Chef-owned Angry Cactus was worth the two-year wait and the walk

Abilene has been waiting two years for the Angry Cactus to be remodeled/built in the old Sockdolager Brewery location in the SODA (South of Downtown) district off of S. 1st between Oak and Locust. They already have a well-regarded location in downtown San Angelo, and chef/owner Tim Condon chose Abilene for his location. 

Filet 

Looking toward the front

I have to commend him for having an extended soft opening period which could be used for training his team and where diners could make lunch or dinner reservations (via Google) and give feedback on the food and service. Hopefully, this approach will lessen the crush and opening snags that usually happen when a new restaurant opens here by giving people many opportunities to try it before they officially launch on October 19th. The place has already gathered a lot of positive word-of-mouth. I visited during the soft opening on a Tuesday for dinner. When they open fully that they likely will not take reservations. They do not take them at the San Angelo location.

Looking toward the kitchen

When I first heard that a full-service restaurant was going to go into this location, I was worried because I knew that the parking lot was small and that most people would have to park on the street or over in the courthouse parking lot and walk a bit. Not everyone is going to be up for that, unless they really want to eat at the place in question. At this point, people were willing to make the trek so I hope that continues, especially during the colder months. 

Prickly pear margarita

As you enter, there is a smallish waiting area on the left, some merchandise for sale on the right, and a big reception area in front of you with the bar behind it. Our host quickly seated us in a booth on the west side of the restaurant. There is a step up to get into the booth, so keep that in mind for mobility issues because the restaurant is has black floors and it can be hard to spot. The ceiling is also black but the decor and walls have a lot of color and neon to make the place "pop". There is a big, bright Abilene mural above the kitchen area. Music was playing and there were televisions around but it was not too loud. At 5:30pm the tables were about half-full but the atmosphere was not overly noisy. I am not sure what is will be like when the place is packed. There is also a view of the kitchen area and everyone was working hard on getting the food out.

Green chili queso

My friend and I decided to get two appetizers. We ordered the green chili queso and chips ($10) and the unlimited chips and salsa, which had two types of salsa, a red and a green ($6). Both were well worth the price. I especially enjoyed the queso. There were visible strips of roasted green chili in it and it was the perfect consistancy. Not too thick but not runny either. The portion was very generous. The chips were a consistancy that is not my favorite. I like tortilla chips to either be thinner or thicker but the in-between kind tend to lack enough crunch which can come off as stale even though they not stale. That being said, thin chips would not work with the queso since they would break. The salsas were both tasty but I enjoyed the green more because it reminded me of Green Goddess salad dressing. Very creamy and herbal instead of being tomatillo-based. The red salsa was quite tomato-forward and did not have much heat to it. On my next visit for an appetizer, I will get the cheese fries which has the queso on top.

Banana Foster cake

Because of having two appetizers and wanting to try dessert, I did not order an entree. My friend got the wood-grilled filet ($42) which came with garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables (carrots, green beens, and squash. The steak was topped with a red wine demi-glaze and crispy fried onions. The steak was perfectly cooked as ordered (medium-rare), extremely tender, and was around 8 oz. in size. It was pronounced as the best steak the person has ever had in Abilene (and that includes the Beehive, Perini's and Copper Creek). I had a bite and it was delicious. The sauce added some dimension without overshadowing the beef. Food presentation throughout the meal was done with style.

For dessert, we shared the Banana Foster cake ($16) which has been getting rave reviews from people. It was butter cake topped with vanilla ice cream along with bruleed bananas, candied pecans, and a sprinkling of granola. Decadent and delicious. The price point was a bit on the high side but desserts are meant to be indulgent, right? It was certainly enough for two people to share. 

The server and the person training her did a very nice job of taking care of myself and my companion. The food came out in a timely fashion. We had two managers drop by our table, along with the chef/owner who chatted with us for a while. Especially about the quality of the beef that was being served, which was very high indeed. Everyone was on top of their game and the attitude was quite welcoming. 

