Pappy's Smokehouse (St Louis, MO)

Tried Pappy's Smokehouse in Saint Louis today. I had the two meat meal with beef brisket and pulled pork with sides of fried corn on the cob and sweet potato fries. My friend got a full rack of ribs.

Sweet potato fries were pretty good. They're seasoned with sugar or something to make them a little sweeter. My dining mate said they were usually a little crispier than they were today.

Fried corn on the cob was pretty awesome. For me, it was so good that I could take a pound or two of it home to enjoy.

Pulled pork was tender and moist but somewhat flavorless. It wasn't horrible nor was it memorable. It just...was.

Ribs were tasty. The meat was tender with a light flavor and pulled off the bone nice and easy.

Brisket was tasty as well with the same light flavor as the ribs. It wasn't the typical moist brisket I'm used to but it was very tender. The slicing reminded me of the cuts one would order from a deli counter.

There were four sauce offerings: hoodoo sauce, Jane's sweet sauce, Carolina sauce and Pappy's Original. The hoodoo sauce was deceptively good but then it kicked with the heat and made me say to myself "Nope" because I like spicy but not hot. Other's might be less sissy than I am. Jane's sweet sauce was indeed sweet but not too much and it was very tasty. Carolina sauce was a vinegary sauce which I do not like but other's may. Pappy's Original sauce was flavorful and a little thicker than Jane's. Overall, I used Jane's sweet sauce more than Pappy's.

Parking at Pappy's is not the easiest. I was told it gets busy and the line could be long. Both were true. Luckily the line wasn't too long, about thirty people, and the wait was only about twenty minutes.

That's my visit to Pappy's. If I were to go back and the line or wait was going to be longer than 30 minutes, then I'm not sure I'd wait.

Super Smokers BBQ (Eureka, MO)

Ate at Super Smokers BBQ in Eureka, MO today. I had the Pick 2 meal with beef brisket and ribs with sides of green beans and cheesy potatoes. Also added the sweet bread pudding for dessert. My friend got a full rack of ribs.

 

Brisket had a good smoke flavor but it was fairly dry. The cut was more of what I'd expect for chopped brisket than sliced. Again, the flavor was good but the meat was dry for my taste.

Ribs I got were flavorless for me. I felt like they were baked more than smoked because of the taste and texture. However, the full rack my friend got was darker and had more of a smoky sweet taste to them. It was weird. My ribs weren't horrible they just weren't flavored at all.

The green beans had bacon chunks and were good enough. I felt they weren't any different than what I could make at home with a can of beans and adding sliced chunks of bacon.

The cheesy potatoes were pretty darn good. If I knew better, I would have asked for double side of the cheesy potatoes! They were a hash brown style potato whereas my friend said normally they were potato square chunks. I think I'd prefer the hash brown style all the time. Again, they were darn good!

The sweet bread pudding was very good. It came in its own bowl and it was sweet, warm, gooey goodness. I had to eat it all while it was warm because I don't think it would have heated up well. So good!

There were multiple sauce options available but I only really liked/preferred two: Kansas City and St. Louis. One thing about the Kansas City is it reminded me exactly of KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce in taste and texture found in grocery stores.

That's my visit to Super Smokers BBQ. For my tastes, I don't think I'd go back except for maybe the cheesy potatoes hash brown style. It wasn't horrible barbecue but it's definitely not my preference.

Bushnell 1500 Lumen LED FLashlight

I stopped by Walmart the today to get some replacement blinker bulbs and saw the Bushnell 1500 Lumen LED FLashlight priced at $20.00. (click here for a description from the Walmart website). Like I need another freaking flashlight but I have previously admitted that I have an obsession with lights, flashlights, flashy-lighty things. Anyway, I thought for $20.00 that I would give this product a try.

I had a little bit of excited anticipation to get home and open this up and see how it does. Weird, I know! What you see is the product in the box, the side of the box labeling it as '1500 lumens', and the product outside of the box with the battery holder.


As you can tell, it's a non-glamorous flashlight. No bells or whistles. Just an On-high/On-low/Off button. It's light and seems fairly durable. There is no focusing of the beam as the lens bezel is stationary.

In my non-technical testing of the brightness, it is bright. Is it 1500 lumens bright? I have no freaking clue as I don't know how bright that should be nor do I have anything to measure that with. What I do know is that it lit up my completely dark room pretty well when I pointed it to the ceiling. It also brightened my completely dark bathroom although having one fully mirrored wall probably increased or broadened the luminescence.

Overall, I do have a little buyer's remorse. I mean it was only $20. However, it wasn't what I expected. I didn't return it because I figured it would have it's use(s). Only time will tell.

Panther City BBQ - Fort Worth (Hattie St)

Finally got the chance to visit Panther City BBQ. Being my first time and not knowing how long it'd be when I visited again, I decided to try a taste of everything instead of my typical brisket and/or ribs/pulled pork. Luckily they offered something called "Hell's Half Acre" (inset) which is...

* 1/2 lb brisket
* 1/2 lb pulled pork
* 1/2 lb sausage
* 1/2 lb pork ribs
* 1/2 lbs smoked turkey
* 1/2 lb pork belly burnt ends
* Two medium sides (I chose smoked mac & cheese and potato salad)

Total charge came to $59.54.


Brisket — Options are lean or fatty. Of course, I chose fatty although after my visit to Louie King BBQ I was a little worried about the fatty option instead of moist. Once again I decided to roll the dice as most likely fatty is still better than lean, for me at least. Luckily, all worked out. The brisket was fork-cutting tender and juicy but I would have preferred a bit more flavor in the meat overall.

Pulled pork — Decent flavor, a little more than the brisket. It was a littler drier than I'd like but not too dry where I had to drown it in sauce. I found mixing it with the burnt ends was a good combination of taste and tenderness.

