Showing posts with label Gulf Coast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gulf Coast. Show all posts

Monday, July 11, 2011

T-Bone Tom's -- Kemah, TX

Let it be understood as a rule that any restaurant that has a giant sirloin outside it is likely to be a winner. T-Bone Tom’s doesn’t disappoint on this score (or any I could find).


The CFS is a hard-fried southern style that makes for a nice crunch, just about the consistency (and taste) of fried chicken. The sirloin (hence her giant friend outside) is nicely cooked and juicy. The surrounding gravy was a dense cream with a nice rich flavor. My impression was that it needed a little salt and a hint of pepper – adding a dash of each improved the balance of flavor.




I branched out and had the grilled tomato (standing in for my usual mashed potato) and it was worth it. It was a bit over salted but the tomato was so full of flavor that it packed a mean punch. The fried okra was a brilliant green, meaning the fried exterior wasn’t too dense as to mask the okra flavor. Combining the tomato and fried okra made for a terrific flavor, negating the slightly too salty tomatoes.


If you walk up and down the Kemah boardwalk 1,504 times afterwards, you can work off the meal. That will also give you time to figure out an excuse to find your way back to T-Bone Toms.




Friday, April 29, 2011

Beaver’s Ice House ― Houston, Texas

Unique chicken fried steak is hard to come by, especially because the iconic dish remains tied to tradition and people are rooted in the CFS their grandmother made or the first time they ate a delightful plate of crispy, creamy goodness.




But, the eclectic Beaver’s Ice House does a terrific job at refining a very rustic dish. The “CFNYStrip” ($15) is a New York strip steak pounded to the texture of traditional sirloin. The texture was good, although the connective tissue often made for a chewy bite.






The mesh of flavors was excellent. The bacon mushroom gravy added an earthy and salty finish to an excellent bite. Perched on a cabbage and onion sauté, the dish jumps off the plate. The cabbage brought unctuous and sour notes to the dish that I wasn’t sure would work at first but jelled nicely with the rest of the dish.




Plus, the ability to add an egg the dish for a dollar brings the continuous potential for innovation. Sometimes, traditions need to be updated.




(Also, aside from the outstanding CFS, the fried “beaver balls” are a must have for any visit: fried brownie cakes with ice cream balls on top. Need I say more?)




Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Norton's - Humble, Texas

Hearing good things about the CFS at Norton's from Chicken Fried Neighbor, I sought out to partake in some fried goodness after a month long (unhappy) hiatus.
Sadly, I was disappointed in my return to the fried treat. The CFS was as hard as an armadillo shell. The breading was crispy, which I like, but almost inpenetrable, which I don't like. It looked (and tasted) like it had been run over by a bus. The meat, likely as a result of way overfrying, was dense and tough. The gravy was honest enough to itself, creamy and white, but needing a dash more salt and pepper.

The quality and taste of the sides were mixed. The potatoes were whipped and creamy. The flavor was good, but they were a bit greasy and lost their appeal as they cooled. The green beans were very good. A wide bean, they were stewed and meaty.
Overall, Norton's gets an "avoid." I will likely go back, the draw of helmet-on-helmet violence and cheering Texans fans is too good to pass up, but will restrict myself to the wings of chickens and malted and hopped water.



View Larger Map

Friday, August 27, 2010

Taquerias Alma Latina #5 ― Houston, TX

Jackpot. It may have taken me all summer, through several venues and my own failed attempts, but I have found an immensely pleasing chicken fried steak sandwich….in a taqueria. Taquerias Alma Latina #5 is a wonderfully friendly place on Telephone Road, complete with colorful adornments inside and out. It’s just like ones you always pass by but never stop in to patronize (shame on you!).

Starved for a late lunch, I was delighted to see a milanese torta on the menu ($3.00). I ordered it with french fried, which were hot and tasty (large order $1.25) but lacking salt. Nothing special but they hit the spot. The torta was excellent. The bread was fluffy in the middle and crispy on the inside and out (notice the pressing marks on top). The meat was pork, so it’s not technically a CFSS, but that’s splitting hairs when you’re hungry. The breading was salty, garlicky just a little spicy. The thin pork cutlet was overcooked, but this gave a nice bite to the softness of the rest of the sandwich architecture. A healthy dollop of Mexican crema, a smear of avocado and a hint of mustard finished this fine sandwich.

