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.

Happy's Fish House - Happy Happy, Joy Joy

Happy's Fish House



Happy's Fish House is a relatively new place that I have been meaning to try for quite some time.  I finally got a chance to check them out for a friend's birthday.  They are just inside the loop off of 5th street.  There have been several failed restaurants in this location, hopefully, they can break the curse.  They did a great job with the decor inside the building.  It is strewn with "Lousiana/Cajun" decorations and whatnot.  It has a fun, party atmosphere to me.

The spread:  They serve a Cajun style menu with appetizers ranging from fried pickles, various shrimp concoctions, and fried green tomatoes.  They also have oysters on the half shell.  The entrees include poboys (chicken shrimp, oyster, fish, roast beef), some pasta dishes, and fried/grilled platters (shrimp, catfish, whitefish, chicken, etc).  They also offer a Cajun menu to include gumbo, etoufee, shrimp and grits, red beans and rice, etc.  They also have a decent beer selection.

The verdict:  Well I had a shrimp poboy, some gumbo, some red beans and dirty rice and a couple of onion rings.  The gumbo was the best I have had in a long time.  You can tell they make their own roux (or sure know how to fool me) and aren't afraid to use a little spice.  The shrimp poboy had perfectly cooked, fresh shrimp, my only complaint is that the bread choice wasn't that great.  I would have preferred a fresh french baguette.  The red beans and dirty rice also tasted great.  They had a deep rich flavor that can only come from someone who carefully cooks their food from scratch.  Overall, its the best Cajun I have had in a long time and I am sorry I waited so long to try them out.

Edible Tyler Roses 5 out of 5, Go on now, don't wait, give them a try!

Red Dirt BBQ and music festival - BBQ, beer and good music

Red Dirt BBQ and music festival

My favorite sausage and brisket came from La barbecue.  If you look really hard you can see John Lewis (pitmaster)  standing in the background - he's the tall, lanky one.

The beef rib from Louie Mueller was transcendent.  The brisket was also great - topped only by La Barbecue.  Wayne Mueller (pitmaster) is the dude hunched over slicing meat - he was muscled and intense.

This was the first year for the Red Dirt BBQ and Music festival here in Tyler. The basic premise of the festival was to bring some of the best BBQ joints from across Texas in one place for the people of Tyler to give a try, then to follow that up with some great local music.

Your choices were to get a VIP ticket - $90 (and enter an hour early to beat the crowds, with a special VIP area for the concert and a VIP tent), general admission for the BBQ and the music - $45 and then just the music/concert - $30.  I went with a VIP ticket, mostly because I hate to fight crowds and my days in the Army make me "waiting in line" averse.

In addition to the BBQ, they served Shiner beers and Mike's hard lemonade ($4 bucks a drink ticket wasn't too high either) and had several local business with tents advertising their wares. 

I got there a little early and was in the first group of VIPs to go running into the festival.  I knew I wanted to try La Barbecue (great reputation - From Austin) and I was the third person in line.  John Lewis unwrapped his brisket and cut a couple of quick samples and handed it to the first three dudes in line.  That bite told me all I needed to know, I was in BBQ brisket heaven.  The smokiness was sublime, the seasoning perfect, the tenderness just right.  I also had their in-house made jalapeno sausage - and it had just the right amount of meat, fat and spice.  I couldn't have made a better first choice.  I didn't sit there and talk with John Lewis, but he seemed super nice and really interested in making people happy (if a bit stand-offish).

Next I went to Louie Muellers (Taylor, TX) and tried their brisket and beef rib (and maybe sausage), and again I was blown away with just how great central Texas BBQ really is.  I have to admit that Wayne Mueller scared me a bit, he is a tall, muscular dude with a stern expression on his face.  He was very friendly, but intimidating.

Other highlights included Black's brisket (Lockhart) and the ribs from Hutchins (McKinney).  Overall, everyone was friendly and happy to be there.  One thing I was worried about was not getting enough food.  That was an idiotic thought.  Within about thirty minutes I hit the "meat wall" and literally couldn't eat anything else - for about 24 hours.  I didn't stay for the music, but I enjoy the music from all the band that played (Randy Rogers, Whiskey Myers (my fav), Green River Ordinance and The Bigsbys).

The verdict:  5 out of 5 edible Tyler roses.  The festival sold out this year and I imagine they will again if they put it together next year.  I had a great time, at way too much great BBQ and plan on staying for the music next year.  Great unique festival for Tyler.

Wok Box - Wok this way?

Wok Box Fresh Asian Kitchen



Wok Box is a new place off of Broadway just north of the south loop.  It is in the Olde English Village strip mall area and isn't much to look at from the outside, although they have done a good job with a face lift of the strip mall area.

