El Kiosko

This Mexican (not Tex-Mex) snack chain now has a location in our neighborhood.  I stopped in the other day for lunch--while they advertise as a snack place, they do have food you can make a meal from.

I had the Torta de Bernal, a Hot Cheeto Crunch, and a cucumber agua fresca for a drink.  The sandwich is shredded pork in a Jalisco style sauce, with mayo, lettuce, tomato, beans, crema, and avocado.  The Jalisco style sauce is sharper and smokier than barbecue sauce, and went well with the fixings.  The sandwich is toasted, so it was nice and crunchy.  Very tasty, I would get that again or try the Torta Cubana, which includes sausage.

The Hot Cheetos Crunch is a kind of parfait--sliced strawberries, hot cheetos, lime juice, two kinds of hot sauce, and a strawberry sherbet layered in a cup.  I have to say it was not really my thing, but it was lovingly and intentionally prepared so if you are expecting these flavors then you will like it.

The cucumber agua fresca was good, a tasty alternative to a soda.  I always like to get agua frescas with this kind of meal.

The menu at El Kiosko is absolutely huge.  They have troles (snow cones), hard ice cream, ice cream bars with preparations, and lots of snack combinations.  It's kind of overwhelming, but gives a lot of room for adventure.  They are being very safe--no dining in right now, and all employees correctly wore masks.  Service is efficient and polite, I am glad I gave them a try.

My Yelp Review

Tony's Italian Deli

This restaurant has a new location in our neighborhood--I stopped by the other day to give it a try.  They are all about Italian sandwiches and salads, hot or cold.  Most of the sandwiches have Italian celebrity names--I had a Lucky Luciano, with Genoa salami, sweet Italian sausage, pepperoni, marinara sauce, roasted red peppers, topped with provolone cheese.  It's served open faced on a crusty roll.  I thought it would be a knife and fork sandwich, but the roll held up well and I was able to pick it up.  The sausage is ground fine, and the cheese held it all together.  The whole thing was absolutely delicious, a great blend of flavors.  I have to say it's one of the best Italian sandwiches I've ever had.

I also had a pasta salad and a cannoli.  The pasta salad was very heavy on the balsamic vinegar, olives, and vegetables, not very much pasta.  I prefer more pasta so it wasn't my thing, but it was OK.  The cannoli had a very good pastry shell--thick enough to handle but very crisp.  It had a ricotta cheese and sweet cream filling with chocolate chips, a maraschino cherry, and sprinkles.  The filling was very sweet, I couldn't taste the ricotta at all.

The fountain has the usual suspects--they are a Coke shop.  They also have the soft ice we all like.

I'd go back there for a sandwich and chips any time.  Maybe try a different dessert.

My Yelp Review

Pastel Pizza

I stopped by this new location for a well known business recently.  They have moved this truck from downtown out to a new food truck plaza in Spring.  

This is not a place for a slice of pizza!  They sell empanadas and other filled pastry, including pizza fillings--thus the name.  I got a ground beef pastel, an Especial pizza pastel, a mandoca, and a nutella pastel for dessert.  Washed it down with a malta--a South American malt beverage.

A pastel is a lot like an empanada, and this truck sells empanadas also.  The ground beef pastel was very tasty, great flavor and good pastry.  The pizza pastel had a variety of meats and cheese, and tasted like a much better version of a pizza pocket--not bad, but I preferred the traditional one.  The pastels came with a dill sauce that complemented the food very well (I've had some that are overwhelming).

The menu says a mandoca is a fried plantain item.  Looks kind of like a fried froyo.  It was supposed to come with cheese, but unfortunately mine got left off.  I didn't miss it too much--the texture was more like a dense donut, and it tasted sweet like one too.  It worked as dessert for me.

That's a good thing, since the nutella pastel was pretty nasty.  It soaked the pastry and made it really tough and gluey.

Malta is a very traditional and popular drink, but I had never had one before.  It's a brewed soft drink, and I think is probably an acquired taste.    It was OK for me.

My Yelp Review

Texas Darbar Cafe

I stopped by the Gosling Express food truck plaza the other night to try this new food truck.  It's a very nice setup--they have their own seating area, including a lounge for the hookah if you want that sort of thing.  The service is very professional and attentive.

I had the combo shawarma platter, which was a very generous serving of both chicken and beef shawarma over yellow rice with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and a white sauce.  They have it in three heat levels--I went with mild.

I took the dish with me and it traveled well.  The salad and main course components mostly kept their temperature on the trip home so I can recommend this for takeout.  The chicken shawarma was just OK--not a lot of flavor and slightly dry.  But the beef shawarma was absolutely delicious.  Perfectly seasoned thin sliced beef with a whole lot of flavor.  I loved every bit of it, and would absolutely get that again.  The yellow rice was a very nice complement to the dish, which is good because there was plenty of it.  There were a few triangles of pita bread which were OK but kind of an afterthought.

They have creamsicles for dessert.  I had a Malai, their classic creamsicle.  It was delicious cream with just a hint of a spice I can't quite place--not quite vanilla, maybe something from Indian sweets?  In any case it made the item stand out.  The desserts are kept in a very cold freezer so they won't melt quickly on you.

They have a lot of other interesting items on the menu, including sandwiches and masala fries.  I'll be back for more sometime.

