Licks and Links- hot dogs and ice cream that are worth the small effort to find

Licks and Links is a new spot in town that has been getting a lot of positive word of mouth lately.

Bare dog with ground mustard, sauerkraut, relish

They are located off of S. 14th and Danville Dr. in the strip center. The same one that has Tokyo and Little Italy. The business offers escape room games and only just recently added food as an option in addition to the games.

The menu is small. There are several types of gourmet style hot dogs, loaded tater tots, and Frito pie on offer. There are also about 8-9 different flavors of ice cream, sorbet, and gelato, all made in house. 

You can order a "flight" of ice cream if you want to try small portions of more than one flavor. 

My mother and I stopped by for a late lunch on a Saturday. Both of use ordered a bare dog ($4) which you could dress by adding up to three condiments which included the usual options of mustard, ketchup, mayo, cheese, relish and onion. I had stone ground mustard, sauerkraut, and dill relish on my hot dog. My mom got regular mustard, shredded cheese, and sweet relish on her dog.

The bun was fresh and soft but frank was the star of the show. All beef with a nice snap to it and the flavor was quite tasty. It certainly satisfied the craving for a good old fashioned hot dog. The meat is cooked on one of those rolling machines with a little oil which browns the outside nicely. 

The menu includes several special hot dogs with lots of interesting toppings which increases the price up to $8, depending on which one you choose. Currently, you can get a chili dog, a "popper" dog, a Thai dog, a Sonora dog, a Mediterranean dog, a slaw dog, or a Jersey shore dog, in addition to the "bare" dog that we ordered. I bet they will have a rotating selection moving forward. 

The loaded tots sound like a meal in themselves and will be on my list to try next time. There is the option to make you meal a combo and add chips and a canned drink for a reasonable upcharge. Currently, there is not a soda fountain.

Bare dog with mustard, relish, and cheese

There were nine options for ice cream. We were too full to indulge but the orange creamsicle flavor sounded good to me. There was also chocolate, strawberry, pistachio, lemon, coffee, and mango. I think other flavors rotate in as well.

My mom and I had lunch of a hot dog each and bottled waters for under $11 with tax, which is pretty unusual nowadays. Service was friendly and attentive. The owners were on site and willing to answer any questions I had about the food. Everything was very clean.  The restaurant part of the location is not really big, about 10-12 tables. The game area takes up the other half of the location. 

Licks and Links is open for lunch Sundays-Thursdays, 11am until 3pm. Open longer hours, until 7pm on Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is a little bit hidden since you cannot see them from either S. 14th or Danville, but they are will worth the effort to find them

Licks and Links

1401 S. Danville Dr.

Abilene, TX 79605

(325) 627-8467

https://www.facebook.com/p/Licks-Links-61577774292909/

Hours:

Sunday-Thursday

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Friday & Saturday

11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Maria's Mexican Kitchen in Odessa, TX, elevated Mexican food with magnificent mole sauce

Maria's Mexican Kitchen only opened in Odessa this summer but it is already a hit judging by the crown at 1pm on a Saturday afternoon. I traveled with my companion to Odessa just to eat at this restaurant as a birthday treat. 

A 

House-made guacamole

little back story on why I wanted to got to Odessa for lunch...in the past when I would visit San Angelo, Texas, I enjoyed going to a family run Mexican restaurant there called Armenta's. Primarily because they served mole sauce with some of the dishes. The sauce was the matriarch Maria's recipe. It was a rare thing to find mole sauce on the menu of the average Mexican restaurant. The last time I visited, I found out that they no longer serve the sauce as Maria had passed away. When I read that Maria's Kitchen, which is owned by her chef son Felipe Armenta, and was named this one in honor of his mother, I had to eat there and enjoy the delicious mole sauce again. The Odessa location is new and the other location is in Fort Worth. Chef Armenta has several restaurants in Texas. 

Chips and salsa

First off, I recommend making reservations, especially on the weekend. Odessa, much like Abilene, is a town that always wants to try the newest restaurant arrivals to the local scene so that may or may not have contributed to how busy they were on a Saturday at lunchtime. We arrived a little early for our reservation and were seated about 5 minutes after walking in the door. Maria's Kitchen is not an overly expansive restaurant, which is another reason to make reservations. The decor is modern and there are very high ceilings and contemporary style furnishings. The only drawback to the building is that it is quite loud when the tables are all full so keep that in mind if  that is an issue for you when dining. There will eventually be patio seating outside but the summer heat does not make that a pleasant option at the moment.

