Regular Joe's Guide

Last visit: Nov 2009 Recently I tried another Dallas based popular place called Fat Daddy's Burger House in Southlake. Well, it's... pretty good. I mean it would be wholly unfair to say I didn't like it, because it's certainly decent. But when compared with many other burger choices in NE Tarrant, many featured on these very pages, then Fat Daddy's falls short. Better to spend your dough at Johnny B's, Molly's, Five Guys, Freddy's, Chapps, Snuffer's, plus the ones mentioned in this post alone. Fat Daddy's compares closest to Fuddruckers (they cook the burger and you dress it at the fixins bar), and frankly Fuddruckers is better at this racket as well. Free soft serve is a nice touch though. I'm afraid Fat Daddy's gets squeezed out in the highly competitive burger market. They need something to separate themselves - like a better tasting burger to start. 11/24/09 (new entry)

Last visit: Nov 2009 First visit: 2003 Unbeknownst to us, Los Alomos closed shortly after our last revisit. Devastating news, but we weren't the type of customers they needed to stay in business. At best we made it over here once a year from NE Tarrant (it quite simply was not anywhere close to where we live). In the RJG's opinion, they had the best salsa in town. I hope the salsa (or restaurant) resurfaces at some point. Lately, Mrs. RJG and I have been just going to our favorites in NE Tarrant, many of which we've already written about in these pages. So this Labor Day weekend, we figured it was time to venture out again and try a new place. Using my patented Random Restaurant Generator, and a bit of careful weeding out, we ended up at Los Alamos near the Stockyards. To be exact, 14th and N. Main near Marine Park. Strangely enough, Google Maps will send you South to near Magnolia. That's entirely wrong... Located in an old brick building, with a tile roof, Los Ala...

On the excellent Food and Fort Worth, Texas blog, Francis calls out a US News and World Report business article that praises eight publicly traded companies (or otherwise large corporations) for their growth, sales and profit. I've already worn all of you out with my thoughts about Wall Street and food quality. So I'll put that soapbox away for now. Rather, I thought I'd comment on each of the 8 restaurants listed. In the order Francis listed them: Buffalo Wild Wings - I know people who feel that you shouldn't have to pay for wings - that they're a free appetizer to go with your adult beverage of choice. Certainly this is how it all started in Buffalo. In this way, they're similar to Spain's tapas. Tapas were originally heated up leftovers from the day before, and served up prior to your meal as appetizers. That was my personal experience touring Spain in 1990 and again in 1996. I've long felt that tapas, in today's current interpretation, is f...

Mar 28, 2022 update: Looks like they closed in September of 2021. The later reviews were terrible. That's too bad, as it was one of our staples when living in Parker until we left in Jan 2003. In fact, it was our last dining experience before leaving for NE Tarrant. Last visit: Aug 2009 First visit: sometime in 2001 New Dynasty remains one of our favorite Chinese restaurants. While we wouldn't say it's anything extraordinary, or even unusual, it is rather their consistency that is both its trademark and appeal. Today, Chinese restaurants seem to come in two types: Take out dives and fancy Asian "fusion" restaurants as spearheaded by the success of P.F. Changs. Gone are the old style "Tong hangouts" of dark reds and golds, the places that may have operated a den of iniquity in the back rooms. New Dynasty is none of those, but the food quality reminds me of the old school dark rooms of yesteryear, prettied up for the suburban community in which it sits. ...

Latest visit: Jan 2022 (Lone Tree - BB III)   First visit: Sometime early 1996 (Denver - BB II) Rude Dante informed us that the BB III has closed. Confirmed 12/1/23 to be that closure date. He has shared some thoughts "below the line" as it were. ---1/16/22 update (BB III) There was a time when the Brewery Bar was a Gold Star standard bearer. It's lost its luster a bit over the years. Not sure if that's the evolution of our taste buds, or that the recipes have changed slightly - or a little of both. This visit was at the III location, which has always been my least fave, but again I don't believe they deviate from the others. We had become fond of the IV location in Aurora that didn't survive. And we haven't been to the original II since we last lived in Denver full time (before 2003). The III is a welcoming spacious place, though it still seems old (see original review below). It's just south of County Line road, which means you're in the mask-fre...