Sausage — Pretty tasty. They generously gave me half jalapeno cheese and half cracked pepper. I'm not ever a fan of sausage from barbecue joints. My sausage tastes are very, very simple such as I really like Johnsonville Beer Brats or even the store brand. I just feel like I waste money at barbecue joints because the sausage is priced higher than the taste and satisfaction I get from it. Plus, the sausage is usually too greasy for my preference. That being said, the sausage here was pretty darn good! Both were flavorful, had a good tang and not greasy at all. I shared some with a friend later and he said, "This is legit!"

Pork ribs — Fairly flavorful and pretty tender but I felt the ribs I received weren't meaty enough. I think there were two ribs so overall it wouldn't be worth the money for me. But if ribs are your thing, I don't think you'll be disappointed with the taste.

Smoked turkey — Pretty darn good. I never, ever individually get turkey at a barbecue joint. I feel like I can get turkey or chicken anywhere for much cheaper and the point of barbecue for me is to get meat prepared in a way that I typically could not easily or timely do at home. Even though I wouldn't get it, I would recommend the turkey to anyone who does enjoy it because it was tender and very flavorful.

Pork belly burnt ends — Very tasty. I could snack on these things like candy all day. The ends were tender with a slightly sweet thick sauce on them. So good! And as previously mentioned, mixing the burnt ends with the pulled pork was...just meant to be.

Smoked mac & cheese — Was okay. As good as anywhere else but nothing spectacular. I don't recall any smoke flavor but maybe that's just the process used to cook it.

Potato salad — Was okay. Wasn't above or below other places but you also wouldn't be disappointed in ordering it as a side.

So, that's my take on Panther City BBQ. If I'm in the area and it's open, I would definitely eat here again.

Louie King BBQ - Dallas (Lower Greenville)

I read about Louie King BBQ a week or so ago in a Dallas Observer article here. I think it's only been open for around a month and the Observer article said it has potential.

I was heading out for lunch today from work and thought I'd take the drive down Greenville and if the place was [too] busy, then I would just keep on trucking. Otherwise, I'd give the place a try. I drove by initially and it looked like just a few people inside so I circled back and parked. I walked around the block from the parking lot to the building and entered. It was a little hard to make out the menu as it's kind of squenched together on a chalk board. It looks like they are still settling in as the dining area was slightly organized but crowded...if that makes any sense.

I was greeted by a very friendly gentleman behind the counter who asked what I would like. I said I'd just have a pound of the brisket and a Diet Coke (which is in a can in the cooler/refrigerator). He asked if I wanted fatty or lean and of course, I chose fatty as I assumed it was interchangeable with the term moist as used at other bbq joints. He also asked if I wanted bread. I said yes although I rarely get filler foods, i.e. bread, beans, cole slaw, etc. Before I got all my sauce and pickles at the 'condiment bar', another guy brought my tray of food.

In the dimmer light of the restaurant the meat looked good. I decided to sit outside at one of their bistro tables in front of the restaurant since the weather was pretty darn perfect around 1 p.m. Once I could see the slices of brisket more clear, it wasn't as mouth-watering as I would have liked.

As you can see, the brisket meat looks pretty good itself but then there is this half inch to three-quarter inch line of fat. I'm assuming that this is what was meant by fatty (not moist) versus lean.

Now I'm not one to hate on fatty as long as it serves a purpose and has good flavor. This fat was just fat. There was a nice thin line of crispness on the edge but that was it. It did not add anything to the meat other than a whole heck of a lot of greasiness that you can see on the butcher paper. That's where the plain slices of bread played it's part. They gave me four slices but the bottom two you nearly soaked with grease. I did use the top two to make a sliced brisket sandwich with the pickle slices and barbecue sauce. I did have to trim some, a lot, of the fat off the meat as it was just too much.

I thought that part of having/leaving fat on meat is to maintain the juiciness of the meat during cooking/smoking. However, this brisket was not as tender as I would have thought with so much fat. It wasn't tough but it also wasn't fork-slicing tender like other places.

So, that's my first experience. I may visit another time to try other meat items but I wouldn't revisit for the brisket or recommend it to anyone. The Observer mentioned the shaved pork loin so that might be something to try next time. This place did essentially just open so I'm sure it'll take some time to get everything 'right' so I'll keep a look out for other articles on any improvements. Or I may just randomly try the brisket at some future time to see if it's gotten any better. I hope it does as this place is very convenient for my lunch hour.

Ferris Wheelers Backyard & BBQ - Dallas visit #2

This is the second time I've been to Ferris Wheelers Backyard & BBQ. Not because it's not good but because it's all the way across town from where I live. It's about a 20 minute drive without traffic.

Anyway, my visit last night was to take advantage of their advertisement deal of $25-all-you-can-eat going on for the Monday Night Football game of Cowboys vs Titans...although the deal was available all day.

The weather was great and it was actually more comfortable to sit outside than inside because it was really chilly inside. It wasn't too busy at the time of my arrival of around 6 p.m. as I thought it would be especialy with the AYCE deal.

I waited for a few friends to arrive before sitting and ordering. Once seated, our waitress (Sofie, I believe) took our drink order and then our dinner order. I was there strictly for the AYCE deal but my friends took a little while to decide before finally opting for the AYCE as well.

As advertised, the AYCE deal started out with three meats, two sides, a dessert and a drink. Which looking at the menu would run about the $25 if not more of the AYCE deal.

I ordered the brisket, pulled pork, ribs, fried okra, mac-n-cheese, banana pudding and a Diet Coke. When they brought my food to the table, the sides were plenty but the meat was sparse: two brisket slices, two ribs and maybe an ice cream scoop of pulled pork.

The mac-n-cheese was just like I remembered it although the bbq Lays crumbs weren't as much as before and so their flavor didn't mix with the mac-n-cheese as much. Essentially, the mac-n-cheese is nothing spectacular and could be just Kraft or Velveeta mac-n-cheese.

The fried okra was pretty tasty if a bit salty. I'm not a a huge fried okra/okra fan but I figured this would be a side that I wouldn't eat as much of which would leave room for more meat. I ended up taking 90% of the fried okra home.

The brisket wasn't very moist but was still tender. I guess I forgot my own advice from my previous review about having to specify moist versus lean/chef cut. I did remember though that the brisket was better with the house barbecue sauce versus plain.