A fortuitous find in an unlikely location. Well worth a trip to #5 (or any of the other numbers) for a delightful lunch.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Homemade CFSS - CFS Homestead, TX

Unable to find an appeasing CFSS for the past few months, I attempted to make my own at home. How hard could it be, right? A little tomato, mayo, mustard, avacado and a fried egg atop a crunchy CFS (frozen) should be an easy make.


Sadly, I failed (by my measure and as gingerly expressed to me by Mrs. CFS). The sandwich was overall too juicy, usually a plus, but the combination of ingredients just made muddle of the flavors. The bun (storebought) was soft and pliable but too big and soft. It needed more texture, perhaps a toasting.


The quest continues. Help me out, fair readers.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

T-Bone Tom's - Seabrook, TX

My hunger for a chicken fried steak sandwich (CFSS) unabated, we traveled to Kemah to T-Bone Tom’s for a weekend lunch.

With several “chicken fried” sandwich options, it was hard to make a choice. Setting on the CFSS, the sandwich came with gravy (on the side), lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles. After carefully building my sandwich, I took a bit. Excellent. The CFS was homemade and well cooked. The moistness of the CFS combined with the slight give of the sirloin made for an excellent bite. The veg additions provided an wonderful additional crunch especially the pickles and onions which gave the sandwich a nice sourness to complement the richness of the CFSS.


The enormous steak fries were the size of a remote control. They were fresh and came to the table piping hot.

Hot and tasty is hard to beat. Certainly worth a trip to the shore to try.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Tin Roof BBQ & Steaks ― Atascocita, TX

As we waited for our meals, our table #8 Texas flag marking our location, we felt very comfortable at Tin Roof. A random assemblage of tables, chairs, old furniture and country brickabrack on the walls (some of them tin), the restaurant feels very cozy and welcoming.

When it arrived, the CFS looked excellent but tasted bland. Not enough salt in the breading. The gravy was runny and tasteless. The meat was tough and flavorless. The breading was crunchy and flaky which was fine by itself but the accompanying compatriots were less than stellar. A little disappointing overall, and, because it was 12.99, it was clearly overpriced.


The sides shined, however. The macaroni and cheese was cheesy and rich with the perfect amount of bite to the pasta. The mashed potatoes were whipped hard but with the skins left on, making a great texture for the side. The two slices of white bread were grilled on a grill, which was odd, but provided a unique smoky taste.



But, it was the French fries which will make you want to come back. Homemade, hand cut, perfectly salted, plentiful and hot. Worth a return trip just to smell the basket.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

The Hungry Farmer Bar-B-Q ― Houston, Texas

Continuing my search for a summer-favorite Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich (CFSS), we sauntered into The Hungry Farmer Bar-B-Q on Crosstimbers (just east of I-45) with high hopes and empty stomachs. The Hungry Farmer is primarily a burger and BBQ place, with a menu of several options of this ilk and a neat interior that reminded me of a cross between a steak house and a diner.

The CFSS basket (with fries, $6.15) was a great meal and a great deal. The fries were excellent ― fresh cut, hot and crispy. My only complaint is that most of them were small. This made for nice crunching but difficulty for my ketchup sopping ambitions.

The CFSS was very good as well. A big beast of a sandwich (likewise with their burgers) made for many excellent mouthfuls. The CFS itself was premade but the balance of veg, bread and meat and the sheer size made for a flavorful bite each time. The heat of the salty and crunchy CFS warmed the mayo and tomato, while the onion (which I added from the bar), pickles (which I added from the bar) and lettuce made for a cool crunch.


A few things are becoming clear regarding the CFSS (or at least my preferred sandwiching options):

Onions (and a health amount of them) are critical.

Mayo is essential.

The tomato and lettuce must be present but side players.

Pickles. The more the better.

Bigger is better (or at least wider is better).

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Langford’s Grocery ― Houston, TX

I’ve been meaning to try Langford’s for a few weeks, but was sidetracked by other culinary visits. But I happened to catch a Diners, Drivers and Dives (with annoying boy-host Guy Fieri) where he visited the Bayou City and sampled some of our excellent fare. Langford’s website boasts they have the best burgers in town (hence the visit from the bearded spiky one), an eccentrically decorated roadhouse that feels a bit out of place in the nexus of loft condos in Houston’s Midtown neighborhood. But, Thursday is chicken fried steak day at Langford’s, so I paid a visit.

(image from Langford's website)

The CFS plate starts with a little salad with an excellent cilantro cream dressing. Accompanying the CFS is a spectacular mashed potato with bacon and topped with cheese and scallions.