First visit: Jun 2009 Over at Urbanspoon, I wish they offered a middle grade between "I like it" and "I don't like it". Judging from the relatively low score for Gutierrez, I'm thinking most of the "don't" votes may be more towards the middle. That's where we sit. This is fairly bland, safe, Mexican food. Gutierrez makes a big deal out of not being a chain. I think they do that because they ACT like a chain. Give us some spicy options! Put tequila in the margarita for crying out loud! But to say we didn't like it isn't fair either, as their basic salsa's are tasty - one containing that smooth texture that the Kansas taco chains are known for. The ground beef was heavily seasoned, though not overly tasty. The chicken is all white meat, and prepared very well. Hays is a great place to stop on the long journey to and from our other home in Denver on I-70. But I would recommend Taco Grande over Gutierrez. Next time, though, we...

Latest visit: May 2009 First visit: Aug 2007 If there's a food type that the RJG thinks should be more popular it's German food. Wandering throughout Central Europe in the late 80's and early 90's, the RJG was constantly gorging on the multitude of sausages from the various street vendors, as well as devouring variations on the wienerschnitzel theme at the restaurants. With beer and fries of course. All within the backpackers budget. Yet here in America, German food seems verboten - perhaps a long lasting ban from the WW II nightmare. Personally I think German food is an untapped market. Same with low cost / Brasserie style French food. Any multi-millionaire restaurant veterans out there that want to help me prove my theory? Here in the DFW area, German food options are slim. We love Kuby's near SMU, a place we are certain to write about eventually. There are others of course, including the cornball institution Edelweiss in Ft. Worth - the very embodiment of why G...

Latest visit: May 2009 (Richland Hills) First visit: Jan 2005 (Richland Hills) Looks like there's 8 locations, down one from the last check. Richland Hills is still open. There's still no website or chain presence. --- The Burger Box is one of those local/regional chains that have no web presence, no continuity and seemingly no Raison d'être . They could be a front for illegal arms dealings to Iran for all I know. I suppose I could inquire about a franchise, but would guys in trench coats start following me? But exist they do - and from what I can gather, they have a multitude of locations on this side of the Great Divide (DFW airport). A non substantiated survey displays four NE Tarrant locations: North Richland Hills, Richland Hills, Bedford and Euless. I've been only to the Richland Hills location, conveniently located near Northeast Mall (on Glenview/Pipeline, other side of the 121/820 bridge). I'm no regular visitor, probably only been a handful of times sinc...

Last visit: Apr 2009 First visit: Feb 2006 Now this is a hole in the wall. The real deal. A Regular Joe's Guide special if there ever was one. In a dilapidated old strip center, sits the not so quaint Nipa's. Not a romantic date restaurant that's for sure. But certainly one of the best Thai restaurants in the area, second to only Bangkok Cuisine for Haltom City. That's right, exactly the type of place to grab a quick lunch. With prices to match the ambiance. The savings definitely go into the cooking. Even for folks on hard times, Nipa's Kitchen is about as cheap as making your own food from the grocery store. I doubt I need to mention it's BYOB. And portions are just right, not the massive amounts we've come to expect. We've tried both the stir fried basil chicken and the spicy fried rice, both utterly delicious. And very spicy, just as we asked for. No going through the "you really want it that spicy?" ritual that grows so tiresome. Fine...

Last visit: Apr 2009 (Fort Worth - Camp Bowie) First visit: Feb 2008 (Fort Worth - Camp Bowie) Tommy's has 3 locations in Fort Worth. --- As with Kincaid's , you really don't need the Regular Joe's Guide to direct you to Tommy's, as this is one of Fort Worth's most respected burger institutions (since 1983). Tommy's frequently makes the Best Of lists in multiple newspapers and guides - anything from the widely circulated Star-Telegram to your local Sub Sandwich Times. Our first visit was anything but a "Best Of" experience. The problem was not the quality of food, for if it had been, there might not have been a repeat visit. No, rather it was the service. Or lack thereof. For we waited exactly one hour to be served our hamburger AFTER being seated. That's an excruciatingly long time to wait when you're hungry - especially for what is basically fast food. It was quite simply a very poorly handled situation. They were busy, that we could se...

