Chipotle - Build yer own Burrito

Chipotle
4571 South Broadway Ave
Tyler, TX 75703
Phone: (903) 534-6266
www.chipotle.com



Chipotle is a burrito place that is relatively new to Tyler. They opened up in the mall parking lot (off of I-69 and just south of the loop). They are a chain restaurant and have a focus on 'food with integrity' - which I think boils down to they are making an effort to make sure their ingredients are high quality and the animals are raised/slaughtered humanely.

The spread: I think Chipotle ascribes to the notion of doing one thing well. They offer burritos, tacos and bowls. You start off with your base (taco shells, burrito tortilla or bowl) then build on it. You have a choice of different meats (chicken, beef fajita, pork carnita, and beef barbacoa). Then you basically can put whatever you want on it. Beans, rice, salsas (4-5 different types), cheese, guacamole (for extra charge), sour cream, grilled onions/peppers, etc. They also serve beer and offer chips and salsa.

The verdict: Chipotle serves solid food. The ingredients are high quality and you can tell in the results. The burritos are also a pretty decent deal, coming in at around 6-7 bucks. and the burritos are big (one is definitely a satisfying meal). I like the idea of choosing your own ingredients and watching your food being prepared. My favorite is the pork carnitas and the barbacoa. The service is usually friendly and fast. The only major point of criticism I have is that the chips tend to be ignored, they are almost always oversalted and I have received stale chips on more than one occasion. I usually don't like chains because the food tends to be generic, however, the carnitas and the barbacoa are very good (not the absolute best) and they are not afraid to bring the heat in their medium and hot salsas. Overall, definitely worth a try!

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, go stuff your face with a big ole burrito, avoid the chips and salsa.

El Mejicano - Please don't go here.

El Mejicano
678 West Southwest Loop 323
Tyler, TX 75701-9407
No website.



My wife and I went here when we first moved to Tyler, as we had heard about a good Mexican restuarant on the loop west of 69. We saw a colorful building that looked pretty decent on the outside.

The spread: Well this is an all you can eat Mexican buffet. There are fajitas, tacos, nachos, rice beans, and a few desserts.

The verdict: This place was just awful. I am a fan of Pancho's in Houston, which is an all you can eat Mexican place where you raise a flag to get more food (which isn't great, but makes up for being plentiful). I tried just about everything they had out there, not so much because I was to give a full and thorough review of the place, but rather because I was looking for something edible to justify spending money there. My wife was giving me the evil eye the whole time we were there and had maybe 2-3 bites of the food before she decided she didn't want the punishment. I am a glutton for punishment and kept trying. There was nothing redeeming about the food. I did have a very nice young girl who provided pretty good service for a buffet. One bonus is that, although I didn't feel well after eating here, I did not get violently ill.

Edible Tyler Roses: 0 of 5, please do not punish yourself.

Cheddar's - worth a look.

Cheddar's Casual Cafe
6701 Broadway Ave
Tyler, Texas 75703-4731
(903) 534-1700
http://www.cheddars.com/



Cheddar's is one of my wife's favorites. She loves the salads, the strawberry lemonade and their dinner rolls. It is located just south of Grande off of I-69/Broadway. I am not a big fan of chains, and their decor is bland but ok. One bonus is they are pretty kid friendly.

The spread: They have a wide ranging menu with plenty of selections ranging from salads, soups, sandwiches, 'classics', burgers, and steaks. The dessert menu is also pretty good. What is most impressive are their prices. The menu and decor are pretty much a carbon copy of Bennigan's or Chili's, but their prices are significantly less for food of the same quality.

The verdict: I have to say that I am impressed every time that I go to Cheddar's. Sure, it is chain food, but the prices are right and the food is good. Plus it doesn't hurt that it makes my wife happy. The service is usually good, with food coming out quickly and drinks refilled in a timely manner. They also have a large drink selection, which is always a bonus in Tyler. I have had the double decker club, the monte cristo and the bacon burger. My wife likes the lemon pepper chicken. The portions are large and the food is cooked right and tasted good.

Edible Tyler Roses: 3 out of 5, solid chain food.

Little Italy - neighborhood favorite.

Little Italy
3320 South Broadway Avenue
Tyler, TX 75701-7818
(903) 595-1184
No website.