The steak itself was a big hunk of sirloin, almost as wide and tall as a hamburger patty. The breading didn’t stick to it well at all but I didn’t much care. The rich brown gravy could have used a hint of salt, but the breading was plenty salty by itself. This might have balanced out in each bite but the strong creaminess of the gravy muted this communication. I applied a few dashes of salt from the converted ‘Coronita’ bottle-to-salt shaker and all was well.

The only unpleasantness was a powerful garlicy flavor to … something. I can’t tell you if it was the gravy, the mashed potatoes or the cilantro cream dressing since none tasted strongly of garlic at the time I ate it. But it was one of them. And it was POWERFUL. I can describe it perfectly because I can still taste it three hours and a stick of gum later. But at $6.29 for a half CFS, starter salad, small mashed potatoes (or fries) and a half a perfectly browned Texas toast, this is a great lunch deal. The plate and portion reminded me of little roadhouse cafes in central Texas. Just don’t schedule any face-to-face meetings after lunch on Thursdays.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Hickory Hollow - Houston, TX

As is often the case, the best keep getting better. Thwarted in our attempts to find CFS on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend by permanent closures (the Railroad Café) or temporary closures (the Steamboat House), Mrs. CFS and the tater tot returned to one of our favorite standards: Hickory Hollow (unfortunately there is no way for my computer to reverse the “k” in “Hickory” to mirror the sign out front).


Being too proud to order the “Cowgirl” (the “smallest” CFS), I went for the low middle option (the “Field Hand.”) Even at that, no field hand could expect to eat this and go back to work. The CFS was perfectly cooked and as fork tender a steak on a CFS as I’ve ever had. The breading and meat weren’t perfectly melded in balance in that they felt like two distinct parts of the same dish. But it didn’t matter ― the velvety texture of the steak and the crunch of the breading made for a perfect bite.



The mashed potatoes were topped with a perfect amount (not too much, not too little) of their golden, smoky gravy. Salad is usually…well, salad…but the mini salad bar at Hickory Hollow was perfectly fresh, stocked with edible veggies and compete with a delicious ranch dressing (to whit, even the tot wanted, unprompted, to eat some).


So, pour yourself a mason jar of sweet tea and head back again to Hickory Hollow (again and again).

Thursday, June 3, 2010

AAA Restaurant - Houston, TX

Crispity, chrunchity goodness.*

The chicken fried steak at AAA Restaurant.

AAA is a throwback style diner with a diverse clientele and a traditional menu. The crunch factor was high on the CFS. The picture does not do it justice. The peaks and valleys of fried crust provided an excellent textual counter to the tender steak. This provided an unfortunate related problem where the lumpiness of the steak cooked unevenly in places. Even so, the overall bite was perfect, smothered with the thick white gravy which was nicely balanced. I ordered the baked potato as a side because I often enjoy a giant starch bomb slathered with sour cream. Not too often. But this tater was enjoyable with a fluffy meat and a soft skin. I couldn’t finish it since I was stuffed of CFS, but the little foil package it comes in can double as a doggy bag for a midnight snack (or the following week when you’re hungry again).

* Trademark Butterfinger candybars. Any association is purely coincidental.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The Brickhouse - Humble, TX

Being the youngest “oldest” people at the Brickhouse is not fun. An upscale version of a Hooters, the Brickhouse (at FM 1960 and 59) apparently prides itself on babes and beer ― scantily clad waitresses and an expansive beer menu. They even have trading cards (yes, trading cards) of their waitresses, with a picture of the waitress in a plunging neckline shirt on one side and likes and dislikes and fun facts on the other. It was like reading Playboy without the fun cartoons.


Chicken Fried Neighbor and I ate outside one chilly Friday ― being the young, elderly type, we asked the waitress/model to turn down the music which was blaring Tom Petty at ear harming levels. Can’t do it ― it takes away from the “party theme” she told us. Turn up the heater, we implored! It’s as”high as it can go” she replied.


Despite my cranky objections to the atmosphere, the food was good.


The CFS was done well and enjoyable. The breading was crispy and served as a perfect complement to the creamy gravy. The gravy was a white gravy with good flavor but not enough pepper. A hearty dash of white pepper would have woken up an otherwise bland diary flavor. It also had mushrooms, which I didn’t care for. I think there are better ways to achieve flavor in a gravy.


