Rudy's "Country Store" Bar-B-Q

 

Please do not let the appearance of this restaurant from the outside fool you. GO INSIDE. It has a great Southern homey feeling with large community tables and picnic tables. Where we sat by the picnic tables, the windows on the wall are literally garage doors. It is filled with old metal signs and has TV's with different sports games on. If you subtracted the TV's it almost feels like you are eating at a BBQ in someone's backyard.

The menu is pretty straight forward. You walk through a line, pick up what beverage you want if it isn't from a fountain machine, any sides or desserts that are in the refrigerator part, and then order at the register. I ordered the half chicken with corn on the cob as a side. I was out of it while ordering, usually I'm not a huge fan of chicken on the bone because I am a stickler for chicken fat. My sister-in-law went back up to the window and ordered brisket for us to share and it was fantastic. They offer you bread, which you take, along with pickles and onions. They have homemade BBQ sauces on each table so I made myself a brisket sandwich. The smoke ring around this sliced meet was fantastic. I forgot to take a picture of the brisket but it was very juicy and packed with smokey flavor.

If I came back here I would try one of the sandwiches, like the pulled pork. Then it comes hassle free already in the bread for you.... Definitely worth the stop.

Rudy's BBQ, Killeen Menu

Taquerias Mexico

While down in Texas, I asked my sister-in-law to take me to one of her favorite Mexican restaurants. We stopped here after a long day driving to Dallas and back and I am so glad we did! It really hit the spot.

For an appetizer, we ordered the cheese sauce. This is one of my favorite things that I always order. I just can't help that ooey gooeyness of it all. The sauce was absolutely delicious when mixed in with the spicy salsa.

For dinner I ordered the chicken chimichanga. It came with a side of rice, refried beans, guacamole and sour cream. The shredded chicken mixture inside the chimichanga was delicious. The right amount of seasoning and the meat was really tender. The shell wasn't soggy after being fried, and everything was smothered in cheese sauce, which I also loved.

For dessert, I ordered one of my favorites, the sopapillas. Crunchy, drizzled with honey and chocolate sauce, and served with a side of whipped cream. Amazing, even though I barely had any room!

Although I didn't order the fried ice cream, there were three of these shared at the table. They probably all could have shared one! The phrase "as big as my head" is almost not even an exaggeration.

This restaurant was definitely a great place to have stopped. The food was amazing and the staff was really nice. The only downfall was that there was a woman sitting at a table close to us, purposely on her phone the entire time trying to find people to call, and literally screaming instead of talking, and also singing to herself. Other than the annoying lady, it was a great experience.

Shilo Restaurant

While visiting my sister-in-law down in Texas this past month, we stayed at the Shilo Inn Suites which is an absolutely amazing hotel. The pool was huge, they had an indoor AND outdoor hot tub (which for us Michiganders was amazing when it cooled down at night). It was a great place to stay. Not only that, but the number one rated restaurant in Killeen is the Shilo Restaurant in the hotel itself.

We ordered from here twice, the first time being room service, and racked up around $100 of food to share for 6 people. It was all amazing, but we were so hungry that I could have eaten shoe leather at that point. Finally, we had a chance to sit down in the restaurant.

For an appetizer, we ordered the fried pickles, which are my favorite just about everywhere I go for a starter. The breading, which looks thick, was very fluffy and instead of serving it with ranch dressing like everywhere else I've had them, they were served with a garlic aioli. I wish I could have bottled that aioli up and taken it home with me to mass produce it. It was delicious.

For dinner, I ordered the Top Sirloin and Shrimp Scampi. You had the choice of two different side dishes and I ordered the mac and cheese, and the mashed potatoes. The mac and cheese was the best homemade mac I've had. It was creamy, and whatever bechamel sauce they used was to die for. The mashed potatoes were soft and fluffy with the right amount of seasoning and i'm assuming cream. The shrimp was garlicky and full of flavor and fresh herbs and went great with a bite of steak.

My steak came out amazing. Oh my goodness. Not only was it still very juicy, but I ordered it medium and it came out perfectly. The butter herb sauce on top kept it moist and flavorful (because melted butter always makes things taste so much better....) and every bite I had was as good as the last.

