Woodall's BBQ

I always love having a new BBQ option in the neighborhood, even though BBQ is one of the most difficult cuisines to get right.  Tried Woodall's the other night for a family dinner.

We got takeout, but if you eat in the service is somewhat like Spring Creek, in that you go through a line and they dish it up for you.  We got a 3 meat plate with wet brisket, ribs and pulled pork, a pulled pork loaded potato, onion rings and mac 'n' cheese for sides, and some chocolate mousse for dessert.

The meats had excellent smoke on them and the pulled pork had great flavor.  Barbecue is all about the cook on the meat for me, and this was darned close to perfect.  The ribs were in fact competition perfect texture, tender but not falling off the bone and smoked all the way through.  The brisket was also deliciously tender, not quite cut-it-with-a-fork but very close.  And all were available at 6pm!  To get meat this good you normally would have to go to Corkscrew or Texas Chocolatier at 9am and wait a couple hours.  The ribs and brisket were very lightly seasoned, with most of the flavor coming from the smoke.  The barbecue sauce was a molasses-based Kansas City style that complemented the meat well.  The consistency made me think it might be store-bought but I don't mind this--there are a lot of good sauces out there, and not much well-cooked meat.

The mac 'n' cheese is a homemade style, with good texture and flavor but be aware that it's a dry mac 'n' cheese, not a saucy one.  The potato is generously sized and has lots of that great meat on it.  Ours was slightly on the firm side but within the range many would like--not crunchy.  Could perhaps have used a bit more condiments but again well within average and very good.  The onion rings were a bit of a disappointment--freshly cooked, but obviously not made there and kind of chewy.  A deep-fat fryer is not traditional BBQ and is a pain to maintain and operate, so I have to wonder if it is worth it if you're not making your own batter.  The mousse was fine, but kind of lacks something when it comes from a little styrofoam cup. They do have a few interesting drinks--I picked up a cane sugar Dr. Pepper, and they have 7up on tap.

The dining area is very simple, one big room in the gas station strip mall with a bit of an echo when it is busy. The decor very much celebrates rural Texas.  If you eat in you get your food served on butcher paper, traditional BBQ style.  The bathroom was clean and ready, and the staff was quite friendly and helpful. Barbecue travels quite well so it's a good choice for takeout.  Definitely a good choice for a few pounds for a party, and the potato is good too. 

My Yelp Review

Mama Juanita's Restaurant at Gosling and Root

This well-known local chain now has a location at Gosling and Root.  We got takeout from there the other night on a busy evening.  We had the yellow queso with chips, the El Capitan (grilled shrimp with pork carnitas), and chipotle enchiladas.  We ordered direct from the restaurant to avoid delivery commissions for them.

One nice touch is that they send all three of their salsas with takeout.  The queso was standard, chips were fine also.  I mixed in some of the red salsa with the queso and it made a really nice combination--the salsa had a lot of flavor and was mildly spicy.  The salsa verde was the spicy one of the bunch--good flavor and an intense kick.  They also had a chipotle salsa that had a pretty good kick of its own and good flavor.  All tasted homemade.

The El Capitan shrimp were quite good, properly cooked with lots of paprika and other spices, they had some kick but very manageable.  The pork carnitas were good also, tender and moist with plenty of onion.  I was happy with the dish.  The chipotle enchiladas tasted good but from the description we thought they'd be creamier, more like the sour cream enchiladas.  Not a real knock on them.  They were very spicy, with the salsa verde it's for serious heat lovers.

For sides we had charro beans, refrieds, and rice.  The charro bean soup was pretty good, salty with good bacon flavor.  The rice was a saffron rice, which I like better than the tomato-chile rice.  On its own it was on the dry side, but was good with the other things.  Refrieds were fine.

We didn't get dessert, since it really doesn't travel well for the most part.  But I would have ordered the fried ice cream, it was a great looking presentation--ice cream topped with corn flakes in a pastry shell.  Also looked like they had free ice cream.

I went inside to pick up my order.  It took a bit longer than I would have liked to get waited on, though not seriously so, and the order was ready for me.  The order was correct, which does not always happen with takeout for more than one person.  The interior is pretty basic--one square room with tables pretty close together, and it was busy so on the noisy side.  You're kind of on top of the dining area at the doorway.  The restaurant is a mask-free zone--no one present was wearing one.

All in all it was fine, a strong three stars but not four.  I'm just not sure why I'd prefer it to other Mexican places in the area.  If you're a fan already and live nearby then it's great to have one convenient.

