Taqueria Alebrijes at Star Stop

 Found out there's a new taqueria at the Star Stop.  Tried out their brunch tacos.  Got an egg and bacon and an egg and chorizo taco.  The fillings are quite delicious--they use enough salt for real flavor.  The red and green salsas both have good flavor and taste homemade.  Both are seriously hot, good if you like heat.  Service was friendly.  Try your Spanish if you have it.  

The convenience store is in better shape these days.  They had a persistent sewage backup problem that appears to have been resolved, and the bathroom was reasonably clean and ready when I visited.  They have a large area near the bathrooms with nothing in it except a couple of small tables to the side, and that's where you eat if you want to eat there.  Overall I think the food is worth a try if you're there and hungry.

My Yelp Review https://yelp.to/e8upNOoHWx

Texas Hideout

I stopped in on a weekend to have lunch. Got the Burger Jam with fries and washed it down with a St. Arnold Art Car on tap. Finished with an ice cream sandwich.

This place was the Rusty Horseshoe until recently and Texas Hideout has a lot in common with it. Same basic layout and attractions. The menu has items in common with Rusty Horseshoe but has added quite a bit. They now have a Healthy Food section and serve brunch on Sundays.

I can absolutely recommend the Burger Jam if you like a bacon burger. They make a garlic bacon aioli in house and spread it on the burger, then add plenty of crisp bacon. The topping has great flavor and adds a bit of sweetness--don't put ketchup on it! The bun was nicely charred on the grill. It's a great sandwich. The fries are the same as they were under the previous name, Rusty Horseshoe--a unique curved steak fry wedge that's nice and crisp on the outside and tender inside.

The Waffle Sundae is still on the menu and if they have not changed it, it is a great choice. I wanted to get the banana pudding but they were out of it. I finished with an ice cream sandwich and it was fine, maybe a bit soft in the heat but that's expected.

The place was very quiet at noon on a weekend. Service was very attentive as I was the only one in the great big bar. Pro tip for the management--the staff currently parks along the back edge of the lot, as they should. But when I drove up it actually looked like the place was closed. You might try asking the staff to park in the main section of the lot so it looks like customers are there at Friday and Saturday lunch--then they move before Happy Hour. Couldn't hurt.

My Yelp Review

La Zona Pupuseria

This is the latest food truck to occupy the space between Falvel and Roseville on Spring Stuebner. Stopped in the other day and picked up 3 tacos (beef, chicken, al pastor) and 3 pupusas (pork, beef and loroco). Added an elote (cup of corn) and a jamaica agua fresca.

The tacos are the type where the meats are well done and chewy, but cut small so that's not a problem. They were all nice and tasty, with cilantro and onion. They came with two salsa, an orange salsa that was seriously spicy and a milder green one. The tortillas were fresh and tender. Good representations.

The pupusas were also fresh and tender. One minor hiccup--instead of the pork and cheese pupusa, we got one with just cheese. They were nice and savory, easy to eat. They came with an orange sauce that was in between the salsas on spice level and complemented the pupusas well. The loroco pupusa is a unique item. Loroco is a central american flower bud with a mildly bitter and nutty flavor. The pupusa had a nice texture and good flavor, and it was interesting to try something new.

The elote was a classic preparation and a generous serving. The agua fresca was particularly good--nice and strong jamaica. Overall it's a good choice. Their competition is tough--Taqueria El Rancho up the road is also a nice place with a tree-shaded eating area and a broad menu. La Zona has a broad menu as well--lots of different Mexican snacks, along with hot dogs and burgers. Not a cheap place--the elote was $8. But there's a nice seating area. Worth a stop.

My Yelp Review

Common Bond Bistro

The Common Bond places are mostly known for breakfast and lunch, but this one is open in the evening so we went in for dinner. We got a Nashville hot chicken sandwich with Asian slaw, the pork belly deviled eggs, chicken pozole soup, and finished with a tropical cheesecake entrement.

The pork belly deviled eggs are a snack item. The filling does not have vinegar in it so no bite, and they are generously glazed in hot honey. They are topped with a savory and salty cube of pork belly that was cooked just right. I scooped mine up with a fork and ate it whole, and it was a delicious bite. Savory, crunchy and sweet all together. I can recommend them but keep an open mind.

The Nashville hot chicken sandwich was a good representation--the breading was nice and crisp and the chicken was tender. There was a drizzle of hot honey and the breading had some spice, so overall I would say medium spicy--not quite Dave's Hot Chicken but that's fine with me. The Asian slaw was very tasty, sweet with a strong peanut component.

The chicken pozole soup is good for gluten sensitive folks--it has hominy and gluten-free tortilla strips, some cabbage and onions, and lots of chicken. The bowl is a very large serving, plenty for two meals. I found it very lime-forward but enjoyed it--I would say it is a chicken tortilla soup without the avocado. At $9 it is one of the best values on the menu.

I got the tropical cheesecake entrement because it was so pretty. It's passion fruit cheesecake mousse with a crunchy guava coconut filling on a coconut cookie, with coconut chantilly, passion fruit jelly and guava jelly decorations. The bright and enticing appearance makes it taste better. It comes on a little bronzed platter that complements it well. A must-see and very worth trying.

The interior is colorful and appetizing. The restrooms were clean and ready. At this point you can tell that the staff is still training but everyone had a great attitude. I would give it a 4.5 and round up. The menu is huge, they serve breakfast all day and there are lots of choices for meals. Panera had gone downhill and this is a very good replacement.

My Yelp Review