Miller's Smokehouse - One of the top 50 BBQ Joints in Texas

     So this blog has been a long time coming.  Back in my old life there was a song that expressed at least part of what has been going on in my life over the last couple of years as expressed by that hot drink cooler Ice Cube:  "Where you been?  On a little vacation.  Oh by the way here's the situation . . ." and of course that's where I have to leave it and oh by the way HERE'S the situation: I've been on a hiatus from writing so to speak, a vacation if you will from exploring restaurants out in the Great State of Texas.  Due to being stuck in San Angelo and not really being overly excited with a list of great choices to write about I just haven't. I know, I know. I can hear the cacophony of cackling choir members saying "but AFR what about The Grill, Cork and Pig, Concho Pearl, Zero One Ale House, and the other places here in San Angelo that have great food?"  My answer is that I love a lot of the stuff at all these places but I've been hungry.  Hungry for something that is other worldly amazing.  I wanted all my wildest dreams to come true.  

  
     I've been hoping to find some good BBQ in San Angelo to write about and living here most of my life I've come to realize that San Angelo isn't a BBQ mecca.  We've got some BBQ joints that I would say are generic at best.  Some of them have some enjoyable morsels but just aren't quite up to spec with some of the top 50 bastions of BBQ.  I feel as if I've been in a BBQ desert the last couple of years here in my hometown.  When the opportunity presented itself to get to one or more of the Top 50 BBQ Joints in Texas in Texas Monthly I took it.  I used to subscribe to the magazine many moons ago before I started this quest for quality Q. Now I just buy the one issue with the Top 50 in it when it comes out.  One of the joints on the list is Miller's Smokehouse and since we were in the Belton area I figured we'd have to go and test their BBQ mettle.  Reviews ranked this place high and I was excited to try something deemed worthy of Texas Monthly's list.  Let me just say that I wasn't able to get the full experience as they ran out of ribs by the time we got there.  Ribs aren't really my bag but I try them to get the full experience.  I'm a brisket man.  I love to find those places that know what they're doing when it comes to the toughest of all meats to cook.  If you can't BBQ a brisket then I don't really have much respect for your establishment.  Pork is easy to cook.  It doesn't take a whole lot of skill.  Brisket on the other hand is a different story.  I don't say this from a critical standpoint but from the many years of doing this for my family, friends, and for the parties I've catered.  Many Q Joints have gotten into the habit of buying these electrical or propane smokers and most of the time turn out stuff that's pretty lacking in the taste department without drowning their meat in BBQ sauce. If you can't eat it without the sauce then you might as well feed it to the dog.  They won't mind and you won't have to put up with tasteless meat.  With that being said, I'll tell you that the king of all BBQ meats at Miller's did not disappoint. My family and I ordered a few different things.  I had a combination plate with brisket and sausage (no ribs because the guy next to me took them all) with beans and potato salad.  The brisket had just the right resistance as I pulled it apart.  "Oh don't be coy with me little brisket," I thought to myself.  "Come to papa!" As I put it into my mouth, I realized that I had made one of the best choices in the history of my life.  Perfect smoke ring, perfect tug, perfect fat rendering, perfect tenderness, but yes I had a complaint.  I'm not letting them off that easy.  My $12 plate only had one slice of brisket on it. ONE. You ever heard that song? "One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do.  Two can be as bad as one"  NO, it can't! Not in this case.  Portion size of this plate may be more along the line of true serving sizes.  Is the BBQ industry caving to the first lady's food policing?  Is there some Washington D.C. whiner telling folks that we're too fat so we have to cut portions back?  Probably not.  Brisket is so expensive (as beef is in general) nowadays and so I'm a little more understanding about the meat part of it. That brisket was so good I could have eaten 10 slices of it right then and there. No. Questions. Asked.  Their homemade sausage was also very good and we tried the Jalapeno Cheddar and the Plain. Both very tasty with a very fine grind.  I do prefer a coarser grind but it was very tasty.  Potato salad was also very good.  Textured with potato peel and a few other goodies like onions and pickles, it was the one thing on my plate I had plenty of but would have liked more.  The one thing I can say that didn't compliment the rest of the plate was the beans.  The beans had a very odd flavor and there were very few of them thank God. Not a lot of pepper or salt and a bit of a tangy taste.  I'm glad it was the beans and not the brisket.  I didn't go for the beans anyhow!  My family grabbed a few different things and as is our custom we shared so we could all taste a little of everything. My wife had BBQ Chicken and it was very tasty.  Caringly kissed with a light smokiness not in the least bit overwhelming.  I'd buy that.  My boys had sandwiches.  JJ had the sausage and Jonah the brisket.  Kandra had the lean brisket and the plain sausage, both also very good. One of the two other sides was buttered potatoes that reminded me of the hot potato salad at Salt Lick. My son JJ called them "nice" potatoes when describing them. The coleslaw was also a quality offering and my wife seemed to enjoy it very much.  At this point I was very satisfied with the quality of the meats we had eaten and there were gold stars to go around for the pit masters and the kitchen staff.