The spread:  I was very excited to give Wok Box a try.  They are small chain that has a lot of things going for it.  They have an expansive menu focusing on Asian and Indian cuisine.  Of note, they prominently display vegan and gluten free products.  They have a noodle box with noodles and various topping of meats and sauces (kung pao, spicy korean, etc), a rice box (Indian butter chicken, mongolian beef, etc), curry box (rice and curry of a couple different styles), Banh mi (vietnamese sandwich, although the Tyler location may not have these), Pho (vietnamese style noodle soup), and various appetizers (samosas, egg roll, spring roll, etc).  They also offer a nice selection of craft beers. 

The verdict:  I was very excited to try this place out, particularly because Tyler doesn't have an Indian restaurant anymore, and I was pumped to get some good Indian food.  The place seemed hip, with a well staffed kitchen and the food came out fast.  I got some samosas, Indian butter chicken and spicy Thai chicken curry (and a craft beer).  Well, the first thing I was disappointed with was the portion size for the price.  The chicken was bland and unseasoned.  They apparently use the same chicken for all the chicken dishes, so it was a little monotonous. The indian sauce was scanty and not authentic (although it was "Indian" style, the flavor profile was a bit bland and single note), the curry had very little heat and again didn't taste authentic (watered down for the masses).  The samosas were fairly good, but again the spices were a little bland.  Overall, I was disappointed with the lack of aggressive seasoning/spices that I am accustomed to in authentic Indian/Thai cuisine.  I think they have a lot of things going for them, but it just didn't scratch that Indian food itch.

Edible Tyler Roses:  2.5 out of 5, middle of the road, non-authentic Indian/Asian food.

Cedar Creek Brewery

I attended a great little gathering at Stanley this week.  The following is the facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/events/193739300825896/?ref=3&ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular

Basically, it was a joint project between Stanley's and Cedar Creek Brewery that was celebrating the release of Cedar Creek's recent Great American Beer Festival Gold medal winner Belgian Dubbel.  I went ahead and ordered the Stanley's two meat plate with brisket and sausage as my meats.  Again, Stanley's is absolutely nailing the brisket and their locally sourced sausage is always outstanding (the guys at County Meat Market tell me that they make the sausage for Stanley's and I have purchase a couple of large orders for parties that I have thrown).

Belgian ales are currently my favorite style of beer and I have been trying the various iterations of late.  The Cedar Creek Belgian double was a very good beer.  It was a beautiful brown to dark amber color and had a great full body with plenty of complex malt character and a nicely balanced hoppiness (sp?).  They also had Cedar Creek's Pale Ale on tap, which I also enjoyed, although I am not a big pale ale/IPA guy.  The beer wasn't overly bitter and the floral aroma of the hops was quite pleasing.

The Cedar Creek Brewery is located just off of Cedar Creek reservoir in Seven Points.  They offer tours on Saturday and I will definitely go to take a tour and try out their other styles of beers.  Also of note, their head brewer Damon was there for the evening and I got to spend a decent amount of time talking to him and his wife.  He is a down to earth, great guy and with the winning of the Gold Medal at the GABF, their future is bright indeed.  If you see Cedar Creek in the store or on the tap, give it a try, they won't disappoint.

Razzoo's Cajun Cafe - is it worth the wait?

**UPDATE:  Tried Razzoo's out again the other day.  The spectacular catfish we had on our first visit is no more.  The catfish we had was fishy, muddy and just awful.  There were some pieces that were simply inedible.  My wife ended up throwing up afterwards.  The fried pickles and green beans also weren't as good.  I had a redfish special which was overcooked and not fresh.  Overall, the food quality and attention to detail were abysmal.  Additionally, maybe I didn't notice last time, but there were several waitresses that were wearing shorts that were so tiny, they would make a Hooters girl blush.  I may be overly harsh, but we won't be returning.  That said, the place was still packed on a Sunday afternoon.

Razzoo's Cajun Cafe



Razzoo's is a new place just off 69/Broadway south of Grande, just south of the Walmart in the building that Carretta's used to be in (Carretta's closing wasn't a surprise - see my previous review).  They put a lot of time, money and effort turning this place into a unique, bright, vibrant, visually appealing space.

The spread:  They are Cajun themed as the name implies with a menu to reflect.  The appetizers range from gumbo, fried pickles, popcorn shrimp, stuffed jalepenos, boudain, etc.  The entrees range from poor boys (shrimp, catfish, chicken), red beans and rice, etoufee, shrimp creole, various combinations of fried fish/shrimp/crawfish, shrimp creole, pasta, ribs, etc.  The have a full bar with a decent selection of draft beer as well as some desserts to choose from.

