Sazon Olanchano at Root Mart

Root Mart has another new restaurant tenant.  I stopped in the other day to give them a try.  They had a selection of both breakfast and lunch items available.  I got a plate with fajita beef, refried beans, a chicken and rice dish, a chicken thigh, and tortillas.

The meal put me very much in mind of Tex-Mex home cooking.  The refried beans were slightly chunky, not blended.  They had great flavor and I ate them all, which I usually don't.  The fajita beef was fine, good flavor but a little chewy.  The red salsa had a good kick and gave a taco a nice additional zing.  They didn't serve the usual taco filling side (lettuce, pico, cheese, sour cream) with the plate but I didn't miss it much.

The tortillas were a thick corn version, not like most places.  They held up well for making tacos and had good flavor.  They made the plate very filling.  The chicken rice side could be a main on its own, it had plenty of chicken.  Lots of good chicken flavor and nice mouth feel, I enjoyed it.  Do take care when eating it, I found several small bones.  The roasted chicken thigh was on the firm side but not dry.  It had very good seasoning and was a good complement to the fajitas.

I believe the owners are Honduran (Honduran flags on all the tables).  They were friendly and polite.  There are only a few tables but they were clean and attractive.  Overall it was a very satisfying meal, and for $10 I think it is worth it.  As with all other tenants there, you go next door to Root Mart to pay with a credit card and to get a drink.  I do wonder if that affects the profitability of the restaurant--drinks are usually high margin items, I hope the restaurant is getting a break on the rent for that.

My Yelp Review

Guajillo

I stopped in the other night to try this truck, newly located at the Plaza de los Food Trucks behind the Gosling Express in Spring. I had the special combo--a pork pastor volcan, a quesabirria and a beef fajita taco, with a jamaica agua fresca, a side of elote, and flan for dessert.

The volcan is an innovative item--I have not seen it on a Tex-Mex menu before. It's a tostada piled high with your choice of protein, topped with a cheese cap that's cooked on the grill. Great idea, but on mine the cheese cap was either not cooked enough or too much--it fell into that grey zone where it was chewy rather than melty or crisp. Also not a lot of al pastor flavor.

As for the quesabirria and the taco--I think this might be the truck for you if you really need to have a low spice level. The meats and fillings themselves had no chile, just salt and other umami spices. The salsas gave you a choice--a yellow salsa with a good strong kick, or an orange one with less heat and more of a salty flavor. Both tasted homemade and gave the items their flavor. I did not get the dipping consomme for my quesabirria, which was an oversight. I think it is sold separately.

The elote is a unique preparation. Again no chile, just the white cheese and corn--but with cashews! I liked the nutty flavor with the corn.

The flan was wedge shaped and the texture was more like cheesecake than traditional flan. I like caramel cheesecake, and it had good flavor. No syrup topping.

I got my order to take away. They packed all the items, including the drink and the flan, in one bag. So the ice in the jamaica had fully melted by the time I got home. I think it would have been good.

The truck is efficient--they arrived at 5:45 and opened at 6, right on time. My order was out in about 12 minutes, not bad from a cold start. There are some execution issues but I think they have promise.

My Yelp Review

Crust Pizza - Panther Creek

This is Crust Pizza's first location, and one we come back to even though others are closer and we like them fine. The comfortable ambiance among the trees in the Woodlands makes it very inviting. We went back for the first time in awhile the other night. Had a Carl's King (equivalent to a Supreme across other pizza places), a Tuscany (vegetarian), some vegetarian lasagna and chicken alfredo.

It's hard to say what stands out about Crust's pizzas, but they are all-around good and a cut above the national pizza outfits. The crust and overall flavor at this location seems to be different from the others, perhaps because this one is not a franchise. But I love the Carl's King and will stack it against any supreme. The vegetarian lasagna is not on the menu (regular lasagna is) but they have it if you ask for it, and it came out just fine. The chicken alfredo was very tasty and had a particularly attractive presentation, it looked great when it came to the table.

You do want to go when you have time, as the service is slow but steady. Dishes tend to trickle out. But we enjoyed our evening tremendously and it's staying on our rotation.

My Yelp Review

Lucky Cafe

Our family has been to Lucky Cafe off and on over the years. Recently I stopped in to try the beef Banh Mi and related items--we've stuck to their Chinese menu in the past. I also got the chargrilled pork spring rolls and a Vietnamese coffee.

The best part about the Banh Mi was the bread--they use a very crusty french roll, perhaps one of the best I have had. It really makes the sandwich. The other ingredients were good, though I did have to help it out with some hoisin sauce (provided at the table). At only $6.75 this is a great deal, I would get it again any time.

The spring rolls were very substantial and filling. Two large rolls with a generous serving of peanut dipping sauce. Perhaps a bit more chewy than spring rolls I've had before, but they are all chewy and in the end it ate fine.

The Vietnamese coffee was a good representation, very sweet and creamy.

I forgot to ask about fish sauce for the banh mi and spring rolls, and I missed it. I'm used to having fish sauce come with the meal. You should ask for it if you get the banh mi.

The place was quite busy for a Saturday lunchtime. They have an established clientele and don't really need boosting. The strip mall and restaurant are old and have a lived-in feeling that is pretty attractive for me. The restaurant is well decorated and has one not-very-obtrusive TV. The restrooms (identical but gendered) were clean and ready, and the decor from the dining room carried over. I'd come back.

My Yelp Review

Beans & Brews

Beans & Brews is the latest coffee chain to come to our neighborhood. I stopped in to try them out just after the grand opening. Got their Espresso shake, a bacon-egg-cheese croissant and a lemon pound cake.

The Espresso Shake is a frozen latte with an espresso shot floating on top. It was quite tasty and had a good kick. The sandwich was a good one--thick bacon but still pretty crisp, and the sandwich held together well for eating.

The lemon pound cake made me curious. They present it in a small cup with a lid and black sides and it is frosted, so it looks like a little cup of yogurt or something. I had to see what was under there. It was a decent cake, though it ate just a touch dry for me.

The shop also sells energy drinks and other pastries. There's enough food on the menu to make it a possible choice for a light lunch (the sandwiches are actually very reasonable, most expensive is about $7) as well as a snack or drink. Pricing seems in line with other coffee houses. The place is tastefully decorated in browns and the seating area is comfortable. They have games on request (not sitting out), and a conference room that looks like it seats about 10. There are two all-gender restrooms (no gender-based waiting). Service is enthusiastic and polite. Do we need another coffee chain? Not sure, but this one looks like it will be able to compete and it's worth a try if you're in the area and want a pick-me-up.

My Yelp Review