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/

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

 

TurtleMan’s Burger Grill in Potosi has smash burgers, jumbo mozzerella sticks, ice cream, and more

Cheeseburger and fries

TurtleMan’s Burger Grill was doing a brisk business, both inside and for take out, on the Saturday afternoon when myself and a couple of family members arrived after a short jaunt from Abilene for lunch at 1:45pm. There was parking, so I took it as a good sign that a table would be available inside.

After looking over the menu, I ordered the cheeseburger ($9) with fries and a drink ($3 extra) and an order of mozzerella sticks to share ($8), which came with both ranch and marinara sauce. My brother ordered the popper burger ($11) and added added fries and a drink ($3). Mother just got a cookies and cream milkshake ($6). Lunch for the three of us came out to about $43.50. TurtleMan's is not a cheap burger place, so be prepared.

Once you order, they take your name and will call you to the pick-up window when your order is ready. We only waited about 7 minutes for our burgers to be done because there was no one in line in front of us when we ordered.

Jumbo mozzerella sticks

My brother's popper burger had grilled jalapenos, cream cheese, fried onion strings, regular cheese, bacon, with ranch dressing. It filled him up for the rest of the day. The cheeseburger I had included all the usual burger toppings.

Smash burgers are known for having crispy edges from being pressed into the grill and for having a thinner patties. If you prefer a thick burger, you may want to try another item on the menu.

The smash burgers were a decent size and the meat had a good flavor and was bigger than the bun. I especially liked the pickles as they reminded me of the more expensive refridgerated pickles that have a good crunch and extra dill flavor to them. The other veggies on the burger and the bun were fresh. It was not a dry burger except for the crunchy edges, and certainly not a "non-greasy" type of hamburger. 

The french fries are handcut with the skins on. Personally, I do not prefer to have the skins left on my fries as at times the potato is not washed really well and you can get a hint of dirt taste from the skin. That being said, the fries had a crisp to them which is better than many handcut fries that tend to be a bit floppy and soggy tasting.

The mozzerella sticks come two to an order. The picture does not do justice to the size of the sticks. For long time Abilenians, think about how the cheesesticks were at Gardski's Loft back in the day. They are very big and can easily be split between 3-4 people. It is possible that the restaurant will run out at some point during the day as they make mozz sticks in-house and when the supply is gone that will be it. They are a very popular item and a highlight for me. Also, the sticks took extra time to cook so we got our burgers before they were done.

Receipt

One slight issue was that my mom had to go back up to the register to remind them about her milkshake. The workers at the front were supposed to bring it out to her. There was a rush of customers after we put in our order and the shake was forgotten. TurtleMan's uses Blue Bell ice cream so once she got it, my mom was happy with her shake. 

The next time I go, I plan to order the corn dog ($4.50), which I believe is hand dipped, and the mozz sticks again.You can also try a fried bolonga sandwich ($10.) I have never seen on a menu locally. Oh, the good old days of corn dogs and fried bologna. The remind me of childhood. There are onion rings and some chicken items on the menu as well. No salad options.

Front of the restaurant

I am certain the people who live in Potosi are happy to have TurtleMan's in the area. It is worth the trip from Abilene to give them a taste.  

TurtleMan's Burger Grill

1920 FM 1750 (on the "curve")

Abilene, TX 79602

(325) 230-4009

Hours:

M-Sat 11am-8pm

Sun 11am-3pm

https://www.facebook.com/p/TurtleMans-Burger-Grill-61568159738551/

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

Catfish Corner--downhome favorites and AYCE catfish

Catfish Corner the name pretty much says it all...and yes, there is a $20 PB& J sandwich on the menu but it's a joke folks, I think.

The highlight is, of course, is the all-you-can-eat catfish plate ($11.99) and has been for years. They have spruced the place up with better tables and chairs and a general remodel but it is still the same food that Abilenians have been coming to enjoy their catfish fix for over 30 years. They also serve a good old-fashioned burger and hand-breaded onion rings. The fries are hand-cut too. This is not health food but you do not leave hungry. They have chicken-fried bacon on the menu for goodness sake. 