This meal, overall, was amazing. The food was all cooked perfectly. We had crabby children at the table with us and our waiter was so kind and helpful. The food itself looked as pretty as all of the pictures they took professionally on their website. It was literally a picture perfect meal.

Shilo Restaurant, Main Website

Billy Bob's Burgers

While visiting family in Texas, and after a long day of painting and fixing up a house, we decided to get something quick to eat for dinner. There is a restaurant in Wisconsin that serves up some old fashioned burgers, even one in the Upper Peninsula where we live, and the menu for Billy Bob's sounded similar only with way more options, so we went through the drive-through.  It is so weird because the outside of the building looks like an old garage. Other than serving up some delicious burgers, they also serve ice cream shakes, locally made desserts and have live music.

For a side with my burger, I ordered the cheese fries. Although it wasn't my favorite kind of runny cheese that is good for dipping your fries in, they were definitely some cheesy fries! No sauce necessary.

I ordered a single Southwest Burger. It was topped with Swiss and American cheese, A1 and BBQ sauce, lettuce, tomato, and battered fried jalapeno sticks. The burger was amazing. It wasn't too greasy, the jalapeno sticks added a nice kick that got cooled down by the melted American and Swiss. This was just an all-around good burger. It definitely reminded me a lot of the one we have up in the Upper Peninsula only again, many more options.

I have not tried any other of their locations, but this one is definitely worth stopping at. The food came out really quickly, and with all of us in the car being a pain, everything came out perfect.

Billy Bob's Facebook Page

Austin's Park N Pizza

While down in Austin, Texas to visit family, we decided to take the nephew and nieces to Austin's Park n Pizza. The game room was really fun (I wish I owned the Jurassic Park video game at home), and although the rides outside were pretty outdated, the kids didn't stop smiling, which is all that mattered. We needed to grab something to eat, and since we were the only people in the bar/restaurant area we figured it would be a pretty quick meal.

For an appetizer, we ordered the fried mozzarella and green beans. They were cooked to a perfect crunchy brown and came with a side of "boom boom" sauce (whatever that is) and spicy marinara. The green beans dipped in the marinara were a great pair, as both fried foods needed some added salt.

I ordered the Blind Side burger. The 1/2 lb. burger was topped with thick cut smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and a sunnyside up egg. The egg was cooked perfectly. The bacon, well, i'm going with the theory that since it was thick cut bacon they needed to cook it low and slow. It was cooked a little bit longer than I think was expected as the consistency was like shoe leather. I love a good crunchy piece of bacon, but I don't want to spend 90% of my time trying to chew it. The burger was cooked more at a medium rare, instead of well, like I had asked for. Let me say, this burger had SO MUCH potential! Had the bacon been cooked properly and everything had salt (or seasoning in general) it would have been a killer burger. The fries that came on the side were fantastic, and had plenty of seasoning.

If you get hungry after a day of playing games and racing go-carts, I suggest you pick up the family (especially if you have kids with you) and head to a restaurant. The prices aren't terrible, but for the quality of food you get in return, it isn't worth it. And the number one thing as a cook that you would think would be obvious is that you need to properly season, or season in general, everything. Maybe it was a fluke and the cook just wasn't paying attention back in the kitchen, but for us being the only table ordering anything, it sure took a long time to get simple food delivered to the table.

Austin's Park N Pizza, Grill Menu

Texas Roadhouse, in Texas, like it SHOULD be experienced!

I am well aware that Texas Roadhouse restaurants are scattered everywhere. In fact we are going on a trip to lower Michigan soon and there is one in the town we are headed to. However, why not experience your first time here in an actual Texas location? We did just that, in Austin, Texas.

For an appetizer, we ordered the cheese fries. Now, I was a little bit disappointed, but only because I am a major fan of the runny liquid cheese. The amount of cheese on these potatoes was definitely impressive. And who doesn't love bacon?

For dinner, I ordered the special that they were having which was steak and shrimp. I always order my steak in a restaurant to medium, or medium well depending on how many times I've eaten there and know their cooking, but I just want a tiny amount of pink in the middle. My steak was cooked perfectly, along with the shrimp. I didn't even bother with the toast that it came with because I hate when they toast it on the flat top with the grease and butter. I would have preferred naked toast.