Without being on special, the least expensive entree on the menu is $14 (catfish) and the most expensive is the antelope steak ($48). There are lamb chops available which you do not see often around here. There are also burgers, chicken, pork, Mexican inspired dishes, chicken fried steak, salads, pasta, and seafood choices. There were several gluten sensitive options as well. 

Some other highlights about the Angry Cactus--a brunch menu is served on Saturday AND Sunday, $12 lunch specials on weekdays, evening dinner specials several days of the week, and drink specials every day. If you time it right, you will not need to spend a ton of money to have a great meal at the Angry Cactus.

On my next visit I will probably try the "This ain't your grandma's meatloaf." It is one of the chef's specialties. I recommend you give the Angry Cactus a try. I do not think you will be disappointed.  

https://www.theangrycactus.com/

https://www.facebook.com/angrycactusabilene/

833 S. 1st St.

Abilene, TX  79602

325-232-6200

Regular Hours (starting Oct 19, 2026):

Mon - Thu: 11am - 10pm

Fri & Sat: 11am - 11pm

Sun: 10am - 9pm

Pizza Haus (or House)--His Legacy in Clyde America has some tasty pizza but check their hours on Facebook

16 inch Sampler

The Pizza Haus is located in an old Volunteer Fire House by the railroad tracks in the middle of Clyde, Texas. It is the decendent of the original Pizza House that was on the frontage road to I-20 but which closed after the owner's death. The last time I had their pizza, I blogged about it here--

https://edibleabilene.blogspot.com/2012/03/pizza-house-in-clyde-tx.html

My mom, brother and I decided to drive over to Clyde and have some pizza. Before we left, I checked the restaurant's Facebook page to be sure they were open. They are family-run and at times the hours are inconsistant. 

Menu

Once inside, you place your order at the counter. We went with the 16-inch sampler for $19.20 and a half-order of cheesy breadsticks for $3.85, along with two 4 oz cups of ranch dressing for .75 each. Drinks are $1.99 a piece. Sodas are bottled, not fountain. They have a small one-trip salad bar option. You can also order a pizza with gluten-free or cauliflower crust, which is a bonus for a small-town pizzaria. These crusts only one in one size.

There is a dining area in the next room from where you order with about 8 picnic tables. When we arrived on a Saturday at 12:30pm, there was only one table unoccupied. Everyone seemed to be enjoying their lunch. It was mostly family groups. 

Small cheese breadsticks

As it was the first time I ate there years ago, I was most impressed by the crust on the pizza. Crispy, flavorful, and not too thick. They must put a little oil in the pan when they cook it to give it that crisp.

The toppings were generous but not quite as plentiful as they were in the past. Sauce was put on with a light hand as was the cheese. My main criticism, would be that they use canned mushrooms instead of fresh ones but the onions and peppers were freshly chopped and they go with the large pepperoni slices, which I like. 

Dining area

Order at the counter

Everyone was happy with the food and we had some leftover for a snack later. The pizza is well worth the price. For fans of jalapeno poppers, they have a popper pizza option but that and the sampler are the only "speciality" options. You can build you own with a list of 13 different ingredients. 

If I lived in Clyde, I would probably eat there way too often for my waistline!

The Pizza Haus--His Legacy

212 N 1st St, Clyde, TX 79510

(325) 893-4141

Current hours are posted on FB-

https://www.facebook.com/PizzaHausHIsLegacy/

Five Guys has arrived in Abilene

 Five Guys recently opened a store in far south Abilene. I do not always write reviews of chains but when a new one comes to town, it is worth a mention when it has a reputation like Five Guys. 

Little hamburger--single patty

The first Five Guys burger I ever ate was several years ago in Georgetown, TX. At the time, I did not realize that their standard burger has two patties and that you get a bunch of extra fries in the bag when you buy even a small order of french fries. I had a much bigger lunch than I could finish and was facing a 3-hour drowsy drive back home.