Last visit: Feb 2009 Having lived in Colorado for 10 years, the wife and I became spoiled with the abundance of Mexican food that thrived in the area. But you say "We have plenty of Mexican dining options in DFW too - there's practically one on every corner!" Ah, so true, but how many of them have cooked in the fine art of New Mexican food? You can count them on less than one hand. When we say New Mexican, we do not mean Nuevo Mexican, but rather the type of food that is worshiped in the great state of New Mexico. Any trip to Santa Fe or Albuquerque is not complete until you've devoured a spicy green enchilada. New Mexican food is all about the shrine to the Great Green Chile that rules the arid plains. That stimulating and torrid fruit that is grown in great numbers throughout the state. Google green chile (as spelled) and see what you get - go on do it. Keyword: New Mexico. Pilgrimages are made to acquire the best chiles around. And many are spicy, almost ridicu...

Last visit: Apr 2009 First visit: Jun 2004 It's been a few years since my first visit to Al's. I must say that my debut experience was a bit underwhelming, but I was determined to try it one more time. And that time has now come and gone. And little has changed as far as my perception, except maybe the prices. A few years back, Al's was one of those "everything is 89 cents" kind of places. And it's true what they say, you get what you pay for. It was forgettable. Wisely, they gave up on that concept and have improved the quality of their product, and the prices are still DARN cheap, but no longer is anything under a $1. So what's the problem then? Well, it's not that there's anything wrong with Al's per se, but their burgers are kind of... well... bland. The meat doesn't have much seasoning, and the bun seems to be added at the end, right out of the bag. So other than the low cost, there isn't a compelling reason to go here, especia...

Latest visit: Mar 2009 First visit: Mar 2006 Perhaps even more surprising than not having recent Thai updates, is the fact that I have yet to write about any Vietnamese restaurants. And the blog is nearly a year old. Surprising in the fact that when the wife and I were dating, Vietnamese food was the restaurant of choice. Not just any Vietnamese place, but namely Kim Ba, a wonderful little restaurant in eastern Denver near Aurora. This was Mrs. RJG's first food love. It got to the point that she wouldn't eat anywhere else during our courtship. We had to get married just so we could eat Italian food again. After we married, naturally we continued to frequent Kim Ba for the next few years before moving to NE Tarrant. We would still go almost weekly, even after we moved miles away to The Pinery, far southeast of Denver proper. So is Pho Empire the second coming of Kim Ba? Hardly, but that doesn't mean it's not good, because it is. We've also frequented a handful of...

Latest visit: Jan 2009 First visit: Feb 2005 According to my notes, it had been almost exactly 4 years since the RJG dined at Aboca's. In fact, it's probably been 4 years since I did anything in Richardson. Strange to think about that now, considering that I was a summer intern for two years at one of the many hi-tech firms that dotted the Richardson landscape at the time (mid 1980s). Today I have little reason to visit this way, except to try the numerous interesting food choices. I hardly recognize the place anymore. But back to 2005, Mr. Music came down from Shady Shores and joined me for a music session at Mr. Unemployed Former DJ's apartment. Naturally, no food was offered, so Mr. Music and I conjured up an excuse to leave, and then figured out later where we would eat. Consider that Mr. Music is one of the only people I know who actually samples more restaurants than the RJG . He suggested that I try a new Italian place he just discovered called Aboca's. And so ...

