Regular reader and commenter, Maureen, tipped me off to the opening of our own Smashburger up near Bandera and 1604 on the Super Target side, and boy our we glad she did.
The place is your standard issue atmosphere with nothing really setting apart from any other place, aside from the huge painted smash, sizzle, savor on the walls. But it was clean, the managers were circulating the crowd asking if anyone needed anything and when you go, you will find like we did, that the burgers are great.
I have read a few complaints about the pricing scheme from others; $1.49 to add bacon, 99 cents for mushrooms and 49 cents for an extra slice of cheese. Basically, if you add on a bunch of stuff, the next thing you know, your burger is the price of a steak at Texas Road House. I have to admit, when I got the bill for five of us, it was about $53.00. Yikes! But I'm here to tell you, it was money well spent.
My son and his friend both had 1/2 pound Texas Smashburgers and one added guacamole. They both got the Smashfries which are tender and crispy fries tossed with rosemary, olive oil, garlic and other herbs for a great savory taste. They were fine, I suppose. More importantly, look at those burgers. It is clear that these are not frozen patties, and the "smash" part of the name is apparent. My son commented that he hadn't "had a burger this good in a long time."
My wife and daughter both went with the 1/3 pound BBQ, Bacon & Cheese which comes with apple wood bacon and topped with the haystack onions. Both of them were please with the choice. They also got the regular french fries. Smashburger doesn't have any honey mustard, but my wife did enjoy the BBQ sauce she used for dipping her fries in. Tastes like KC Masterpiece to me.
I went with the "Create your Own" plan, opting for a half pound burger on the multi-grain bun, American cheese, mayo, mustard, lettuce, grilled onions, pickles and jalapenos. I also paid a $1.49 to add bacon. My burger was outstanding. I did have to immediately remove the jalapenos because I just assumed they would be either pickled or at least grilled. I seriously don't know anyone who eats jalapenos fresh and crispy like that, but apparently, there is a market for it. Aside from that little miscue, the burger was stunningly wonderful, and worth the price.
Along with the burger, I got a side of the haystack onions. The onions come with that same dipping sauce you get when your order a Bloomin' Onion or Awesome Blossom. My wife and daughter both commented that the haystack onions worked well on their burgers, but attempting to eat them as onion rings, and especially attempting to dip them in the sauce is a bit awkward. And, they give you more than a single person should eat and feel safe to be in public. If you go to Smashburger, just share an order of fries, it is enough for two people.
When we were finishing up, we had five happy faces and my wife repeatedly performing here little happy dance and discussing coming back to try the Smashdogs. Hungry for something really good? Smashburger is a Tasty Treat!
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.
We are easily entertained (as you may have gathered by the fact that I take pictures of food), and the simplest of gimmicks can draw a giggle.
I say if your job is to be the Dancing Smoothie, work it, Baby.
It isn't like we haven't been into a Super Target before - after all, they have one just up the street at Bandera Pointe and another over off of Highway 151 and Loop 410, but now that we have our very own in Alamo Ranch, I might actually go there from time to time.
If you have been down to 1604 and Culebra, you can already feel the influx of traffic in just the past month or so. No, it isn't 1604 and Bandera bad or heaven forbid, 1604 and 281 horrendous, but still, you get the feeling that as more of these stores open, people fed up with the nightmare of trying to get through the choke point that is Braun and 1604, people will take advantage of the slightly better traffic situation on Culebra and Alamo Ranch.
So, enough about traffic. If you are like us and have put off going to the Super Target, there are a few reasons to give it a try. But I must caution you: the people who designed the parking lot layout at Alamo Ranch are probably descendants of the idiots who designed most of San Antonio's ill conceived, not even thought-out, traffic patterns (see the aforementioned 1604 and 281 comment). So as you drive through, be aware that at some intersections, there are stop signs, and some there aren't, but neither is intuitive. I predict numerous near-misses, crushed fenders and splatted pedestrians before someone figures out that allowing the parking lot planners to drink beer during their lunch hour is a bad idea.
Once you have safely parked, you are free to move about the lot, cautiously! Welcome to Super Target.
Okay, nothing special but I do need to point out two important things: The baskets and the carts. I think someone told me these shopping carts are like a fine Mercedes, and I have to report that I concur! Talk about a smooth ride. And no sharp edges for kids to get all scraped up on.
Inside the store, the place was clean and well lit (of course). One of the downfalls (in my mind anyway) is that when I go into and Target, I feel like I am somehow being hypnotized. Am I the only one? Between the florescent lights, the red patterns and flying youngsters overhead, I just feel my head start to spin.