On my visit to Abilene's Five Guys, I ordered a little burger with a single patty for $8.49 and a small fry for $4.79, and water to drink. Their regular size burger with two patties is $10.69.

The price point is not inexpensive. My lunch was about $14 but I did not leave even the slightest bit hungry. 

The hamburger meat has never been frozen and the fries are cut in-house. You can see the potato boxes stacked behind the counter. It  was a good burger, juicy without being super messy. The patty could have used more seasoning. The toppings were all fresh as was the bun. You can also get as many of the standard toppings as you want on  your burger.

"Little" fries

I find that hand-cut fries are often limp and soggy but the ones at Five Guys had a crisp to them. They must be double fried. I still prefer fries without the skins left on them but that did not keep me from eating and enjoying them. They use peanut oil to fry them.

The menu also includes hot dogs (start at $6.79) and milkshakes ($6).  

The restaurant was clean and well-staffed. It took about 10 minutes for them to cook my order on a Saturday at 11:30am. The restaurant had not gotten really busy yet. There was only one person in line in front of me but by noon, the place was filling up fast. 

I did not see any free peanuts out. There were multiple signs that warned people with a peanut allergies that free peanuts are available while people wait for their food.

If you are a burger and fry fan, give them a try. Especially if you have never had it before but be aware that it is going to cost more than the typical fast food burger. There is no drive through window either since everything is cooked to order. 

The location is convenient for people who live in far south Abilene, Wylie, and Potosi.

Five Guys--Abilene

6950 S. Central Clack St., Unit 1

Abilene, TX 79606

(865) 363-0590

https://order.fiveguys.com/location/five-guys-abilene/menu/burgers

Hours are 10am-10pm all week long.

Updated--R Lux is more than a charcuterie but the clue is in the name, expect "luxury" pricing in this prime location in the far southside of Abilene

Update: Service has vastly improved. Excellent food and service today for a lunch on a Saturday.

This weekend gave my friend's and myself a chance to celebrate a birthday and try out a new restaurant/lounge in town. There has been a lot of buzz about it, both positive and negative. They have been open for two and a half months, so we figured most of the starting bumps had been smoothed out at this point. I believe they began as just a charcuterie caterer before opening a brick and mortar restaurant. There is only one charcuterie option on the menu and it is not cheap.

We arrived shortly after they opened and were seated quickly. The place had a nice vibe but it seemed more like a lounge than a sit-down restaurant since most of the tables were not particularly large. There are two big rooms that make up the space and we were put in the one that had the bar in it. The decor was primarily black/gray, gold, and green. The music that was playing was 80s, which we all enjoyed.

R Lux--south side of the restaurant

The hostess brought us some menus and water for the table. The server came to the table about 10 minutes later. We had some questions about the food and drinks, our server let us know she was new and would get the information we needed. Certainly, we understand when a person is just starting that there will be gaps in training but these would become more evident through the meal, particularly related to timing. 

Chips and dips

We ordered some more water for the table and began to look at the menu. About 10 minutes later the server returned to answer our questions so we ordered an appetizer of chips and dip which consisted of tortilla chips, queso, salsa, and guacamole ($14) and some adult beverages were also ordered from the bar.

Margarita--no salt

The wait for the appetizer was about 15 minutes with an additional 5 after that for the drinks to arrive. The guacamole was fresh and quite tasty, as was queso, though it had cooled enough to develop a "skin" on it. The salsa was served warm and had a heat to it which was quite good. Each of the dips came in a ramikan that held about 1/3 of a cup of the dip in each one. We ate the chips and dips and proceed to wait another 20 minutes for our server to return so we could order our meals. We had been in the restaurant almost an hour at that point. They were not particulary busy but there did seem to be a staffing issue due to the wait time involved. Fortunately, we were not under a time crunch but we were quite hungry at this point as most of us had skipped breakfast. 

