Guero's Taco Bar

On our last morning in Austin, we decided to have breakfast at Guero's Taco Bar.  My wife was in the mood for Mexican food and she told me that this place was supposed to be very good.  Parking is sometimes an issue on South Congress, but we were fortuitous and found a parking spot less than a block away from Guero's.

Our party of four was famished so we ordered quite a bit for breakfast.  Below are my thoughts and opinions of what we ordered:

Queso - Regardless of the time of day, I have to order queso when I see it on the menu.  Unfortunately this queso was very bland and tasted similar to what one would get at a concession stand while watching 7th grade basketball.

Breakfast Tacos - Basic breakfast taco that was nothing special.  I only tried the chorizo and bacon, but neither were very flavorful.

Migas-Decent portion, but could have used a little more pico de gallo.  The flour tortillas were the only bright spot of this dish

Huevos Mexicanos - Like everything else we tried, this dish was super bland.  We got corn tortillas with this dish and I didn't like them as much as the flour tortillas.  Everything was once again tasteless, from the  eggs to the potatoes.

I ate some outstanding meals while I was in Austin for this particular weekend, but this meal was not one of them.  In addition to the bland food, the service was super slow too.  I would not go back here for breakfast and I cannot recommend it.  This might also be the last time I let my wife pick a restaurant while we are on the road!

Guero's Taco Bar
http://www.guerostacobar.com
Livin the Good Life=1

Soulman's Bar-B-Que

Watching football games is one of the few things I enjoy as much as eating barbecue.  Rarely do I get to enjoy both in the same evening, but I was able to do so on a night when I went to a high school football game in Allen, Texas.  I knew that a location of Soulman's Bar-B-Que was close to the stadium, so I popped in there prior to the game.

I wanted to try several meat options, so I ordered the three meat plate with turkey, pulled pork, and hot links.  If you read my blog, then you know that I rarely go to a barbecue joint in Texas without ordering brisket, but I decided to pass on brisket this night because the brisket on the block was lean and had all of the fat and most of the bark cut away.  The turkey was not good at all and had the texture and flavor of sandwich meat.  The hot links were fairly ordinary, but did have a little spice to them.  The pulled pork was the best of the three, but was far from great.

3 Meat Plate-Pulled Pork, Turkey, and Hot Link

The sides were a mixed bag for me.  The beans were bland and required the addition of salt and pepper.  I also had the cream corn, which was actually quite good and was the best item I tried on this evening.  It had  great flavor and had just enough peppers in it to give it a Texas kick.  The Texas toast was cold, stale, and needed more butter.

Banana Pudding

Soulman's has three different desserts available: Pecan Pie, Buttermilk Pie, and Banana Pudding.  I tried the Banana Pudding and felt it was lacking much of a banana flavor and had more whipped cream than pudding.  This place was not very busy on the night I visited, but it still took me over seven minutes to get through the line, despite the fact there were only two other people in front of me.  This place was a huge disappointment and will not get a return visit from me.

Soulman's Bar-B-Que

http://www.soulmans.com/

Livin the Good Life Rating=1

 

Prairie House Restaurant

Driving home from a quick trip to West Texas, my wife and I decided to grab a bite to eat at Prairie House Restaurant in Cross Roads, Texas.  This restaurant, which is located on 380 between Denton and Little Elm, is always busy whenever we pass by.  Since the parking lot is always packed, we decided to stop on this trip and try the cuisine.

Dining area and bar

I was pleased to see that they had Burnt Ends as an appetizer.  Burnt Ends are a barbecue item that I cannot turn down and are absolutely amazing when done correctly.  Unfortunately, the burnt ends at this restaurant were a disappointment.  The burnt ends were from the point end of the brisket and had a decent smoke ring, but they were extremely chewy and were seriously lacking in the bark department.  

Burnt Ends

For my main meal, I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak with fries and onion rings.  The onion rings themselves were great, but the chicken fried steak was not tender and the batter was not cooked evenly.  The steak cut fries were horrible in flavor and tasted like they had been sitting under a heating lamp for a considerable amount of time.  My wife ordered the catfish basket and neither of us were impressed with the catfish, which was really bland.

Chicken Fried Steak 

Catfish

The food at the Prairie House Restaurant was extremely disappointing, but the service was worse.  Our server rarely checked on us and left me without refills on drinks for the duration of my meal.  Instead of checking on customers, the wait staff preferred to gather in groups and talk amongst themselves for most of the time we were there.  There will not be a return visit for me and I cannot recommend this place.

