We were in Alamo Heights and in need of some vittles so what better opportunity to mark another restaurant off the list by stopping into Broadway 5050 for an awesome lunch. Oh, do I give it away too soon? Well make no mistake, we were some happy campers.
Parking is on Broadway (hence the name) and it caused me a little nervousness when I pulled in to the spot. I immediately started contemplating how I was supposed to back out of the parking place in busy traffic. The parking places are angled so you can just pull in from the busy street. This is sort of like in the old horse and buggy days where you didn't have to worry about everyone in town owning a vehicle. Now, things on Broadway are busier; even the house staff own cars. But, let me set you at ease; the stop light will accommodate you and when you are done stuffing yourself, you can easily pull out of the slot and mover along.
Had I figured this out sooner, I would have stopped in a year ago. Honestly, we have driven by and marked other places off our list simply because the parking looks like a nightmare. Now I know. And now you know.
I had no idea what to expect on the inside. This place could easily be set-up anywhere in San Antonio; it isn't some ritzy Alamo Heights thing. It has the feel of a 50's diner (sort of like the Pig Stand, only cleaner). If you are so inclined, they have a fully stocked bar and loads of beer on tap as well as a huge collection of bottled brews. Oh, and honestly, the iced tea is out of this world.
Some booths had the same checkerboard pattern seen on the front of the building while the one we sat in had some sort of Quentin Tarantino theme going on with nifty cutouts from Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs and Dusk till Dawn.
The menu is full of good options including daily specials. My wife finally decided on a pulled-pork sandwich. It is served on toasted bread and comes with baked beans, Cole slaw and shoestring fries. Instead of fries (she gave them up for lent) she substituted onion rings.
Yea, the cook sent her plate out with fries, but then made up a special order of rings for us. And the rings were outstanding. Have I had better? Sure. Were these wonderful? Absolutely.
The beans were good but what really stood out was the barbecue sauce that accompanied the pulled-pork sandwich. Look, I'm not going to sit here and say that the sandwich was better than Augie's, but this is a diner, not a BBQ place. Having said that, if you order it at 5050, you will not be disappointed. The sauce, as we found out, is made on site by the 5050 folks. We told the waitress that they should bottle it and sell it. Dip your onion rings in it and you will be very pleased.
The daily special was fish & chips and so I ordered me some. In spite of the good iced tea, I forced myself to also order a Newcastle Dark Brown, on tap to assist me in getting in the fish & chips mood.
In addition to the expected fish & chips, the plate comes with a tiny salad (about half a cup worth) and some of the aforementioned Cole Slaw. Before I could even think about using the tarter sauce, our waitress asked if I needed some Malt Vinegar. Just fabulous! While she grabbed that, I started on the Cole slaw. I am telling you that we have had Cole slaw at a lot of places. I don't know if this was made at the restaurant or purchased from a supplier, but it stands right up there with among the best, creamiest, most flavorful slaw's I have ever experienced.
The fish was fried with a crispy texture and it was in nuggets, almost like you get with some catfish. Unlike the fillets I had at the Rams Head (which was excellent), these were a little more crispy and could easily be picked up for fast eating. I did try the tarter sauce and it was good, but to be honest, the malt vinegar was hitting the spot for me. I'm not a huge fan of shoestring fries, though they were not bad, but my wife needed help with the onion rings so between the two of us, we left enough fries to feed several families in Ethiopia. Hopefully, they will get them while they are still hot.
We eat at a lot of places. More often than not, we seem to leave thinking that it was going to be better, based on what people told us or what some advertiser claimed. I have no way of knowing if we were simply lucky, hitting the place during a slow time (it was about 2:30 in the afternoon), but we were totally pleased. My wife was doing the Happy Dance over pulled pork, so you know it had to be good.
If you are in or around Alamo Heights and need some vittles, skip Good Time Charlies and the Pig Stand and head directly over to Broadway 5050. Or eat at all three and have a heart attack. Your call.
Either way, Broadway 5050 is a Tasty Treat.
Since we were already on Broadway just south of Alamo Heights anyway, I suggested to my wife that we pull into the famous Pig Stand and get some, since we had never been in before. Over time, we have been trying to hit all the famously talked about places in San Antonio, just so we know what people are talking about, and once again, I'm sorry to report that we were underwhelmed.
