You just might recall not too long ago that my wife and I gobbled up some chicken fried steak from a diner in downtown San Antonio called Lulu's. During that enjoyable visit, we observed more than one patron consuming the burgers and huge orders of onion rings, so when it got to be vittles time, my wife suggested we go back to Lulu's and see if they taste as good as they look. I'll cut to the chase now and gladly report, they do.
I don't know what it is, but the place just makes me giggle when I walk in there. The waitstaff yells across the room to welcome you and directs you to find a seat anywhere. I am reminded of Dick's Last Resort, where the wait staff is rude on purpose; Lulu's folks aren't mean, but it seems like they treat you like a regular, even if you aren't. I mean this in a good way of course. At Dick's, you know (or you are supposed to know) it is all part of the shtick. At Lulu's, they just seem to be a crew who gets along really well, and by visiting, you aren't taking away from their good time, so the back and forth between the waiters and the cooks continues on whether you can hear them playfully kid one another or not.
I knew from the word go that I wanted the bacon cheeseburger with some onion rings. First, the onion rings. We really like this style of breading. It is not too crunchy and in fact, it is a little flaky. My wife thinks they just dipped the rings into the same mix they use for the CFS and let it go. You will want to add salt. If you have ever had the rings at Clear Springs, you'll recognize the texture. Surely not the best I've had, but far better than any of the frozen packaged ones you get at many local places.
The bacon Cheeseburger was simply delicious. You can tell it is a handmade patty just from the uneven shape. And it tasted great as did the bacon and the fresh lettuce, tomato and fixin's. For myself, I would have grilled the bun a tad bit longer, but you could tell it was at least thrown on the grill for good measure.
My wife went with the cheeseburger and steak fries. You can tell from the picture that they toss on a little Season-all or similar thing on the fries. Cooked just right, not too hard or undercooked, you get the feeling that the guys on the grill know the drill. She was a bite into the cheeseburger when the happy dance commenced and we knew that the visit was a good choice.
As a matter of ranking, I still have not found a place that is as good as my favorite. But if you need yourself a really, really good burger, excellent fries, and some very worthwhile onion rings, Lulu's never closes, and that makes for a Tasty Treat.
And don't forget tomorrow's breakfast while you're there.
A recent visitor to the Blog left a comment suggesting that we try The Lords Kitchen over off of I-35, south of Ft Sam Houston. That person didn't leave a name, but to whoever you are, thanks!
This little restaurant has been up for all sorts of local awards for awesome burgers and such. But the thing is, if you don't know where it is, or don't have the use of Garmin, you could simply drive right past it. And that would be a shame because tucked inside this tiny place sitting just feet from the railroad tracks, is a whole lot of yummy goodness.
TLK is small with limited parking, but once you get inside, you'll get the feeling of Little Hips or some other tiny burger joint.
The place is covered with pictures of regulars and there are several display cases of old toys and model cars and such, giving you lots to look at - and I like that in a place.
If you are worried that the name, Lords Kitchen, means you'll be dining in church pews and such, you won't. In fact, the radio played oldies from KONO and aside from the name, there is nothing to make The Lords Kitchen stand out as anything more than just a good place to eat.
And if you like Bobby J's burgers in Helotes, I can tell you you are going to love the freshly made jumbo sized burgers here. TLK hits on all cylinders with awesome onion rings, incredible French fries, and burgers that are made perfectly. I love it when someone is not afraid to put a little mayonnaise on a burger!
Our neighbors Gus and Ruby ordered up the 1/4 pounders and a large portion of onion rings for us to share. If you have any concerns about grease in your diet, don't get the onion rings. But if you love that flavor of a perfectly golden fried onion ring that simply melts in your mouth and explodes with sweet onion goodness, you are welcome to join the rest of us on the un-healthy heart diet. I love onion rings and these are some fine rings. If you go, you must get them.
The 1/4 pound burger is going to be sufficient for your normal dining visit. If you figure in the generous portions of fries or onion rings, you are not going to go hungry, I assure you. These are fresh ingredients and the important thing is, the fresh buns are grilled so when you get your burger, you feel as though it is something from the fifties, before the days of processed, pressed patties and assembly line burgers.
My wife had the lunch special including the 1/4 pound burger with fries. These are the fries where they take the potato and cut it, fry it up and serve them hot and delicious. We all tried them and we all agreed they were outstanding.
I am clearly going to weigh 300 pounds if I don't change my ways. But when I saw the 1 pound Lords Burger, I simply could not resist. I felt better about myself when I saw a guy a few tables away being served the 1 1/2 pound "Get Down" burger.
This thing is nothing short of wonderful. Instead of one huge patty, it is a double meat burger, not overcooked, and served with lettuce, onions, tomato, pickles and the aforementioned mayo with mustard. And in case you are wondering, yes, I ate the whole thing.
A few things you should think about before going. First, the parking is limited (we parked along the street across from the restaurant), and the place is small. I can easily see how you could go there and have to wait for a table. Also, it does take time to make huge burgers, so this isn't fast food. But I don't think we waited any longer than we have at most other good restaurants. 
Bottom line: get ready for an extremely Tasty Treat!
I don't know what it is, but the place just makes me giggle when I walk in there. The waitstaff yells across the room to welcome you and directs you to find a seat anywhere. I am reminded of Dick's Last Resort, where the wait staff is rude on purpose; Lulu's folks aren't mean, but it seems like they treat you like a regular, even if you aren't. I mean this in a good way of course. At Dick's, you know (or you are supposed to know) it is all part of the shtick. At Lulu's, they just seem to be a crew who gets along really well, and by visiting, you aren't taking away from their good time, so the back and forth between the waiters and the cooks continues on whether you can hear them playfully kid one another or not.
I knew from the word go that I wanted the bacon cheeseburger with some onion rings. First, the onion rings. We really like this style of breading. It is not too crunchy and in fact, it is a little flaky. My wife thinks they just dipped the rings into the same mix they use for the CFS and let it go. You will want to add salt. If you have ever had the rings at Clear Springs, you'll recognize the texture. Surely not the best I've had, but far better than any of the frozen packaged ones you get at many local places.
The bacon Cheeseburger was simply delicious. You can tell it is a handmade patty just from the uneven shape. And it tasted great as did the bacon and the fresh lettuce, tomato and fixin's. For myself, I would have grilled the bun a tad bit longer, but you could tell it was at least thrown on the grill for good measure.
My wife went with the cheeseburger and steak fries. You can tell from the picture that they toss on a little Season-all or similar thing on the fries. Cooked just right, not too hard or undercooked, you get the feeling that the guys on the grill know the drill. She was a bite into the cheeseburger when the happy dance commenced and we knew that the visit was a good choice.
As a matter of ranking, I still have not found a place that is as good as my favorite. But if you need yourself a really, really good burger, excellent fries, and some very worthwhile onion rings, Lulu's never closes, and that makes for a Tasty Treat.
And don't forget tomorrow's breakfast while you're there.