My Yelp Review

Sno Show at HEB at Gosling and 2920

This small snow cone trailer is now located at the HEB at Gosling and Root when it isn't booked.  Stopped by the other day for a couple of snow cones and snacks.  They have a nice inventory of flavors and add-ons--we got coconut with gummy bears and blue raspberry.  They also have hot dogs and chips so you can grab a light meal.

The snow cones were good, plenty of syrup.  The gummy bears weren't actually gummy bears.  They were more like vitamin gummies.  I actually like those better but just FYI.  We were offered seconds on the gummies, which was a nice touch.  I had a hot dog with mine, which cost $1 and was a dollar hot dog.

What stands out about this snow cone place is the range of price points.  You can get a large one for $7, with a range all the way down to a $2 baby cone that you could have your three year old hold and not feel bad if they drop it.   A great choice for an inexpensive treat on a hot afternoon.

My Yelp Review

Cheri's N'awlins Sneaux Bawls

I stopped by this truck, located at the Gosling Express food truck park, for dessert on a very hot Saturday afternoon.  I got a Sneaux Float--shaved ice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, with root beer shaved ice syrup and a can of A&W on the side. It was a pretty massive dessert, plenty to share for 2 or 3 people.  The different textures make it very interesting to eat.  It got kind of solid at the bottom, but I think that's just how snow cones are, particularly in hot weather.  The people running the truck are super friendly and it's a pleasure doing business with them.

Like a lot of small food truck operations, the stated hours are aspirational.  I found them closed the first couple of times I tried, and kind of picked them up by accident while I was here for another truck.  Take advantage of them when you see them open, a snow cone is a fine complement to the other food available at the court. 

My Yelp Review

Boriken Puerto Rican Kitchen

I stopped by this food truck in the Gosling Express Food Truck Park for a late lunch the other day (they open at 2pm).  I had the garlic shrimp for an entree and an alcapurria on the side, and washed it down with a Mate India soda.  Overall the meal was very successful, I can heartily recommend it.

The garlic shrimp dish is true to its name--shrimp cooked in a garlic butter sauce, reminding me very much of shrimp scampi.  The shrimp were nicely cooked, and the shells were softened up enough that I just ate them whole.  The dish comes with a choice of sides--rice, tostones (fried plantain) or mofongo.  Mofongo is a savory mashed plantain casserole formed tightly in a mold.  It has a great combination of textures, and it went particularly well with this dish as it soaked up that garlic butter sauce to make it taste even richer.  Yum!  It came with a tasty dipping sauce, but the sauce didn't really go with the dish and they could probably leave it off.  

But that sauce was a perfect complement for the alcapurria (and it had its own container).  Alcapurrias are a fritter often made with green bananas and taro root and stuffed with meat.  This one was made with a plantain base.  It was nice and crisp on the outside and quite tasty with the sauce.  It was fresh from the fryer so it was extremely hot, and would remain that way for quite some time--it would travel well.

The entrees are priced from $13.50-$23, not unusual for a food truck but a bit more than many in this food truck park.  But you can get a perfectly reasonable lunch from the small item menu, which has empanadas as well as the alcapurrias, and not spend more than $10.  Service was very friendly and helpful.  A great way to experience Puerto Rican food, which we have not had in this neighborhood.

My Yelp Review

Savage Burrito

Savage Burrito is a "ghost kitchen" that operates out of Uncle Julio's Restaurants.  It is delivery-only and online ordering only--no phone number.  But since it's a separate brand I thought it deserved its own review. We ordered dinner the other day--an O.G. burrito, a build-your-own burrito and a build-your-own bowl.  Also got a soda, some chips and queso and some churro bites.

The burritos were tasty--the beef was very tender and had good flavor, and the other ingredients complemented it well.  The tortilla was sturdy enough to hold all the food and folded properly, so it was easy to pick it up to eat.  It was also tender enough to enjoy all the way to the end.

The chips and queso were also very good.  The chips were very thin and fresh, so they had a great crunch. The queso had more than average salt, but the jalapenos (Hatch chiles on the menu) mixed in were very good and the queso was great with the chips.  The churro bites were very good, particularly if you eat them first when they are still warm and at their lightest and crunchiest.  But even if you save them for the end they are well above average.  They are served with chocolate sauce, which I personally prefer to Nutella.  The drinks are just regular sodas and waters, no need to order if you have them around the house.

Service was excellent--the DoorDash order came well ahead of schedule, and everything was packed neatly in the bag.  The only thing that knocks this review down is that the custom burrito included roasted corn, which we didn't want.  It's difficult to get custom items right, but could be important for customers with allergies.

Ordering this way is not cheap, with tips and fees it was about $15 per person, but it's a good value.

My Yelp Review