I used to listen to ol' Ricci Ware over on KTSA radio and for years, I heard him yammer on about the Pig Stand on Broadway. There are, in my opinion, some slight exaggerations that have been associated with this place. 
For example, they say it was the first drive-in in the world, but in reality, I think maybe the chain of Pig Stand restaurants started drive-ins, not specifically this one in San Antonio. Ditto for the invention of onion rings. None of that should matter of course, regardless of the hype, if the place is good, I'm all for it.
When we first walked in I was immediately pleased with the appearance. Think Richie and Fonzi and Potsie and Ralph Malph; the Pig Stand looks just how I imagined the diner in Happy Days. The black and white checkered floor, booths with juke boxes and a counter for folks that want to eat at the bar gives the place the authenticity of, well, a place that has been around since before the 50's. You can just imagine all the hijinks that took place inside the Pig Stand back when teenagers hung out because there was nothing to see on TV, no Internet to blog with and no cell phones to endlessly text with.
Even if the place looked a little musty, I liked the atmosphere and was really looking forward to the famous onion rings and the pig sandwich. My wife didn't seem as impressed as I did. She said it smelled greasy, but not as greasy as Good Time Charlies. I think that maybe after a place has been standing for so long, there is probably nothing you can do to get the smell out, short of tearing it down and starting over. 
Consider Earl Abel's that was once just up the street on Broadway. That place had been going non-stop for years. They sold the property for some new condos, and moved a few miles away and opened up a fresh and clean version of the diner and it smells pretty good. Sometimes, you just gotta shake things up.
On the other hand, These are actual photos taken of the vents above our eating area in - and what's in a name anyway - The Pig Stand. I think Pat Morita would turn in his grave.
We did like all the pig figurines and ceramics around the place and aside from the vents, the place was reasonably clean. Like I say, just old. And I have eaten in so many newer hole-in-the-wall type places, that really, this was no cause to lose an appetite.
The first thing we had to have was the onion rings. We weren't sure of how the orders come out, so I asked for the 1/2 and 1/2 - part fries and part onion rings. Hopefully, nothing I write here will deter you from going and getting an order of these onion rings. They were top notch - really huge and fat, and they were great. Had I realized we were only getting three to split between us, I would have gotten the full order. Having said that, the fries were okay. Not bad at all, but again, I'd take the rings over the fries any day.
My wife ordered a Club sandwich and it was also very good. I know because I helped her finish it. And of course, it would have been helpful if I had realized she was getting fries with the Club and I would have gone with the full order of onion rings. Did I mention I liked the onion rings?
Of course, being at the Pig Stand, I had to try the Pig Sandwich. The bun was very fresh and nicely grilled to get that perfect base for any good burger or sandwich situation. But when they brought it out on a full sized plate, I was a little shocked at the size (considering the price). It comes with some sauce and I think some relish on it which makes for an okay combination I wouldn't have thought of. In the end, I was not impressed at what I assumed to be the signature Pig Stand sandwich.
Here is what I suggest if you are in the area. Go to the Pig Stand and try the onion rings. Then, go back up Broadway and cut through Brackenridge Park and head over to Augies Barbed Wire Barbeque, and order up one of their Pulled Pork sandwiches. You'll thank me for it later.
By the way, I spoke with Mary Ann, the new owner of The Pig Stand. She has a very interesting story in that, she was an employee for 40 years or so. When the son of the original owner had issues with the business, Mary Ann was able to take it over and keep it going. You have to admire her love for the place. Learn more by visiting her web page here.
And you can see all the pictures on the Flickr Page.
We had been to a Panera Bread once with my parents in Brandon, but only for coffee and maybe some of the free samples of fresh pastries, and really had no idea what a great place to get lunch it was. So, today we found out. I know, for those of you already familiar with this place, feel free to say, Duh at your convenience.
Since we were in the area anyway, we stopped into the Panera in Lincoln Heights. I assure you with the assistance of my wife, I was properly attired for the visit into '09 and no residents of the area were offended by my presence. She can't take me anywhere!