The side I chose was the “cheesy potatoes,” glorified mashed potatoes with a healthy (not healthy for you) amount of cheddar cheese. There were big chunks of new potatoes which made the texture of the dish terrific. It’s hard to go wrong with that much starch and cheese and the dish did not disappoint. Still, it felt like a 9th grader’s version of mashed potatoes ― absent elegance, add cheese.


The CFS was also accompanied by a delightful Texas toast ― crispy and buttery on one side and soft and pillowy on the other.


The food is good here, as long as you can tolerate the atmosphere.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Texas Land & Cattle – Tomball, TX

A little Chicken Fried Texan math: Bacon + Jalapeno + Melty Cheddar Cheese = delight.

Our waitress told us about a new menu “soft” rollout with some tasty fried goodies. The one that caught my eye was the “fried jalapeños.” These were not your corner bar’s stuffed jalapenos. These plump heaters were lightly breaded and stuffed with cheddar cheese, bacon and onions, unlike traditional fried jalapenos filled with only cream cheese or cheddar cheese. The seeds were left inside, giving the redesigned “poppers” a nice but understated heat.

These new poppers with a cold beer and some helmet-on-helmet football violence on Sunday afternoon and I’m a happy man.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Texas Land & Cattle -- Tomball, TX

I tend to be wary of Texas-themed restaurants – they tend to mask poor quality food with the spectacle of Texas, hoping non-Texans (and Texans) won’t notice. Texas Land & Cattle deviates slightly from this mold but isn’t without it’s problems.


Like other Texas-themed restaurants, the décor was western themed, although more tasteful than you might imagine. The notable exception was the giant steer head on the wall.
The CFS ($11.95) was a southern style breading soft and juicy round steak. The tenderness was unexpectedly moist and tender, almost fork tender. The breading was soft and not overly crispy. The gravy was a classic luscious white gravy. There was a nice hint of cumin that brought a nice smoky flavor. As good as the technical preparation was, the flavor was a bit bland. Every level (breading, meat, gravy) needed salt and at least a hearty dash of pepper.

The garlic mashed potatoes were tasty and it was clearly prepared freshly and with care. The skins were left on and the garlic tasted like it was roasted, then added, giving the potatoes a nice smoky-sweet flavor instead of overpowering the dish. Still, a dash of salt would have again been warranted.


For a slow Sunday lunch in an empty restaurant, the service was slow, although our waitress was attentive and polite.

If you ignore the wall-spanning Lonesome Dove scene painting on the wall, Texas Land & Cattle ends up like other restaurants. A little more salt and I’d be right at home.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Star Cafe - Crosby, TX

Chicken Fried Neighbor and I happened across Star Café by accident. Getting a bit lost one day east of Lake Houston, we stumbled upon this jem of a place. Betwixt fields of cows and more fields of cows, Star Café is a perfect roadhouse café.


The inside is chock full of old movie posters and pictures of movie stars from the 1930s and 1940s. The hardwood floors compliment the classic diner table tops. The menu was pretty big, along with breakfast items which looked great, and mostly included diner-type fare.

The CFS: Superb. A tender and juicy cube steak that was cooked perfectly.

(I promise to get a better picture next time.)


Breading: Southern style – thick and crispy. My first impression was that the breading was a bit salty, but this actually turned out to be a perfect complement to the creaminess of the gravy.

Gravy: A nice, white cream gravy. Nothing really special here but the consistency was great and the flavor was a great complement to the CFS.

Knife: Steak knife. The steak was tender enough to eat with a fork but I used the knife so I could eat more of the awesome CFS faster.

Sides: Choice of potato (mashed, fried or baked) and one additional side. I went with the mashed potato and fried okra. The mashed potatoes were great – lumpy, creamy and full of flavor. Like the breading on the CFS, it was a bit salty but, again complimented by the gravy, the relationship was perfect.

Cost: $11.50. A little on the high side but the quality was great and worth the price. Hell, I’m still full.

Service: Wonderful. Our waitress was chatty and efficient. Chicken Fried Neighbor asked how large the CFS was and her coy reply was “you’ll see” with a sly smile.

Music Selection: Oldies (Elvis, Buddy Holly, Chubby Checker). Check out some of their antique juke boxes.

Despite the out of the way location, it’s well worth a trip. You won’t be sorry. There’s also a “golf facility” in the compound of buildings, but I didn’t see what this meant. After that CFS, I needed a nap, not a round of golf, miniature or otherwise.

