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Julian’s Asian Diner

August 10th, 2011

Julians Restaurant
 

Julian’s is an asian diner located in the Time Square shopping center in Tyler TX that has been in Tyler for seven years, changing management and remodeling once in October of 2009. Julians has been a popular Tyler dinner spot for years. The food is good, well cooked and with unique flavor  that distinguishes it from an average asian food restaurant. The food may be above average but that doesn’t apply to most other aspects of the restaurant.

The low lighting is nice and helps provide a calm atmosphere but it doesn’t completely distract from from the minimal lame wall decor or awkward arrangement in my opinion. However, the bar is pretty decent, it’s in a separate room entirely from the dining area and has an even darker sleeker feel than the restaurant. As of recently Julians has started doing drink specials with Texas Tuesdays and Monday Martinis for six dollars.

The good thing about the food though, is that in addition to be being flavorful and well made of good ingredients it is also not too expensive as long as you go at lunch or if you’re content with Julian’s exceptional fried rice a half order is only $5.50 and despite being a half it amounts to a decent meal.

But if you’re interested in something a little more substantial they have a very good honey seared chicken which is lightly battered and wok fired in a honey soy sauce with garlic. If you’re looking for s meal specifically healthy or even vegetarian then I suggest one of Julian’s health bowls such as the Apex Shrimp Bowl consisting of shrimp, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms and ginger or the Tofu bowl for the vegetarians.

Julians has good features, but it has not always had an excellent reputation for cleanliness, although it’s certainly not always the case. The service has been good as far as I’ve seen and the wait for food acceptable. However, the wait for a table can be long on certain nights so time your arrival well. The restaurant may not pull off the upscale look perfectly but the food is considered upscale for Tyler’s asian food scale which admittedly is not large.

Snow Balls in South Tyler on Broadway

April 13th, 2011

Red Barn Snow Balls

The weather has made it time for snow cones once again and by that I mean shaved ice.

When I was a kid all we ever got was ground up chunks of ice and food coloring.

What you have here is very delicately thinly shaven sheets of ice that when fallen from the ice machine turns into soft snow. This shaven ice is like eating the fresh snow off Santa’s rooftop.

The snow balls are covered not just in food coloring but any of over about 100 different flavors to choose from.

I usually never get too experimental when it comes to snow cone flavors so I go with the traditional icecream, coconut, or the other flavor that tastes closest to sugar syrup.

My son and I went by the snow ball place at the Red Barn square shopping center. We both got icecream flavored snow cones and I could not believe how well this energy supplement boosted both me and my sons energy levels as well as increased brain function.

Pizza by Double Daves in Tyler TX

March 31st, 2011

Double Daves Pizza

Double Dave’s is one part pizza parlor one part sports bar and one part arcade. Double Dave’s in Tyler is located in the Time Square shopping center on Broadway. Double Dave’s does it’s best to create an appealing atmosphere.

The massive size of the main room feels like an arena for eating, drinking, sports, and video games all under the canopy of a ridiculously big screen TV constantly tuned to the sports channel as per Double Dave’s pre-established theme. Double Dave’s has a wide variety of imported and domestic beers and in fact is probably one of the cheapest places to get a drink in Tyler.

The menu contains the traditional pizza options while offering several original choices such as their line of specialty pizzas or the pepperoni roll that Double Dave’s claims to be known for. Double Dave’s has a high opinion of their food, which is hard to dispute considering the amount of care put into using fresh ingredients, for example making the crust twice a day as well as remaking the sauce from scratch every day along with cutting new and fresh vegetables for the ingredients daily.

The attention paid to freshness shows the dedication to well made food that is held simultaneously with a functioning sports bar and arcade style gaming business model. The defining characteristics of Double Dave’s service such as cheap alcohol, sports on a big screen television, pizza, and arcade games full fill the predictable desires of the American majority that make such businesses a dependable and thriving success.

Double Dave’s is a culmination of popular entertainment forms loved Americans internationally while America’s favorite food supports the entertainment through freshly made Italian style nourishment. Double Dave’s statistically fun styled atmosphere is open for party rental in a separated party room next to the arcade area, this confinement ensures that no strangers happen to wander through your party and that the background restaurant noise is reduced to allow for a more casual private gathering.

Double Dave’s has exceptionally good quality hand made pizza and has been praised for it’s one of a kind crust. There’s plenty of room and plenty of fun things to do, including racing arcade games hunting arcade games and even a prize crane among other forms of entertainment. Even the pizza making is entertainment, placed behind a large window the cooks toss the spinning dough in the air as they prepare the crust for your pizza. Double Dave’s is an above average quality pizza restaurant that I highly recommend.