After we were seated at our table, the server arrived quickly. The service for the entire meal was very attentive and professional. Homemade chips and salsa was placed on the table almost immediately. The flavor of the salsa was very appealing. It had a roasted tomato profile and was served warm. I thought the chips were a bit on the thick side but they certainly did not break when used to scoop up some of the flavorful salsa, which did have a spicy kick to it due to the seeds that were visible. 

Mariposa and Maple Old Fashioned

A minor critique is that the drinks from the bar were a bit slow arriving, I think there was only one bartender working, but that was not a major issue for us and the manager brought our beverages over himself once they were ready. They were perfectly balanced cocktails. 

For an appetizer we ordered the house-made guacamole ($14). It was absolutely fresh tasting and quite delicious. There was a bit of a sweet flavor to it instead of the avocado being overwhelmed with a lemon/lime, onion, or cilantro flavor, as can happen with guacamole at times. It is a guess, but I think it may have had pineapple juice in it. We enjoyed it immensely and it was consumed quickly. 

For my entree, I was torn between getting the chicken in mole sauce or the enchiladas tres colores ($22) which had three different sauces on each enchilada. The enchiladas won because I wanted to try the poblano sauce in addition to the mole sauce. The third enchilada had sour cream sauce on it. For the filling, I got the chicken but picadillo beef was another option. My companion ordered the steak fajitas ($36). 

Tres colores enchiladas

Steak fajitas

My enchiladas came out looking like perfection on a plate. Of course, I had to try the mole one first. It did not disappoint. The sauce is complex and had some heat to it, the bitter chocolate note was there but the underlying flavor was red chili. Sesame seeds were sprinkled on the top. The chicken inside was tasty and tender. It was even better than I remembered it. The poblano sauce was also yummy and almost gave the mole a run for its money. The sour cream sauce was very, very good, no complaints at all. I could not have been happier with my choice. It was well worth the 2.5 hour drive, one way, to Odessa from Abilene.  

My friend's fajitas came out sizzling and the meat was full of flavor and tender. The accompanying flour tortillas were just the right size to make the a "bite-able" fajita taco. They came with the requisite peppers and onions, with a whole grilled jalapeno and grilled pineapple as well,  which as a little surprising but not unwelcome. 

Our dinners came with rice and refried black beans, served family style. Both were non-traditional as the refried beans were made with black beans and the rice used long grain rice, which put a different twist on the staple sides. I am not a huge fan of black beans but the flavor on both was good but to be honest I was too full from the enchiladas to each much of the sides. 

Interior

As you may surmise from the price points that were annotated, Maria's Kitchen is "elevated" Mexican food. The ingredients are high quality, along with the presentation, and the service as you would expect from the prices. The menu is not huge but the choices reflected several seafood options which one would not expect to see in west Texas. My next goal is to try the Fort Worth location which has been in business longer and see if it is just as impressive. 

If you find yourself in the Midland/Odessa area, I recommend you got the Maria's Kitchen for a lovely meal. I know I will again.  

Maria's Mexican Kitchen

7254 TX-191 #200, Odessa, TX 79765

432-282-0240

https://www.mariasmexicankitchen.com/odessa/

Hours

Mon-Thu 11am-1opm

Fri 11am-11pm

Sat 10am-11pm

Sun 10am-9pm

Brunch--Sat & Sun 10am-3pm

Happy hour--Mon-Fri 3pm-6pm

Fuji Hibachi Express on N. 1st is serving up all your hibachi favorites

Chicken teriyaki with veggies and fried rice

On Friday, I decided to have my lunch at the new hibachi place, Fuji Hibachi Express. Not many restaurants open up in the center of town and I like to support them when possible. To my knowledge, they have no connection to the Fuji restaurant that once operated on the southside off of S. 27th.

They are located on N. First and Westwood. For the really long term Abilenians, it was once Duncan Donuts (among many other restaurants over the years), most recently a Mexican food place. 

There are only 6-7 tables inside, so a lot of their business it take-out. I was dining in.

You order at the counter. Service was efficient and friendly. I ordered teriyaki chicken with fried rice and vegetables ($9.99) but there were many other meat options and combinations available, as well as appetizers. My food came out in less than 10 minutes.

The portion sizes were generous. The only criticisms I had was that there was no evidence of any egg in the fried rice and it was a bit bland so I needed to add soy sauce to give it a boost. Also, there was a lot of onion in the vegetable mix. Some people might like that they were a little undercooked for my taste. The chicken and the vegetables had good flavor from teriyaki sauce. I certainly did not leave there hungry. 

All in all, it was worth the money and I will return to try something else on the menu in the future. Hopefully, the will stay in business. Be sure to check the hours as they close in the afternoon and reopen later on Monday-Saturday.