Or maybe I just feel a little overwhelmed by not getting all the hip fashions and stuff. I do confess to liking Target's TV ads - I think they do a great job of making me feel like I need to get some of whatever it is they sell. But here is where I have to draw the line. Seriously. San Antonio is perpetually on the fattest city in America list. Who do the fine people at Super Target think is going to fit on this couch? I saw a lady at a taco place today who wouldn't have been able to get one of her thighs on this seat without some car jacks on either side to hold up the flesh. And for $199.99? Seriously?
But in spite of Super Target being a little more upper scale than the Wal Mart I normally attend, I'm glad to see they still cater to common folk who are free to come in and shop comfortably, without bothering to shave their backs and shoulders. That's hospitality.
Finally, if I hadn't given you plenty of reasons to visit, it is official, the Starbucks in Super Target is the closest one to my house, and my wife is pretty happy about that.
Let's be clear; I am a Chili's person. I have said it before and I continue to believe that for a reasonable price, you can go to most Chili's restaurants, get some decent food, and it will be consistent with your previous several visits, regardless of location.
But in the past six or eight months, I have noticed an extremely consistent trend in crazy service in the bar section of the 1604 and Culebra Chili's, and I simply can't let it go beyond this evening; Chili's, you people need to know that directly across 1604, all that dust and construction and loads of new traffic are several new competitors that are just waiting to get started on earning my business.
But let me just fill you in on our experience tonight. First, it isn't so much our waiter. We have had this kid before and he is a good, friendly waiter. The problem is with the rest of the people milling about as if shift change is like some sort of two-hour overlap process where nobody does any actual work.
When we walked in around 4:30PM, the place was empty. The hostess immediately went to seat us in the regular dining section but my wife asked her if we had to sit in the bar to qualify for Happy Hour specials. (Don't even get me started on Happy Hour!) The hostess turned us around and sat us at a booth in the bar area and aside from the fact that there were only a few people in the area, we immediately noticed that there was no bartender.
This was not a problem because our intent was to eat, but it was a sign of something bad. An experience we had on previous seating's in this same area. By the way, am I the only person who finds it a tad bit unhealthy that they toss the receipt for the drinks in the tops of the drinks? In other words, say you are sitting in the regular area but you order a beer. Your server goes to the bar, orders up your beer then walks away to take some other customer their drinks. When the bartender (assuming they are there) fills your beer to about two inches below the top of the tall glass, thus serving you the same amount as if your ordered a regular size, he or she then takes the receipt and tosses into the top of the glass so your server will know which table to take it to. I trust the ink is edible.
So anyway, our server comes by and says he'll be right with us then leaves for about 10 minutes. I notice that two guys, apparently contractors of some sort, are seated at the bar near our table. Both these guys are working the cell phones, but are kind enough to leave the restaurant each time the phone rings.
The result is, for the majority of the time we were there, these two guys would take quick chugs of beer, then be outside for 5 to ten minutes at a stretch.
I trust they were coordinating the building of a new restaurant in Alamo Ranch while waiting for refills of beer.
I keep noticing the staff just hanging around, maybe having a meeting of some sort, and even though they are technically standing in the "employees only" area, they are in clear view of the customers. I could just tell that this was not going to be a quick dinner.
I ordinarily limit my Chili's consumption of beverages to either unsweetened iced tea or a single tall Miller Lite. Because of the unreasonably slow service, I was forced to order a second tall Miller Lite. This would have been fine had I not been waiting for an extra long time. 
And here is the real problem. If you sit in the bar area, you see everything that is going on in the bar, you know that you could simply get up, serve yourself a tall water, a fresh lemonade, or in this case, a Miller Lite, and it would happen in a reasonable time. If it was a case of a bartender constantly making drinks, mixing Margaritas or doing all sorts of Tom Cruise Cocktail tricks, you could sit back and wait your turn. But there was no one at the bar, yet three feet away, multiple Chili's uniformed servers chit-chatting and milling about like they were waiting for the results of a horse race.... and then my burger came. 
I went with the Jalapeno Smokehouse Big Mouth Bacon Burger. When cooked right, this puppy is seriously YUM! But if we mistake "medium-well" for "stick it in the microwave until it is overdone, then leave it on the counter until it is only slightly warm", it isn't that great.
