July 28th, 2010
Los Gueros Mexican Restaurant
I ate lunch today at Los Gueros and it was another stellar meal.
This place is great. Get their tacos or burritos and of course a bottled Coke.
Something about that bottle makes Coke taste so much better.
If I had to pick I would be hard pressed between this place and Don Juan’s mexican.
They each have their own style and so it offers a little change up in authentic mexican food in Tyler without those smelly nasty chitlins all over the food that you get in the really authentic stuff over in North Tyler.
If you like chitlins more power to ya my brother I just hate that nasty stuff when I see them swiming around in some beans or something.
Tags: Authentic Mexican Food, Brother, Brunos Pizza, Burritos, Chitlins, Coke, Don Juan, Gueros, Lunch, Nasty Stuff, Pizza Restaurant, Tacos, Vine
Posted in Mexican | No Comments »
July 28th, 2010
For those who don’t know about Rib Masters in Whitehouse you have got to try this place out.
They are not hurting for business but every restaurant appreciates the avid fan telling everyone about their favorite place.
If you want some really fantastic ribs try them out. They are in Whitehouse on 110 on the right before you get to Brookshires.
Please comment with your opinion about Rib Masters. I expect you will also find them to be extremely good.
P.S. Don’t go there and get something besides ribs. Why do you think they call themselves “Rib Masters”?
Tags: Avid, Favorite Place, Masters, Rib Masters, Rib Masters in Whitehouse, Ribs, Whitehouse, whitehouse Texas, Whitehouse Tx
Posted in Barbeque, Restaurants | No Comments »
July 23rd, 2010
As young man traveling abroad, with my folks and as a student, I took to heart the adage that to find the best food, find out where the locals eat. The Tyler community has a really incredible food culture and some great local eateries and institutions.
From Stanley’s to the Purple Pig, Don Juan’s, Jake’s, Rick’s, Bruno’s, Villa Montez, the list goes on and on and covers a variety of dining experiences both fine and casual. With this fact in mind, I am continually surprised by the success, and in some cases, the renown of some pretty blasé restaurants in town.
One such is Traditions on South Broadway. Now I’ve eaten at traditions on several occasions, and it’s not that the food is bad, but (in my opinion) the restaurant is nothing to write home about. In spite of this, their catering business is very successful, and services some exceptionally high class venues.
I am willing to concede that the special attention a catered event requires has probably helped to set the establishment apart from their area competition. In terms of the restaurant proper however, I remain underwhelmed. The cafeteria style pay at the end of the line makes me think of an upscale Luby’s or Ryan’s.
Traditions is a good place to bring quests who are generally more interested in getting the tip exactly right and less interested in sampling unique local cuisine. For those of us for whom meat and potatoes defines the perfect meal, Traditions is ideal. We took my visiting grandparents a couple of years ago, and they had a great time.
It never occurred to them that there were great places to eat that would more enrich their visit to Tyler. I guess that’s what I find lacking in Traditions. While the food is fine, visiting is not the event that a stop at my local favs like Stanley’s or Don Juan’s is for me. I’m not a foodie and I’m not continually trying to make a statement with every dining choice.
To paraphrase Sigmound, sometimes a burger is just a burger. But I also enjoy discovering new foods and new places to eat. If you’re like me in this respect you’ll not be hugely enamored of this eatery. Personally I’d give Traditions a three, out of five stars.
But don’t take my word for it, take an evening and judge for yourself. For more information, check out their website at http://www.traditionstyler.com/restaurant.shtml. For reservations, or speak to someone about having your event catered, call (903)534-1111.
Tags: Adage, Best Food, Cafeteria Style, Catering Business, Class Venues, Don Juan, Eateries, Favs, Food Culture, Foodie, Grandparents, Great Time, Meat And Potatoes, Paraphrase, purple pig, Renown, South Broadway, Spite, Tyler Texas, Young Man
Posted in American Food | No Comments »
July 21st, 2010
I’m not entirely sure what brought up the memory of dining at the Sacred Spur restaurant just outside Gladewater. I guess I saw it on a community site and started reading and watching the reports and critiques on the rustic dining there and I found no one with whom I could entirely agree. Even the report listed on Tyler TX Directory while accurate, was short. So I decided that there was room for another report, especially given that the passage of time has perhaps allowed for a little perspective on my visit.