The verdict:  Well, my first impression of the place was that there was a lot of flash/marketing and not a whole lot of substance.  The outside decor is very eye catching and if you have tried to eat here, you have more than likely had a long wait.  We fortunately were able to be seated right away.  The service was friendly, if a bit young and inexperienced.  The food had some high points and low points.  We tried the fried pickles, seafood gumbo, catfish platter, shrimp poboy and crawfish etoufee.  The crawfish etoufee was nearly inedible, there was some background plastic flavor that was simply disgusting.  Next worst was the seafood gumbo, as the roux base was watery and bland - no depth of flavor from a genuine gumbo.  The shrimp poboy was fairly good with nicely cooked shrimp and great bread (key to any good poboy).  The fried pickles were also very good and were well seasoned.   The jalepeno hush puppies were also very good.  In the end the Cajun food reminded me of Joe's Crabshack - commercialized, bland, dumbed down with the caveat of outstanding catfish.

Edible Tyler Roses:  0 out of 5, skip the "Cajun" food, real problems with consistency.

The Rack Hamburger Grill - My kind of place

***UPDATE:  Wow, The Rack has closed.  I feared for their business success because of their location and recently downgraded their rating.  They were having problems in the kitchen and keeping beers on tap.  I am truly sad to see The Rack go, but you gotta keep people happy and coming back to succeed.

**UPDATE:  I have been to the Rack multiple times since the original post.  I have to say that they have some real problems with consistency.  I have yet to have a burger as special as the one I had on my first visit.  They just can't seem to get the meat temperature right.  I still enjoy the place and definitely recommend giving it a try, but just not as enthusiastically they go from 5/5 to 4/5 Edible Tyler Roses.

The Rack Hamburger Grill
http://www.theracktexas.com/

The Rack Hamburger Grill is a new restaurant that opened up near the Azalea district off of Broadway, just south of 9th street, located in the Tyler Shopping Center (next to Steinmart).  I don't think their has been a restaurant in this particular space, but it seems like a pretty hard place to keep a restaurant open.  From the outside, they have a little patio area with some large picnic tables.  Inside the place there is a healthy bar area and a dining section.  The decorations consist mainly of stuffed/mounted animals.

The spread:  As you can imagine this is trying to be a hamburger joint, but they are doing a lot of interesting things with the food menu. Their apps consist of candied bacon, salads, seared tuna, cheese fries, etc.  The star of the show is their hamburger selection.  You can choose their regular ground meat burger (ground and seasoned in house), buffalo burger, blue cheese burger, venison burger, lamb burger, ahi tuna burger, veggie burger, turkey burger and a few others.  The meals come with charro style beans and choice of one side:  regular fries, sweet potato fries, mac and cheese, etc.  They also offer a few desserts.

Perhaps the most impressive is their MASSIVE draft beer list.  They have a lot of beers on tap, almost all of which are craft microbrews from Texas (20 beers on tap on a regular basis).  I was in beer heaven.  They also offer a large selection of bottled beers.  A beer lover could get quiet happy here.

The verdict:  THIS IS THE BEST HAMBURGER IN TYLER BY FAR.  Stop what you are doing, go to The Rack and get a burger.  I recommended this place to a friend of mine who loves burgers and he told me it was the best hamburger he has had in his life.  I ordered a Rack burger with cheddar cheese, bacon and egg and I ordered it medium well.  This is one of the rare places that actually cooks your burger to your desired temperature.  They care about their food.  The burger was one of the best I have had in my life.  The meat is juicy and tender, with the right amount of sear from the grill.  The french fries are also done right, in house, from real potatoes and fried twice (the way fries are supposed to be done).  The beers were great.  This is definitely a place that I will go back to again and again.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5.  Get a burger and a beer and enjoy!  I fear that location will doom this place, but it is worth the drive....yum.

Juls - New location, better than ever?

Juls



Juls is, from what I understand, a rebirth and reconfiguration of the old Julian's over in Times Square. The place is located off of 155 past Grande, pretty close to Fresh.  It is very impressive from the outside and has two sections, one side is "Juls cafe" and one is apparently just "Juls"?  Apparently Juls has an Asian themed menu and Juls cafe is concentrating on healthy food, but it is still a little unclear to me.  Althought, I am not sure of the intent of the business owners, the buildings structure and the business undertaking are impressive.  The building is very modern and has interesting nooks and crannies that make the dining experience unique.

The spread:  My wife and I ventured to Juls.  They have an extensive drink menu with some very unique draft selections - a couple of which I have never seen on draft (Delerium Tremens).  The food menu is a somewhat pan-asian themed with a variety of appetizers (edamame, pot stickers, lettuce wraps, wings, guacamole, etc), sushi/sashimi, salads, "woks" - really just stir fry, Pho (vietnamese noodle soup), fried rice, new american (ranging from shrimp and grits to korean fried chicken legs) and a variety of burgers/sandwiches (to include Banh mi - vietnamese sandwiches).

