Everything German ~ Hurst, Texas ***CLOSED***

March 31, 2022 update: Everything German closed in 2016 three years after relocating to Hurst.

First visit: Dec 2011 (Roanoke)

Two of the most popular posts from the RJG were about German restaurants. The first post was when we took a trip up to Muenster and visited Rohmer's. But even more so was our visit to Gerhard's in Roanoke. We went there not long after it opened, thought it quite good, and wrote about it here. We haven't been back since, but not because we didn't like the restaurant, rather we just haven't taken the time to do so. Just by reading the comments on Urbanspoon, it appears the restaurant is hotly debated amongst those that seem to passionately hate it - and those who love it. Much of the "discussion" revolves around service issues, which quite frankly the RJG feels gets too much attention in today's world. Believe me, service in Europe is far less attentive (note I didn't say worse). We're just a very restless society I'm afraid. We've had a couple of outrageous examples of poor service that we've reported on here as well. But it really has to be bad for us to mention anything. Anyway, we're looking forward to a revisit to Gerhard's sometime in early 2012.

All that said, I feel rather confident in saying that Everything German should not hold much controversy at all. Hands down, this is the best German place we've been to in DFW, and compares well with the RJG's all-time (in the USA, that is) favorite German restaurant: House of Gerhard in Kenosha, Wisconsin (I hope to one day feature some of the RJG's favorite restaurants in the US based on extensive travels / work sites). Now I should caution we've only been once to date, but this is going to be a regular stop for the RJG. If anything changes, we'll report back quickly. We want to do everything we can to keep this place in business. I feel we need good German restaurants in the area, and they are so seldom around. And almost never this good either. It's a food concept still waiting its audience.

Everything German is housed incongruously in an old Taco Bell (and almost next door to the Al Wadi cafe we spoke about recently), which the RJG once knew as an Uncle Joe's Italian place a few years back. Everything German has further renovated it by removing the fast food window (where Uncle Joe's displayed their pizzas), and applied the familiar dark Bavarian timbers. So there's less light and it's very cozy actually. On our visit they were playing soft Christmas music - sung in German.

For our one lunch visit we each opted for the Weinerschnitzel, which comes with pan fried potatoes and a dinner roll. Yes, yes, yes! This is how it's done, just as we know from our various trips to Germany. No sweet sauces or crazy gravy (they have those too, but accurately applied to other dishes). A heavily pounded lean pork loin cutlet, breaded perfectly and came out crispy. And it covered most of the large plate. It had that perfect blend of subtle flavors (and we prefer to put a pile of black pepper on it which is perfect for the dish). The potatoes were cut finely, sauteed in butter and parsley and were delicious. I doubt the roll was homemade, but who cares as long as it was baked correctly. We washed it down on this visit with a Coke Zero. But here's even better news: It's BYOB. We're going to head over here for dinner on a frequent basis, and bring a bottle of Riesling or perhaps a few Warsteiners or Paulaners. Oh, and the lunch price was a complete bargain at $7.99 each (+ the drink). We can't wait to try many of the other dishes here.

Obviously we were very impressed with our first visit. It's a small family owned place. Give them a chance if you enjoy German food like we do!

Note that they are CLOSED on Monday and Tuesday, so file that away.

12/29/11 (new entry)

ZuRoma Sicilian Kitchen ~ Keller, Texas ***CLOSED***

Last visit: Dec 2011

First visit: Jan 2005

A few years ago, sometime in the 2004-05 range, the Mrs. and I had dined at the original ZuRoma location in Grapevine near 121. We thought it was good Italian food, and had returned at least once. A couple of years later, while planning a return visit, I reviewed their entry on Urbanspoon, and it was clear a major event had taken place. Best I can tell the original owners sold the place, and the new proprietors subsequently ran the place into the ground. I never sampled this debacle, but as is foreshadowed by now, they did close down shortly thereafter. Meanwhile the original owners opened up in the Ice House in North Richland Hills. We never did go to the hockey arena, but now they also have a to-go only place in Keller, so I decided to try their pizza on a recent evening that Mrs. RJG and one of our official nieces had something else going on. "ya on ya own" in Mrs. RJG speak.

ZuRoma specializes in the "Sicilian" styled pizza, which I sometimes refer to as "Dallas style" as first championed by Campisi's Egyptian or Prego Pasta House and further popularized by the I Fratelli pizza outlets. It's an oval-ish pizza that's looks like an outline of a small football. I went for the Hite's Cabin Special which is a combo of Italian sausage, salami, jalapeno, and extra cheese. The sausage is crumbled and non-distinctive, while the salami is finely cut small pieces of Genoa (and again, difficult to discern any flavor). The extra cheese, however, was very apparent and quite excellent in its gooeyness. The crust is uniquely flavored, but decidedly not crispy. Like having a pizza on the crust of old bread from Macaroni Grill. Even after throwing a few slices in the toaster, I couldn't get the crust to change its stale disposition. The flavor of the pizza is very good, but the texture left something to be desired. As well, I tend to like a saucy pie, and this was definitely dry. I'm giving it a thumbs up on Urbanspoon, but I won't be a regular visitor for their pizza. However, they also have a full array of Italian dishes. I'm most curious how they prepare them from the small kitchen. I'll try ZuRoma again just for that.

Even though the restaurant name implies a full service establishment, ZuRoma is strictly a take out joint with nowhere to sit except to wait for your pizza.

1/26/05; 12/27/11 (new entry)

Best Tex Burger ~ North Richland Hills, Texas ***CLOSED***

First visit: Dec 2011

Best Tex Burger is in the same Shell station that once housed a Billadelphia's** location, and if I recall right was originally a Chester Fried Chicken.

Best Tex Burger arrives with a feel-good story, that one has to admire. This is the American spirit at its finest.

Onto the food we go. Their website talks about a variety of gourmet burgers and a chicken sandwich option. However, they have recently reduced their menu significantly. All they now serve are hamburgers, cheeseburgers (with a double option on each) and fries. And that's it. As you all know, the RJG is very much in favor of the small menu. So my expectation was set to a high level, figuring that they only do one thing - so it will be awesome. I kept it simple and ordered a double cheeseburger and a small drink. The burger comes out with the condiments on the side and include fresh romaine lettuce, pickles, onion and tomato. They also bring a variety of sauces to put on your burger. But other than the usual suspects (mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup), there was only one that appeared unique - a chipotle mayonnaise if I'm not mistaken. So then.... was it the best burger? Absolutely not, I'm afraid to say. Was it good even? Sure, it was and I rated it a thumbs up on Urbanspoon. But the honest truth is the burger is too ordinary to get excited about. The meat was lightly seasoned, the standard bun was barely toasted. The chipotle mayonnaise was decent. Compared to places like Kincaid's or Chapps, Best Tex doesn't cut it (IMHO). Still, I would encourage you all to see for yourself. With the great story behind the restaurant, places like this deserve at least one chance. Maybe I'm just plain wrong? And I'm always up for a revisit if you all disagree. This would be one case I would like to be wrong. But for now, my opinion holds.

As an aside, technically the restaurant is know as Best Tex Burger, rather than Best Texas Burger (despite the website URL name). I did confirm that with the owner.

12/26/11 (new entry)

Jalapeno's Mexican Cuisine ~ Keller, Texas ***CLOSED***

Last update: Jun 2013: Jalapeno's moved to the other side of US-377 to Fort Worth. And renamed it Las Pinatas. Review of new location here.

If you live around Keller, the name Jalapeno's can be a bit confusing. There's a taqueria by that name in the old town, with the exact same logo, and yet it's entirely different than this restaurant found on Keller Parkway. Apparently there's different ownership, but obviously they are related in some way. So if you too were confused, as the RJG perpetually is, then I do recommend you try both. We'll cover the taqueria at another time, but today's post will reflect the restaurant only. To the best of my knowledge, this is their only location and not related to other Jalapeno's in and around DFW.

