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

 

La Torcia Brick Oven Pizza--thin crust pizza, breadsticks, dips, pasta, salads, quesadillas, nachos, wings, and sandwiches for everyone

La Torcia Brick Oven Pizza or as most locals refer to it "Brick Oven" is my favorite pizza place in Abilene. The restaurant is a small chain with locations in mostly in Arkansas, Texas and one in Missouri.

 

I like them not necessarily because I prefer thin crust pizza, which I actually do not most of the time, but because of the variety of pizzas they make. I am a fan of the Mediterranean pizza. Again, not because I usually get chicken on a pizza, but because the combination of flavors on that particular pizza with the feta, cheddar, green peppers, red onions, tomatoes, green olives and, yes, chicken on a crispy brick oven baked crust with olive oil instead of tomato sauce just works for me when I want something different. Usually, my pizza choice would a classic traditional crust pepperoni and mushroom or a deep dish supreme--if I feel like going for it in the pizza game. Brick Oven also makes a taco pizza which is unusual and another called the favorite which has artichoke hearts and turkey among several other traditional and specialty pizzas. You are also welcome to create your own with what you like the best. 

I am also a fan of their Mediterranean salad ($10 for a full size, $7 for a small) and get it on occasion instead of pizza when I want to be "good." They use crisp lettuce which I like because of the crunch.

 

Brick Oven is not especially big but has a lot of tall four person booths along the walls which feel cozy and there are tables in the middle. Televisions are around playing sports but it is not generally obtrusive. You will see lots of families eating together. There can be a wait during peak times, so feel free to order carry out. However, I do not recommend using Door Dash or some other delivery service (since the restaurant itself does not deliver) because it tends to arrive less than hot and shaken up in in my experience. I have almost always experienced good service, if a bit slow on occasion, but will acknowledge that some people have have issues in that area in the past though I have not heard any complaints about it recently. Like many places staff shortages happen so tables can take a while to get cleared or refills on drinks.

I eat at Brick Oven about every six weeks or so and have for a number of years so not sure why it has taken me this long to actually write a review. On my most recent visit, I had a Sunday lunch with my mom and my brother. We ordered some bread sticks ($7)) for an appetizer with ranch dressing instead of marinara sauce. Four of them come in the order and they arrive cut in half.
Their ranch dressing tastes homemade but does cost extra if you want some to go with your pizza order. The bread sticks come with garlic butter melted on top. They are the soft kind similar to what you get at Olive Garden. There are several other appetizer options including several dips and nachos. I ordered a small Mediterranean pizza ($9), my mom got spaghetti and meatballs ($11.50), and my brother had a Pork Paradise calzone ($9) which had pulled pork, mozzarella, cheddar, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, and was topped with barbeque sauces, ranch dressing, and banana peppers and came with sides of more barbeque sauce and ranch. My mother's spaghetti and meatballs had 5-6 good sized meatballs but she thought they were under seasoned and came with two piece of garlic bread. The portion size could have been larger for the price. The pulled pork in the calzone was good but there could have been more meat inside. The crust to meat ration was heavy on the bread side. I was pleased as usual with my pizza but there did seem to be slightly less toppings than in the past. Perhaps inflation is hitting them on the supply side though I did not notice a significant rise in the cost of the pizza itself compared to the past. For three adults to eat out for less than $40 plus tip (we all had water to drink) is pretty good nowadays.

 

My recommendation is stick with the pizza style options or perhaps a sandwich. I have never been with anyone who tried the wings, quesadillas, or nachos.

 

Without question, I will be back again. There is comfort in consistency, a fair price, and good pizza.

 

La Torcia Brick Oven Pizza
4714 S. 14th St.

Abilene, TX

325-691-5303
https://www.brickovenpizzacompany.com/

Hours: Sunday-Saturday 11am-10pm

No delivery

Yucatan Taco Stand in Fort Worth

Need a lunch while out shopping?  Give the Yucatan Taco Stand a go. We ordered the garlic shredded beef nachos to share. Judging by how many people I saw eating nachos, they are a popular item. The tortilla chips were thin and light and you can order a variety of meats as a topping or have vegetarian. They come topped with three types of cheese; melted Chihuahua cheese, chile con queso, and queso fresco. There is also roasted garlic sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion, cilantro, cabbage, jalapeno peppers, sour cream, and fresh guacamole. The garlic shredded beef had an Asian flavor to me but it was a good mix with the other items on the plate. There was not a lot of meat on the nachos but all the other toppings made up for it.

Shredded beef nachos

I also had a fish taco served in double white corn tortillas. The fish was tempura battered and not greasy at all. My sister had the ground sirloin taco. Best of all they were only $3.25 each.

The restaurant is located in the hospital district on Magnolia. You stand in line to order and then find a table but it doesn't feel "fast food" due to the extensive menu and upscale decor.  There is also a bar area. It is not very big space so I imagine it can get crowded at times. There are also patio tables outside.

I look forward to going back and trying one of the specialty dishes next time and the pork nachos.

 

Yucatan Taco Stand

909 W Magnolia Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76104 • 817-924-8646