The verdict:  The menu seemed a little unfocused to me and that it was designed to try to make everyone happy, but the food I tried was very good.  We started with some pot stickers, followed by some sort of spicy tuna/crab roll, beef Pho, grilled pork Banh mi, and the Mongolian stir fry.  The steamed pot stickers were excellent, the filling just had this background herb that was just making beautiful music on my taste buds.  My only criticism is that I would have like some sort of dipping sauce to help with the initial blandness of the dumpling dough.  The spicy tuna/crab roll was excellent, it had a great sushi flavor with a very well balanced sauce and heat level.  The beef Pho was pretty good, my problem is that I have been in some of the best Pho places in Chinatown in Houston and this Pho wasn't as good, but it is still worth a try.  The broth is solid, but I would have liked to have seen more traditional offerings (tendon, meatball, etc).  The Banh mi was also good, but not great.  The bread to meat ratio was a little skewed on the side of the bread and the heat level was nearly unbearable (perhaps this was my error) - again I have had some of the best Banh mi in Houston and my standards are very high, their Banh me is good, it just isn't great.  The Mongolian stir fry was also very good, great balanced flavor that my wife really enjoyed.  The service was also excellent, very attentive and quite helpful in navigating the ambitious menu.  I very much enjoyed the eclectic draft beer selection and will be back to try more of their beers.  The noise level was a little high, but that was because there was some sort of group Christmas party happening nearby.  I think Juls would be a great special occasion place for a date night.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5.  Ambitious menu, great service, good to very good food.

Cork - nice atmosphere and very good food

Cork Food and Drink
http://www.corktyler.com/



Cork is a relatively new place located in the Times Square Cinema shopping center off of Broadway/I-69 just south of Rice road.  The shopping center itself doesn't really lend itself to 'high end' dining, however, they have the entrance decorated nicely with modern design and a little sitting area.  Inside, they continue the modern theme with a bar area, decent dining area, and small area for live performances with some interesting modernish type art on the wall and many references to wine.

The spread:  They have an ambitious food and drink menu.  I'm not sure their theme, but they offer different kinds of sushi, small 'tapas' style plates, cheese and cured meats plate(s), a few different bowls (mac and cheese, soups, stir fry and grits), and a few traditional dishes (seafood, steak, etc).  For me, the menu was a bit unfocused and perhaps they are trying to be a tapas-sushi-wine-asian bar that serves food?  The wine list is extensive and they have a full bar with a few original concoctions.

The verdict:  I really enjoyed my experience at Cork.  The service was friendly, prompt and knowledgeable.  I tried the mac and cheese and it was the best I have had in a long time.  It comes in a bowl with spiral pasta with a bechamel-cheese sauce with bread crumbs on top with little bits of ham.  I also tried their spicy tuna roll and it was solid, but not very spicy.  The quality of tuna was good.  The charcuterie plate came with three types of cheese, a great grilled french bread and three types of cured meats.  There was a very mild soft/brie and two harder styles that offered a nice difference in texture and flavor, but none of the cheese were memorable.  The prosciutto was very good, but the cured sausage and pepperoni like sausage were both average - mildly spiced and a little bland. I also tried the ribeye which was cooked a perfect medium rare and had a nice bourbon glaze, but the cut of meat was lower grade (lots of fat and gristle).  I also tried a couple bites of the burger and it was almost amazing as my wife had ordered it medium and it came out well done.  The wine list was extensive and the bottle I split was very very good (Shatter something or other).  I also had a Cork Old Fashioned that had whipped egg white in it that gave the old fashioned a unique texture that I particularly enjoyed.  Overall, I think Cork is almost a great restaurant/bar.  I think if they trimmed down the menu some and really concentrated on quality, this would be an amazing place.  Also of note, they are very committed to having plates come out in a visually appealing manner, with nice presentation using unique plates.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, a great place to have drinks/wine and apps, a good place to eat.

St. Arnold's brewing company

St. Arnold's Brewery Company
http://www.saintarnold.com/



St. Arnold's is a large micro-brewery located in Houston, TX.  They started pretty small time at a place just off of 290 and Ella, but moved to a much larger facility just off of I-10 north of downtown.  One of my favorite activities was to get a picnic together and head out to St. Arnold's for a tour of the facilities, free beer and live music.  The old place had a certain ambiance - if you call melting in a warehouse with no A/C ambiance, but the beer was cold and that made up for a lot.

The new location is really, really nice.  They have a big operation now.  The also have a beer drinking/dining hall that can accommodate a lot of people comfortably (and A/C).  The tour used to be 5 bucks and you got three free beers.  Not sure how it works now with changes to the alcohol laws (now breweries can sell small amounts to the public directly).  Also, they have afternoon fixed price lunches now with a fancy chef, which sadly I have been unable to try.

