El Chavo Tacos

This Tex-Mex taco bar is located inside Snack 'N' Go. The Snack 'N' Go used to be a 7-Eleven, with a Laredo Taco Company place inside. I happened to see that someone had taken over the kitchen and stopped in to give them a try. I got a bacon cheeseburger and fries, and a fountain drink.

A couple of things stood out for me. One was the care with which the burger was prepared. The guy knew how to make it come out good. He started it under a lid to thaw the premade patty, then checked the cook by pressing on it with his spatula. He toasted the bun on the grill, and finished it with a spiced mayonnaise. I got lettuce and onions on it. A short wait to get a fresh burger, but it was worth it. Second was that the burger was BIG--I would say 3/4 lb. It came out nice and tender, and was quite satisfying.

The fries were also cooked and seasoned with care. They suffered a bit from the ride home in a bag, but I grabbed a few in the car and can attest that they were fine when they came out.

The fountain drink was fine, the machine was working correctly. The restrooms in the store were not perfect but acceptable for a busy Saturday. There are some seats at the grill but it's a bit awkward to consider eating there. $13 for a burger combo is not cheap but I think I got my money's worth for freshly prepared food. The taco and pre-done items looked like they'd been made in the morning, I was not tempted by them. But a good sign for the tacos--there's a tortilla roller next to the grill, and the cook was making tortillas when I came in. I do like them fresh. It's worth a try.

My Yelp Review

Susanita's Texmex and Ritas

We stopped in to try the latest iteration of Tex-Mex at this location. Susanita's is "cowboy" Tex-Mex, and they have burgers as well as traditional Tex-Mex items. We got the Trio Charro (double decker taco, beef enchilada, chicken enchilada), The Cowboy Avocado with chicken and the carnitas enchiladas. Finished with some sopapillas.

The meal started off with the usual complementary chips. The chips were a bit thicker than average but quite tasty. The red and green salsas both had good flavor--the red was served cold.

The double-decker taco is the same idea as the ones you might get in fast food, but restaurant quality. I enjoyed it, more Tex-Mex places should offer it. The beef and chicken enchiladas were fine, as were the carnitas enchiladas.

The Cowboy Avocado is something you don't find everywhere--a whole avocado stuffed with cheese and meat, breaded and deep-fried. The breading was crisp and not greasy, and the fillings with the creamy avocado were very satisfying. I can recommend this. They have other versions for an appetizer and part of a combo.

For sides we got poblano rice, Mexican rice, refried and charro beans. The poblano rice is unique and a specialty--it's a green rice that complements the pork dishes nicely. In fact, it is made with carnitas, giving it a very rich savory flavor. The Mexican rice was also pretty good, more standard. The refrieds were fine, nothing special. The charro beans were on the bland side.

The sopapillas were a bit disappointing. We got about a dozen small ones instead of three puffy ones. The dough was heavy and somewhat bitter. Would get something else next time.

Service was very attentive, several people checked on us during the meal. The decor is pretty and inviting, lots of bright colors and traditional art. The restroom was clean and ready. Pricing is in line with other Tex-Mex places. It's a solid choice if you're in the mood for that cuisine.

My Yelp Review

Wild Stallion Vineyards

This place is best known as a concert venue for tribute bands, but they have recently expanded their hours and food offerings. They are now open 2-6 on Wed-Sat on days when they don't have live music (they have live music every Saturday evening during concert season and some other nights too). We decided to give them a try for an early dinner on a day they didn't have music. The menu changes every week but some things carry over.

We got the fried dill pickle spears, the Bacon Spinach Artichoke dip, the Classic burger with fries, and the Astros Elote flatbread (no longer on the menu), finished with apple cobbler, and got a red wine flight (3 half glasses).

The fried dill pickles were great--a nice firm crispy breading that held up to the very moist pickles, and a tasty dipping sauce. Definitely recommend them. The artichoke dip was served with thick baked pita chips--held the dip really well but there were mixed opinions on them, the thickness made them a bit dry. The dip was mildly flavored, which was good for me because I'm not a huge artichoke fan but if you like a strong flavor you won't find it.

The classic burger was just that, a burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese and bacon. The patty is billed as a mix of brisket and short rib, and you can tell--the flavor is very good and the patty is tender. The fries may have been the best single item in the meal. They are lightly breaded and seasoned with a special mix, and are some of the best around. Any dish with those fries will be great.

The flatbread was a unique dish for this menu. Roasted corn, queso fresco, chorizo and cilantro with lime. The chorizo had a mild heat to it. The flatbread was cracker-crisp, just how I like it. It ate a little dry, could have used a bit more sauce, but we were happy with it. The apple cobbler was a good representation--would have been better if served with whipped cream.

Service was friendly and casual--we were the only ones eating at the time so no problem with attention. At the time we went the only seating option was the patio, and the only real shaded chairs with a convenient table were the tall bar ones. I am not an oenophile so I won't go into the wines--they seemed fine to me. The day was beautiful and the grounds are very attractive, a nice setting for a meal and conversation. The hours are awkward--a bit late for lunch, but early for dinner for all but the AARP crowd (I do identify here). Last call is 5:30 so don't push it. It's not a cheap place but in my opinion they can cook, and if the hours and weather work for you it's a unique choice.

My Yelp Review

Tacos NAVA

This place has been open under the same name at this convenience store for at least a year, which I think is a good sign. We stopped in for some breakfast tacos--one bacon, one chorizo, and one potato, all with egg. Got their salsa with it.

The tacos are made fresh so it took about 10 minutes to prepare. They were great breakfast tacos. The chorizo was probably the best version that I've had, The breakfast tacos are $3 apiece, which is a good price for this quality. They have a full menu--tortas, burritos, etc. (the menu in the photos is representative but probably not exact) and the photos in the store make it look pretty good. The salsas are tasty--the green one had good flavor, and the red packs a serious punch--the cook warned me about it.

The host store is another matter. Kind of run down, and no public restroom. We didn't get anything else. There are tables if you want to eat there, and they were clean when we stopped in. Worth a try for a good value.

My Yelp Review