Vietnamese Pho Restaurant

January 23rd, 2010

Vietnamese Pho Restaurant

3837 US Hwy 64
Tyler, TX 75704
(903) 526-1599

Having recently moved to Tyler Texas, I am always on the lookout for new places to eat. I am particularly fond of ethnic food, so when I heard about a new Vietnamese restaurant in town, I couldn’t wait to try it out. My wife and I met her two brothers and their wives for dinner there last night, and we all agreed that it was a great experience. Pho Vietnamese Restaurant

Pho Restaurant is located just outside W Loop 323 on US Hwy 64, across from the big super Wal-Mart. It’s right next to El Quatro Mexican restaurant, which I haven’t tried out yet. Parking is plentiful, and the lot is well lit at night. It is open Monday to Saturday from 11am to 8pm. There is a sister location on N. High street in Longview as well.

The atmosphere and décor leave something to be desired, but that is fairly common for small mom-and-pop Asian restaurants. The dining area was very clean – I didn’t see any food or trash on the floor or on any of the unoccupied tables. The restrooms were also quite clean. The fluorescent lights and drop-in ceiling detract a little from the overall dining experience, but what Pho lacks in atmosphere, it makes up in service and taste. (If you are looking for Asian dining with great atmosphere, try Julian’s in the Times Square Shopping Center on South Broadway).

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The menu at Pho Restaurant is clearly laid out and very reasonably priced. I think all of their entrees are under 10 dollars, and most of them are 7 dollars or less. A casual glance around the room can help you decide what dish to order – they have large pictures of many of their menu items posted on the walls. I ended up choosing my meal by looking at the pictures on the wall. I chose number 22 – stir fried vermicelli with beef, chicken, and shrimp.

One of the things that impressed me was the quality of the service. When the hostess noticed my sister-in-law feeding baby food to her one year old daughter, she brought a little child-sized plate for her to use. When our meals arrived, she recommended which sauces and seasonings to use with each of our dishes. The hoisin and sriracha sauces she suggested for my meal complimented it perfectly. They gave it a wonderful sweet and savory flavor with just enough of a spicy kick to make your lips tingle.

Now on to the good stuff! My stir-fried vermicelli with chicken, beef, and shrimp was absolutely delicious. My wife loved menu item 8b – shrimp and egg roll with vermicelli. The shrimp was grilled to perfection, and it came with some kind of vinegar/fish sauce that she mixed with the hoisin sauce to create a delightful and savory meal.

Pho Vietnamese Restaurant Tyler TX

Pho Vietnamese Restaurant

For an appetizer we ordered the shrimp spring rolls. If you have never tried Vietnamese spring rolls, you simply must try them at Pho. They are incredibly cool and crisp and refreshingly unique owing to the fresh mint leaves they use to make them. The portions at Pho restaurant are generous, the ingredients are fresh, and the food is authentically Vietnamese.

All six of us who ate there last night said that we would order the same meal again next time, and all six of us ordered different things! I personally loved menu item 22, but I feel confident recommending items 8b and 10b as well. If you are looking for authentic Vietnamese cuisine at a fair price, you no longer need to drive to Dallas to get it. Go check out Vietnamese Pho Restaurant. You won’t be disappointed.

Times Square Cinema: The Grown-up’s Choice

November 11th, 2009

First, you must understand that Times Square in Tyler bears no resemblance in any way, shape, or form to the famous Times Square in New York City. It has always intrigued young Tylerites that this name was ever chosen. Times Square shopping center, featuring staples like Casa Ole, Racquet & Jog, and Double Dave’s Pizzaworks have exactly nothing in common with New York City. But that doesn’t mean that Times Square in Tyler is without merit. Not only are the restaurants good and the location accessible, but the the The Times Square Cinema is a long-standing staple in the city.

Times Square Cinema is a small, privately owned, old time-feel family theater, which is a rarity in the modern age of mega-30 screen cinemaplexes. It is considerably smaller than the Tyler Rose in west Tyler, and a fraction of the size of Carmike 14. Nevertheless, The Times Square Cinema is a nice alternative for those who get tired of the crowds at the other locations. The theater offers digital projection, and 3-D viewing for movies that offer it. The snack bar isn’t huge, but it’s good, and cheaper than the other theaters as well. The staff here are friendly and productive, keeping a smile on their faces, and popcorn off the floor. It is a clean and pleasant place to watch a movie.

This theater is the cheapest in Tyler. Adult tickets are $7.50, a full $.75 cheaper than Carmike. Granted, the screens are not as large, and the infrastructure not as impressive. But the experience should be good, nevertheless.

Who should come to Times Square Cinema? Grown ups. Times Square is no longer a hip hang out place for high schoolers who prefer to congregate in massive crowds. They go to The Tyler Rose or to Carmike. That is reason enough for me to go watch a movie at Times Squaare. I know I won’t have to put up with alot of loudness or nonsense. Unless the movie itself is bad, I know I will have a good experience every time at Times Square Cinema. Because I’m a grown up.