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/

Caitie Pies makes handpies fun and they have regular pie too, great spot for lunch in downtown Abilene

Caitie Pies is a new discovery of mine for lunch in downtown Abilene. 

I had a craving for soup one day and they are one of the few places that has a rotating selection of homemade soups. Today, while at lunch with a friend, I had a handpie for the first time. It was a green chili cheeseburger handpie ($8) and it was yummy. Along with it, I also go some corn chowder ($5) but I was too stuffed to finish it.

 My friend got the same kind of handpie but also ordered a slice of coconut cream pie ($5.) Both of us ordered a soda. They only have canned sodas but do have iced tea as an option along with water.

The handpies had a golden crust that was tender. I found the filling to be delicious and flavored well but not a lot of heat from the green chili. It was served with a spicy dipping sauce. Next time I hope they will not be sold out of the chicken pot pie handpie.

The corn chowder was yummy as well and easily could have been a meal on its own. There seemed to be either bacon or ham in it. The spice level was mild.

I am not fond of coconut but the coconut cream pie looked appetizing and my friend ate every bite so it must have been good! There are other baked goodies, sweet handpies, sandwiches, and salads on the menu. A little something for everyone, really. You can taste that they put a lot of love into their food. The bakes there are so tasty! 

Since they open at 10am there are breakfast options as well.

Some things to keep in mind, the elevator in the building is out of order and because of the age of the building, I would guess that means it may never be repaired due to both the lack of parts and repair experts to fix it.  You are required to go up a set of stairs to get to the restaurant. Also, I am not so sure that there are a lot of gluten free options, call ahead and ask. 

They are only open for lunch but if you follow their social media, there are special dinner events on occasion. 

Service is quick and friendly. Make plans to go as soon as possible!

P.S. Sorry that everything we ate was yellow/gold. :-)

Caitie Pies

244 Pine St (2nd floor)

Abilene, TX 79601

Located on the second floor at Under One Roof/Poppies and Pearls store.

Tue-Sat 10 AM to 2 PM

(325) 999-8677

https://www.caitiepies.com/home

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaitiePies.Abilene/

FB

Whiskey Ridge in Driftwood, TX, offers "upscale casual" dining in a western contemporary enviroment. Make reservations, especiallly on the weekend.

Whiskey Ridge is a contemporary Western restaurant located in the quickly developing Hays county area off a two lane road between Kyle and Wimberley. My date and I were in the area visiting family and decided to go there for dinner on a Saturday night evening.

The restaurant is fairly new and extremely popular. Upon arrival we quickly figured out that we should have made a reservation. By 5pm, the place was already packed. There were several large groups seated (this was between Christmas and New Year's Day) both inside and outside. We decided to put our name on the list since it would take us a while to get back into town to find another place to eat. After that we headed out to the patio bar area but after not seeing a server, we decided to go around the front of the restuarnt where there were a couple of fire pits, a porch swing, and two patio chairs. We watched the sun set as we waited about a little over an hour for our table.   

Once seated on the outside patio, the server arrived quickly to welcom us and give us our menus. The menu was not huge but there were several intriguing options. Steak, of course, some interesting appetizers, upscale sandwiches, salads, and items such as a chicken fried ribeye or a Wagyu burger.

We ordered our drinks but did not get an appetizer, even though some of them were very tempting. I decided to go with the fried jumbo gulf coast shrimp ($23) for dinner. It came with cole slaw and a blackberry horseradish dipping sauce. My date ordered the center-cut filet ($65), cooked medium rare (sides were extra), and we shared an order of fries ($7).  

The food took about 30 mintues to arrive. This was not terribly surprising since the place was extremely busy. The server did check on us and kept our water filled. Fortunately, we were not in a hurry but by the time the food arrived we were quite hungry. It was getting close to 7pm and we had been at the restaurant since about 5pm. 

My shrimp were good-sized but had cooled off a bit by the time they got to the table. Perhaps waiting for my companions steak to be done? Not sure. They were tasty and not overcooked but the breading could have been a bit lighter. I did not care for the sauce that came with the dish, so I asked for tarter sauce and cocktail sauces. They did not have any tarter sauce so they brought me some hot sauce and cocktail sauce. 