My wife ordered some mushroom burger and asked for bacon on it, but was then upset that her bacon wasn't the same real thick good bacon that came on my Big Mouth Bacon Burger. Bacon discrimination: Call LULAC. Oh, I checked my receipt later. We didn't even get Happy Hour prices on the drinks we ordered. WTH?
Yes, Alamo Ranch is open. We Culebra folk' now have our own version of Bandera Pointe - no, better yet, The Rim! So let us count the competitors ready to take my money:
- Logan's Raodhouse: I used to go to the one up on I-10 until Texas Roadhouse opened at Ingram and 410. This Logan's will be closer.
- Mama Margie's: We enjoy the one on I-10, but this one is, say it with me.... Closer!
- Ruby Tuesday: Fairly new around here but I've enjoyed them in airports and this is going to be a shocker, they are pretty much like Chili's.
- Red Robin: How many times have I yammered on about Red Robin? And now I won't have to drive to The Rim. Hell, I'll pull into Home Depot (or the new Lowe's if they don't get their act together) and then pop in for one of those huge stacks of onion rings, and a burger with an egg on top.
Be warned Chili's at 1604 and Culebra, your competitors are calling and I'm not in the mood for crappy service.
Not long after our visit to Bobby J's over in Helotes, and still sensitive to our split decision, my wife and I opted to try another burger place and see if we could agree on the taste, quality and above all, appearance of the food. We were tempted by a coupon that had been stuck to our refrigerator for at least a week or two, and finally decided to try the Cheesy Jane's over on Bandera at 1604. I should tell you that we ate at and enjoyed the one up by Stone Oak a few years ago, but just never found the need to go again.
For me, the atmosphere of the place is pretty wide open and warehouse like. A series of tables and booths, you have the old diner style grill area in the back and just a few decorations. I think they are going for the Happy Days burger joint without the associated girls on skates and regular appearances by Arthur Fonzarelli.
I confess, I'm more of a Chili's or Clear Springs, and yes, even Bobby J's atmosphere sorta guy simply because I like looking at the things on the walls. Cheesy Jane's does have a train track hanging from the ceiling that goes around in circles with advertisements on it.
But we came in for a burger, not entertainment! The menu does show a Chili Burger, but my wife opted instead to try a regular half-pound burger with cheddar cheese, and all the regular fixin's minus onions. She then added bacon and some guacamole. When our plates arrived, I suddenly had burger-envy.
I opted to try something called the Pecos Burger. It is a half-pound of excellent meat, cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce and covered with something called splinters, which are fried onions and jalapeños. It came with a side of ranch, so I poured that on for good measure!
We both enjoyed the buns (slighty toasted) and the great tastes of the burgers. The little jalapeños on my Pecos Burger were not hot at all, but simply added a different taste, so if you are afraid of hot stuff, worry not. Our server kept my iced tea filled and we especially enjoyed that the manager or head cook or whoever he was, brought the meals out to each diner just to make sure everything was alright. Great service and pretty quick.
Our only disappointment was with the onion rings. We got the regular order (enough for two people, easily), and they were the perfect texture. Not over cooked and not too crisp. I'm an onion ring snob I suppose, and if I recall from our first trip to the Cheesy Jane's in Stone Oak, the onion rings did not have the same unique taste these did. In spite of their good appearance and texture, the breading had some sort of awkward aftertaste to them. At first, I thought it was the taste of a corn tortilla. Surely, that wasn't what they were going for. In the end, we decided they simply need to change the oil. It wasn't enough to ruin our visit, so when you go, feel free to order them and let me know if you get the same corny taste we got.
Apparently, if you order a full one-pound burger and finish it, they take your picture and post it on the wall with your comments on the card. Before leaving, we stood there and read a lot of them - pretty funny stuff. I'm thinking on a day when I'm really hungry, I might just put on the ol' eatin' pants and give the one-pounder a try. 
But even if you aren't all that hungry, Cheesy Jane's has a burger right for you at a fair price, good service and something my wife and I can agree on. It is a Tasty Treat and get's my wife's Eeee-Yum seal of approval.
You know this guy's face from the billboards up and down Bandera Road and you've probably read about his restaurant being a Critic's Choice for years, but for whatever reason, you haven't taken the short drive north of 16o4 on Highway 16 to Bobby J's.
I know, there are any number of valid reasons including the crappy traffic in the Bandera Pointe area, or maybe you think that Bobby J looks as creepy in person as his billboard makes him out to be. Actually, we have been before but hadn't been back for several years. Our reason had nothing to do with the food, but rather the atmosphere. On our one and only visit prior to today, we found the place to be extremely cramped.