Fuji Hibachi Express

3514 N. 1st St.

Abilene, TX  79603

325-704-2275

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577335577713

Hours: 

Mon-Sat	11:00 AM - 2:30 PM 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Sun	12:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Farolito Restaurant has been in business since 1936 in Abilene--they must be doing something right!

Exterior of the building

For a true "hole-in-the-wall" Mexican food experience, you need to go to Farolito Restaurant. It is family-owned, super kitschy (orange booths, sombreros on the wall, reruns of the Price is Right on the television), difficult to find, and generally only open for lunch on weekdays. Check their Facebook to be sure they are open before you venture over since there could be a staff shortage or other issue that keeps them from opening. Farolito's is the oldest restaurant in Abilene, coming up on 90 years old. It recently reopened after having to close for a while as the owner had to recover from a serious traffic accident.  

Chips and salsa

Some things you should know...it is located on a dead end street by a bridge and the parking lot is small. You may need to be creative with your parking if the place is packed. The building is old but personally, I have never had an issue with things not being clean. There may be some dust on the decor but that generally does not bother me as long as it stays on the decor. It is also not wheelchair accessible as you have to go down two steps to get into the dining room. They do offer "take out" service as well as dine in. Remember that it is a "hole-in-the-wall" so adjust expectations accordingly. The place is vintage. 

Enchilada Salad on the lunch special

The current price on the daily specials is $9.50 and that includes the chips and hot sauce. There is a note on the menu that you cannot do substitutions on the lunch specials such as requesting a different sauce.

On to the food. I really enjoy their salsa. It has heat without being overwhelming, and it does not taste like canned tomato sauce. You can tell that is made fresh in-house. The chips are not made there but I am okay with that. They were crispy which is what matters.

There are seven options on the daily special menu but they have a large selection of other items on their regular menu if you want to venture beyond the specials. Today I ordered the #7 which is an enchilada "salad". The salad is two flat beef enchiladas with sauce, lettuce, tomato, and you get your choice of sour cream or guacamole. It is served with rice and beans. 

Interior

An aspect of what I appreciate about Farolito's is that the enchilada sauce tastes homemade. It has a very nice beefy flavor. The rice and beans were also good. The rice was not dry and I would bet they use lard in the refried beans. None of my lunch today would qualify as health food but it certainly filled me up. My only criticism is that the enchiladas did not have a whole lot of meat in them. If you have a larger appetite, you may want to go for a meal on the regular menu.

The servers were friendly and quick. Everyone I saw was enjoying their meal. As they were paying up front, I heard more then one person comment that they were pleased that the restaurant was open again.

If you are lucky you might catch actor Robert Duvall having lunch there if he happens to be in Abilene. No joke. 

Hours:
Monday-Friday 11:00 AM - 1:45 PM

Saturday-Sunday CLOSED

209 Cottonwood St. 

Abilene, TX

325-672-0002

https://www.facebook.com/Farolito.Restaurant1936/

Crane's Craft BBQ at the old Wagon Wheel Dancehall in Tye, TX, is a feast for the family

 

Crane's Craft BBQ is a family run restaurant that is open Wednesday-Saturday from 11am until 4pm (or sell out) which is located off of I-20 between Abilene and Tye. It was once the location of the Wagon Wheel which was a squaredance emporium back in the day. I enjoyed the nod to the history of the place that you still see in the building. 

Chopped brisket with a side of chips and queso and green chili hominy

As my mom, my brother, and myself walked in at around 11:30am, we were greeted by the owner. He was super friendly and quick with a joke. You place your order at the counter.

My usual order at all barbeque joints is a chopped brisket sandwich ($14) which was made with half lean/half moist brisket in this case. The sandwiches come with a side of smoked queso and totopos (tortilla chips). I also ordered an extra side of green chili hominy ($3) and a glass bottle of Mexican Coke ($3).

My mom ordered a smoked baked potato stuffed with chopped brisket and all the usual loaded potato toppings, which I believe was about $14. The potato was cooked in the smoker instead of an oven and rubbed with beef tallow. It was huge.

Interior--Order at the counter

My brother who is doing keto right now had a half pound of moist sliced brisket ($15). All of us were pleased with the taste of our brisket and the prices are about average for our market. My mom and I both had leftovers that will make a second meal for us.

You also get onions, peppers, or pickles for your plate but they are not self-serve. The options for sauces were self-serve and included a sweet version and a tangy version. Both tasted sweet to me and had an ingredient in them which made the taste a bit wonky. None of us were fans of the sauces. The meat did not really need the sauce but a nice sauce and help take the barbeque up a notch.

