010-06-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by Tim Caldwell

With the family a few hours away, we usually try and meet up at least once a month. Sometimes to make it easier on everyone we will just meet in the middle and get something to eat together. Most of these trips are along I-20, making it easy to find somewhere to eat along the Interstate access road. This trip was on a Sunday though...and most restaurants in Eastland were closed. Rather than give up and go with fast food, we decided to drive towards the square and see what we could find. Shortly after passing through the square we came up to Cafe Rico. There weren't many cars in the parking lot...so we asked a family who was pulling out of the parking lot if they were open. The family replied "Yes....and the food is fantastic." As they pulled out I saw the "My child attends Eastland ISD" sticker in the rear window...I figured they are either related to the owners of the restaurant, or this really is a good local find...off the beaten path.

When we came in the place was empty, but the smell of grilled fajitas was all I needed to know that the lack of people didn't bother me. Between the 3 of us we had the fajitas, quesadillas, and enchiladas. The fajitas were amazing. They included plenty of sides with nice warm tortillas. My only complaint is that I could have eaten a dozen more of those tortillas...but that wouldn't have left enough room for me to sneak food from the surrounding plates to taste. The quesadillas filled an entire plate, and were almost as good as my fajitas. The tortillas surrounding the shredded chicken cooked just enough to have a crispness to it...without being overdone. There was enough meat on the inside, that a fork was a handy utensil to clean up what you lost in the normal quesadilla eating process. Our waitress was great. There anytime we needed her, but not overanxious.

Overall the food was excellent, the service was great, and it was nice to eat somewhere that I-20 wasn't just outside the window. If you are ever in Eastland I recommend driving into town and checking it out.

Oil Spill Forcing Oysters off Abilene Menu

2010-06-23T14:31:00.001-07:00

An Abilene favorite for seafood won't be serving oysters soon. Here's a snippet from a recent CNBC article:

Red Lobster will soon take oysters off its menu, after its supplier was forced to shut down due to oil spill in the Gulf.

Darden Restaurants' said Red Lobster's supplier, Ameripure Processing Company, in Franklin, Louisiana, shut down late last week, because it was no longer receiving oyster harvests.

The shortage of supply is driven in part by the expanding ban on fishing in the Gulf of Mexico federal waters. The federal ban area this week reached nearly 87,000 square miles, or more than 36 percent of the Gulf of Mexico.

Mary's Paleteria

2010-06-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

Mary's Paleteria. I am ashamed to say that, after passing it for more than two year, I popped into Mary's for the first time the other day. I'll admit, it's hard to go wrong with ice cream when it's scorching outside, no matter who makes it. Still, Mary's seemed to have an edge over store-bought ice cream and even the ice cream truck with its child-like, tinkling chimes (Sorry, Ice Cream Lady. Please still come around!).

I ordered a double scoop ice cream waffle cup--one scoop of raspberry, one scoop of pistachio. It was delicious! I honestly don't know if the ice cream itself was what made the experience so enjoyable or if it was the atmosphere. I did rather enjoy the festive wall art and the fact that I was demographically the minority.

The ice cream isn't all that's offered at Mary's. My husband ordered fruit and cream. It was a bowl of just that--fruit and cream. He thoroughly enjoyed his too.

Whatever the weightiest draw, Mary's has an evident appeal that will give you that mom-and-pop charm and inevitably cool you off on a hot, Summer day.

Reviewed by Megan Dobbs

New spicy chicken sandwich

2010-06-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

Scott Burkhalter was one of the lucky few who got VIP access to Chick-fil-A's new spicy chicken sandwich event yesterday, and wrote this review doe Dining Out in the Big Country.

Some eateries have tried to make a spicy sandwich, which usually involves a spicy sauce, or dry spices being added to their regular chicken sandwich just before serving it. I'd heard good things about the new spicy chicken sandwich at Chick-fil-A before my taste buds met the new offering. Yep, its true...Chick-fil-A did it right. They added the spices to the chicken and batter before they cooked it, which made the flavor very even... and woah was it good!? The extra steps they may take more time and money, but it makes a better product. The experience of it was also like no other restaurant I've ever frequented. They had VIP tables set up for those who had reservations to try the new sandwich, and they also had someone come by and ask for our opinions. It was already free, but since they felt they interrupted us during our meal, they gave us each 2 coupons to come by and try the sandwich again for free. So, 3 free sandwiches per person in all. Does any other restaurant do that when they introduce a new menu item?

Thanks for the review Scott! The new sandwich hits stores on June 7.

In-N-Out Coming to Texas...Yeee Ha!

2010-05-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

You've seen it on TMZ...now you can experience it firsthand (if you're willing to drive a few hours!).

In-N-Out is coming to Texas..Garland, Texas, specifically.

According to the city of Garland website, the planning commission approved for the first In-N-Out location in Texas east of Lavon Drive and south of Town Center Boulevard.

Last month, In-N-Out's VP of Planning and Development for In-N-Out, told a D Magazine blog, "We are, in fact, working on a few site opportunities in the market," he wrote. "However, it is still very early in the process so it would be premature to comment on any specific sites and very premature to speculate as to if/when we might actually be doing business in the Dallas area."

In-N-Out currently has locations in California, Arizona and Nevada.

It's best known as a celebrity fast-food hotspot...when celebrities actually eat burgers, that is.

Another Chick-fil-A Coming to Abilene?

2010-05-21T06:09:00.000-07:00

Another Chick-fila-A could be coming soon to Abilene. That's the word on the street, anyway...

As soon as Java City announced it would be closing its doors later this month, people started tweeting and e-mailing us about the possibility of Chick-fil-A taking over the property.

A Chick-fila-A big wig in town, who we'll keep nameless for now, said there's nothing to report quite yet.

While it may not be a done deal, it's certainly the rumor swirling around town....

For those of you who experience the chaos that is the Southwest Drive Chick-fila-A drive-thru around lunchtime, you'll probably join me in saying: we welcome a new location!

So Long, Java City

2010-05-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

Correction: It will close on May 25. Apologies for the error.

Java City will be closing its doors next week, we learned this afternoon.