The ribs looked a little smaller...punier...than I remember from my first visit. They were still pretty tasty and almost more moist than the brisket.

The pulled pork was okay. It was my first taste of it here. I did find that it seemed better with the house sauce than plain like the brisket. I just didn't find myself saying, "Man, this is really good pulled pork." It was more like, "I could eat it." Which is what I did.

The banana pudding was pretty darn good. In fact, it is the type of banana pudding that SHOULD be served at ALL barbecue joints. I'm not saying it was spectacular but it had the right taste, texture and vanilla wafers (okay they could have more) that a banana pudding should at least be. I'm not a dessert guy at bbq joints but when I do partake, it should be at least worthy of being served. I've been to a Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ joint that did not have good at all banana pudding. Anyway...

I put in my order for the second round of meats and Sofie returned with another sparse serving of two slices of brisket and two ribs. The brisket this time around was more moist and flavorful. The two new ribs were just as tasty as the first two and just as small.

I just felt like they were nickel and diming us on the servings. I mean I know they want to make their money and people waste food but I would NEVER EVER WASTE GOOD or GOOD ENOUGH BBQ and I would typically eat more meat than the cost of the AYCE so I felt like I got my monies worth. That being said, I did not order a third round as my companions were ready to leave. Even though I could have and should have stayed, I didn't because I was battling a headache. I am a bit disappointed in myself that I did not take full advantage of getting a few more servings of the two by two meats. I'll know better next time.

The only issue I did have with the entire adventure was the extra cost we were not made aware of for ordering ribs. While I believe on the everyday menu, it says that if you want a two meat meal and one of the meats is ribs, it costs $4.00 extra for a half rack. The AYCE was $25 and they added $4 for ribs. This not mentioned ANYWHERE in their AYCE advertising! So, if you didn't order another round of meats including the ribs, you will have paid $4.00 for just two puny ribs! It's bad enough that I only got four puny ribs. If I would have known beforehand, I would have either not gotten ribs or ordered many more rounds. Some people may think $4 for 2-4 ribs isn't bad but I couldn't fill a sandwich with the meat off the four ribs much less two ribs. I'm not totally dogging the ribs. I'm just saying if I was made aware of the added costs, I would have either ordered some other meat or, like I said, made sure I ordered more ribs.

Overall, the food was good and the atmosphere was very enjoyable. Now that I know what I know about the AYCE deal, when they have it again and I decide to partake, I will make better choices and make sure I'm not pressed for time or anything so I can draw out AYCE experience.

   

Meso Maya - Dallas (Mockingbird Ln)

The family was originally planning a drive to Fort Worth for some tasty barbecue at Heim BBQ but plans got changed. We still wanted to go somewhere different and seemingly good food and ended up going to Meso Maya (Dallas) since it's close to home.

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Image one is the Carne Asada. Menu description is "wood-fired marinated steak, homemade sweet corn tamal, crema mexicana, charred salsa, queso fresco, black beans." The steak was good, pretty good. It wasn't really anything better than many other places I've had it (or similar style) like On The Border, Chili's, Matt's, Chuy's, etc. For today, it hit the spot because I was craving red meat that was properly cooked. The sweet corn tamal was pretty awesome. I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be a side or a dessert. Either way, I could've eaten six, ten or even more. The beans were good too. I'm more of a refried bean kind of guy but these black beans didn't disappoint.

Image two is the Herradura Salmon. Menu description is "tamarind-glazed scottish salmon, charred brussel sprouts, crushed piquin, chile guero-chayote puree." My wife had this dish. She really liked the salmon and brussel sprouts. I tasted the salmon and thought it was good but nothing overwhelming and exciting for my tastes. I'm not a huge brussel sprouts fan either but these were done well.

Image three is Pastel de Chocolate. Menu description is "moist oaxacan dark chocolate cake with fresh corn ice cream, warm chocolate rum sauce." This dessert was damn near awesome! I could've eaten the entire thing myself but alas I had to share it with four other people. What could have made this awesome was being filled with warm chocolate sauce akin to those lava cake types. However, get this if you want dessert here.

Image four is Pastel de Moras. Menu description is "skillet baked blueberry cake with mexican vanilla ice cream, blueberry drizzle." This dessert is passable. It looked and sounded way better than it tasted. The flavor could have been better and the cake was pretty soggy. It almost seemed like it was undercooked. None of us were fighting for the last bite of this dessert.

Now onto the restaurant and service. We were served by a server-in-training and her trainer. She was very nice but wasn't fully informed on everything about the menu. Not a big deal. I know learning the menu takes time. She was very personable and what she didn't know, her trainer was more than welcome to "highly recommend one of his favorites" from the menu. The only problem we really had was the attentiveness to our table in the sense of drink refills. I'm a drinker. I don't drink alcohol but I do chug my Diet Coke like drinking water. I like to have a refill pretty close to being almost done and DEFINITELY before I start having to chew on the ice! My other guests had to wait as well for their simple drinks of water and tea. This is unacceptable and I tend to base the server's tip on how well they keep 'the drink' flowing, at least partially. I'm also aware of how busy the restaurant is and allow some leeway. However, we were eating around 2 p.m. and the restaurant wasn't that busy at all. She still got a pretty good tip (20%) from me because that's the kind of patron I am.

The only really negative thing that was bothersome was a about fifteen minutes before we left. A family, maybe multi-family, with young children sat in the booth next to us and then next to it. Their five kids sat in the booth next to us and were loud and obnoxious. They yelled, stood in the booth and reached across the table all while their parents just fucking sat in the other booth. They were so loud sometimes that we could barely hear our own conversations at our table. If Meso Maya wants to be a higher-end restaurant like they seem to want to be, I would fucking rein that shit in but not a single manager was around to proactively settle the little heathens. If we weren't leaving, I definitely would have said something to the management and parents. I felt like when I've been to the local Cici's and the parental figures there allow their little fucks to run around the restaurant like they're at a fucking playground. Management doesn't want to say anything there because they'd probably get shot. Anyway...