 

Lux Pasta

As for the drinks, the margarita ($7) was pronounced delicious. As good as anyone had before in Abilene, if not better. The other alcoholic beverages were fine but not as impressive as the margarita and for the most part more expensive. 

For my main, I ordered the R Lux pasta ($19) without any meat added, the birthday girl had the Nashville Hot Chicken ($19) which came with cole slaw and fries, and two people ordered off the summer menu and had the Lux Stuffed Avocado which was two halves of an avocado with a scoop of dill chicken salad on each ($18). The food took about 15-20 minutes to arrive. 

The food quality was very good. The parmesan cream sauce with spinach, cherry tomatoes, and a hint of red pepper flakes for spice on the linguine pasta had a lot of garlic as well, so be warned. The sauce definitely tasted house-made. The pasta portion was generous, so I took home the leftovers. The slices of bread on it were more for looks than taste as they were dry. Overall, I was pleased with the dish.

The avocado with chicken salad was heavy on the dill but the menu does indicate that the dill is featured. The presentation was very nice, though a retangular plate can cause an issue when trying to cut the avocado. Both individals finished their meal. The avocado was perfectly ripe and if you like dill, the chicken salad was good.

The Nashville hot chicken was breaded in panko crumbs and fried. The flavor profile did have some spice to it but was more on the sweet side than expected. Also, the chicken itself was in need of some salt, so most of the flavor was coming from the breading. The cole slaw was crunchy and had a nice flavor, and fries were crispy just how the person likes them. 

During the meal, we did have to ask for our water to be refilled, and a second round of drinks for a couple of us took a very long time to arrive. At the point we were paying out we had been there for almost 2 hours. We were paying separately and the checks has to be re-done as well. 

The server did her best but I think the restaurant suffers from a lack of training when it comes to some of the employees or a scheduling issue as to how many are working at any given time. We did see the manager and she came to our table to help clear some dishes. We were asked at one point if we were enjoying our meals. As you might surmise, a couple of the separate checks has to be re-done. On the whole we were happy with the food but it should not take 2 hours to finish lunch due to staffing, which I believe is a management issue, more than then the server, in this case. 

You should expect the price points on the menu to be on the level of the other higher end places in Abilene such as the Taylor County Taphouse, Copper Creek, or Cypress Street Station. Check out the menu on their FB page. Currently, their website has no useful information on it. Hopefully, the training of staff and having enough of them on the floor will improve, even at "non-peak" times like a Friday or Saturday night.  

Next time I go, the fried green tomatoes and the goat cheese appetizers are on my list.

 

R Lux

6838 S Clack Suite 6, Abilene, TX, United States, 79606

325-455-RLUX

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559198378362

Hours

Monday CLOSED

Tuesday 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

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 - 3:00 PM

Gloria's Grill is a SODA district staple with big homestyle burgers served weekdays at lunch

Gloria's Grill is a lunch spot open Monday-Friday located just west of the Taylor County Courthouse. It is locally owned and has been around for decades. People who work in the area are loyal customers of Gloria's.

About a year and a half ago, they closed up shop and retired. However, the reopened again after a break and customers were flocking back there for their mid-day burger break. Other menu options include taco salad, hot dogs, Frito pie, and a BLT.  You can get fries or tater tots as a side. They keep the menu simple, but the folks I saw eating there seem perfectly happy with that.

There was also a nice cross section of Abilenians eating inside due to the restaurant's location. Orders are placed at the counter. 

I got a cheeseburger and fries combo which was $15.50. I cannot recall if the drink came with it or not. It is true that the price is not inexpensive but it is not a small burger. In fact, the combo I ate kept my hunger at bay for the rest of the day, I skipped dinner.

The buns on the burger had been toasted on the grill which is always a plus, and the meat was juicy without being super greasy. It was a really good hamburger. The fries were also cooked to crispy perfection. I am not a fan of limp, undercooked french fries. 

