90929 Mon Oct 20 16:06:45 -0700 2003 3 5 Texas 0 499845 here are some places we ate at: Taco Cabana: our host said this was good mexican, but things started going downhill the minute we were at the register and our host had to ask what pico de gallo was, anyways, this place is the same to me as taco bell and i'm never going back Barbecue Inn: this place has a certain charm to it and the menu features fried food and barbecue and i got the fried seafood platter ($16). it comes with fries, stuffed crab, shrimp, oysters and catfish. I thought the catfish was excellent, moist and tender with a good not-greasy coating, the other items were just ok and i thought the shrimp was too greasy, someone else ordered a baked potato instead of fries ($1.45 extra), the potato is more steamed than baked as it comes wrapped in foil, the chicken fried steak seems popular here as many people were eating it Lankford's: Went here for lunch to get a burger, i have to say the burger just wasn't very good tastewise, and for presentation, it comes out and its just so sloppy, mustard everywhere and onions falling out everywhere. the bread wasn't very good either. i was really looking forward to a great burger but i just didn't like this one so i was disappointed. Pico's: This mexican restaurant was very good. Got the shrimp in garlic oil appetizer and the shrimp was cooked perfectly. They also give you some toasted bread for this and you can dip the bread in the garlic oil and put some garlic chips and peppers on it, just wonderful. for entree, got the pork marinated in achiote, this was delicious, the pork was very tender and flavorful due to the marinade, the only disappointment was desert, we shared a flan and it was overcooked so it came out very rubbery and too firm Sinh Sinh: we were tired of going to canton seafood restaurant on Kirby/Richmond so we tried this new place. We like it much better than Canton Restaurant. Got the catfish claypot which was excellent - the fish was so fresh! salt baked calamari - yummy, salty, spicy deepfried squid, chicken and salted fish fried rice - very good, wonton noodle soup - the wontons weren't very good so this dish was a miss, crab and asparagus soup - a little too cornstarchy and not enough crab, we came here twice and definitely would like to go back James Coney island - these hot dogs are not good, they're limp and don't have a nice snap like a good hot dog should Dozier's (in Fulshear) - been craving bbq so came here for some brisket and ribs. the brisket is nothing to write home about. the ribs are great here, nice and meaty and tender. the sauce is just ok. they have a nice condiments bar which is free where you can get pickles, jalapenos, onions and even cherry peppers, i have to say these ribs are better than the ones i've had at williams smokehouse but not as good as city market in luling Williams Smokehouse - had to get some great brisket so we came here and got it. great brisket, i really enjoy the potato salad and cole slaw too, i didnt' like the beans, and they have great sweet potato pie! La Piedra del Sol Taco Truck - i think this is the name, anyways, its the taco truck right off of highway 10 and gessner going toward long point, its either in the texaco station or next to pier 1 import store, they advertise a tostada de tinga and everytime i've been in the neighborhood the truck is either closed or not there, has anyone tried it? Mon Oct 20 16:06:45 -0700 2003 0 Vince 1 499849 I've been to many taco stands in this town but haven't made it to the one you talk about. As for Lankford's burger I have to say that the last two times i've been the burgers have been just ok. I don't mind the mess but they don't have the same taste they used too. Ive always recieved excellent fried shrimp when at BBQ inn. Who was your host? What an idiot! Taco Cabana is a step above taco bell but not by much. How can you be a host of anything and rec taco cabana in Houston. Wouldn't that be similar to rec Olive Garden in NY City? At Pico's you got two of the best dishes they have. The snapper mojo is also very good. Next time you should get breakfast while eating there. You can get it all day and the best dishes are michacado con huevo alla mexicana and any of the 3 chiliquiles dishes. Mon Oct 20 20:37:20 -0700 2003 499845 0 John Scar 1 499869 I just wanted to add my two cents about your thing about Sinh Sinh. Sinh Sinh's Peking duck is really pretty good: not too oily, which can frequently be the case, crisp, lean, tasty et al. The downside being that they use hoi sin instead of plum sauce, which came as a disappointment to a lot of non-Chinese folks with me. Me, i'm Chinese, and I'm from Asia, so I'm used to eating hoi sin sauce with my Peking duck. I thought the duck was as good as what i had in Asia. But the big bummer was when we finished all the buns, and asked for refills (there was a lot of duck left): They had the cheek to WANT to charge us 75cents for EACH extra bun! We asked the manager, and tried to negotiate: afterall, we DID order TWO Peking ducks (no one else did), which means a lot of money for them, couldn't we negotiate...? "Yup", he said, and I thought he agreed to waive the charge, "it's 75 cents per bun, you want more?" Bloody hell. No other place that I've been to here in Houston charges for extra buns, which cost around 3 cents a piece if you buy in bulk (at most)... in fact they are usually more than happy to give lots of buns since they fill you up fast and are cheap. Giving extra buns at no charge or at cost wouldn't have cost them much. As it was, they were completely dogmatic about it, with no room for negotiation, which was ridiculous and spoiled the mood of everyone at the table. What was initially a good experience was permanently dented, and everyone with me said they would not return due to their stupidly dogmatic behaviour. We even reduced the tip. That definitely costs more than giving the buns free or at cost... Goes to show that they did not really consider the implications of their rigid policies... cheers PJ Tue Oct 21 13:53:47 -0700 2003 499845 0 fatmonky 1 499919 Thanks for your report, again! Hey! Who sez hot dogs should have snap? There was a thread on General Topics I think a couple of months ago about how most places have local favorites that outsider's just don't get - I think James Coney Island is probably one for Houstonians. I still love 'em, even tho I've had better Chicago style dogs thru the mail. I must admit, when I go these days I'm more likely to get an 'upscale' dog, which has better quality weiners, and only one of the 'original' dogs for nostalgia's sake. BBQ Inn - I haven't been too impressed, tho I've never tried any of the seafood. Fried chicken, with a 25 minute wait, was only so-so. CFS - I have to say surprisingly bland. Most places serve a tenderized beef cutlet as CFS; BBQ Inn's was so tender, I thought it might have been a chicken fried hamburger patty! It was shaped like one, too, and totally bland. It was the first thing I ever had there and I was very disappointed. I do enjoy being called 'Hon' and 'Sweetie' by the waitresses, tho! Home-style cooking places in Houston that I've tried don't impress me - BBQ Inn, Triple A diner, West Gray Cafe, Barnaby's. The best may be Cleburne Cafeteria; the wait in line is likely to be longer than waiting for service from a waitperson but at least you get to see the food before ordering it. I haven't been pleased with the fried foods - cfs, catfish. I try to watch for things that have just been replenished, so they're fresher and haven't been sitting on the steam table too long but it's not a real problem. Never been to Sinh Sinh but otherwise I generally agree with your assessments. Taco trucks - can't say I've ever seen that one but they're very common all over town. Some will have very good food; I think they usually are in one location for a few weeks or months, then move on to another intersection or parking lot. I tried Ostioneria 7 Mares after your last report - Snapper a la Plancha. Not very good; I wasn't sure it was really snapper. The rest of the meal was okay. What I observed being served at other tables looked better than what I got, tho. Thu Oct 23 13:05:43 -0700 2003 499845 0 hermitt4d