This is a locally owned restaurant just inside the loop. I have been several times with the wife and with some friends of ours. This place reminds me of the old style neighborhood restaurants where a family owned and operated the place.

The spread: I have to say that I am very impressed with their menu. They have an assortment of appetizers, sandwiches, pizza, seafood, and multiple types of pastas. I have had the pizza, the meatball sandwich, chicken marsala, chicken piccata, ravioli and tortilleni. The prices are very resonable to cheap for Italian food. The dinners all come with either a salad or a beef/cabbage stew (Get the stew!). The always bring out fresh baked dinner rolls with a nice italian seasoning (great for sopping up soup). We have never had enough room to try one of their desserts.

The verdict: This is one of those places that I really love. The wait staff are friendly and knowledgeable. The food is uniformly good to great and the portions are large. There is a wide selection (to include options for kids - my son devoured his pizza and my one year old daughter ate her whole meatball - total cost under 3 bucks). The pizza is thin-crust and delicious. The sandwich are massive and filled full of Italian goodness. I have been very pleased with all the pasta dishes I have tried. The decor is homey. I just don't have a bad thing to say about this well run restaurant. This is definitely one of my favorites in Tyler.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4.5 out of 5, skip the chains, this place is awesome!

El Chico - needs work.

UPDATE: El Chico has shut down and reopened as a more adult themed El Chico Ranch. There was some controversy concerning the renaming and uniforms of the waitstaff (think Hooters), but apparently that is all resolved. Stay tuned for a review of El Chico Ranch.

El Chico Restaurant
426 E Southeast Loop 323
Tyler, TX 75701-9632
(903) 581-9986
www.elchico.com

This is the Tyler location of the chain of El Chico restaurants throughout Texas. My wife and I used to go to El Chico frequently in college, and I was feeling sentimental so we packed up the kids and stopped by after our trip to Toys R Us.

The spread: The menu is typical Texas roadside Tex-Mex. The selections range from queso, enchiladas, tamales, tacos, burritos, fajitas, salads, etc. I was a big fan of the queso and the cheese enchiladas in college so I went with those. My wife went with the chicken enchiladas and we ordered rice and beans for the kiddos.

The verdict: Ugh. Well, the service was pretty good, with the waiter being attentive and tolerating the kid madness well. The decor is artificial Mexican, nothing offensive or interesting. The food was a big let down, although the queso was the highlight of the meal. The cheese enchiladas were cold, flavorless and swimming in a cold flavorless chili gravy. The rice and beans tasted old and were again lacking salt and seasoning. My wife was equally unimpressed with her food. I am not sure if my tastes have refined, or if the food isn't as good as it was back in Huntsville (Go Bearkats!), but we left disappointed. Overall, there are plenty of places to get good Mexican food in Tyler, this isn't one of them.

Edible Tyler Roses: 1 out of 5, skip it!

Taqueria El Lugar III - good place for tacos

Taqueria El Lugar III
2121 East 5th Street
Tyler, TX 75701-3515
(903) 526-6118
No website.



This is one of three (I think) locations of Taqueria El Lugar. They are a locally owned (I think) and operated chain of little taquerias. They have a pretty good reputation as a traditional mexican restaurant/taqueria.

The spread: They definitely have a focused menu. There are about 10 different versions of tacos or quesadillas that you can get with beef or chicken on flour or corn tortillas. The taco with beef fajita on flour tortilla is my old stand by, but have had 4-5 different combinations. They have a nice selection on bottled drinks to include my favorite "Jarritos" mexican made sodas. You walk in, place an order at the counter and then pick up your grub and bring it back to the table or get it to go.

The verdict: The tacos run about 2 bucks and the quesadillas are around 4 bucks. The meat is flavorful, the tortillas are good (although I don't think they are made in house) and the topping are fresh. The salsas they provide are also very good, ranging from a spicy green to a medium to hot red sauce. My wife is a big fan of the avocado taco. Overall, this is good food at reasonable prices.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, the selection is limited, but the tacos are tasty.

Carretta's Cafe - I guess they sell a lot of alcohol.

*EDIT*  Carreta's Cafe has closed its doors.  I guess serving mediocre food isn't good enough anymore to stay in business.