FINAL VERDICT: It's worth a try. They have some variety on the menu and we will probably go back to try a few more things. I'm in no rush to do so because I just wasn't overwhelmingly awed but it definitely has some respectable taste and flavors with the food that if I can't decide anywhere else, I could hit this place up again.

SushiFork of Dallas (SMU Blvd)

First time trying Sushi Fork. My kids have been here once or twice and said it was good. One has had the Three Amigos and the other did a create-your-own.

This time around, my wife and one child each got the Three Amigos ($13.00 each). The other child got a CYO Seaweed with Tempura Shrimp, Sprouts, Lettuce, Carrot, Sesame Seeds, Tempura Crunch, Cilantro, Mango and Sweet Soy (Eel) Sauce and then the entire roll was deep fried ($8.00).

But this is not their story...mostly.

I ordered the Tempura Shrimp Roll ($5.00) and the Kiss Kiss Bang Bang ($5.50). I place my order online through their website and I went to pick it up at the time it listed on my order confirmation.

Upon arrival, I noticed there were only two pint-sized females in the restaurant and no one else but the employees. However, my order was not ready by the time it said it would be. It took about 7-10 minutes more after arriving at the door. Not a good start.

When done, I get the food home quickly as it's only about a five minute drive. I'm very hungry and I waste no time getting the food out of the bag once I get to my dining room table.

I first try a piece of the Tempura Shrimp Roll. It's kind of luke warm and kind of crumbles apart. I think this is because the rice isn't rolled well enough or sticky enough and they placed this roll in with my kids deep-fried CYO which made for a bit of moisture within the to-go box.

I then tried the Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Based on the description from the menu for the KKBB, I expected more...a lot more. There was no kiss and definitely no bang. In fact, I don't think I even tasted or felt one pop rock! That was the main reason I got it was I wanted to see what the pop rocks would do to the taste of the roll, if anything. Unfortunately the only thing that I could really taste was the cream cheese with a hint of sweet soy sauce. This roll too would crumble because the rice wasn't sticky enough or some other reason. Although both fell apart, the only difference with the KKBB and the TSR is that the KKBB was in a box by itself.

The other part of the story is the CYO. It did not have some of the ingredients my kid specifically selected as part of the CYO order. It was missing the sprouts, mango and sweet soy (eel) sauce. Of course, we didn't find this out until we are already home. All the items were listed on the print out of my receipt which I'm sure also were on the print out for the restaurant to follow when building the CYO. It's very simple to follow the list and they still failed.

I guess one positive was that the wife and other kid said the Three Amigos was good but I'm not sure it's worth $13.00.

So, my first experience was overall not a positive one at Sushi Fork. I would expect some possibility of failure to produce a quality product if the place was extremely busy but the lack of time and effort to make sure the finished product did not fall apart or had all the ingredients requested when the restaurant is basically dead is unacceptable to me.

That's my take on Sushi Fork. Although it is conveniently located, I'm not sure I'll eat here again because there are other places (like Sushi Kyoto II) that have already impressed me at similar or better cost but definitely with better quality and taste.

Meat U Anywhere BBQ (Grapevine, TX)

Visited Meat U Anywhere BBQ in Grapveine, Texas. I happened to be near the area because of tennis and remember reading something about this place so thought I would give it a try.

Ordered a pound of moist brisket and a pound of St Louis cut ribs. Service was very friendly and fairly fast. Brisket was $19/lb and ribs were $17/lb. Tab was about $39 w/tax.

Brisket was not as moist as I thought it would be. Could be the slicer did not hear my order because I felt like the brisket I could see looked more moist than what I was given. The bark contained the most flavor. Brisket itself was not very smoky-tasting. It was not as tender as I hoped either. You could probably cut it with a fork but it did not just pull apart with ease.

St Louis cut ribs were good but also lacked any real flavoring. They were a little chewier than other ribs I have had.

I found myself dipping the meats in the sauce more often than not. This tells me that the meats themselves are not very flavorful. Sauce to me should enhance the flavor already there and not be the flavor.

What is weird is I could smell the smokeyness when unwrapping the meats. As mentioned, I just could not get much of a taste from the meats.

FINAL VERDICT: I was already in the area and knew about this place so thought I would try it. I would not make a drive from Dallas to Grapevine just for this and more than likely will not be back as it is just not my preference. It was not horrible so other people may like it.

Hat Creek Burger Company - Dallas (Walnut Hill Ln)

Visited Hat Creek Burger Co - Dallas (Walnut Hill Ln) today. I forgot to take photos of my food. Bummer.

Anyway, I decided to try the turkey burger (double) with cheddar cheese and all the regular fixings. Also ordered a side of sweet potato fries.

Turkey burger was good. It wasn't overly flavorful but it also wasn't tasteless. I took the bottom bun off to see the size of the turkey patties. It was indeed two patties but one was a bit larger than the other. Not a big deal just...interesting. The lettuce (not diced which is the way I mostly prefer it), tomatoes, red onions and pickles weren't chincy...as in you could see them as well as tell that you are biting into them.

The sweet potato fries were okay. I expected more because of the other places I've had sweet potato fries. Hat Creek's weren't anything exciting. The first one I pulled from the bag was actually around room temperature. They weren't very crispy or crunchy. They were kind of flaccid.

To add some taste to the fries, I tried the Hat Sauce, Happy Sauce and Fry Sauce. This added some flavoring so I did eat all the sweet potato fries by dipping each bite/fry in a different sauce each time. I think it was the Hat Sauce that reminded me of Cane's sauce.

My entire meal with a Diet Coke came to $14.14. A little higher than I like to spend but that's almost the going rate these days even at the "faster food" restaurants.

I will give Hat Creek another try...or two. Probably get a hamburger one time and a chicken sandwich another. Oh and probably try the tater tots or fresh cut fries.

I went around 12:30 pm and the place was busy. A lot of mom's and kids, dad's and kids, or mom, dad and kids. Luckily, the kid families were interested in the playground so most sat outside. The inside is limited four-people sitting but we were lucky enough to get one. I'm sure during the school year it won't be quite as 'kid' busy during the business lunch hour.