     TANGENT TIME: One of the kitchen staff reminded me of my BBQ Brother Daniel Pool.  Daniel and I talk about BBQ at work on a regular basis and I've come to trust his judgment in this area. The guy behind the line had a handlebar mustache so I knew we were in good hands.  Daniel would have appreciated this guy's epic look.  If you've ever seen the www.artofmanliness.com you'll know just what I mean.  I'm tempted to grow one myself as a show of solidarity with my brethren.

     "Back to the lecture at hand" (quote lifted from the D R E): I totally agreed that this place should be in the top 50 and as this was no longer in question I had to make the meal complete.  We typically try an appetizer, an entree, and dessert when we go out to do reviews.  I missed the appetizer but we did get some of the most scrumptious dessert I've ever tasted.  We had a moist chocolate cake that made me wanna get up and dance but alas my wife and children held me down as the people next to us looked on in horror. My wife ordered a Hurricane Cake that can only be described as next level dessert magic.  Chocolate encasing coconut and cream cheese in perfect balance.  I thought my cake was good.  WOW.  After I ordered some additional brisket and sausage for later in the evening I ran into Mama Miller as we were walking out and I told her how great the desserts were she touched my arm and said, "Thank you honey." I could tell she was a nurturing soul.  I had a great experience there and I would highly recommend Miller's Smokehouse in Belton.  This BBQ is the real deal. Like my friend Willie P.   says, "Check it out fo yo ownself.! http://www.wildmillers.com/

Miller's Smokehouse - One of the top 50 BBQ Joints in Texas

So this blog has been a long time coming.  Back in my old life there was a song that expressed at least p

Miller's Smokehouse - One of the top 50 BBQ Joints in Texas

Chef's Corner - San Angelo, TX

After much hullabaloo on Facebook about Chef's Corner from lots of different people (not mentally challenged or psychotic people, but people with differing tastes) I decided it was time to take the proverbial plunge.  I figured I would give them a good amount of time to get over opening jitters which usually causes a few issues when first opening a restaurant. Once a place gets in their groove you can get a good idea about how they are going to cook, serve, and generally wow the customer.  Unfortunately, for Chef's Corner, there seem to be some major issues.  Now if you don't mind trash on the floor, lack of atmosphere in the way of decorative pictures on the walls, slow service, and some unfriendly wait staff then Chef's Corner is definitely for you!  I'm almost certain I've talked about this before but there is a stereotype in the restaurant business that Hispanics (namely Mexican Hispanics in my experience) don't tip well and I just wonder if maybe that is some of the reasoning behind the way we were being served.  Who knows?!?! At any rate let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start . . . uh yeah. 

