Tyler TX Facebook

Follow Donny on Twitter

Username:
Password:
  Remember Me   Forgot password?  Register
0-9  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  

Find or Refer a Contractor in Tyler

Mercado’s – Tyler Texas

January 16th, 2010

Mercado’s at 2214 WSW Loop 323, Tyler, Texas 75701 established August, 1987. Posados is affiliated with Mercado’s, it’s the sister restaurant. When I was younger I worked for Mercado’s and loved the food and the people but that is not why I am writing about it. I enjoy going there with my family and friends and having a good meal and great service.. I love their fajitas. I always order them because they are so good. Home made tortillas (flour or corn)….great salsa and home made chips makes for a good appetizers. Some of their other entrees are tamales, chilupas, tacos and enchiladas. If you are trying to loose some weight they have some great salads.

Mercado’s is a great place just to go have a few drinks with your friends after work. They have a small bar area there…where you can chill and enjoy a drink and watch some great sports on the TV. Margaritas are pretty good there.

You can reserve an area for a private party if you would like. They set up a buffet serving area for your private party. They offer some great desserts when you are done with your meal. Bunuel’s for two or a sundae. Money too tight…… free frozen custard on the house and usually free sopapias which are great with some butter (mystery oil mixture) and honey. The service is good and the food even better.

Looking for a job, this Mexican restaurant is a great place to make great money. It is hard work and long hours, which is OK if you are prepared for this. Waiting tables at Mercado’s means you walk out daily with the profit you made and don’t have to wait for a paycheck, although you do get a small guaranteed pay. Mercado’s is a great place whether you choose to work there or dine.

Pot Pourri House

January 15th, 2010

POT POURRI HOUSE

3320 Troup Highway
Tyler
TX 75701
903 592 4171

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11am-9pm

How exciting to find a restaurant in Tyler that is completely unique. The Pot Pourri is family owned and run and you can actually feel the pride that they take in their establishment.

We visited the Pot Pourri house for lunch on the recommendation of a friend.

As we walked in my thirty-something husband commented
‘I feel young… and I’m the wrong gender’

He was right, the place was full of older ladies avidly talking to companions over beautifully presented plates of food. The atmosphere was nice though, the room was lit with fairy lights and there was a water feature in the corner. Even though the ceiling was high there was a feeling of intimacy that you don’t find in a place like, say – Jason’s Deli.

The service at the Pot Pourri House is impeccable. As soon as we sat down, a polite waiter poured us iced water and took our drink order. The soup, salad and potato bar was an irresistible draw for me and my choice was rewarded with an incredibly tasty variety of hot and cold food. Repeat visits filled me up to the brim!

Chris chose a chicken dish and was slightly disappointed with the size of the portion (he’s a man!) but it looked fabulous. He consequently had room for one of the Pot Pourri’s delicious desserts and a bottomless cup of coffee.

The next occasion I had to visit the Pot Pourri House was for a Christmas Party. They have 3 rooms available for small, medium and large gatherings, and can seat up to 100 people. Our party was just for girls and it was intimate and fun with excellent food and service as before. I would imagine that they would cater just as well for a banquet.

One other thing to prepare you for your visit to the Pot Pourri House – it also has a shop on each side of the restaurant. On the right is a women’s boutique and on the left is a gift shop with home décor items, toys, candles, handmade chocolates, nice cards etc.
Reasons to visit the Pot Pourri House: For a gourmet meal, girls lunch, party, to find a nice gift for the person who has everything, Mother’s birthday, or to impress an older female into including you in her will!

The Texas Roadhouse

January 14th, 2010

Texas Roadhouse in Tyler TX

The Texas Roadhouse

2101 Southeast Loop 323
Tyler
TX 75701
903 509 0053

Opening hours M-T 4pm-10pm
Friday 4-11pm
Sat and Sun 11am-11pm

If you’ve lived in Texas for long you will have tried the steaks at the Texas Roadhouse, in fact, you’re probably a regular customer. The Texas Roadhouse is known for it’s hand-cut steaks, cooked to your specifications and it’s delicious ribs – all priced very reasonably. The Tyler Roadhouse keeps up this reputation; in fact, it probably adds further credit to this chain of restaurants.

If you have visitors to Texas, an evening at the Texas Roadhouse is a must, part of the cultural experience. Our family from England LOVED it.

First, there is the whole shelling the peanuts and throwing them on the floor thing. Then there is the atmosphere –loud and fun, our waitresses even did a short line dance while waiting for the food to be ready for them to serve. And last but not least, there is the food. We tried a cactus blossom which sounded very Texan. It was! Deep fried, of course, it was a huge battered onion with a spicy dip. There was plenty to share. The salads were good, as was the baked potatoes ‘loaded’ literally with sour cream, bacon and spring onion shavings. We enjoyed our steaks – cutting into my fillet was like cutting butter – and the ribs were a hit too. One criticism – the fries were way too salty. Perhaps it is to encourage you to drink more ice cold beer or maybe a margarita. We did have to re-order fries for the children without seasoning.