Carreta's Cafe

7011 S Broadway Ave

Tyler, TX 75703

(903) 581-1895

This is set in what I think was an old Ninfa's (maybe) and is in the parking lot of Target off of I-69/Broadway. I live fairly close and have been several times with the wife and kids.

The spread: The is Tex-mex with a hint of some real Mexican flavors. They offer your standard Tex-mex fair - enchiladas, fajitas, tacos, tamales, nachos and also offer more traditional Mexican items like carne guisada and tortas.

The verdict: The food is average at best. My wife really enjoyed the American Torta which was essentially a guacamole cheeseburger on torta bread. All the other offerings - enchiladas, fajitas etc. were variable okay. There are some problems with the kitchen, the food always takes more time than you might expect (20-25 minutes for food), which isn't great when dealing with hungry kids. Also, the place is a ghost town during the day and early evening, it was only when I went up there around 9:30 pm one night that I finally understood how they stay in business. Without question, they stay in business by alcohol sales in the evening to the party crowd. Since that is not really my thing, I would pass on Carreta's because of the lack-luster food.

Edible Tyler roses: 2 of 5, skip it unless you are desperate or want to party.

Jucys - respectable burger.

Jucys Hamburgers
2330 East 5th Street
Tyler, TX 75701-3521
(903) 597-0660
http://www.jucyshamburgers.com/index.php



Jucys is a local hamburger joint with locations in Tyler, Longview and Marshall. They have won several awards for their hamburgers, although I don't put much weight in winning awards. There are two locations in Tyler, one just west of loop 323 on 5th street and one a couple miles south of loop 323 on Old Jacksonville Highway.

The spread: They offer hamburgers with varying toppings, chicken sandwiches, BLTs, grilled cheese, baked potatoes, salads, fries and onion rings. They have shakes and ice cream for dessert as well.

The verdict: Well, you are going to pay more for a burger here than from McDonald's, but they are worth every penny. For a long time, Jucys was the best hamburger I have had in Tyler (the burger from Coyote Sam's is the only one to top Jucys). The meat is jucy, the buns soft and the veggies fresh. One surprise was the onion rings - they were out of this world good. After taking one bite, the first thing that came in my head was "When am I going to get some more of these!?" Unfortunately, I had to share my onion rings with my wife and she was equally impressed. We have only picked up from both locations, and I think the one on 5th street is a little better.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, fine burger for a good price. Skip the fries and get onion rings!

BJ's brewhouse - beautiful beers

BJ's Brewhouse
210 W Southwest Loop 323
Tyler, TX 75703
(903) 939-2840
http://www.bjsrestaurants.com/locations/tx/tyler



Ah.....BJ's. This is one of my favorite chain restaurants I used to frequent back in Houston. My good friends and I had been anticipating the opening ever since we saw the sign it was under construction. I have been to several locations and they are usually busy with good pizza and beer.

The spread: BJ's has an extensive menu that is all over the place. I would definitely say that they suffer from trying to be all things to all people. The appetizers range from mini-tacos, mini-burgers, nachos, avocado egg rolls, calamari, and the list goes on. Their menu has many selections across a wide range of tastes, flavors and ethnic origins. They have typical burgers, sandwiches and salads as well as a few versions of each that are unique to BJ's. They also have a selection of pastas, steak, and seafood. The dessert menu is centered around their pizzookies, which consistent of a large cookie accompanied by ice cream. I regularly have the deep dish pizza, and they have a wide range of topping to choose from. They have a full bar with a long list of cocktails, and many beers on tap. Unique to BJ's is their own selection of beers brewed to their standards (they used to be brewed in house, but now are brewed centrally and distributed). Visit the website for more details about their extensive menu.

