Lunch Report: M.K. Davis on North Flores and Poplar...

Rest assured that my wife and I get numerous suggestions from readers and acquaintances on places we ought to check out for lunch, and we do appreciate them all. But every once in a while, a place intrigues me enough to shoot right to the top of the list. That was the case the other day when a co-worker of mine mentioned the name of a restaurant he used to frequent years ago on North Flores called M.K. Davis. Don't let the outside appearance fool you into thinking this is a dive. At least wait until you see the inside.M.K. Davis Restaurant and Bar has been around since 1956. I'm sure it would be safe to say they have only remodeled a few times since then, but regardless, the place is clean, service was good, the price was cheap and most the food was good. I really liked how they customized the heavy wooden chairs and benches with the MKD logos. Since it is a restaurant and bar, you won't be surprised to find a long bar on one side that takes the full length of the restaurant. I'm guessing more than one patron has skipped lunch and gone straight for the schooner full of beer.I specifically like a place like this because they clearly have an established clientele (how else do you stay in business this long) and they have a rounded menu so you can come in more than once in a week and not have to have the same thing. They offer everything from Tex-Mex standards to burgers, fish, shrimp, steaks and sandwiches.My wife was looking for something light and opted for the Ham & Cheese on toasted bread. It comes with chips on the side and for $3.25, this is quality fare for those on a budget or just trying to get a quick bite.I of course would need to test the onion rings. They bring you a huge basket full, easily enough for a table of four people, but sadly, we were disappointed with the taste. In fact, there was no taste at all to the crispy breading and salt didn't seem to help. If you are a fan of the onion rings at places like Lord's Kitchen or even Red Robin, you'll want to pass on these.I ordered the 1/3 pound cheese burger. It comes on a super soft, grilled bun, a handmade patty and served with tomato, pickles and chopped lettuce on the side. I love it when I can control the amount of lettuce going onto my burger. No complaints at all with my cheeseburger, and for $3.55 in a sit down restaurant, this is a hard deal to beat. When we first sat down, my wife ordered a lemonade and I got my usual unsweetened tea - both of which were fine. But as I sat waiting for the lunch to come, I could not bare the idea of being in M.K. Davis and passing up on the huge 32 ounce schooner, so I flagged the waitress down and had one delivered to the table. I know; 32 ounces. The next thing you know, you'll find me camped out in front of a convenience store with a quart of Miller Highlife kept cool by a brown paper sack asking passersby for spare change to get a Wall Street Journal. But in fairness, the beer was served quite cold and the thick glass kept it nice and frosty for the duration.

In the end, I can appreciate the charm of this place and certainly expect them to continue to be around for some time to come. Think about the Tip Top Cafe and how old that place is. There is something nice about grabbing a quick bite in a place that wears its history on the walls and tables and staff.

Got any stories about M.K. Davis? Tell me about it or leave a comment here.

Lunch Report: La Playa Sea Food...

It started out as a trip to Red Lobster but my wife convinced my mother-in-law that a better deal and better food could be found over at the intersection of 24th and Poplar on San An Antonio's near west side. And since I had never been to La Playa, and since I really don't care for Red Lobster, it was on!They describe the fare as Mexican and Salvadorena seafood. I'm not quite sure what difference it makes when you are frying up some fish and onion rings, but the end result is Yummy!La Playa is a colorful place with walls painted on the inside to represent the seafood theme. The exterior has a bright look, not uncommon to that part of town, and lots of Go Spurs Go attitude. I especially liked the covered waiting area. Although business was light for Memorial Day, my mother-in-law says it is usually packed during lunch, so maybe people wait outside.We seated ourselves toward the rear of the place and were immediately greeted with chips and salsa and had our drink orders taken. The chips were fresh, crisp and excellent. The salsa was wonderful!My wife ordered the lunch special of fish and shrimp. It comes with a single plank of Alaskan Pollock, and two huge shrimp, salad and she substituted onion rings for the fries.My mother-in-law went with the fish lunch plate which is three pieces of fish and the aforementioned salad and rings.I should have stuck with the lunch special, but not knowing what to expect in size of the plates, I opted for the number 16, which is the same as the lunch special but with a fourth piece of fish. And since they both substituted the onion rings, I followed suit.I know in some places you get the fancy dessert tray brought out to you by your waitress when you finish. Here, we had a man come by, I suspect with no actual affiliation to the restaurant selling slices of cake his wife had made earlier. And we splurged.Need fish for a really fair price and some awesome onion rings to go along with them? Seriously, give this one a try. You will agree that La Playa Seafood on 24th and Poplar is a seriously Tasty Treat.