The service was friendly and the food was hot and satifying. It took a few minutes for the food to arrive but there is no doubt it was cooked fresh.

It is a positive action to support our Abilene business owners, so give Gloria's Grill a try the next time you find yourself in the downtown or south of downtown area during the week at lunchtime. 

Gloria's Grill

228 Chestnut St. 

Abilene, TX 79602

325-675-5105

https://www.facebook.com/p/Glorias-Grill-100063715860276/

Hours:

M-F 10:30am-2pm

Chuy's has arrived in Abilene--get ready for the creamy jalapeno sauce!

Chuy's Tex Mex has arrived in Abilene! I usually do not focus much on chain restaurants but the arrival of Chuy's has been much anticipated locally and since they opened they have been swamped with customers since they opened almost 3 weeks ago.

Pico de gallo or salsa? Something is off.

My first visit to Chuy's was about 30 years ago at the original Barton Springs Rd. location in Austin, TX. This was long before their acquisition by Darden Restaurants (owners of Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and others) in 2024. It was  positive experience and I do recall the cart with all the salsa and chips. The last time I went to a Chuy's was in Waco about 8 years ago. From that visit, I remember eating a lot of the creamy, spicy jalapeno dip with my chips and having a meal with the famous Boom Boom sauce but what I most remember is that I was tired that evening and so full after dinner that I went to bed almost immediately after getting to the hotel. 

Yesterday (Sunday), I went to Chuy's at 2:45pm to meet a friend for either a late lunch or early supper...lupper? It was a 25 minute wait for a table for two. Even at that time of day there were still several people waiting to be seated. Abilene folks have a tendency to overwhelm new places in town, especially when they are chains that people have been looking forward to having locally available. It was a nice day to sit outside, so the wait was not terribly inconvenient. There was not a lot of space in the entry for people to wait but there are benches outside and they had also put out dining chairs on the sidewalk as well.  Once you are on the waiting list, you get a text when your table is ready. The waitlist option on the website is not active for Abilene yet.  

Chicken Flautas dinner

Once we were seated, we were greeted fairly quickly by our server and the chips and salsa arrived. The salsa looked very anemic. It was more like a watery pico de gallo rather than salsa. It was a disappointment. When we asked our server about it she said that it looks that way when it comes out of the freezer before it has a chance to thaw and get more red. I am not sure about that. Perhaps they ran out of regular salsa and had to substitute something similar. By the way, it is absolutely not uncommon for there to be supply issues when a new place gets hit as hard as they do when they come to Abilene. The demand here is unexpected.for most of them. However, once we asked for the creamy jalapeno dip, that helped us have something better in which to dip the tortilla chips. It is very tasty with a nice kick. 

For my meal, I ordered the chicken flautas dinner. It came with six good sized flautas, rice, refried beans, sour cream, fresh guacamole, and chopped tomatoes. You can choose between the traditional Spanish rice or green chile rice. I went for the green chile and it was perfectly fine but a bit blander than I expected from something with green chili in it. The refried beans tasted like they came from a can. I was put in mind of either Old El Paso or Gebhardt brand canned beans by the color and consistancy...will not be ordering any bean based dishes at Chuy's in the future. However, I was impressed with the chicken flautas which had cheese as well as white meat chicken on the inside. The outer part was perfectly fried. The chicken was moist and there was plenty of it. Frequently, flautas come out dry and overcooked in a lot of places. I was only able to eat 4 of the 6 on the plate so the portions were generous and worth the cost. The guacamole was also a standout. Not too much onion or lime, very fresh and flavorful. 

Enchilada (no cheese) and taco plate

My friend ordered the enchilada and crispy beef taco dinner. It also came with rice and refried beans. She opted for the traditional Spanish rice. Since she is lactose intolerant she substituted a beef enchilada for the default cheese one and got the regular ranchero sauce on top. She liked the taste of the ground beef in her taco and enchilada but was not crazy about the sauce on top of the enchilada. The dinner was adequate but nothing to "write home about" in the end. 