My Yelp Review

#8:46 Resto Bar

We got a family dinner from here the other evening to try this new place, in the location where Brazilian Joe's used to be.  The menu is mostly fried seafood but they do have a few other items.  We had the Cajun pasta, a fried fish and shrimp combo, and a burger, with sides of red beans and rice and cheese sticks.

Cajun pasta: I like my pasta al dente and this was a bit past that, but that's pretty normal.  The sauce was good and the chicken and sausage were tender and tasty.  You can add shrimp but it's a $12 upcharge, which seems like a lot.

The burger was very tasty and well-cooked, and prepared to our specifications with cheese and pickles.  The fries were slightly underdone but well seasoned and traveled OK.

The fish and shrimp combo was well-prepared.  The shrimp were in a nice crisp batter.  The fish had a good crust also, and was tender inside.

The cheese sticks were fine, nothing real unusual.  The red beans and rice were a real standout in the meal--seasoned and cooked perfectly, these are a standard other places should live up to.  Whatever else you get there, you need to get the red beans and rice.

A few overall notes:

1) The theme of the food is salt--lots of salt.  I like my food on the salty side, and since it is correctly cooked it tastes pretty good.  But the chicken and sausage in the pasta were near burning with salt, and most of the menu had it pretty heavy.  The one exception was the red beans and rice--this dish was perfectly seasoned, not too much or too little salt.

2) The portions are very generous.  The pasta would have served three people comfortably, and the burger was huge.  One piece of fish would be more than enough for most folks.

3) The food looked nice in the containers and we got everything we ordered.  That doesn't always happen.

This restaurant is definitely open but a bit hard to reach right now.  The Yelp number is the owner's personal phone and the one in Google is not working.   The hours above are also not right.  Swing by for dinner on most evenings and you're golden, and they also have Sunday brunch starting at 11.

Overall it's a pretty good choice, particularly if you like to drink beer with your food--you'll chug a little extra.

This restaurant identifies as Black-owned and LGBTQ+ friendly on its Facebook page.  The name is a reference to George Floyd.

Guasakaca

I visited this food truck the other night at its new location behind the Gosling Express convenience store.  On that night it was a one-man operation so the service was a bit slow, but not too bad.  

I had a pork pepito basket with a papelon con limon.  My fries were something of a disappointment--limp and not very many, but my friend who ordered a side of fries at the same time said hers were better.  The sandwich was pretty good--tender pork with a generous amount of a tasty dill sauce, along with cheese and some other condiments.  It's a good thing the sauce was good, because between the dill flavor and the amount it pretty much overwhelmed the rest of the flavors.  The roll was good, a nice crusty one that allowed you to pick up the sandwich easily.  I liked it fine.  My friend had the burger, which was a decent basic burger except for the cheese not melting properly.

The papelon con limon was OK--probably made with turbinado sugar.  I've had it with brown sugar and liked that better.

The truck has a very broad menu, covering Venezuelan, Tex-Mex, and even Asian dishes.  I would say it is worth a try if you are branching out.

This was my first time to visit the Gosling Express food truck court at a busier time.  The parking gets awkward--the lot was completely full and starting to get unsafe, but the tables were not really that full.  Maybe a lot of people came on their own?  There's a great choice of food--I'll be back for several more reviews--and an outdoor bar.  Unfortunately they emulate nightclubs by playing music (tonight it was electronic dance music) loud enough that you can't really talk with your party.  They could maybe start that later.

My Yelp Review

Viva La Taco

 This taco truck recently opened at the gas station near Hooks Airport.  I stopped in the other day to give it a try.  Parking is awkward here, there's really nowhere that's not in front of a gas pump or blocking someone in.  The site seems to be permanently under construction so it's not real appealing.  

The food is fine though.  I ordered a 3-taco combo with fajita, barbacoa and carnitas tacos.  The combo comes with rice and charro beans.  They have agua frescas--I got a cucumber-limeade mix.  

The tacos were fine.  The barbacoa came out in kind of big chunks but was nice and tender.  The other two tasted good, but I honestly had trouble distinguishing the fajita and carnitas tacos.  They were slightly dry but with good seasoning.  I got onions and cilantro, and red and green salsa.  That made for a powerful kick.  The salsas are both pretty hot, if that is what you're looking for.

The beans were a real standout for me, some of the best charros I have had.  Big chunks of bacon, very flavorful.  I usually find charros boring but I finished these.  The rice was fine, standard Mexican with some vegetables.

Their truck advertises "tacos de trompo" but I saw no sign of a trompo (a large skewered stack of meat that is carved off for taco filling) when I was there.  They do have the Al Pastor tacos made from it.  They have outdoor seating, but given the logistics it is hard to use.

My Yelp Review

Center Court Pizza and Brews - Gosling

We tried this location out the other day for some lunch and some pizza for later.  We got a smashball sandwich, a philly sandwich, a carnivore pizza, a spinach pizza, a small pepperoni pizza with alfredo sauce, and a turtle cheesecake for dessert.

Overall I would say the offering is somewhat elevated bar food, and successful at that.  The service was friendly and efficient, and the Woodlands location looks like a very comfortable place to take in a game.  I used the outdoor seating for my lunch.  They have a nice play area for kids and a fair amount of outside seating.  It would be easy to kick back with a meal and follow up with some drinks.