Prairie House Restaurant
http://www.phtexas.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=1

The Donut Hole

Having read good things about The Donut Hole, we thought we should try this place out.  They not only serve donuts, but they also serve breakfast and lunch.  After a morning at the beach, I loaded up the family with promises of both lunch and donuts for dessert.

When we arrived, the place was really busy with the late breakfast and early lunch crowd.  A busy restaurant is usually a sign of good food, but our table was passed by several times before a waitress finally took our orders after we had been seated for about fifteen minutes.  I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak and Fries, which I now regret.  The chicken fried steak was comparable to the quality that one would find in a high school cafeteria and the fries were equally bad.  Neither tasted homemade and I strongly suspect they were purchased frozen from a supplier.  

Chicken Fried Steak and Fries

My wife ordered the BLT, which was better than my meal and had bacon that was thick and flavorful.  While not the best BLT I have ever had, it was certainly a step up from my meal.  She ordered the potato salad as her side and it left a lot to be desired.  Neither of us cared for the taste of this item.  

BLT and Potato Salad

The donuts ended up being the highlight of the meal, but I feel they were highly overrated as well.  I sampled the Cookies and Cream, Chocolate, and Chocolate Angel.  I usually don't order cream filled donuts, but the two I ordered looked too good to pass up.  The Chocolate Angel was filled with chocolate, covered in powdered sugar, and was my favorite of the three I tried.  The chocolate donut was average compared to other donut places and I did not care much for the Cookies and Cream variety.  Even the crumbled Oreos on top didn't do it for me.

Cookies and Cream, Chocolate, and Chocolate Angel

 Maybe I built this place up too much in my head due to the reviews I had read, but I was upset that I had wasted my family's time dining here.  The service was extremely slow and the food was disappointing.   If I ever go here again, I will only go for donuts for the kids and skip the other options.

The Donut Hole

Livin the Good Life Rating=1

Rum Runners

On our way to Seaside, we stopped in Sandestin around lunchtime. Having some time to kill until we were able to get into our beach house, we decided to go The Village of Baytowne Wharf because our kids had enjoyed it on a previous visit.  After walking around for while and perusing the various restaurants, we decided to dine at Rum Runners.

Having never dined here before, I asked our waitress what she would recommend for an appetizer.  She suggested the Caribbean Egg Rolls, which were crispy flour tortillas stuffed with Jerk chicken, onions, peppers, black beans, pepper jack cheese, corn, and salsa.  The dish was served with what tasted like sweet and sour sauce.  I anticipated a flavorful dish, but the egg rolls were very bland.

Caribbean Egg Rolls

Knowing that we would probably be having a big dinner with my in-laws, I decided to just order a sandwich and fries for my second course.  I chose the Fried Grouper Sandwich, which was the fresh fish of the day.   The fish was crispy and the sandwich was better than our appetizer, but nothing special and the fries tasted like they were frozen and out of a bag.  

Fried Grouper Sandwich

My wife had the Spring Salad and the kids ordered mini-corn dogs. The kids didn't seem to mind their food, but my wife barely touched her salad.  The service could have been better too.  While our waitress was friendly, she went long periods of time without checking on us and refilling drinks.  The restaurant had only a handful of other customers, which should have been a sign to stay away since it should have been busier on a Saturday at lunch.  Overall, I was disappointed in the restaurant and I cannot recommend it because there are much better casual seafood restaurants in the area.

Rum Runners
http://www.rumrunners.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=1

Gordon Biersch

Gordon Biersch Brewery has two two restaurant locations in Texas.  The upscale casual brewery restaurant has one location in Dallas and one at The Shops at Legacy in Plano.  On a recent Sunday, I met my brother for dinner at the latter location.

Italian Cheese Pizza

We were both hungry and decided to start with the Italian Cheese Pizza.  The pizza was made with Mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses and was between 12-14 inches in diameter.  Neither of us were impressed with the pizza, which was burned in some places and had a tough crust.

Marzen BBQ Chicken Sandwich and Garlic Fries

For my entree, I ordered the Marzen BBQ Chicken Sandwich with garlic fries.  The barbecue sauce was almost non-existent and the chicken was rubbery.  The garlic fries had way too much garlic on them for my taste and I didn't finish either the sandwich or the fries.  My brother gave me a bite of his Kobe Cheeseburger and it was the one item I tried that was actually decent.

Kobe Cheeseburger and Garlic Fries

The wait staff was decent enough and checked on us regularly, but the food was beyond disappointing.  Maybe some of their food is good, but I certainly didn't try any of it on this visit.  Gordon Biersch Brewery will not get a return visit from me, especially when their are much restaurants located at The Shops at Legacy.

Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant
http://www.gordonbiersch.com/restaurants
Livin the Good Life Rating=1

Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill

While visiting Winstar Casino, some buddies and I grabbed a bite to eat at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill.  Having never dined there before, I was surprised at the large selection of items on the menu.  With country music playing in the background, I scrutinized the menu to find something that would hit the spot.

Cheese Fries

My friend and I decided to split some cheese fries for an appetizer.  I liked this appetizer, which had plenty of cheddar, Jack, green onions, and bacon.  The plate was absolutely huge and could have easily fed 4-5 people.  One thing I liked about this dish was that the fries were spread out and every bite had plenty of cheese, bacon, and green onions.

16 oz. Chicken Fried Steak, Okra, and Black Eyed Peas

For my entree, I chose the 16 oz. chicken fried steak with black eyed peas and fried okra.  The waitress told me that it was every bit of the advertised 16 oz. and she was not kidding.  Although it was a huge chicken fried steak, the batter was almost flavorless and it was a tough piece of meat.  The black eyed peas and fried okra were pretty basic and neither really stood out in the flavor department.  The slice of corn bread that was on my plate was the one bright spot on this plate and it was very good.

Cheeseburger

In my opinion, the cheese fries were the highlight of this visit.  A buddy got the cheeseburger and he said it was "okay".  The service was more than adequate and the wait staff was very friendly.  The restaurant is also pretty pricey for the quality of food that you receive.  Having had the buffet at Winstar, I prefer it over this restaurant and will visit it before I go back to Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill.

Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill
http://www.tobykeithsbar.com/restaurant-locations/winstar-world-casino
Livin the Good Life Rating=1

Harry's at the Harbor

Adriatica Village is one of the most scenic areas in McKinney, Texas.  The area is still developing and construction is everywhere, but it is easy to see that this area will be a local gem once it is finished.  The area has homes, apartments, businesses, and restaurants.  My family and I visited one of these restaurants, Harry's at the Harbor, during a recent visit to the area.

Harry's is a pub-style restaurant that is located adjacent to the parking garage at Adriatica Village.  Since we arrived for an early dinner, we were seated immediately and ordered an appetizer of potato skins.  You can choose between a topping of grilled chicken or fajita beef.  We chose the grilled chicken, which was also topped with chili, cheddar cheese, and Jack cheese.  All four of us enjoyed the potato skins and they were quickly devoured.

Potato Skins with Grilled Chicken, Chili, and Cheese

For my main course, I ordered the chicken fried steak.  The chicken fried steak itself had a very crispy batter and good flavor, but it was a very tough piece of meat and it didn't include enough gravy for my taste.  The sides were mashed potatoes and red beans.  Neither of the sides impressed me on this visit and both were very bland.

Chicken Fried Steak with Mashed Potatoes and Red Beans

My wife ordered the bacon egg burger and fries.  Usually she is a big fan of fried eggs on a burger, but she was unimpressed with this particular burger and the fries.  She allowed me to try a bite of her burger and I had to agree with her that it was a rather insipid burger.  Harry's does have a kid's menu and both of my kids ate the hamburger sliders without complaint.

Bacon Egg Burger

We definitely enjoyed our appetizer at Harry's on the Harbor, but the entrees were a letdown.  The portions were more than adequate and the service was good, but the food failed to impress.  I think the location of the restaurant will provide plenty of business and it provides for a terrific view if you decide to walk off some calories following a meal.

Scenic View at Adriatica Village

Harry's at the Harbor
http://www.harrysattheharbor.com/
Livin the Good Life Rating=1

Allen Cafe

When I am not dining out, I enjoy spending time outdoors.  Outdoor activities can often work up an appetite, which usually leads me to searching for a place to grab some grub.  On a recent day that I had done a little fishing at Bethany Lakes Park in Allen, I decided to try out the Allen Cafe.  I really hadn't heard that much about the place, but it had a high rating on Urbanspoon.  Since I was already in the area, I stopped by the restaurant on my way home.

I arrived around 11 a.m. and saw that about half the patrons were ordering breakfast and the rest of them were ordering lunch.  Breakfast didn't sound appetizing on this particular morning, so I began to scan over the lunch menu.  As I was looking over the menu, the waitress informed me of the daily specials.  Chicken Fried Steak was one of the specials and it came with a soup or salad, your choice of potatoes, and a vegetable for $8.59.  That sounded like a very good deal, so I ordered went ahead and ordered the special.