"Thanks for letting us serve you for six great years," management said.

The Ambler coffee shop will close on May 26.

What's your reaction?

New tenant coming to old Furr's Cafeteria

2010-05-10T11:50:00.000-07:00

Looks like a new restaurant will be filling the empty void left when Furr's Cafeteria moved out of its building on Clack Street in 2007.

Peterson Realtors says the building is under contract, but declined to say who put the contract in.

Leave a comment with which restaurant you would guess is moving in, and if anybody happens to get it right I'll give you a prize. Could be a hat, could be a coffee mug... TBA.

Taco Casa Open for Business

2010-05-05T04:44:00.000-07:00

Abilene has a new option for fast Mexican food: Taco Casa!

The new location opened next to Cracker Barrell along I-20 earlier this week.

So what's the big deal with Taco Casa? I don't know! I haven't had it yet....

However, some people seem to swear by it. Local twitter user Tarah Toney called it "the best thing to happen to Abilene since Starbucks." If you ask me, that's a pretty bold statement!

I'm told from folks who visit Taco Casa locations in Wichita Falls that it's similar to a Taco Bell. However, Casa gives you more food.

Who knows... Have you tried it yet? What do you think?

Ronnie Ingle cooks up a mean barbecue!

2010-04-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

Reported by Megan Dobbs

This has become my go-to joint here in Abilene. It's at 3919 S. Treadaway Blvd. I had often passed Ronnie Ingle's when traversing through town, and I thought every time, "I should stop in and eat there someday." Finally, several months ago, I popped into Ronnie Ingle's after work one day and ate.

Ronnie's joint is a small, unpretentious one. When I walked in, a sweet-looking, white-haired woman said in a motherly voice, "Come on back, sweetie. What can we gitchya?" I quickly realized the couple in the kitchen--on the only ones in the kitchen, mind you--were Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie Ingle. Mr Ingle seems very jolly and very Texan. I ordered a chopped-beef sandwich. Immediately, Mr. Ingle got out a huge hunk of meat and a big 'ole knife and got to chopping. I liked watching him prepare what I was about to eat. I love a good barbecued meal. Ronnie's is the best barbecue I've had in Abilene so far (though, there is one other highly popular b-b-q place in town that I've yet to try).

So, I love the brisket, and I equally enjoy the atmosphere. As I mentioned, its rather modest, but it feels like home to me. There have never been more than a few people in there when I've had lunch at Ronnie's. And, those few people are always at one table together, chatting and sharing life stories. Even the first time I ate there, the lunch group brought me into their conversation like I was a regular. Every time I'm there now, Ronnie says, "So, yer back for some more of our wisdom? You know you leave here smarter ever time!" I love the lunch groups. Mr. and Mrs. Ingle sit with the lunch group each time, by the way.

Perhaps the reason I like Ronnie's so much is that it really does give me a feeling of home. I grew up in a small town East of Dallas. Every restaurant in the town I grew up in was like Ronnie's--modest and pleasant with home-style cooking. So, maybe I am partial to the atmosphere, but one thing I know is that Ronnie Ingle cooks up a meeeaaaaan barbecue!

Free pretzels at Pretzel Express!

2010-04-26T10:26:00.000-07:00

Here's what I spotted on the Mall of Abilene's Facebook page today:Have you ever had a pretzel from there? Here's your chance to try one for free!

Free Stuff on Tax Day

2010-04-14T12:58:00.000-07:00

Starbucks is offering free brewed coffee if you bring your own mug.

Cinnabon, with one Big Country location (Sweetwater), is giving away two free bite-sized cupcakes from 6 to 8 p.m.

At IHOP, kids eat free for dinner with the purchase of an adult entree all month.

For more free stuff (in Metroplex locations), go here.

Best of the Taste of Abilene

2010-04-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

2010 marked my second "Taste of Abilene" event and I wasn't disappointed. I don't think anyone who attended could've been...For $30, it might be the best food investment you can make in town.

Here are my winners and losers from the big night.

Finger Lickin' Good - Famous Dave's Ribs: I had a couple bites of these things, but couldn't finish! When you're trying to load up on food, who has room for all that rib meat? However, everyone around me said they were A+

Best Presentation - Tru Blu Catering: Their table looked almost as good as their dessert. If you noticed they ran out of brownies, you can blame my table. I think some people had a few too many of those!

Most Talked About - Copper Creek's Cheesecake: Everyone was talking about the cake...even today.

Had to Get Thirds - Zookini's Steak: The samples were so good, yet so little. I can't feel bad about getting thirds when they were just tiny samples on toothpicks, right?

Surprisingly Scrumptious - Taco Bell Quesadilla: I didn't expect to get seconds from Taco Bell's quesadilla, but I certainly did! With the addition of some "fire" hot sauce, it was just great. I'll have to make a run for the border sometime.

Fast Food Fave - Arby's Chicken Salad: My wife said she stopped by the Arby's table out of chance and ended up loving what she found. She said their chicken salad is among the very best she's had...and might be a tad better than Chick Fil'A.

Best Sampling - Little Italy/Szechaun/TaMolly's: If my mind serves me, I remember these places each bringing four different things to sample. Now that's service!

Best Steak - Zookini's: How can you bet against Outback Steakhouse? This time, I must. Zookini's had the best of the best on this evening. What I got from Outback was a tad overcooked and Zookini's was mouth-watering tasty!

Most Popular - Lytle Land & Cattle/Sharon's: Theses places may have received more accolades if I could've gotten any closer to the table. These tables had more traffic than a Justin Bieber concert. I was able to walk away with one piece of sausage and that's all...

Too Afraid to Try - Middle East: I had two things from Middle East that I loved....I got their third item (something wrapped in what appeared to be a cooked leaf) but didn't have the heart to actually eat it. Was it good?

A Little Fishy - Perini Ranch: Perini is absolutely my favorite, but it could've been better on this night. The catfish I got was a tad cold...and cold fish isn't very tasty. The nod goes to Red Lobster for best seafood fare.

Cold, Bust Still Tasty - Mr. Gatti's: My pizza looked a few too many hours old, but who's counting?

