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

Great Onion Rings at the Diamond R Store & Cafe in Zephyr, TX

Onion ring appetizer with yellow onions (small)

 

If you find yourself on highway 183 south of Brownwood and you are feeling a bit peckish, consider stopping in at the Diamond R Store & Cafe for a good burger, delicious homemade onion rings, or some of the other tasty options on the menu including Tex-Mex and fish. They are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There is table service so you can rest a while too. 

Mushroom Swiss burger with purple onion rings

 

The onion rings and top notch! In fact, there are even two varieties, yellow onion which are thicker cut or purple onion which are thinner and more crispy.

Fries are hand cut too. Prices are very reasonable as well.

Hamburger and fries

Additional bonus—homemade ranch (at least it tastes like it.) 

 

 

Diamond R Store & Cafe

11801 Highway 84 E

 Zephyr, TX, United States, 76890

(325) 739-2068

 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100058924246669&sk=about

Hours

Monday-Saturday

7:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Sunday

CLOSED

Lucille + Mabel Kitchen & Libations for impressive upscale dining in Brownwood, TX

Exterior

Lucille + Mabel Kitchen and Libations was a lovely surprise to find in downtown Brownwood! I cannot recall having a more enjoyable dining experience recently. The best meals I have had eating out this year have been at the Black Cur Steakhouse in Coleman and now this gem in Brownwood. Restaurants in Abilene need to up their game without question. I will happily drive 80 miles for this kind of quality and service.

My dining companion and myself greatly appreciated the atmosphere, the service, and the food at Lucille + Mabel. All were stellar. You really feel like you are at a restaurant in a much larger city but without the attitude that can come with elevated restaurants in urban areas. That being said, the prices are in line with the quality so be prepared. The menu is elevated but not inaccessible to most tastes.

Lucille + Mabel Kitchen & Libations is in a former bank building, complete with vaults. Upon entering we were greeted by the host. We had reservations and were taken to our table quickly. The bar and dining areas are separated but you can see into both. The restaurant is rectangular shaped with high ceilings, exposed brick and a green, black and white color scheme. It has the look of a historical building which tickles the history buff in me.

Bar area

Dining area

After being seated, the server came quickly to pour our water and get our drink orders while we looked over the menu. There were several steak options as well as many creative twists on familiar favorites--Korean fried chicken for example. The water for the table is served in previously used liquor bottles which is a fun way to use an item that otherwise would have just been thrown out. Clever.

Once the server returned with our drinks, she asked if we would like to order an appetizer. We went with the fried asparagus spears that were topped with crispy crab and a Bearnaise sauce ($22). My date had a question about the steaks so our server went back to the kitchen and brought out the various cuts and discussed them in detail to aid him in his choice. 

I ordered the pasta Alfredo with mushrooms and chicken ($21). He ordered the 9 oz prime cut filet ($59) which was sourced from 1855 Black Angus Beef. The steak was served with rosemary garlic mashed potatoes topped with bacon and asparagus on the side.

Asparagus appetizer

The appetizer was yummy and visually appealing. The asparagus were tender but not mushy. The crispy crab on top added an intriguing element to the taste. The portion size was more than we could eat and still have enough room for our entrees.

My pasta Alfredo was ample in size. I could only eat about 1/3 of it as the sauce was so decadent. Unlike so many places, they did not overdo the garlic in the sauce. Yay! The chicken on top was lightly breaded and juicy and the fettuccine was al dente which was quite pleasing to the palate. The past tasted fresh. For the reasonable price of the dish, it may be the best return on investment on the menu. Certainly there was enough left for a second meal the next day.

Pasta Alfredo with chicken

The filet was stellar--cooked to a perfect medium-rare and tender. The server asked that the steak be cut to be sure it was cooked correctly. It was seasoned in a way that really let the beef shine through and was topped with an herbed butter. There was not a bite leftover. A sumptuous steak indeed.

The service was outstanding and that aspect of eating out is getting more and more difficult to find. Our server was friendly without being intrusive but most of all she knew her job, the menu, and was a great ambassador for the restaurant. I had not one quibble about anything in regard to the food, beverages, atmosphere, or service. It was all five star in my book.

Filet cooked medium-rare

One caveat about making reservations there, and you are going to need a reservation, is to just call them. I tried three different avenues to contact them online; via the contact form on their website and two emails to different email addresses that are posted on their website and never heard anything back. Currently, there is no option to make reservations on any of the popular dining reservation apps either. I think the owners are concentrating more on running the restaurant than on their online presence. Their Facebook seems to be the spot with the most up to date information regarding hours and specials.

If you are in the area, I highly recommend trying Lucille + Mabel. Brownwood can surprise you. There is more going on there than you would expect. Check it out.

Update: Yesterday I took two friends to try Lucille + Mabel. Since it was only 4pm we sat in the bar. We ordered drinks and the mint in my friend’s mojito was slimy, not muddled. She had to send it back. The rest of the drinks were fine.

