East Texas State Fair
http://www.etstatefair.com/
Took the wife, kids and friends out to the East Texas State Fair. I was very impressed with the size and quality of the fair. It was six bucks an adult to get in. When we first walked in, we walked through about a quarter mile of food stands. It was an interesting mix of professionals from local restaurants, local societies with food booths, church food booths and I'm guessing semi-professional "state fair" booths. There was everything from fried pies, regular pies, sausage on a stick, chicken on a steak, pizza on a stick, hamburger on a stick, Irish nachos, gator tators, regular burgers, fries, pies, funnel cakes, regular cakes, etc. The food scene was definitely the best thing about the state fair. The kiddos enjoyed the pig races complete with the swimming pig exhibition, as well as the petting zoo. There were varied assortments of carnival rides, a place inside with exhibit booths and some sort of livestock thing going on constantly (I'm a city boy, don't know anything about animicules).
I got to sample a fried meat pie which turned out to be a spicy creation very much like an empanada. I also went went to old stand by sausage on a stick which is always delicious. My wife had some fried pickles (way too salty for my tastes) and my large Irish friend went for the Irish nachos, which was basically slices of deep fried potatoes with sour cream, chili, cheese and chives served at a liquid-hot magma roof of mouth destroying temperature.
9/25/10
9/17/10
The Purple Pig Cafe - When Pigs Fly!
The Purple Pig Cafe
19785 State Highway 155 S
Flint, TX 75762
http://www.purplepigcafe.com/
The Purple Pig Cafe is a BBQ joint on Frankston (155) just north of Lake Palestine. I had driven by the place many times on my beer run to the Fat Dog's beer barn just out of Smith County (which is dry). I love the sign with the pig purple pig with little wings. The place is a little scary from the outside for a big city boy dragging his family and close friends along.
The spread: They serve good ole Texas BBQ (brisket, ribs, turkey sausage) as well as pulled pork, sow ribs, St. Louis ribs, baby back ribs, and Pittsburg hot links. They also serve the "purple pig" which is pulled pork with a cole slaw on top made from purple cabbage. They also serve cobbler for dessert.
The verdict: I didn't have great expectations for the place from the outside. Man, oh man was I blown away. We order a mess of ribs, Pittsburg hot links, brisket, beans, potato salad, and I got a purple pig sandwich. Everything was outstanding. The brisket was cooked just right with plenty of smoke, the ribs were fall off the bone tender and delicious, the hot links were incredible with the sauce they offered. The purple pig was the star of the show, the pulled pork was smokey and tender with the crunch of the purple cabbage on top. The sides were also excellent with plenty of flavor in the beans and the potato salad. Just when we thought we were about to burst, the somewhat surly waitress demanded that we order the peach cobbler. Normally I would have passed, but the wife insisted, so we relented. I was glad we did. The cobbler was warm, fruity and buttery with a great crust. It was the perfect ending to a fantastic meal. Overall, the best meal I have eaten since we moved to Tyler.
Edible Tyler Roses: 5 of 5.
19785 State Highway 155 S
Flint, TX 75762
http://www.purplepigcafe.com/
The Purple Pig Cafe is a BBQ joint on Frankston (155) just north of Lake Palestine. I had driven by the place many times on my beer run to the Fat Dog's beer barn just out of Smith County (which is dry). I love the sign with the pig purple pig with little wings. The place is a little scary from the outside for a big city boy dragging his family and close friends along.
The spread: They serve good ole Texas BBQ (brisket, ribs, turkey sausage) as well as pulled pork, sow ribs, St. Louis ribs, baby back ribs, and Pittsburg hot links. They also serve the "purple pig" which is pulled pork with a cole slaw on top made from purple cabbage. They also serve cobbler for dessert.
The verdict: I didn't have great expectations for the place from the outside. Man, oh man was I blown away. We order a mess of ribs, Pittsburg hot links, brisket, beans, potato salad, and I got a purple pig sandwich. Everything was outstanding. The brisket was cooked just right with plenty of smoke, the ribs were fall off the bone tender and delicious, the hot links were incredible with the sauce they offered. The purple pig was the star of the show, the pulled pork was smokey and tender with the crunch of the purple cabbage on top. The sides were also excellent with plenty of flavor in the beans and the potato salad. Just when we thought we were about to burst, the somewhat surly waitress demanded that we order the peach cobbler. Normally I would have passed, but the wife insisted, so we relented. I was glad we did. The cobbler was warm, fruity and buttery with a great crust. It was the perfect ending to a fantastic meal. Overall, the best meal I have eaten since we moved to Tyler.
