Johnny T's in Round Rock

If you are looking for some good BBQ in the Round Rock area and want to miss the crowds at Rudy's, then stop by Johnny T's on Hwy 620, across from Round Rock HS.  I frequent Johnny T's every now and then when I am in a hurry and craving a BBQ sandwich and sweet potato fries.  Today I was in luck, because the Daily Special was the JT's Birds Nest, which is chopped beef with a sliced sausage sandwich served with your choice of side and a drink ($5.99).

They offer two different sauces, the regular BBQ and the spicy sauce.  The spicy isn't too spicy, it sort of taste like BBQ sauce with a splash of Tabasco sauce.   The beef was nicely smoked and flavorful while the sausage (Elgin sausage) was good but a little tough at times.  I personally don't think the meat needs the sauce because it's already pretty moist, but I know most people love their BBQ sauces.   The sweet potato fries are cooked a little on the crunchy side, the way I like them.  Yes, there are better BBQ joints in central Texas (Salt Lick, Rudy's, Cooper's in Llano), but Johnny T's is a great little place if your in a hurry and want some good BBQ on the cheap.

TARKA Indian Kitchen in Round Rock

So my wife and I had to make a trip up to IKEA this past weekend and we were in the mood for some good ol' Mighty Fine burgers.  It was about 1pm and the line was to the door.  We were hungry and didn't want to wait, even though they are some good burgers.  As we drove into the shopping center with IKEA, I had notice on the directory sign an Indian Food restaurant.  Located on the southeast side of the shopping center across from Mighty Fine and about 3 stores down from OfficeMax on the corner, stood TARKA Indian Kitchen, (same format as Pei Wei).  The place was busy but not overly crowded.  I went with the Combo Kabob (lamb and chicken kabob with grilled bell peppers and zucchini) ($9.00)

and my wife got the Aloo Ghobi (Braised cauliflower & potatoes cooked with a fragrant blend of spices. A traditional north Indian favorite!)($7.50).  We also ordered some Naan and soft drinks which made the total cost of our lunch $23. 98.  They sell soda from India, like a Thums Up, which tastes a lot like a Dr. P but less sweet.  The food arrived at our table in no time at all.  The kabobs were nice and juicy and the grilled veggies were perfect.  It came with a yummy mint-tamarind-yogurt chutney to dip in.  I thought the everything tasted great and will definitely go back when I am in the area again.




http://www.tarkaindiankitchen.com/

Catfish Parlour

I have been here many times, because growing up in East Texas, I know good catfish.  Catfish Parlour, located on the southbound access road to Hwy 183 between Oak Knoll and Duval, never disappoints.
After watching some little league baseball till about 8pm, my stomach was growling.  I couldn't decide on what to eat.  I'll just say that I actually pulled into 3 different new restaurants, but I just wasn't getting that feeling of satisfaction, when it suddenly hit me.... What I needed right then was a familiar face and good friend. If your looking for some great food, great service, and a nice relaxing environment, then the Catfish Parlour is your destination.  As soon as you walk in, you are greeted at the door with the proposition of a cold frosty mug of root beer.  On a hot humid Texas day like yesterday, it was the perfect thing.  I was immediately seated and was greeted by my waitress, Mary, with a smile, a "how ya doin?", and a bowl of hush puppy fingers and jalapeno tater sauce.  I ordered the All American Plate which comes with a trip to the Caesar salad bar, 4 fillets of catfish (your choice of regular,  spicy, or mixed), french fries, a vinegar based coleslaw, pinto beans, and all you can eat hush puppies.  My food was ready in no time at all and everything came out hot and delicious.  This is one heaping plate of food.  I had wished I had just ordered the Lite plate, which is the same with just less fish, so that I had room for some peach or blackberry cobbler.  The total price of the meal excluding tip was around $12,  but it's worth every penny.

http://www.catfishparlour.us/

Hoover's Cooking

   I am no stranger to Hoover's Cooking (13376 Research Blvd, #400, NW Austin) and have never been disappointed with the food or service.  This time I decided to try something that I had never had there before..... a burger.  It took a lot of restraint to not get some of the BBQ, catfish, or chicken fried steak, but I did and I am quite pleased with my decision.  With only two burger choices to choose from, the classic and the Red, White, and Bleu,  I decided to be patriotic and get the latter. 

Red, White, & Bleu Burger . . . $8.99
8 oz. smoked hamburger patty topped with our Aus-Tex wing sauce, Monterrey jack & bleu cheeses, lettuce and tomato and served on a sweet kolache bun. OR try it with our “Amos” marinated chicken breast.

    If you are a fan of smoked meats, then you want to try this burger.  The smoky flavor was heavenly and with the combination of the spicy Aus-Tex wing sauce, Monterrey jack and bleu cheeses, and the sweetness of the kolache bun made each bite difficult to swallow due to the fantastic flavors soaking into each and every crevice of my palette.  
   The entree is served open faced, with I believe to be fresh veggies from Hoover's own Soular Food Garden in South Austin, and a handful of fries served straight on some paper on a tray.  A little off putting that it wasn't served on a plate, but after the first bite, all was forgotten.  Funny because when we made the suggestion to my father-in-law, he said no at first because he said they don't use plates.  I thought it was funny because I had never experienced that before myself. 
    To cap off an exquisite burger, my wife and I decided to split some bread putting for dessert.  It was a pretty nice portion for two to share.  Covered with a warm rum sauce, the bread pudding was soft and moist.  It ended up taking half of it home to enjoy later.



http://hooverscooking.com/

in the [BUNS] burger joint

After reading an article about this new burger joint in northwest Austin in the Community Impact Newspaper, I was had to give it a try.  Why not, it's close to wear I live and it serves burgers...just another candidate for my search for Austin's best burger for under $10 (excluding chain restaurants).

Had to take a bite b/c it looked to good

Located in the shopping center in the HEB parking lot at Hwy 183 and Lake Creek Pkwy, facing the 24hr Fitness, I will say that this is a great burger joint.  They serve burgers, dogs, chicken sandwiches, and salads.  The best thing is that they have some great options for all eaters.  With the burgers, you can choose from beef, veggie, turkey, portabello mushroom, tilapia, or chicken breast.  They even over options on the buns (white, whole wheat, gluten free, or no bun).  I ordered the "classic cheese" which is served with lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, cheddar or Swiss, mayo, and mustard.  I opted for the gluten free bun, because I have some friends who can't eat wheat.  They cook the burger with the cheese melted inside the beef patty.  At first look, the burger seemed small in diameter, but it was a decent size burger.  You will want to grab a few napkins because it was juicy and delicious.  I was licking my fingers between bites, it was that good.  My only disappointment was that I didn't order their sweet potato fries or a Maine Root organic fountain drink.  The atmosphere was OK, but the manager was friendly and the food was delicious.  Will definitely be going back to this burger joint again.



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In-The-Buns-Burger-Joint