Grapevine Subs and More ~ Grapevine, Texas

Latest visit: Feb 2014

First visit: 2003

These photos are from the old Cero's Heros, but as noted below, the quality has remained the same. On my last visit, I had the Italian with the spicy mixture. Grapevine Subs exclusively uses Boars Head meats. Now to me, a sandwich is only as good as the toppings and the bread. Anyone can put Boars Head meat between two slices of bread. And here's where Grapevine Subs exceeds. The soft chewy French Roll and the spicy mixture are very good, adding the right amount of tartness to the sandwich.

Apr 2011 update: Cero's Heros is now called Grapevine Subs and More. It's the RJG's opinion that the sandwich is pretty similar to before, though not quite as large and messy. One reviewer on Urbanspoon has already expressed their disappointment (though they hadn't tried the original to be fair). We still give it a thumbs up!

--- Original review

Since we're on a roll (so to speak) with Grapevine destinations, I thought this would be a good time to slip in Cero's Heros, a Regular Joe's Guide mecca if I ever saw one.

You may recall that Mr. SS and I were bemoaning the dearth of quality submarine places in NE Tarrant, which gave us the perfect justification to head up to Roanoke and go to the wonderful C&A Italian Family Deli (now closed). In that post I mentioned Weinberger's and Cero's Heros.

Cero's Heros sits at the entrance to old town Grapevine at the corner of Northwest Hwy and Main St. The place is over 40 years old, and looks every bit of it (see photos). The building is nothing more than an aluminum siding circumference, with a window in the middle. A rickety awning sits over it to protect customers from the oppressive heat and other weather, and there are a smattering of old Grapevine Independent School District desks to sit in. You of course could take it to your car, but that will require an extra trip to the carwash afterwards. Yep, the sandwiches are that big, and that messy. They only offer a handful of sandwiches, all piled high with meats, lettuce, tomatoes, dressings and condiments. I usually end up with the spicy Italian, which lives up its name. And ensures garlic breath the rest of the day. The bread is thick and chewy, the ingredients all top notch, and the flavor is distinctly Cero's Heros. This place is a must for you followers of the Regular Joe lifestyle. I try to journey here at least once a month during the work week, but usually fall short. This is not a Mrs. RJG kind of place, so while in this part of town, Tolbert's gets more of our attention during weekends and evenings.

7/4/08 (new entry); 2/7/12; 2/13/14

The Burger and Philly Shack ~ Watauga, Texas

Latest visit: Feb 2014

First visit: Feb 2013

As I write this, The Burger and Philly Shack has a phenomenal 98% approval rating on Urbanspoon, with close to 215 votes. That is incredible. And why is that? Because The Burger and Philly Shack has some of the best burgers in town. In fact, this may be the best in all of NE Tarrant, and that's saying something considering the competition. The flavor of the meat is outstanding, and it seems they use a higher grade of beef than most. A high quality bun holds it all together, and they cut it in half to make consumption an easy task. The fries are thick cut, and delicious. I haven't tried their Philly yet on my two visits, but next time I will. Word on the street says their Philly's are excellent. Mrs. RJG wants to try the burger, so that will be my chance.

The owner of the place is a sharp witted wisecracker, who is a whole lot of fun to rap with. And I've seen him do nice gestures such as offer delivery truck drivers a free drink. There's a lot of character displayed here. Which explains why a line begins to go out the door around Noon. They emphasize that they are NOT fast food, and it can be an easy 10 minute wait from time of order to delivery to your table. Fine with me! In case you get bored, there are a couple of flat screen TV's around to keep you entertained.

I had a hard time finding the restaurant on my first visit last Fall. Basically it's on US 377, about a 1/4 mile south of Watauga Rd. Look for Joe's Pizza, then the white sno-cone stand, and it's right behind that.

2/27/13 (new entry); 2/13/14

Bottlecap Alley Icehouse Grill ~

Mar 31, 2022 update: Looks like the Bottlecap Alley Icehouse concept has taken off some. They have 5 DFW area locations, though mostly on the fringes, excepting their flagship Grapevine shop. The Keller store has closed however.

Latest visit: Feb 2014 (Keller - closed)

First visit: Feb 2012 (Keller - closed)

Here's the second in our series of Keller-goes-bar-and-burgers. Bottlecap Alley originally started in Grapevine, in a former Sonic location (a rare indoor locale, not one of their familiar drive-ins). I like to stock up on microbrews at the World Market store in Grapevine, which is in the same shopping center, so I've passed it many times. But I never did stop by for lunch or dinner. Apparently they've been successful, as they've now opened up a second location in downtown Keller.

The way it works at Bottlecap is once you enter, you are instructed to fill out some paperwork. Remember that term "paperwork"? Who does that anymore right? Everything is online. I bought some Forever stamps a few years ago, and I still have almost all of them. I'm sure the post office will be long out of business before I finish them. That's going to cost me $5.24! Those dirty dogs... Where was I? Ah yes, the worksheet. It's the Mooyah/Which Wich system where you check off what you want from the meats, cheeses, toppings, extras, sides, etc... (though no infusions). It's a highly efficient system though somewhat daunting and labor intensive. Then you pick up a beverage from the cooler, and head to the counter with your order sheet. Out comes the flashing ashtray. When your order is ready, the ashtray buzzes wildly, and you go back to the same counter and walk away with your meal. Work for you? Works for me.

I went with a quarter pounder with cheese, and a cup of "Earl's really meaty chili" (not for the timid they allege). The burger was served wrapped in tin foil, which kept it steamy hot. YEA - this is one doggone good burger. One of the best new burgers I've had in a long time. They crisp the edges of the meat, and the flavor is delicious. The bun, like at Yourway, was still a bit too doughy and the only flaw I found. Otherwise, this is a real winner. The chili, too, is excellent. It reminds me a lot - and I mean a LOT - of the chili served over at Tolbert's. Meaty, and heavy on the chili powder. Comes topped with jalapeno slices - though they were rather tame on my visit.

Bottlecap Alley features a bar area, but unfortunately all the taps are your standard corporate macros. Better is the ice cooler, where they feature a number of bottled beers, including a nice selection of Ft. Worth's own microbrewery Rahr & Sons. So I selected a Buffalo Butt, whose tag line is "Everything it's cracked up to be". LOL. It's a nice Amber that I've had plenty of times before. Ratebeer says it's the same as their Texas Red, but I have my doubts about that.

Bottlecap Alley is a fairly large place that goes to the "back room", pool table and all. They also have an outside seating area. Flat screens are everywhere, as is expected anymore.

An excellent addition to the Keller downtown landscape. Definitely give it a try!

Tomorrow, we venture to one more Keller beer bar!

2/2/12 (new entry); 2/3/14