Cici’s Pizza Store in Tyler, TX over by Wal-Mart on 64

February 1st, 2010

211 Texas 323 Loop
Tyler, TX 75702-8727
(903) 526-9494‎
Hours 11AM-11PM

Cici’s Pizza is located on the West side of Loop 323 near the Brookshire’s and Starbucks. It is easy to get to and turn into the parking lot. Leaving can be a real challenge if you need to turn left as there is only one exit, and it is sitting directly on Loop 323 which is very busy at all hours of the day. I often have to turn right and do a u-turn to get home.

The most important part of a pizza restaurant is how the pizza tastes and compares to other pizza places. Cici’s is wonderful pizza. It is not on par with expensive pizza restaurants, but for its price range it does really well. You can pay five dollars for a large one topping pizza. I do this often for dinner for my family and when we have friends over last minute. I call ahead and order my pizzas then drive up right to the window. It’s the only pizza place I’ve ever known to have a drive up take out window. When these five dollar pizzas are hot, they are very impressive in taste and texture. When we get Cici’s takeout we usually order either a large with just pepperoni or a large with just green peppers. If you’ve never had a green peppers pizza, try it at Cici’s. You’ll have to order it special since it isn’t a standard pizza on the buffet.

As for the buffet, I think you’ll be impressed. I’ve heard people joke about how horrible Cici’s pizza buffet is, but I think they are just making it up. It is very affordable. The buffet is about five dollars per person, and then drinks are a little over a dollar for a fountain drink or tea. Maybe the price makes Cici’s seem too good to be true. But I think that is just it. I don’t know how it’s possible to offer such great food for so cheap and make it all you can eat to boot.

The buffet starts with a very nice but small salad bar. You have the choice of Caesar salad or a standard tossed salad with about eight different extra toppings and about four different salad dressings. We always get a Caesar with Caesar dressing, and we’ve never been disappointed. Then there is a pasta section. Here you can get pasta with either red sauce or a creamy alfredo sauce. There are also cheese covered bread sticks here. A little tip: fill a bowl with red sauce from this section and dip your crust or bread sticks into it.

Then comes the pizza. This is when I begin to really smile. They have all of the standard pizzas: pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, mushroom, cheese, Hawaiian pineapple and ham. I especially love their sausage pizza. But the cool thing about Cici’s is that they have way more than the traditional pizzas. They have at least four or five specialty pizzas that you can only get at Cici’s. My favorite is a buffalo wing pizza. It uses buffalo hot wing sauce instead of pizza sauce, bits of chicken and mozzarella cheese. It is incredible if you like the hot wing flavor. Then they have their popular creamy spinach pizza. This one uses alfredo sauce instead of red sauce. They also have a barbeque pizza, a taco pizza, and a cheese steak pizza. I usually get lots of the spinach and buffalo pizza. It seems like each of my friends and family has a different favorite of these specialty pizzas.

Next at the bar comes the dessert section. These desserts are amazing. I’ve never heard people complain about the dessert at Cici’s Pizza. They have something for everyone. There are basic chewy brownies covered in powdered sugar. There is usually some kind of super sweet apple crumble coffee cake, and then there is this thing that I am not sure what to call it. It is shaped like the cheesy bread sticks, but the consistency is like a donut or a beignet. Then it is smothered in some kind of caramel or butterscotch sauce. It is beyond good. I am not sure what it is at all, but you’ll know when you see it. You won’t be disappointed.

A really cool feature of this Cici’s is that if you don’t see what you like at the bar, you just ask an employee to make it. They don’t care how weird the toppings you ask for are. They will make it and bring it directly to your table. The customer service is incredible for such a low cost dining restaurant. Often it will be the actual manager who brings it out with a smile and makes sure you don’t need anything else.

The restaurant stays very clean. I’ve seen pizza buffets where the employees don’t seem to care. Pizza can be very messy, and pizza attracts small kids. Small kids can be very messy. But you will not find a mess at this Cici’s that isn’t currently being cleaned up. The busboys are apparently very fast and efficient. There are plenty of booths and even two televisions playing non-offensive shows.

All in all, for five or six dollars per person, you can’t do better for dine in food in Tyler, unless you don’t like pizza. But only a true pizza lover like you and me would have read this whole review. So, try out Cici’s. I promise you’ll be impressed.