Jalapeno's sits in the old Keller Pizza place (itself no doubt once a Pizza Inn). Upon entry, there's a cavernous space filled with booths and tables - and even an old fashioned 1980s styled video game area. I was pleased to see the frozen margarita machine cranking away to my left, so I ordered one. Only to be met with the now familiar "it's not frozen yet" response (it was around 11:30 for lunch). Ya know, I've been biting my tongue on this issue, but this is the third Mexican place in a relatively short time frame that each sprung this excuse. Turn the dang thing on once you get there! We also heard this excuse recently at El Paseo and Tres Jose's on our recent visits. Each time, I ended up settling on water. Anyway, I can honestly say we've never had this problem at Anamia's and we've been there at least 50 times. Alright, with that annoyance out of the way, let's focus on the food. And here, Jalapeno does a very good job - and a bit different, which we always appreciate here at the RJG. The entry level salsa is a chipotle blend. Quite good, but way too thin, and thus it tends to roll off the chips. We asked for the hotter option and we received the hottest (apparently the have a medium heat as well). This one was better textured, with a dark green color. Definitely a jalapeno based sauce, perhaps with some serrano's, and very spicy. So now our palette was set for the main course. The Mrs. went for cheese enchiladas with vegetables and covered with a tomatillo sauce. She says the cheese was very good, velvety in texture, with crisp veggies and the tomatillo was just right, not too bitter. I had 2 chicken flautitas and a ground beef taco. The flautitas were delicious with all white meat chicken crammed into slightly plump, but small crispy fried tortillas with melted white cheese on top. The beef taco was a bit different, the meat being somewhat like a chili mixture, rather than the traditional crumbled beef. One reviewer angrily called it dog food on Urbanspoon, but that's not fair at all. Actually I thought it was delicious and a unique take on a common recipe. The fresh green lettuce and yellow cheese were piled high on the side for me to load up. We both loved the rice, even though I'm not too fond of peas and carrots, but the flavor was excellent. And the charro beans were good, but a bit too fatty on the bacon.

This was only our second visit here, and our first in nearly 2 years, but we should go more often. We give it a thumbs up! Though a friendly reminder to the owners, please turn on the margarita machine earlier....

12/25/11 (new enrty)

Taqueria El Paisano ~ Dallas, Texas

Our first Mr. Music review!

I took a trip to El Paisano last Weds with my friends. I’ve been going to El Paisano regularly for over a decade now. I usually don’t go to any single restaurant that often, but I really love this place! It was the first place that really opened my eyes to what are commonly known as “street tacos”. No matter how many I try, El Paisano consistently remains my favorite place for them. Now I won’t say I’ve tried every place around; there are hundreds of them, but I’ve been to dozens. My friends and I meet on Wednesdays for a night out and make El Paisano at least 3 times a month. Tacos are a pretty simple; you’ve got a tortilla, some meat, toppings and the sauce. All of them are important, but for me the sauce is the key! Of course the meat is very important too, but the sauce can propel a “really good” taco to “OMG!”.

At El Paisano there are 3 types of tortillas: maiz which is a factory bought corn tortilla dipped in manteca (pig lard) for $0.99, then there is harina or flour for $1.15 and if you don’t mind paying a bit more you can get handmade corn tortillas (maiz heche a mano) for $2.00. I love them all, but usually opt for the harina because I don’t want so much lard and don’t want to shell out 2 bucks a pop for heche a mano when you can get an order of 4 fresh made corn tortillas for $1.00. I order mine “con todo” (with everything) which basically means I want fresh diced onion and cilantro on my taco with a slice of lime on the side. I think most taco stands offer this these days but El Paisano also includes some nicely caramelized fried onions as well. There are 3 basic meat choices: pollo, fajita, or al pastor (chicken, beef, or pork). To me, the al pastor is by far the tastiest and although I don’t think the pork is cooked on a spit as is done traditionally, the meat is very nicely seasoned. The chicken and fajita are also very good, but at El Paisano it is ALL about the sauce! They serve 3 varieties here; two in squirt bottles and one that comes hot off the grill in a mocajete. In the bottles are a green sauce which is a very creamy sauce made with green chilies that seem to be something like Hatch chilies (not tomatillo) and a red which is a brutal mixture of dried red chilies teeming with seeds, water, cumin and a dash of salt. Both are delish and can vary from medium to blazing but the real star is the steaming salsa in the mortar. I’m not sure what the exact recipe is (if I did, I’d bathe in it regularly!) but I’m pretty sure they take tomatoes, jalapenos, jalapenos, some sort of chicken stock and oh, some more jalapenos and grill them until they completely break down. This stuff is what dreams are made of! My friends and I shovel this stuff in with basket after basket of chips and reminds me of a shark feeding frenzy; then we smother our tacos with it glopping on as much as we can on each bite. When we are so full, salsa is leaking from our belly buttons, we hunt for cups to take the rest home for our scrambled eggs in the morning (or sometimes pay for a pint to go)! I’ve also tried their gorditas which are awesome, their guacamole which is so simple its beautiful and their rice and beans which are solid. They have a big place (on Lombardy just East of Denton Drive) with 2 sides. To the East is the old, run down side with decrepit bathrooms and on the West is a cleaner, cozier place with very clean bathrooms, table cloths, etc. I go to the West with my wife and kids and to the East (where we know all the waitresses) with my buddies. The food is just as wonderful on either side. If you want to eat outside in front of the original metal shack they started in, you can do that too because it still sits in front of their building.

- Mr. Music

12/24/11 (new entry)

Tres Jose's ~ Fort Worth-TX ***CLOSED***

Last visit: Dec 2011

First visit: Dec 2004

Situated at the edge of the tony River Crest neighborhood, Tres Jose's seems an unlikely place to find an authentic Tex-Mex restaurant. We first visited a few years ago while visiting some museums at the nearby Cultural District. And while we await the renovations (and new ownership) to be completed over at the RJG's favorite Ft. Worth Mexican food destination - Fernandez Cafe - we decided to revisit Tres Jose's since we were over in Ft. Worth anyway.

While Tres Jose's is a reliable neighborhood spot, it's not extraordinary. We both enjoyed the blue corn enchiladas with the heavily seasoned chicken doused in a sour green tomatillo sauce. The rice was well prepared, and the charro beans had the right mix of chile's, beans and bacon. The chips are homemade and crispy, while the standard salsa is tomato based with a mild kick, and includes black pepper (something the RJG likes in his hot sauces). We asked for the hotter one, as we often do, and out came a very creamy habanero green sauce, likely mixed with avocado's. It definitely had a nice heat level, though it was far too creamy for my liking. It appears Tres Jose's has a full bar, though we just settled on diet sodas for this lunch visit.

Really not much else to say, other than if you're craving some Mexican food after immersing yourself into some high culture, then Tres Jose's is likely to hit the spot. Much better in our opinion than the Dos Gringos you are likely to have seen on University.

12/16/04; 12/11/11 (new entry)

Princi Italia ~ Dallas, Texas

They also have a second location in Plano.

First visit: Dec 2011

While browsing the main DFW page on Urbanspoon, a little blurb caught my eye from the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram: "Homemade Italian sausage". The RJG is always on the lookout for good, high quality, homemade Italian sausage, whether from a restaurant or a local grocer. Unfortunately for us folks on the Ft. Worth side of the house, almost all of the great Italian sausage to be found is in Dallas. And even though it was the Startlegram that brought it to my attention, sure enough the restaurant is in Dallas. Preston Royal to be exact.

I spent a lot of my youth in the Preston Royal area. Not that I grew up here (I wish!), but many times my folks and I would "head east" for a weekend dinner out. While still in high school in the early 1980s, there was a great Italian restaurant called Rodolfo's Colosseo that we frequented often (anyone remember it?). He later dropped the Colosseo moniker, and I can recall my last meal being after college sometime in 1988. I suspect he closed shortly thereafter (there's a sushi place there now). In any case, I had some business to attend to in Dallas and figured the Mrs. and I could try Princi Italia. This would be my first meal to enjoy in the area for some 23 years.

So let's talk about Princi Italia shall we? Nice decor. Very nice decor. Too nice decor. Once in, we saw a large table of middle aged, nicely dressed and well-to-do ladies. Clearly a place for ladies who lunch - and have a spare coin or two. We were stuck in the corner so as to not intrude (not really. Well maybe...). Time to order. I went for the Penne Arrabbiata which they describe as a "spicy tomato sauce, garlic parmesan, basil & chilies." And given the premise for our visit, I asked for a side of sausage. I was informed that it was crumbled, rather than in a tube, which was disappointing to hear, but yes, please mix it in. Mrs. RJG settled on the Tagliatelle Bolognese described as thus: "Classic bolognese sauce, reggiano parmesan, basil". Mine arrived first, due to a mixup in the kitchen (no problem) and my wife immediately blurted out "that's a child's portion!" 'Tis true I'm afraid. The RJG agrees with many that most restaurants serve too much food (though we just take home what we can't eat ourselves). And because we workout everyday, we tend to eat like truckers. But I still prefer a normal portion. This was dinky. How about the food? I thought it was quite good, though terms like spicy and chilies are ridiculous to even consider. Their spicy won't fire up even the most tame of taste buds. But it was a very good light red sauce with basil and the added ground pork sausage was much needed to fill me up a tad anyway. The sausage was indeed very good, but it's sort of cheating. Personally I wouldn't call this homemade Italian sausage. For a great example of what I mean, head over to Pietro's on Lower Greenville (search the RJG, and you can read my love letter there). When Mrs. RJG's food arrives, it was greeted with a frown. She was already bumming about the portion, but when the bolognese came out in a brown gravy sauce, that pretty much soured her for good. There's nothing traditional at all about it. We've spent many weeks in Italy over the last 20+ years, and we never saw anything like this. She just flat out didn't like it. I thought it was good myself. It wasn't a bolognese, but I did like the interpretation. Nice blend of flavors. As well, the pasta was slightly undercooked in places. Tagliatelle is a thin flat noodle (like fettucine but not wavy), and it can clump easily if not stirred properly.