St. Arnold's offers a nice variety of different beers:  Lawnmower (a light, almost fruity Kolsch, that goes down great on a hot day), Amber Ale (well balanced, full flavored ale), Brown Ale (malty, chocolatey with a little sweetness), Elissa IPA (a very good IPA that has a well balanced hoppiness to it), and then some seasonal ales (Summer Pilsner, Spring Bock, Oktoberfest, Winter Stout, Pumpkinator and Christmas Ale).

I just can't pass up a six pack of St. Arnold's when I see one at the store.  My favorites are the Brown ALe, the Summer Pilsner, the Sprin Bock and the Oktoberfest.  I really like to pour a Winter Stout in my homemade chili in the winter time.  The owner is also a super cool guy who works tirelessly for his company and the beer community.  Go drink some great St. Arnold's beer and if you are ever in Houston, try to take a tour of their facilities.

Genghis Grill - ew...dat's gross

Genghis Grill
http://www.genghisgrill.com/



Genghis Grill is a chain restaurant that offers "mongolian stir fry".  The basic concept is that you choose your stir fry ingredients, then hand your bowl off to the cook, who cooks your food on a large grill.  There was a place in Webster, south of Houston called Hans Mongolian BBQ, that was a favorite of my wife and I, so we thought we'd give Genghis Grill a try.

The spread: They offer a variety of raw meats to choose from:  chicken, beef, pork and seafood.  They also have a large selection of different kinds of veggies to add in:  celery, onion, bamboo shoots, carrots, mushrooms, baby corn, tomatoes, cabbage, squash, garlic.  You can even throw in an egg.  They also offer many different kinds of sauces and seasonings to make your bowl your own creation.

The verdict:  I love the concept.  But Genghis didn't work for us for two reasons.  The first of which is that it is nearly impossible to do with younger children.  The second was that when I walked over to peruse the ingredients while we were getting settled in, there was a STRONG rotting fishy odor coming from the raw meat section.  There is no way that I am going to eat ANYTHING that smells like that.  We walked out, not willing to risk sickness.

Edible Tyler Roses: 0 out of 5.  Maybe they had a bad day, but if your ingredients smell rotten, you are failing.

True Vine Brewing Company

True Vine Brewing Company
http://truevinebrewingco.com/

I am a bit of a beer snob.  I am not sure where it all started, but in my youth, I was never a big beer drinker.  I just didn't enjoy any of the beers I tried.  Coors?  Ugh.  Bud lite?  Blarg.  Miller lite?  Ok, maybe if it's cold.  I occasionally enjoyed a Guiness, however, they were just a little pricey for my meager budget at the time.  Later in life, I was introduced to really good beers, starting with Shiner Bock, Sam Adams, then real German lagers, English beers, and eventually microbrews.

My new found love of beers probably started at BJ's brewhouse with Jeremiah Red.  It just has the right balance of malt and hops, and just makes my mouth happy.  I eventually found, St. Arnold's, a great microbrewery in Houston (I will devote a full post to them later).

Where my love of beers blossomed was going to beer-cheese pairings and beer pairing dinners.  I don't particularly care for wine, so to have a beverage be enhanced by and simultaneously enhance the food you are eating was a transcendent experience.

So imagine my excitement when I heard that Tyler was developing its own microbrewery.  I haven't tasted any of their brews and have just recently 'liked' them on Facebook.  I know they had a beer pairing dinner recently, but I got the information too late.  From their website, it looks like they have a Pale Ale and an IPA, neither of which are my favorite styles of beer (I am not a 'hop' head - too bitter for me).  I encourage everyone to check their website out and like them on facebook, so we can do our part to help develop the Tyler food scene.  I sincerely hope nothing but the best for them and hope that they do tours of their operation soon.

Best of luck guys to these guys, I look forward to trying Tyler brew!

Chili's, Applebees or TGI Friday's - are they all the same?

Chili's versus Applebees versus TGI Fridays - American Chain throwdown







We have a family tradition we are working on right now.  Every Sunday after church one of us gets to pick a place to eat.  I have to confess, I mainly made up this tradition so I could force the family to go to eat Indian food without as much complaining.  We rotate through me, my wife, my son and my oldest daughter (baby doesn't get a vote yet) - everyone gets a chance to go where they want to eat.  It actually works out well as there is much less arguing and it feels like a fair way to get some grub.  (We did have to outlaw Chuck E Cheese as a choice).  At any rate, our kids tended to chose Chili's or Applebees for reasons unbeknownst to me.  These three restaurants are basically the same place to me - bland, below average food from the freezer.  After going to all three multiple times, I thought I would offer my opinion on which one is best in Tyler as they are all pretty close to one another and the food is almost identical.

The spread:  I won't go into too much details, but they offer your standard American food:  burgers, sandwiches, fries etc.  Each one tries to have its own personality, but for me the menus and prices are interchangable.

