It is interesting to me how places get all hyped up by everyone, bandwagons are jumped upon and inevitably, I feel like an idiot because I don't know anything about "The Place" for "The Best" burgers in town. Yes, I have heard of Chris Madrid's and of course, it has been on my list for a while, but to be really honest, it was like going to a movie that everyone has gone gah gah over and then, simply not getting it.
From the minute we pulled onto Blanco Road from Hildebrand and the lady in my Garmin said "arriving at destination", my wife was not happy. She matter-of-fact said, "If this is it, I'm not going in there." You have to admit, the place looks run down. Rustic would be a compliment, fitting the neighborhood is probably appropriate. And the security guard out front told us we could park our car in the lot across the street. Regardless of how the place looks from the outside, people seem to have gotten the message that what's on the inside is pretty good.
It took some coaxing, but we did go in and figured out where to go to order. I'll spare you the confusion if you plan on trying Chris Madrid's: If you walk in the entrance from Blanco Road, you'll see a wide open seating area with a closed in bar/smoking section (I assume) to your left, and all the way to the right is the cashier and where you order and pick up your stuff. All the way to the back you see a patio area.
I don't have any issues with the atmosphere inside. People seemed happy and there were a few pictures to look at. What I didn't care for was the way you are herded into a choke point near the cash register to place your order. The menus were located down by the register, but because there was a constant flow of people trying to get by one another, we had to wait until just before ordering to grab a menu. Luckily, the menu is very limited, and I like that. My wife was not as thrilled.
People clearly love Chris Madrid's. Aside from some plaques for People's Choice Awards, the place is mostly decorated in T-Shirts from various organizations or events, signed by customers. I'm all for customer loyalty to drive the business in, but once there, deliver on the product.
My wife ordered the chicken sandwich - the cashier told her it would definitely be worth the 15 minute wait. She also requested extra honey mustard to dip with the order of fries we shared. When I went to pick up the order (15 minutes was about right), the lady told me they were out of honey mustard and offered Ranch instead. At that moment in time, I thought to myself, we are going to be going to Earl Abels sometime in the near future to make up for this lunch idea. Aside from the lack of honey mustard, the chicken was okay, but just okay. The fries were fine, cooked the way I like them and would have been much tastier with some honey mustard to dip them in.
My selection was easy. I went with the Flaming Jalapeno Burger with Cheddar, Macho (large). The bun was done right, the burger was loaded with jalapenos and covered in gooey Government Cheese, just the way I love it. The hamburger meat is clearly seasoned with something - almost making it a little too salty. Not too salty to really enjoy though.
Aside from the dysfunctional ordering operation, Madrid's seems to operate very smoothly. For people ordering burgers (not chicken) they seem to move very fast. The fact that the lady warned us there would be a wait was outstanding and appreciated.
On what was an incredibly beautiful day, it would have been nice to sit outside on Madrid's patio. Looks very nice and wide open, not crowded like some places.
Look, I had a good burger, though in terms of value, I would have been just as happy paying a lot less and eating at Whataburger. I'd certainly enjoy Chris Madrid's again if I happened to be in the area, but if you have to go out of your way to try it, I know of several others I'd recommend.
A few weeks ago, I was reading some comments on the San Antonio City-Data forum about places to get catfish, and one nice person suggested a place on Austin Highway called Podna's. What else could I do with a day off from work besides drive over and try the place out?
Now you are probably thinking that I wanted to go for the catfish - and eventually I will, but the mission for today's visit was to try the Muffeletta sandwich. Just as I have been on a quest to find the better Reuben sandwiches, I have this distant memory of a muffeletta in the back of my mind, and I need to know where at a moments notice I can obtain one if the urge overcomes me.
By the way, I usually don't pass up on catfish, but this evening, we are going to Clear Springs where I will summarily gorge myself by shoveling a pound of fried catfish down my gullet and rinse it with some beer. Naturally, I'll have a full report on that, later.
From everything I understood about Podna's, it was some what of a dive - and I mean that in a good way. In San Antonio, we know that some of the best restaurants are the "hole in the wall" places with only enough room for a dozen or so patrons at any one sitting. So in my mind, I was not expecting anything fancy, and potentially, it could be crappy. My wife was only going to humor me so much. The real problem with this whole adventure was, Podna's is about 500 feet down the road from Earl Abel's and she would have easily allowed me to drop her off for some comfortable dining at EA's and let me go off Muffeletta hunting and come to pick her up when I was done. But, I prevailed and we went into Podna's.
The place was packed. Granted - it was Friday so a lot of folks were there for the fish. When you go in, you order at the counter then you find a seat, and as we looked around, I was sort of worried that we might have to get it to go. But by the time we had paid, a few tables cleared up. 
As expected, I ordered half a muff and my wife opted for a Caesar's Salad. You have to accept that many restaurants have their own version of various dishes, and perhaps, this is the Cajun style of Casear Salad we had not experienced before. My wife joking asked if I would care to share her plate of lettuce. With the Earl Abel's sign visible out the window in the distance, she took a few bites and simply told me she was not impressed. The taste was of spicy Dijon mustard. And who knows, perhaps that is the Cajun way - I just don't know. But seriously, no croûtons or anything - it was just some Romain lettuce mixed with Dijon mustard. But seriously, who goes to a place like this and orders a salad? I'm gonna have to assume that they just don't do a lot of these.