AYCE Wed shrimp special

On Wednesdays, they offer AYCE shrimp ($15.99) and it comes with catfish as well. They also have lunch specials that include catfish plates that are not AYCE. There are also chicken tenders, frog legs, chicken fried steak, hamburger steak, and options for kids who don't like fish (in addition and less expensive than the PB&J).

Plates come with choice of potato--baked or fries, salad or coleslaw, and hush puppies.

I took my mom and brother there for lunch on a Wednesday and we all left stuffed. The onion rings ($9.99) we ordered for an appetizer were a hit but they could have come out of the fryer just a bit quicker as they were extra crispy but still very good with nice thick onion inside. 

My shrimp had a nice breading on it as did the catfish, not too heavy. I had a baked potato and coleslaw as my sides, The meal was not overly seasoned and the fish was mild. It could have used a bit more spice but I know that is not for everyone and that issue certainly did not keep me from eating all of it. Mother got a loaded potato for her lunch because what she really wanted was the onion rings and my brother order the five piece catfish plate with a salad and fries. 

The server was attentive and friendly especially considering there were several tables of customers and she seemed to be the only server working. Experience shows.

It had been about three years since I had eaten at Catfish Corner and it was pleasing that they are still in business and serving up traditional favorites. Give it a try next time you want some fried food and the new year resolutions have worn off.

Five piece catfish plate

780 S Treadaway Blvd

Abilene, TX 79602

(325) 672-3620

• https://catfish-corner.business.site/
• Open 11am-9pm all week

Lowake Steakhouse in Rowena, TX

Apologies for the long absence from posting. Life has been turbulent so I just have not had the time to post in the past few months.

The Lowake Steakhouse (formerly in the very small town of Lowake, Texas) has been around since the early 1950s and was regionally famous in its heyday. The current incarnation moved a couple of years ago over to the town of Rowena, a few miles outside of Ballinger. My assumption is the move was to take advantage of the more frequent traffic on the highway between Ballinger and San Angelo but one of the wait staff said it was also less expensive to move than to fix up the building in Lowake. Judging by the number of vehicles outside of the restaurant, they are doing booming business. People seemed to have come from miles around to eat a Saturday evening meal there. 

Bar area

I remember a family outing when I was in upper elementary or junior high traveling from Abilene to Lowake to eat at the steakhouse. My dad was in the insurance business and he often found little interesting and out-of-the-way places to grab a bite. As a kid, I did not understand the ongoing search to find a delicious, yet reasonably priced steak. However, I do remember being stuffed full and falling asleep on the hour drive back home.

Door to patio

This past weekend, some friends and I took a short road trip to go eat at the Lowake Steakhouse on a Saturday evening. We left Abilene a little after 5pm and arrived at the restaurant around 6:15pm. As we suspected there would be, there was a wait which we were told was between 10 minutes up to 30 minutes. When we picked the date to go, it did not cross our minds that it was Mother's Day weekend as well at time that area college graduations were happening. Not to mention that is was Saturday night. The place was PACKED and there were several large groups in the party room. Our wait to be seated turned out to be 25 minutes. There were other "waits" to come but that is to be expected with the crowds.

Once seated, it took our server a few minutes to come by and get our beverage order. Some of us had already gotten drinks at the bar but we needed some water and soft drink refills. We also decided to put in an order for some onion rings as an appetizer. When the server brought the drinks about seven minutes later, we ordered our meals. All the adults ordered steaks and the pre-teen got a bacon cheeseburger. Then the wait for food began. Granted we had ordered our steaks cooked everything from medium-rare to medium-well but after about 30 minutes we began to wonder about our onion rings and an update on the progress of our meal. Turns out the server forgot to put in the order for the rings. She asked if we still wanted them, we did, so they came out with the meal.

Hand battered onion rings (large size)

Several of us took shifts to head to the salad bar for the salad that came with our steaks. It was very basic selection. Iceberg lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, pickles, imitation bacon bits, a few other items, no mushrooms. Nothing special about it but it was serviceable. The ranch dressing did seem homemade.