Tags: 211 Texas, Brookshire, Caesar Salad, Cici Pizza, Cici S Pizza, cicis pizza, Five Dollars, Fountain Drink, Green Peppers, Peppers Pizza, Pizza Buffet, Pizza Place, Pizza Places, Pizza Restaurant, Pizza Restaurants, Pizza Store, Salad Bar, Topping Pizza, Tossed Salad, Tyler TX, wal-mart
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Brookshires Super-market

January 8th, 2010

When considering great Tyler businesses it’s difficult to pass over the Brookshire’s grocery stores. The Brookshire’s stores have very nearly achieved iconic status by establishing a near monopoly in the East Texas area. Admittedly this feat allows the store to charge essentially what it wants for its products. Brookshire’s prices are not sky high, but neither are they exactly a bargain.

The Brookshire’s thank you cards entitle the patrons to special deals but in reality the discount merely drops the prices to approximately the same level as the store’s competitors. The arrival of numerous Wal-Mart Supercenters in Tyler has served to provide some much needed competition, but the grocer continues to compete successfully even with the higher prices, owing to the fact that their customer service is so legendary. On top of that their stores are generally cleaner, more attractive and better organized than their national counterpart.

The crown jewel in the Brookshire’s chain is the Rice road location in Tyler. Its part produce market, part butcher shop, part delicatessen, and part lunch counter. I should also be careful not to forget the bakery, or coffee shop (which actually serves great coffee). Over the last couple of years the store has evolved into its own food court. It’s like an old fashioned market with modern conveniences.

The food the store carries ranges from that typically found in your average grocery store, to all sorts of specialty foods like sushi, tofu and an assortment of sea food. The Rice road store is really a great market and is essentially Brookshire’s answer to the Wal-Mart Supercenter with the added convenience of the local chain’s service.

While it seems odd to think of grabbing lunch or take out from a grocery store this one is definitely worthy of that consideration. And if it’s a choice between the national and the local chains, I suggest sticking with the latter, at least when it’s reasonable to do so. After all, it’s better for the local economy.

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A Bit Of Africa In The Middle Of Tyler

January 8th, 2010

In the late nineteen sixties and early seventies, Mr. and Mrs. Brookshire, of local grocery fame, went on numerous expeditions to Africa. The purpose was to return samples of the African wildlife to Texas where it could be studied and enjoyed by area youth. After several such treks the couple established the Brookshire’s “World of Wild Museum” in 1975. This beginning was small however, as it opened in the lobby of the company office. A year later the exhibit would expand slightly. Tyler Texas would have to wait until 1990, for the museum to grow into its own building. Fourteen years after the move, the museum expanded yet again, this time to include new exhibits donated by members of the East Texas community.

Today the museum includes wildlife from all over the world, but focuses on Africa and North America. There are all kinds of big and small game, including everything from monkeys to zebras, and polar bears to big horn sheep and antelopes. In fact there are more than four hundred fifty different species on display.

When establishing the museum, the Brookshire family did not forget the business they obviously love. Attached to the museum is a model of a nineteen twenties country store. Found inside are all the items necessary to life in that period, displayed as they would have been at the time. Everything from food stuffs, to practical items like clocks, chairs and fabrics, to coffee and tobacco are found there.

The last feature of the museum is the playground, which has three interesting exhibits of its own. The first is a La France fire truck. Built in 1952, it served the Dallas fire department for years and now offers young visitors a hands-on experience. The second is a McCormick Deering farm tractor. It was built in 1926 and sits quietly in the yard, for the enjoyment of its young visitors. Lastly, is a railroad Caboose, which has been restored to a more useful time. Picnic tables provide a place sit and eat after a tour of the museum.

The Brookshire’s World of Wild Museum and county store is admittedly, oddly located on Old Jacksonville road, next to the Brookshire’s grocery store distribution center. But with forty thousand visitors a year, Tylerites are clearly finding it. It is a wonderful educational experience for all ages, and best of all its absolutely free. So if you’re looking for a place to take your children for a summer morning outing, consider this local trip. It will surely surpass your expectations. For more info, or to take a virtual tour go to http://www.brookshires.com/museum

Tags: African Wildlife, Antelopes, Big Horn Sheep, Brookshire, Brookshires Museum Tyler TX, Dallas Fire Department, East Texas, East Texas Community, Farm Tractor, Fire Truck, Food Stuffs, Fourteen Years, Hands On Experience, Mccormick Deering, Nineteen Sixties, Picnic Tables, Polar Bears, Railroad Caboose, Small Game, Tyler Texas, Zebras
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Things to do in Tyler Texas with Your Kids

December 21st, 2009

Tyler is not only a great place for retirees, medical professionals, and people who like to eat, it also has plenty to offer families. There are many things to do in Tyler Texas with your kids, whether you’re wanting to enjoy the mild winter outdoors or escape the summer heat, there are plenty of fun family activities around Tyler.

