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