Stampede 66

Stampede 66 is a restaurant that I have been wanting to try for quite some time.  This Stephan Pyles restaurant has received favorable reviews from many critics and diners alike.  The menu has an intriguing blend of Tex Mex, Southern comfort food, and cowboy classics.  My wife and I were staying in downtown Dallas for a wedding this past weekend, so we decided to meet a buddy of mine at Stampede 66 and try out their food.

Dining area and bar at Stampede 66

When I first walked into Stampede 66, I was impressed with the traditional Texas decor that was enhanced by vibrant colors throughout the restaurant.  The ambiance was very lively and the restaurant had a high energy level among the crowd.  Our waiter informed us that there was no "wrong way" to order from the menu and advised us to try some of the various menu items for starters.  I ordered a beef brisket taco and a pork barbacoa taco.  My wife ordered the fried green tomatoes and my buddy ordered the tortilla soup with a side of the Mexican cornbread.

Pork Barbacoa and Beef Brisket Tacos 

Taco relish tray

My tacos were brought out with a relish tray that included two different types of hot sauce, diced onions, cheese, lime, and cilantro.  The pork barbacoa taco had great flavor, but certainly played second fiddle to the beef brisket taco.  After inhaling both tacos, I wished I would have ordered two more of the brisket tacos which were some of the best I have had recently.

Fried Green Tomatoes

My wife enjoyed her fried green tomatoes, which were served with fresh mozzarella sandwiched between the tomatoes.  She claimed that this dish was the best thing she ate at Stampede 66.  I tried one and they were certainly commendable.  Our friend said his tortilla soup was great and also gave a thumbs up on the Mexican cornbread.

Tortilla Soup

For my entree, I was torn between desire for the honey fried chicken and the chicken fried buffalo steak.  My wife helped me make my decision by saying that she was going to order the fried chicken and would give me a piece to try.  With her decision made, I ordered the chicken fried buffalo steak which was served with loaded mashed potatoes and pea salad.  

When my order came out I was surprised to see that it did not come with traditional white gravy.  Instead, it was served on top of a queso-like gravy.  I didn't really know what to expect with the flavor of the gravy, but it was delicious and enhanced the flavor of the dish.  The batter on the chicken fried buffalo steak was crunchy and the meat was tender.  The loaded mashed potatoes were good,  but the pea salad was rather bland.  In the end, pea salad is still pea salad.

Chicken Fried Buffalo Steak, Loaded Mashed Potatoes, and Pea Salad

My wife gave me a chicken breast and I absolutely loved the honey fried chicken.  The chicken is injected with honey and it gives it a very unique taste.  I adored the flavor of the fried chicken and was particularly impressed with the crispy batter.  I thought it was one of the best pieces of fried chicken I have ever had, but my wife didn't like it near as much as I did.  Our friend also ordered the chicken and he also liked it.  The fried chicken was also served with mashed potato tots and biscuits.  We all three agreed that the mashed potato tots were great, but we were unimpressed with the biscuits.

Honey Fried Chicken, Mashed Potato Tots, and Biscuit

For dessert, my wife and I shared the seasonal cobbler.  The cobbler on this visit was a white peach cobbler served in a cast iron skillet.  This dessert was disappointing and didn't live up to my expectations.  The consistency of the cobbler was somewhat runny and neither the peaches or the crust were very sweet.  The other member of our group ordered the butterscotch pudding and he said it was a much better dessert than our cobbler.

White Peach Cobbler

Butterscotch Pudding

Stampede 66 gets somewhat of a mixed review from me.  It had some hits and some misses.  When I go back, I will certainly order more of the brisket tacos for an appetizer and would eat the honey fried chicken any day of the week.  If I get the chicken fried buffalo steak again, I will ask them to substitute the pea salad for more of the mashed potatoes.   The service was great on our visit, but the noise level made it hard to carry on a conversation at times.  I enjoyed my experience at Stampede 66 and absolutely loved some of the food I sampled, but I don't feel comfortable rating it above a six due to some of the items being sub par.

Stampede 66
http://stampede66.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Tillman's Roadhouse

Date night with the wife

April is a month that brings us April Fools Day, Tax Day, the start of the Major League Baseball Season, the Boston Marathon, and my wife’s birthday.  In my wife’s family they don’t just celebrate birthdays, they celebrate birth months.  At least that is the excuse my wife has given me for her getting her way for an entire month.  Since this was her birth month, I let her choose where we went to eat this past weekend.  My mother was in town this weekend, so we had free babysitting when we went out to dinner with my brother and sister-in-law. 

Decor inside Tillman's

For this culinary excursion, my wife chose to eat at Tillman’s Roadhouse in the Bishop Arts District of Oak Cliff (they have also opened a second location in Fort Worth).  My only previous visit to the Bishop Arts District had been to eat at Lockhart Smokehouse.  While there previously, we noticed several other restaurants in this cultural hotbed.  After our first trip here, we knew we wanted to go back at some point and try some other places.

My wife's Prickly Pear Margarita

We arrived right on time for our reservations and were seated immediately.  We had to  make reservations for 6:00 pm because the next available reservation was at 9:30, which was past my wife’s bedtime.  While looking over the menu, we decided to order the trio of fries for an appetizer.  The trio included Parmesan Kennebec fries, chili dusted purple Peruvian fries, and smoked salt sweet fries.  They were served with house made ketchup and horseradish pickle mayo.  They were all delicious, but the chili dusted purple Peruvians were my favorite.

Trio of Fries

I had a hard time choosing an entrée because there were several delicious-sounding choices.  After going back and forth, I finally chose the chicken fried steak, served with garlic mashed potatoes, poblano gravy, and green beans.  They asked me how I wanted it cooked, which is something I have never been asked before when ordering anything fried.  I would later find out that the reason they asked me is because they were tenderloin medallions rather than the typical cube steak or round steak that most chicken fried steak is made with.  I ordered mine medium and also added a side of the mac n’ cheese.

Chicken Fried Steak, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans

Mac n' Cheese with bacon and scallions

My wife ordered the shrimp and grits, my brother ordered the post oak smoked baby back ribs, and my sister-in-law ordered the lobster tamales.  The chicken fried steak was spectacular, but very different from any other I have had.  The breading was perfectly seasoned and the thick medallions were cooked to perfection.  The green beans and mashed potatoes were very good, but the mac n’ cheese was somewhat of a disappointment.  Although it had bacon and scallions, it was rather bland. 

Shrimp and Grits

My wife enjoyed her shrimp and grits, but ever the traditionalist, did not like the Southwestern flair they added to the taste of the dish.  My sister-in law said her lobster tamales were great too.  The one dish that caused me to have entrée envy, was my brother’s baby back ribs.  After he caught me staring longingly at his plate, he finally gave me one to try.  It was very tender and perfectly seasoned.

Post Oak Smoked Baby Back Ribs

Our best decision of the night, was to order the tableside s’mores for dessert.  They were not only fun for us to prepare, but they were delicious.  The maple and chicory marshmallows blended together perfectly with the cinnamon graham crackers and the chocolate.  The orange marshmallows seemed out of place, but the other flavors more than made up for it.

The group enjoying tableside s'mores

Tillman’s Roadhouse will be added to our restaurant rotations.  I give this restaurant a solid 8 on my 10-point scale.  It was a small restaurant that was jam packed when we left.  Next time we go, we will make reservations at least a week in advance so we don’t have to eat with the blue hairs or the vampires. 

Tillman’s Roadhouse

http://www.tillmansroadhouse.com/home.html

Livin The Good Life Rating=4