The verdict:

Applebees - For some reason, my daughter loves Applebees.  I can't tell if it is because she like saying the name or there is some commercial that has imprinted the name on her mind.  She loves her some Applebees.  I can't stand the place.  My wife and I are trying to eat relatively healthy and both of our entrees were nearly inedible.  Neither of us finished our food.  The kids seemed to enjoy their food though.  Perhaps because we went with the healthier options we got the worse Applebees has to offer, so stick with hamburgers or something the kitchen can't screw up.  Applebees Edible Tyler Roses:  1 out of 5, tread carefully and don't venture out.

Chilis - This used to be a favorite of mine, particularly growing up.  The food was nothing to write home about, but it was palatable and decently priced.  I usually go with Chicken Fajitas, club sandwich or Oldtimer burger.  On our last two visits to Chili's the service was horrible (45+ minutes to receive food) and the food was nearly inedible when it arrived.  I'm not sure how you screw up microwaving or reheating frozen food, but they managed to do so.  The service was so bad on one trip I actually didn't leave a tip - I normally start at 20%, and have only not left a tip on maybe 1 or 2 other occasions in my life.  The food is so bad and service so poor, we have put Chili's on the banned list for choices on Sunday.  Chili's Edible Tyler Roses: 0 out of 5, we won't return until there is some change in management.

TGI Fridays -  We had always skipped TGI Fridays for a long time, but we gave them a try lately and we were impressed.  The service was friendly, the food came out fast and the food was uninspired, but decent enough. Of the three, this is the one I am happy to go to.  So the winner is TGI Fridays!! TGI Fridays Edible Tyler Roses: 3 out of 5, the winner of mediocre chain restaurants!!

Cheng's China Bistro

Cheng's China Bistro



Cheng's is a relatively new comer to Tyler.  They opened up in a large restaurant space just north of the loop and troup.  The decor is your typical Chinese food place with Chinese decorations as well as a large bar up front that grows popular right around 5pm.  The owners seem to always be there and are super friendly and helpful.

The spread:  They have your typical American Chinese food menu.  Appetizers range from lettuce wraps, pot stickers, egg rolls, BBQ spareribs (yummy), and various soups (egg drop, wonton, etc).  Their entrees are also somewhat predictable: fried rice, lo mein, egg foo young, pork dishes, chicken dishes, beef dishes and seafood dishes.  They also offer hot plates which is basically stir fry dumped into a fajita sizzling plate.

The verdict:  There is nothing ground breaking in the culinary world happening at Cheng's.  The menu is definitely Americanized and familiar, however, the food is solid and reasonably priced.  My wife prefers Cheng's to Liang's, so this is usually what we pick up from Cheng's when we get Chinese.  The service has been great and they are very family friendly.  I also like the fact that the staff is willing to work with you.  I wanted to try to recreate a dish from an authentic Chinese place down in Houston, so I asked the waiter to switch out rice for noodles and crack an egg over one of their sizzling plates.  It didn't turn out quite like I wanted, but it was good and they went out of their way to accomodate, so I give them a lot of credit for that.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, I put them on par with Liang's as the best Chinese in Tyler.

Fuzzy's Taco Shop

Fuzzy's Taco Shop
http://www.fuzzystacoshop.com/



Fuzzy's Taco Shop opened up about a year or so ago about the same time as Rusty Tacos.  Fuzzy's is located off of Troup north of the loop next to Bodacious BBQ.  The place has a nice hip vibe going with counter placed orders that come up at a pickup window. 

The spread: Well as you can imagine, the focus is on tacos.  They offer the standard Tex-mex appetizers: chips N queso, nachos, quesadillas.  They also offer several types of salads, sandwiches, tacos, burritos, etc.  The taco fillings range from fajita, chicken, shrimp and fish.  I tried a few of the tacos, as well as chips and salsa, a couple of their breakfast tacos and a torta.  They also offer a really good selection of draft beer for a taco shop.  Obviously, someone in there likes microbrews.

The verdict:  I like this place.  The decor is fun, the staff is friendly, the food is good and reasonably priced and the beer list is awesome for a taco shop.  Their tacos are very good.  If they hand made their own flour tortillas, the tacos would be some of the best in town.  The meats are aggressively seasoned and packed full of flavor.  The breakfast tacos are also very good. 

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, of the two I prefer Fuzzy's.

Rowdy Taco - Name and menu change

UPDATE:  Rusty taco has changed its name to "Rowdy Taco" and has added a few menu items (salads, bowls, nachos and quesadillas I believe). I tried them again to see if there were any improvements.  For me there was no improvement in quality of the meat or other ingredients.  Oh yeah, they have flour tortillas, which did not taste super fresh.  No change in the rating, worth it if you are in the area and just have to have a decent, but not spectacular taco.

