La Unica Tortilleria: Lufkin

The reviews were all positive for this Lufkin eatery, so I needed to check it out.  Located in not a great area of town, La Unica is a dive.  A very limited menu leads you to the basics like enchiladas, fajitas, tacos and tamales.  Voted as best tamales in Lufkin, I was obviously taking a dozen home with me.

Tonight, I tried the cheese enchiladas with rice and beans.  You place your order at the counter, and wait.  Do not look into the kitchen when you get your drink- just trust me.  Once seated, a lady delivers chips, salsa and pico de gallo.  The yellow corn chips are hot and light.  The salsa was so-so, but the pico was to die for.  It was super fresh with a lot of lime-definitely a winner.

My plate arrives with the cheese enchiladas, rice, lettuce- tomato salad, and charro beans.  I don’t know what they do to their rice, but it was the best rice that I have ever had.  One secret is the basmati rice.  The charro beans were just so-so, and the cheese enchiladas were just greasy cheese enchiladas.

I did get a dozen tamales to go- I was afraid of the grease seeping out of the paper bag.  However, the tamales were outstanding.  They were spicy, moist, and filled with pork- another winner.

In the end, I will probably try La Unica again.  It is more authentic than the other Tex-Mex places in town.  The employees are not the friendliest, but the tamales, rice, and pico make up for that shortcoming.  If you are heading up into East Texas, stop on in, and check out La Unica.

La Unica Tortilleria

1614 N Raguet St

Lufkin, Texas 75904

936/ 632-1680

Dairy Burger: Alice

After a long drive from the Valley, I was craving just a good ol’ burger.  Coming into Alice, Texas, just West of Corpus Christi, I stopped into Dairy Burger.  It’s after 2, and it packed at this location.  I had read the reviews, and for the most part, positive.  One even called it a Dairy Queen knock off.  As I walked through the door, I did a double check because it does resemble a Dairy Queen.

You order at a counter from a menu filled with burgers, chicken strips, and tacos.  Today, I’m trying a cheeseburger combo.  The cheeseburger came out looking a little lame, but the fries were small cut like shoestrings. 

The cheeseburger was pretty good.  The patty is very thin, but the veggies were ample.  The mayo was the sweetest that I had ever tasted while the mustard juxtaposed it to a tee.  The real winner was the shoestring French fries.  They were perfectly cooked with the slightest of salt on them.  They totally rocked.  They reminded me of Belgium Frites!

In the end, I would come back to Dairy Burger.  The people were extremely friendly.  It’s a place where you can hear the locals talking about their dating issues- these locals were 70 plus seniors.  I have never laughed so hard, but I guess some things never change.  If you get a chance, stop on by because I hail Dairy Burger as the best Texas French fry!

Dairy Burger

314 N Johnson St

Alice, Texas 78322

361/664-2117

Delia's: Pharr

After criss-crossing the Rio Grande Valley, it is only right to find a local place specializing in tamales.  Even though Delia’s was my second choice for dinner and a change in cuisine, I am glad that I chose Delia’s!  This location in Pharr is in a tiny building with even a smaller parking lot, but they do have a drive thru.  The menu consisted of tamales: chicken tamales, spicy pork tamales, and sweet tamales, etc.  Basically, if it can be a tamale, Delia’s makes it.  With four other locations scattered across the Valley, I would say Delia’s has gotten the tamale business down.   

Tonight, my choice is the spicy pork tamales.  The tamales were filled with a lot of pork and a lot of spice.  The masa was perfectly moist and super tasty.   The only negative comment is the tamales are a little greasy.  The salsa was incredible- super fresh tomatoes and lots of cilantro.  If I could get a bottle of it, I would take some home.

If you are in the Valley, check to see if Delia’s is close by.  If not, check online because they ship too!  Just remember to take cash because they don't take credit cards or personal checks.

Delia’s

825 W Ferguson Street

Pharr, Texas 78577

956/783-7799

www.deliastamales.com

HU DAT Noodle House: Corpus Christi

It’s been awhile since I’ve been on the road, and tonight, I find myself back in Corpus Christi.  Since our house is a very strong meat and potato menu, I enjoy venturing out into the food that the hubby won’t eat.

I’ve blogged about Drunkn’ Noodlez, but tonight I wanted to try HU DAT Noodle House.  There are multiple locations, so I settle on the South Staples location.  You walk into a very dark place- this scares me because it’s harder to see if the walls are moving not to mention your food.  The service was slow at the beginning, but by the end, they were very attentive and going over and beyond to cater to their guest.