The verdict: This is a great new place for Tyler. In my opinion, it is unique in that it offers a wide menu selection, certain to have something for everyone who comes in. It also is pretty family friendly, and I don't feel horrible when my one year old decides to test the strength of her lungs for no apparent reason. I love craft beer, and BJ's has a wide range from a hoppy IPA, to a well balanced amber in Jeremiah Red. They also have a changing seasonal beer for a little extra variety. The bar is impressive, and I am mostly sure they have the largest selection of beer on tap and one of the best stocked hard liquor bars in town. I tend to stick with the deep dish pizza and it is consistently some of the best deep dish pizza I have ever had. The topping are fresh and the dough has just the right consistency. Yum. The burgers and sandwiches are surprisingly good for a chain restaurant (but there are better places in town). My wife is able to get whatever she wants and be content in her selection. The one down side to BJ's trying to be all things to all people is that outside of the pizza and beer, the menu selections tend to be overall above average to good, but not great. Another down side is that BJ's is typically very busy (although they are still 'new' to Tyler) and we have on more than one occasion decided to go somewhere else because the wait times were ridiculous (for some reason, toddlers aren't cool with waiting an hour to eat). But, BJ's does pizza and beer very well, there is a good atmosphere, and good service.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4.5 out of 5 - Get the pizza and try a beer!

Los Gueros Taqueria - Don't judge a book by its cover.

Los Gueros Taqueria
929 South Vine Avenue
Tyler, TX 75701



I thought I would give this place a try after reading about it on another local food/social blog I recently ran across (http://www.tylerites.com/los-gueros-taqueria/). The place is just west of the Azalea district and looks just a little sketchy from the outside. On the inside, it is cheerfully decorated and clean.

The spread: The menu is a little confusing, as they have a huge menu that just lists tacos and a torta selection. However, if you scan the walls, they do offer other items - enchiladas and a taco salad (maybe more, it is a little confusing). You go up to the counter, place your order and they bring it out to the table. One of the things I really like was the pot of beans they have simmering in the back, that you can eat as much of as you like with a meal purchase. This was great because I had two little ones that were hungry and don't have a lot of patience. I got a couple different types of tacos and a torta.

The verdict: This is a great little hole in the wall! The people care about their food. The tacos were packed full of meat and delicious. The torta reminded me of my favorite hole in the wall in Houston, with soft billowy bread, tasty fajita meat and healthy portions of avocado and sour cream. One thing, they say that the red hot sauce is very hot, both my wife and I found it to be mild at best (I guess they burned a gringo or two serving the real stuff). The kids loved the beans and the rice was very good as well. We left the place stuffed, feeding the whole family for under twenty bucks.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 of 5, just a great value for the dollar. Don't be turned off by the sketchy exterior, there is good food in there!

Stacey's BBQ - Jacksonville Gem.

Stacy's BBQ
1217 S Jackson StJacksonville, TX 75766
No website





Stacy's is a BBQ joint located just off I-69 in Jacksonville. It has been around for over thirty years and has been ranked by Texas Monthly as one of the top barbeque spots in Texas.

The spread: Typical Texas barbeque fare. Brisket, sausage, ribs, etc. You pull up to the line, take a perusal of the meats and place your order. Surprisingly, they have a nice selection of sides, mustard and mayo based potato salad, pinto beans, baked beans, corn on the cob, and much more. I chose the three meat plate of brisket, sausage and ribs.

The verdict: Oh man, these guys know barbeque. The style is East Texas (white) barbeque with heavy hickory smoke. The smoke lines are for realsies in the brisket and ribs. The brisket was lean, tender and full of smoke. The ribs were fall off the bone tender, juicy and delicious. The sausage has a nice bite to it and hit the spot. I was surprised with the quality of the sides, as they are definitely not an afterthought at Stacy's. The place is old and full of local history. I loved the decor and the no frills ambience. The ribs are some of the best I have ever had and the brisket is in the top 5%.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, worth a road trip from Tyler. A definite stop if you are driving to Houston (and they are open).

Kiepersol Estates Restaurant - average food, outlandish prices.

Kiepersol Estates Restaurant
21508 Merlot Road
Tyler, TX 75703
http://www.kiepersol.com/restaurant/index.shtml




Kiepersol Estates Restaurant is a high end restaurant located on the Kiepersol Winery complex. My wife and I had a babysitter so we decided to have a nice dinner on a Tuesday evening. The place is a short drive south of Tyler and located next to the winery. The restaurant is nestled at the northern part of a loop of nice homes. I think Kiepersol is really unique in that it has a neighborhood, a winery and a restaurant all within the grounds. Very interesting concept.