Best of Show - TSTC Taco: I'm not sure what was inside that miniature shell, but it was greatness. It had to be the most innovative dish of the night. The taco was to die for, but the crab cake was memorable for all the wrong reasons. However, I look forward to much more to come from TSTC's culinary department. Yum!

Subway Serving Up Breakfast

2010-04-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

All the buzz at the South 14th Street Subway today was about its new breakfast menu. The restaurant now opens and 7 a.m. and serves up about half-a-dozen early morning options. The menu ranges from a Western & Cheese Omelet Sandwich to a Egg White Muffin Melt.

Basically, Subway added egg and muffins to the menu. They're putting the egg on either the muffin, sandwich bun, or flatbread and making you a delightful breakfast sandwich. They've also added Seattle's Best coffee.

For the time being, you can get a muffin and coffee for mere $2.50. I tried the breakfast a few months ago at a truck stop, and it was quite tasty. It's definitely worth a try!

Free Pastry Day at Starbucks

2010-03-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

I love me some Starbucks pastries! And they'll be free Tuesday up until 10:30 a.m.

You have to buy a beverage to get it, but it looks like any drink will count. And, it looks like you get your choice of pastries, so you don't have to get stuck with something free that you don't actually like.

Print this coupon or save it to your mobile device and show it to the barista.

Happy Tuesday!

http://www.starbucks.com/blog/4983/free-pastry-day

Snow cone mania!

2010-03-18T14:49:00.001-07:00

It's no secret around here that Brittany Pelletz is obsessed with snow cones. She even made us put in today's news that snow cone stands are starting to open!

Hard Rock Snow Cones on Judge Ely Blvd. is open for business in the afternoons. We also here there is one on South 14th near the Shell station that's already open.

What's your favorite local snow cone stand?

.

The fastest lunch in Abilene?

2010-03-18T11:32:00.001-07:00

Just from my personal experience, I've found that Red Robin is the place to go for a quick bite that doesn't feel quick.

Each time I go, and that's 2-3 times a month, we're in and out in half an hour, if we choose to be. The service is super fast without feeling rushed... IF you don't go at a busy time of day. We usually get there around 11-11:15 to beat the crowd. If you go on a weekend or right at noon, you'll probably get slower service. But the wait staff is really attentive and the food seems to take very little time to prepare.

Now, my husband and I have dined at Pernini's for dinner for less than we spent on today's lunch at Red Robin, but it's always delicious and fast... and I guess that'll cost ya.

It's Back!! Pizza Inn Returns to Abilene

2010-02-25T18:52:00.000-08:00

As a youngster growing up in Arlington, Texas, I lived right down the street from a Pizza Inn. I can't remember which night it was, but my mother would take my brother and I once a week to eat the buffet. We didn't go out to eat too often, so I always looked forward to it. The best part: getting a couple spoonfulls of pudding off the salad bar for desert!

Years later, I enjoy pizza buffets -- probably, because of fond childhood memories. My wife, on the other hand, despises them. She says they're "gross" because food is sitting out everywhere and there's only type of food available. Huh?

When I heard the new Pizza Inn was open off Judge Ely in Abilene, I had to check it out for myself. The place was absolutely packed with guests...and with employees. I joked with someone that there was an employee for each pizza on the buffet. They were so busy keeping the pizza's organized that one worker moved the pizza tray out from under me as I tried to put a piece on my plate.

As for the pizza, it was pizza. It wouldn't call it amazing, and I wouldn't call it bad either. It was better than Cici's and not quite Double Dave's.

The atmosphere of the place was decent. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but they did have a couple flat screen televisions showing two of my favorite channels: news and news (Fox News and CNN).

If you're in the area (in front of the old Cisco College), check it out. It's worth a try...

As I was leaving, they placed Buffalo Chicken Pizza on the buffet, and I didn't get to sample it! If you go, have a piece for me!

Lunch au naturale

2010-02-22T08:43:00.000-08:00

I tried the Natural Foods Center in Abilene (on South 7th near Rose Park) for the first time on Saturday, and I will DEFINITELY return!

The food was so good and was reasonably priced. In fact, my husband just asked me if I'd like to go back for lunch today. (Maybe later in the week.)

I got the special which just said "Salmon and Avocado with Wasabi" or something. I had no idea what it was going to look like, but figured the ingredients sounded good. It turned out to be two types of salad served with chips and lettuce. One salad was salmon with avocado, onion, pineapple and who knows what else. The other was avocado with onion, papaya and maybe cilantro? It was kind of strange to be eating two different salads of the same consistency, but both were tasty.

My husband got a burger, which he really enjoyed. The whole lunch cost $15. Not bad at all!

The Natural Foods Center is really large, but the restaurant portion takes up much more room than the store portion. I was also surprised not to find produce... maybe I missed it or maybe it doesn't sell fast enough or something.

There were dozens of tables set up, and about half of them were full at 1 p.m. on a Saturday.

I'm excited about Thursdays there. They have live music and serve tapas, both a la carte and a la fixed price menu. Sounds great, and can't wait to go back! (Well, I guess I CAN wait a couple of days, at least.)

Use Twitter for great dining deals

2010-02-01T15:11:00.000-08:00

Do you use twitter?

Yes - skip to paragraph 3 (Twitter isn't too popular in the Big Country yet)
No - oh, are you missing out on some deals! Keep reading.

First of all, you don't have to sign up to see what people or businesses are writing on twitter, but you do have to sign up to see more than one person at a time. Then, just find who you're looking for and click "follow" and their tweets will show up on your home screen.

Not sold yet? Check out this pretty little micro-example of what deals are out there if you follow the right people. Unfortunately, this is a screen grab, and not an actual feed so you can't click on it. But if you want to be able to interact with these local savings, go to http://twitter.com/bigcountryhome/local-businesses.

Do you want @bigcountryhome to follow you? We love finding out about what's going on in the community in 140 words or less. And if your tweets involve me getting something for cheap, all the better. Ha!

New Schlotzsky's in north Abilene

2010-01-22T11:51:00.000-08:00

The old Burger King at North 10th and Judge Ely is going to become a Schlotzsky's.