We came in just after their Saturday lunch rush and there were at least 9 tables empty in the restaurant with 3 waitresses.  Since there were 3 rooms I assumed that the waitresses were assigned 1 to a room.  This restaurant had maybe 4-6 tables per room from what I could see.  Another young lady (more than likely the owner's daughter or granddaughter) was dutifully cleaning tables and helping in whatever way she could which was a sign to me that this place is family owned and that this child was learning the ropes which I find really great.  I am impressed with young kids working hard at their family restaurant.  My daughter has helped me with catering jobs and parties on numerous occasions so I have a very soft spot in my heart for these young 'uns learning the trade.  One of the things that struck me in the restaurant was the vibrant Southwestern style colors on the wall with white trim.  This was nice but there were no pictures or decorative touches to distinguish this restaurant's style and I think I know why.  When we received the menu I noticed they are serving 3 types of cuisine: Mexican, American, and Italian.  One of the biggest mistakes you can make when opening up a restaurant or doing catering is to do too many things.  Three types of cuisine (plus a breakfast service) give this place a multiple personality disorder.  I wanted to give this a chance to see how they would pull it off.  Our drink order was taken quickly but I sensed a bit of tension from the first waitress. She asked if we wanted an appetizer and as is our custom we ordered one to get the full experience of the restaurant.  I noticed some chips and salsa on other tables so I assumed we would get some which we did not. Another one came over and asked if our drink order was taken and she seemed a bit friendlier than the first one although she did tell us the wrong special for the time of day we were there. Our drinks came out and we waited for our appetizer.  We waited. Then we waited some more.  In fact I'm still waiting for my appetizer.  It never came out.  The waitress that asked us if we wanted it never brought it out.   Her attitude just plain stunk.  No smile. No personality.  In fact when she came back to refill drinks she was very curt and as I stated before no smile on her face, no kindness in her voice.  She practically barked at us, "DO YOU WANT ANYTHING ELSE TO DRINK?" Uh, yeah.  We had not had any refills yet so it was a definite yes.  In stark contrast the friendly waitress smiled a lot and although she was inexperienced I could tell she was trying hard.  Here's a professional hint for those people desiring to be wait staff though:  don't make excuses about this being your 4th or 5th day on the job, don't tell me I didn't get my appetizer because you didn't know that we had ordered it, don't tell me every time I see you that your new.  I don't care if you are new.  A head waitress can train people to do the job that needs to be done unless you are just not meant to do this kind of work.  You usually know that after 3 or 4 services though.

I ordered beef fajitas, Kandra and JJ ordered Chicken Alfredo Pasta, Jonah ordered a bean burrito (surprise surprise) and my wife ordered an enchilada plate.  Service was VERY slow.  There were more than 9 empty tables in the restaurant which should have meant that we would have our food or refills very quickly.  At many points during the hour and a half we were there I didn't see either of the waitresses for 5-10 minutes at a time.  When we did get out food I was pleasantly surprised by the presentation.  Beef fajitas were served with grilled onions and bell peppers, beans and rice.  My first bite was tasty but the meat was very rubbery.  There were some pieces that were not cut very small which didn't make for a good taco as the meat was too stretchy to bite off.  OH I see this fajita meat was not cut across the grain for maximum tenderness so there's part of the issue.  Luckily I still have fairly good teeth and was able to chew it up with the tasty guacamole and slightly bland pico de gallo.  Rice was tasty but had a few clumps in it.  Beans were bland and dry.  My son loved his bean burrito that benefited from a good amount of cheese and the fact that it was wrapped in a tortilla which helped his beans to retain their moisture.  My wife stated that the enchiladas had a tomatoey type twang to them and that's not something she particularly cares for.  My other 2 children decided on the Chicken Alfredo pasta and my daughter being the resident connoisseur of this particular dish was quick to praise the presentation and the flavor of the toasted bread that came along with it.  The pasta sauce itself didn't look creamy but looked more like what would happen the day after you have this dish, where it sat in the refrigerator overnight,  and then been reheated it in a microwave.  She whispered in my ear that it had no flavor so basically the Alfredo sauce was more like a paste keeping the noodles together.  My wife's enchiladas didn't come out til JJ was almost done with his pasta and after Jonah had been sitting there for a pretty long time.  That is a kitchen issue.  The food should come out at the same time and therein lies the multiple personality disorder problem that this place has.  If anything the enchiladas should have been first out. 

Prices here are very good (you get what you pay for in my estimation) and I think if they focused more on the Mexican food they could really be a better restaurant.  I'm not even going to put down any of the regular ratings I normally put in my reviews because my own inclination is to stay away from this place for a while.  I'm seriously hoping that they will hire a good head waitress to train the rookies.  Here are some tips in case YOU are the one that is going to train them:  1) PERSONALITY - Smile, speak kindly, listen, I said LISTEN to the customer and what they want. 2) Promptness - greet your guests quickly. 3) Pop in regularly - don't be gone from any of your tables for more than 5 minutes at a time.  4) Pride - take pride in what you do i.e. don't make excuses for mistakes you are making, just make it right! 5) Privacy - The fact is that unless a person is generally interested in seeing you (waitress) on a personal basis we don't want to know your business, where you came from, how you came to work in this restaurant, or what you did last night with your boyfriend.  6) Proficiency - be proficient at knowing specials, be able to answer questions about the food, study the menu and know what the price is, the ingredients (to some extent), if substitutions can be made.

