Gran Colombian

This restaurant is in the location where Saizon Latino and other Cuban places have given it a try.  I stopped in to check out the new tenant and see what Colombian cuisine has to offer.  I got the Salteado Mixto from the Specialties menu, and chased it with one of their Natural Juices--blackberry for me.

Salteado Mixto is a saute of round steak, popcorn shrimp and chicken.  The proteins are cooked in a hearty, savory, mildly tomato-based sauce with lots of onions and peppers.  It is served with a sticky white rice that has some flavor on its own but is of course best in the dish--I just shoveled it all in there, it could be served that way.  The proteins were definitely fully done but ate just fine in that sauce.  It's a very generous portion, plenty for a lunch the next day and it tasted even better.  The dish comes with a mashed fried plantain cake on the side.  I'm generally not excited by fried plantain and no change this time.  But the entree was very good overall.

The natural juices are a kind of fruit smoothie.  They offered water or milk as a base and I chose water, but I think I'd do milk next time.  A nice refreshing complement to the meal.  They have lots of other tempting traditional drinks that I would try in the future.

The menu is extensive.  There are lots of choices in the appetizer section that could be meals on their own or assembled into one for a lot of variety.  They have breakfast all day (open at 8) and it looks great.  Also Monday-Friday lunch specials that are under $10 on the menu.  And a full bar!

I regret not being able to sample the bakery or desserts--just ran out of time.  The desserts are not on the in-restaurant menu but they have items on display on the bar so there are choices.

The restaurant is definitely geared toward Spanish speakers--my server didn't speak English.  I know a few words and with pantomime and some help from the bartender we did just fine.  The bathrooms were clean and ready.  Like other iterations in this location, the restaurant has kept most of the decor from the previous places. They did get rid of the thatch over the bar.  They take advantage of the stage for live music on the weekends. Service is paced for a relaxing dinner, so don't hurry like I ended up doing.

I can't quite round it up to a 5 but I'm happy to recommend it, and my understanding from Colombian acquaintances is that it's the real deal.

My Yelp Review

Taqueria Karina

This is the latest food truck to use the Roger's Tire Shop lot.  I stopped in on one of many blazing hot days recently to see what they had to offer.  I got two Mexican steak tacos, a barbacoa taco, and an Asada de Puerco plate.  Washed that down with a pineapple agua fresca.

The tacos and tortillas are street style, meaning corn tortillas.  They are sturdy ones and don't fall apart on you.  The tacos were very tasty--the barbacoa was tender and salty, and the Mexican steak had great flavor. The asada was in an al pastor sauce and was very good with the provided lime and salsa.  Nice and tender. The plate came with rice and beans, which were both fine but not special in any way.  The plates are a combo meal--you get a Pepsi with them so you don't need to buy a drink if you don't want to.

They have two salsas, green and red (a light red).  They bring the heat!  The green one was spicy for me and an excellent complement to the meats.  The red one was flaming, too hot for me to handle but if you like spicy then this is your choice.

The people and the menu are both friendly--all the protein choices are in English and Spanish so you know what you're getting if you speak one of the two major languages around here.  The menu is quite broad, they have tortas and quesadillas as well as the tacos and plates.  The drawbacks for me: 1) They are a bit slow, business was brisk when I went and it took about 30 minutes to get food, and 2) they only take cash, so you'll need to make a trip to the ATM before coming.  All the food--tacos, the plate, and the drinks--came to $23 so pretty reasonable.

My Yelp Review

Heavenly Cups Shaved Ice

This place is in the same location as the Sweet Inspirations tea shop before it.  I stopped in the other day to check out our new sweet treat option in the neighborhood.  I had a bubble pop waffle and chased it with an espresso.

The ice cream flavors are cute--8 choices so not overwhelming, I got my waffle with chocolate and a loaded vanilla (Heavenly something, I forget the rest unfortunately).  They make the waffle fresh so it soaks up flavor from the ice cream.  It's a big load of dessert, very inventive and festive.  I think I like the crunch of a waffle cone better but it's a good try.

I had heard great things about their cold brew and wanted to try some but their coffee machine was out of order.  So I got an espresso, which was wonderful.  They use very fresh beans and grind on the spot, so it has that little bit of sweetness when served black that really good espresso does.

The people are friendly and welcoming to everyone.  The decor is spare and is fully evangelical Christian but no politics are in evidence.  The bathrooms (identical as far as I can tell, but gendered) are clean and ready. This place has great potential and I wish them well.

My Yelp Review

Burrito District at Spring Town Center

Burrito District has opened a second location in our area, so I stopped in to give it a try.  I got the surf 'n' turf fries and a jamaica agua fresca.

This restaurant serves the absolute best fries in the area.  They are right there with McDonalds, really.  And you get amazing food with those amazing fries.  They are lightly breaded and pulled out of the fryer at exactly the right time.  Crispy outside and tender inside.  Salty enough that you can taste them through the other ingredients in the surf 'n' turf mix, and the texture holds up.  It makes for an incredible plate of food.  The fries are topped with beef, shrimp (cooked perfectly), three sauces (nacho cheese, cotija cheese and sour cream) and parmesan.  There's so much going on with the different textures and flavors.  It's a must-try dish.  The serving is massive, it would easily feed 3-4 people. My only quibble, and it's a minor one, is that the beef on the dish appeared to be ground beef rather than the carne asada advertised and didn't add much.

The jamaica was right on point.  It's my favorite agua fresca and did not disappoint.

The decor is at present left over from Ori'Zaba's, the previous restaurant in the space.  Burrito District easily surpasses it.  The bathroom was clean and ready and the service was polite and prompt.  They have many wonderful things on the menu, you won't be disappointed.

But get the fries.

My Yelp Review