Place was pretty clean, even with all the kiddos. The employees were all very friendly and pleasant to interact with.

FINAL VERDICT: It was good enough/good so I will try it again.

Sushi Zushi - Dallas (McKinney Ave)

The office wanted to have a group lunch outing today. I normally don't hang with the entire office at lunch because that's my time to get away from them all. Ha!

I'm not totally antisocial as I do occasionally go to lunch with one or two coworkers whom I deem worthy of sharing my lunch hour. But today I agreed to go along with the group strictly because of the restaurant suggested: Sushi Zushi in Dallas. I'm always up for trying new places and new sushi places are high on the list.

What you see here is the Chirashi Bowl. The menu describes it as:

"Sashimi cuts of fish served over a bed of sushi rice in a traditional Japanese bowl: Tuna, salmon, yellowtail, shrimp, octopus, albacore, bonito, mackerel, kanikama crab, eel, tamago, ikura, shiitake mushrooms, and kampyo.*

I will say that it was fairly good. The cuts were okay-sized. The overall flavors were good. I'm not sure it's worthy twenty bucks but there are many foods that I don't think are worth the somewhat-inflated cost.

As far as the ambiance of the restaurant, it was nice. It's weird like it felt snooty but somewhat laid back at the same time. Our waiter was pretty good and knowledgeable of the various food items.

I'll probably go back and try something different but I think it would run its course of interest with me after another visit or two. Mainly because there are good/very good sushi/sashimi places closer to my area. If I lived by Zushi Sushi I would probably continue to occasionally visit.

Ten50 BBQ - Richardson (US Hwy 75)

It's been on my radar to swing by sometime and today I was able to visit Ten50 BBQ today.

Ordered about 1/2 lb each of brisket, pulled pork and ribs, two brisket torpedoes and sides of two dinner rolls, mac n cheese, brisket beans, potato salad and key lime pie.

Brisket was very good and tender. I do prefer a little more moist, it wasn't dry by any means, but didn't think to ask if that was an option as I was just too hungry after four hours of tennis to fully focus.

Pulled pork, ribs and brisket torpedoes were all good but I felt they needed a little more flavor.

Dinner rolls were very good. I think the butter had a sweetness to it.

Mac n cheese was just okay.

Brisket beans could be better if they drained the liquid. I didn't like the flavor of it and it felt more like eating soup than beans and brisket.

Potato salad was very good. I'm not a sides person but this was a good side to order.

Key lime pie was very, very good! So good that I almost purchased one for to-go.

Barbecue sauce options are house sauce and Carolina sauce. The house sauce was very good!

I'd go again if someone wanted to try it but I'm not jonesing for it. It is a good option though if I'm in the area. So there you have it.

Which Wich - Dallas (Park Lane)

This was my first time ever to eat at a Which Wich. I was not particularly interested in having a sandwich for lunch but my coworker wanted to go and 'try something different'.

After browsing the menu choices, I decided to try the Philly Cheesesteak....and the Banh Mi. I figured they couldn't mess up a cheesesteak OR banh mi sandwich.

I was sort of right and sort of wrong.

I got the Philly Cheesesteak first. They called my name. I picked it up and by the time I got to the table, the sandwich felt luke warm. I took a bite and I wasn't impressed. There was no real flavor to the sandwich. No salt. No pepper. No nothing. I only ate half because I wanted to taste the banh mi.

About two minutes after the cheesesteak, they called my name for the Banh Mi. Presentation was nice as the bread came 'open' with the fillings showing and a really nice looking over-easy egg right on top. I folded the bread and the sandwich was just too darn juicy/sloppy for me to eat it by hand. I had to cut it into smaller pieces with the plastic knife they provided, which makes me think they know it can't be eaten by just hands. The egg was the best part of the sandwich. I didn't taste anything special about the pork. There was a sauce that I kind of tasted but it wasn't something that made me want more. The jalapenos gave it a little kick but nothing flavorful. I only ate half.

Because I got a combo meal, I had some cheddar Sun Chips. The chips were the most flavorful, tasteful part of the meal.

For $21.00 on my first visit, I expected quite a bit more. Unless it's provided free, I will probably go elsewhere for my 'subs/sandwiches'.

I did mention to other coworkers that I went to Which Wich and 5 out of 5 said, "I heard they have really good shakes!"

Boston Market - Dallas (Mockingbird & Abrams)

Went to Boston Market at Abrams and Mockingbird today at the suggestion of a coworker friend. She wanted something different and decided Boston Market was the choice of difference. I have not been to a Boston Market in at least 3-5 years. It's just not a place that I felt like I had to have on a more-often basis.

Today they had a two-piece chicken and three-quarter ribs meal. Me being the barbecue 'king', it was an easy choice for me to pick this and compare with other barbecue ribs I've had. So, the picture is of this meal.

If you take a close look at the photo, everything looks fairly appealing. I mean you can't really screw up corn, mashed potatoes, sweet corn bread and even baked/rotisserie chicken. However, you can try to mask sub-par ribs by covering them in barbecue sauce.

And that's basically what Boston Market did. These ribs are essentially the same ribs you see in a grocery store deli. You know the kind that you either order hot at the counter or they have a 'cold' version that all you do is set your oven to 350 degrees and put the ribs in on a baking sheet for 20 minutes or until hot.

Yeah, those kind of ribs. Needless to say that I was NOT impressed.

Other than that, I liked everything else. I guess my expectations for the ribs was too high. Although I do believe their chicken is overpriced. I mean I really can get the same roasted chicken from the same grocery store deli!

Now that I know, I will not return to Boston Market, ever, because I can get the same foods from the grocery store and probably feed a family of four at the same cost as the one meal from Boston Market.

Frost Bite Creamery - Dallas (Lower Greenville)

The family went to eat at Snuffer's today. My oldest said that she has previously been to the Frost Bite Creamery across the street and that it was pretty good. So we decided to cross the street and give it a try.