The steak was cooked perfectly to order and served with a dollop of garlic butter with parsley on top. However, the server did not wait and have him cut into it to be sure it was how he wanted it. 

It was a very good steak but perhaps could have done with a little less "dressing" up so that the flavor of the meat would shine through. 

The fries were the closest thing to a McDonald's french fry that I have ever tasted outside of Mickey D's. Whiskey Ridge must have figured out the secret recipe! They came out hot and crispy with a side of ketchup.

The service was attentive and considerate, if a bit slow. The restaurant's ambiance is certainly a draw, particulary if you would like to sit on the patio when the weather is pretty. The view from the patio was of a pasture. 

The adult beverage menu was extensive. I can certainly understand why it is popular, even if there were more restuarant options within 5 miles of  the immediate area, which there are not, except for the Hays City Store & Icehouse across the road.

I would go back when I am in the area but next time I will make a reservation and/or avoid going on a weekend.

Whiskey Ridge

Sunday - Wednesday - 3 PM to 10 PM

Thursday - 3 PM to 11 PM

Friday - 11 AM to 11 PM

Saturday - 3 PM to 11 PM

https://www.whiskeyridgetx.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076531110232

https://www.instagram.com/whiskeyridge.tx/#

8750 W RR 150, Bldg 300, Driftwood, Texas 78619

OMG Noodle House--a new Asian food option in Abilene

The OMG Noodle House on S. Willis (in the same shopping area as AM Donuts) is Abilene's newest entry for Asian food offerings in Abilene. The restuarant currently has fairly limited hours, only being open for dinner Wednesday-Saturday. 

Chicken Pad Thai

The menu is not particulary big. Pad Thai, soups, and rice dishes are the primary options along with fresh spring rolls (these are NOT the deep fried ones), shrimp rolls, and egg rolls as appetizers. There are not currently any curry options on the regular menu. You may find one as a special on occasion though.

My dining companion and I both ordered chicken dishes. I had the fried rice ($10.75) and he had the pad Thai ($12.75). 

The restaurant is small. There are about 8 tables inside. We arrived at 4:45pm and by 5:15pm all the tables were full on a Thursday evening. 

Orders are taken at the counter for both take out or dine in and they will bring out your food when it is done. They do not have servers to take orders at the tables. There was a busy take-out business going on as well. 

The food came out relatively quickly and the ingrediants were fresh.  Nothing on the menu was more than $15. The soups come in both medium and large sizes and are the most expensive items on the menu. 

The presentation of the food was very nice. The chicken in the dishes used thigh meat, not breast meat, if that makes a difference to you. Also, the seafood options on the menu are a combination of seafood and there does not seem to be a way to ask for just shrimp if you are not fond of several types of seafood. The rice and noodles were cooked perfectly in our dishes. 

Chicken fried rice

Both of us thought our meals could have used more seasoning. I needed to add quite a bit of soy sauce to my rice to give it a flavor boost. The pad Thai came with a side of a sauce. However, my date was not full after finishing his meal so I shared my dinner with him.

The soups may be the biggest draw, along with the beef loc lac, spicy Thai chicken, and ginger beef or chicken. There are other spots in town that have better fried rice and pad Thai. These were just familiar options to get for our first try. Next time, I will order something else and also get some shrimp rolls or egg rolls to go with the dinner. 

Give them a shot and support your local businesses when you can! 

OMG Noodle House

Sunday-Tuesday Closed

Wednesday-Saturday 4pm-8:30pm

Facebook page--https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570049674472

No website listed

325-704-1723

202 S. Willis St., Abilene, TX 79605

Goodnight Steakhouse & Saloon in Albany, TX, is well worth the drive from Abilene--so go!

Menu 1

For my birthday dinner this year, I wanted to go to Albany to try the Goodnight Steakhouse. I had heard some positive buzz about it. It is the restaurant that is now located where the original long established Beehive steakhouse was before the owner retired last year. The building has had some additions and done a bit of remodeling which really refreshed the space. Also, a new party area was added with a stage along with an outdoor seating area.