I didn't get a picture of my favorite thing, even above my perfectly cooked steak. It is all about the rolls and honey butter people. Had I known they were that amazing, I would have ordered my meal to go and just sat and ate 3 baskets of those. The honey butter is to die for!

My first experience at a Texas Roadhouse was amazing. Since it was in a Texas location, there were cowboy boots and southern accents, it was perfect. Definitely try a steak if you have the opportunity to eat here, and don't forget the honey butter and rolls!

Texas Roadhouse

Chau's Cafe

While visiting my sister-in-law in Killeen, Texas I needed to find somewhere that served bubble tea. I had been dying to try it for years but they don't have it in my hometown. Out of all of the places in the area that served bubble tea, Chau's Cafe was the highest rated on Trip Advisor and was already on my top 10 list of places to stop at while in Killeen.

The Boba flavors we ordered that are pictured above is Almond Chocolate with Strawberry tapioca pearls, and Chocolate with Blueberry pearls. I also ordered my husband a Pineapple smoothie with the Mango pearls. These, are some of the coolest smoothies I have ever had. Starting off by being entranced with the machine that they had to seal the tops of the glasses (I am easily amused....), the tapioca pearls were absolutely delicious. I was a little bit nervous of how they worked, and no one else that I was with had ever heard of bubble tea so it was very hard to explain, but the sensation when they pop added a completely new flavor to the drink and made it fun. 

Had we not just eaten lunch at a different restaurant, the food on the menu here looked delicious. I haven't had Pho in a long time and if I am ever back in the area, this will definitely be on my list of stops.

Chau's Cafe, Facebook Page

Earl Campbell's in the Austin Airport

My husband and I have recently been lucky enough to visit his sister down in Texas twice in the last two months. Some of the best bites of food that we had on our trips were consumed before we even left the airport. So good in fact, that we ate at the same place both times that we needed to stop somewhere for lunch.

While waiting for our food and absolutely starving, we ordered the chips and queso with added pulled pork. The cheese was good, pretty salty, but the added pork helped on adding another flavor profile to the cheese.

The first time we stopped here, I ordered the BBQ street tacos. These two tortillas were stuffed with pulled pork, a housemade slaw, red onion marmalade, and a bourbon BBQ sauce. These are the best BBQ street tacos, hands down, that I have EVER had.

This past weekend when we stopped here again, the waitress had misheard me and instead of a chicken sandwich, I ended up getting the Cowboy Philly. In this case, I can't complain about the mix-up because I probably would never have tried it otherwise. The poppy seed bun was stuffed with chopped up brisket, which was a refreshing take on the shaved beef version of a Philly. The brisket was smothered in jalapeno and red onion rajas, and a decent slather of the delicious queso cheese sauce. The scoop of potato salad was also very tasty, as it was more of the mustard vinegar base rather than loaded with mayonnaise.

If you get the opportunity to stop here while in the Austin airport, you should definitely take the advantage. Nothing we have ordered has been what you could remotely consider bad. Next time we find ourselves down there again, I will probably be ordering the street tacos! I'm not joking, they are amazing!

The Green Mesquite BBQ

While we were staying in Austin, Texas I looked up places that were highly suggested to eat at, and the Green Mesquite happens to be one of the restaurants featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. They have been open since 1988, serving some amazing BBQ, and have live music playing from Thursday-Sunday. We had three tired children with us so we decided to get takeout. 

I ordered the 2 meat BBQ plate. My meat choices were the pulled pork and chicken. For my two sides I ordered mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. The gravy for the mashed potatoes was delicious. The pulled pork was my favorite. There was a great layer of smoke in the pork, and when dipped into the tangy BBQ sauce it was amazing. You also get served white bread, which is perfect for adding the pulled pork, BBQ sauce and pickles to make a small sandwich. I can definitely see why this restaurant was chosen to be on Diners Drive-ins and Dives. This is definitely some good eats, and great BBQ!

Green Mesquite, Facebook Page
Green Mesquite, Main Page
Diners Drive-ins and Dives