What you see is 'The Give Me A Break' dessert. It was pretty darn good. It was a little on the pricier side for ice cream but I think it was worth it for a first-time experience.

That's my take. Would I go back? Sure but not too often because I'm not made of money. ;-)

Snuffer's - Dallas (Lower Greenville)

Took advantage of Snuffer's $5 Classic Burger/Cheeseburger Tuesdays. I believe you save $2.00 off the regular price of these two burgers. I've always liked Snuffer's burgers and most definitely their loaded cheddar cheese fries. YUM! YUM! If you are ever needing your burger fix and are near a Snuffer's, it's a good deal. Just know that the price does not apply to their specialty burgers. Sometimes you just can't go wrong with a basic burger or cheeseburger...and a fully loaded regular order of cheddar fries with bacon and chives to round out the meal!

Baker's Ribs - Dallas (NW Hwy)

Was craving some barbecue this evening so decided to give Baker's Ribs a try. It's been a long while since I last ate here, at least five years and probably longer. I do know the last time I ate at Baker's they were located on Greenville Avenue between University Blvd and Lovers Lane. That location apparently has now moved to NW Hwy and Skillman.

I got there around 7:15 p.m. and the place was mostly empty. There was a group of ladies who looked to have gathered for some meeting and were finishing up. There was an older couple sitting on the opposite side of the area. For all intents and purposes, it was dead! Not a positive outlook to start.

I ordered the three meat plate. It comes with a choice of two sides and either Texas toast or dinner rolls. I chose brisket, pulled pork, ribs, mac-n-cheese, green beans and dinner rolls.

I guess the ease of ordering was the best part of my visit. Here's my thoughts on the offerings I was served:

• Dinner rolls look to have been pre-purchased versus baked in-house. They were soft but had no butter or any kind of flavoring added. They were served at room temperature in saran wrap.
• Green beans tasted like they came straight from a can. No seasoning or anything. I mean simply adding salt and pepper would have made a flavoring difference. Instead it looks like there were white onions and almond slices which added nothing to the flavor.
• Mac-n-cheese was quite runny. Watery cheese is not desirable. It too had no seasoning or even a cheesy flavor. After 7-10 minutes on my plate, the "cheese" started to show clumps which is a sure sign of too much water and not enough cheese.
• Pulled pork was fairly dry. It had a little bit of smoke flavor but nowhere near enough to make it tasty or overlook the dryness. I had to add in quite a bit of barbecue sauce for some taste.
• Ribs were tastier than the pulled pork. The meat pulled off the bone with ease. Ribs seemed to have a kind of peppery rub because I could feel the "burn" on my lips after eating one.
• Brisket was much drier than the pulled pork, if that was possible! Marbling was nonexistent in the slices of meat I was served. The same slightly smoky flavor of the pulled pork was present. Due to the dryness, I tried adding, almost drowning, the brisket in barbecue sauce. However, it was still difficult to swallow the bites of brisket because of how dry the meat was.
• Free soft serve is still offered. Many comments I've read speak of this as a final "blessing of the good eats" to have the free soft serve. I went to the soft serve machine and when I raised the lever, liquidy white stickiness sprayed all over my cone and hand. I guess my time was just not meant to end on a good note!

Things I take away from my visit:

• It really reminded me of sub-par, quick, catering barbecue meal that serves hundreds at a big corporate meeting or company picnic because no one is paying attention to or cares about the true quality of the meal anyway.
• The addition of a drive-thru window should have been a flag of expected quality. Quality cannot be served in a fast, drive-thru manner. To me, a drive-thru is for producing quantity.
• Another flag. Even though the 'cooks' are right behind the 'cashier', they write my order in pen on the edge of the styrofoam plate so the 'cooks' know what to put on the plate. I was the only customer in line so how difficult was it to just tell the 'cooks' to add brisket, ribs and pulled pork to the plate? I'm not a freak about germs and poisoning but some people might be. As you can see in the photo, the brisket is splayed over the ink writing on the plate. If the meat was hot, it could cause the ink to run and/or seep into the food. This just shows me a lack of presentation and care from the business.
   
  

That's my experience. Take it as you will. I'm no "food expert" but I know what I like and what tastes good (to me) and there are too many other barbecue joints serving a better quality and much better tasting product, especially for $18.00! Therefore, I will not be returning to Baker's Ribs (at least the NW Hwy @ Skillman location) to fulfill my barbecue craving.

Peggy Sue's BBQ - Dallas (Snider Plaza)

It's been a while since I've had Peggy Sue BBQ. So long that I cannot remember the quality of the meats that I ordered. I do remember that it wasn't horrible but it was also not memorable (obviously). I had heard that new management has taken over so I thought it was worth a newer visit since I was in the area.

I ordered one of the take out meals. I believe it was a pound each of brisket, pulled pork and ribs (or I may have added ribs, I can't remember for sure) with three sides (green beans, mashed potatoes and mac n cheese).

I was surprisingly impressed by the taste and quality of the meats.

The brisket was fairly moist, tender and very flavorful.

The pulled pork wasn't too shabby either. Had good flavor, tender and plentiful.

The ribs were good but nothing spectacular that made them stand out over other places.

The green beans, mashed potatoes and mac n cheese we've always liked so no disappointment there.

I don't remember the exact cost but I believe it was just a little pricier than some BBQ places I've had with better meats. That being said. I would not hesitate to order from Peggy Sue again.Brisket and baby back ribs.

One90 Smoked Meats - Dallas (NW Hwy)

I have previously eaten at One90 Smoked Meats but I wasn't much of a 'reviewer' at the time. The one time before I ordered The Beast which is a brisket, pulled pork and sausage sandwich and don't really remember it enough to comment. At the time, I figured it was a good way to try multiple meats at once at a fairly decent cost ($14).

What I got this time was a 1/2 lb plate + 2 sides meal with sliced brisket, pulled pork, baked beans and mac'n'cheese. It came with some dill pickles and a roll ($16).

So let's get to it.

