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. 

The Hut Burritos Y Mas CLOSED

The Hut Burritos y Mas is a new Burrito hot spot in San Angelo. For those in South Texas Burrito = Taco. Tacos up here a lot of times if they are in a flour tortilla are called soft tacos. Yes, soft corn tortilla tacos are called the same thing. Now that we've had that little lesson can we start another one? Can you say, "LEGIT'"? Try it. Yeah that's good. Once more. You've got it. The Hut is truly legit' and makes some of the best home style food anywhere in San Angelo.



Housed in the previous Steak Express location the dining area is small and unassuming with about 8 tables and white walls decorated with black and white pictures of many local historical sites as well as others statewide. One of the important things I always look for when I sit down to eat somewhere is whether or not the dining area is clean even after a lunch rush. I visited twice and both times the restaurant was very clean.

People from all walks of life gather here to enjoy Chef Chapo's creations as evidenced by the Mercedes Benz and the Chevy Silverados out front. The menu contains quite a few options for breakfast and lunch. If you want to go the simple route you can B.Y.O.B. Build your own burrito that is. Tortilla, and eggs are the foundation and you can add two of these ingredients to complete your burrito: Cheese, Bacon, Sausage, Ham, Chorizo, Potatoes, or Refried beans. You can have your burrito in a 12 inch flour tortilla or SURPRISE SURPRISE in a corn tortilla. You can even make it a “Roadie” which is a burrito with your choice of ingredients chopped up into bite sized bits and put into a cup. I haven't tried this yet but I guess if you are going to eat while you drive its better to keep your clothes clean unless you don't mind eggs and cheese in your lap. The Hut also has some specialty burritos that range in price from $2.00 - $5.00. The Vaquero has guiso, refried beans, and cheddar cheese all for 2 buckaroonis. The Hut is the signature house burrito for $2.75 and is loaded with eggs chorizo, potatoes and cheese. Add a little salsa and you are good to go. The then there is the monstrous “Big Al” burrito. The Big all is a 2 pound burrito fill with Ham, Potatoes, and cheese wrapped in 2 flour tortillas for 5 bucks. One of the burritos I enjoyed for breakfast a few weeks back was the “Ave. N.” which is a combination of eggs, potatoes, bacon and cheddar cheese for $2.75. I decided after having the breakfast I would like to try out the lunch plates. Lunch has a few options and for a great price. I had the #8 Soft Taco plate. You have a choice of beef taco meat, Guiso, or beef or chicken fajita meat. Here's the great part: ALL FOR 5 Bucks and it includes rice and beans. I don't know where you can get a deal that good with those options. Also had a brisket burrito that was very delicious. I had their salsa and pico de gallo and both were solid. The one thing that really stuck out to me is that everything tastes like it was made at home. That's a big plus in my book. Home style cooking for a great price is just something that you don't find very often. The food is scrumptious and affordable. With that being said don't get any ideas about eating on fine china or that atmosphere will be the best. It's a burrito place after all. You can have soft drinks, bottled water or iced tea to drink. They do have free Wi-Fi there and that is a great way to have lunch and get a little work done too. Their staff is extremely attentive. I was checked on and asked many times if everything was good. Anything I needed, they were all too happy to pass on.

I definitely recommend The Hut for its low prices and home style cooking. You can't get a better deal in San Angelo on food this good. Great for a struggling college student like me.

LOCATION: Ave. N in San Angelo.

Prices: Cheap
Quality: High
Atmosphere: Bland
Service: Above and Beyond
Menu Selection: Adequate
Authenticity: Good

The Grill - San Angelo, Texas

Tonight my wife and I had an opportunity to go out on a date. It's been a while since we've had one so we were due and my mother-in-law was nice enough to watch the kids while we went out.
I've been wanting to go to The Grill since the day it opened but timing, money, or some other obstacle kept coming up. I've finally discovered what a lot of people in San Angelo and the surrounding area already know: The Grill is LEGIT! Tonight I had the BEST Guacamole I've had in my lifetime. It was part of the Queso Americano Appetizer along with warm, corn tortilla chips. I have to say I normally wouldn't eat much Guacamole at all but this one abounded with spices and flavors that hearken back to my childhood. My wife was really surprised at how much I liked it. I enjoyed the spicy Queso Americano which was an unmelted cheese mixed with Cilantro and some other tasty morsels. See the picture to the right. I was a little nervous at first because our waiter was taking some time to get our drinks. I was pleasantly surprised to see him pick up steam and exceed my expectations after that though. I had tea and it was excellent. Elizabeth had a Diet Pepsi - 2009 Vintage if I'm not mistaken. One of the things I have missed when eating at the majority of places that serve steak and something I insist on at home when cooking my own steak is wood grilling. The smoky aroma abounds in this place. It's a welcoming smell to me, something I grew up with and had around at least every few weeks whether my Dad was BBQ'ing a goat, Grandma was cooking a cabeza in her cast iron stove, or Uncle Bill or Uncle Richard were making huge amounts of Ribs, Steaks, and Sausages on their BBQ pits. The aroma reminded me of Easter at what is now the San Angelo State Park close to the O.C. Fisher Resevoir. There was a place there called that we called "The 3 Tables". Every Easter Dad, Uncle Chayo, Uncle Richard and many of us young boys and men would get out there at 5 or 6 am (if I didn't get left behind) and start a fire up to get ready to cook breakfast first but then a long roasting of Goat, Beef cuts of all varieties, or some other type of meat. Wow that smell took me back! My wife ordered a NY Strip well done or ruined as I like to call it (I like mine medium rare to medium but to each his own!) She had it with mashed potatoes and to be honest I almost shed a tear when I tried them. They were that good but my Grandma who was the Matriarch of our families great cooking tradition made potatoes almost similar to this. So by this time you know I'm hooked right? Well, I ordered the Saturday night special which is the Prime Rib cooked to a nice pink medium. Very very tasty as well and served with black beans and rice. One minor thing missing was a little bit more of the bean broth. Prime rib was served with a cup of Au Jus. By this time our server had refilled our drinks at least 3 times a piece. I was very happy. To have a complete review we normally have an appetizer and a couple of entrees as well as a couple of desserts and tonight was no different. I had Tres Leches cake and it was garnished with Strawberries, Blueberries, Bananas, Caramel Sauce and a dollop of Creme Fraiche. It was beautiful - here see for yourself.