The smashball sandwich is basically a burger made with meatloaf, topped with tomato sauce and cheese on a ciabatta bun.  It was all quite successful--the patty was tasty and the bun fresh and tender.  I ordered it with tater tots.  They were not seasoned much, but were cooked just right and quite crisp.  The philly chese steak sandwich and fries was fine, not a standout but competent.

The pizzas probably would not displace your favorite franchise--they were a bit on the high side--but they would be quite fine for eating with a game.  They were somewhat greasy when fresh.  I don't consider that a problem, but some might.  The box absorbed a lot of the grease so when the pizza was reheated later it was not greasy.  The Carnivore was a good example of a meat pizza--lots of salty meat products.  The spinach and pepperoni pizzas were good as well, though the pepperoni pizza was not too generous with the pepperoni.  You will probably have to order the Ninja Turtle premium pizza (pepperoni and cheese) to get a good helping.  

The cheesecake was OK for a sweet finish.  It is presented nicely in a dish with chocolate drizzle.   But it was a bit mushy, obviously store bought.  Probably save that money for another beer.  They have a decent selection of beer, including craft beer (if you count Karbach).  

Overall a very good experience, and would be one of the better venues around for taking in a game with your food.

My Yelp Review

Local Eats - Fajita Pete's of The Woodlands

Fajita Pete's is a franchise with a new location on Gosling.  It is takeout and delivery only.  We decided to give them a try other night for a family dinner.  We got the fajita trio, which is more than enough for three people.  It's a complete dinner--beef, chicken and shrimp fajitas, with guacamole, pico, cheese and salsa.  The sides are included--we got refried beans, rice, chips and queso, and churros for dessert.  For $29.95 it's a good deal and very easy to order.

We got everything we ordered, and it was ready in about 15 minutes.  Most of the food is what I would call competent--very edible and up to standard for Tex-Mex, which is highly available in this area.  The refried beans were a bit of a disappointment--very runny, more like a somewhat thick bean soup.  Tortillas were a little chewy, but plenty of them.  The condiments were fine (no sour cream, which was missed).  The chicken fajitas were done but not overdone.  The shrimp were good and had a decent snap.  Chips were OK, and you got a lot of them--equivalent of 3 bowls.  Queso was fine, white cheese with big chunks of pepper.  The churros traveled well--crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle, with a nice honey dipping sauce.

The real standout was the beef fajitas.  Tender and juicy with great flavor.  I don't usually like beef fajitas because most places serve them tough.  Not here!  I would be back for more of those.

Overall a very generous meal for a good price, with very good service.  Glad we tried it.

My Yelp Review

Hungry House

We ordered takeout from Hungry House the other night.  Comfort foods are a family favorite so we had high hopes.  It was kind of a mixed bag.

The restaurant is not on any delivery services that I know of--they take orders over the phone and you come pick them up.  I called twice, once to place my order, once to let them know I had arrived.  Both times the phone was answered with "Hello?", like I'd reached someone's personal cell phone.  But if you persevere and state your business, you get reasonable and friendly service.

We ordered enough for leftovers--a 12-piece fried chicken (spicy), chicken fried steak and capellini with shrimp.  That came with several sides--we ordered mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, brussels sprouts, sauteed squash, and onion rings.  Normally we'd get a dessert, but their desserts are ice cream based and are not on the to go menu.

The chicken fried steak and fried chicken had the same breading, and the same issue--it was very thick.  It was cooked through and crisp, but you could still taste raw flour.  The breading was also pretty bland, not much seasoning.  Getting all that breading cooked meant that the steak and chicken were both somewhat overdone.  The chicken was OK but the CFS didn't work.  They advertise a 30-hour marinade for the chicken, and the flavor did come through, but ours was definitely not spicy.  Ordering the chicken takes some planning--they told us it would be 45 minutes to cook it, and they were pretty close to correct.

The capellini with shrimp had a LOT of garlic--enough to give it a bit of heat, and I definitely felt it later.  The pasta and shrimp were both well cooked.  If you are a garlic lover go for that.

The sides were on the whole better.  The brussels sprouts were nicely cooked so that their sweetness came through.  The sauteed squash was heavily seasoned--almost too much, but not quite, and it balanced the lack in other places.  Mashed potatoes were overall good.  The mac and cheese was nice and creamy and had a good smooth flavor.  The onion rings had the same disappointment as the other fried foods--heavy, bland breading.

The meal came with yeast rolls and corn muffins.  Both were fine, didn't add or subtract.

I am borderline on whether to recommend it.  I would avoid the fried items.  It was mostly edible, but somewhat disappointing for the price.  I would still come back to try the sandwiches sometime. 

My Yelp Review

El Guache de Tejupilco

I found this food truck in front of the food mart at 2920 and Rhodes.  I stopped in for a light lunch of 2 street tacos (beef, chorizo) and a pinapple agua fresca.  For $3 plus a tip I got a very nicely wrapped and presented plate with two mini street tacos and a 32 oz. cup of pineapple juice.  The tacos came with seasoned onions, radishes, lime, and two salsas.  I sampled both the traditional red pepper salsa and the orange habanero salsa.  Both had a rich, homemade flavor.  Both were also quite spicy, so definitely be ready for that.  