It will be owned by the same people who own the sandwich shop on South 14th. The owners expect to have the new place open in a couple of months!

The building next to Rosa's has been vacant for a while.

Zoo-Kini's Offers Lower Price Salad Bar

2010-01-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

I was pleasantly surprised at Zoo-Kini's today when the waitress told me I could make one trip to the salad bar and bread station for $5.99.

All-you-can-eat salad bar is normally $6.99 and I think it's $7.99 if you add the bread.

I talked to the manager who said they'd continue the $5.99 deal if enough people say they like it. He made sure to ask our opinion about it. I told him that with the advance warning, I was able to pile up my plate and was stuffed at the end of the meal.

He said with everyone raising their prices these days, they decided to offer a cheaper option to the customers who only make one trip anyway.

Yay for that!

Little Italy Offers Limo Pickup

2010-01-07T12:11:00.000-08:00

Has anyone else out there in Blog Land noticed the older, white limo parked outside Little Italy at South 14th and Winters Freeway?

We did a little investigating for this here Dining Out blog, and found that $95 dollars will get you and your date a ride to the restaurant, dinner, and a ride home.

Do you think it's a deal?

_

Abilene Gets New Mediterranean Joint

2010-01-05T11:37:00.000-08:00

Abilene will soon be home to a new Mediterranean restaurant called "Middle East."

It is located on South 14th Street, right near our studios. It's in that shopping center next to Little Caesar's and Card & Party Factory.

The owner, who recently moved to Abilene from Iraq, will offer traditional Mediterranean cuisine, including felafels and hummus.

The owner says he's hoping to open in the next 4 to 5 days.

The Middle East restaurant will be open seven days a week from 9 am until 10 at night.

Top Rock Band Endorses Abilene Restaurant

2009-11-20T18:44:00.000-08:00

Four-piece rock band Papa Roach has sold more than 10 million copies of it music worldwide. When the group visited Abilene for a concert Friday, members could obviously have gone anywhere...or requested anything. So what did they dine on? La Popular.

Papa Roach guitarist Jerry Horton posted the following message on his Twitter page:

"La Popular Bakery & Cafe in Abilene. Some of the best Mexican food!"

Not a bad endorsement, huh? I'm guessing Horton has had some of the best Mexican food in the country.

If you're interested, you can get all sorts of behind-the-scene details on the Papa Roach concert and trip to the Big Country from the band, crew, etc. by searching "abilene" on Twitter.

The picture you see with this blog entry was a twitterpic posted from the sound check earlier in the day Friday.

Free Whataburgers on Tuesday

2009-11-09T14:41:00.000-08:00

What-a-deal!

Anyone who comes dressed in orange to any Big Country Whataburger will get a free Whataburger. Free. Just the way you like it.

There are a couple catches. You must wear an orange piece of clothing. Hats and accessories don't count, a press release from the company specified. You also have to be a dine-in customer. No blazing through the drive through in your jail jumpsuit.

"Orange Night Out" is part of a new company initiative called "Whataburger Serves," geared at helping customers, employees and their families. In fact, employees' family members got to eat for half price on Sunday.

Orange you glad I read through all my press releases?

Check this out, too! Great coupons from your favorite Abilene restaurants -- sit down and fast food included. http://www.discountabilene.com/Restaurants.html.

Luigi's Replaced after 5 Months...

2009-11-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

Out with the tomato sauce, in with the sour cream.

Luigi's In-and-Out, a five-month-old pizza joint with wings and a drive-thru option, has shut down.

The old nail salon building at 3280 South 14th was remodeled and opened in June as Luigi's. The restaurant offered tasty yet inexpensive pizza, but less atmosphere than a church cafeteria. I only went there once, but my husband got Luigi's pizza to go at least once a month.

We've discovered that it's being turned into a place called Little Joe's Fajitas. The new owners applied for a certificate of occupancy last Thursday.

We'll see how this one does!

Cypress Street Brewery Open for Business

2009-11-01T18:57:00.000-08:00

The wife and I had a chance to stop by Cypress Street Station on Halloween before "The Shining" played at Paramount. To our surprise, the Cypress Street Brewery was already open for business. They listed three brews on the menu: a blonde or pilsner, wheat, and boch-style.

When we lived in Fort Worth, Laura and I were fortunate enough to visit the Rahr Brewery for Saturday tastings. The Rahr crew has brewed numerous award-winning beers, and that made us more adventurous in always trying new beers, so we like to think we're "experts." What we discovered at Cypress wasn't amazing. It definitely wasn't bad either.

We ordered a beer flight that showcases their three brews and a fourth which was a combination of the dark and wheat beers. Each glass was probably 3 ounces and the flight ran $4.50: comprable to the price of a single beer. Here were our thoughts:
　
Pilsner: a little hoppy with a slightly bitter after taste. It seems like the flavor is okay but needs refining.

Wheat: I hate wheat beer, so I was ready for this to be bad...and it really wasn't. It tasted like a richer version of some other wheat beers I've had. I've had bad wheat beers with unpleasant aftertastes and this was not one of them.

Boch/Dark: not a lot of taste but what it has is good. This brew has some chocolate tones and was a little bitter in aftertaste.

Mixture (random fourth beer): not bad, not great. It didn't have the bitterness of some of the other beers.

Bottom line: I like having this new option in Abilene. I don't think I could drink this beer on a regular basis, but it's definitely worth the ocassional visit. If you'd like to check it out for yourself, I'd recommend the wheat or mixture.

Cypress also offers some unique beers you won't find anywhere else in town (except for H&H). My favorite choice is the Dog Fish IPA brew...talk about a hops party in your mouth!

Salad Bar Battle

2009-08-17T11:57:00.001-07:00

When I have that "it's a salad day" feeling, three great salad bars in Abilene come to mind.

Jason's Deli, Zoo Kini's and United Supermarket on S.14th.

After filling up today at Zoo Kini's I decided to do a little comparison. But that's hard, because all three serve very different lunchtime purposes.