Until necessary changes are made in atmosphere, wait staff, and deciding on what cuisine they want to focus on I can't in good conscience recommend this place. 

Casa Bella-San Angelo, Texas

In the last few months I haven't eaten near as much Mexican food as I would like as I'm trying (rather unsuccessfully) to drop a few pounds in an effort to become more healthy.  The one place that I frequent quite a bit is Casa Bella. Because I am at Angelo State on Tuesdays and Thursdays it is very convenient.  AHHH but convenience isn't necessarily the only thing that draws me to this place.  I genuinely enjoy the food and service.  Lets face it this restaurant is new and it is growing.  What it lacks in atmosphere it makes up for in some of the best food and service San Angelo, Texas has to offer.  The gentlemen who own this place are slowly but surely adding the atmospheric touch but the food has been on point since day one.  I've had a number of different plates including Mia's Plate which consists of a small Ribeye topped with grilled onions, bell peppers, tomatoes and jalapenos along with rice and beans.  Rice is very aromatic and not dried out as many restaurants tend to do because of a long stay in the oven.  Refried beans are also very tasty and complete that particular plate out very well.  The appetizer chips come out to the table warm and with a very fruity red tomato salsa with a slight kick.  Nothing overwhelmingly burning about this salsa so to each his own.  They have daily lunch specials that are also very appealing.  Will's plate is one that comes to mind but I haven't gotten to try it again because I'm not there during the time it is served. Fajitas are another solid entree here and again very tasty and tender.  One of my favorite offerings of Casa Bella is the Caldo De Res.  This translates to Beef Soup in case you didn't know.  If I'm guessing the ingredients correctly of course you have some beef which seems to be chunks of tender roast along with cabbage, carrots, onions, cilantro, a little potato, and a small piece of corn on the cob with a little tomato sauce in the broth.  It is one of the best things you can have on a cold day and it is lovingly served with a side of your choice of corn or flour tortillas, some lime wedges, and some rice.  Although it needs no addition of anything to add to flavor I love to drop a little red salsa in for just a little more tomato and pepper flavor.  Cheese enchiladas are also very solid here as my wife has attested to.  A quote here from an old Cheech and Chong recording. Cheech on the phone with a prospective date asks the question: "OH you don't like Mexican food?" Apparently he gets a reply and then says,  "OOHHHHH ju don't like Mexicans!" Well I love me some MexiCANS and Casa Bella has quite a few of those because they can and do many things quite well.   Well if Mexican food isn't your thing then try the chicken strips.  My daughter told me they are some of the best she has had and she particularly liked the gravy.  Jared eats burgers everywhere and he was very satisfied.  Jonah is the bean connoisseur of our family and maybe even in San Angelo in his age bracket.  In speaking with one of the owners (as well as careful observance) it is very evident that the team concept prevails and is instilled in the staff here.  I mentioned to him that everyone is very attentive and it all boils down to the teaming concept.  Regardless of who you "belong" to as far as wait staff is concerned you will still be greeted, helped, and waited on by a slew of different people all trying to give you the best experience.  I have yet to be mistreated here in any way.  I asked the owner about their desserts and whether they were made in house because I had just consumed a delectable piece of Tres Leches cake and it was amazing.  Although this dessert was not made in house it is prepared in a local bakery and brought to the restaurant on a daily basis.  If you have a family and you are on a budget then obviously this place can meet your Mexican food craving and still keep your pocketbook intact.  There's not really anything on the menu that is very expensive which makes this place even better in my book.  If you are looking for a restaurant whose cuisine is just a little bit different than what's out there in San Angelo then stop by and see Will and the rest of the staff.  I'm sure that they can prepare you something that you will enjoy. 



Food: GREAT FOOD!

Atmosphere:          Atmosphere not quite there yet but they are working on it.

Prices: Prices for what you get here are most excellent.

Service:  From top to bottom service is some of the best ANYWHERE.