Edible Tyler Roses: 5 of 5.
9/15/10
Ming's Cafe
Ming's Cafe
5707 S Broadway Ave
Tyler, TX 75703-4350
This is a little Chinese food place just north of Grande on Broadway/69. The outside looks pretty beat up with a dark green color scheme and dark windows. I have never stepped inside to take a look, but I have stopped through the 'drive through' to pick up some grub.
The spread: I usually get the kung pao chicken, beef fried rice, wonton soup and eggdrop soup. The service is usually quick (sometimes a little too quick for the food to be freshly prepared).
The verdict: Oh man, I want to like this place more than I actually like it. It is super convenient, however, the food really falls flat. Sometimes the kung pao chicken is so hot it is inedible by my wife, and the beef they use in the beef fried rice is old and chewy. These people just don't care about their food. The pricing is a little high for the quality. The best thing about this place is the convenience.
Edible Tyler Roses: 2 out of 5
This is a little Chinese food place just north of Grande on Broadway/69. The outside looks pretty beat up with a dark green color scheme and dark windows. I have never stepped inside to take a look, but I have stopped through the 'drive through' to pick up some grub.
The spread: I usually get the kung pao chicken, beef fried rice, wonton soup and eggdrop soup. The service is usually quick (sometimes a little too quick for the food to be freshly prepared).
The verdict: Oh man, I want to like this place more than I actually like it. It is super convenient, however, the food really falls flat. Sometimes the kung pao chicken is so hot it is inedible by my wife, and the beef they use in the beef fried rice is old and chewy. These people just don't care about their food. The pricing is a little high for the quality. The best thing about this place is the convenience.
Edible Tyler Roses: 2 out of 5
9/1/10
Mercado's
Mercado's
2214 Loop 323 W
Tyler, TX 75703
http://www.posados.com/
What can I say? If you live in Tyler, you definitely know about Mercado's. It is located on the loop, just west of Old Jacksonville Highway. I have been a couple of times, once with my wife and once with my family who came up from Houston. The service has been adequate and the food is solid. This is one of the Posado's restaurants and probably their best.
The spread: I have tried the fajitas, deep fried tacos, queso, cheese enchiladas, beef enchiladas, tamales, regular tacos, tostadas. They offer the usual Tex-mex fare as well as a few unique choices.
The verdict: This is good modern Tex-mex. The portions are huge and the price is right. I especially like the queso (and it was a huge hit with the kids). The deep fried taco was everything it promised - a heaping, delicious mess. Everything I have tried has been high quality Tex-mex. The only item that wasn't great were the tamales. I have high standards for tamales and the masa they use wasn't to my liking. They tasted almost pre-made. The place is beautifully decorated with a lot of interesting Mexican 'pieces'. Overall, Mercado's serves good food with decent service, and has the most 'family friendly' atmosphere I have seen in Tyler.
UPDATE: My wife and I have been to Mercado's mutliple times since this original post, and I have to downgrade them a little. Their menu is a little limited and there isn't a whole lot of unique choices as well as a few times where the food was either cold or poorly prepared.
Edible Tyler Roses: 3 out of 5, very family-friendly.
2214 Loop 323 W
Tyler, TX 75703
http://www.posados.com/
What can I say? If you live in Tyler, you definitely know about Mercado's. It is located on the loop, just west of Old Jacksonville Highway. I have been a couple of times, once with my wife and once with my family who came up from Houston. The service has been adequate and the food is solid. This is one of the Posado's restaurants and probably their best.
The spread: I have tried the fajitas, deep fried tacos, queso, cheese enchiladas, beef enchiladas, tamales, regular tacos, tostadas. They offer the usual Tex-mex fare as well as a few unique choices.
The verdict: This is good modern Tex-mex. The portions are huge and the price is right. I especially like the queso (and it was a huge hit with the kids). The deep fried taco was everything it promised - a heaping, delicious mess. Everything I have tried has been high quality Tex-mex. The only item that wasn't great were the tamales. I have high standards for tamales and the masa they use wasn't to my liking. They tasted almost pre-made. The place is beautifully decorated with a lot of interesting Mexican 'pieces'. Overall, Mercado's serves good food with decent service, and has the most 'family friendly' atmosphere I have seen in Tyler.
UPDATE: My wife and I have been to Mercado's mutliple times since this original post, and I have to downgrade them a little. Their menu is a little limited and there isn't a whole lot of unique choices as well as a few times where the food was either cold or poorly prepared.
Edible Tyler Roses: 3 out of 5, very family-friendly.
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