Both of our dinners were between $11-$12 each which was at the lower end of the cost spectrum. The price point was very reasonable for the amount of food we were given. Menu prices on the website for pick up or delivery do not match the printed menus inside. Dine in was a little bit less expensive. There is a weekday happy hour from 3pm-6pm with drink and appetizer specials.

Service was just fine considering how busy they were in the middle of the afternoon and considering most of the servers were likely new hires. There were plenty of workers on hand to keep things moving along. The inside of the building has fit as many tables as possible so it does have a bit of a cramped feel to it and there is the usual eclectic Chuy's decor. 

All in all the experience had some hits and misses. They deserve some grace since they have not even been open a month. As I love Tex-Mex food, I am sure I will return once the hub bub has died down and the wait times are not as long. I just hope they fix the salsa situation before next time but at least the creamy jalapeno was as good as I remember. 

Chuy's

4104 S. Clack St.

Abilene, TX 79606

325-237-1113

Located at the Mall of Abilene

Website: https://www.chuys.com/home

Hours:

Sun-Thurs 11am-10pm

Fri & Sat 11am-11pm

Rick & Carolyn's Burgers and Fries (and homemade steak fingers too) is popular with a lot of folks!

Rick & Carolyn's Burgers and Fries has been in Abilene for a very long time. They once had several locations in town but are now down to only one located on S. Pioneer Dr. between S. 1st and S. 7th streets. They are a real hometown spot with some devoted customers.

Steak finger dinner with onion rings ($2 upcharge)

As the name indicates they have burgers and handcut french fries but the items that most people rave about are the steak fingers.

The parking lot was full at 12:30pm when I arrived. It looked like a lot of "regulars" were enjoying their lunch. Orders are taken at the counter and they will bring out your food when it is ready. Service was extra friendly. Also, even though it was the lunch rush, the food came out fairly quickly. The people working were on the ball. 

My friend and I both ordered the steak fingers dinner which comes with fries. I substituted onion rings for the fries which was a $2 upcharge. They are also made on the premises. The steak fingers are huge! They are not the pre-made frozen ones you get a most fast food places.

The steak finger dinner also comes with Texas toast, white gravy, and a drink. The meal also come with ice cream but I did not have room for it at the end. I paid just over $20 for my lunch but it will easily be two meals for me. The fingers are basically a chicken fried steak cut into thirds.You can also just order a chicken fried steak if you do not want it cut up. I doubt anyone is still hungry if they finish the entire plate. It is a lot of food.

The peppery batter is thick but there was still plenty of meat. The meat was tenderized well but could have used a bit more seasoning. The same batter was used on the onion rings, which did kind of overwhelm the vegetable a bit. The slice of onion could have been a bit thicker to stand up to the batter. All that being said, I was only able to eat one piece of meat and three onion rings before I was completely full.  

By the way, the hamburgers are pretty good as well, so the next time you are in the mood for some old-fashioned homestyle fried food or a burger, give them a shot. 

Rick & Carolyn's Burgers and Fries

302 S. Pioneer Dr.

Abilene, TX 79605

325-793-2706

Hours:

Mon-Sat 11am-8pm

https://www.facebook.com/RickandCarolyns/

Niko's Greek Gyros and Subs--something a little different to enjoy

Niko's Greek Gyros and Subs has been around for quite a while in Abilene. I have eaten there several times. It is located in the shopping center that is on the corner of Ridgemont and Rebecca Ln. 

The place is family-owned so you are eating local when you go there and they deserve our support.

Chicken gyro and fries

I often suggest it to friends who need to avoid gluten because you can get salads, falafels, and fresh hummus there. I am also unaware of any place in town that currenty serves dolmas (stuffed grape leaves). 