First off, in the interest of full disclosure I was present at the same event as the author of the first directory article on the Sacred Spur. Spending the evening at the Spur is like going to an off- beat movie that some viewers love, and others despise. You either get it or you don’t. My father, who loves the mythology of the west and the cowboy mystique, got it. Our out of town guests decidedly, did not. The Sacred Spur is only open a couple of nights a week, Fridays and Saturdays. The food is very simple, steaks, chicken, potatoes and an admittedly pretty Spartan salad bar. Meat is cooked over a very old school hanging grill. There is usually musical entertainment of some kind, generally a local country band or artist. The food is expertly cooked. My steak was a beautiful medium rare. Reservations are highly recommended however as the Spur is not a dining institution, it’s very much a mom and pop kind of business (or should I say ma and pa). This was an issue at the time of my visit since they actually ran out of most cuts of steak, something prone to happen at this sort of casual family run restaurant. When the food is gone it’s gone. Another issue was the fact the store’s debit card register was down. Evidently it had been down all night and the staff had failed to warn us. Fortunately for them our party was able to scrape up enough coin to pay the bill. If you go, best to take some cash just in case.
A lot has been written and reported on the Spur. It has been really praised in the news and dining reports in our area. It’s often held up as traditional Texas fare. I’m not sure however that grilling a great steak alone constitutes Texas cooking. When I think of traditional Texan food I think bar-b-q. Steaks are good, Texas beef the best of course, but I’ve had good steaks many places. If I want good brisket or other forms of BBQ, Texas is really the only place to go.
If the Spur was closer to Tyler I would not object to going more often. As it is, the drive makes it a lot of work. The food is good but it’s also pricey, and given the inconvenience of travel, and the propensity to occasionally run out of food it can be a gamble. One other thing, be sure any guests you bring along are good sports. If they’re adverse to any risk and not adventurous dinners, or if they don’t appreciate the novelty or local color, take them to Luby’s. At least they’ll know what they’re getting and you won’t have to hear about for the rest of the night. For more information on the Sacred Spur see the following web pages: http://www.facebook.com/pages/East-Mountain-TX/The-Sacred-Spur-Ranch/152459857514, or http://www.myspace.com/thesacredspurranch. Also, check out the report by KETK, http://www.ketknbc.com/news/eats-texas-the-sacred-spur-ranch. Lastly, look for the title, Sacred Spur Ranch – A rustic authentic Cowboy ranch restaurant, located elsewhere on this site.
Tags: Cuts Of Steak, Debit Card, Fridays, Full Disclosure, Local Country, Mom, Musical Entertainment, Mystique, Mythology, Old School, Passage Of Time, Perspective, Potatoes, Salad Bar, Saturdays, Spur, Steaks Chicken, Town Guests, Tx Directory, Tyler TX
Posted in Restaurants, Texas Style | No Comments »
July 21st, 2010
I realize that someone has probably already posted something on this site about Papa Murphy’s Pizza in Tyler. When several of us were newly hired to write for Tyler TX Directory, there was a mad rush to write about the Pizza places in town since there are so many of them. As someone once said, “a writer must write of what he knows.” Now I have previously stated that Bruno’s in Tyler is hands down the best in town, and I am still of that opinion. But I consider that to be dinning out pizza. Double Dave’s is also delicious, but that too, is eat out food. When it comes to carry out Papa Murphy’s has to be my first choice (and even by that standard it’s only marginally behind Dave’s). Now when I was a younger better fit man (ok that was a while ago), I ate pretty much whatever I wanted and worried not wit about the consequences, but now that I’m approaching middle age I find that I’m more concerned about my diet. Eating most take out in Tyler tends to leave me feeling… guilty and ashamed. Even the take- out pizza I like, seldom leaves me with a sense of well being. I really don’t need to dip my pizza in creamy garlic butter, or stuff the crust of my pizza with thick runny cheese! As good as cheap pizza may taste at the moment; there may be a physical price to pay in the long run. As my priest warns, sin is often pleasurable for a time.