The servers in the bar were okay but not as attentive as what I experienced on the first visit in the dining room. Maybe newer employees? The three of us ordered off the appetizer menu, starting with two tasty crab cakes over grilled asparagus, and one of us added a half wedge salad as well. The steak bites topped with shrimp (3 per order) the others had were very good but we had to ask if the shrimp were breaded with flour, it was cornstarch, as she was gluten sensitive. However, my coconut shrimp tacos ($15) were overpowered by the balsamic sauce on the tacos and only had about two cut up pieces of shrimp in each taco. For dessert we shared a butter pecan cheesecake which was divine. All the desserts were tempting. 

I recommend if you want to experience the best side of the restaurant, get a reservation for dinner and skip dining in the bar.

Lucille + Mabel Kitchen & Libations
114 Center Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801
(325) 430-0979
 

https://www.lucillemabel.com/

https://www.facebook.com/p/Lucille-Mabel-Kitchen-and-Libations-100076016620145/

Hours (these recently changed so I recommend checking their Facebook page for updates)

Sunday-Tuesday CLOSED

Wednesday 4pm-9pm

Thursday & Friday 4pm-10pm

Saturday Brunch 10am-2pm, 4pm-10pm

 

Abilene favorite El Fenix (not the chain) in Burro Alley has reopened

For those of you who have missed the long-time home-grown eatery, El Fenix, in Burro Alley on S. 1st and S. Willis, it has reopened under new ownership recently. This El Fenix is a stand-alone and is not part of the El Fenix chain.

Based on how much buzz there has been about the reopening, Abilenians are here for it! Other reviews have been mixed. Seems like there are bumps, so this review may not reflect everyone’s experience. 

My mother and I went for an early lunch at 11am last Sunday. The usual "rush to go to a place that just opened" was not in evidence at that time, so there was no wait. The server was attentive and friendly which is always a plus in my book. One new feature of the reopening, is that they now have a full bar which was not the case in the past. Another change is that you can now pay the server at your table instead of paying at the host/hostess stand as in the past. For ease of parking, use the lot behind the restaurant. It is much easier to get in and out than parking on S. 1st street in front.

As in the majority of Mexican restaurants in Abilene, the chips and salsa came out first. At El Fenix you get two types of salsa. One is tomato-based and one is a tomatillo sauce. Both had a bit of a kick. In fact, they had the most spice of anything we ate. I prefer the tomatillo because it had a fresher taste. Unfortunately, the chips were stale or perhaps stayed in the fryer too long, so they were not crisp. I usually overeat the chips and salsa but did not on this occasion as they did not tempt me.

For my meal, I ordered what I tended to always get in the past, chicken flautas ($14). My mother got a cheese and onion enchilada topped with queso ($10). Both meals came with refried beans and rice (though I believe charro beans are also an option.) The flautas, four on the plate, were the same as I remembered, topped with lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese, sour cream and guacamole. This pleased me a lot. I believe the meat inside the flautas was a combination or white and dark meat or it was thigh meat. Few people would have never known that they were not made by the previous owner, except there was less meat than in the past.

Our meals came out quickly and everything was the correct temperature. The guacamole was especially outstanding. Very fresh and tasty. Next time I may get some of it as an appetizer. It was just that good.

My mom enjoyed her enchilada but she also does not like spice. It was right up her alley. I thought the queso looked like processed American cheese (see the pic) but she was happy with it. It is probably a good choice for kids or those who are not huge Mexican or Tex-Mex food fans.

The refried beans were on the bland side but not runny. It is a pet peeve of mine when the beans are too thin. They needed more seasoning but at least they were not over salted. The rice was good, not dry and had a tasty flavor. I liked the rice quite a lot and finished it before the beans which is a reversal of my usual precedence.

I would suggest, based on what I have heard about the experiences of others since they opened, that you do not go during peak times. The wait times for tables and food, along with adequate food temperature, have been an issue when the restaurant is slammed with customers. Also, keep in mind that although the menu is much the same as the "old" El Fenix, it is going to have some differences. Everything on the menu is not going to be exactly as it was in the past. Some people have not been happy with the differences in flavor profiles but I hope that once the bumps have been smoothed out with the timing in the kitchen, that most of these issues will resolve.

 Their extended hours are especially useful along with the breakfast options on the menu. Several locally owned Mexican places in town are not open at night. They just need to be sure the tortilla chips are up to par.

El Fenix was missed while it was gone.

El Fenix--Abilene (no website, Facebook page only)

3241 S. 1st St.

Abilene, TX 79605

325-788-0062

 

Hours:

Sunday 10am-2pm

Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm

Friday 11am-11pm

 Saturday 10am-11pm

 

 

My recent Yelp reviews for a couple of spots--Steves' Market & Deli in Brownwood, TX, and Copa at the Gap in Buffalo Gap, TX

 A couple of my fairly recent Yelp reviews...

Steves' is wonderful if you find yourself in Brownwood during lunchtime and be sure to hit the Intermission Bookstore while you are in downtown Brownwood too!

 

 https://stevesmarketanddeli.com/home.htm

 https://www.yelp.com/biz/steves-market-and-deli-brownwood

 

 https://www.yelp.com/biz/copa-at-the-gap-buffalo-gap