There is more than enough food for every size of appetite – The Texas Roadhouse in Tyler must have to buy a lot of ‘take home’ boxes for it’s customers. I had the pleasure of eating steak two days in a row – the second time reheated in my microwave, but still very tasty! I can’t comment on the desserts – I have never been with anyone who has room to order one, but I know that they do have a selection of traditionally southern sweets.

One great thing about the Roadhouse is that it is family friendly. On Tuesdays children eat free and sometimes they have a visiting ‘Andy Armidillo’ or a balloon modeller. Consequently, the place is PACKED, so if you don’t have kids, Tuesday might be a night to avoid. It is certainly good for a family budget too as the food is great but inexpensive. You can make a further saving by eating between 4 and 6pm with their Early Dine menu.

On the downside – you cannot make reservations at this restaurant. ‘Call ahead seating’ is the best they will do and it often still involves quite a wait in the lobby before you are seated. I guess that’s just a symptom of it’s popularity. However, once inside, the service is speedy and the servers are efficient and friendly.

All in all I recommend an evening at the Texas Roadhouse and give it a thumbs up!

Andy’s Frozen Custard

January 14th, 2010

Andy’s Frozen Custard

Andy's Frozen Custard Tyler Texas

Andy's Frozen Custard

6106 S. Broadway
Tyler
75703

Opening times:
11am-11pm Sun-Thurs
11am-11.30pm Fri and Sat

Frozen CUSTARD? It had to be worth a try!
I stopped at Andy’s in Tyler with my kids and we each tried a ‘concrete’ which is basically your choice of topping blended into the frozen custard. The result – a taste sensation! Yes it was a bit like ice-cream but much smoother and creamier. I could taste the fresh ingredients and not artificial flavorings. Delicious!

We each chose something very different – my son had pineapple and raspberries blended into his custom concrete and I had Butter Pecan. My daughter is the chocolate addict of the family and had a chocolate cone which was huge for a child.
As we guzzled this piece of edible heaven I started thinking. ‘Frozen custard. Sounds good for you, well… maybe?’ I asked the server whether this had less calories than ice-cream – thinking this could be too good to be true. He exchanged looks with his fellow server and shook his head sadly. It was too good to be true… But for an occasional treat, this is definitely a must.

Not only do they serve concretes, cones and sundaes with all sorts of toppings but they can also make milkshakes and ‘malts’ to your order too. They have both fresh fruit mix-ins and chocolate bar pieces too plus irresistible hot fudge. You can have as many toppings as you want to pay for!
One piece of advice though, pick up a take-out menu in advance, as the list of toppings and mix-ins is so extensive that your companions might get fed up waiting for you to make up your mind what you want (or is that just my family?!)

If you want to make a visit to Andy’s a seasonal experience there are also specials to tempt you throughout the year like strawberry shortcake, pumpkin pie and candy cane flavors.

One note of warning. We went to Andy’s in the heat of summer. I was surprised at how generous the server was with the napkins …until I saw the brown mess all over my daughter’s face. Custard melts much quicker than ice-cream. Solution – eat it fast, you know you want to anyway!

Andy’s has basic outside seating and a drive-thru and you can buy it in quarts to take home too. And we’re lucky to have it here in Tyler – it’s the only franchise in Texas.

Caffé Tazza

January 13th, 2010

Caffé Tazza is an Italian coffee shop centrally located in a precinct behind Tyler Mall. They serve delicious, authentic European coffee in hand-painted mugs and cups. They also have cakes, panini, and gelato (to die for!) plus healthy options like bran-filled muffins. On the weekends they have an omelette bar where the chef cooks up your breakfast in front of you and you can choose your ingredients – my tip, don’t forget the homemade salsa! For lunch there are soups and sandwiches, oh and there are iced teas, granita and herbal teas too.

My café latte was beautifully finished with a heart shaped flourish in the froth by the skilful barista. My daughter enjoyed a hot chocolate and a Belgian waffle that I wished I’d ordered myself!

Caffe Tazza also has the benefit of being licensed to sell alcohol. How nice to be able to sip a glass of Italian wine after work with a friend and not have to buy a meal or have to go a wine bar.

The atmosphere is classy and slightly arty. One of the highlights for me is that there is a lovely outside patio area with little tables and generous overhead umbrellas and plant-filled window boxes. They have also have live music every Thursday evening and frequent art exhibitions.

Prices are very reasonable for the quality of beverage, food and service provided. To purchase the gorgeous imported china to take home will cost you an arm and a leg though!

One negative is that it doesn’t open late enough in the evening on the weekends – I’m hopeful that the hours will be extended as it’s popularity increases so that I can relax there chatting to a friend over a drink or bowl of gelato while the sun goes down in summer!

Having a coffee (or something more) at Café Tazza makes you feel special. It is quite affordable and a real treat. Go on – visit Cafe Tazza regularly– you deserve it!
Caffe Tazza in Tyler TX
Caffe Tazza
Caffe Tazza Coffee Shop