• Brisket was moist and tender with good flavor.
• Pulled pork was moist and tender as well with good flavor.
• Baked beans were good but nothing new and spectacular.
• Mac 'n' cheese was good but nothing new and spectacular. Cheese was a tad bit watery.
• Roll was a roll. It was fresh and soft.

FINAL VERDICT: I would go back again and again to get the brisket and pulled pork. I may even try the sausage next time. As far as the sides, if I ordered a meal and they come with, I won't deny them. However, I may just do the meats and avoid the filler.

B&J Logistics

B&J Logistics. First let me say that I've never used this person/company.

However, based on personally viewing the way this person drives their truck on Interstate 30 during rainy, very wet and slick conditions, I would not recommend this business to anyone!

I was driving on I30 between Dallas and Fort Worth. It started to rain like it does in Texas — downpour then drizzle then downpour. The interstate was pretty slick since it hadn't rained long enough to wash the oils away.

I noticed this truck around Hwy 360 until he exited around Beach St (I think). This driver was pulling an empty flatbed trailer. He was riding on the tail of other cars and weaving in and out of lanes, sometimes two at a time, like he was driving a sports car.

It was crazy. I tried to take a video or photo with my phone but I couldn't safely do so. If he was part of a larger company, I most definitely would have gotten his information and called the offices to report his unsafe driving behavior.

I was waiting to have to pull over and wait for the police to explain why he had gotten into an accident. Luckily, all worked out okay, at least while he was on I30.

Stupidity at its finest!

Heim Barbecue - Fort Worth

Today I played some early-morning tennis at TCU's indoor tennis facility because the weather currently has been too cold for my wussy ass to play outdoors. Plus, the elements like wind and precipitation don't help much either. After playing for around three and a half hours, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., I was freaking starving!

When I was leaving the parking lot of the courts, I figured I'd hit a drive-thru to eat something on the long drive back to Dallas. I was thinking about all the different restaurants I've seen on I-30 between Fort Worth and Dallas and which one sounded the most appealing.

But then it hit me, let me see what barbecue restaurants were close to my current location. I opened Google Maps on my phone and searched for "barbecue restaurants near me."

The number two (hehe) option was Heim Barbecue. I remember reading/hearing something about this place and new it was supposed to be good according to most people/critics who have already partaken in it's offerings. I think the article also said something about it just missing the Top 50 list for Texas Monthly due to not being open during the rating time period or something. Or I could be just making it up.

Anyway, Heim was approximately ten minutes from my location. I did read that sometimes there were waiting lines around the building and getting parking spaces close wasn't that great either.

When I got to the place, I did a brief "is it worth it" drive by. I did see that there were maybe 3-5 people waiting in a line outside the door but I didn't know how long the line was inside the door. I figured what the hell. I was already here and I have a long drive home so might as well at least get out and see what's up.

As mentioned, parking is a bitch. There seems to be a parking lot right behind the building with maybe 10-20 spots but I think it shares parking with two or three or more other businesses. I did drive through it and no one was leaving. I drove around the block which includes the businesses and some residential houses, a-la Bishop Arts District, and was lucky to find a spot being vacated as I pulled up about one hundred feet on a street behind Heim.

I took this as another sign to keep on keeping on...

Okay, so finally I get to the door and there are still about five people in line outside the door. I take a quick glance in and I find that the line ends almost just past the inside the door. Another sign...

I'm waiting outside, luckily the weather is warmer than expected, and more people start to get in line. I'm talking 2-3 at first and then there are 10, then 15. It's a good thing I got there when I did.

They do have a bar area which can be accessed from the inside or outside that you can sit at and order but I didn't know for sure if I wanted to hang out and eat or make the long drive home and devour it in the comforts of home.

The full wait time for me once I got in line was maybe 20-30 minutes. The meat aroma was way worse than the wait in line because it smelled so good that my mouth watered for the duration of the wait and it just made me want to taste the offerings that much more.

I get to the counter and the cashier/order taker was friendly as can be. So was the prep woman which is I would call the person who is between the order taker and kitchen that puts the food on the trays or in the to-go bags.

Anyway, while waiting in the line previously, I decided that I would definitely get brisket and ribs. I usually just get brisket but I've had a few good-tasting ribs from other BBQ joints so I figured I'd keep trying them at new places.

I also happened to see an item that caught my eye: loaded potato skins. The description on the menu board and the price point made them a seemingly worthy "extra" to get with the ribs and brisket.

So, I gave my to-go order. I paid for my order. I waited for my order. I received my order in about 5-10 mins after ordering. I left with my order. I drove with my order all the way from Downtown Fort Worth to basically Downtown Dallas...all the while inhaling the awesome barbecue smell the entire time!

I finally got home to reveal what the smell of goodness had in store for me.

The wife and one of my kids gathered around for the unveiling...

What you see (from left to right) is a pound of ribs, loaded potato skins and a pound of brisket.

It all smelled good and looked good but I couldn't wait to see if it tasted good.

It all did taste good...enough!

The ribs were tender and had a good smoke aroma. However, they weren't as flavorful as I had hoped. I feel ribs are something that really can't be messed up but you can make them underwhelming. I felt like these ribs were good but nothing I need to return for.

The loaded potato skins were very good. I didn't expect them to be but they were. The wife and kid really liked them and preferred them over the ribs and brisket. I only had a small bite of them to get some of the awe they were feeling because I was invested in having the brisket. However, I would order the loaded potato skins again!

The brisket was very good too. I was fairly flavorful and moist just like I prefer it. It pulled apart with ease. The bark was perfect. It was just all around pretty awesome!

They have other offerings like sausage and chicken but I'm not wasting my taste buds or dollars on those offerings. Others may have a different opinion.

So, there you have it. Heim is definitely worth hitting up if you are near the Downtown Fort Worth area.

Ferris Wheelers Backyard & BBQ - Dallas

Ferris Wheelers Backyard & BBQ. We've been talking about it for a couple of weeks so today, my coworker and I decided to take action.