The beef was tender and flavorful.  The chorizo was just slightly dry, but great flavor and really not an issue.  It was a great deal, and definitely above average in a crowded field.  They have all the usual items--burritos, quesadillas, tortas, etc. and Mexican coke.

Parrillada Vagabunda

This is one of the growing number of food trucks locating at Gosling Express on Gosling Road.  This truck has a very simple menu--chicken or beef, served for one or for two.  I got the Carne plate, which comes with fajita beef and sausage.  It came with a chimichurri sauce, some cole slaw, and yuca fries.  They just have sodas for drinks, so I got a Coke.

The fajita beef was ok--good flavor, a little on the dry side but quite edible.  The sausage was the same.  The chimichurri sauce was decent and helped for moisture.  The cole slaw was actually pretty good, a small serving but not drowned in dressing.  The yuca fries were good, but you only get a few of them.

Service will go better if you speak Spanish.  We tried, but I attempted to order a couple of sides and did not get them.  

If you like this sort of thing and are OK to sit down or take out, El Meson does it better, though this truck is OK.

My Yelp Review

Barbarossa Coffee

I finally got around to trying this independent coffee shop (ok small chain--2 locations) in our area.  I ordered a Croque Madame, a bread pudding, and for the coffee I had a syphon-brewed Burundi.

I have never seen so many options between beans and preparation.  Six preparations, and about eight beans on the day I came in.  It would be worth coming back just to watch them go through the different preparation methods.  Working there would have quite the learning curve.

The Croque Madame is an excellent choice for brunch or lunch.  Shredded beef, tomatoes, spinach, pepper and onion on a toasted thin bun--tasted a bit like an English muffin--topped with a fried egg.  The bun was nice and crisp on the top and bottom, and held up to the moisture of the sandwich.  It's a knife and fork item, though--the fried egg runs down to provide a sauce.  The beef was tender, and the savory flavor was very satisfying.  Slight oversight--I did not get the promised side salad, though I do not think I missed it.

The bread pudding reminded me of a Danish in appearance.  It has shiny Turbinado (I think) sugar on top, along with chocolate chips.  I ate it that way, and it tasted great.  They have a wide variety of pastries to go with your coffee or meal.

The coffee itself was fun--syphon brewing is quite complex, I had not heard of it before.  I usually put cream and sugar in my coffee, but I drank this black to make sure I got the flavor.  I am not really a coffee connoisseur, but the Burundi was nice and strong with a very smooth finish.

Some things that are not exactly downsides but should be kept in mind.  1) The shop was pretty busy on a Saturday morning.  I waited over 20 minutes for my order.  It is perfectly OK to linger there, but maybe don't come starving. 2) If you do linger, bring a battery for your device.  The interior was nicely appointed but no outlets in sight.  Also not many masks, since people were eating.  No outdoor seating at this location. 3) It is a step up in price--my meal set me back over $30.

If you are ready to level up from Starbucks I would say this is a great place to go.

My Yelp Review

Laredo Taco Company at 7-Eleven in Grand Parkway Marketplace

I love Laredo Taco Company, and stopped in to check out the newest one in our neighborhood.  There are now five(!) Laredo Taco Company locations within 3 miles of my house, including two in the Grand Parkway Marketplace area.  This one is near Kuykendahl on Spring Stuebner.  

I ordered a favorite--the Street Taco platter with carnitas and fajita tacos, accompanied by a fountain drink and a parfait.  The carnitas were excellent as always, as were the tortillas--made fresh in the store.  The carnitas, even though they were not the Bravas (spicy) version, still had a kick.  I had the rice and corn for sides--the rice was pretty salty but quite tasty.  The parfait was good for what you get at a convenience store, a generous amount of nice creamy pudding.  I got a fountain drink, and everything was working smoothly.  They do have Mexican Coke and other bottled drinks if you want something a little elevated.  The service was very friendly and polite.  I have to rate down here a bit, because I did not get what I ordered--only got the carnitas tacos.  I really can't eat four tacos so this is not a disaster, but I want what I order.  Still, the whole thing was less than $10, and you really can't do that anywhere else.  Gotta love 'em. 

My Yelp Review

Cuda's Milkpot

This truck has moved to the Gosling Express food truck lot on Gosling Road.  I went the other night and tried them out.  Had the fish and shrimp basket, with mac and cheese, banana pudding, and their super sweet tea.

The basket has two swai fillets, fried shrimp, hush puppies, and fries.  The cornmeal batter on both items was done very well, crisp on the outside and inside was cooked just right.  The fish was nice and tender, and the shrimp had a snap.  The breading has a kick, it is peppery as well as salty.  Very tasty.

The fries had a nice seasoning mix, reminded me of Tony Chachere's cajun mix, which is great for fries.  Fries suffer when they sit in a takeout bag, and these did, so I don't judge on texture.  The hush puppies were just a bit sweet, and nice and fluffy on the inside.  I don't always eat them but these were good.  The banana pudding was a bit disappointing.  It was pre-packaged, and the vanilla wafers, bananas and pudding all mushed together into one kind of mealy texture--not that appealing.