Papa Murphy’s food is not like other low quality greasy spoons in town. The ingredients are generally more wholesome and at least potentially healthy (depending on your choices of course). Now I am not going to claim that the Chicago Style stuffed pizzas are exactly good for you but they are delicious and for those of us who are conscious of what we eat; PM offers a great “deLite” menu that will leave the calorie counting customer both satisfied, and largely guilt free. (I realize that’s a pretty tough call for fitness Nazis and other weight- loss gurus). Be that as it may, Papa Murphy’s seems to me to be the best tasting, and generally the healthiest take- out pizza in town. And I say that as a customer who is even now enjoying a slice. For more information on Papa Murphy’s see their website at www.papamurphys.com. To see a menu, go to http://www.papamurphys.com/pdf/PapaMurphysMenu.pdf. For more on Tyler’s various pizza parlors and or buffets look for the following titles or articles on this site: A Pizza a Beer and a Ball Game, The Best of the Buffets, The Worst of the Buffets and Bruno’s, the Best Pizza in Town.
Tags: Bruno, Cheap Pizza, Chicago Style, Delite, First Choice, Garlic, Garlic Butter, Greasy Spoons, Guilt, Guru, Mad Rush, Middle Age, Nazis, Papa Murphy, Pizza Places, Runny Cheese, Take Out Pizza, Tx Directory, Tyler TX, Wit
Posted in Pizza, Restaurants, Tyler Businesses | No Comments »
July 20th, 2010
I’m about to do two things that could conceivably come back to haunt me. First off I’m going to discuss a favorite Tyler eatery / department store / catering service, in a way that implies I’m not a big fan. Secondly, in discussing this establishment it will become apparent that I’ve been there. Ok so am I being too cryptic? Fine. The restaurant… or whatever, is the Potpourri House, (as I guess the title of this article gives away). Now it takes either a big man, or a shameless one to admit that he’s been to the Potpourri House, I’m not sure which one applies to me.
The Potpourri House is a difficult business / eatery to describe. It is part gift shop, part café or tea house, part fine dining restaurant. As the name implies, they have a large supply of scented candles, incense, and of course potpourri. The store also carries inventory like higher end clothing and jewelry. I have this weird mental picture of patrons browsing through the store with a glass of wine in hand complaining about the men in their lives, or talking about Sex in the City. I don’t know why, that’s just the strange association I have with the restaurant.
The food at the PH is actually pretty good, the portions are not exactly man size, but it’s tasty and generally light. The menu consists of a lot chicken, roast beef and shrimp. I guess at this point I should either turn in my man card or explain why I was interloping in this very feminine universe. First off I’ve been there two or three times. It seems the party planning committee at work contains all ladies, and they love the Potpourri House. And by the way the establishment specializes in parties, businesses and church groups. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much because work has always paid for the meals, but I’m not going to lie, it would be nice to have those parties somewhere else. I’m not suggesting a cigar bar or anything, I’d settle for gender neutral at this point. Anyway the party is generally the place where the Christmas bonuses are handed out, so I try to attend. But I do feel pretty out of place, and I often grab a bit to eat when I get home.
The Potpourri House is not terrible it’s just very girly. I suggest that any male avoid it if at all possible. If that’s not possible try to avoid telling your buddies where you had lunch. For more information on the Potpourri House, visit their web page at www.potpourrihouse.com. For reservations call begin_of_the_skype_highlighting(903) 592-4171. They are located at 3320 Troup Highway in Tyler. end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Tags: Catering Service, Church Groups, Cigar Bar, Clothing And Jewelry, Department Store, Fine Dining Restaurant, Gift Shop, Glass Of Wine, Incense, Man Size, Mental Picture, Party Planning, Patrons, Planning Committee, Potpourri, Roast Beef, Scented Candles, Sex In The City, Shrimp, Talking About Sex
Posted in American Food, Clothing, Jewelers, Restaurants, Tyler Businesses | No Comments »
July 7th, 2010
Eating at Don Juan’s tonight because their chicken taco’s on corn tortillas are so darn good.