Rowdy Taco
https://www.facebook.com/RowdyTacoTyler



Rusty's is a relative new comer to Tyler, just off the corner of Beckham and 5th street south of the medical center area.  They opened at almost the same time as Fuzzy's Taco further south, so I had a little bit of a hard time distinguishing them.  And spent some time wondering who thought we needed two more taco shops.  The decor is spartan industrial with an open kitchen where you can see them throwing together your tacos.

The spread: Well as you can imagine, the focus is on tacos.  They offer brisket, fish, chicken, fajita, and pork as their meat fillings.  They also offer breakfast tacos that I would like to try out as I am always Jonesing for a good breakfast taco. I would say the food is more Cal-mex than Tex-mex.  When I went you could only choose corn tortillas for the tacos, which is ok, but I just prefer flour tortillas.  I tried a few of the tacos, as well as chips and salsa.

The verdict:  Well the food was prepared quickly and it was pretty good.  I had a big problem with not being able to choose flour tortillas.  The meat was flavorful and everything was well prepared.  The main problem I had is that it didn't have the familiar Tex-mex or mexican flavors that I am used to.  The meats were fine, but they just didn't have that deep rich flavor that comes from home-style cooking.  The food was just a little too Americanized for me.

Edible Tyler Roses: 3 out of 5, of the two I prefer Fuzzy's, but not a bad place to grab a quick taco.

Mario's Italian Restaurant - Old school Italian

Mario's Italian Restaurant



Mario's is a local Italian restaurant nestled back in a strip center off of broadway/I-69 just south of Heritage (south of Carmike movie theater).  I can never seem to figure out the hours of operation and we have stopped by on multiple occasions when they were closed.  My wife and I visited once for a date night.  The place looks a lot better on the inside than on the outside, it is your typical Italian restaurant with cozy booths and tables with a nice romantic atmosphere.  They also have live music on Fridays and Saturdays.

The spread:  This place has apparently been in operation since 1977, so it is old school Italian-American.  The appetizers range from bruschetta, fried mozzarella, fried zucchini, fried calamari, etc.  They also serve pizzas with all the regular toppings.  The entrees range from chicken/shrimp primavera, blackened snapper, venetian chicken/veal, chicken/veal marsala/piccata/milanese, etc.  We tried the bruschetta, fried ravioli, pizza, chicken piccata, fettuccine alfredo.

The verdict:  I really liked the atmosphere of this place.  It is old school Italian with Frank Sinatra playing in the background.  The waiter was young, but attentive and provided good service.  The food was also very good, some of the best pizza in town.  My wife and I really liked the fried ravioli.  The pasta were good as well.  Overall, the place had good food, plenty of it and a nice atmosphere.  It isn't cutting edge real Italian cooking, but it is good, reasonable priced stick to your ribs food.  What's not to like?

Edible Tyler Roses:  4 out of 5.  Only drawback for me are the hours of operation.

Lago del Pino - location, location, location

Lago del Pino
http://www.lagodelpino.com/




Lago Del Pino is a beautiful restaurant overlooking Lost Pine "lake" a little west of Tyler.  The outside construction is beautiful brick and looks like a fancy ranch/resort.  The views from the bar are great.  They have live music on Friday and Saturday nights.  My wife and I have been interested in trying out this place for sometime, although, they have pretty terrible reviews online.

The spread:  I'm not sure exactly what cuisine they are trying to model their menu after, but there are various appetizers:  Chips and queso, bacon and blue cheese fries, crab cakes, hummus, etc.  A couple of salad and soup selections.  Their entrees range from Texican burgers, pretzel chicken sandwiches, chilaquiles, fish tacos, enchiladas, shrimp and grits and various steaks and seafood.  I tried the bacon and blue cheese fries and the chips and queso.

The verdict:  Well, did I mention the view?  That is basically all the place has going for it.  The dining portion of the restaurant felt loud and a little sterile.  The service was below average for the prices, not particularly horrible, but certainly not attentive or friendly.  My wife and I only go out occasionally by ourselves, so I promised that we would get a couple of drinks and appetizers and then see if we wanted to order entrees.  Well, the bacon and blue cheese fries came out and they were WAY overpowered by the blue cheese.  I love the idea, but the execution was lacking.  They were memorable in that the the amount of blue cheese made them nearly inedible (a little goes a long way guys!).  Then we got the chips and queso.  The chips were fine, crispy and well, chips.  The queso had a slightly off flavor, like liquid smoke or something like that - not horrible, but not inedible.  We decided to try to give the entrees a try seeing as we were already there, but right as I said that I took a bite of my chips and queso and got a mouthful of plastic bag.  Needless to say, we decided to skip the entrees and will not return.

Edible Tyler Roses: 2 out of 5  - I would recommend going for live music and drinks (the view is great), but just eat somewhere else beforehand.  I also don't see how they will stay in business for very long.  Their overhead has to be killing them.