Elizabeth had a banana split. It was also very tasty and it had peanuts on it just like she likes it. It also had some fudge in it too. I enjoyed that very much as well as my own dessert.
Prices here aren't as bad as most people made them out to be when I asked. To be totally honest I really wasn't told just how good The Grill really was. I just had to find out for myself. My recommendation is to come early. We got in just before the dinner rush started. Tables abounded around 4:30 PM to 5:00 PM. When we walked out around 6 it was standing room only. Atmosphere, decor, staff attire, food flavor and presentation get EXCELLENT marks. Wait staff gets very good marks only because it took 10 minutes to get my wife's Diet Pepsi. The waiter definitely won us over after that as he made sure we were well taken care of the rest of the night! This is a great place for a lovely dinner for 2 or (if you don't mind waiting or getting reservations) parties of 6 or more or anywhere in between. I will definitely be enjoying this place again. Here are some other pictures I took while I was there.

Winners and Corrections

First a correction on the BURGERS....The name of the place is Roadrunner's Burger DELI not Bistro. Sorry....I had the alliteration in my mind for some reason. NOW on to the WINNERS of our polls

Favorite Concept TIE Wingstop/Logan's

Favorite Pizza Pizza Hut (this didn't surprise me)

Favorite Seafood Red Lobster (Cheese Rolls WOW)

Favorite Burritos Diego's (UNANIMOUS)

Favorite Ethnic Olive Garden (probably should have gone under concept but it works)

Favorite Burger Charcoal House (Good and Cheap)

Favorite Fast Food Chik-Fil-A (YAY JOEY!!!!)

Favorite Sandwiches Subway (Jared lost weight I guess it works)

Favorite Steaks TIE Western Sky/Twin Mountain

Favorite BBQ RJ BBQ

Mexican Food Paco's Place ( I love this place but I was surprised by this)

Thanks for voting.

River Valley Coffee and Cafe

River Valley Coffee and Cafe is a great new downtown establishment. My wife and I were on a little date and we decided to try it out. I was totally hungry after watching the latest installment of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I was a bit disappointed with that movie but that's a different time and a different blog. ON to the food. My sandwich was a club sandwich. Ham, turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, Pepper jack cheese, and cheddar on sourdough bread dressed with mayo. It was excellent and was served with some chips and a pickle spear. The Pepper Jack added the extra little nuance that made this a great sandwich. Here it is:







YUMMY SANDWICH!






Looks good doesn't it?

My wife's sandwich was a Mediterranean chicken sandwich. Normally it would be served with Ciabatta bread, romaine lettuce, pesto, and an artichoke heart and if I'm not mistaken Provolone cheese. She omitted the artichoke heart and it was a very tasty sandwich. The chicken was grilled and my only complaint was that it was not very hot. The flavor was very good though. Of course it was my wife's sandwich but she did beg me to take a bite. The pesto made this sandwich really burst with flavor. Awesome idea. Here's a blurry picture of it:














It was a good looking sandwich. Speaking of good looking, they have some great art in the restaurant that can be purchased from the local artists themselves. The art ranges from watercolors, to oils, to pen and ink. Portraits of people and places abound here. The atmosphere is really cool and open. I love the stained concrete floors and high tables in the area we sat in. They also have a huge magazine and book rack. They serve coffee and desserts as well although I didn't have either. This may require some further research. For you coffeeheads go in and try it out. Hey it's not that far if your are in the downtown area. I'll add more info about it when I go in a couple of more times and try some other stuff. I recommend this place for it's eclectic sandwiches, friendly staff, and cool atmosphere. Enjoy it.