21522 FM 2100
Crosby, Texas 77532

Monday, July 20, 2009

Wunsche Brothers Café and Saloon– Spring, TX

A trip to Ole Towne Spring is like a trip back in time. Wunsche Brothers is where you’d eat if it were 1900, you were fresh off the trial and needed a starch fix (just ignore the neon).

Wunsche Brothers is a neat old style café with an old timey feel: wood paneled walls and floors, old pictures and rusted farm equipment adorn the walls.

The CFS: Southern style and deep fried. It was plenty big (long) and the cube steak was very thick. It was good but a little soggy and cold.


Breading: It thoroughly covered the CFS but it was unfortunately, as I mentioned, a little soggy. I would have preferred a bit more crunch to accentuate the differences in textures among the component parts.

Gravy: White and traditional. It was good but nothing to write home about. I make no qualms about preferring a gravy with a little zing.

Knife: Standard knife provided. It would have been good to have something larger, given the relatively large size of the CFS to the relatively small plate.

Sides: Choose two: I chose the mashed potatoes and the okra and tomato. The mashed potato was good but nothing memorable. It had a good potato flavor, find seasoning balance and a hint of garlic. The okra and tomato was a recipe worth stealing! Stewed together, the marriage of the thickly sliced okra and the diced tomato was a heavenly match and highlighted the meal.


Cost: $ 12.99, a little on the high side.

Service: Friendly but not terribly engaging. She did her job (waitressing) and we did ours (eating).

Music Selection: Contemporary rock. (bonus points if you can name the song with the following lyric: “I met her in a Kingstown bar…”)

Walk a few blocks around Ole Town Spring and you won’t be sorry. It’s a fun little place for a stroll with interesting shops and a wide availability of other fried vittles, like funnel cakes and fried Twinkies. If I hadn’t been so full, I would have gained 5 pounds.
http://www.wunschebroscafe.com/

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Hickory Hollow - Houston, TX

Tucked away behind the Sam Houston Race Track on Houston’s northwest side is Hickory Hollow (note the backwards ‘k’ in the name). Hickory Hollow is a great little roadhouse style BBQ place with a wide menu.

Unlike other places that try to approximate a Texas-style café, this place makes the details count. The meals are served on large pizza pie trays (which are hard to cut on but big enough to hold the mass amount of food you get). The flatware is held in bins alongside napkins from a holder. The iced tea is served in glass mason jars.


The accolades are impressive. The website lists a few on the CFS alone:

The Houston Press says it’s the Best Chicken Fried Steak in Houston. The Houston Business Journal Gourmet Choice agrees. Oprah Magazine says it’s the Best Value. “Just look at the size of those chicken fried steaks!”

I must say I agree.

The CFS: She was big (and I didn’t even order the largest size). I ordered the Medium Hired Hand (the third largest) and it was huge. The steak (cubed sirloin) was nice and juicy but was a bit chewy, suggesting it could have been tenderized a bit more or cooked a bit more. It didn’t detract from the taste, but there were bites where the steak was a bit stringy with the connective tissue.

The Breading: Southern style and crunchy. It was flaky and had a good balance of butter, pepper and possibly butter milk. One nice thing was that it was so big and there was so much breading that I was able to manufacture my own tasty bites with a great amount of gravy, extra crunch from the breading the and the soft and chewy steak.


The Gravy: They call it “River Bottom Gravy” – it was tasty stuff. It’s hard to tell from the picture, but the gravy is a yellow color, and it has notes of corn and chicken, along with a good amount of buttery, creamy flavor and pepper. It wasn’t heavily glopped on, but given the size of the CFS, there was a great deal of it.

Knife: Too small! The knife was a standard dinner knife, which was too small. Something larger was necessary.

Sides: You can either get a salad and mashed potato or a salad and baked potato. I went for the mashed and it was good - great balance of flavor and a good creamy texture.

The Price: $9.79 for the Medium Ranch Hand with salad and mashed potato. Given the amount of food, this was an excellent deal.

Music: None, except for Court TV (which I turned off so I could read about the Rockets’ latest injury report in the Chronicle).

Service: Walk up counter service. Your order is sent out to you from the kitchen through a little window (they’ll call you number). Everybody was friendly and efficient. Although they weren’t busy at the time, my guess was that they always move that efficiently.

If I could, I’d have Hickory Hollow cater all of my meals. I wouldn’t live another 10 years but at least they’d be a good 10 years.