The super sweet tea is definitely worth a try.  It lives up to its name--must have 5 or 6 tablespoons of sugar per cup.  A lot of lemon as well, not quite an Arnold Palmer but you can see it from there.  A delicious complement to the meal.  Overall the place is for sure worth a try.

My Yelp Review

Kohinoor Indo-Pak Restaurant

We love Indian food and are very excited to have this new option in the neighborhood.  It's probably too early to give them a serious review, but I'll do it anyway.  The menu changes daily and is written on a clipboard--also posted on WhatsApp if they remember.  They have plans for a more formal restaurant soon.

I stopped in the other night for a family dinner--we ordered chicken tikka masala, chicken malai boti, palak paneer, Jeera rice, somosas, and plain and garlic naan.  

The chicken tikka masala was delicious, with a very rich, savory flavor, as good as I have had anywhere.  The palak paneer (a creamed spinach with slices of tofu) was excellent, also on par with the best I have had.  The richness in both dishes was amazing.  The chicken malai boti is a kebab item.  The chunks of chicken were very spicy and had great flavor.  The somosas were also very good--quite spicy, with a good hard fried shell that had a satisfying crunch.

The Jeera rice is supposed to be a kind of cumin rice.  I didn't get much flavor from it.  It worked well as a base for the sauced items, which was good because you do not get any plain white rice with the entrees.  Order the Jeera rice if you want rice to go with your meal.

The naan was a little disappointing--kind of hard and chewy.  Good flavor, we still ate it.

The store was very busy the night I came in, and it's still somewhat chaotic inside.  They don't start cooking until sometime after 1, so it is definitely for dinner.  Right now it's an adventure, but I'm glad we took it.

My Yelp Review

Balanced Foods

This is a storefront that sells healthy packaged meals--kind of like My Fit Foods used to, and many others.  I came in the other day to check them out.  They have a variety of offerings that one often finds on a health food menu--chicken, turkey, salmon, and one lean beef item (The Happy Gilmore tenderloin) that I decided to try. It's tenderloin cuts with mashed potatoes, vegetables and a little BBQ sauce.  I would say the meal was well prepared and tasty--the beef was tender, the mashed potatoes tasty.  The veggies were done al dente or even crisp--not like southern style mushy.  For $12.74 you can do worse, for sure.

A note here on safety.  They do have a dine-in space, but they are not using it now.  However, when I went in the tanned and fit young woman that waited on me was not wearing a mask, nor did she have one handy.  Customers I saw leaving also did not wear one, so I would take that into account when risking entry.

My Yelp Review

The Smoothie Co. at Woodlands Sportsplex

This little smoothie bar is inside The Woodlands Sportsplex, and is part of a new franchise based out of Australia.  They serve smoothies and bowls, and it looks to be (mostly) vegan though I can't confirm it.  We stopped in the other day for a healthy snack.  I had a chocolate avocado smoothie, which has chocolate and avocado (of course), and peanut butter, soy milk, and a few other things.  The smoothie was great--had a wonderful mouth feel with all the fat from the avocado.  Good fat!  The bowls are basically smoothies with additional items layered on top--I had a protein bowl (can't remember the name) that had peanut butter, strawberry, acai, bananas, blueberries, and some peanut butter drizzle.  Both would serve as a meal replacement.  Service was friendly but no pressure since the place was very quiet.

My Yelp Review

Pucketts Sno Co LLC

We visited this new local, family owned snow cone stand for an afternoon treat the other day.  They have all the classic flavors and many suggested combinations.  They also have toppings including some unusual ones like chamoy and tajin, both of which are savory seasonings/sauces that are used on fruit in Mexico and other warm places.  I asked for a cone that would do well with tajin, and got a mango-orange-strawberry combo.  My kid got a cone with strawberry, lime and Nerds.

The cones have plenty of syrup, and are reasonably priced.  My cone was generously seasoned with tajin, perhaps just a bit much, but when I mixed it all in it was very good.  The other cone was very tasty as well.  The cones come with a plastic saucer fitted to the cup that keeps spills to a minimum.  I've had some bad experiences with overfilled cups falling off, and this would help that a lot.  Overall we can recommend it.

My Yelp Review

Pancho's Taqueria

I stopped in the other day for lunch around noon.  There were full trays of delicious-looking food available.  The two plates available that day were carnitas and ribs--I went for the carnitas.  You get a generous helping of carnitas with all the trimmings for $8.99.  They offered pico de gallo, lettuce and salsa (red and green) with it and put it directly on the carnitas.  Not a lot of salsa, I would ask for it on the side next time.  Also got some roasted jalapenos.

The rice and beans were OK, standard for Tex-Mex.  The carnitas were cooked perfectly--nice and tender, wonderful to eat.  Not strongly seasoned but the pork flavor came through well.  Delicious!  It came with flour tortillas, which were mostly fine, one was a bit stiff.  The jalapenos were very tasty and nicely roasted--but really super hot for me, I couldn't finish one.  If you like adding some spice this will work.

The drink machine was working well and they have the soft ice.  The interior was clean and inviting.  I can recommend it.

 

My Yelp Review 

Aji Robata and Ramen

We tried this place for takeout the other night and had a very good experience.  We ordered a variety of items for a family meal--a pork belly skewer, some brussels sprouts, a crispy nori, Tonkatsu ramen, chicken skewer ramen, and salmon don.

