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Wing Stop on the West Loop

June 20th, 2010

image1444672917.jpgWing Stop has become the place we pick up quick delicious food for family get togethers and events.

Let’s face it sometimes you’re too lazy to even throw a hot dog or chicken wing on the grill.

Let Wing Stop do some deep frying for you instead.

I like their hawian, lemon pepper, mild, and garlic parmesian flavored wings.

The vegi sticks help justify the bindge as you dunk them into ranch dip.

Their French fries are some of the best in town.

Eat here in their store or take it to go. They are good with in store and take out.

They have no trash cabs in the store and you end up using a lot of towels to clean your face and hands.

Simply throw the wadded towels on the floor and concentrate on eating these delicious wings.

There are two Wing Stop locations in Tyler, one by Albertsons on the loop and one on the West loop near hwy 64 and Wal Mart in Tyler.

Southside Bank in Tyler Texas

January 6th, 2010

There are a lot of banks to choose from. So why choose Southside Bank in Tyler TX?

Southside is a local bank that might just trick you. It is a small town, folksy business, but it also offers many of the benefits associated with the large national chains. Need an ATM? Southside Bank has a full range of ATM’s all around the city: 19 of them at last count. Do you need online banking? Southside does that, too, and does it well. This is no mom & pop establishment. Southside isn’t afraid to change with the times.

Southside Bank has fifteen separate Tyler Texas bank locations, and several more in Lindale and Whitehouse. While they have large locations like the main office on South Beckham or their South Broadway branch, most Southside branches are located inside of Tyler’s most popular shopping centers. Southside jumped on the “bank inside the grocery store” trend early, and it has paid off for them. They are known as the “most convenient bank in east Texas.” There is hardly a Brookshires or Albertsons within 50 miles that doesn’t boast a Southside Bank office. This was a wonderful benefit for my family. We found ourselves going to Brookshires for various items multiple times every week. And whenever we were there, we could hop in to Southside to deposit a check or pull out some cash. No separate stops were necessary![ad#large-blog-block]

My wife and I had multiple accounts with Southside Bank for years in Tyler, and we were always satisfied. It was not easy to get an account set up since we were coming in from out of state. That is the obvious downside of doing business with a local bank. National chains like US Bank and Bank of America have branches all over the nation, so starting out of state accounts or transferring money is never a problem. But once we did get our accounts set up with them, we were very satisfied. Did they make the typical small town mistakes? Yes, occasionally. They have their share of clerical errors, but whether they have more than a typical national bank is debatable. Any teller can hit a wrong key by mistake. But whenever those things came up, the tellers or bankers always worked quickly and apologetically to remedy the situation.

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And that might be the best reason of all to choose Southside Bank: quality customer service. The men and women of Southside are always courteous and professional. They seemed to enjoy their work, and that is probably why they consistently did a good job.

If you are looking for a new bank to handle your checking accounts, business expenses, home loans, etc, Southside Bank of Tyler Texas can handle it. They may be small, but they are able.

The Worst Of The Buffets

November 17th, 2009

A couple of months ago I wrote a piece entitled “The best of the buffets.” It was primarily a response to my students who love Tyler’s buffet restaurants and couldn’t conceive of why I generally dislike them. In the interest of full discloser I made a list of the establishments I actually liked and why. Well, forgive the hubris but I thought it might be fun to make a short list of the buffets I personally consider some of the worst in town. The following are in descending order.

China King

When China King first opened it was trumpeted as the best Chinese buffet in the city of Tyler. As buffets go it may have been… But it didn’t last. China King has the largest selection of food, but the quality is poor to say the least. The dishes tend to sit far too long under the lamps and still manage to taste dry and lukewarm.

I must confess however, that my dislike of China King isn’t only about the food. It’s also the lack of atmosphere. (I realize this may reflect an unrealistic expectation for a buffet). The store seems run down and sloppy. The staff is more concerned with moving customers in and out quickly in order to make room for the next herd. Strangely, the straw that broke the camel’s back for me came when I visited the men’s room shortly before eating. While there I was treated to an obscene series of messages carved into the stall door. Now, I understand that this has little to do with the food the restaurant serves, but I don’t enjoy feeling like I’m eating at the local truck stop. When taking in the whole package, that visit to the mis-named “King” had the effect of making me feel vaguely cheap and ashamed. My conscience was inexplicably heavy. I decided then and there, to set my sights on more seemly establishments. The next time someone suggests having lunch at a Chinese buffet, don’t be degraded, try to steer them toward Chine Café. It’s a far better restaurant on every level.

Cici’s Pizza

I would love to give Cici’s the lowest rank, among these restaurants but unfortunately that dishonor is reserved for another establishment. I rarely miss an opportunity to take a shot at Cici’s Pizza. In fact I’ve stated on numerous occasions that I prefer Totino’s frozen pizza to that particular buffet. Why? Because I find the crust doughy, and the toppings cheap, (and by cheap I do not mean inexpensive).

The store’s ads constantly promise that the customer can eat at the buffet for under five dollars. I’ll pass on the “you get what you pay for,” reminder, and say simply that the last time I ate at Cici’s (quite against my will I assure you) I paid over seven for my meal. The selection was not what I was promised either. What I did find failed to satisfy even my two year old son, who prefers pizza to nearly every other food I can provide.

This brings me to the old issue of atmosphere. Let me just say that I’m still getting my hearing back. The doctors assure me that I should eventually be able to enjoy music and the arts again, but it will take time. Ok all sarcasm aside, I find it difficult to enjoy a meal when I need a bull horn to make myself heard across the table… Oops sarcasm again, sorry. As a kids restaurant, Cici’s does offer entertainment in the arcade but then so does Ken’s and the food is better. Even better yet, take them to Double Dave’s for some real pizza, and watch the game with them while you’re there. That’s how memories are made.

Ryan’s

If my reader has been placed on an all starch, all grease diet for any reason; Ryan’s is the establishment for you. Likewise if you prefer your steak tough and well done this could be your buffet of choice. Personally I’ve never had a hankering for restaurant style macaroni and cheese, so I don’t frequent Ryan’s. Honestly, it’s been a couple of years since I visited the store but there’s a reason for that, namely the quality of the food is definitely poor. My last visit was followed immediately by a dose of Tums and a counseling session with my priest. Alright so I’m exaggerating again but seriously, I do know people who people who actually enjoy Ryan’s, just not many. I will say this for the restaurant, the atmosphere is definitely quieter (and this is not due solely to lack of patronage). Next to the above businesses, Ryan’s is tranquil.

So there are my choices for the worst of Tyler’s buffets. There may be others that deserve to make the list but it’s now after midnight and I need some sleep. For those readers who find my criticisms harsh, put them to the test. China King is located in the French Quarter, Cici’s has two locations to choose from, one on the West Loop next to Atwood’s, the other on the South Loop next to Albertson’s, and Ryan’s can be found on South Broadway next to Olive Garden. But whatever you do just don’t say I didn’t warn you.