Cousin's Bar-B-Q ~

There are 5 locations still open: 3 in the south part of Fort Worth, including Crowley. The other 2 are in DFW airport.

Latest visit: Mar 2018 (Fort Worth - far north - closed)

First visit: 2003 (Keller - closed)

We've written about Cousin's before, when they had a little shotgun shack over in Keller. But with Back Forty recently arriving in NRH, I thought it would be a good time to revisit the mothership. Or actually a branch of the original. They shut down the to-go only place in Keller, so that they could open this very large location in the Alliance shopping area of far north Ft. Worth. This is the second visit here for the RJG (and the 3rd is this update!). We first went in December of 2010. So obviously we haven't done our part in helping the restaurant along. There's really no explanation as to why we've been infrequent visitors, as I've been a fan of Cousin's since we moved back to DFW 10 years ago.

Mrs. RJG had the baked potato with smoked turkey, and she loved it. I tried the turkey, and it's as good as ever. Cousin's always had the best turkey. They need to show their sibling over at Back Forty how to do it right. And speaking of sibling, since Cousin's has a similar meat selection to the start-up, I decided to focus on three items that would be smoked. In other words, I laid off the sausages, presuming them to be the same or very similar. So I had a 3 meat platter with sliced brisket, pork ribs, and quarter dark meat chicken. As you have read here, we love the chicken at Back Forty, and I don't think I ever had it at Cousin's. Well - it's nearly the same. It's really fantastic. Great seasoning and fall off the bone tenderness. The ribs were also excellent - not fatty or tough, with a very fine dry rub. And the brisket was also a winner, very flavorful. I see many critics complain about the lack of flavor, but I cannot agree with that assessment. As for the sides, the mac and cheese was way too cheesy and soupy. The upstart Back Forty kills them on that front. And the corn was fine, though a tad mushy.

Back Forty wins on the sides, but the RJG will always weight the scales for the meat. Overall edge goes to Cousin's but Back Forty is closer in proximity to us. Glad they're both here! These are our favorite barbecue places in NE Tarrant for now. We have a few more to go though...

5/30/08 (new entry); 12/18/10; 7/27/13; 3/25/18

Maria Cuca's ~ Keller, Texas

Last visit: Mar 2018

First visit: May 2015

Maria Cuca's opened up a couple of years ago in Keller, and we've been infrequent visitors ever since (~6 to 7 times). To summarize, this is a place we so bad want to love... and we don't. We'll still go on occasion of course, but I'm afraid the food just doesn't measure up to others in the area, at least for our tastes.

Up until the main course, Maria Cuca's is absolutely spot on. The chips are great. The salsas are great (they have more than just the table sauce, be sure to ask). Their famous homemade corn tortillas are great. And while we hardly ever talk about service, we have to say it's been uniformly excellent throughout, including the owner. And then comes the most important part: The entree. Sigh. We'll give Maria Cuca's this: They are entirely unique, and will not remind you of the other Mexican restaurants. That is definitely a plus, and something for you all to consider when reading this review. It's just that for what they do, we're not enthralled. And that goes for Mrs. RJG too. On our very first visit, I saw they have Chipotle Enchiladas. Right there, I thought I was set for life. It's not something you see often, and we always loved the ones at El Fenix. Way too sweet! They use some sort of crema in it. Ack! Oh look, they have "Pancho's Shrimp" - the bacon wrapped jumbo shrimp we so love. Flat and chewy. The crabmeat sauce is utterly disgusting. Sorry - it is. Carne Asada? Tough. Brisket tacos? Ehh. Old fashioned #1 Combo Tex-Mex plate? Boring. Verde sauce? Sour. Tacos? Dull. Mannnnnnn. Well, the rice and beans are good anyway. Not the best of course, but definitely flavorful. What do you do? I guess we'll just keep at it. We know there has to be something we'll love here. That's all it takes right? One dish. We really like these folks, and want them to succeed, but we have to be honest. Another reason to remain anonymous I suppose...

Remember this quote? "Up until the main course, Maria Cuca's is absolutely spot on". The frozen (and rocks) margaritas definitely assist in that assessment. A superb variation, and they give you one of those monster straws to penetrate the slushy ice. Just how I like them too - thick and freezing! They have a full bar for those who like more than beer and margaritas.

Maria Cuca's is basically on the other end (south side) from Devivo Bros, along the set of strip malls that line US 377 between the railroad. This space originally housed Yourway Burgers, and later a Sharx Pub, which was basically a pool hall. Wrong town for that! They didn't have to do much with the interior, and I still see remnants of Yourway, including the nice looking bar area.

5/23/15; 6/17/16 (new entry); 1/15/17; 3/23/18

Cardona Cafe ~ Fort Worth, Texas

Latest visit: Mar 2018

First visit: May 2017

As stated in my "Howdy" comeback note, it's somewhat surprising to me how many new "regular" restaurants we've discovered in the last half of 2017. This was not by design either. With that, let me introduce you to Cardona Cafe.

We went here on the strength of their chips. It started with a visit to one of the RJG's favorites this past summer: Tolbert's. The chips were unusually delicious one unsuspecting afternoon. So we asked our waiter where did they come from. Sure enough, Cardona Cafe. They go by the brand name Gloria's, and you can by them in large bags, but they are not to be confused with the Salvadoran restaurant of the same name (somewhere in these pages). So off we went one Sunday morning toward Meacham Field in Fort Worth. In short order, Cardona has become our go-to Sunday breakfast place, when the spirit moves us to have breakfast on a Sunday that is.