I ordered through DoorDash and picked it up myself.  Everything was ready just as I arrived, and the server went over everything so I was sure we got what we wanted.  

The pork belly skewer was a good start, nice and rich with a good char on it.  The crispy nori is a very interesting experience--it's rolled seaweed fried crisp, with a nice crunch and a flavor that develops in your mouth.  It comes with a spicy mayonnaise sauce that complements it well.  Just the sort of thing to get if you're adventurous and have not had it before.

The tonkatsu ramen was excellent--the broth had great depth of flavor and really complemented everything.  The pork was great, a mild but very tasty slice that was quite tender and ate really well.  All kinds of goodies in the ramen bowl, including more nori, menma (that reminded me of bamboo shoots), chasu, scallions, black garlic, corn, and wheat noodles.  The noodles tasted very good with the broth but were quite filling.  Can recommend this one.

The chicken skewer ramen comes with most of the same items but a chicken skewer instead of pork, of course.  The chicken was ok, cooked well with decent spice and helped a lot by the broth.

The salmon don was excellent.  The salmon was cooked perfectly, and the special sauce lives up to the description.  It is a sweet and tangy glaze that really complements the fish.  That comes with rice, corn, and a tasty seaweed salad.

Overall it was a fine meal and I would look forward to dining there in person.  As mentioned by others, it's really similar to Akashi, just one strip mall up.

 

My Yelp Review

McAlister's Deli

According to their website, McAlister's Deli has been around since 1989 and has 400 locations, but this is the first time I have encountered one. This location has braved the Covid-19 pandemic and opened recently.  I stopped the other day to give it a try.  They are seating people, and the interior is large enough for folks to spread out, but I chose takeout.  I ordered a Choose 2 and got a McAlister's club and a Black Angus roast beef spud.  Finished with one of their chocolate chip cookies.

The club sandwich was a good one--two spears of three-tiered toasted sandwich, with bacon, ham, turkey, cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato, with honey mustard dressing.  A little tricky to handle but it was satisfying.

The potato just wasn't very appealing.  The roast beef didn't have much flavor. Its juice had soaked into the potato, which you would think would flavor the potato but not really.  The cheese didn't help enough. I would order something else next time.

The cookie was fine, pretty standard for places like this that offer one.  Some parts had gotten rather squashed and dense. It was kind of a juicy cookie that pulls apart rather than a drier one that breaks.

They advertise special tea and lemonade, so I had a mix.  Very tasty and went well with the meal.

Not sure why I'd pick this over Potbelly, Which Wich or Subway.  It's fine but does not stand out for me in any particular way.

My Yelp Review

Waffle House

I have very specific memories of Waffle House from road trips through the years (the chain started in 1955).  I'd see them on a lonely interstate off-ramp in the night, brightly lit and over-air-conditioned (the floor to ceiling windows were fogged and dripping).  Those memories do not include eating in one, since we never stopped there.  But now I have my chance--our new neighborhood Waffle House has braved Covid-19, and opened for business last month. 

I went in the other day to get a takeout meal around lunchtime.  The place was as full as it could be--they are following guidelines and seating every other table, but it felt crowded.  Most folks were eating breakfast, which is available all day.  I went for something in between that I thought would travel well--the Philly cheese steak hashbrown bowl.  Accompanied that with "Alice's tea-monade", which is basically an Arnold Palmer--half iced tea, half lemonade.  For dessert, they offer two flavors of pie--I got the pecan.

The hasbrown bowl really did travel well and was satisfying to eat.  Comes with finely chopped meat, cheese, onions, and potatoes.  Mostly you taste salt, but the texture was very good--the hashbrowns were cooked just right.  Somewhat greasy also, which was exactly as expected.  They gave me syrup with it, I think because the hashbrown bowls are mostly breakfast items.  I went ahead and tried it, and it was actually a good combination.  Waffle House syrup is intensely sweet, so when combined with the salty hashbrowns it tasted good.

The pecan pie was just OK.  Not done enough, the crust was not brown and the filling wasn't set.  But it was edible.

There were some service issues.  The server was probably new and it was busy.  I had to tell her how to make the tea-monade.  But overall it very precisely met expectations for Waffle House service and food.  Which is probably why all those people are there.

My Yelp Review

Taqueria Sabrosa

I reviewed this business as Sunday Skillet Chicken, and there are still some signs for that, but it is mostly rebranded to Taqueria Sabrosa.  It is located inside the Kuykendahl Citgo.  I stopped in the other day to pick up some lunch.  It's pretty much the same food as before--fried chicken, wings, breakfast taco items, sides.  I got a buffalo wing and fries combo, a drink, and an appetizer I don't know the name of but will describe.

The buffalo wings were OK, classic flavor.  The breading got kind of mushy under the sauce but that happens.  The fries are steak fries, which are not my favorite, but these had a little breading that helped crisp them up.  Good size wings.  Overall OK.

They had a unique item I had not seen elsewhere--a spiral cut potato peel, deep fried.  The potato is spiral cut very thin, speared on a stick, and heavily seasoned.  It was really salty but also really tasty, I would come back just for that.