As far as the main course, as you would expect from what I have written so far, the biggest issue with the meal had to do with timing. They were busy but it is not a good plan to go ahead and plate the sides while waiting for the meat. My fries were not hot. Others at the table had a similar issue with their fries and baked potatoes, except for the kid that got a burger. We were brought some fresh french fries since I said something about their temperature. The server did not act surprised by the comment which let me know that it was not an uncommon complaint. The onion rings were not piping hot either but the portion was generous, which is expected at the $8 price point. They were nice big slices of sweet onion breaded like a chicken friend steak. The onion rings were filling but the breading could have used more seasoning. The bacon cheeseburger pleased the palate of the kiddo in our group. It was big and the patty was fresh. 

Bacon cheeseburger with hand cut fries

As for the steaks, the menu states that garlic is featured in their seasoning. Very, very true. I tasted garlic powder, black pepper, and probably some seasoning salt. Applied with a heavy hand. This is not necessarily a detriment if the meat shines through which is did but if you aren't a garlic fan, skip the steak. The beef was of high quality.

I had a tenderloin, three others got filet mignon (bacon-wrapped tenderloin) and a bone-in rib-eye. Everyone stated their steaks were cooked to the requested "doneness". One or two would have liked the bacon on their filet to have been crispier but I find that the bacon on a filet mignon is not ever crispy as that would mean overcooking the steak. My steak was quite good but I do not mind garlic. The meat was tender and juicy. I was only able to finish about half of it, so the rest went home with me.

Tenderloin cooked medium with hand cut fries

The tenderloin and filet mignon were priced at $32.00 for 10-12 ounces. I am not sure how much the rib-eye was but the least expensive steak was a small 6-ounce dinner steak (sirloin) for $15.50. The prices were about $2-$5 higher than what I was expecting. On the menu there is KC (Kansas City strip steak) available for up to 7 people. If you have a large group, the KC options are a good bet.

Lowake Steakhouse gets high marks for the steak but they need to work on timing to be sure the sides come out hot. Nonetheless, judging by the crowd, people are pleased with what they get there.

Next time, I'll probably get a burger or the small steak and try the spicy fried pickles appetizer. If you are driving on highway 67 between Ballinger and San Angelo, it is worth a stop.

Also, they do serve beer, wine and wine-a-ritas.

12143 US Highway 67
Rowena, TX 76875
(325) 218-4025
https://www.lowakesteakhouse.com/

CLOSED Zentner's Daughter Steakhouse in San Angelo--Faded Glory

The famous bale of onion rings

Oh, the good ole' days. I have fond memories of eating at the original Zentner's Steakhouse and Zentner's Daughter Steakhouse in San Angelo, TX, on weekend trips when I was a kid and again as a freshman college student at Angelo State University. For a while there was a Zentner's Daughter location in Abilene but it closed within a few years.

Back then, when you ordered a burger you got a 1/2 pound patty on the bun and another one on the side. That practice went away years ago. My mom's favorite item on the menu was the HUGE fry basket of homemade onion rings. They were delicious and enough to feed a large family.

The hubby and I were in San Angelo recently and we decided to have lunch at Zentner's Daughter. It was about 1:15pm when we arrived, the place was practically deserted at lunch on a weekday. Not an encouraging sign. We were led to a booth in the bar area where other customers were seated instead of the empty main dining room. The menu was large but we decided to stick with the basics. I had a hamburger and some potato soup. My husband ordered the chicken-fried steak with a salad and fries. Even though we knew we couldn't finish them we also got some onion rings as an appetizer. Service was efficient if not especially friendly. We did get a visit from one of the owners and he was quite cordial.

The onion rings were still plentiful but something was missing. Probably the trans-fat in the oil. They were flavorful but not as flavorful. The burger had flavor but the bun wasn't warm and the toppings were skimpy. My potato soup was homemade and very tasty. The chicken-fry was very tender but not particularly large and the breading kept falling off. The gravy was good. The french fries were homemade but not hot enough. They also offer a daily lunch special. The meal just didn't standout from what is offered at all the other steakhouses, even the chains.

The the glory days are over for Zentner's Daughter. We would eat there again if we were with people who wanted to go but it isn't worth a special trip.

Zentner's Daughter
1901 Knickerbocker Road
San Angelo, TX 76904

(325) 949-2821