Last visit: Jan 2009 First visit: Jul 1989 (Dallas NW Hwy - closed) Thanks to a reminder from Food and Fort Worth, Texas , the Mrs. and I decided to journey over to Ft. Worth and visit Galligaskin's. You may think it's a bit far to go for a sandwich, and it is, but I wanted to revisit a place I haven't to in over 20 years. Galligaskin's started in Dallas (near SMU) in 1972 by some guys who wanted to recreate the sub sandwiches they could get in Boston while attending college there. According to their website, they are the oldest sub shop in Texas. Really? Well a quick check of two of the most known of Texas sub chains, The Great Outdoors of Dallas (1973) and Thundercloud of Austin (1975) does indicate that Galligaskin's may indeed be the original - at least of those that are still around. At one point, the chain had grown to quite a few stores throughout DFW, including one near Bachman Lake in NW Dallas. Even though Dad and I were loyalists to the nearby Great O...

Last visit: Jan 2009 First visit: Sometime in 2004 This is really too bad. Marco's was a very good place. Then they became Porta di Roma, and we visited early in its new tenure (see below), and it was good but not the same. But it wasn't long before the comments came in that the place had turned terrible. And now it's gone. One of the beauties of having a blog is that it remains dynamic. Therefore I can make updates to past entries and re-enter them as new. In June of 2008 we wrote about Marco's, a fine Italian restaurant in Watauga. It has since changed ownership and been rebranded as Porta di Roma. But little has changed. It's still a familiar Balkan owned DFW Italian restaurant. We noticed the bread was different and the sauces tasted a bit more sour. Because of this, there's no point in a new writeup, so the below represents a slight alteration of the original posting. Porta di Roma is one of the many Italian restaurants in NE Tarrant with an Albanian ...

Latest visit: Jan 2009 (Fort Worth Alliance - closed) First visit: Apr 2004 (Southlake - closed) Sonny Bryan's now down to 2 locations - the original in Dallas and one in Richardson. That's one less than the last check, and 7 since I wrote this. --- Started in 1910, Sonny Bryan's is a Texas legend for barbecue. Its original location on Inwood Rd. and Harry Hines in Dallas remains a tourist destination. As the menu itself states, the area was then considered "Far North Dallas". Hard to imagine that today. While I've still never stepped foot in the original location with its DISD school desks (saw enough of those... in DISD schools), I do remember going to the Red Bryan's on Lombardy (Thanks Mr D for the catch!), just west of Webbs Chapel, not far from the "North Dallas" I grew up near. We had gone a couple of times on the way back from bowling at Circle Bowl when I was still a young boy in the mid 1970s. Curious - any of my readers ever bowl at ...

Latest visit: Jan 2009 First visit: Jun 2007 In 1987, Cathy Mancuso opened up an Italian restaurant in far west Ft. Worth for the simple reason that there wasn't any Italian eateries out that way. Coming from Utica, NY where her Dad ran a place called Nash's for many years, Cathy comes from the New York tradition of making high quality Italian meals for the public at large. She would have a hard time finding a more incongruous spot than this. We've had good luck at the RJG recently in finding Old School Italian hole in the wall's: Siciliano's in Garland and I Fratelli in Irving are but two examples. Add Mancuso's to the list. We have others to spring on you, including the RJG's favorite restaurant, and we hope to write about them in the coming months ahead. As we mentioned before, the Mrs. and I like to use Saturday's for our "road games" as it were, and try places outside of NE Tarrant. We first visited Mancuso's in the summer of 200...

Latest visit: Jun 2025 (Interquest) First visit: Jan 2009 (Euless, TX) HQ: Wichita, KS ---6/13/25 update It has been almost a year and a half since I last graced Freddy's with my magnanimous presence (lol). After last year's underwhelming performance, have Freddy's rectified all that has gone south? Heck no. Pretty much a repeat of last year verbatim. Lukewarm fries, lukewarm burger where the bun wasn't even close to centered. A "sundae" now they call it. And a $15 price tag for all of this greatness. According to AI, this would have been around $8 before the pandemic. Sure, it was decent tasting but they are long away from their prime. In reading below, this is four fails in a row. It wasn't always this way. Maybe it's just this location, which I must ban going forward. I had good luck at a different Jersey Mike's recently, so maybe that's what I must do - go to a different location. Location update: Freddy's are currently in 35 states (-...