Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Cheesy Jane’s

While it may not always seem it with some of my harder reviews but the restaurants I have suggested thus far are some of my favorites due to very specific attributes. Alamo café is great cheep tex-mex food, La Salsa is 24 hours, Augy’s is delicious Texas barbecue, and Cheesy Jane’s has an amazing milkshake.

Cheesy Jane’s sits on the corner of Hildebrand and Broadway a stone’s throw from campus. The building is a small folksy joint that evokes thoughts of a sixties drugstore and soda shop. A cute little train circles on a track suspended from the ceiling. The wait staff is quite helpful and kind as well, the give helpful advice about the food and offer great milkshake suggestions helping with the problem of their wide shake selection. Unfortunately this is not a problem with their food as its burgers or nothing else.

Jane’s most famous food item is the pound burger with real American cheddar while this is a serviceable burger and very cost effective for a student budget there’s nothing stupendous about the burger that would ever motivate me to leave campus, if naught for the milkshake then I wouldn’t frequent Cheesy Jane’s altogether.

Overall I give Cheesy Jane’s a 6, not bad but the only real reason you should go is to get your favorite malt shake.


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Alamo cafe pics by John Newman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

The Tiger's Tummy review of Tycoon Flats


Tycoon flats is simply put a lunchtime delight. There menu while it has many possibilities thrives on soup sandwich and salad combinations. It must be said that I found the salads quite delicious, this being from a man that would rather eat his foot before green roughage means that if you like salads then you need to get to tycoons tomorrow. Along with reubens, burgers, and nachos the food is excellent and served delightfully by happy truly friendly waiters. Too often today servers will be considered for simply being efficient and polite. Tycoon Flats wait staff goes above and beyond this by being genuinely friendly and engaging offering helpful suggestions that almost never prove wrong.  
Despite the good food, Tycoons is neither a very pretty establishment nor a great deal. You’ll pay for what you get; do know however this is in no way a deal breaker as the food quality is superb. Tycoon Flats is located very close to campus on N Saint Mary’s Ave, this is excellent distance, but the problem being the buildings in the area are none to pretty. Tycoon’s has a u shaped dining area that turn into a bar later providing a large assortment of beers and drinks. If you’re thirsty this is the place to be, following along with the vibe the restaurant evoke a bar feel that might work later on at night but is a detriment in my opinion during the day.
Overall I give Tycoons Flats a 7 out of ten tigerpaws. It’s not pretty and it’s a little expensive but these are small potatoes when compared with excellent service and delicious food.


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Alamo cafe pics by John Newman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

The Tiger’s Tummy review of La Salsa's

Jnewman
As December, Christmas, and the winter season fast approaches I look around campus to see runny noses, tissue stuffed pockets, and green hued faces and it appears the flu season is already upon us. Upon seeing these first warning signs I run to C3 and purchase an extra large bottle of Purel, Lysol, and an any other item short of a gas mask that would help me avoid the inevitable college plague season.
Jnewman
Despite these precautions by my writing of this piece my nose runs my, my trash can overflows with tissues, and my lungs feel like they’re two coughs from exciting my body. In celebration with the coming flew season I thought I would like to talk about one of my favorite flew remedies. The 24 hour taco house located on San Pedro ave. called La Salsa’s. 
La Salsa’s is located within walking distance of campus and boasts 24 hour service every day except Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. While this schedule is very annoying and easy to forget it seems a small price to pay when La Salsa’s is open at 4 am when I wake up coughing and in a need of a warm bowl of tortilla soup with just enough spice to clear the sinuses.  
A godsend during finals week La Salsa’s wait staff are courteous and fast in there preparation and delivery of your food. While the cuisine is standard Tex-mex fair it definitely is a step below other establishments such as Alamo café, and Taco Taco. Despite this the Tortillas are still warm and the general menu fairly delicious as well. 
On top of these attributes La Salsa’s is very affordable but not especially the world greatest value.
In short La Salsa’s has pretty good food, is super close to campus, a fairly good value, has good service, and a large amount of  post clubbing drunk people to provide hysterical comedy ambiance. I give La Salsa’s 6.5 out of ten Tiger paws. A fairly good restaurant but its only defining factor is how late it stays open. 
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Alamo cafe pics by John Newman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

The Tiger’s Tummy Review of Augie’s Barbecue

photo by Jnewman
People's preference in barbecue in a lot of ways depends upon where they're from. North Carolina’s pulled pork vinegar based barbecue, for instance, is completely different from the wood grilled sauce drenched affair typically found in Memphis. Texas Barbecue is even more peculiar than most, to the point that other states don’t even consider Texas barbecue to be true barbecue (all of them being crazy northerners of course).