I tried my usual Spring Rolls.  Shrimp, lean pork, vermicelli and fresh vegetables fill these large rice paper rolls- they were quite tasty and very fresh.  The peanut sauce was quite uneventful until I poured half a bottle of Srichacha into it.  My mouth was on fire after that, so when they brought out the House Specialty Pho Xao, I had to wait awhile to try  it since my taste buds were in shock and awe!

Pho Xao consisted wok-fried noodles sautéed with fresh cabbage, bean sprouts, and your choice of meat.  I chose chicken- by the way, it had the taste of a piece of paper- blah.  Overall, I was really disappointed with the Pho Xao.  There was nothing special about it at all.  The portion was huge- almost a bottomless plate.  Overall, I was VERY disenchanted with the Pho Xao.

By the way, you can order your dish from Mild (1 Pepper), Medium (2 Peppers), or Spicy (3 Peppers).  And, they are serious about the Pepper Criteria!  I ordered Spicy and there was literally three different types of peppers in the dish. 

In the end, there are plenty of other places to try in Corpus Christi.  What’s That?  I can just say it ain’t gonna be HU DAT the next time!

HU DAT Noodle House

6418 South Staples Street

Corpus Christi, TX 78414

361/906-1111

www.hudatnoodlehouse.com

Arturo's Bakery and Cafe: Austin

Arturo's Bakery and Cafe is one of those little tucked away gems in Austin.  They serve what I would coin Eccentric South-Central-Mexican Fusion Food.  They are open for Breakfast and Lunch.

When you step into Arturo's, be prepared because you will be arm and arm with the next Joe.  The menu is above the counter on multiple chalk boards.  It's a little overwhelming at first.  On this day, my counterpart ordered a Chicken Salad while I went for Chicken Quesadillas.  In short, it was super yummy.  Just look at the photos below!

Chicken Salad

Chicken Quesadillas

Arturo's Bakery & Cafe
314 W 17th Street
Austin, Texas 78701
512/469-0380

B&J's Pizza: Corpus Christi

Tonight, I decided to try B&J Pizza since it came so highly recommended.  I decided to go to the original location located in an older strip shopping center.  When I walked into the no frills place, I thought I had walked into an Austin pizzeria where every one had dreads, and Metallica was blaring from the radio.

I decided to get my pizza to go- just a plain thin crust cheese and a house salad with vinaigrette.  While waiting, I enjoyed a nice small pitcher of tea.  The aromas of the place were killing me- I was hoping I would be able to make it back to the room. 

The pizza was a thin crust with ample tomato sauce and plenty of cheese.  The crust was light and airy.  Overall, the pizza was really good.  The side salad was huge with lots of lettuce, tomatoes, green and black olives, and green peppers.  My only complaint is the bacon bits were more like bacos- gross.

Overall, I like B&J Pizza.  They have an amazing beer selection ranging from local to international, and you can join the beer club where you can win prizes for drinking.  If in Corpus Christi, B&J Pizza is a good place to grab a pizza pie.

B&J Pizza

6335 S Padre Island Dr

Corpus Christi, TX 78412

361/992-6671

www.bandjspizza.com

Andy's Country Kitchen: Corpus Christi

On this raining Sunday morning, I decided to try out Andy’s Country Kitchen.  Reading up on it, it has a sweet history spanning over 50 years.  The restaurant is known for their motorized train that runs above the diner counter not to mention their famous muffins that they serve.

It is packed this morning, so I take my place at the counter below the train.  I’m amazed at the fast pace of this diner- churning orders out without hesitation and with pure ease.  The famous muffins arrive- they look like blueberry with streusel on top.  They are warm, and in a matter of minutes, they disappear.

Today, I decide on the French Toast on recommendation of my waiter.  Two pieces of plain white bread dipped in an egg wash arrive with powder sugar gracing it.  A side of thick sliced bacon accompanied the lack luster French toast.  The bacon was sweet, and it could have used more cooking and a paper towel to wipe off some of the grease- I didn’t care for it.  Although the appearance missed the mark, the French Toast was quite tasty, and it took me back to the days when my mom used to make it for me.

Overall, Andy’s Country Kitchen is a nice local place.  The food is pretty good, but not the best.  It is a place where you can sit next to the locals and strike up a conversation.  The coffee is constantly flowing and you never have to worry about an empty cup.  If you want comfort food with a smile, then this is the place to be.

Andy’s Kitchen

5802 S Staples

Corpus Christi, TX  78413

361/993-0251

www.andyskitchen.com