Service was friendly and expedient. Order at the counter, and they will bring it out. The place was very clean.

In the past, I have had both the traditional meat combo of lamb and beef and the chicken for a gyro. The chicken is well-seasoned but a bit dry, probably because of the cooking method since it sears the skin on the meat. The lamb/beef is also tasty and is more tender. Either option will give you more than enough for a meal. I usually eat half and have the other half later. 

The tzatziki sauce is house-made with sour cream or very thick yogurt, cucumber, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice with dill.  I think the herb I was tasting was dill. It is a great compliment to the meat.

Recently, I ordered the special which was a gyro, fries, and a drink for $12.00. I did get an extra side of tzatziki sauce for the fries and an additional drink for my mom but the total was still very reasonable. The vegetables on the sandwich were fresh. I am a very big fan of the seasoned fries and the falafels as well. The only time I have ever been disappoionted there was when my fries did not come out hot once. 

Do not miss the baklava for dessert but there are other options as well, such as cheesecake. 

While we were eating in, I noticed people who had called in an order for pick-up but several others were eating in the restaurant on a Saturday at lunch time. 

I highly recommend you give Niko's a try, especially when you want something a bit different than the usuals in Abilene.  

Hours:

Sun and Monday CLOSED

Tuesday-Saturday 11am-8pm

Check their Facebook page for potential hours changes.

Address:

3354 Rebecca Ln.

Abilene, TX 79606

325-701-9902

Online presence:

https://www.facebook.com/p/Nikos-100051088793547/

Website address listed on FB was a dead-end.

Bill's Burger old fashioned drive-in burger joint that I've been going to since childhood

 Bill's Burger is a long-time Abilene burger spot. They keep things simple--only open for lunch, relatively small menu so that the food is done in a timely manner for folks who only have an hour for lunch, and local owners that treat their customers well...you can tell there are "regulars" that get there fast food fix at Bill's. They are only open for lunch from 10:30am-2:30pm Monday-Friday. They take cash or card.

"Baby" burger

They are located on the corner of S. 11th St. and Oak St. whichi is a couple of blocks to the west of Treadaway Blvd. You order at the window or can call in for a take-out order. The building may not look like much on the outside but they proudly display their "A" rating health inspection which if you follow such things is consistant for them. 

I put in my order and it was ready in less than 10 minutes. Service was efficient and friendly.

The "baby" burger that I ordered was the size of a Whopper Jr. or Whataburger Jr. but with a thicker patty than either of those. There are also regular and large size burger options, and you can get double meat too. I got the combo which included fries (they were using Ore-Ida crinkle cut ones today) and a small soda. It was more than enough to fill me up for $9 plus tax ($9.74 to be exact.) The lettuce and tomato on the burger were fresh, the lettuce had a crunch to it. The bun had been buttered and put on the flat top so it had a nice toast on it which always adds to the taste. There were pickles but I had them leave off the onion. Mustard is my condiment of choice on a burger. The meat was juicy and seasoned but could have used a bit more flavor so I put some black pepper to jazz it up a bit. I also appreciated that the fries were crispy. Sometimes restaurants rush the frying process and the fries come out underdone and wimpy.

There are also hot dogs, corn dogs, steak or chicken fingers, a blt, nachos, tacos, tater tots, onion rings, as well as shakes and malts on the menu. Even a taco salad or tossed salad if you want more greens.

Baby burger combo

All in all Bill's is a great classic drive in burger joint and I am happy they are still in business though I think there is not a "Bill" anymore. If I worked closer to where they are located, I would probably go there too much for my waistline to handle. There are not many places to get a quality lunch for less that $10 nowadays, and I do not mind eating it in my car or sitting in a park enjoying some mild fall weather. 

 Bill's Burger

834 S. 11th St.

Abilene, TX 79602

325-677-8442

Hours:

M-F 10:30am-2:30pm

 

CLOSED--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

Closed--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/