Interior looking toward the stage

I found the smoked queso to be unique. The taste of the cheese put me in mind of the Kraft Old English Cheese spread you used to get in a small glass jar mixed with some Mexican spices and smoke. The totopos were on the thick side. They will not break when dipping them in the cheese. I would have liked it if I could have substituted the queso and chips for a different side but I ended up paying the extra to get another side to try the green chili hominy. The taste of the hominy was nice but it was a bit on the oily side for me. I think a bit of sour cream would have helped it. 

Meat choices other than brisket included pulled pork, pork ribs, four kinds of sausage (house, chedder jalapeno, cracked pepper, boudin) and turkey.  Their marketing indicates that their beef comes from Goodstock by Nolan Ryan. They offer a nice variety of sides but none of them were low carb, except for perhaps the cucumber salad. Some sides they have that are a bit different are pineapple cassarole, elote asado, and chedder jalapeno grits. There is also the usual loaded potato salad, beans, mac and cheese, and Texas twinkies (jalapeno poppers). You can also get two slices of white bread for a $1. 

Brisket stuffed potato--Saturday only

Dessert options were a chocolate flan or banana pudding. Drinks are all bottled. No fountain sodas. Beer is also served. 

Service was great! I also liked that there was handy access to take out boxes. Seating is family style with long tables and benches. 

The restaurant also offers live music. Check their social media on Facebook or Instagram for who is playing and any specials such as the smoked potatoes or beef ribs.

Give the place a try if you find yourself around Tye and have a craving for some BBQ for lunch.  

Crane's Craft BBQ

(325) 386-9934

1023 S Access Rd, Tye, TX 79563

https://cranescraftbbq.com/

Hours

Sunday-Tuesday--Closed

Wednesday--Saturday 11:00AM - 4:00PM (or sell out)

Big Country Beer Garden and Cocktail Courtyard is a fun spot with outdoor seating and tasty eats

Chips and homemade salsa

The Big Country Beer Garden and Cocktail Courtyard is a new spot in Abilene in the SoDA (south of downtown) district off of S. 1st and east of Treadaway. Recently, a few female friends and I got together for lunch on a Saturday to celebrate a birthday. We wanted to try somewhere new in town. 

Nashville chicken sandwich

The food menu isn't extensive but most anyone should be able to find something they like. There are several appetizers, a smashburger ($17), an upscale hotdog, a pork belly sandwich, a chicken sandwich, salad options, a meatball sub, and a grilled cheese. The sandwiches come with crispy fries and the bread on all the sandwiches was fresh. The people who own the Taylor County Taphouse in Abilene also own this establishment. If you like the food at Taphouse, chances are you will also like the food at the BCBG. The quality is high and the prices reflect it. 

Service was spot on, friendly, and attentive without hovering--pretty much perfect. We opted to sit inside instead of on the covered patio simply because it was a windy West Texas spring day. However, it was tempting to sit out there instead.

For our starter we ordered the chips and homemade salsa ($8). The salsa was flavorful but without a lot of heat. Quite enjoyable. The chips were thin and crispy with a bit of seasoning on them. As you would expect by their name, there was a fairly large menu of beer options and also a craft cocktail menu with some tempting creations listed.

Grilled cheese

The birthday girl ordered the Nashville chicken sandwich ($16). The chicken breast was hand battered (if a little heavy on the batter) but the flavor was great and the sauced cole slaw on top had a good crunch. She enjoyed it.

I ordered the grilled cheese sandwich ($14) made with Muenster and sharp chedder. It was perfectly "melty".  I could tell it had been done on the same grill as a burger so be advised that there may be a bit of smashburger clinging to the bread on the grilled cheese. If you are looking for a out of the ordinary grilled cheese sandwich, give it a go. 

Banh mi sandwich

One friendn was adventurous and ordered the Vietnamese bahn mi sandwich ($17). The portion of pork belly was generous and it had lots of fresh jalapenos on it as well. The meat was perhaps a little leaner than one would expect from pork belly but is was quite flavorful and worth the price. 

The last order at the table was a "build your own" smashburger wrapped in lettuce. The usual smashburger is served on a bun with three types of cheese but my friend needs to eat gluten and dairy free. She liked the smash sauce and she said the burger was good but she did not finish it. It looked like she only got one patty instead of two. The burger likely tastes better in the original form since smashburgers are known for their crispy edges and the cheese helps the texture and fat content of the burger to help it stay juicy. I am not sure if she had to pay the regular price or if it was discounted a little bit since there was no bun or cheese.

Build your own smashburger with lettuce wrap

However, for those who are gluten free there are salad options; a garden salad (can add salmon or chicken for an upcharge), a green chile grilled chicken salad, and a spinach salad. Price range on the salads was $13-$20.