1. Jason's – I have to say, my best tasting salads come from Jason's because I love their dressing, the spinach and field greens are always fresh, and they have a huge variety of crunchy toppings, raisin/nut trail mix being my favorite. My taste buds are definitely most satisfied after a trip to Jason's. Breads, crackers, puddings, etc. are included in the price. However, it's often extremely crowded, and fighting a salad bar crowd is never fun. It's also extremely cold in there. Which makes me reluctant to award bonus points for free ice cream! $6.99, all you can eat.

2. Zoo Kini's – I can get the most full at the Zoo Kini's salad bar. There's a great selection of veggies that aren't necessarily just salad toppings, and you get a large variety of fruit to choose from. Try the red grapes with a bleu cheese crumble for a healthy dessert that's to die for! Bread is not included in the price (unless I'm totally missing something) but being able to make as many trips as you want, and get great service, means I always leave happy and satisfied. Of course, you don't have to tip at Jason's... oh well. $6.99, all you can eat.

3. United – Here you pay per ounce, which is handy, but can add up fast. I always get this to go, since it's not far from my office and is a much healthier "quick grab" than fast food. It also has fruit, but only one choice. It's also difficult to compartmentalize your food here. The to-go boxes aren't sectioned, so you get cottage cheese on your lettuce, ranch on your melon... You get the picture. This salad bar has the smallest selection, but I'm loyal to it because it's always fresh, tasty, and super convenient! $4.99/pound.

Please let me know which other salad bars I can try out in town!

Restaurants Lowering Prices

2009-08-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

Many local restaurants are lowering there prices to increase business these days, particularly on lunch specials.

Chili's, for example, is offering a deal where two people can have an appetizer, two entrees and a dessert for $20. Chili's manager Curtis Johnson said he's already seeing results, with increased foot traffic.

"We were down in sales and company wide and in the last three weeks we have seen an increase in business," he said.

Many of the local establishments are seeing positive feedback and will continue the meal deals as long as the tables keep filling up.

Reported by: Kailey Franz

Papa Roosters offers free samples

2009-07-23T10:37:00.000-07:00

Papa Rooster's Grill, one of Abilene's newest restaurants, is giving away free food on Friday!

Maybe folks here at the stations are excited about the new Papa Rooster's restaurant because it's right across the street. Maybe we just think it has a cool name. In any case, you can probably find a few of us moseying over there tomorrow for free samples of the food.

http://www.paparoostersgrill.com/

The owners have a pretty interesting story, which they emailed to us. I will post it here:

Abe Delgado and his wife Rubi had an idea and business plan. The only thing missing was a name. After plenty of research for available business names, family and friends voted for the favorite name via email and online. Ultimately, the name Papa Roosters Grill was picked and available. The name fit perfectly considering the house specialty is Mesquite grilled Achiote Rub chickens or ribs. What is achiote rub you ask? It is our special rub.

Being Abilene natives Abe and Tony Delgado knew the Papa Roosters concept would be new to Abilene. Abilene is filled with all the traditional Bar-b-Que and traditional Mexican food Restaurants. They wanted to bring something new. What they brought was a Mexican style Bar-B-Que. A little of both in one. The difference is the special Achiote rub used on all mesquite grilled chicken and ribs. The rub recipe includes traditional Mexican spices and additional family secret recipes. This is a unique flavor only found at Papa Roosters! The sides included ranchero beans, rice, and a mesquite grilled onion.

Free samples will be available on Friday July 23, 2009. We will be drawing for free grills, Office Party and other prizes. Several radio stations will also be there.

Papa Roosters Grill, LLC. Specializes in Mexican style BBQ. It is located at 4621 South 14th and is open weekdays and weekends from 11am to 9pm. Dine-n, call-in, and takeout available.

Free McDonalds Monday!

2009-07-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

For three Mondays, starting today, McDonalds is offering any of its hot or cold mocha drinks for free! With a purchase of course.

This only lasts through August 3rd. The deal is good from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

http://www2.mcdonalds.com/mccafe/index.html?TargetSection=Products

Let's let the Big Country know how we like them!

Here's what we want you to do: go get the free drinks and leave comments here, reviewing them. Compare them to Starbucks drinks, if you'd like.

Spano's Specials Shine

2009-07-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

I should begin by saying I come from an Italian family. I love Italian food. I grew up eating grandma's homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs. It takes a lot to impress my Italian taste buds.

I've been to Spano's a few times now. On my first few visits, I had either spaghetti or chicken parmesan. They were good -- but nothing to call home to mom about.

This past weekend, I received an e-mail stating their special would be a flank steak, Gorgonzola, balsamic pizza. I'm the kind of guy who thinks a great pizza consists of marinara sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. However, this special sounded spectacular.

The wife and I decided to split the pizza and Spano's homemade manicotti. The menu made it sound like a house special, so I figured I needed to venture beyond the "spaghetti and chicken parm safe zone." Come to think of it: is there anything unsafe about manicotti?

Anyway, this meal completely changed the way I think about Spano's. The pizza was one of the best I've ever had -- and the manicotti was melt-in-your-mouth delightful. Everything tasted exceptional. Now, I'm anxious to try additional dishes on the menu.

Spano's sends out a weekly e-mail highlighting weekend specials. I've received this now for a few months and the specials always impress me....I just haven't had a chance to stop in and try them. If you enjoy adventurous meals you won't often find anywhere else in Abilene, I suggest you sign up. Food in Abilene can often be "meat and potatoes." Spano's specials stand out from the pack!

All Aboard the Perini Burger Bandwagon

2009-07-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

I'm a bandwagon kind of guy. The Dallas Mavericks start to win games...I become a fan again. Everyone starts to talk about a movie...I go see it. Michael Jackson dies...I listen to Jackson music all day. Perini's Ranch wins a burger battle on "The Today Show"...I want to eat the winning burger. In fact, I might be driving the bandwagon.

With family in town for the weekend, the wife and I traveled to Buffalo Gap to enjoy the winning recipe. My wife has had it before and enjoyed it. My brother ate it when he came through town and said it was overcooked and decent. Enough of everyone else's opinion. I needed to try it out for myself.

Because of a business boom related to the NBC appearance, it took about an hour to get our food. No problem. It turned out to be worth it! The burger was beautifully season and cooked to perfection. I loved the sourdough bun. The fixins' were great -- although I wasn't a big fan of the green chiles. It was definitely one of the best burger's I've had.