A standard muffeletta is prepared on a big round piece of bread so two or even four people can share one. In this case, I ordered a half-muff and it was definitely more than enough to feed a fat guy like me.
The bottom of the bread is covered with some sort of olive spread and then it contains ham and salami. The sandwich is then toasted making it a warm and delicious treat. I felt bad enjoying my sandwich so much while my wife picked at her salad and even offered her half, but other than to taste a little bit of it, she was not interested.
So, as if someone could sense that she was down, the waitress came over and handed us two servings of bread pudding and said they were compliments of Paul in the back. We looked back and a man was smiling and waving. The waitress then said to my wife, "You are Linda, right?" We just looked at one another and the lady just said, Oh well - enjoy the dessert.
My order of bread pudding was awesome! It was steaming hot with a scoop of ice cream melted around it (I assume it was ice cream) and I was enjoying it immensely. Somehow, it occurred to my wife as she poked at hers, that mine was hot and hers was cold. So, we couldn't really complain that the complimentary dessert intended for some lady named Linda was inconsistent. But if you do order it, definitely ask for the bread pudding to be heated up. Good stuff!
Oh, as we were leaving, Paul the guy who sent us the dessert came out and introduced himself and immediately my wife recognized him from high school, and he immediately remembered that her name wasn't Linda. Small world.
In the end, I was pretty pleased with my muffeletta. If in the area, I'll definitly give the catfish a shot. My wife will probably try something besides the salad if I can get her to come with, instead of leaving her off at Earl Abel's.
If you have had the catfish or something else from Podna's, I'd love to know how it was for you. Tell me about it.
Like just about everyone in San Antonio, my wife went through some sort of depression when it was announced that Earl Abel's would be closing down so the property could be sold for, gasp, a high rise condo project called, "The Broadway".
I'll spare you the details and the history and let you read about it here and from their own homepage, but suffice it to say, when a landmark decides to cease operations, many people are suddenly overcome with grief for such a loss of a great place.
If I sound as though the closing of Earl Abel's didn't really make a huge spark on my meter of things to get upset about, you must understand that my first job was as an employee of McDonald's. With the right people, good management and an adherence to standards, you can build a McDonald's anywhere, and it will be good. 'Course, I don't eat at McDonald's' anymore, so I could be wrong about that.
But the more important point, I think is that as romantic as the old building on Broadway was, I suspect from a management approach, they were probably happy to be rid of all the old plumbing, electrical and HVAC issues, and welcomed the opportunity to move to a place that had suitable parking.
What would surely be missed from Earl Abel's was the atmosphere on the inside, the staff and the great food. I'm here to tell you, if you haven't been for yourself, you need to get off Broadway on to the new and improved Austin Highway, and go another mile or so to the Terrell Plaza Shopping Center. They got it right and it is time to go experience the new version of an old freind.
It is a bit disconcerting when you see the official Earl Abel's "This is It" sign pointing to a Big Lots!, but smartly, they took an end of the shopping center and used what curve to the building there was to give it a "diner" look. My wife had immediate doubts as we walked in from the spacious parking area but as soon as we walked in the door, we were met by the same (or replicated) benches that used to line the entry at the old place. Straight ahead, was ample seating with tables and booths as well as seating at the lunch counter (I guess that's what you call it).
We recognized several of the previous staff right away and of course, Curly, the butler holding a silver tray guarding the entrance to another dining area. I was surprised at how many things looked as though they were simply moved from the old location - chandeliers, mirrors, photographs etc. The carpet was obviously new, but had the same or similar pattern that I remembered.
From the word go, our waitress was fabulous and before we even got our drinks, my wife was starting to ease into a comfortable feeling as though not all was lost. Sadly, the pictures I took came out looking grainy and crappy, but if you have any recollection of the old EA's, you can appreciate that they tried to live up to the standard, in appearance and service.
I ordered the Reuben sandwich with string beans instead of fries, an endless cup of coffee and a bottomless glass of tea. My wife ordered the petite chicken lunch with mashed potatoes and broccoli.
I never have really come up with a scale for restaurants like critics have, you know, stars or jalapeños or thumbs and such, but I usually voice my appreciation for a fine meal with an "Mmm, mmm, now that, was a tasty treat". And, I usually wait until I have finished eating to give my assessment.
I have to say that I had not taken two bites of this Reuben, and the words were flowing from my mouth in between wiping the melted cheese from my mustache. "Mmm, mmm, tasty treat, mmm, mmm, mmm." Later, I would snag a small bite of my wifes chicken and I have to tell you that it was the most tender and juicy piece of yard bird with just the lightest coating of breading for flavor. You can't say enough about EA's mashed potatoes either. These didn't come from flakes in a box, they are actual potatoes that have been mashed.