As I recall, we had a hard time finding a table in the small cramped dining room, then felt rushed by other people waiting for a place to sit as we finished up.
So a few things you should know: Bobby J does not look creepy in person, in fact, he looks nothing like Captain Kangaroo. More importantly, the place has expanded and even though there was already a brisk business during our visit, we had no problem sitting in the new dining room.
In case you need it, they also have ample outdoor seating, especially nice on a beautiful day like today.
There are loads of Internet reviews of Bobby J's and most all are accurate as far as I'm concerned, calling the burgers excellent, mouth watering, must have and such. We only have one minor dissent, so I have to give you the bad right along with the good.My wife ordered the 1/3 lb Chili Burger. According to the official web page, they say that Bobby makes his chili with his own secret recipe. I told my wife this and she said his only secret is that he takes the labels off the cans of Hormel.
I think she was more put off on the appearance. On our last visit to Red Robin, she had seen some people at the table next to our order a chili burger and it came open-faced with obvious beans and beef, whereas her burger seemed to have more of a chili sauce, not unlike what you might squirt onto a hot dog when you stop into an Exxon for a quick lunch. Okay, so my wife won't race back for the chili burger, but don't let her misfortune stop you from giving it a try.
Instead of ordering fries or rings with our burgers, we got a family order of onion rings and fries together. You need to know two things. The fries were okay, the onion rings were outstanding. And it was a pretty good idea to offer an order of the two together.
My son was with us and he ordered up the 1/3 lb Fiesta Burger which is a regular burger but with refried beans on top of it. He loved it but opined that it would have been really good with a slice of cheddar cheese to top it off. He also wished he had ordered the 1/2 lb.
I have heard several people recommend the Jalapeño Cheddar burger, and I went for the 1/2 pounder. No complaints at all. If you recall the report on our visit to Armadillo's over off of McCullough downtown, I would be willing to bet that the folks there have been to Bobby J's. There is a good similarity to the buns that I like - grilled and smashed. Some people have described Bobby's burgers as greasy in a good way and I have to agree completely.
People, I dig me some vittles and I gotta tell you that I made serious work of that 1/2 pound Jalapeño Cheddar burger. The ingredients are fresh, there is no skimping on the fixin's and we really didn't wait that long for our order. My wife's disappointment with the appearance of her chili notwithstanding, Bobby J's gets the Tasty Treat in my book.
The place is your standard issue atmosphere with nothing really setting apart from any other place, aside from the huge painted smash, sizzle, savor on the walls. But it was clean, the managers were circulating the crowd asking if anyone needed anything and when you go, you will find like we did, that the burgers are great.
My son and his friend both had 1/2 pound Texas Smashburgers and one added guacamole. They both got the Smashfries which are tender and crispy fries tossed with rosemary, olive oil, garlic and other herbs for a great savory taste. They were fine, I suppose. More importantly, look at those burgers. It is clear that these are not frozen patties, and the "smash" part of the name is apparent. My son commented that he hadn't "had a burger this good in a long time."
My wife and daughter both went with the 1/3 pound BBQ, Bacon & Cheese which comes with apple wood bacon and topped with the haystack onions. Both of them were please with the choice. They also got the regular french fries. Smashburger doesn't have any honey mustard, but my wife did enjoy the BBQ sauce she used for dipping her fries in. Tastes like KC Masterpiece to me.
I went with the "Create your Own" plan, opting for a half pound burger on the multi-grain bun, American cheese, mayo, mustard, lettuce, grilled onions, pickles and jalapenos. I also paid a $1.49 to add bacon. My burger was outstanding. I did have to immediately remove the jalapenos because I just assumed they would be either pickled or at least grilled. I seriously don't know anyone who eats jalapenos fresh and crispy like that, but apparently, there is a market for it. Aside from that little miscue, the burger was stunningly wonderful, and worth the price.
Along with the burger, I got a side of the haystack onions. The onions come with that same dipping sauce you get when your order a Bloomin' Onion or Awesome Blossom. My wife and daughter both commented that the haystack onions worked well on their burgers, but attempting to eat them as onion rings, and especially attempting to dip them in the sauce is a bit awkward. And, they give you more than a single person should eat and feel safe to be in public. If you go to Smashburger, just share an order of fries, it is enough for two people.
When we were finishing up, we had five happy faces and my wife repeatedly performing here little happy dance and discussing coming back to try the Smashdogs. Hungry for something really good? Smashburger is a Tasty Treat!