On top of the great food and atmosphere, a visit to Perini's doesn't have to be expensive. The three of us ate for less than $30.

I'd recommend everyone to head down the Gap and try the burger for yourself (although many of you probably already have!)...just learn from me and wait until the bandwagon moves out of town.

Copper Creek Gets a Menu Makeover

2009-07-01T10:05:00.001-07:00

The wife and I visited Copper Creek last night and were pleasantly surprised to see a menu makeover. Many of the dishes are still the same, but you’ll find some new offerings as well. The most notables: more steak and fish options. It looked like they were offering a few new sides as well.

My wife ordered a salmon salad that’s no longer on the menu but was one of her favorite. Our waiter said they can still make anything on the old menu. As always, the salmon was cooked well and she enjoyed the salad.

I ordered one of their new steaks: an $18 sirloin. Now, one could argue that’s a little steep for a sirloin steak. You can get a pretty decent one around town for around $10-$12 with sides, etc. However, this one was worth a few extra bucks if you happen to have it sitting around. The season was extremely flavorful…maybe a little too much.

I was most impressed with the fact that I ordered it medium…and it was actually medium! I don’t order steaks that often. However, they always seem to be well done no matter what. This sucker was cooked beautifully. Very tasty!

I’d suggest checking out the new menu when you get a chance. The service is always great! Copper Creek may easily be Abilene’s best restaurant. I’m going to have to visit The Turtle in Brownwood again (I went for lunch) to see if Cooper Creek is also the Big Country’s best.

$2.50 Pizza!!!!!!!!!!

2009-06-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

$2.50 for fresh pizza?!? You have to be kidding me, right? Not so...

The brand-new Luigi's In-and-Out is offering any one topping, 10-inch pizza for 1/2 off. That means $2.50!

I was driving down South 14th toward Subway when I spotted the half off sign. After doing what's likely an illegal u-turn, I had to try it out. The atmosphere inside Luigi's isn't much of an atmosphere. But who cares when you're about to get a $2.50 pizza, right?

After waiting about 10 minutes, I got a freshly made canadian bacon pizza. It was fantastic! It's not the best pizza I ever had, but it's pretty darn good. Did I mention it was only $2.50?

I'm not sure how long this special will last, but it's certainly a better deal than a $5.55 pizza, pizza. Try it while you can!

Big Boy's BBQ in Sweetwater

2009-05-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

If you've read my past post, you know I DO NOT like hole-in-the-wall restaurants. But I read great things about Big Boy's so I figured, why not!

We drove up to the tiny tin shack, located next to an abandoned bowling alley and I felt the butterflies in my stomach. This is NOT my joint, I thought. But my husband was really excited so I sucked it up. This is a picture I took from Google because I can't find the memory card from my camera.

We drove over a couple massive potholes, passed the seven huge pickup trucks, and went in.

The restaurant was decorated in really a cute southwestern/sunflower motif. There are no more than 12 tables inside. Once we ordered, my food came out on a white paper plate and my husband's came out on a Valentine's Day plate or something. Looks like they use whatever they have on hand. Ok, I'll get to the point.

The chopped beef sandwich I had was GREAT. The bread was super soft and had a sweet taste and I just loved it. The sauce was great, too. My potato salad left something to be desired, but the sandwich more than made up for it. I've heard their cole slaw is good, so I should have gotten that.

Anyway, two thumbs up for Big Boy's! Sorry I judged the book by its cover.

Dos Amigos vs. Dos Primos

2009-04-13T18:36:00.000-07:00

The time has come for the final verdict on this tasty little blog that's been a few weeks in the making.

...Dos Amigos vs. Dos Primos...

Dos Primos...
This joint's exterior is a little questionable looking but once you get inside, that's soon forgotten. It's a colorful place with a cute little bar and dining area... Small but it was quite the happening place when we went a few weeks ago. The whole gang joined - Katherine, Tyler, Michelle, Mark our producer and my date Jordan. We all ordered different things and the general consensus was all thumbs up. Chips and salsa were great. Service was friendly but a tad slow. I ordered an enchilada and a cup of tortilla soup. Both were great. The enchilada was especially delish! Chicken with Ranchero sauce.. Great! The tortilla soup was good - not the best I'd ever had but a great deal and a healthy portion for the price.

...Overall, my opinion is it's a good spot! The price is just a fraction higher than most mexican joints of it's kind in town but I think it was worth it. Another bonus: Nice bar with clearly posted daily drink specials and some really good mouth-watering tecate on tap... Not to mention the fab looking margaritas! I'll have to go another night to test the drinks.

Dos Amigos...
It's a cute place. I like the authentic mexican style of the sitting area in the entry and the general feel of the place. There is a little bar tucked away in there that looked pretty nice but I didn't make it through the saloon doors to check it out. Chips and salsa were sub-par to my taste buds. I'm not a fan of sweet salsa and this salsa was on the sweet side. The enchiladas were OK but the rest of the meal was uneventful for me. I'm not hard to please so I was a little disappointed but I like to give a place the benefit of the doubt. Maybe it was an off night... It comes highly recommended to me so I may have to give it another shot.

THE FINAL VERDICT...
DOS PRIMOS wins in my opinion! I want to go back and try a margarita and their chile rellenos, which are all the talk in KTAB's weather center. I was left with a great impression from the upbeat environment and fantastic flavor. Dos Amigos deserves a second chance for me but this battle has been fought and Dos Primos didn't need a second round.

Fugi's Japanese Steakhouse

2009-03-23T14:32:00.000-07:00

A group of reporters and I headed to Fugi's for lunch today. A little shabby on the outside and a in a strange location but inside it's a cute little place. Great lunch specials for a hibachi joint. Today was my second visit and as such is a testament that the following story did not deter from returning to Fugi's but there was certainly a recovery period...