There was a group of two families together at a table near us, and they seemed to be just ahead of us in the chronology of lunch events; drinks, dinner, dessert! I'm not a big fan of dessert at restaurants, but I don't mind having a taste of what my wife gets. The trick at EA's is that your waiter or waitress will be doing the cutting of the cake or pie, so feel free to announce that you'll be sharing. My wife really wanted the coconut cake or something like that, but sadly, it had sold out earlier. By the way, they make everything fresh in their own bakery which thankfully came in the move. She ordered a peice of some sort of butter cream cake, and the one or two bites that I forced myself to consume, were certainly fresh and worth the price. The people at the other table ordered about one of everything including some sort of chocolate ice box cake. I think it involved pudding and chocolate. It looked good from my vantage point.
In the end, we were well satisfied that we had made the trip and my wife was already making plans for future trips and such, so that in itself I suppose was a compliment to the people who made the decision to re-open in the new location. But don't take my word for it, get on over and taste it for yourself.
By thew way, if you have been to the new version, or if you'd like to share your memories of the old Earl Abel's, tell me about it, or just leave a comment.
This one falls into the category of, "I hate when people whine that there is nothing to do here", because we had decided that it was time for us to go and pay a visit to the New Earl Abel's (reported via separate blog entry), and in the course of leaving the Fred Road area, we attempted to take Loop 410 until we found out it was for the most part, closed due to some refreshing construction.
I turned south on Blanco and was going to zip downtown, find a good cross street and get over to Alamo Heights. I don't mind cruising the back streets for a new adventure and of course, we found one.
Just as we came upon Oblate, my wife screamed for me to turn. I recognized the area, because years earlier, we had done some sort of marriage encounter concentration camp-like seminar where they make you go and confront yourselves. How could one forget that good time?
Anywho, more important than that, this beautiful spread of land carved out of the hustle and bustle of Blanco Junction (no relation to Petticoat Junction, I trust), is this wonderful sanctuary with well manicured lawns, peaceful walks, and a grotto. Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto of the Southwest to be precise.
I must report that I become somewhat skiddish when walking the grounds of Holy places. I can't explain it, but I immediately go into Library-mode, you know, no talking, eyes cast downward for fear that a librarian or Nun might see you looking at something you shouldn't, and perhaps this is why when I had a problem with my camera, it was a bit unnerving that I somehow blurted out, "son of a bitch" at full volume. My wife launched into immediate prayer and had we been closer to the Holy Water spigot, I surely would have been doused for cause.
You don't have to be all hopped up on religion or specifically be Catholic to appreciate the beauty of this place, and you certainly won't find one of the Oblate Missionaries standing there collecting an entrance fee. If you ever just want to take a peaceful walk around the grounds and maybe go into the new gift shop conveniently located nearby,I think it will be a half-hour or so of time well spent.
In case your potty-mouth doesn't allow you to go, here are some pictures.
A few nice sculptures to enjoy.
From the minute we pulled onto Blanco Road from Hildebrand and the lady in my Garmin said "arriving at destination", my wife was not happy. She matter-of-fact said, "If this is it, I'm not going in there." You have to admit, the place looks run down. Rustic would be a compliment, fitting the neighborhood is probably appropriate. And the security guard out front told us we could park our car in the lot across the street. Regardless of how the place looks from the outside, people seem to have gotten the message that what's on the inside is pretty good.
It took some coaxing, but we did go in and figured out where to go to order. I'll spare you the confusion if you plan on trying Chris Madrid's: If you walk in the entrance from Blanco Road, you'll see a wide open seating area with a closed in bar/smoking section (I assume) to your left, and all the way to the right is the cashier and where you order and pick up your stuff. All the way to the back you see a patio area.
I don't have any issues with the atmosphere inside. People seemed happy and there were a few pictures to look at. What I didn't care for was the way you are herded into a choke point near the cash register to place your order. The menus were located down by the register, but because there was a constant flow of people trying to get by one another, we had to wait until just before ordering to grab a menu. Luckily, the menu is very limited, and I like that. My wife was not as thrilled.
People clearly love Chris Madrid's. Aside from some plaques for People's Choice Awards, the place is mostly decorated in T-Shirts from various organizations or events, signed by customers. I'm all for customer loyalty to drive the business in, but once there, deliver on the product.
My wife ordered the chicken sandwich - the cashier told her it would definitely be worth the 15 minute wait. She also requested extra honey mustard to dip with the order of fries we shared. When I went to pick up the order (15 minutes was about right), the lady told me they were out of honey mustard and offered Ranch instead. At that moment in time, I thought to myself, we are going to be going to Earl Abels sometime in the near future to make up for this lunch idea. Aside from the lack of honey mustard, the chicken was okay, but just okay. The fries were fine, cooked the way I like them and would have been much tastier with some honey mustard to dip them in.
My selection was easy. I went with the Flaming Jalapeno Burger with Cheddar, Macho (large). The bun was done right, the burger was loaded with jalapenos and covered in gooey Government Cheese, just the way I love it. The hamburger meat is clearly seasoned with something - almost making it a little too salty. Not too salty to really enjoy though.
On what was an incredibly beautiful day, it would have been nice to sit outside on Madrid's patio. Looks very nice and wide open, not crowded like some places.