Would have gotten their cantaloupe juice also but they are all out because it is so good!
Tags: Cantaloupe, Chicken Taco, Corn Tortillas, Don Juan, don juan's, Don Juans restuarant
Posted in Mexican, Restaurants, Taqueria | No Comments »
July 7th, 2010
When the summer started I decided to do my best to avoid writing about “the same old thing;”meaning Tyler restaurants. But on the morning of Sunday the fourth, I woke up late and since my little boy had been plagued by a cough and a runny nose all night I decided to skip church and avoid annoying all the other parents whose children occupy the Sunday morning nursery. As it turned out I was surprised by a visit from a friend who asked me to breakfast at an old Tyler staple, which surprisingly I had never tried. The restaurant of choice was Sweet Sue’s.
Now I had not previously avoided the twenty seven year old establishment deliberately, despite the fact that I have gotten mixed reviews. Opinions seem highly diverse by the way. Some have told me it’s a great place to eat while others strongly dislike it. It had simply never really occurred to me to try Sue’s. Now that I’ve had the experience I find that I’m somewhat torn. Here’s my predicament.
As a rule, I generally prefer local restaurants to the larger corporate chains. I find the local food better, fresher, more unique and more supportive of our local economy and culture. I dislike the bland microwavable experience of a Chile’s or Appleby’s. Not that those places serve terrible food, but there’s nothing one can’t get at the franchise in Dallas that’s not available at the one in Tyler. All that being said I expected a more delicious home cooked meal at Sweet Sue’s than the one that I got. Now I’ll admit my predilection to suspect buffet food may be coming into play here, and I’m not exactly sure what I expected, but I just wasn’t terribly impressed! I have enjoyed breakfasts at Shoney’s or the Hot Biscuit more! (I realize it’s been a while since those franchises were at the height of their popularity too).
I am open to the notion that I visited Sue’s on a bad day or an unfortunate hour. That may be so. The wait staff was friendly, and the store was pretty clean and only moderately busy. But with so many options in town I just find it something of a mystery that Sue’s has become such a Tyler fav. It may be that their easy in, easy out access, and their significant senior discount has made it a favorite of Tyler’s aging population. They also offer catering and a banquet room for area church groups, clubs and civic organizations.
Despite what I considered to be the take it or leave it, quality of the food my Sunday morning breakfast was a positive experience as much for the company I was keeping as the morning out. I wouldn’t suggest Sweet Sue’s as my first choice, but readers who disagree are invited to tell me why. Personally I give it a two, out of five stars. For more information see the restaurant’s website at www.sweetsues.net. They are located at 3350 South Southwest Loop, in
Tyler.
Tags: Appleby, Bad Day, Buffet Food, Corporate Chains, Cough, Franchise, Franchises, Home Cooked Meal, Hot Biscuit, Local Food, Local Restaurants, Notion, Popularity, Predicament, Predilection, Runny Nose, Shoney, Staple, Sunday Morning, Sweet Sue
Posted in American Food, Restaurants | No Comments »
July 6th, 2010
Cooking Cajuns
The Cookin Cajuns come over from Louisiana once a month to the Canton Texas trade days flea market.
These guys know what they’re doing when cooking cajun food and highly recommend an excursion to Canton Texas on first Monday if for no other reason than eating this delicious cajun food.
For several months this restaurant had moved out of Canton because of a family emergency but they are back and better than ever.
I will usually get their Crawfish Etouffee and the bread pudding.
Tags: Bread Pudding, Cajun Food, Cajuns, Canton Texas Trade Days, Caption, Cookin, Cooking Food, Crawfish Etouffee, East Texas, Excursion, Family Emergency, First Monday, Flea Market, Louisiana
Posted in Cajun Food, Restaurants | No Comments »