My first visit to Fugi's was a few months ago. The boss, some others from the station and I went out together to welcome me to the station. It was a fun lunch and everything was going just fine until Andrew's order was wrong. He ordered chicken, they cooked steak - no big deal. They bring out some fresh chicken (raw) in a bowl and the chef dumps it on the grill and sets the bowl aside. Meanwhile he is cooking tons of other things on the grill... steak, rice, veggies and shrimp. He realizes that he has cooked too many shrimp and offers shrimp to everyone at the table. A few accept and he tosses some shrimp into the bowl the chicken came in........... RAW chicken JUICE and all... I guess the rest of the table didn't realize it was raw chicken juice... He serves the shrimp and some eat them... Luckily no cases of salmonella turned up in the station but a few of us were certainly perturbed by the incident. I'm not saying Fugi's has flawed health standards or should be shut down or anything of that sort... Maybe that server/chef should just be a little more careful.

So I returned today for the first time... Ironically, we received the same chef! He did a great job this time. The food was great.

My recommendation... try it I guess...

Chaotic Night at Carino's

2009-03-15T13:06:00.000-07:00

I'll always have a little connection to Carino's Italian. When I met my wife, she worked at the location in Denton, TX. I spent a few night's there eating and try to impress her.

We've been a few times since moving to Abilene. Most of the visits have been good. Our latest trip would be characterized as maybe, a little bit, kind of good?

First and foremost, the menu has changed! Some of the changes are great. They now offer "mini" versions of appetizers, so you don't have to spoil your meal. They also have a number of new dishes that looked great (http://www.carinos.com/menu/default.aspx). On the downside, the prices seemed higher than the last time I went. I wouldn't be surprised if most plates increased by a buck or so.

On this night, I ordered the new Grilled Italian Sirloin. It's a steak doused in a mushroom marsala sauce. It comes with a side of green beans and your choice of pasta or potatoes. I decided to be difficult and asked for pasta and potatoes instead of green beans. What can I say? Waiters tend to hate me. Compared to most other meals, it's not too bad of a deal at $13.99.

After about 20 minutes of waiting, I was told the kitchen was out of potatoes. No biggie, I decided to get a double side of pasta.

After another 20 minutes, we asked our waiter if I food would be coming anytime soon. He looked confused and didn't respond. A little strange...

A few minutes later, we checked with a manager who said he'd go hunting for our meals.

After about an hour of waiting, our food arrived! Needless to say, we were ready to down some grub. Unfortunately, my meal didn't come quite as advertised. My "medium" steak was well done to the second power...and where was the fancy mushroom sauce on top of my steak? Nowhere to be found. I could've made this meal at home!

In the end, the meal wasn't horrible...it just took all evening to get it! The manager was kind enough to offer us dessert for free, but we had somewhere else to be and declined. He still took care of us -- giving us 10 dollars off.

In the end, no real harm done. Next time, we may be more inclined to head to Spano's or Olive Garden when we have a hunch for Italian.

A Trip to the Tavern

2009-03-06T18:23:00.000-08:00

Since I'm Catholic, eating out on Fridays can be a challenge; I have to go meatless.

As a lover of all things meat, I basically have a few options: Italian, Mexican, or the dreaded seafood!

I've been to the Seafood Tavern a few times but only eaten there once. In fact, I had a steak during my previous visit.

When I checked out the menu, I was a little surprised by the prices. Warning: this place isn't cheap! It's tough to find a meal for below 10 bucks.

During this trip, I decided to go with the Shinerbock Fried Shrimp with a side of fries and salad with blue cheese dressing. The salad and bread were great -- the shrimp was pretty darn good -- the fries very well could've come out of a freezer. I was satisfied with the meal, but I wouldn't have it again because of the $12 pricetag.

My wife had the stuffed salmon. Her meal started with lobster bisque which she said was pretty good. Her salmon wasn't anything particularly special. She said the stuffing didn't have much of a taste. However, she absolutely loved her side of mixed veggies. The side was well prepared and seasoned! I believe this meal was a little more expensive...somewhere around $15.

The place is pretty good, but you better go on payday!

Hungry Girl Seeks Good Recommendation

2009-03-03T08:26:00.000-08:00

My husband and I recently drove from Abilene down to Austin for a wedding. On the way back, we really wanted to taste some Big Country cuisine!

Always looking for good local flare, Austin (the husband, not the city) tried to scout out a good place when we approached Brownwood. We saw Underwood's Cafeteria, which was packed, but we weren't quite hungry enough.

Then, we passed Lone Star Steakhouse in Santa Anna. Looked great from the outside. I can't remember why we didn't stop there. If I'm wrong about the name, please correct me!

So, up to Coleman we headed. Austin sent a text to Randy Turner to see what he would recommend, since he calls Coleman home. No response. At least not quickly enough. We didn't have a map of Coleman and didn't know where to go from Hwy 84 and didn't want to get lost.

So the point of my rambling is that I'd love someone to recommend a great place to eat between Brownwood and Abilene!

JOE'S Pizza, Pasta and Subs!

2009-02-11T13:39:00.000-08:00

Joe's is a great little italian place behind the mall off of Buffalo Gap. They serve fast italian but great stuff in the genres of pizza, pasta and subs. I'm a long-time fan of the Joe's movement. They have tons of these located all across the Dallas-Fort-Worth area where I'm from and I was pleased to find out there was one here in Abilene. It was the first place I dined at when I moved to town and I'd consider myself a regular these days.

Katherine Lane and I paid the little place a visit last night. We both got the house salad (you have to get it with the house dressing) which is my favorite salad in town and it comes with this garlic bread that makes a great compliment while you wait on your food. Everything is made fresh and it has a very New York feel and flavor to it. Last night I ordered the meatball sub and Katherine ordered the baked ziti... both were absolutely scrumptious! It was too much food for us girls but it was hard to stop because it was so good! We recovered from our full stomachs with newsroom coffee a slow night at the station.

My recommendation... GO! It's great, affordable and has the best house salad in town!