The spread: The menu is focused with four appetizers: shrimp cocktail, crabcakes, duck cigars and oysters Rockafeller. There is one soup - lobster bisque and three salads to choose from. The entrees are standard steakhouse fare: Ribeye, filet, NY strip, lamb chops. Also available is the seabass, salmon and chicken entrees. For dessert you have a choice of creme brulee, molten chocolate cake, bananas foster and cherries jubilee. The prices are high for Tyler, but very reasonable considering. Sometimes at fancy places I feel like they really try and gouge you for getting appetizers, desserts, etc., but at Kiepersol they are fairly priced. Of course, they have an extensive wine list with a concentration on Texas produced wines.

The verdict: We split the crabcakes and they were well prepared with a nice sear and plenty of crab meat. The accompanying sauce was a little bland and I think they could have added a little more seasoning to the crab cakes to make them stand out. My wife had the house salad, which she enjoyed, it was a unique salad made with baby greens, spiced pecans and cranberries
topped with a roasted tomato, Texas basil goat crème cheese and pecan-balsamic vinaigrette. I tried the lobster bisque and it was a bit of a disappointment as the lobster was overcooked and base was bland (although I did enjoy the presentation with a KE spelled out of creme fresh). My wife had the filet and I had the ribeye. This was where I was really disappointed. My wife ordered her filet medium and I ordered my ribeye medium rare, the filet came out medium well and the ribeye was medium. I know this is a small point, but when you are spending 34 and 40 bucks for a steak, you want it to be cooked perfectly. Also, the steaks tasted like they were not properly aged - I could have cooked a better steak at home. We both decided on the creme brulee for dessert and again we were both let down with the results. First off, the caramelized top was a little more burnt than we liked and the filling was cold. Also, I think they had prepared these the day before as it felt a little too 'set' and lost a lot of the creaminess I expect from a creme brulee. One last disappointment was the service. We had a YOUNG kid serving us and one other table (only two tables on Tuesday) and the service was just not up to snuff for the amount of money we were spending. The service was adequate at best and he was poorly trained in fine dining (for instance he reached across me between me and my plate while I was eating to fill my water, also the service was slooooow for him only have two tables). The one star of the night was the wine. I had a pinot grigio to start and a cabernet with my steak and my wife had a zinfindel (all Kiepersol wines) and they were all outstanding. I will definitely be drinking more wine from Kiepersol.

Edible Tyler Roses: 2 out of 5. I simply cannot justify spending $170 dollars on a dinner where the food was bland, the service was adequate and the wine was great. Save your money on the food and just pick up a couple of bottles of wine.

Coyote Sam's

Coyote Sam's Bar and Grille
5424 Old Jacksonville Highway
Tyler, TX 75703
(903) 509-4222
http://www.coyotesamsbarandgrille.com/


 
This is a place just off Old Jacksonville south of loop 323. My wife and I have always driven by and wanted to give it a try, but never had an occasion. Our close friends wanted to go out, so we finally had an occasion to give it a try.

The spread: First of all, I love the exterior of the restaurant. It has a unique architecture and I love the stone exterior. The heavy wooden front doors open into a nice greeting room that has various animal heads on the walls. In fact the entire restaurant is decorated with taxidermy items and antique guns on the walls, with some very nice old Winchesters. I would have loved to spend more time looking at the various rifles. It definitely isn't for everyone, but the decor really worked for me. The menu consisted of the standard bar appetizers: nachos, jalapeno poppers, onion rings, with a little twist of venison chili covered nachos. The entrees consists of the standard BBQ items: ribs, brisket, sausage, ham, pulled pork. They also have several grill items available: lots of steaks, fish and burgers/sandwiches. The menu was a little odd for me, because usually good barbeque doesn't come from a place that also serves other things. My wife had the chicken avocado sandwich, I had the Kobe beef burger and my son had the kids rib plate. The service was pretty good, although when I asked the server whether the Kobe beef burger was real Kobe beef, she said "YES!", but when I followed with, "So it's flown in from Japan", she looked befuddled and said "I don't know." Small complaint, but if you are going to call something Kobe, it better BE Kobe.