I really like the set-up of the place. I guess you get the all the benefits of a Starbucks, what with the coffee, pastry and Wi-Fi hotspot, without all the obligatory not-very attractive people who sit there looking overly smart waiting to engage in conversations about, well, I don't know what they talk about. But in this place, the people sitting at booths and tables looked normal. Many on laptops or writing notes from books, and others just enjoying a conversation with a grandmother or spouse.
When we walked in, there was not a single person in front of us in line to order and of course, that sends me into an immediate panic. When confronted with a new menu, my mind simply begins to spin for fear of ordering something crappy only to look up a minute later and see exactly what I wanted. So, I did the responsible thing when another customer came in and asked them to order ahead of us. My wife on the other hand got on the phone and called our daughter (who is a Panera regular) and asked her what she should order. Right down to the lemonade and potato chips. By the time I figured out my order, an entire crowd of people came in but luckily, we were ready to go rather than have to have a flood of people rush the counter.
On the suggestion of my daughter, my wife got the Bacon Turkey Bravo on Tomato Basil Bread. Smoked turkey breast, bacon, smoked Gouda, lettuce, tomatoes and dressing. Solid choice! My wife was doing her happy dance and offering me bites of the thick sandwich before I could even start on my order. We both sort of thought that the sandwiches would come toasted (sort of like Schlotskies) but they didn't, and in fact, the soft, fresh bread was really a bonus.
I ordered up the Italian Combo on Ciabatta. It is oven-roasted beef, smoked turkey breast, ham, salami, Swiss cheese, peperoncini, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion and their special sauce. I don't know what a peperoncini is, but it had a little kick to it, and I liked it! When you order the full sandwich, as opposed to a half order, believe me, you will not leave hungry. Like any good sandwich place, they do not skimp on the meats. If I was smart, I would have had just half the sandwich and saved the other half for later. But no; it was good and I simply gorged myself, ate my bag of chips and both my pickle spear and my wife's. It's a wonder I fit through the door on the way out.
Turns out, if you purchase a $25 gift card, they will give you half a sandwich and cup of soup combo. Too bad we didn't know that before we ate. But my wife has lunch for tomorrow. And they gave my wife a cookie just for being chatty with the manager.
Oh, I think it is reasonable to see a famous person if you are in a restaurant in Lincoln Heights or Alamo Heights or any of the other fancy places where celebrities hang out. I figured, maybe we would see Tommy Lee Jones or a Spur or two. Do you remember that time we saw Rod Stewart* at Good Time Charlies? Well not to be outdone, we saw the lady who plays the wife on the TV show Still Standing, Jamie Gertz*. We didn't bother her for her autograph.
So the big question is this: Will we get a Panera Bread in the Alamo Ranch? Apparently not. According to my wife's insider source (the same guy who gave her a cookie) they plan to build several more Panera' in San Antonio, but the closest one to us will be on Bandera Road. I guess.
Great atmosphere, wonderful vittles and delicious lemonade gets Panera Bread the Tasty Treat!
*Not really. Just people who look like stars.
So we had to head over to the Alamo Quarry Market earlier today and ran into the Bath and Body Works there. 
Yea, there is one closer to our jurisdiction, but sometimes we need to get out of the hood and see how the other half lives.
Oh, here is an interesting note: Apparently, I'm the only husband who had to go into this place with my wife. And the place was packed with Alamo Heights type grandmothers, mothers and daughters, and well, my wife and I. I suggested that I go stand in line from the minute we arrived, but my wife was having none of that, so I walked around and generally looked out of place.
So my wife likes to buy all this stuff during the holiday season while they have everything on sale. Then, we don't have to go back for another year. I suppose it makes sense. Throw in a few gifts and now the bag is starting to weigh about 35 pounds. How possibly clean do we need to get?
My wife had warned me that she was going to spend a few dollars in the place, but really, when the people rang up all of our crap, I kid you not, the register said something like $245.00! For that much money, they need to send over one of the workers in black leather aprons to my house and bathe me in person!
In the end, after they added in all those supposed discounts and such, the bill was down to a much more acceptable $165, and then they threw in a box of assorted lotions. By the time we got home, my wife was sure they had overcharged us at least $10.00. Ten dollars? Is that it? I admit, I do like the feel and the smell of this vanilla hand soap we buy, but really, I think being Zestfully Clean is a whole lot cheaper.