So how to rate Princi then? At the time of this writing Princi has a whopping 4 votes on Urbanspoon and a poor 25% approval rating. One is positive. The other 3 are not. And we're in that latter camp I'm afraid. The problem here, at least for me, is quite simply value. I rarely consider that when rating or evaluating a place, because I have a very large +/- error ratio on that front. But this was a pretty outrageous example. Mine was $10+$3 and hers was $12. For a VERY small portion of food. Ridiculously so. It wasn't an appetizer. The tossed salad was an additional $6, which was about $3 too much (I didn't mention the salad, but we did both enjoy it, and it featured a nice light red wine vinagraitte). I also had a Birra Moretti. That plus tax and tip: $44. And we were still starving when we left.

So it's with mixed emotions, we give Princi a thumbs down. I really wanted to like it. But honestly it looks like another mercurial chef-driven place that will be out of business within the next year. I'm sorry to say :-(

12/9/11 (new entry)

Red Dog Right ~ Southlake, Texas ***CLOSED***

Closed in 2016.

First visit: Dec 2011

Like many folks who live in NE Tarrant, if I have to go to the airport or to the other side, then I must get on Hwy 114 East. Many times I'll do that via Southlake Blvd, and when you do, you'll see on your right a Kirby's Steakhouse, and then Red Lobster and then... whoa... hold up there. What happened to the Red Slobster? It's gone baby. In its place - Red Dog Right. The RJG doesn't shed a tear when the publicly traded company gets replaced with a more local option. In this case, it's still a (local) chain, but I'm guessing Red Dog Right still isn't ringing a bell. And it won't either, as this is a new entry from the folks at Front Burner Restaurants, founded by a Rockfish Seafood guy (guess he knew Kenny too right?).

Front Burner is behind Ojos Locos, Whiskey Cake, The Ranch at Las Colinas... and their most famous brand is Twin Peaks. The name is a wink-wink deal, and what was originally supposed to go into the Red Slobster spot. But hold on there young feller, the good kindly folks of Southlake ain't havin' none of 'dem near nekkid girls here. Oh for crying out loud, really? You have to love uptight people. Anyone who's spent more than a day with gorgeous women will realize that it's less about exploitation and more about the celebration of beauty, confidence and fitness for the ladies. Look, there's a huge difference between a stripper club and a sports bar with scantily clad women. I understand that heavy levels of testosterone, topless estrogen, lots of alcohol and 3 in the morning is a lethal combination. We don't want that either. Contrast that with 8 at night, the Cowboys game and servers that look like the models from Hee-Haw. So what does a enterprising company do - fight it? Naw, too much effort and why bother. How about a new logo? So Red Dog Right was born. Apparently the restaurant is named after the technical name of a football play. Sounds good to me.

The food is upscale bar food. Like our favorite brewpubs in Colorado (where are they in Texas? Oh don't get me started - I know why...), the food is actually quite good and better than you might imagine. Chef's and cooks all over the country are migrating to taverns such as these to create high quality variations of sandwiches, salads, pizzas and burgers. Rather than chips and salsa, the free opener is a box of buttery popcorn. That's a good idea I think! I went with the basic cheeseburger, which was excellent and stands up well against the specialty burger houses in the area. Mrs. RJG went with an individual Hawaiian pizza (always a risky proposition with the wife). But they nailed it - with the right amount of crispness on the crust, tasty sauce, gooey cheese and excellent ingredients.

Red Dog Right also maintains a robust Texas microbrew selection including the Franconia Lager that I just mentioned on the Love & War blurb. First time I've seen it over here. Good frozen margaritas too.

Oh, I should mention that they provide an assortment of board/parlor games to play, including a fully stocked old-school video game area.

I like this place. Though both Mr. and Mrs RJG wish they stocked it with the babes as originally planned. C'est la vie.

12/4/11 (new entry)

Italianni's ~ Hurst, Texas

Latest visit: Dec 2011

First visit: Nov 2006

Italianni's started life as a chain concept from Carlson Restaurants (most known for TGI Fridays). Carlson no doubt wanted a piece of the Italian chain dollar and went head to head with Brinker's Romano's Macaroni Grill and Darden's very popular Olive Garden. But the market was already saturated, and they eventually decided to shut down the concept here in the US. The Hurst store however still had a loyal following, and was purchased locally, and has been run independently for close to 10 years now. Interesting to note that the chain is still operating in Mexico, Korea, Colombia and The Philippines - so there's been some discussion about Italianni's needing to change their name. Bud Kennedy on Eats Beat recently reported that was actually going to happen imminently. But on our last visit, they told me that wasn't a concern anymore - and so the name lives on.

Italianni's is one of the few Italian restaurants in the area not owned by families from the former Yugoslavia or Albania. As such, the recipes are all unique, and is in fact a chef driven place. We've tried a variety of dishes, primarily the southern/central Italian classics along the lines of chicken parm, angel hair bolognese, spaghetti and Italian sausage, farfalle rustica, etc... Excellent salad and bread starts the meal off right. And the wine and beer selection is quite robust, and I like that they typically feature one microbrew from Ft. Worth's own Rahr & Sons brewery. Probably the closest restaurant in terms of overall ambiance and menu choices would be I Fratelli in Las Colinas.

Italianni's is a place we go far too infrequently, and surprisingly I have yet to feature it on our blog. It's consistently good - and a great choice for lunch. We've gone probably once or twice a year for about the last 5 years or so. Not sure why that's been the case, but we have every intention of visiting Italianni's more in the future.

11/10/06; 11/28/11 (new entry); 12/19/11

Red Barn Bar-B-Que ~ Colleyville, Texas

First visit: Nov 2011

Nestled in a quiet corner of the very busy Hwy 26 and Glade Rd, Red Barn is a throwback to the rural country barn styled Texas barbecue place. No doubt 35 years ago, this stretch of Hwy 26 was just that - rural country. Once in, you'll notice the all wood interior decorated with signs from the past, and country music blaring from the radio. You order up fast food style and off you go to your wood bench or chairs to savor your meal. The folks working here are consistently nice and will throw in an "extra" if they feel that rib you ordered is a little slight.

We've only been a few times over the years, and to be honest, Red Barn has never wowed us much. I've tried various meats over time, because unfortunately they don't offer a meat sampler platter. The flavors just aren't very bold here, but that's just the RJG's preference. Some folks like their barbecue straight down the middle. No question though, the meats are cooked properly with the right amount of tenderness. The sides are traditional (corn, beans, salads, etc...), but uniformly good. The spicy sauce (I just can't do sweet) is a nice recipe, and doesn't overpower the flavor. Bottom line for the RJG: It's good, and we vote it "Likes it" on Urbanspoon. But it's not a favorite for us, even in the NE Tarrant vicinity.

In reading various reviews from folks more qualified than us, it appears Red Barn has a very loyal following - though there are plenty of detractors as well. Metroplex BBQ, gives it a 5 out of 5 (and linked so you can see a really positive experience), while Full Custom gave it only a 2 out of 5. Based on their scales, we'd be probably 3.5 out of 5.

11/26/11 (new entry)

Yucatan Taco Stand Tequila Bar & Grill ~

Mar 30, 2022 update: As we reported prior, the Southlake location didn't make it, but they still do exist in trendy areas like Fort Worth's Magnolia Ave, Dallas' Greenville Ave, Oklahoma City's Bricktown, and Houston's Woodlands.

First visit: Nov 2011 (Southlake - closed)

In the early days of the RJG blog, Yucatan was the most requested place for us to visit. This place was all the rage in 2008. A quick check over to the excellent Fort Worth Hole in the Wall blog shows that no less than 38 comments were left for his post. I don't think the RJG has seen 38 comments combined. We never did make it over to the Ft. Worth location on Magnolia, and dallied around long enough for one to show up right here in NE Tarrant. Typical RJG - always a day late and a dollar short. We're sooooooooooo not hip.

This trip represents our second visit, the first was earlier this year. Yucatan is a relatively new "Taco Stand" concept along the lines of Fuzzy's Taco Shop and the various "Baja" designated places. These are gussied up taco trucks, and when you get the final tally, you realize that this isn't your typical Tio Juan's Taco Hut. But it's an easy out to say this place is just for yuppies, and if you want real tacos, you need to hit the bricks in the barrio. There's room for both kinds, and for what Yucatan does, they do it very well.