The Verdict: The most surprising moment was when the waitress arrived with my son's kid's rib plate (3.99), there were six HUGE ribs and a big ole bowl of beans - this is one of the best deals in town. Although I know my burger wasn't Kobe beef (maybe Wagyu) and it was cooked medium well to my specifications and is the best burger I have had in Tyler. The bun was fresh and perfectly sized, the vegetable fresh and crisp, wow it was good food. Also a surprise were the baked beans, they had huge chunks of brisket (or pulled pork?) and they were the best baked beans I have ever had. My wife enjoyed her chicken sandwich, although she complained there was too much chicken (good complaint if you asked me). I did try my son's ribs and they were a bit of a disappointment. They were cooked well and finished over the grille for a nice crust and good flavor. There wasn't enough smoke for me, I didn't detect any smoke lines at all. Again, I failed to ask my friends' impression, but I know they are fans of Coyote Sam's.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 of 5. The Grill items were spot on, the BBQ is average.

Jalapeno Tree

Jalapeno Tree
420 W Southwest Loop 323
Tyler, TX 75701-9404
(903) 509-0600
http://www.jalapenotree.com/



Went out to eat here one evening with some good friends of mine. We back all our children and braved the freezing temperature and snow to get some Mexican food. It is just to the west of Broadway/I-69 and loop 323. This is a chain that has locations throughout east and south-east Texas.

The spread: I have to give them credit on their menu. It looks great and has cute names for all the meals. They have the standard Tex-mex fair: fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, tamales, nachos, etc. There really wasn't anything on the menu that really set them apart as a Tex-mex restaurant. The restaurant was also festively decorated.

The verdict: We had a good time, but then we always do with our close friends. Everything I had was either average or above average and the prices weren't too steep. I had the "James Dean" special a beef enchilada, a cheese enchilada and taco. The rice and beans were great. I didn't ask what my friends thought of the food, but I think the general feeling was it was money well spent. We had a new server in training and other than a few hiccups, the service was above average. One of my kids decided to throw a wrench into the whole operation, so I didn't get to spend the whole meal at the table. The restaurant is very kid friendly.

Edible Tyler Roses: 3 of 5; solid Tex-mex for reasonable prices.

Villa Montez

Villa Montez
3324 Spur 124
Tyler, TX
(903) 592-9696
www.villamontez.com



 
Once again went out for the monthly business dinner/meeting. I have driven past this place and thought it looked great from the outside. It is just outside of Tyler and is in a previous mansion perched on top of a hill. On closer inspection, it was simply stunning. There is a lot of outdoor space as well. On the inside the decor is just as impressive with a small, but nice bar. Inside the space is used well, I very much enjoyed the ambience. There are a few tables in each room, making the setting intimate.

The spread: The menu is a mix of some Tex-mex and mexican favorites with a definite South American influence. There are some unique appetizers including the queso fondido, chino latino rolls, barbacoa sopes, and tableside made guacamole. The salads and soups also offer some original fare including brazilian coconut soup, dulce de dijon salad and Yucatan sweet pork salad. The entrees don't disappoint with selections ranging from burritos, chimichangas, enchiladas, combination dinners, arroz con pollo, and many other fish, beef, chicken dishes. They also have a nice selection of south american beers and probably wines (but I didn't ask about their wine list).

The verdict: First off, the chips and salsa were very good. The salsa is the best I have had in Tyler with a nice kick and a great fresh taste. I sampled one of their South American beers and it went perfectly with the spicy food. I started with some queso and it had a great cheese and pepper (jalepeno or serrano?) flavor with a nice heat level. The ceviche was outstanding, again using great fresh ingredients (and ceviche is not one of my favorites). We also had the guacamole which was simply done with perfectly ripe avocados and well seasoned. I had the Tenderloin Durango style with a side of shrimp for my entree. The steak arrived perfectly medium rare, as ordered and was topped with a wonderful roasted poblano and guajillo sauce. The shrimp were also cooked perfectly and seasoned with peppers and onions. The steak arrived on rice and beans which is the only part of the meal that was mediocre to me. Overall, one of the best culinary experiences I have had in Tyler. There is definitely a chef who cares overseeing the kitchen. The service was very good at the table, although it took them a while to seat our party (20 minutes), even though we had reservations.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4.5/5, almost perfect, GREAT value for the excellent food.