Free Attractions in Tyler

The Faulkner Park Splash Park for kids is a great place for all ages to splash through water jet sprays, squirt guns, and buckets of water splashing from a top a automated machine. If you get tired of all the water there are two kids playgrounds with some really neat playground equipment right beside the splash park. This splash park area is my favorite kids park in Tyler. It is off of Broadway in Faulkner Park. Look for the sign as you drive into the park as it is a little bit hidden.

If you’re looking for free family-friendly fun, check out the library. Tyler Public Library, located on South College Street, or my personal favorite, Green Acres Baptist Church’s library, located inside the church, which is on Troupe Highway inside the loop.

The Brookshire’s Wildlife Museum

This museum, located just south of loop 323 on Old Jacksonville Highway, has provided hours of entertainment for my children from age one in a stroller to age 7. The museum provides just the right mix of indoor museum fair and a great outdoor playground and old fashioned fire engine when the youngest lose interest in the stuffed lions, bears, and monkeys or just cannot NOT touch anything.

Historic Aviation Memorial Museum

“The Airplane museum” is a small, but impressive walk-through experience for an afternoon. Even my princesses were impressed by the airplanes and helicopter enough to want to become a pilot someday. The museum is now located at the old Tyler Pounds Field Airport terminal on Highway 64.

The Tyler Rose Garden

The Rose Garden is a great outdoors place for you and your children to explore. Your young boys may not be impressed by the sheer number of gorgeous roses, but they will love to explore pathways, the wooden bridge, fountains, and ponds. There’s plenty of space to run and enjoy a picnic together afterward.

Things to do in Tyler for small fee

The Center for Earth & Space Science Education

The Center for Earth & Space Science Education replaced the old planetarium and is an enhanced science center more than twice the size of its predecessor.

The Center for Earth & Space Science Education serves as a dynamic public science education facility, offering educational and entertainment programming to encourage an interest in, and support for, science education. Enjoy traveling hands-on science exhibits in the exhibit hall and large-screen movies in the 40-foot domed theater. Open Tuesday through Sunday. For admission prices and show and exhibit details, visit www.tjc.edu/CESSE or call 903-510-2312.

The Cliffs in Lindale TX

This one is best for kids at least 6 years old as it involves cliff diving. There are small cliffs and large cliffs and so depending on your skill level will likely determine where you decide to jump from. You can watch a video and read more about the Cliffs here.

The Villages Water Park

If you’re looking to beat the heat and still enjoy the sunshine, head on down to The Water Park at The Villages in Flint. Waterslides, forest animal themed playscape, tubing river, and pool are sure to amuse the whole family for a whole day. Adult admission is 19.95 and kids over 2 get in for 16.95. Birthday packages start at 169.95 for 10 guests.

Caldwell Zoo

Our family has frequented the Tyler Caldwell Zoo both when it was free and open to the public, and after by purchasing a family membership (much more economical if you plan on coming more than a couple times a year). They pack a number of unique animals in a small space, and our kids are never disappointed. Bring extra cash and quarters for kid favorites: the snack bar, food for the fish and ducks, and birdseed sticks to feed the birds in their wildfowl exhibit.[ad#large-blog-block]

Discovery Science Place

This is one of our favorite indoor places in Tyler. The Discovery Science Place has a little something for kids of all ages. The littlest einstiens will enjoy exploring the sensory (?) play pit and looking for their favorite clown fish in the big fishtank. Children ages 3 to 10 will find plenty of activities to pique their interest: exploring the dark caves and tunnels, activating the earthquake machine, sending balls down the mini-roller coaster, and the biggest room full of imaginative play any kid could ever wish for. What would it be like to be an actor on the stage? Wanna be a vet? Work at a Pizzeria? Play EMT? Kids can climb aboard a real ambulance, don a doctor’s coat, bandage a baby doll, or listen for their brother’s heartrate through a real stethescope. Older children will find curious science exhibits in the backroom waiting for their interaction. This is place if chock full of explorative possibilities particularly for that 3-10 age group; you will not exhaust it in one rainy afternoon. So let the kids take their time, and plan on returning another rainy day.