So high end tacos are the order of the day (they also have burritos and specialty Mexican platters). I think their Tempura fish is outstanding. A large crispy crusted slab of delicious fried batter lay in the layered flour tortillas with cabbage, onions, and a few other goodies. The Tequila Lime chicken is also quite good - all white meat chicken shredded very finely. We had the ground beef on our first visit, but it was kind of bland to be honest. Their tacos are quite large, especially compared to a place like Fuzzy's, so two is plenty if you also get chips and salsa. The chips are lightly dusted with chili powder, and the roasted salsa is delicious with a mild kick. Of course, the RJG insisted on having the "stupid sauce" (habanero) on the side for his tacos. I like that it comes out heated (temperature) - though it's debatable how spicy it really is. It's hot, but hardly "stupid" hot. Believe me, no one knows stupid like the RJG... both figuratively and literally. I also had a frozen margarita to wash it down with. A very potent mixture, and a good deal at $6 (on this front, they destroy Taco Diner).

The downside is this: Yucatan isn't cheap. For the meal I described above (wife had the same two kind of tacos but with a water), it was $25. That's without tip. I mean seriously, it's only a fast food place. A QSR in restaurant speak. I feel funny paying $25 for two at the cash register. I guess I spent a wasted youth at Taco Bell, pulling dollar bills out of my front pocket to cover the $3.50 it cost for 6 tacos and a soft drink. I know, it's hardly the same, but it has a surreal effect when the lady says "That'll be $25". Really? Now to be fair, it's more expensive than Fuzzy's because the tacos are much larger. Are they double the size, like they are in price? No. But they are very good, and dare I say, worth the money.

Maybe Yucatan is not the kind of place we'd go on a regular basis, but it's worth stopping by a few times a year.

11/23/11 (new entry)

Anna's Chicken ~ North Richland Hills, Texas ***CLOSED***

Closed: Jun 2020

First visit: Nov 2011

As promised in the Raising Cane's blurb, the RJG is going to make a solid effort at trying the variety of fried chicken houses in NE Tarrant. Today's visit takes us to Anna's Chicken on Rufe Snow Rd. in North Richland Hills, not far from another RJG haunt - Lina's Mexican Cocina.

Anna's is a classic old convenience store that has been converted into a very bright, fluorescent lighted fast food chicken and seafood joint - where they emphasize that they are a super clean place. Good to know!

Anna's is Asian owned and operated, and they allowed us to try a sample of their butterfly shrimp, which reminded us both quite a bit of the appetizers we've had in some Thai restaurants. For lunch, I chose the 3 piece chicken special with corn and fries while the Mrs. settled on the 2 piece with corn and green beans. Each came with a roll, a pickled jalapeno and a small drink that they dispense for you.

The chicken batter recipe is standard, but they execute it to perfection. Each piece was crispy, hot and the meat juicy throughout. No dryness anywhere nor was it super greasy. The batter was quite light actually, and didn't require an immediate visit to the clinic afterward. The small corn cob was absolutely delicious - clean, crisp and tasty. The fries, beans and roll were standard fare but good all the same. Mrs. RJG really enjoyed the pepper (I didn't try it).

Anna's is a step up from your standard country owned place like Chicken Express, and I presume far more consistent than Church's. But that's the type of fried chicken we're talking about here. No mysterious 11 herbs and spices for Anna's.

Anna's is a good choice if you're hankering for some good old fashioned fried chicken. Stop on by if in the area.

11/22/11 (new entry)

Chef Point Modern Bar & Restaurant ~ Watauga, Texas

No surprise to see that Chef Point is still cookin' (literally). They were the talk o' the town for some time. And it's also not surprising to see them open in swanky Colleyville as well. They changed their name of Cafe to Modern Bar & Restaurant in addition. On their way to chaindom perhaps...

First visit: Nov 2011

So here we sit in DFW's most highly rated restaurant (according to Urbanspoon). Chef Point Cafe has been featured by both Guy Fiori (DDD) and Paula Deen, as well as numerous DFW area foodie magazines, guides, and blogs. The location itself couldn't be more unassuming - a new roadside gas station placed anonymously on a near empty suburban stretch of Watauga Rd. (aka Mid Cities Blvd). A wide expanse of Texas nothingness. A place even Hank Hill would consider dull. And there's no sign to let you know you've arrived. Only a delivery truck sits outside with the name Chef Point. It's an oft told story nowadays: The founders of Chef Point weren't able to secure a loan for a new restaurant, but they could get financing for a new gas station. So up goes a multi-pump / convenience store Conoco with the sole purpose of adding a chef driven restaurant inside. The American can-do spirit thrives once again! The decor could be most politely described as "industrial minimalist" with its bare gray cinder block walls encompassing the red & black interior. Honestly it feels like we're eating at a Firestone Auto Care store. Perhaps that's the point of it all - the surroundings themselves aren't what matters - it's solely about the food.

The menu is a strange bedfellow mix of Southern cooking, Cajun, and Italian - along with traditional favorites like hamburgers, sandwiches, and pizza. Some folks like their chef driven places to be plat du jour, but not the RJG. We prefer the menu, as this way if we do like a dish, we know we can get it over and over again. Mrs. RJG went for one of Fiori's choices - the Blackened Stuffed Chicken which they describe as "hand stuffed with pepper jack cheese & fresh crab meat, smothered in asiago sauce served over angel hair pasta. " The cheese sauce is sublime and the fillings recall some of New England's finest stuffed fish dishes. The Cajun element only adds points to an already great idea.

I've seen many reviews that state Chef Point's fried chicken is the best they ever had. So I figured I'd go Italian and try their chicken parmesan, which would most likely have an excellent crispy breading. I was more than pleased when the round dish came out with a crispy chicken breast sandwiched between bubbling cheese on top and al dente angel hair on the bottom. A very good interpretation of a classic dish, and proved to me they could operate solely as an Italian restaurant if they had wished.

The portions were quite large, and we ended up taking at least half of each home for dinner that night. And the lunch price of my chicken parm was $9, so very competitive I think. I also had a glass of the house chardonnay, reasonably priced at $5.

Since we've only been once, and the menu is quite extensive, we cannot comment much beyond our one meal to date. But we look forward to multiple visits over time. And given its popularity, it appears Chef Point is going to be with us for a long while. They've already expanded the restaurant through the back of the gas station. On our weekday visit, we arrived before 11:30 and the main dining room was half full. It was entirely full when we left, but the new extension hadn't yet seen any diners.

Chef Point Cafe is an excellent place that deserves its recognition. Not surprisingly, a lot of naysayers are coming out of the woodwork to claim "it's not all that great... overrated, only clueless people think this good, bla bla bla". This resistance is to be expected when you're at the top. Like the impetus it took to get the restaurant off the ground, it's the American way.

11/20/11 (new entry)

Ted E's Burgers & More ~ Fort Worth, Texas ***CLOSED***

Last visit: Nov 2011

First visit: Apr 2010

Mrs. RJG told me that I was on my own this day, so that usually means pizza or burgers for moi (as the Mrs. doesn't go in much for those choices). The original plan was to visit CJ's Burgers in Keller. But unbeknownst to me, or Urbanspoon for that matter, it is closed and is now an Asian restaurant (incidentally right next to a Thai restaurant - no imagination I tell ya...). So I decided to revisit Ted E's which was only a couple of miles south from where I was. The RJG has been to Ted E's only once prior to this visit, sometime in early 2010. I thought it was good, worth coming back, but not sure if it was going to be Top 10 crave kind of place. After this visit, I will say that it's good, worth coming back, but not sure if I need to anytime soon.

I've never been a big fan of the "& More" moniker, as it loudly proclaims that this particular establishment doesn't really specialize in something. I prefer the In-N-Out model - basically we serve hamburgers, fries, hamburgers, shakes and hamburgers. Don't like it, go somewhere else. What they call in the business world, in fancy consulting speak, "focusing on your core competency." So with that in mind, Ted E's has a dizzying array of choices for what is essentially a fast food burger joint. As to compare apples to apples, I decided on getting a simple Ted E's Original cheeseburger. Maybe the dish they do best is the fish taco wrap or perhaps the teriyake glaze chicken sandwich? I don't know, and I'm not sure I'll ever find out. As you know, the RJG likes his spice, so I may opt next time for their Mike T's Hot & Spicy Burger, though the only ingredient I can see that has a chance to make an impact is the chipotle mayo. Sliced jalapeno's are fine to add, but they are what they are - nothing homemade about them.