Everyone at lunch that day said they would definitely return. The next time, I plan to try the Hatch chile queso or the fried cheese chunks appetizer. Other unique options on the appetizer menu are chicharrone encrusted boudin balls, a sausage board, and a meatball trio. For an entree the fancy hot dog is tempting. I almost ordered it this time. One of my friends would like to order the homemade meatball sub with the scratch made sauce next time. 

The restaurant is on the corner of S. 2nd and Pecan St. Be sure to check their social media pages for live music and other special events. Parking in the area is primarily street parking so keep that in mind. There is one small lot on the Pecan St. side. There was a mention of brunch being served on the weekend on their website but I did not see a brunch menu when we arrived at 12:30pm.

Next time you are looking for a fun spot to meet friends or have an adult beverage and some apps, go to the Big Country Beer Garden and Cocktail Courtyard.

HOURS

Monday CLOSED

Tuesday CLOSED

Wednesday 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Thursday 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Friday 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM

Saturday 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM

Sunday 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM

(325) 704-3181

806 S 2nd St

Abilene, TX 79602

https://www.bigcountrybeergarden.com/

https://www.facebook.com/bigcountrybeergarden

TurtleMan’s Burger Grill in Potosi has smash burgers, jumbo mozzerella sticks, ice cream, and more

Cheeseburger and fries

TurtleMan’s Burger Grill was doing a brisk business, both inside and for take out, on the Saturday afternoon when myself and a couple of family members arrived after a short jaunt from Abilene for lunch at 1:45pm. There was parking, so I took it as a good sign that a table would be available inside.

After looking over the menu, I ordered the cheeseburger ($9) with fries and a drink ($3 extra) and an order of mozzerella sticks to share ($8), which came with both ranch and marinara sauce. My brother ordered the popper burger ($11) and added added fries and a drink ($3). Mother just got a cookies and cream milkshake ($6). Lunch for the three of us came out to about $43.50. TurtleMan's is not a cheap burger place, so be prepared.

Once you order, they take your name and will call you to the pick-up window when your order is ready. We only waited about 7 minutes for our burgers to be done because there was no one in line in front of us when we ordered.

Jumbo mozzerella sticks

My brother's popper burger had grilled jalapenos, cream cheese, fried onion strings, regular cheese, bacon, with ranch dressing. It filled him up for the rest of the day. The cheeseburger I had included all the usual burger toppings.

Smash burgers are known for having crispy edges from being pressed into the grill and for having a thinner patties. If you prefer a thick burger, you may want to try another item on the menu.

The smash burgers were a decent size and the meat had a good flavor and was bigger than the bun. I especially liked the pickles as they reminded me of the more expensive refridgerated pickles that have a good crunch and extra dill flavor to them. The other veggies on the burger and the bun were fresh. It was not a dry burger except for the crunchy edges, and certainly not a "non-greasy" type of hamburger. 

The french fries are handcut with the skins on. Personally, I do not prefer to have the skins left on my fries as at times the potato is not washed really well and you can get a hint of dirt taste from the skin. That being said, the fries had a crisp to them which is better than many handcut fries that tend to be a bit floppy and soggy tasting.

The mozzerella sticks come two to an order. The picture does not do justice to the size of the sticks. For long time Abilenians, think about how the cheesesticks were at Gardski's Loft back in the day. They are very big and can easily be split between 3-4 people. It is possible that the restaurant will run out at some point during the day as they make mozz sticks in-house and when the supply is gone that will be it. They are a very popular item and a highlight for me. Also, the sticks took extra time to cook so we got our burgers before they were done.

Receipt

One slight issue was that my mom had to go back up to the register to remind them about her milkshake. The workers at the front were supposed to bring it out to her. There was a rush of customers after we put in our order and the shake was forgotten. TurtleMan's uses Blue Bell ice cream so once she got it, my mom was happy with her shake. 

The next time I go, I plan to order the corn dog ($4.50), which I believe is hand dipped, and the mozz sticks again.You can also try a fried bolonga sandwich ($10.) I have never seen on a menu locally. Oh, the good old days of corn dogs and fried bologna. The remind me of childhood. There are onion rings and some chicken items on the menu as well. No salad options.

Front of the restaurant

I am certain the people who live in Potosi are happy to have TurtleMan's in the area. It is worth the trip from Abilene to give them a taste.  

TurtleMan's Burger Grill

1920 FM 1750 (on the "curve")

Abilene, TX 79602

(325) 230-4009

Hours:

M-Sat 11am-8pm

Sun 11am-3pm

https://www.facebook.com/p/TurtleMans-Burger-Grill-61568159738551/