Well actually, on that point, the RJG has lunch even though they claim the lunch menu is served later. I love their grilled chicken breast, heavily seasoned, doused in a yummy enchilada sauce and buried in cheese. I forget what they call it, but you'll figure it out. And the rice and beans are delicious. Mrs. RJG loves their variation of Huevos Rancheros, which looks tempting to me as well (maybe I grabbed a bite when she wasn't looking...). And - oh yea huh - the chips are delivered as expected, and are absolutely delicious. And you don't need a salsa to get that deep corn flavor. It's mouthwatering good. I can say without hesitation, these are the best chips I've ever had. Not a small claim right there, given the some 40 cognizant years of eating out at Mexican restaurants. You could go here for the chips only and be happy - and buy a bag for the ride home (and the tortillas are great too!). And even though you don't need salsa, the one they provide is perfect - very flavorful as well (it needs to be) with a nice spicy kick.

Finding Cardona is a bit of a challenge/surprise if you're not initially prepared. It's actually in the middle of an industrial district. It's, in effect, a "restaurant lobby" to the chips and tortilla manufacturing plant. What a great idea! The restaurant is pleasant enough too. I'm not even sure they serve alcohol (I doubt it), but since it's our Sunday breakfast place, I wasn't looking for that either (I know, you're disappointed in me...). This is old fashioned, family oriented, Mexican food. With the best chips ever. Worth the drive.

5/7/17; 12/28/17 (new entry); 3/19/18

Thai Hut ~ Fort Worth, Texas

Latest visit: Mar 2018

First visit: Nov 2017

With Bangkok Cuisine under new ownership, we felt we needed a "4th hand" to complete the game. It's been a long time since we found a new Thai restaurant to compete with Sea Siam, Sweet Basil, and Magic Springroll here in Northeast Tarrant County. Oh sure, we've tried some others. Some very good, but not great either. Enter Thai Hut. We have a new challenger to the throne of best Thai in our area!

We've been three times now recently, the first couple with the official Mrs. RJG's mom. She has now flown back to Arizona, and we just enjoyed our first trip together to Thai Hut.

All dinners start with a ginger dressing based salad, which a nice touch, though I'm not overly fond of it. Mrs. RJG loves it and finishes mine. For an appetizer, on that third visit, we tried the chicken satay. Very nice season charbroiled chicken, which comes in varying sizes. It comes with two dipping sauces, one being the traditional peanut. As for the entree, I ordered my usual spicy basil chicken, which they make authentically with minced chicken - hooray! No green beans for me, but I do get it topped with a fried egg. This is by far the largest egg I've ever had anywhere. Well it's two to begin with (do they sell twin eggs?), and they've proven to be humongous so far. The rice is perfectly cooked - and oh yes, the heat level is very sufficient (Thai Hot). Mrs. RJG has found a new dish here that she loves, and it's the garlic chicken. She's become addicted in short order.

Typical of most Thai restaurants in the area, it's BYOB, so a big savings there. And no corkage fee or any of that silliness. In fact, if you forget a bottle, there's a liquor store right next door, so you can't lose (unless you're there on a Sunday I guess...).

Service has been friendly each visit, a bit inconsistent though, and it appears to be a family run operation.

It's a nicely situated restaurant inside of a strip mall, and it's very comfortable for solo or group dining. For music you get annoying modern American pop/love songs. Oh well, I guess the kids working there like it. You'll find Thai Hut at the SE corner of Basswood and Park Vista Blvd. It's a bit west of our normal dining scope, but it's worth the extra mile as they say.

12/28/17 (new entry); 3/18/18

Industry Public House ~ Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

First visit: Mar 2018 (Andrew Dr.)

They have another location in the Lawrenceville neighborhood in central Pittsburgh.

Now this one comes with an interesting story. I was in Baltimore for business, as I often was back then, and was ready to head to the airport on Friday late morning. But there was a problem. The area was experiencing ridiculously high winds, and all flights along the eastern seaboard were cancelled until Sunday. Now normally I would have just stayed the weekend in Baltimore on the company dime. However one of our official nieces (who incidentally is getting married in the San Diego area next weekend - look for new posts then, depending on where we go!) - was visiting us back in DFW from Denver. Not that we knew it then, but that was also our last month in NE Tarrant ourselves. So I really wanted to get home. The best option was for me to rent a car and drive to Pittsburgh, and then catch the first flight home on Saturday morning. So that's what I did. The first part of the drive was brutal, as the winds had my rental pushing me in various lanes. I was like a race car driver. Two stiff hands on the wheel, ready for anything and everything. Eventually as I got to the mountainous areas, the winds calmed down, and there was just a light breeze in Pittsburgh. 

Of course I stayed at an airport hotel, given my situation. I arrived around dinner time, so now what to eat. I was starving and thirsty. And what popped up nearby - Industry Public House. I mean it could not have been a more perfect place. Now remember it's Friday night, and these places tend to be mobbed. And sure enough, it most certainly was. The best part of being alone is that you can usually find a bar stool. And I did - only one left, but it was in the perfect spot. Completely on the end against the wall. So it was miraculously peaceful among the frenzied party atmosphere. It was easy for me to find craft beers that I hadn't tried, since I haven't spent too much time in Pennsylvania. For dinner I had one of their burgers and it was delicious. I'm pretty sure fries came with it, but I don't remember now. A great ending to a most chaotic day. Would love to return in more normal circumstances.

3/2/18 (new entry)