Augie's exemplifies this Texas style of barbecue where pork, brisket, turkey, or sausage is slowly cooked to perfection in a mesquite fire oven. First, the food in this ramshackle barbecue joint is simply fabulous. Every mouth watering bit you’ll savor. Even people from different cultural barbecue backgrounds will be able to appreciate the fair at Augie’s, it might just turn a few non believers onto the greatness of Texas barbecue.

photo by Jnewman
The joint is located just past the Bombay bicycle club off Mulberry Avenue on the other side of 281. The establishment boasts a front area for guest to wait in line for the lunchroom style service. After which patrons can either eat in the small cramped indoor dining room, or the much larger outdoor bar and garden in the back. The garden is the only serviceable part of the establishment. While some might argue that Augie’s is attempting to look ramshackle, it wins no point in my book for the attempt to look ugly.

So far, Augie's has received three paws for food, a half a tiger paw for the ambiance, and one paw for distance. Remaining are the judgments on the restaurants service and overall value.

Photo by Jnewman
Like many traditional barbecue joints instead of being seated and served, Augie's has you stand in line for your food. While some might again contribute this to a traditional barbecue picnic sort of feel I would surely argue against such an idea as services are simply not being provided. if I was to accept the notion of the barbecue picnic feel, Augie’s has serious rush issues due to the small serving area, thus one should expect long lines and delays in being served.

The last piece of my review looks at Augie’s barbecue as whole as to whether it has any economic value to college kids. Augie's basic barbecue sandwiches run from 5 to 7 dollars. While some might compare a cheaper price point at Bill Miller barbecue. I beg anyone who reads this to realize that B M barbecue simply cannot compare to the great savory well done mesquite taste you’ll find at Augie’s.

Overall I give Augie’s barbecue 7 and a half tiger paws. I have to comment, however, that all my gripes with Augie’s are simply cosmetic to the general restaurant. I believe that many however, will forget all about my misgivings once they have tasted the mesquite smoked brisket at Augie’s. If you like barbecue, then you’ll love Augie’s, it’s as simple as that.

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Alamo cafe pics by John Newman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

The Tiger’s Tummy review of Alamo Café: The tortilla factory



Taken By John Newman
Alamo café occupies a dear place in my heart, having been born in San Antonio some of my earliest memories were getting out of preschool Friday night driving with my parents to Alamo café and immediately demanding that we go to McDonalds or Luby’s. Over time my six year old pallet developed an appreciation of Tex-Mex fare, and as I returned to San Antonio for college I decided to see if my parents were right all along.
This being my first review its necessary to outline exactly how I plan on evaluating the venues I visit. I grade each place on a scale of one to ten tiger paws.  One being a blight to all mankind’s collective palettes, and ten being a miracle. I assign three points for the quality of the food, two for the service, two for the overall ambiance of the establishment,  two for the value (it is college after all), and one point for the distance from trinity university.
Alamo café located of the bitters road off 281N just past the airport, at first glance seems unassuming. An odd modern recreation of the adobe exterior of the Alamo San Antonio mission of the “remember the Alamo” fame. However, any fears one might have as you walk in the door are immediately aleved as you're greeted with friendly service and the warm enticing aroma of freshly made tortillas.
Photo by John Newman
Alamo café is undeniably beautiful. The entrance way ceiling is painted to resemble a blue sky, while a babbling brook runs the length of the restaurants main floor. Sitting in Alamo café feels like you’re eating in a well air conditioned courtyard.  No matter rain or shine it is always sunny in doors. I give Alamo café two out of two tiger paws for ambiance. Admittedly, though the restaurant could have been housed in a shack, and I still would have given it full marks for ambiance as long as they maintain that fresh tortilla smell.
As the meal went on, I was impressed with the speed and cheeriness of the waiters and waitresses. It seemed to be a highly motivated happy workforce, so full marks on service.  
Taken by John
While I award Alamo Café full marks for food, I would like to point out that there is no defining factor to the café's fare, all the food is similar to all the other restaurants dit dotting San Antonio. You have fajitas, tortillas, queso, panchos, and Chille reanos served with rice and refried beans. I gave the restaurant two and a half out of three Tigerpaws for food because while the food isn’t original it’s damn good. San Antonio is covered in these places for a good reason. What sets Alamo C apart from the pack is the price at which you get that classic tex-mex.  
The river walk has excellent ambience but it’s nearly impossible to visit without making a significant dent in ones bank account. Alamo Café is the clear cure to this problem, amazing tex-mex, a great restaurant, great service, an overall wonderful experience.
In conclusion my only gripe is the distance; it is far beyond walking distance to visit Alamo Cafe you must have a car therefore I cannot award the distance point.
Overall I give Alamo café 8.5 tigerpaws out of 10.


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Alamo cafe pics by John Newman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.