Rotolo's Pizzeria

Rotolo's Pizzeria



Rotolo's is a new pizza place just off I-69 in the new Village at Cumberland Park.  This is apparently a chain based out of Louisiana that is trying to break into Texas.  The space is relatively small, although the outdoor seating would be nice on a cool Spring evening.  There is a large bar area with an impressive selection of craft brews.

The spread:  The appetizers offer the run of the mills selections to include bruschetta, spinach/artichoke dip, different kinds of flat breads with topping as well as a few interesting items to include the eggplant stacker, meatballs and garlic Parmesan bites.  They also offer wings, several types of salads, wraps/sandwiches, and pastas.  The star of the show are their pizzas.  They have an ambitious pizza menu with some common combinations (meatball, meat feast, deluxe combo, etc) as well as some unique pizzas (Sgt pepper, Philly cheesesteak, Popeye, muffuletta, krewe). 

The verdict:  The most memorable item that I tried was actually the Parmesan bites from the appetizer menu. They were warm, flavorful salty, buttery fully bits of goodness.  The meatballs were solid, with a good combination of spices, meat and breadcrumbs.  The pizza was good, but not great.  I think the problem I had is that the crust was not that much different that any pizza chain. The sauce was solid, although somewhat bland.  The cheese was melty gooey and delicious.  The toppings were high quality, but not highest quality.  The service was average to below average, but they are relatively still young in their restaurant life, so it may just be a product of not having veteran staff.  I was very impressed with their draft beer selection, they had both local Tyler brewers on tap as well as a good collection of craft brew.  Overall, the pizza was good, even above average, but not great.  This would be a good place to grab a couple of beers and have solid pizza.

Edible Tyler Roses: 3.5 out of 5, solid pizza for the price, still needs work on service.

The Burger Grind

The Burger Grind



The Burger Grind is a new comer to the Tyler area and is located off of Old Jacksonville Highway, a little south of Fresh.  The location is a strip mall a little ways off the road.  Inside, the place has the feel of an old garage.  They have a collection of video games in the back, a large multi-person bench and a few tables and booths.  The decor feels like an artist type met up with a mechanic and I like it.  The Tyler Morning telegraph has a nice story on the owner.  According to their website, they grind their meat daily, and it is hand formed, never frozen (hence "Burger Grind")

The spread:  Well they offer burgers of many varieties of course.  You can get your burgers in quarter pound, half pound and full pound patties.  There are various add on items to include avocado, fried egg, bacon, cheese, grilled onions, mushrooms, and jalapenos.  They also offer a few 'unique' burger creations to include the bacon cheddar, blue bomber, Xtreme cheese, Texan, Philly, etc.  They also have a nice selection of different salads, chicken/veggie/turkey burgers and other sandwiches.  There is also a kids menu for those ith munchkins.

The verdict: .  The service was friendly and the food came out quick.  I tried the Texan burger (onion, jalapenos, cheese, bacon), the Blue bomber (blue cheese and bacon), the kids chicken tenders, the fried pickles and their regular fries.  The Texan burger was excellent.  Everything played well together with a balance of flavors.  I have found a lot of places try to kill you with the heat, but they had a nice balance of good flavor and heat from the jalapenos.  The Blue bomber was also very good and they used a gentle hand with the blue cheese.  Often places will try to pile on the blue cheese, and for me it is just a palate bomb that is unpleasant.  Not so in this case, it was just the right amount.  The fried pickles were very good and the fries were above average.  The kids chicken tenders were moist and tasty.  My only two criticisms of the place are that the price point is high.  For a meal that includes a burger, fries and a drink, it will cost you ten bucks.  Now, I feel the food is worth it, but it still on the high side for what they are offering.  The other mild complaint I have is that they didn't ask you how you wanted your burger cooked (Well done, rare, etc).  I prefer a medium rare, but didn't specify and it came out well done. 

Edible Tyler Roses: 4.5 out of 5, one of the best burgers in town.  Give them a try.

Steak N Shake -

Steak 'n Shake



Steak N Shake is a new chain burger joint just south of the UT Tyler campus off of University.  They are well known in north country (I have been a number of times up in Yankee land) and opened up not too long ago here in Tyler.  The outside looks like a updated burger joint chain.  They have been outrageously busy a number of times when I wanted to try them out, but I finally tried them out a few weeks ago in the drive through.