So how is the burger then? Good. Yep, good about covers it. The bun is like an oversized Johnny B's, and in similar fashion, slightly sweet. It's more fluffy than toasty. The meat has a nice favor, a bit unique, but it didn't wow me. Kind of a chewy burger I guess. The "signature sauce" is another variation of the thousand island dressing theme, which is fine. I don't usually get the fries, but the lunch special is a great deal for $5.49 including fries and a drink. So why not? They were hand cut and chewy (there's that word again). I like my fries thin and crispy, but these were... well, ya know... good.

The decor is fast food like, with an overt sports theme and a few flat screens to watch whatever game is on. There's no alky-haul, so not much reason to stay really. It's all pleasant enough*. *Southern speak for dull.

So if you live in the area, Ted E's is worth a regular visit. But I'm not sure it's worth going too far out of your way for. There are definitely better burgers in NE Tarrant. Maybe it's their Monterrey Club that brings down the house. Who knows? & More?

11/17/11 (new entry)

Al Wadi Cafe ~ Bedford, Texas

First visit: Nov 2011

On the Prince Lebanese Grill post, I asked if there were any good Middle Eastern restaurants in NE Tarrant? I basically fed that question into Urbanspoon, and out came Al Wadi Cafe - a place that seems to be immensely popular judging by the high rating and number of raters, which as of this writing makes it the #90 most popular restaurant in all of DFW (again, according to Urbanspoon). In fact, the only other restaurant labeled middle eastern in the area is Cafe Medi in Hurst, a place we visited many years ago and need to try again (read: it didn't wow us the first time).

Al Wadi is a classic Regular Joe's hole-in-the-wall. On Brown Trail, just south of Harwood in a shopping center that time forgot, or perhaps it never was remembered - Al Wadi sits patiently awaiting its expected crowd. Next door sits a chocolatier and a middle eastern grocery store. They did everything they could do to spiffy the place up, including adding a charming front patio area for outside dining. Inside is clean and pleasant - not ostentatious as middle eastern places are sometimes wont to do.

The menu features dishes of the middle east and, as is common for places such as this, Greek fare is offered as well. I usually like to try Lebanese dishes first. For a first visit, the results were hit and miss - but definitely good enough to warrant a second try and earn our recommendation. I had the beef and chicken shwarma combo dish. The beef was a bit tough, and there was an ingredient standing out that I just didn't care for. I cannot put my finger on it - almost like when food is cooked in red wine. Obviously that's not the case here, but I cannot describe the flavor any better. The chicken, however, was delicious and perfectly tender. Despite being the same dish with separate meats, the results were completely different. The rice had a great taste, but was unfortunately a bit mushy. This can be the death knell for the RJG, but the flavors were too good to ignore. We'll just give them the benefit of the doubt that it was an off-day. The salad was perfect, with an excellent homemade Greek dressing - exactly as expected. Mrs. RJH opted for the kofta kabob, and it was a definite home run. The perfectly spiced balls of ground beef were some of the best we'd tried. She also tried the hummus, which she said was great. Oh, and she wanted you all to know the vegetables on the kebab were excellent as was the pita bread (I agree). Otherwise her comments echo mine in regards to the salad and rice. So not perfect, but the potential is obviously there. We'll be back.

11/15/11 (new entry)

Cuco's Sandwich Shop ~ North Richland Hills, Texas

Latest visit: Nov 2011

First visit: Jan 2005

For over 20 years, Cuco's has been serving Cuban food to the citizens of NE Tarrant county. The RJG has always liked the Cuban sandwich: Roasted pork, ham, salami, cheese and mustard - then hot pressed. It's basically the same as a classic panini from Italy, though there are some minor differences which I won't get into here. I think the key to a great Cuban is the bread itself, so that it remains crispy, hot and tasty throughout the life of the meal. And Cuco's Cuban is outstanding, maybe one of the best I've ever had. Now to be fair, I've spent zero time in South Florida sampling Cuban sandwiches - but of the few I've had around the US, Cuco's scores well. Mrs. RJG had the same dish but with sweet plantain's on the side, which she said were delicious.

Cuco's is a quaint little deli, painted bright pink, with a few tables and serves breakfast (starting at 10) and lunch only (closed Sunday). They also sell specialized Latin American grocery products, so it operates on two levels. According to my database, we'd only been to Cuco's once - back in January of 2005. So nearly seven years later, we make our grand return. Obviously Cuco's is surviving without us and will continue to do so. Even though we live close to the northern reaches of North Richland Hills, Cuco's is on the southern side very close to Haltom City. It really underscores just how large the land mass is for NRH. It's quite a haul for us to just get a sandwich for lunch, which is the primary reason we haven't been back sooner. But that Cuban sandwich is great and we both would like to try some of their other pressed selections. We're going to make an effort to come back more often. If you live nearby, consider yourself lucky, and be sure to stop on by!

1/29/05; 11/14/11 (new entry)

Pizzeria La Scala ~ Westlake, Texas

First visit: Nov 2011

The evening plan was to head towards Westlake and go to Diego's Tex-Mex, a place we first started going to earlier this year. But the bar scene there was definitely happenin', and you know what that means right? Cigarette smoke. Heavy. And it carried to the next door restaurant - and even though the bar is sequestered behind closed doors, it didn't matter. Now Mr. RJG grew up with that unfortunate smell from his parents, so I tend to ignore it, though even I admit it gets harder as the years go by. But Mrs. RJG would have none of it. Plans scrapped - now what? Well, I said, there's an Italian restaurant right around the corner by foot, so let's just go there. And here we are at La Scala.

La Scala is adjoined by a Joe's [Pizza][Pasta][Subs] fast food place. I put that in brackets because Joe's is a loose franchise (with various combination of the names provided) somewhat like Ray's in New York City (and famously sent up in a Seinfeld episode). So La Scala shares the same kitchen with Joe's, and despite the fancy surroundings of the restaurant, just know it's window dressing to the same place. As folks in DFW know, if you've been to one Joe's, you most certainly have not been to all the Joe's. I think they start out with a standard recipe book, but each franchiser can do what they want after that. There is no denying this is one of the many Albanian owned Italian restaurants in the area. At least they don't hide from that fact - their website is proud of it. And good for them, they should be. I'm not Italian either, but that shouldn't stop me from enjoying the food.

The meal started off with a delicious toasted bread roll, combined with a decently priced glass of house Cabernet (most NE Tarrant Italian restaurants offer BYOB, but not here in alcohol / business friendly Westlake). The salad was a fresh, crisp lettuce and tomatoes with the familiar tomato based vinaigrette - though this was definitely lighter and more pleasant than usual. I ordered the Penne Arrabiata with Italian sausage. It's amazing how many restaurants get this simple dish wrong. Arrabiata means angry, and it's meant to be a spicy marinara sauce. I've been to places that cook it with anchovies and all other sorts of ingredients that don't belong. I mention this because La Scala gets it exactly right. I only wish it was a bit more spicy, but I'm pretty hard to please in that category. The sausage was definitely not homemade, but I do like they served it sliced and spread throughout the dish. Mrs. RJG went with another test dish - chicken parmigiana. Unfortunately it wasn't very crispy, though the flavor was quite good. The side of spaghettini, however, was a disaster. It was overcooked and mushy! (my penne however was fine). That's a bozo no-no in the RJG world. They should have thrown it away and started with a new batch. I'm sure they had a pile sitting on the counter waiting for the hot water. But overcooked spaghetti is like serving a raw hamburger. Gross. Sooo... it was the only real misstep of the meal, so I'm cautiously giving it a "likes it" on Urbanspoon, but it's not a place that we plan on going to much in the future. Hopefully next time Diego's bar will be empty. But that's for another time in the RJG future...

If you're out of town on business and staying at the nearby Marriott, this is a good place to walk over to and enjoy a nice Italian meal.

11/5/11 (new entry)

Aleda's Pizza ~ Southlake, Texas ***CLOSED***

Last visit: Nov 2011

First visit: Dec 2010

This visit represented only my second time to Aleda's, the first being right after Christmas last year, not long after they opened. Or "reopened" as it were. See Aleda's has a built-in cult following since they previously owned a place in Arlington called Barry's Pizza Pub, which closed in 2004 after the family relocated to Southlake. Apparently fans of the place begged them to reopen, and in 2010 they gave it another whirl.

I would say that Aleda's style of pizza is definitely unique, and that's a good thing in the RJG's book. The crust is ample on the side and very thin and crispy on the bottom - somewhat like a classic dessert pie. The ingredients are stacked up from there, almost giving it a deep dish like appearance. It's heavy pizza to be sure - this is miles away from the Napolitana wood fired oven pizza craze (which the RJG is a big fan of). I like the sauce taste and the cheese they use is classic for pizza. I went for a 7 inch "carnivore" which was loaded with Italian meats. This is the perfect size for one individual. They have a decent beer selection, so I went with a Sierra Nevada to wash it down. Overall, not my favorite style of pizza, but certainly wouldn't hesitate to go back. Thumbs up from the RJG. (The Mrs., generally speaking, doesn't care for pizza - so I go to these places when she tells me "you're on your own").