8038 Fallbrook Drive
Houston, Texas




View Larger Map
http://www.hickoryhollowrestaurant.com/

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Church's Chicken - Humble, TX


With Mrs. CFS working late one night, and the Tater Tot and myself needing sustenance for two, I ventured out to Church’s Chicken for a quick, salty meal. I never would have thought Church’s had CFS (which they call Country Fried Steak) but for a commercial I had seen earlier in the week advertising their new CFS meal. Being a curious and hungry fellow, I decided to give it a chance.

As many are, this Church’s was attached to a Valero gas station. This was a bit of a problem because I had boycotted this Valero for it’s generally gross appearance and skanky clientele (along with the hard core pornography open on display inside, not that I’m a prude or anything). Inside this Church’s was pretty much like most others – reasonably clean and primarily serving as a shortcut to getting into the Valero station snack shop.



CFS: I wasn’t expecting much and I got it. The steak was a chopped, pre-processed patty, although it did have a bit of bite. Generally, though, it was pretty flavorful.

Breading: A thin, “Shake ‘n Bake” layer of breading held it together. It was pretty crispy and held up to the gravy well. It had a nice hint of pepper which made it nice.

Gravy: My order taker gave me a choice between white or jalapeno gravy. Having seen the jalapeno advertised in their commercial (and enjoying a good jalapeno), I couldn’t resist. It actually was pretty good, with a good balance of creaminess, pepper and heat. I might try to recreate this!
Sides: The meal came with two sides (no choices): mashed potato and corn on the cob. The mashed potato wasn’t bad, similar to what you’d find at Popeye’s or KFC. It had a nice salty potato flavor and a thin brown gravy on top. It was formed into a perfect circle, so much so that I hesitated to disturb the perfect orb. The corn on the cob had a wooden stick in it (for easy eating) and came wrapped in a little yellow bag. It was very soggy suggesting it was probably boiled. The tot liked it, though, as he is a corn aficionado.

Price: An astounding $4.99 for the meal ($2.99 without the meal).

Service: Efficient if not a little curt. I cut her some slack since working at Church’s connected to a gas station can’t be that rewarding.

Music: none.

For fast food CFS “on the go,” this wasn’t all bad. It was certainly not as bad as I expected. I’ll probably not seek it out again, but in a pinch or during a late night CFS binge, I’ll no doubt be stopping there again.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Jax Grill - Houston, TX

Located just south of I-10 on Sheperd is Jax Grill, mixed among several other well-known Houston culinary hot spots (Mission Burrito and Cadillac Bar). After a morning of exploring the city, Mrs. CFS, Tater Tot and myself popped in for a little homestyle goodness.

Jax Grill seems like more of a sports bar than restaurant (and the quality of the CFS reflects this). There is a wealth of sports related gear on the walls and several TVs for viewing of the pigskin. The menu appears geared towards this crowd with several “baskets” and “platters” of fried goodness.

CFS: OK. It was juicy and the tenderness of the meat was good. But, several bites tasted “off” and the odor was not pleasant (a big pet peeve of mine). This tended to ruin the experience a bit.
...A side tasting of Mrs. CFS’s CFC also didn’t impress. The chicken was juicy but the taste was a bit off and it didn’t have enough chicken flavor for my liking.

Breading: Nice – fluffy but crunchy. Southern style, it had a light brown color and held up well to the thick gravy. It did not stick particularly well to the steak, but I won’t complain since I can’t get mine to stick either.

Gravy: A very creamy white sauce. It was velvety and almost cheesy. It tasted fresh (in a diary way) but lacked a depth of flavor. It tasted as though too much heavy cream was used and not enough seasoning (although there was a hint of something subtle like tarragon).

Sides: The meal came with only French fries as a side. The fries were good – nicely salted and crispy. Abandoning my CFS, I discovered that the ketchup / gravy mix on the fries was a nice combo (…patent pending).

Price: $7.95 for lunch (it was listed as $8.45 on the big menu board, so perhaps the price came down or the lunch special was cheaper). For the amount of food, this was a good deal.

Service: Walk up counter service and orders picked up separately. This was efficient and the food came out quickly.

Music: Only the cacophony of the wait staff moving chairs and tables for the impending Texans game.

I’d probably go back to Jax Grill to watch a game or suck down some chicken wings. But, I’ll stay away from the CFS.

http://www.jax-grill.com/








1613 Shepherd Dr.Houston, TX 77007(713) 861-5529
 
Locations of visitors to this page