The spread:  It has been a while since I tried out Steak 'n Shake and the first thing that struck me is that many of their combo meals are fairly cheap.  They get you because most of the combo meals don't include a drink. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I've never been for breakfast.  They offer "steak" burgers of varying size and cost, chili (with spaghetti), sandwiches (grilled chicken, fried chicken, turkey club, etc), salads, fries, and of course shakes.

The verdict:  I am to say I wasn't excited to try Steak 'n Shake, but my wife really wanted to give it a try, so we stopped by one day on our way out of town.  The service was friendly and they lived up to "fast" food.  We got our order and hit the road.  The burgers were surprisingly good for the money.  Very good bun, fresh veggies and tasty burger patty (although pretty flat and definitely well done).  They also had the option to add a 'flavor' to your fries and I very much enjoyed the Parmesan cheese addition.  We didn't try the shakes that day, but they do their shakes right.  They use real ice cream, milk and they are good.

Edible Tyler Roses:  3.5 out of 5, solid fast food.

Kabob lounge - Sheesh, this place is good

Kabob Lounge

I'm not even sure how I ran into this place.  I think I was driving down Shiloh and caught a glimpse in the corner of a little place with a "Kabob Lounge" sign and looked it up on Google.  I was quite surprised to see another Indian food place turn up in Tyler.  They are new, as far as I know. The place is located off Shiloh just west of 110 (Troup highway) in the corner of a non-nondescript strip mall.  The interior is sparsely decorated with a small dining room.  They offer online ordering as well.

The spread:  The menu is interesting.  My impression was that the owner wanted the menu to reflect his nostalgia for barbeque back in Pakistan.  They focus on grilled items to include seekh kabobs (beef and chicken), various forms of grilled chicken (green chicken, maili boti), bihari kabob, as well as fried fish and falafel.  They also offer some of the grilled items in a sandwich/wrap form.  They also offer three forms of 'curries' in the chicken karahi, a couple of salads and naan of various kinds. 

The verdict: Wow, I was blown away with the skill in preparation and execution of their dishes.  The grilled items I have tried were deliciously spiced, expertly grilled and just plain good eatin.  The chicken karahi was also very good, well seasoned and balanced in heat.  The naan was also fresh and had that great balance of fluffy and crispy.  I also have to say that the prices are quite reasonable.  This isn't just a good Indian/Pakistani place for Tyler, this is a very good restaurant. 

Edible Tyler Roses: 5 out of 5, I highly recommend to give this place a try for some authentic and cheap Indian/Pakistani grub.

Three Z Azian Cuizine - Z-licious

Three Z Azian Cuizine



Three Z Azian Cuizine is a relative newcomer to the Tyler Food scene.  It is located in the Times Square shopping center.  The front isn't much to look at as it is your run of the mill strip mall front.  Inside, they have carved out a nice space that feels like a great neighborhood bistro.  The decor is modern and clean with a decent dining area. 

The spread:  Their menu is pan Asian with some Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese inspired dishes.  They have a few starters to try including lettuce wraps, wontons, spring rolls and edamame.  They have soups and sandwiches to include Pho (vietnamese noodle and meat soup), coconut chicken soup, and Banh mi (vietnamese sandwiches).  They also have fried rice with various meats.  The entrees include a choice of protein (beef, chicken, tofu, shrimp) with various different styles of sauces/ingredients - Mongolian, yellow curry, sweet and sour, etc.  When I went they also had an off menu rice bun with different kinds of meat.

The verdict:  I have only been once, but I will return again many times.  The off the menu rice bun with meat was one of the best dishes I have had, certainly in Tyler, and probably in my dining life.  It was great, their was a honey chicken, a slow roasted beef short rib (I think) tucked inside a rice bun with fresh veggies.  It was a new culinary experience for me and just lovely.  It was familiar, as its structure is akin to a taco, but it was a new spin with the asian flavors and perfectly cooked/executed.  I also had some Pho which was also good, although I thought that the broth could have been a little more robust.  Overall, the service was very good and the food was quite memorable and the prices were reasonable.

Edible Tyler Roses: 5 out of 5, this is a great new place, where the people care about food and their customers.  Give it a try.