Aleda's is a nice little place, with flat screen TVs, a few alcoholic beverages, and even a pizza buffet for lunch (I usually pass on buffets). I suspect a big portion of their business is take-out. Aleda's is just south of Bicentennial Park on FM 1709 (Southlake Blvd).

12/28/10; 11/4/11 (new entry) 

Lina's Cocina Cafe ~ Watauga, Texas ***CLOSED***

Last visit: Oct 2011

First visit: 2004

One of the hazards of doing a restaurant blog is that a place can change in a heartbeat, and suddenly your recommendation is met with scorn by those who trusted you, and credibility is thrown out the window. This is what happened to the RJG with Lina's. This is the primary reason why we insist on updating the blog and making sure you know when we last visited. Lina's has undergone dramatic shifts since we last were there. Not least of all is a complete move to a larger location next door. It's now all spiffy'd up with flat screen TVs and new tables and booths (though fortunately the old bowling alley ones remain). If they're going to go to this much trouble to make you want to stay, then they should offer up a full bar. It's still BYOB - which I like in Italian and Thai restaurants, but not so much in Mexican (perhaps the RJG likes his frozen margaritas? And I like wine with Thai and Italian, where BYOB is more preferable). And they ditched the serving carts!! (a comment below says they still use them occasionally - whew!) Even though Lina's still has the same menu as prior, everything seemed cheaply made - from the rice to the enchiladas. Even the salsa was more chunky-tomato rather than a smooth textured hot sauce. Now the food was still GOOD, but it wasn't great as I implied below. So we vote "likes it" on Urbanspoon, but maybe not enough to go back on any kind of regular visit. Unless someone convinces me different.

---

In September, I mentioned that our favorite Mexican place for enchiladas in the DFW area can be found at Fernandez Cafe in Ft. Worth. That's quite a haul for us denizens of NE Tarrant. If you're looking for a reasonable facsimile of same, then look no further than Watauga and their favorite daughter, Lina's Cocina Cafe.Mrs. RJG and I have been visiting Lina's, somewhat infrequently, since about 2004 or so (not too long after they opened). Hidden in one of those unfortunate 1980s strip centers, where 75% of the space is now available for lease, Lina's provides just the kind of hole in the wall we love. It's clean, colorfully decorated, friendly, and most importantly features great food. In fact half of the booths, in their soft blue and white swirled pattern, look like they were lifted from a bowling alley circa 1962 (I'm sure they were actually). You get mucho points for that.

We notice that everytime we go, there are dozens of regulars and the waitresses chat happily along about their life events as if catching up with old friends. In an earlier era, Lina's would be the town diner.

As if the time warp references already mentioned weren't enough for you, they also bring the food out via the two tiered wheeled cart. This lost invention needs to be brought back - pronto. Years ago, someone thought it was a wise idea to stack dozens of plates and glasses on a tray, held up precariously by someone's nervous hand. Presumably they delight in the occasional dumping of said contents on some random diner. Oh the laughs. The RJG is right now calling for the return of the wheeled cart. We shall petition! We will hit the streets! We will...

...eat enchiladas! Which is why we're here in the first place. Everything here is cooked to order, and the plate is sizzling with melted cheese, the refried beans and rice come out just right and steaming hot. Their chile con carne is seasoned perfectly. Mrs. RJG loves the Enchiladas Verde, a spicier than normal concoction that also happens to taste great. In fact, just ask for the spicy green and let the games begin! Beef, chicken, cheese - it's all good.

Oh, and the chips/hot sauce ritual: The salsa is slightly hot, but has a unique combination of spices that makes us want to keep piling the crispy chips in.

Restaurants come and go, but I get the feeling Lina's will be here for a very long time. It's that kind of place.

You can find Lina's on Rufe Snow between Hightower and Chapman.

11/1/11 (new entry)

Miguelito's ~ Hurst, Texas

Last visit: Oct 2011

First visit: 2003

Miguelito's is another restaurant that the RJG discovered via a coupon book I bought in 2003, which helped us discover many of the restaurants in the area (we had just moved back from Colorado). I would say that from 2004 to 2005, Miguelito's was perhaps our favorite Mexican restaurant in NE Tarrant. But then Mrs. RJG soured on the place, and according to my database, we last visited in the summer of 2006. And finally we have returned after a 5+ year exodus, after a complete fall from grace.

The restaurant is a pleasant place, a combination of 60's Tiki and Mexican beach resort. A welcome retreat on this tired segment of Bedford Euless Rd. For the food, the chips are very good, warm to the touch and served in small metal bowls. A server is never too far away to ensure a new bowl is ready when you are. The salsa is stored in a jug on the table, and they provide little serving bowls to pour into. The RJG has always liked this concept, since he tends to over eat on chips and uses an excessive amount of sauce. This way I don't constantly look around for a server to bring more. Oh, and the sauce is delicious.

While Miguelito's does a fine job with combo Tex-Mex platters, I think they do a better job with more upscale dishes. On this visit I tried the chicken diablo, which are cubes of white meat chicken marinated in a very spicy sauce on a bed of Mexican rice. I only wish the chicken itself was charbroiled rather than just boiled. Now Mr. RJG loves to seek out places that have dishes with the word "diablo" (or diavolo in Italian). That always infers extra spicy and that's what I want to hear (and taste and smell...) Years ago, when Mr. RJG was with coworkers in California, we dined at a Mexican restaurant where I made a beeline for the Diablo dish. One of the guys started calling me "Doctor Diablo". The name stuck. Anyway... Mrs. RJG did go for a Tex-Mex plate, and it was lukewarm temperature. Ugh! Now it looks it will be another 5 years before we come back.

As an aside, the frozen margarita I had was weak and watered down. That was unfortunate. Not a deal breaker, but I need reasons to go back. Maybe the diablo will make that happen. We'll see. Thumbs up from Mr. RJG, thumbs down from the Mrs.

Miguelito's also features a full bar and has flat screen televisions all around.

6/25/06; 10/29/11 (new entry)

Agave Azul Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Sanctuary ~ Carrollton, Texas ***CLOSED***

Closed in 2016.They had a second location in Flower Mound that also closed.

First visit: Oct 2011

Interesting that we were just in this area during the week, and here I am again. As mentioned in the Kenny's Wood Fired Grill post, the RJG lived in Addison from 1988-1991. That same summer of 1991 I moved about 4 miles north to Carrollton and lived there until the end of 1993, before shuffling off to Colorado. Since I rarely visit the area anymore, I always return with a sense of nostalgia. Mrs. RJG is attending a wedding in Carrollton next week, and she wanted to know how to get there (we have do a reconnaissance with Mrs. RJG so she doesn't get lost). And that's the perfect excuse to add a new restaurant to the Regular Joe's Guide!

Of course the Carrollton I left in 1993, is not the same one that exists in 2011. Incredible improvements have been made, especially to the Old Town. In line with other such renovations, like NE Tarrant's own Grapevine, the Old Town has been gussied up, with new lofts, boutique stores, and nice restaurants. There's now a light rail stop here, which gives the place a European meets Texas feel. And the old grain elevator that once touted the Word of Faith megachurch, now more politely invites you to visit old Carrollton. You can read all about Word of Faith and the crackpot Robert Tilton here. It boggles my mind how people can use the name of God to make a quick buck. There has to be a special place in hell for folks like that. Even if you weren't a believer, I wouldn't want to tempt fate like that. Anwway, after lunch we wandered around the stores, and visited the fantastic and fully stocked antique mall - where Mrs. RJG found a few new decorative things to take home.

There aren't any of my old haunts remaining from Carrollton to revisit (except Herrera's), so it was time to try a new place. So off to Urbanspoon I went - and we settled on Agave Azul. Mr. RJG likes a good frozen margarita, and since it was highly rated, I figured it was a worth a shot. And, as it turned out, it was an excellent recommendation. Agave Azul is amongst the new style of Mexican restaurants - upscale decor with a mix of Mexico City styled creations and old school Tex-Mex. Generally when I go to places such as this, I try one of the Mexican Interior dishes. So I had the beef tenderloin tacos, which featured a wonderful spiced marinate. The rice and charro beans were delicious as well. The Mrs. went for the chicken flautas, which were deliciously crunchy with a nice ingredient mix for the meat. She also enjoyed the rice and the refried beans. The opening chips were crisp and flavorful. The chipotle salsa comes out steaming hot (temperature), always a plus for me. I asked if they had a spicier salsa, and they came back with the same concoction but with finely diced serrano's mixed in. Works for me, as that definitely tripled the heat component. Somebody forgot to turn on the margarita machine I think, as I had to wait a few more minutes to get mine. And while slightly frozen, it probably could have used another 10 minutes or so cycling through. Mrs. RJG goes for on the rocks, and she stated hers was great. As it should be, given that the place features multiple tequilas. The RJG knows squat about tequila, preferring to deep dive with beer and wine. However I asked Mr. Music, a tequila connoisseur, if he's been here. And indeed he had, and said the tequila selection is "awesome". And he's spent some time sampling various ones. So there you go.