BJ's beer tasting and dinner

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

I have previously reviewed BJ's and mentioned my love of their deep dish pizza and their beautiful beers. I continue to frequent BJ's and continue to love their unique brews and large selection of Belgian beers. While dining the other day, I learned that they were doing a beer tasting and dinner using Sierra Nevada beers paired with items from BJ's regular menu (very much like a wine tasting/pairing dinner). I was ectastic and invited a good friend of mine to try out the dinner.



The feast had 5 courses and 7 different beers. The fist course was crispy calamari paired wtih Kellerweis Hefeweizen. The calamari was salty and crunch with a zesty garlic aioli sauce and marinara sauce that paired very well with the crisp, refreshing hefeweizen. The citrus notes of the beer paired well with the zesty garlic aioli. The next course was California club flatbread pizza and the Pale Ale. While I found both the pizza and beer to be of high quality, the pairing was the weakest of the night for me. The next course was the Kung Pao chicken and the Torpedo Extra IPA and it was another fine pairing, the bitterness of the IPA enhanced the spices and heat of the Kung Pao. Next came a 'palate cleanser' of the Ruthless Rye IPA, which I found to be somewhat of a disappointment as the beer seemed to have only one note - the bitterness of the hops. Next came my second most favorite pairing of the night was the Porter and the Barbeque Pulled pork sandwich. The porter was dark and rich with malty, caramel flavors that harmonized with the smoky richness of the pork. This was definitely a time when the beer and the food became more than the sum of its parts. What a combo! The next 'palate cleanser' was also a disappointment for me - the Bigfoot Barleywine Ale. The beer started with a nice strong fruity, malty flavor, but then the bitterness of the hops overwhelmed my palate so I couldn't really get all the fruit and malt notes. Next was the most surprising and best pairing of the night - dessert. The Oliva Quad was paired with BJ's Baked Beignet. The crispy rich beignet was topped with strawberries, ice cream and whipped cream. The Oliva was surprisingly sweet with a strong fruit flavor (cherries, plum, raisins) and nice malty-ness. I wouldn't have been able to drink very much of the Oliva on its own, but with the ice cream and beignet, it was heavenly. You cold really get all the fruity complexity from the beer. WOW.

In all, I had a great time and it was remarkably inexpensive for what we got (30 bucks for the whole she-bang, plus tip). The service was great and there was plenty of food and beer. I have only one criticism, and that was the guys who were speaking during the dinner. When they were just talking with the guests, they were knowledgeable, friendly and just plain fun to have around, but when they were describing the beers, they pretty much read right from a script that detracted a little from the experience, but this is a small criticism, the evening was awesome. Apparently, BJ's is doing more of these beer pairings and I plan to attend every one!

Sonoma Grill - Pretentious or Delicious?

Sonoma Grill

5875 Old Bullard Rd
Ste 500
Tyler, TX 75703

(903) 534-9779

www.sonomagrilltyler.com

Sonoma Grill is an unassuming restaurant located just to the west of the mall in Tyler off of Old Bullard road. From the street it looks pretty fancy and visually looks like a vibrant, hip, happening place - which is why my wife and I (kids in tow) have avoided the place. We stopped by one night for one of our 'date nights'.

The spread: They claim to have a California style, which for me is a little off putting (being a good ole Texas boy), but they have a diverse menu. The appetizers range from calamari, mussels, bruschetta, crab cakes and quesadillas. They offer a myriad of salads from the standards to more interesting fair (shrimp and sea scallop, salmon, hazelnut caprino, hearts of palm). They also have pizzas and various pastas (fettucini, beef stroganoff, shrimp scampi). The entrees are also varied, with burgers, various chicken dishes 9chiken madeira, fontina, carpino, marsala), a few fish dishes (salmon, tilapia, shrimp), and steaks (filet, rib-eye, sirloin, chopped). For dessert you can choose from cheescakes, pecan pie and creme brulee. I sampled the bruschetta, crab cakes, chicken fettucini, rib-eye, macaroni and cheese and the creme brulee.

The verdict: I have to say that I was not excited about going to Sonoma Grill. It looks like a place where hip people go to eat bland, tasteless food and act superior. Boy was I wrong!!! This is an outstanding restaurant that really cares about food. Every aspect of the meal was outstanding. The waitress was the best I have had in Tyler, attentive, unobtrusive, knowledgeable and friendly. Everything I tasted was excellent. The rib-eye was cooked a perfect medium rare and packed full of flavor. My wife's fettucini was outstanding. The mac and cheese was the best I have had, creamy, cheesy, yum! The bruschetta and crab cakes were also solid and fresh. But, they saved the best for last in the creme brulee - it is the best I have had in Tyler. The meal was also very reasonably priced, especially over its main competitors (Jakes, Rick's).

Edible Tyler Roses: 4.5 out of 5. Best value for a steak in Tyler.