Of course the real test was how was the food, especially in light of the fact that the Albany Beehive once served me a steak that was in my top five steaks EVER? I can report that the food was very good indeed and without question I'll be driving to Albany to eat at the Goodnight Steakhouse again. My date had made an early reservation, so when we arrived at 4:30pm we were the first customers for the night. They had set up a table in the middle dining from with a balloon on the tabletop since it was my birthday celebration. The server was quickly there to give us menus and ask what we might like to drink. She told us the complimentary bread was still in the oven but would be out shortly.

Menu 2

We gave her our drink orders and started perusing the menu. In addition to the regular listed items, they also had some weekly specials that they were serving. The bread soon arrived hot and fresh with a side of real butter. Other appetizers included jalapeno poppers, pickle chips, queso, bacon wrapped shrimp, a grazing (charcuterie) board, loaded potato wedges, or truffle fries.

Since my companion is an onion ring connoisseur, we requested the onion ring tower ($11) for an appetizer. The rings came stacked on a branding iron with two dipping sauces, ranch dressing and a chipotle aioli. The onions were thick cut and cooked to just the right consistency. The breading was a bit heavy, similar to the breading on a chicken fried steak, but we consumed the entire stack so they agreed with us without question.

Fresh bread and butter

For our entrees, I ordered the 7oz sirloin strip steak topped with truffle butter cooked medium ($29) along with a side of the Goodnight mac & cheese ($11). The side was easily large enough to have been an entree all on its own! Ordering my side was a difficult decision because there were several yummy choices. All were tempting. Prices on sides ranged from $6 to $11.

Onion rings

The mac & cheese was scrumptious. No Kraft mac & cheese here. The sauce definitely had a lot of butter in it, very tasty.

My date ordered the 8oz filet cooked medium rare  ($42). He did not get a side since he ate the lion's share of the onion rings. The steaks came from 1855 Black Angus suppliers and were cooked over mesquite. I asked the server if the same grill was being used in the kitchen as was used when the building was the Beehive and she said that it was. My taste buds remembered that taste, or at least I felt like they did so that pleased me.

There were five steak options ranging in price from $29-$52; a 16oz ribeye, a 12oz filet, a 14oz strip, an 8oz filet, and a 7oz strip. For an additional charge you can get your steak topped with a peppercorn sauce but I would not want to overwhelm the taste of the beef. Both of our steaks were cooked exactly as we ordered them. They were tender and had delicious flavor. 

Strip steak with mac & cheese

There were other entree options on the menu such as chicken fried steak, grilled chicken, a cheeseburger, chicken fried chicken, salmon, pasta, and salads so you do not need to break the bank by ordering a steak. The 8 oz burger served with fries is $16.

There is also a kid's menu with mini corn dogs, chicken tenders, or steak fingers. Prices were $7, $9, or $16 depending on what you order and whether you wanted the small or large version kid's meal.

Desserts were cobbler (two types), cheesecake, ice cream, or a skillet cookie ranging in cost from $5-$12. We shared a peach cobbler topped with ice cream. It was spiced just right and was a good way to top off the meal with something sweet.

Service was friendly and efficient. Our server had worked there when the place was still the Beehive. She knew her business and an answered questions with confidence. 

Filet-med rare

The Goodnight Steakhouse & Saloon is a more elevated version of a small town steakhouse. The surroundings were comfortably rustic and the food was homey but made special by all the extra touches and quality ingredients that were used in the preparation. The menu options are accessible to the average palate without being too gourmet. My meal there was one of the better birthday dinners I have had in recent memory. It is certainly obvious that they are going to be real competition for some Abilene steakhouses. 

On certain nights, there is live music on the saloon side of the restaurant. Since we went on a Friday evening, the saloon was starting to get some steady business as well. 

Happy birthday!

You can make reservations via their website. 

One note: the lights went out mysteriously in the room we were seated before our food arrived, only in that one area of the restaurant and no one was around. The mirrored bar that is in that room was once out at Fort Griffin in wild west days. Haunted, maybe?

Goodnight Steakhouse & Saloon 

517 US 180, Albany, TX 76430

(325) 721-5838

https://goodnightsteakhouse.com/

Facebook page-- https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093403927968

Hours:

Monday    Closed

Tuesday    Closed

Wednesday    4–9 PM

Thursday    4–10 PM

Friday  & Saturday  4–11 PM

Sunday    11 AM–10 PM