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Brookshires Grocery Store

February 8th, 2010

Brookshires in Tyler Texas

100 Rice Road
Tyler
903 561 7943

This family-friendly Christian owned and operated grocery store in the center of the popular shopping area in Tyler is a delight to shop at.

As you walk into the store you will be surprised at the quality and variety of fruit and vegetables on sale. Much of the produce available is organic and grown locally too. Look out for samples of their seasonal items.

Brookshires Grocery Store

Brookshires Grocery Store

Before you start to shop you might want to treat yourself to a gourmet coffee – sold just inside the door on the left at the coffee bar. You will notice that there are many who take advantage of the little cafe area there too. If you have time you could stop and drink your coffee while you look at the weekly paper containing details of the latest special offers at Brookshires. Of particular note is the meat section -they have the most amazing deals on particular cuts of meat and these offers change weekly.

Continue on through the store stopping perhaps at the excellent delicatessen or the bakery section where you can buy delicious breads of all sorts of types and containing healthy grains, baked in store. The meat section is very good too and the seafood is one of the best in a supermarket around here.

As for the rest of the store – it is clearly laid out and you will find all sorts of goodies here that you won’t see at Walmart.

Brookshires tries to cater for all palates and budgets and this is reflected in the choice available. ‘Food Club’ is their own brand of goods. If you come from ‘out of town’ like me then be sure to look for the International section where you can buy various familiar food items from Europe. There is also a significant Asian and Mexican section.

The food at Brookshires is slightly more pricey than at Walmart – though the special offers favor comparably. However, the shopping experience is so much nicer and the variety of goods they stock is amazing for East Texas. I have to add that the customer care is second to none – all the staff are so helpful and attentive to your needs. They make you feel valued and important here.

Don’t forget there is a bank instore, a photo shop and an excellent pharmacy, where you can make use of $4 generic prescriptions. There is even a drive-thru pick-up service.

One quick word about prices – there is a dual pricing system – one for the regular shopper and the other for visitors. If you plan to shop at Brookshires more than once, get yourself a ‘Thank you card’ by applying at the cash register or customer services. This means that you qualify for the lower prices and special offers. Don’t worry, they won’t bombard you with junk mail and they won’t give your personal details to any other company. You must present this card when checking out to receive the lower prices.

As you leave the store, enjoy the chance to have your bags packed for you (you can request brown bags rather than plastic or use our own and receive 5c back for each one used). Your cart will then be loaded and your shopping placed in your car for you. Don’t even think about tipping for this – it is all part of the everyday service at Brookshires.

One other thing to note – kids are welcomed at Brookshires. There are mini shopping carts for kid’s use and at the bakery they will happily offer your child a free cookie (while you drool over the amazing cakes on sale).
Altogether a nice experience – shopping at Brookshires in Rice Road is to be recommended.

McStarbucks in Tyler

November 17th, 2009

McDonalds and Burger King have always seemed like pretty much the same place to me. The menus are nearly identical, and aside from the differences in cooking method, the food is interchangeable. In Tyler however the two franchises appear to be going in opposite directions.

Burger King on Broadway seems to turn a tidy profit. They keep a fairly steady flow of customers. The west loop B.K. on he other hand practically requires a police escort to enter the drive through. The restaurant is messy, and full of unsavory customers. From a safety standpoint, I would avoid that location at all costs.

McDonalds in Tyler is making a lot of improvements however. Their Broadway locations have been entirely remodeled after their new café theme. Flat screen TVs and interactive touch screen computer games are there to entertain both adults and children. A visit to McDonalds is almost like hanging out at the local pub or coffee shop.

Overall, I like what the chain is doing in terms of improving their stores and trying to appeal more to adults. At the end of the day however, they still serve largely Big Macs and fries. Oh I know they have salads, smoothies and gourmet coffee now but it’s still McDonald’s food. There’s a lot of competition in the city of Tyler Texas for your fast food dollar and I’m just not sure that turning the fast food icon into Starbuck’s is going to earn more of that market. Still I applaud the store’s efforts. The restaurants are quite nice!

The Vineyard Church of Tyler

October 14th, 2009

The choice of what church to attend, and which is right for one’s family, is a very personal one. These days, folks in Tyler Texas who are unable to find a church with which they can agree on absolutely everything, often opt to start their own churches. They open in store fronts, movie theaters, and the homes of parishioners, in the temporary absence or a building or property. Generally I encourage this type of religious and community participation. But in a town of nearly a thousand places to worship, our city does not need additional “start up” churches. Everyone should be able to find an existing church in Tyler where they can practice their faith in a community of relatively likeminded people. This is why I’ve started to write about area Churches, in the hopes that perhaps someone who’s looking around will stumble onto this site and find some useful information.

Having already written on my own church, it is difficult to write on a church with which I have little connection. I can speak to churches attended by my friends and family however. One such church is the Vineyard Church of Tyler. While located in Times Square shopping center, the Vineyard is no start up church, having been around for nearly twenty years now. The Tyler Vineyard is a part of the Vineyard USA Community of Churches, in effect a denomination all its own. The church holds to the standard points of doctrine of the modern Evangelical Church, particularly when it comes to the supremacy of scripture.

The Vineyard places a heavy emphasis on the importance of worship in the liturgy. The music is contemporary and central to the Vineyard experience. The church strives to be both culturally relevant and approachable to the Tyler area young people. The atmosphere is casual and informal. Gourmet coffee is served in the foyer prior to the service and during the peace, (or the greeting). The pastor’s homilies are brief but applicable to the congregant’s experience (again we see the emphasis on cultural relevance). The VCT is also involved in numerous community outreaches and local charities.  They also support members of area missions organizations, who export the gospel around the world.

For those looking for a relaxed, low pressure, community involved, evangelical church The Vineyard Church of Tyler is a good option to consider. For more information see the churches website at www.tylervineyard.com, or call their office at (903) 534-8803.