I love introducing new comers to surprisingly good eateries. Years ago, while I was living and teaching in St. Paul Minnesota, I returned home with some of my co-workers (including my administrator) for a Teacher’s conference. As any proud Tylerite in the know would, I took my fellow teachers to some of my favorite haunts, particularly Taqueria el Lugar. My boss was so impressed he delayed our return trip to St. Paul just long enough to get in one more visit to the “Best Mexican restaurant he’d ever experienced.”
For years I’ve enjoyed taking guests to Taqueria el Lugar, usually the Gentry location, and watched their reactions as we pulled up at the modest local and found some of the best genuine, Mexican food they’d ever had. Over the years the family owned business has expanded to numerous locals around the city.
Well, I took an out of town friend, to one of my all time favorite Tyler restaurants today. This visit was to the newest installment right down on the square. The location is ideal, and actually seems like it should have been open for years. I trust that the professionals who work on the square will keep the local legend open for many years.
Today’s visit wasn’t like the one I had years ago however. It’s not that the food wasn’t good. It’s still great, although I must agree with one of my friends who noted they went a little light on the cheese. But that may have been the particular day. The main difference is that the price has really gone up. I’m assuming that has something to do with the need to pay for the new locations. Of course, part of reason my experience was lessened may have been the height of my own expectations.
For a long time el Lugar has been a big part of my summer rituals. I capped off a lot days at the lake with cheap and delicious “number sevens.” Well Tyler has changed and so have my summers. I still plan on the occasional trip to el Lugar, but it will probably not be the staple of my diet that it used to be.
The gyro sandwich is something I keep wanting to call a /ji-row/ but yet it is pronounced /hero/ and no matter how many times I hear it pronounced the right way I think of gyroscopes and how awesome they are.
You need to go to Hobby Town for the gyroscope but my recomendation today is to go by What About Kabob’s and His Gyro’s and get my favorite sandwich, the Philly Cheese Steak Gyro.
The sandwich is downright good! It just is, enough said! Take my word on this, ok! Now on to the fries…
I love not only the sandwich but the fries…they have a seasoning that is just right and not too salty. There is enough seasoning on them that I refrain from ketchup but that is fine because they are nice and tasty.
If I can give you a comparison regarding the fries I would say that if you go over to that burger restaurant Mooyah you may have noticed that the Mooyah fries are extremely salty and so much so that you may have eaten like two before throwing the rest away.
At Kabob’s the fries have a seasoning that actually makes sense because they put that on those fries because it makes them taste good. You would think all restaurants would follow this formula but yet they don’t.
I know at Kabob’s I will get a good sandwhich and good fries and I can write on the walls with a marker whenever I want. I often read quotes and things written by various friends and aquantances in Tyler on their wall.
Panera Bread is a very good sandwich shop with a few bakery items that are pretty tasty too. My wife and most girls love this place because the bread is so good. She almost lost it once she saw them building the place in Tyler next to Chuy’s.
They make their bread fresh there at the restaurant and it has kind of a sour dough bread chewy texture. They have different types of bread so it doesn’t all taste the same so you might have to order there a few times before you get a good idea of the place.
My wife really likes their chicken salad and I can’t even remember what it was I ordered but I liked it okay.
I am not a huge bread nut but the place is good and worth a visit.
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Ok, not to kick a dead horse here, but it seems there is yet more news on the on- going fight over the new Double D Ranch trying to open here in Tyler. Judge Christi Kennedy’s of the 114th District Court, has granted a restraining order requested by Toys R Us which bars the establishment from advertising (in the form of signs and banners), or hiring a “Scantily Clad,” wait staff. Does Scantily Clad have a legal definition? How Scanty is too scanty? The ruling said that the location of the new restaurant would do irreparable harm to the toy store.
Look I’m not comfortable being on this side of the argument but I just don’t believe it. Is the D.D. tacky? Yes. It is. Would I go there? No I wouldn’t. Is it legal? Yep, afraid so folks. Bad taste is not against the law. At the end of the day, I don’t know whether or not the Ranch will open for business here in Tyler, and honestly I don’t much care. I think the whole case is much ado about nothing. It’s not a hill I want to die on. I just hate to see citizens fighting these sorts of battles in the courts. To see my original article on the story, click on the following link: http://www.tylertxdirectory.com/9180/tylerites-concerned-about-the-double-d/
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Chipotle officially opens September 20th.
Chipotle is a good burrito restaurant and it is fast. The quality is great as they only use superior food ingredients.
They really make good guacemole so definitely get that. They will always let you know it costs more so perfect the head nod that says very simply, “ya ok, Ima regular I know dat”
Panera Bread is a very good sandwich shop with a few bakery items that are pretty tasty too. My wife and most girls love this place because the bread is so good. She almost lost it once she saw them building the place in Tyler next to Chuy’s.