Sharon's BBQ

2009-02-09T14:04:00.000-08:00

Sharon's BBQ, I've found out is pretty well known in the Abilene area. Michelle Dapper and I had a few minutes while we were on our way to a live shot at the expo center on friday night and we were STARVING so we made a pit stop at Sharon's. It was my first time but Michelle had been before. We decided to get two different things and spit them both. Michelle got the chopped brisket and I got the sliced sausage sandwich and a variety of sides between the two of us. The BBQ was great! Some of the sides were really to die for as well. They have a corn side... it's creamy with corn and jalapeno chunks and who knows what else but the flavor was great. Also their potato salad was interesting - different but top notch as well.

From what I understand, Sharon's serves fantastic bread. We were a tad in a rush so somehow this little detail was overlooked but the bread comes so highly recommended that I'll have to make a return trip.

Overall, great BBQ joint. I'm not the biggest fan of BBQ normally but this place surpassed my expectations. Check it out if you're not already a fan.

Brick Oven Pizza Company

2009-02-02T14:37:00.000-08:00

So conveniently located at the intersection of S. 14th and Winters Freeway, Brick Oven Pizza Company is a little Italian place that shares a shopping center with Hobby Lobby and Abuelos. I'm not sure what my affinity is to these little hole-in-the-wall joints but this was quite good as well. They have an entire selection of different pizzas that range from adventurous to standard. I went for a pizza called "The Favorite" with cheese, artichokes, peppers, onions, tomatoes and more - a delish combination of flavors. The little restaurant appears to be one of those come order your food at the counter and sit down with it kind of places but it's not. They have servers in matching uniforms and a salad bar that is small but has everything you need.

Overall, great food with a mediocre atmosphere. Great for an affordable lunch date and Oh yes - they had a small selection of beer and an even smaller selection of wine but they had it nonetheless so with that combination of things, they win my vote. Check them out!

Spano's: 30 Minutes or It's Free!

2009-01-20T09:20:00.001-08:00

Spano's launched a new business lunch guarantee today.

Here's the message we received:
"At Spano's we know your busy thats why we are offering a 30 minute lunch guarantee! In and out in 30 Minutes or I'll buy your lunch!!
Were just 3 minutes from downtown, and 8 minutes from the mall area!!!"

Sounds like it may be worth a try for a free lunch, huh?

La Popular...

2009-01-19T14:18:00.000-08:00

I had lunch today and La Popular. They have 2 branches here in Abilene. I drive past one frequently over off of S. 14th near the station. However, their main branch appears to be the one off of Pine on the north side (another hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint on the north side - beware Laura!). This one was a little different - more of a fast-food place. The location on S 14th has a drive through for your convenience in case you are on the go. We went to the one on the north side which has a pretty large area to sit down in. I ordered a "supreme burrito" - I had been hearing how incredible their burritos are and admired one that a friend was eating one day so I thought I'd give it a whirl. It was great. lettuce, tomatoes - all fresh tasting. I enjoyed it. If you like spicy salsa this place would be great for you and apparently they sell it by the pint if you're interested. One questionable note that could make some skeptical it their use of some questionable meat... I've indulged in the Mexican culture a tad myself so I sort of know better than to order a meat whose name is not familiar to me but some may not feel so discerning. Well La Popular is pretty true to it's Mexican roots and a friend found out the hard way that his favorite meat there actually comes from the head of a goat... So it may taste delicious but I wouldn't highly recommend being adventurous with your order unless you know what you are getting into.

OVERALL... Burrito was great. Service was speedy and they make fresh lemonade and sweet tea that is to die for.

Why do hole-in-the walls scare me?

2009-01-09T13:21:00.000-08:00

I'm sure I'm in the minority here but I absolutely dread going to little hole-in-the-wall restaurants, especially if I've never been there before and most especially if none of my dining companions have been there. My husband will drive up to a little Mexican restaurant in a strip center and I will literally sit in the car and mildly panic. Sometimes I convince him to drive off.

We had friends come visit from Dallas and they'd heard rave reviews about Harold's. When we drove up, I had to force myself out of the car. I stood in line with my heart beating quickly and ordered the first thing I saw. Turned out to be delicious, of course, but that didn't matter.

Hole-in-the-walls make me so nervous! I have no idea what scares me so much. It has nothing to do with health or food safety. I don't really notice cleanliness. I just don't like a place that doesn't have more than one (preferably dozens) of locations! Even though I'm a total cheapskate, I would rather eat the cost of the professional sign outside and matching uniforms for the waiters.

Maybe it's because I spent five years of my life serving up entrees that looked exactly the same at my restaurant in Denton (or Arlington or Grand Prairie) as they do here in Abilene. When I go to Spaghetti Warehouse, the Turin Trio might have gone through a few name changes in the last 10 years, but it's still a hunk of lasagne, a splatter of fett alf and a big ol' piece of chicken parm. (When you work at a restaurant you never say the entire word. It's so not cool.)

Theoretically, I would support a small business over a big one any day. I think it's great when people have the vision and the guts to open their own place and it's even greater when they're successful. But I still can't convince myself that I want to eat at a place like that!

Is anybody with me?

Los Arcos

2009-01-07T18:46:00.000-08:00

Tonight was my first experience at Los Arcos, a very small little mexican restaurant on the north side. It's all the rave around the station so I was encouraged to check it out. Our director Russel and reporter Megan Dobbs joined me for the experience. Russel is a long time fan of the joint but for Meg and I it was our maiden voyage into what turned out to be a very tasty evening. Our meal started with chips and salsa. Salsa is a tricky thing for everyone - I'm not going to say it was fantastic because I believe that is strictly left in the eye of the beholder. However, to my taste buds it was delightful. Not a chunky salsa, spicy (but not too spicy) and had a great tomato/cilantro mix...overall a pleasing product for me. Another plus on the salsa - everyone got their own bowl so it was germ friendly and you could double dip to your heart's desire.

I ordered a combination platter with a chile relleno, a chicken enchilada and a taco, served with rice and beans. The whole thing was only six bucks and I couldn't finish it all. The relleno was great - seemed to me it was made fresh- very tasty. The chicken enchilada, however, was fantastic! The red enchilada sauce was a flavor I've never had before but it was great and combined perfectly with the flavor of the chicken - which was also great.

Overall, my review is... affordable... fresh... delish... and they serve beer which is always a plus. I'm going back for sure.

Check it out - it's off of ambler on the north side.