The drink machines were working, and they have both Coke and Pepsi products, so kudos for  that.  Employees wore masks.  Service was good.  Overall it is a decent choice.

My Yelp Review

Bocados Grill and Burger

This food truck recently located behind the Gosling Express.  I stopped in the other evening (it is evenings only) to check them out.

I ordered the Holly Pork burger and parmesan fries.  The burger is a large patty with swiss Mac 'n' cheese, bacon, pulled pork, a rum sauce, a "home sauce", and it looked like there were potato sticks on there (Venezuelan staple).  Sounds pretty good.  But like all their burgers it's a very tall sandwich, so would probably be better to eat it with a fork.

Between the pulled pork and the rum sauce, the burger came off one-note sweet, rather than savory sweet.  The pulled pork had some big chunks in it, which made for awkward eating.  Ketchup complemented it nicely, but you need it.  Plenty of food there.

The Parmesan fries were disappointing.  The fries were probably better fresh, they wilted just a bit in the bag going home.  But the Parmesan is powdered--if it wasn't from a can, it tasted like it.  Parmesan that's cooked on makes a nice crust and keeps the fries firm, but this was not like that.

I washed it down with a Papelon con limon, a Venezuelan drink with brown sugar, lemon and lime.  This is wonderfully refreshing, very much worth branching out from soda.  Theirs is nice and strong, I had to let the ice melt a bit.

I got their churros for dessert.  They were decent, not completely crisp but pretty good, with Nutella, oreos and M&Ms.  

They have contactless ordering through a food app I had not heard of called On The Fly, but it was reasonably quick to load and order.  

I struggled with whether to recommend them.  The service was great, very polite and they were ready to answer questions.  I wanted to like the food better.  They offer a bowl option for their items, and I would try that next time.  I think it was just heavy food for a hot day, and they only have the one seafood option. I'm not sure what the relationship is, but there's another Venezuelan food truck I've reviewed before (Primo's) that has similar food, and in my opinion does most of it better.  But Bocados looks invested, and I think they'll find their niche.

My Yelp Review

Mirrey Taco Express at Dave's Express

The Dave's Express at the corner of Root and Gosling has been torn down and completely rebuilt.  It now includes a Mirrey Taco Express, just like Dave's Express #2.  I came in and picked up lunch the other day--a two-meat plate with a drink and dessert.

It was after noon and perhaps toward the end of service, so I pretty much cleaned them out of the two meats they had--pulled pork and carnitas.  It came with rice, beans, pico de gallo, tortillas, and two salsas.  The meats were fine--decent flavor and not too dried out, which is good for the bottom of the pan.  The salsas were good also--the red one had a nice kick, and both had good flavor.  Tortillas were decent.  All told it is fine but does not stand out at all.  

They have some items from the Cheesecake Factory so I had a slice of Belgian chocolate cheesecake.  $3.99 for a tiny slice is a lot, but it was good cheesecake.  The soda machine was working fine, but given current Covid-19 conditions probably not safe enough--the lids are still stacked in the open and it's hard to get just one.  Straws stored in the normal way too.

Service was quite polite and efficient--much better than my experience at the other Dave's.  But it's hard to recommend it with a first-rate place (Tony's Street Tacos) just two blocks away on Root.  Overall not real special but certainly fine if you are already there.

My Yelp Review

Craft Grill Breakfast Club

The Craft Grill Breakfast Club is a separate facility but in the same building with, and run by, the same people as Craft Grill.  The Breakfast Club opened just before Covid-19 hit.  

I stopped in the other day for a late brunch and sat out on their patio.  They have four outdoor tables in a very attractive sitting area, lots of plants and quality furniture.  The staff all wear masks and are cleaning aggressively, so I felt very safe.

The restaurant is saving paper by directing you to the online menu when you eat in.  I ordered Jamie's Hash (they pronounce it Jaime's) and a cup of coffee, with a side of Millionare bacon.  The coffee came promptly and was quite good.

Jamie's Hash is a combination of home fries, queso, cheddar, pico de gallo, brisket, and an egg done your way.  The potatoes were done perfectly, nicely crisp on the outside and tender inside.  The brisket was not real smoky but it was done very well and quite tender.  All the ingredients combined well.  A dish I can definitely recommend.  If you took it home it would be OK if it traveled quickly, otherwise the potatoes probably lose the crunch, but it would still be good.

The Millionaire bacon was excellent and would travel just fine.  It is not crisp and does not need to be, though it did bite through well.  It's bacon seasoned with maple syrup (I think) and red pepper flakes, so it is quite spicy but delicious.

We have been to Craft Grill before so I avoided the biscuits and the chicken and waffle--possibly the Breakfast Club does them better than the main.  Have heard great things about the avocado toast.  Overall an excellent, professional establishment, I will gladly come back again.

My Yelp Review

Circle K at Rayford and Gosling

I stopped in the other day for a bite to eat and some sundries.  This is mostly about the food.  In its previous branding as a Corner Store, the food had definitely declined.  After the rebranding, it looks like they have a commitment to having many choices on offer.  There were sandwiches (hot and cold), burritos, egg rolls, chicken strips, and other choices joining the usual roller grill hot dogs.  Those, by the way, were not available when I was there--not ready yet.  I picked up a basket of chicken strips and potato wedges, some cookies, and a Polar Pop.  

