Dixie Pig--A Beloved Diner in A-Town bring CASH!

Dixie Pig Diner on the corner of Butternut and S. 14th

Mr. Pig omelette with sausage and bacon

The Dixie Pig has been around a long time (85 YEARS!) and as far as I am aware the menu has been the same for at least the past 20 of them. They are only open for breakfast and lunch, Monday-Saturday. They do NOT take debit or credit cards so bring some cash. I saw no ATM on site.

Saturday mornings usually mean a wait for a table and you are not seated until all your people have arrived. Service varies from super friendly to grumpy, luck of the draw. Decor is piggy. Pig signs, pig knickknacks, pigs everywhere...fun for the kids to spot all of them.

My husband and I went last Saturday. It had been raining and was overcast so it seemed like a good day to go to a greasy spoon for breakfast. In Abilene, that means the Dixie Pig. It is locally owned. I have only had breakfast there, except for one time when we went after 11am and I ordered a BLT. I have never had the famous Pig Sandwich. Lunch is the usual burgers, sandwiches, and chicken fried steak options.

Biscuits and cream gravy

Usually, I go for pancakes or an omelette at the Dixie Pig. The Mr. Pig omelette was calling my name most recently. It is the most expensive breakfast item on the menu for about $8.50. Lunch options are priced similarly. The Mr. Pig is made up of three eggs, cheese, bacon, sausage, with a a little tomato and onion served with hash browns and either toast or biscuits and gravy. The omelette was large and the bacon was abundant and really crispy. The hash browns were a little overdone for my taste but I ate all of them. The biscuits were dense and the gravy was nice and peppery if not homemade. I only ate one of them.

All in all a satisfying breakfast for a reasonable price and plenty of local clientele. We ran into our neighbor which is cool since we all live on the north side and the Pig is on the south side of town. See my review for The Flipping Egg for another local breakfast/brunch/lunch option in town that is open on Sunday.

1401 Butternut St, Abilene, TX 79602

(325) 673-3292

No website, no official Facebook page

Heff's Burgers & More--Tasty Hamburger chain that started in Abilene (well, Potosi)

Heff's Burgers started out as a grill in the back of a convenience store in Potosi, TX. They were very popular with the folks in the area. The owners decided to move into "town" and open up a store south of the mall. That place was packed all the time so they opened a location on S. 1st, which has since closed because they built a brand new building off of 351 (Albany highway) that is very cool with the 1950s soda shop theme, purple and teal decor and fancy drink dispenser.  They have also opened a restaurant in San Angelo, TX. Heff's is a true success story. I think Heff's may expand even more in the future.

The small 1/4 lb burger (kid/senior menu) with twister fries.

 The owner told me that they only use fresh hamburger meat delivered several times a week, never frozen. They make their own fries, either the regular kind or twister fries which are more like homemade potato chips.

The price for a regular 1/2 lb. burger combo (fries and drink) runs a little under $8 with tax but I promise you won't be hungry after you finish it.

The burger patty is made in-house and grilled to perfection, juicy but not greasy. I appreciate that the buns are always soft and the veggies are fresh. The burger is the only thing I have ever ordered but they also have steak fingers, a chicken sandwich, chicken tenders, a BLT, and even a salad. You can have one of two kinds of fries or onion rings as side dish options. The onion rings are handmade as well but tend to be a bit greasy. 

Service is always excellent but can be a slow if they are crowded but quality takes time. There is no-drive through. I heard that they build another location on the far south side of town. Since I live in the middle of the city, it is a bit of a drive to any of the locations since they closed the one on S.1st but they are worth the travel time.

Abilene Locations:

3374 Rebecca Ln. (325) 691-1930

2642 East Lake Dr.
(325) 437-3006

http://www.heffsburgers.net/

Find them on Facebook. 

El Pulgarcito de America Restaurant

El Pulgarcito (Tom Thumb) de America is a new Salvadorian/Mexican place in Abilene. It is a family-owned place in a shopping center complex on S.7th across from Safety City. Our whole family went there for lunch today. Some of us ordered Mexican; tamales, burritos and nachos...others got some Salvadorian specialties.

The Mexican food was good but didn't stand out. The Salvadorian dishes shined though. We had pupusas which are stuffed corn tortillas served with a pickled cabbage slaw, a chicken sandwich with a warm adobo style sauce on the side, and a Salvadorian plate that had a pork pupusa, a tamale wrapped in a banana leaf, refried beans, and fried plantains with a sweetened creamy sauce.

Pupusa--one with cheese and edible flowers and one with cheese and jalapeno

Salvadorian chicken sandwich

Salvadorian plate-pork pupusa, tamale in a banana leaf, fried plantains, and refried beans

The pupusa are fluffier than the usual corn tortillas, more like pancakes. The cheese is very good. Next time we go I will try the other flavors. The Salvadorian tamale also has a slightly different flavor. The fried plantains were a very big hit! Go there and have something a little different.  Prices are very reasonable and hours are long, everything from breakfast to the evening meal.


El Pulgarcito de America Restaurant
2502 S. 7th St.
Abilene, TX 79605
325-670-9292

Armenta's Cafe in San Angelo

Armenta's is a family-owned place in San Angelo.The hubby and I went to San Angelo for the day and wanted to find a place that the locals would recommend. We found it! The restaurant is located in a mostly residential neighborhood and is off the beaten path but well worth finding. It is fairly small but has an outside patio area that would be a nice place to sit in cooler weather.

I ordered chicken enchiladas with mole sauce and some guacamole on the side. Mole is hard to find so I had to try it. My husband had the Veracruz (green jalapeno pepper sauce) chicken enchiladas. Both meals were served with refried beans and rice.  Fresh tortilla chips and spicy salsa come with the meal. Dessert was a HUGE slice of homemade carrot cake. We really enjoyed our lunch. The prices were very reasonable, only $7.25 for the enchilada plates.

They had a large selection of seafood options as well, including ceviche. Sorry, no pictures. We were too hungry to remember to take some. I'll remember when we go again.

	Armenta's Cafe 1325 S Oakes St, San Angelo, TX 76903
	(325) 653-1954