10/24/11 (new entry)

Kenny's Wood Fired Grill ~ Addison, Texas

First visit: Oct 2011

Just as soon as I mention that I Fratelli's has become our go to spot for business, here I am at Kenny's for just that reason. One of our partners was in town, and since he was already in Addison visiting the mothership, we just agreed to meet him there. The RJG once lived in Addison from 1988 to 1991, and later I had an office nearby from 2003-2004. So I'm always glad to drive over to my old stompin' grounds. Nowadays I doubt I get there more than 3 times a year. It's always been a hotbed of activity, primarily because they were the only suburb in the area to have modern alcohol laws. The others are finally catching up.

We started the evening with beers and appetizers over at the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium , one of the RJG's favorite watering holes. I've been debating this for some time, but I think I'll have a end of month roundup on the beers I try. For the last 5 years, I've been on a mission to try as many beers as possible. Anyway, after downing a couple of draughts and a yummy soft pretzel with sausage, we got back on Beltline across the Dallas North Tollway to Kenny's Wood Fired Grill. If you are going that same route, Kenny's is on your left (south side) in a newer strip mall.

According to their website, Kenny's describes themselves as a "1940’s Chicago style chophouse with a classy, relaxed and warm atmosphere featuring the finest wood grilled seafood and meats." That sold me on the place, and it is indeed true. A perfect spot for a business dinner. There's no detail on the web page, but based on what I read in the newspaper review clippings that were hanging on the walls, I get the impression Kenny was heavily involved with the Rockfish Seafood restaurant (A Brinker owned chain - and very good in its own right).

Typically when I go to a "Steak and Seafood" place, I tend to opt for the latter. I'll be honest here, but rarely have I gone to a steakhouse where the steak was any better than what I grill at home. And you haven't lived until you've had an RJG habanero steak! Don't get me wrong, I do like the steaks they have at these high end places - but if they do also specialize in seafood - then that's what I'm going for. And given the Rockfish pedigree, I felt it necessary to go that route. I had the New England Style Baked Stuffed Fish which they describe as "Ritz cracker, crab, shrimp, scallops, tilapia, lemon butter". It was indeed excellent, just as it sounds - a mix of various fishes with the cracker mix. The RJG and wife just returned a month ago from a vacation to New England, and had plenty of meals very similar (Legal Seafood anybody?). My business associate had the meatloaf, made with filet mignon. And our business partner went for the Chilean Sea Bass - which is his staple dish for places like this. For starters they have a wonderful flaky and puffy pastry - hot out of the oven and tastes great with butter (as is usually the case right?). We all left Kenny's fat and happy...

Typically there is a wait, so you may want to call ahead with a reservation. We didn't, arrived at around 7:00 and waited only 15 minutes.

Apparently he also runs an Italian place as well as a burger joint. We'll need to try those someday too!

10/21/11 (new entry)

Austin Taco House ~ Southlake, Texas

First visit: Oct 2011

And while on the topic of tacos, how about this little out of the way place in Southlake? We spoke of the 3 kinds of tacos in the Funky Baja's post: Crunchy fast food (Del Taco for example); Higher end grilled meat tacos (like Funky Baja's or Fuzzy Taco Shop - which I refer to as "Fresh Mex"); and finally the street taco or taqueria. And it's this latter category that Austin Taco House fits in. It's pretty hardcore, right down to the television being tuned into Univision, and Spanish being the lingua franca. Mrs. RJG, who grew up in Mexico, said it reminded her of home.

Grilled meats are the order of the day, with plenty of pork and steak choices. Breakfast burritos, tortas, chorizos, etc... round it out. I usually try a variety of tacos, and on this visit I went for the carnitas, al pastor and ground beef. They have flour and corn tortillas, as well as wonderful homemade crunchy corn tortillas. They have a variety of salsas, including two hot ones - red and green. They were out of the green on this visit, but the red is fiery and delicious.

The Austin Taco House first started inside of a Fina station on the NW corner of Randol Mill and Southlake Blvd. They have since bulldozed that area to put in a strip mall anchored by a Sprouts grocery store. So they moved catty corner to the Albertson's shopping center (the namesake store now gone). We've been a few times, and Austin Taco House remains in the regular circuit of places we visit for lunch.

There aren't that many taquerias and/or standing taco trucks in this part of NE Tarrant. So if you have a craving for some street tacos, stop on by!

10/20/11 (new entry)

Prince Lebanese Grill ~ Arlington, Texas

Latest visit: Oct 2011

First visit: Oct 2008

A major event has happened since we last wrote about Prince Lebanese Grill - the appearance of one Guy Fiori from Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. It should come as no surprise to my readers that I love that show. He basically has the same attitude and concept I use here but taken to the highest level. Of course, he's a chef himself, and is very much qualified to review what each kitchen is up to. He reminds me of my very good friend Mr. Music, in his attitude, gregariousness and even his physical shape. Sometimes on a slow Saturday, especially during the summer, Mrs. RJG and I will watch a few hours of his show on the Food Channel consecutively. And get really hungry. You know, come to think of it, he also went to another RJG recommendation: Avila's in Dallas. Could Fiori be a fan of the RJG?

Because of Fiori's visit, Prince became wildly popular (though it already had a loyal local following). On Urbanspoon, it is rated as the 84th most popular restaurant in all of DFW (and 3rd overall for Middle Eastern restaurants). The former Sonic continues to be made over, and there's more seating than ever. An awesome example of urban renewal. Prince is a real American success story.

I would also add to the below review that I really love their Gyros plate. The meat is delicious, as is the rice and Greek salad (as mentioned in the review).

While on the topic are there any good Middle Eastern restaurants in NE Tarrant? I've been to one "Mediterranean" place in North Richland Hills, which was more Greek/European. I haven't done my homework here, but if you know of a place, please don't hesitate to write a comment. Thanks!

---Original review

A few years ago, Mrs. RJG and I discovered a place in Arlington called Rama's Mediterranean Grill (based on a Star Telegram weekend review), in a renovated old Sonic drive in. As mentioned in the Hatam Persian restaurant blurb, we our both big fans of the spices of the Middle East, combined with the sumptuous grilled meats and bed of rice. But since it's in Arlington, it's a bit out of our routine range, and we only managed to go once. One of the partners of Rama bought the other out, and renamed the place Prince Lebanese Grill, and we noticed no downturn in quality. In fact, it was even better as the current owner was clearly the driving force of the older establishment.

And another year has passed. We had dropped Mrs. RJG's Mom at the airport one late morning and decided to head south instead of north, and revisit a place for lunch that we always love to go to, but just never think about it. And time has been even better to Prince. The place is now crowded with people. In fact, this is the first time there we didn't eat alone. It's also changed to a sitdown place, rather than an order up / serve combo. And... the prices have gone up - way up. But there's a reason for it, and it's legitimate. See, Prince has upgraded the quality of all their products, as well as upped their portions. While it used to feel like a fast food place, it now feels appropriately enough like a restaurant. And it should.

I had the kofta kabob (two large patties of seasoned ground beef), with rice and a Greek Salad. Mrs. RJG had the beef shawarma (a variation of what Greeks call gyros or, um, Californians call wraps) and a Greek Salad as well. We both adore the salad, as the dressing is absolutely delicious. The kofta is heavily seasoned, the way Mr. RJG likes it. And the rice? Oh, the rice. Long grain rice pilaf with just the right ingredients.

Looking for excellent Middle Eastern food in Tarrant county and not sure where to go? Or at least a place you can go without 1960s era belly dancers? Prince is the place. You've never had Lebanese food, but always wanted to try? Prince is the place. You will feel most comfortable in this casual establishment - the menu will explain it all for you.

You'll find Prince on Randol Mill Rd, just east of Cooper.

10/19/08 (new entry); 10/16/11

City Pub ~ Denver, Colorado ***CLOSED***

Last visit: Sep 2011

First visit: Jul 2004 (a different location)

Ah, the neighborhood tavern. A relic from a bygone era, when one would stop by after a hard day of work and share a brew or two with old friends before heading to the chaos of home. The tavern's death knell were the sprawling suburbs, where driving distances to and fro work were long and time consuming. Drinking and driving laws became more strict, and the suburbs were rarely served by public transportation. My uncle, who lived in the inner burbs of Seattle, loved taverns. He knew them all within a 5 mile radius, what beers they served, the bar flys, the food, the waitresses, the bartenders and the patrons. It gave him a reason to live. When he died a couple of years ago, they were all gone and bulldozed - had to make room for one more Olive Garden, a Home Depot and a Starbucks.