According to Google Maps, Ferris Wheelers is 7.4 miles from our work place but because there is no major highway straight to their front door, it says it's a 21-minute drive. We questioned our desire to go for just a second before we decided to just do it!

So, with that, here's the lowdown from my perspective:

• The mac-n-cheese was cheesy and mostly good but nothing to get amped about. I think it had BBQ Lays crunchies on top.
• I got the moist brisket but also comes in lean or chef's cut. Brisket was tender and flavorful, especially the bark, but IMO nowhere as good as Cattleack's. I think it needs a little more marbling.
• The ribs were pretty darn good. You can taste a hint of the brown sugar glaze and the meat easily pulls off the bone. Very tasty. I would go back for the ribs instead of the brisket which is a first for me. Again, the brisket isn't bad. I just know there is better elsewhere.

I ordered the two meat with a side meal and a fountain drink. I brought back four ribs because I had to return to work and would be uncomfortable or sleeping if I powered through it all.

One thing to note: YOU HAVE TO TELL THEM THE TYPE OF BRISKET YOU'D LIKE: MOIST, LEAN or CHEF'S CUT.

If you read the menu or paid attention to my mentioning of it above, the brisket comes in three choices. The default choice they will give you is chef's cut which is a bit of lean and moist. I know this because I read the menu and I also saw a brisket cut ordered by someone else that I do not like (dislike the cut of lean not the someone else). I asked the cashier about the meat choices and she explained what I just explained.

FINAL VERDICT: I think it's definitely worth a visit or two. There IS a ferris wheel but only runs on the weekends I think.

The Washingtonian Taco at Torchy's Tacos - Dallas (SMU Blvd)

What you are seeing is The Washingtonian Taco from Torchy's Tacos. It's their taco of the month for January 2018.

The description from their website describes it as "smoked pulled pork & grilled onions with freshly grated jack cheese, pickles, sour cream & fresh avocado with chipotle BBQ sauce on a flour tortilla. Sweet heat ready to eat!"

It's not too bad. It has a pretty good smokey flavor and the pulled pork was flavorful. The sour cream was slightly over spread although it may be just a one-time thing. With the sour cream, the BBQ sauce and avocado, the taco was very 'squishy' to bite into and eat in general.

Overall verdict, I would have The Washingtonian again with slightly less sour cream just to try and fully appreciate all the ingredients.

Anker Roav Dash Cam C2

Purchased the Anker Roav Dash Cam C2 from Amazon for $54.11 (normally $79.99 but had a promo code for $30 off and free shipping).

Ordering was simple enough. C'mon. It's Amazon. Shipping was fairly quick...like one-day shipping quick.

As always, Anker packaging is minimal. A palish tan box with the product inside wrapped in a plastic bag and a very small leaflet help manual.

Set up was fairly easy. It didn't come with a memory card (micro SD is needed). I didn't run the power cord from windshield just behind the rear view mirror. I just wrapped it once or twice around the neck of the rear view mirror and let it dangle down to my 12-volt socket.

What's nice about the Roav power cord is it's not tethered directly to a 12-volt plug. Instead it's a USB so it can plug into ANY power source that accepts USB. This is nice as I have a three USB 12-volt adapter so I can use the Roav, charge my phone with a USB-C cord and have a spare port to charge something else.

Video quality is pretty darn good.

• Daytime recording allows easy viewing of some pretty decent details.
• Nighttime viewing is decent enough but some details like legible license plate numbers may occasionally be lacking.

Sound quality is okay.

• From inside the car, voices and music are picked up but occasionally inaudible which is to be expected. Audio is not what I was looking for in a dash cam anyway.
• From outside the car, sound can be barely heard in some instances, mainly with windows open, but again not a necessity for me.

Recording has loop, parking and emergency settings.

• Loop has 5, 10 and 15 minute videos (I think) and, as standard, once full the newest will record over the oldest.
• Parking puts the camera in like a standby mode that will activate recording for thirty seconds when impact or 'hard' movement of the vehicle is detected while the camera is not being directly powered from a vehicle being on. I believe there are two sensitivity settings to the parking mode.
• Emergency recording detects 'severe' impact, records thirty seconds and locks it from being deleted by the loop recording.

Operating the camera is fairly straight forward. There are tactile buttons on the back of the camera on the right-hand side which allow navigation of the camera functions menu.

The camera mounts via a suction cup. The suction cup performs fairly well unless it gets hot within the vehicle. On warmer days, I've left my vehicle and the camera is on the windshield but when I return some twenty minutes or longer later, the camera is dangling from the rear view mirror since I have the power cord wrapped there. This isn't a huge deal unless there was some impact while the vehicle was parked and the camera records my dashboard or floorboard.

Overall I'm pretty satisfied with my purchase. For the price I paid, the quality of the recording and the ease of operation, I thought about purchasing another one for my other vehicle. However, I haven't seen as good of a deal as I found the first time around. Even at $79.99, one would be hard pressed to find a better product overall.

Peet's Coffee Decaf House blend K-Cup

I bought my wife a Keurig as an anniversary present a month or two ago. If I remember, maybe I'll write a post aboutt it.

Anyway, she has to drink decaf due to a health issue. Her sister brought some k-cups of Peet's Coffee Decaf for testing. She liked it. A few days later I went to Tom Thumb to purchase a box. I believe it was a box of ten, on sale with my Rewards Card for $4.99. It's normally $10.69 so I guess half price isn't too bad. That makes it $.50 per k-cup. That's still above what I'd pay for a pot of coffee in the normal kind of brewer.

So, I did some Googling. I found Amazon had the best price for the most product. I ordered Peet's Coffee Decaf House blend K-Cup 88 count for $62.74. Two-day shipping was a bonus but I ended up getting it in three at no fault of Amazon or the seller. It was because the United States Postal Service sucks ginormous balls! They said the mail receptacle was full. However, they delivered it to my door the next day so my assumption is that the postal carrier was just a lazy ass.

The 88 ct is broken down in four boxes of 22. Not a problem, as it makes it easier to store in my pantry.

The wife is satisfied. The pocketbook is happy.