Overall: 1/2

For one of the newer places in town they are one of the shining examples of what hard work and determination can do.

Casa Bella On Facebook

Sideoats Cafe and Bakery

I've known Chef Mike Hennessy for a number of years and have had the pleasure of working with him on a few occasions albeit briefly.  I've always been impressed with Mike and his drive to succeed and his can-do-attitude. His Menard eatery Sideoats Cafe and Bakery is a testament to what Mike is able to do and just how well his team rallies around him to put out consistently good food and desserts. I've been to Sideoats a few times but this was the first time I have decided to do a review because I was able to sample their savory dishes as well as dessert.

 We were on the road Monday night and rather than stopping at Junction for the ever familiar taste of Coopers BBQ I wanted a nice sit down meal with a few more choices along with some dessert.  We drove the few extra miles and arrived in Menard about and hour and a half before closing time.  We were happy to finally be getting near to home but we would have been eating at 9 had we waited.  I prefer to have my dinner between 6-8 pm if at all possible and Sideoats was just the place I had a hankering for. 

We were greeted promptly as we came in.  It wasn't that busy but in a small town and on a Monday night you'd expect things to be a little more laid back and this was no exception.  We ordered our drinks and after they were served we ordered our food.  I had an opportunity to take a few pics to highlight the interesting atmosphere at Sideoats. 






















I decided to have a Chicken Fried steak while my wife opted for a grilled chicken sandwich on Rye.  If you follow this blog you know my boys by now and that they usually eat the same thing when we travel and of course Jared had a cheeseburger.  Jonah had a grilled cheese with some home made chips.

My meal started off with a beautiful salad.  Doesn't everyone say that when they talk about salad? Well they might but I really mean it.  Take a look:

This mixed greens salad had a few cucumbers and grape tomatoes strewn in.  There were a couple of bites of celery and onions and as you can see it was garnished with some tasty home made croutons.  Here's another view of this gorgeous salad:

Oh and did I mention the dressing was also home made?  This creamy buttermilk ranch was the perfect lubricating agent for this wonderful salad.  In fact this salad was so good and my wife so impressed by it that she had to get one herself.  OH waitress?  Another salad please......Thank yuh!





I've had many chicken fried steaks on many occasions.  In San Angelo there are many Mexican food places that serve them with chicken gravy on them and they are all fine.  The real way to serve a CFS is to cover it in cream gravy.  Chef Mike knows how to put a good plate together and this CFS was tender, tasty, and perfectly seasoned.  To the right of the CFS you will see some grilled or what I've also heard called "scorched" green beans.  These fresh green beans are tossed with some caramelize onions and allowed to scorch a bit on the grill bringing out their natural sugars.  WOW.  This is one of my new favorites.  The french fries were also very good and the yeast roll went perfectly with a pat of butter dipped in the gravy.  I was most impressed with it.

My wife had a Monterrey Jack Chicken Sandwich with mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes and mayo on Rye along with some fries.  It looked good and it was also very tasty.  It also retained its moisture and you could see the tasty breast meat glistening under the bread.  Here's a pic:



My son's burger was equally appetizing as you can see here:

This mushroom Swiss burger looked to be juicy but of course in the hands of my 13 year old it didn't last long enough for me to get a bite of it!  I wasn't able to get a pic of Jonah's Grilled Cheese Sandwich but I know he liked it because it was also gone.

We also elected to have some dessert.  Jared had Tuxedo Cake, while Elizabeth and Jonah had Cherry Pie.  I decided on Apple Pie ala mode and I don't think any of us was disappointed.  Here are the pictures:

I topped it all off with a glass of Texas Iced tea.  It was an excellent meal.

Food:

Everything we had was perfect. 

Atmosphere was great:

Atmosphere at Sideoats keeps with the theme.  Laid back.

Excellent Prices:

Prices for the quality you get can't be beat.   

Service Excellent: 

Our waitress was experienced and it showed.  She did an excellent job and took care of us.  If a doctorate was ever issued for being a waitress she would have graduated with honors.  Can't say enough about just how good she was. 

Overall:

Mike Hennessy knows what he's doing and I'm so glad he's found his niche with this place.  This place is highly recommended with no reservations whatsoever.  Get to Menard, Texas and give it a try.  You won't be disappointed.