And with that, City Pub is a welcome sight indeed. It's a throwback to another age. A dark, perhaps unwelcoming place - at least for newcomers. But once in the door, it seems oddly familiar. It's part of the neighborhood. And, maybe best of all, City Pub is a new addition to this southeast Denver area, an extension of the already established City Grille, which resides near downtown - the one area where places like this can still survive. And if you do decide to drown your daily sorrows, it's less than a 15 minute walk to the Dayton Light Rail station. The RJG loves public transportation - it brings the community back together.

All this is fine and dandy, but if the food doesn't hold up, then it's just another dive bar that will see its demise soon. Fortunately City Pub puts a strong emphasis on the quality of their product. They boldly proclaim "Best Burgers in Town" on the sign out front, and you know what, they may have a case here. The steakburgers, with an array of cheese choices, are delicious. Heavily seasoned to penetrate the quality ground beef. Fries are good, if perhaps not exceptional. Maybe best of all is the green chile, an award winning concoction that has exceptional flavor and a little kick to it. City Pub offers many other dishes, of which the RJG is excited to try in the future. Especially appealing is the Wednesday night special of spaghetti and sausage. We'll be there.

Keep the neighborhood concept alive, forgo the national chains, and support your local independent.

City Pub is on Yosemite, just south of Hampden, on the west side of the road.

7/13/04; 6/20/09 (new entry); 9/10/11

Thai Lotus ~ Reno, Nevada

First visit: Jul 2011

Our first in the historical series. The only note I have simply states "Best Thai ever?". The fact that I remember it like yesterday does indicate it is a restaurant well worth visiting. Mrs. RJG and I had visited the interior of California and northern Nevada on a week long vacation, and this was one of many memorable meals on that trip. The restaurant is well decorated, and not a hole-in-the-wall. We ordered a bottle of Chardonnay and ordered our staple meals. Mine - no surprise - was the Thai Basil, with ground chicken and Thai hot. It was ridiculously tasty. Don't remember exactly what Mrs. RJG had, but boy was she elated! We still reminisce about our favorite restaurants, and this one always gets mentioned. 

7/13/11 (new entry)

Definition of Northeast Tarrant geography

So exactly what and where is Northeast Tarrant County anyway? The obvious answer is it's all the suburbs northeast of Fort Worth but still in Tarrant County. And while that's about 80% right, for the purposes of this blog, we define a slightly modified version.

To start, we'll go to the old Fort Worth suburb of Haltom City. The corner of Beach and 121 makes up the SW boundary. From there we'll draw the southern boundary. Roll upward northeast on 121 to Hwy 10, and continue east/northeast to 183, which takes you to the southern entrance of DFW airport. This is Euless and defines our SE border. 

The airport is a natural eastern border. 

Going north along the airport takes up to Grapevine. By the Grapevine Mills outlet mall is the Tarrant County line, and makes our NE border. The northern boundary of Tarrant is our border with a couple of exceptions: 1) Trophy Club and 2) Roanoke. Both are technically in Denton County, but they're fairly isolated, and feel more as part of the NE Tarrant family than the towns of Denton County. 

I-35W makes a convenient western border and the Texas Motor Speedway at 114 and I-35W is more or less our NW boundary. I-35W down to I-820 is our western front. 820 going east to Beach and back down to 121 completes our loop.

What's in: Haltom City, Richland Hills, North Richland Hills, Hurst, Bedford, Euless, Grapevine, Colleyville, Southlake, Westlake, Trophy Club, Roanoke, Keller, Watauga, Alliance airport area, far north Fort Worth (north of I-820, east of I-35W).

Outliers not included: Flower Mound, Arlington, Saginaw, Coppell

We're not going to be too legalistic with all of this. But more or less, that's the area defined.

FWIW, we live near the confluence of Southlake, Colleyville, Keller, and North Richland Hills - so those areas tend to get the most microscopic coverage from us.

Clown Hamburgers ~ Haltom City, Texas

Latest visit: Jan 2011

First visit: Feb 2005

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce to you the finest Regular Joe's Guide hamburger for Northeast Tarrant County. If you asked me to draw up the perfect Regular Joe's Guide restaurant, I still couldn't produce the masterpiece that is Clown Burger. Just look at those photos. My oh my. I would travel all day just to see a place like this. Careful on that last point, as they have some quirky hours. Check their website (below) before heading over.

From what I can gather, Clown Burger is a surviving institution, and the interior was pretty much moved piece by piece over to its current location. Originally it was on the old US Highway 377 (Belknap) and like just about every other such place, eventually closed down. Only to be resurrected later. We spoke about Haltom City in the Bangkok Thai entry, and it's the suburb that provides the most Regular Joe thrills per square mile. Populated by working class and newly arrived immigrants, it's the perfect blend for allowing old institutions to survive while at the same time creating new ones. Other than maybe Bud Kennedy, the journalists have steered well clear of the area. And the foodies think it's a no-go 'hood. Fine with me - keep out.

I've been going to Clown Burger for about 4 years now. Not too often, as it's a haul for me and the Mrs. RJG has little desire to eat there. The burger recipe is probably part of some Secret Order, buried with the Holy Ark somewhere in Scotland. Or Ft. Worth. Combine that with a grill that's seen more burgers than a congressman pork dollar total, and you have the formula for happiness. Right there, Mr. RJG has provided you the key to happiness. Did you gloss over that sentence? I wouldn't. I should also mention that the burgers on the small side, so I recommend a double.

I remember traveling with my Dad in West Texas in the early 1970s. It seemed to me that all places that had hamburgers were great. I get that kind of flavor here. All these years, and I still haven't been to Herd's in Jacksboro (how did I miss it on all those college drives from Dallas to Lubbock?). But I'm guessing it's that flavor. I smell a road trip this weekend.

Clown Burger is not easy to find. It's in the kind of shopping area that stopped existing since the 1940s - one that depended more on pedestrian traffic than automobile. I remember them fondly on trips to my Grandma's house in Long Island. It doesn't even seem possible that it can exist in a modern metropolis.

To get there, take Denton Highway and turn west on Stanley Keller. On the next corner will be Haltom Rd. Look for it on the SW corner. You won't believe your eyes. It's like a time tunnel. Once in the restaurant, there is nothing to remind you that this is 2008. It's 1958. For real.

Oh, It's officially known as Clown Hamburgers Too.

2/8/05; 10/3/08 (new entry); 1/28/11

Molly's Burgers and Ice Cream ~ Keller, Texas ***CLOSED***

Last visit: Jan 2011

First visit: Mar 2009

If you are a burger aficionado, then living in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area certainly has to be a contender for one of the nation's best cities. And NE Tarrant, in particular, does what it can to accommodate. We've covered many in these pages, as the RJG is a fervent devotee of a good cheeseburger.

Add Molly's to the list of great places to devour a succulent hamburger. Molly's started in Arlington and Keller was chosen as their second locale. A wise choice given the relative distance, so as to not take away from their core base. Molly's is located on Golden Triangle (aka Keller Pkwy, aka Southlake Blvd.), west of US-377 and east of I-35W in far NW Keller.

Definitely one of the best gooey cheeseburgers I've had, with a unique salty blend of spices that penetrate all the way through. And the bun is nice and toasty. And I can also vouch for the milkshake, made with real ice cream (for some odd reason, I didn't ask who made the ice cream - I'll find out). I liked it so much on one Saturday lunch visit, that I insisted Mrs. RJG and the RJG's Mom go the next day. Definitely a big hit with the ladies as well. Saturday was empty, but Sunday was jammed packed, so file that away if you plan to drop by.

If you want to die early, may I suggest the "Molly Burger": A 1/3 patty, topped with a grilled hot dog, bacon, and cheddar cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, and chipotle mayo. Yea, a real cardiologists delight that is. They also have a Veggie Burger and a "Brendan" Burger, which they shamelessly call their "In N Out" Burger (though they spell it "In and Out"). I haven't tried the latter - need to do that!

Oh, and it's BYOB for you lushes out there (like us!).

Molly's is a cool little place, seemingly dropped in from a university campus area. The decor is a nice blend of heavy woods with a distinct industrial design.

Add Molly's to the ever growing group of the burger A-list: Five Guys, Kincaid's, Johnny B's, Clown Burger, Freddy's, Chapps, etc...

3/31/09 (new entry); 1/17/11