Restaurants with Playgrounds

Need to let the kids stretch between shopping, errands, or appointments? Grab lunch at one of Tyler’s many restaurants with play-places: McDonald’s on Broadway, Chick-fil-a on Broadway and 110 S has one of the only indoor playgrounds, Sonic on the west side: Loop 323 and 64, has a great outdoor playground and vollyball court for kids of all ages. McDonald’s offers birthday party packages starting at $67 for 10 partiers including happy meals, cake, goody bags, hostess, and party supplies.

Laser Tag

Tyler’s Laser-X laser tag center provides the ultimate laser tag experience. This Tyler business holds the record for the largest Lazer-X center in the world with a whopping 13,300 square feet, and rounds out the total sporting experience with a full service food and drink concession. Need an unforgettable party site for your teen and all his pals? The dining/party area can seat up to 100 guests, and gamers can take advantage of the arcade games, or play a little air hockey or pool. The arena itself will either awe or overwhelm the senses with music, black light, fluorescent carpet, fog, strobes, and other special effects.
The cost? Here’s where the fun fades to the background for mom and dad: $8.80 for one game (but what kid could be satisfied with only one?) and the price increases up to the ultimate individual experience at $25.30 for a 1 1/2 hour pass. And for the unforgettable birthday party experience, plan on shelling out at least $165 to rent a room and pay for 8 guests. You provide the food and supplies.

The Skateplex (Out of Business): Update: Now Tony Cruz XTC Fitness Sports & Fitness

Tyler Skateplex has morphed from a simple rollerskating arena into a full-circle entertainment center for the X-games fan. In addition to the traditional skating floor, the Skateplex houses an arcade room, party room, snack bar, gamers’ lounge with XBOX 360’s, PS3’s, and Wii’s, and an elaborate skate park. Individual prices vary from $4 to $8 for a skating rink pass depending on the night ($20 for lock-ins), $2 extra for skate rental, $5 for the gamers’ lounge pass, and $8-$25 for the skate park. Birthday party packages start at $100 for 10 partiers, and increase depending on what’s included to the ultimate 1 hour private party package at $200 including rental, hostess, and DJ (additional fees apply for extra hours, use of the skate park or gaming lounge, and if your party includes more than 100 guests).

Blast Ball

Blast Ball is like Tee-Ball but even simpler and for ages 2 1/2 – 4. Kids get to learn what it is like to be on a team and enjoy the sport without all the rules they are not quite ready for. Your child is sure to love it. Registration is in the first part of March. You can read more about Blast Ball and how to register at this article.

Jumpin’ Jack’s Party Shack

What kid doesn’t enjoy a good jump in a bouncy house? Imagine a building full of bouncy houses; add slides and ramps and bouncy mazes, and you’ll find yourself at Jumpin’ Jack’s Party Shack, on highway 69 south of Tyler. This is a great place for the energetic child, but not for the one prone to tears. The later may be so inspired they forget to cry, but it could just be a sad wait on the picnic tables with mom until the rest of the crew exhausts themselves. Open admission is $6 per child.
Jumpin’ Jack’s Party Shack makes throwing a birthday party for 3-10 year olds easy. The staff takes care of set up and decorations, serving cake, and clean up. They also provide the cake or cupcakes, punch, and supplies. Mail out the invitations, and they do the rest. Can’t beat that. Party packages start at $225 for up to 14 friends. Theme parties are available for an additional fee.

Chuck-E-Cheese

Chuck-e-Cheese is another option for birthday parties, but I wouldn’t call it an “easy birthday party.” I wouldn’t voluntarily take my own four children into that vastly over-rated over-stimulating, headache-on-a-pizza-tray, let alone keep tabs on a whole party of young ones in this too bright, too loud circus. If that’s not enough to deter you, the affect on your wallet might. The party package costs start at $10.99 per child and include 20 tokens per child which will provide about 10 minutes of fun, so plan on spending more to stave off disappointed little faces.

For an East Texas Experience

If you are up to the travel you can drive on out North of Longview and White Oak to a town called East Mountain where you will find Sacred Spur Ranch. You will find a ranch style restaurant opened on Friday and Saturdays. Saturdays seem to be a little more lively. The restaurant offers cowboy style ambiance, live country music, and steaks cooked on a large make shift iron grill over wood coals. The feel of this place is truly rustic and will provide kids a more rustic type restaurant experience. I wouldn’t take toddlers here however.

As you can see, there are many things to do in Tyler Texas for families. So get out there and explore!

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