CLOSED Jennie's Smoked Burgers and Tornado Fries--Fredericksburg, TX

Half of a stick of tornado fries

If you find yourself in Fredericksburg, Texas, and you aren't in the mood for German food, I highly recommend going to Jennie's for a scrumptious burger and some "tornado" fries. Tornado fries are spiral sliced potatoes served on a wooden skewer that have been crisped up like potato chips. To locate them you have to walk back from Main Street a bit to find Jennie's hidden away in a side court a couple of stores over from the Auslander restaurant in the block before you turn right to go to San Antonio. They are more than worth the effort.

The menu is simple--hamburgers, cheeseburgers (single or double), hot dogs (regular or foot long), or a grilled cheese. You can get tornado fries, regular fries or onion rings. Ice cream floats are also available, along with the usual sodas. They even sell beer and wine.

We walked in at 11:45am on a Monday and were the third and forth customers in the place. As noon approached, the traffic picked up considerably and included locals as well as tourists.

Cheeseburger $6

I ordered a cheeseburger ($6) and my husband got the double cheeseburger ($8). The patties were not thick but they had a definite smokey taste and were so juicy. I think there might have been some brisket in the meat mix. The buns were super fresh and toasted to perfection. The vegetable toppings crisp and delicious. They sauce the burger with a mixture of mustard and mayo. We shared an order of tornado fries ($2) but we should have each had our own order...they are addictive! 

The seating is both indoor and outside. It isn't a very big place, so I bet they get jammed on the weekends. The restaurant is family-run and was spotlessly clean inside. The service was super-friendly. All in all, Jennie's is going to be a regular stop when I'm passing through Fredericksburg from here on out.


 

Jennie's Smoked Burgers and Tornado Fries
319 E Main St #B
Fredericksburg TX 78624

Phone: (830) 990-4000

Closed on Tuesday

www.facebook.com/jenniesburgers/

CLOSED Threadgill's on Riverside in Austin, TX--Home Cookin' in the Capitol of Texas

King Ranch Chicken Casserole, spinach casserole, and San Antonio squash

Chicken fried steak (gravy on the side), mashed sweet potatoes, and green beans

On a recent trip to Austin I had occasion to go to eat with a friend at the south side location of Threadgill's. They are a long time Austin institution for home-style cooking and live music. I had long heard of it but had never eaten there.

After arriving around 12:45pm, we were seated after a short wait. The server did a decent job for us but looked less than enthusiastic to be at work. He was on top of my drink refills so no complaints that he was not in an extra jolly mood. Overall, the efficient and quick service for those folks that need to get back to work is appreciated.

I ordered the Friday lunch special of King Ranch Chicken, though I was very tempted to just get a veggie plate due to the plethora of options. Particularly items that I haven't had the frequent chance to eat since Sunday dinners as a kid at my grandparent's house. My companion went with the tried and true CFS, which Threadgill's is well-known for serving. A basket of jalapeno cornbread muffins and bread was on the table very quickly. We both chose the cornbread and it was yummy, not dry at all.

My lunch was filling and perfectly fine but not "blow me out of the water" delicious. I tasted my friend's chicken fry and the flavor of the meat came through the rather heavy breading. I admit that I prefer pan frying over deep frying when it comes to CFS due to the fact that the breading/meat ratio tends to be higher on the meat side when pan fried. It was a nice-sized portion without question. She doesn't like cream gravy so I don't know if that would have added to the experience. My friend commented on how much she liked that the sweet potatoes didn't have marshmallow or cinnamon added to them, letting the natural sweetness of the potato shine through. My favorite part of lunch was the San Antonio squash side dish on my plate. The squash still had some firmness to it and wasn't cooked into mush. I enjoyed the green chili flavor and the creamy sauce. The spinach was just fine but in retrospect I should have gone for something else, such as the butter beans or the okra.

Buttermilk pie

For dessert, I could not resist the buttermilk pie which is my absolute favorite pie of all time. The little dabs of whipped cream that were served on top added to the presentation. The pie had a thicker floury texture than other's I've tasted that tend toward a more custard-like filling. It was good pie but not as good as I've ever had in the past. My standards are sky high in this regard due to the superior baking skills of my grandma.

I think the fact that there are probably a fewer number of "comfort" or "Southern" food restaurants in Austin (in comparison to my neck of the woods) or people's nostalgia for the past are what  keep people coming back to Threadgill's. The meal was perfectly fine but the restaurant is not somewhere I would make a special trip to patronize. I do wish I had gotten those butter beans and some extra cornbread though. 

301 West Riverside Dr.
Austin, TX  78704
(512) 472-9304
http://www.threadgills.com/

Mon-Thurs 11a-10p
Fri 11a-10:30p
Sat: 11a-10:30p
Sun: 10a-9:30p
Sunday Breakfast Buffet: 10a-1p

Update: Milk and Honey Bakery, Venue, and Bistro

Entry way

They are not longer a bistro. Milk & Honey is a bakery and caterer. Check hours on their Facebook page.

 

Milk & Honey is a specialty bakery inside what was once a private home so it is easy to drive right past them and not realize they are in business. They do not have a vast array of baked goods to just drop by and pick up but they did have french macaroons in various flavors ($2 each), two types of cake balls, slices of red velvet cake and apple tarts for individual sale in their cases. Two ready-made cakes were also available for purchase.

Bakery case

A friend and I visited them for the mid-day meal recently. They serve light lunches and a brunch on Saturday. The dining area is very small, about 20 seats. The service is run with only two people as far as I could tell, so it is not a quick place to grab a bite. They have a limited menu and the prices are on the high side...as is to be expected for a "ladies who lunch" type of establishment.

Spinach and cheese quiche

I had a spinach and cheese quiche and some bacon cheddar croquettes as an appetizer. The spinach in the quiche tasted a bit gritty as though it had been put the egg mixture raw instead of sauteed. The cheese in the quiche was high quality but the portion at $5.75 was small and not served with any type of side unless you get the meal option that included a drink and side but increased the price even more. It had a rubbery consistency rather than being creamy.

Bacon cheddar croquettes

The bacon in the croquettes was thick cut and could have been a bit more cooked but the cheese in them was excellent. I am not sure if it was the spinach or the bacon but it is sad to say that the meal did not sit well on my stomach afterward.

Smoked bacon chicken sandwich

My companion enjoyed her smoked bacon chicken sandwich ($7.50) and mentioned that it had a nice flavor and was not dry. On the brunch menu, they serve gourmet toast (such as avocado salmon), crepes, quiche, oatmeal, or French toast made with brioche bread. Drink options were water, various teas, lemonades, and coffee.

The best part of my meal was the slice of red velvet cake I ordered for dessert. It was delicious! I dove into it so fast that there is no picture to tell the tale. It had an apple spice flavor more than a cocoa note in the cake itself which was different. Perhaps they use applesauce to keep the cake moist? The cream cheese/buttercream icing was perfect. At $3.50 for a slice it was well worth the price.

Stick to the desserts at Milk and Honey. The wedding cakes they had on their website looked beautiful.

325-701-7316 / 325-513-2683

480 E. Ambler Ave Abilene, TX 

MilkAndHoneyBVB@gmail.com

http://www.milkandhoneybvb.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/milkAndHoneyBK/

Lunch menu

Lunch menu

Brunch menu

Brunch menu