In spite of already knowing exactly where to go to find the best burger in San Antonio, we continue to give other places a try just because you never know if someone is going to have something else to hit the spot, or on the off chance that we'll see something worth reporting. With that, we found ourselves downtown and along Broadway, so we popped into Sam's Burger Joint - another place that has escaped us over the years.
I'd say the location for Sam's is pretty good - close to downtown, close to Alamo Heights and Brackenridge Park, within walking distance of Nightmare on Grayson, and interestingly enough, in viewing distance of a bridge inhabited by several vagrants, derelicts and at least one guy who needed to pee really bad. But don't let that stop you from a nice place.
As usual, I like the decor because it was full of old signs, memorabilia, posters and such. I like it when you can mix mounted deer on the walls with posters of Marilyn and a warning to would be waitstaff stiffs.
Sam's is not just a place to get a burger, but in a separate building, they have live shows. The staff seems to be younger, hipper and tattooed'er than other places we have been recently, but make no mistake, the service was friendly and fast. They have a full bar but at least during the day, they seemed okay with kids. In fact, while we were there, a volunteer group from Boeing brought in a pack of young kids from a field trip to the Witte. Kudos.
My wife ordered the Guacamole/Jack burger combo and upgraded to onion rings. We were not expecting the branded buns and that seemed like an added bonus, proof that the buns were done up just the way we enjoy them. The guacamole was fresh and it tasted great to me. My wife would have preferred the burger to be cooked just a tad bit longer (as toward the middle, hers was still finishing the last race, so to speak). The onion rings had a great taste and excellent texture, though we both agreed they could have been cooked maybe a minute longer.
I went with the mushroom/Swiss burger and I found mine to be most excellent. Sure, they could have cooked it a bit more, but I enjoy mine more medium than well-done, so no complaints from me. I think more than the meat, the buns and the fixin's were what made it a good burger, and I really enjoyed mine.
Although we ate inside, you can also enjoy a nice day out on the patio or sit at the outdoor bar in the evening. If you happen to be in the area, go on and give it a try.
Parking is on Broadway (hence the name) and it caused me a little nervousness when I pulled in to the spot. I immediately started contemplating how I was supposed to back out of the parking place in busy traffic. The parking places are angled so you can just pull in from the busy street. This is sort of like in the old horse and buggy days where you didn't have to worry about everyone in town owning a vehicle. Now, things on Broadway are busier; even the house staff own cars. But, let me set you at ease; the stop light will accommodate you and when you are done stuffing yourself, you can easily pull out of the slot and mover along.
I had no idea what to expect on the inside. This place could easily be set-up anywhere in San Antonio; it isn't some ritzy Alamo Heights thing. It has the feel of a 50's diner (sort of like the Pig Stand, only cleaner). If you are so inclined, they have a fully stocked bar and loads of beer on tap as well as a huge collection of bottled brews. Oh, and honestly, the iced tea is out of this world.
Some booths had the same checkerboard pattern seen on the front of the building while the one we sat in had some sort of Quentin Tarantino theme going on with nifty cutouts from Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs and Dusk till Dawn.
The menu is full of good options including daily specials. My wife finally decided on a pulled-pork sandwich. It is served on toasted bread and comes with baked beans, Cole slaw and shoestring fries. Instead of fries (she gave them up for lent) she substituted onion rings.
Yea, the cook sent her plate out with fries, but then made up a special order of rings for us. And the rings were outstanding. Have I had better? Sure. Were these wonderful? Absolutely.
The daily special was fish & chips and so I ordered me some. In spite of the good iced tea, I forced myself to also order a Newcastle Dark Brown, on tap to assist me in getting in the fish & chips mood.
In addition to the expected fish & chips, the plate comes with a tiny salad (about half a cup worth) and some of the aforementioned Cole Slaw. Before I could even think about using the tarter sauce, our waitress asked if I needed some Malt Vinegar. Just fabulous! While she grabbed that, I started on the Cole slaw. I am telling you that we have had Cole slaw at a lot of places. I don't know if this was made at the restaurant or purchased from a supplier, but it stands right up there with among the best, creamiest, most flavorful slaw's I have ever experienced.
Either way, Broadway 5050 is a Tasty Treat.