Salad with House Dressing

My salad arrived within a couple of minutes of placing my order and I liked the taste of the house dressing, but would have liked some croutons on it.  Shortly after I finished my salad, my entree was placed before me.  The chicken fried steak was tender, but it was very bland and the batter was not crispy.  It was quite possibly the worst chicken fried steak I have had all year.  That is saying a lot when you consider the fact that I had a chicken fried steak in a school cafeteria just a few months ago.  The fries and okra were very basic, but the okra was far superior in taste and I enjoyed the batter on the okra much more than the batter on the chicken fried steak.

Chicken Fries Steak Special with Fries and Okra

I cannot say that I was very impressed with the Allen Cafe.  My waitress was very friendly and gave outstanding service, but I was not impressed with the food.  Although the chicken fried steak special was only $8.59, I did not feel like it was a very good value due to the poor quality of the chicken fried steak.  The salad was delicious, but my meal went downhill quickly after finishing off my salad.

Allen Cafe

http://allen-cafe.com

Livin the Good Life Rating=1

The Crafthouse Gastropub

My wife and I were in Lubbock, Texas to visit some family and friends.  On our first night back in the Hub City, my mom offered to keep the kids and we wanted to find a place to relax and eat a meal.   We both have our favorite restaurants that we usually hit while we are in town, but we decided to try a place that was new to us.  The Crafthouse Gastropub was recommended to us by a good friend, so we made our way to the restaurant to see what it had to offer.

Dining Room/Bar at The Crafthouse Gastropub

We decided to start with the Carnitas Fritas, which were twice fried fries that were topped with queso blanca, pico de gallo, and roasted pork.  The dish was an interesting variation of the classic cheese fries and I was excited to try them with the queso and pork.  Unfortunately, my wife and I were both disappointed in the Carnitas Fritas.  The queso was insipid and there was very little pork on the appetizer.

Carnitas Fritas

For my main entree, I went with the Steak Frites.  The char-grilled beef tenderloin was topped with garlic butter and served with a side of black pepper fries.  The tenderloin itself had a decent flavor, but it was extremely tough and very small.  As for the fries, they tasted very greasy and really didn't have that much pepper on them.

Steak Frites

My wife ordered the Shrimp and Grits, which is usually one of her favorite meals.  Until this visit, I had never been with my wife when she didn't finish a bowl of shrimp and grits.  She didn't even eat half her bowl and said they had a very peculiar taste to them that did not agree with her.  I am not sure what they added to the grits, but they were pinkish in color.

Shrimp and Grits

We were both very disappointed with our dining experience at The Crafthouse Gastropub.  Neither the appetizers nor the entrees were even the least bit savory.  The service was adequate, but the food was a huge disappointment.  I highly doubt that I will have a return visit to this establishment.

The Crafthouse Gastropub
http://www.crafthousepub.com/crafthousepub.com/Home.html
Livin the Good Life Rating=1

Culver's

My oldest daughter was in the mood for a milkshake one day and I had a hankering for a burger, so I decided to take her to eat lunch and get a milkshake.  Culver's is just a couple of miles down the road from our house in McKinney, but we have never bothered to eat there.  I have passed by Culver's hundreds of times, so I thought today would be a good day to grab lunch at this location.  Culver's is a national chain and has two other DFW locations. 

At Culver's, you order at the counter, take a number, and have a seat while you wait for your order to be delivered.  I saw a sign that said the beef was fresh and never frozen, which gave me high hopes for this joint.  I had not eaten breakfast, so I ordered the Triple Meat Cheddar ButterBurger with Bacon, fries, and a drink.  My daughter ordered the kid's chicken strips, fries, and chocolate shake.

Chocolate Milkshake

While waiting for our meals to arrive, I had to give my daughter a lesson on sharing because she did not originally want to give me a sip of her chocolate milkshake.  After laying a small guilt trip on her, she reluctantly said I could have "one sip."  She absolutely loved it, but I thought it was a below average shake that needed to be blended more than it was.

Triple Meat Cheddar ButterBurger with Bacon and Fries

My burger arrived and it was a lot smaller than expected for a triple meat burger.  The patties were small and the burger was very greasy.  I usually love greasy burgers, but this particular one was too greasy for my tastes.  Besides the taste of grease, the burger was flavorless.  The cheese and bacon did not stand out on this burger either.  About half of the crinkle-cut fries were overcooked and they were below average in the taste department too.  My daughter did not think her chicken strips were good and only ate one of the two that were in her kid's meal.  She seemed content with her shake and fries.

Chicken Strip Kid's Meal

My visit to Culver's was the worst dining experience I have had in several months.  I did not think the food was very good, but some people must really like it because the place was packed and it is highly rated on several sites.  There will not be a return visit to Culver's for me unless I am put in a straight jacket and drug in by large captors.

Culver's

http://www.culvers.com/restaurants/mckinney/

Livin the Good Life Rating=1