It's convenience store food--nothing special going on, but it was very edible and reasonably fresh.  The drink machine was working well, and they have lid dispensers that allow you not to touch other lids in the process of retrieving one.  The cookies were not so good--still had Corner Store branding and may have been there since then.  Stale.  I did not finish.  But overall it was fine.  Service was decent, what with the store being busy.  My clerk wore a mask, but the other did not.  Overall it is fine, certainly an improvement.

My Yelp Review

Harvest Market, Hunger Stop Reboot

I stopped back in to Harvest Market's food court, Hunger Stop, after another reboot.  This time it looks like more of a commitment.  They still had breakfast options available when I came in at noon, but I went for the basic burger.  This comes with mayo, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and pickles.  And it's a decent burger--a prefab patty but a quality one, and a generous half pound that didn't shrink much.  It was properly cooked and quite tasty.  The bun was just a touch stale but not enough to damage the experience.  The fries were also done right, nicely crisp and well seasoned.  Best meal I've had there yet.  Service was very friendly also.

The interior has been refreshed--the tables are a dark wood that looks like Cafe Artesano next door.  The selection behind the counter still looks a little sad, but it's much improved.  Would definitely work to curb your appetite before shopping, or skip the cooking when you get home.

Disclosure: My wife has done photography work for Harvest Market, including this location.  I did not receive any compensation for this review.

My Yelp Review

 

Taqueria Tampico

I stopped in the other evening for dinner.  Their specialty for entrees is alambre plates.  I had the Texas alambre--sausage, fajitas, cheese, peppers and onions.  Hands down the best alambre I have had, though the competition is not fierce--I order it because it says it has sausage, but a lot of places use hot dogs.  Taqueria Tampico uses *sausage*.  Not amazing sausage, but real sausage, and it complements the other ingredients well.  It's a generous portion, plenty to share, for $9.50--most entrees are around $10.  They also have a selection of tacos and tortas.  The place is evenings only, and does not sell drinks--they do not compete in any way with La Casita or the convenience store.  Service was polite and hand sanitizer is provided.  A good choice.

My Yelp Review

Jamba Juice at Grand Parkway Marketplace

I stopped in the other day for a late morning snack.  Jamba Juice is known for smoothies, but they are adding more substantial items including breakfast sandwiches.  I ordered a turkey sausage and egg sandwich and a glass of orange juice.  The sandwiches come frozen to the store and are microwaved.  This one started out as a nicely toasty sandwich, and had very good flavor, but the server heated it for over a minute which does bad things to bread.  Came out kind of chewy but still good.  They have a clever device that slices and juices the oranges, so your juice is fresh squeezed.  $6 for a small but 10 oranges go into it.  Very tasty, though even a small is a big slug of sugar.  

Service was just OK, they were a bit busy with the drive thru when I stopped in.  Due to Covid 19 they are not allowing dine-in--not a large loss, the space is cheery but generic.  Covid safety notes: The young man making the food was wearing a mask.  The young woman serving was not.  They also did not take Apple Pay as was stated on the register, so the service was more contact-ful than I would want.  Overall above average Covid risk.  You can order through an app and pay there, that would be the right thing to do next time.

My Yelp Review

Local Eats - Circle K at Kuykendahl-Hufsmith

Came by the other day to pick up a bite to eat at lunch.  I like roller grill hot dogs, but when I stopped in theirs were not ready.  But they had some healthier options--sandwiches from Hillshire Farms, and some fresh fruit.  Had a chicken salad sandwich and an apple.  The sandwich was OK.  The regular soft drink machine was working fine, though the slushie one was out of order.  Gave them 3 stars for the helpful clerk.  I learned something about roller grills--they cook very slowly.  20 minutes was not enough to be sure they were heated through.

My Yelp Review

Los Tres Ranchitos

We had not been to this place before so we tried it for a take-out Mother's Day dinner the other night.  Called in the order and it was ready and complete in 15 minutes, just as promised.  I looked briefly inside--there were socially distanced diners, and the place looks appealing.

Wish the food was better.  We ordered the Parrillada Dinner for two (it's pretty much a sample of most of what they have for fajitas), a fried shrimp dinner, some queso with chips and salsa, and sopapillas.

For starters, the queso is just melted cheese--no other ingredients or flavorings.  But the chips were nice and fresh, so overall a good start.

The parrillada dinner looked like it might have been ready longer and someone else didn't want it.  The carnitas were thoroughly dry.  The steak was overcooked and tough.  The shrimp were OK, but they were butterflied with the shell on so it was pretty difficult to get the shell off to use it in a tortilla.  The chicken was decent, but pretty dry also.

There were a couple of high notes.  The beef fajitas were excellent--cooked just right, tender and very tasty.  If we'd ordered a beef and chicken fajita party pack I'd probably be happy.  We had a mixed review on the fried shrimp--the batter was a flour batter, rather than the crispy batter we see more of now.  I didn't like it much, but the person who ordered it did.

The fries and sopapillas wilted in the to-go boxes, which is what always happens so I don't hold it against them.

I give them a weak 3 because the service was very good--we got everything we ordered and the server did well, she even helped me carry the items to the car.  Might be enough for me to give it another chance.

My Yelp Review