Cheap Ass Food Blog

I enjoy food and eating out and I'm cheap. This is where I post the reviews of eating the cheap things I eat. Be it a special or regular menu. Feel free to check it out. Image is from...

[cheapassfoodeater]

Another night out of town and another review to come..

[cheapassfoodeater]

‪Traveling for work means food in other cities. Pic after someone took a bit before I could get a pic. Review to come soon.‬

[cheapassfoodeater]

Saint Rocco's New York Italian

So I was finally able to sit back and relax now that the school year is over and joined some friends out in the Trinity Grove section of Dallas for dinner and drinks. Knowing that I had to order the cheapest thing on the menu is reassuring till you realize the cheapest entree is still $18. I thought about ordering the pizza but it had been a long school year and I wanted the splurge (teachers know how much $6 can do). So I ordered the Eggplant Parmesan. This is not a meal I normally order but I'm not unfamiliar with eggplant or Parmesan dishes (I make an mean chicken parm). As we waited for the food the Saint Rocco's provided zucchini chips and of course, bread. The chips tasted like standard lay's potato chips and they we fun to munch on as our group had discussed the random things happening in our lives. The bread served warm and sliced with olive oil and Italian seasonings, was delicious and soft in the middle the and crunchy on the outside with the olive oil, the friends agreed we would probably just fill up on bread. When out entrees arrived, the Eggplant Parmesan looked like a lasagna and was delicious, the red sauce was sweet and cherry tomatoes were wonderful little nuggets of happiness thought the dish. The eggplant was seasoned well and delicious, my date ended up eating half of it. It was definitely worth the money.

[cheapassfoodeater]

I'm coming back

I'm a teacher so my time is spent grading and writing lessons and grading and grading and grading. So whenever I have a chance to eat out I'm usually trying to enjoy to enjoy the time with the people I'm with and then rushing home to grade. That being said, the summer is here and I will start posting more cheap ass food reviews.

[cheapassfoodeater]

Dinner and free stuff, that is what I’m talking about

Went to Saint Rocco's in Trinity Groves (Dallas) to celebrate a friend. Review to follow.....

[cheapassfoodeater]

Rusty Taco

So when I lived on Greenville Avenue, I went to Rusty Taco all the time,  it was close, cheap, good and fast.  I have since moved to a different part of the city so haven’t eaten at the Greenville Avenue, original Rusty Taco in a while, things had been changing as it became more popular and then started opening other restaurants around the DFW.  So Saturday night I made it a point to had to Upper Greenville and grab some of those tacos.

When I first got there the line was all the way to lockers/small parking lot (those of you who have been here know how long that is).  While I’m waiting I look at the menu and see that they have added fish tacos and breakfast is now available all day.  But being the cheap ass that I am and it being dinner, I look though the regular menu and see my old favorites are still all being served, the Rajas and Rusty.  I am super hungry so I decide I will go for 3 tacos and pick the 3 cheapest they have, Rajas $2, Rusty $2.25 and I wanted to try something I had not had in a long time the Picadillo $2.25 (it wasn’t till I was waiting for my food to see that they had a black bean taco for $2).  That is when I realize it has been 5 mins since I have walked in and have barely moved.  There are 2 cash registers but only one is being used and that cashier is constantly walking away to fill chip baskets and put them on the counter off to the side.  That is when one of the other employees notices the line and opens up the second register.  I place my order and grab and Mexican Coca Cola because all of their sodas are now also $2.  I grab a seat and wait for my order to be called.

So as I sit there looking out the windows, listening to families talk about their Sunday plans, and SMU students trying not to act drunk.  I think back to the last time I had ordered tacos there and why I hadn’t been there in a while.  30 minutes later when they finally call my name I realize why... I don’t like waiting 30 minutes for street tacos.  I grab my tacos return to my seat and begin to retry the tacos that I used to eat at least once a week.  The Rajas Taco which is basically a grilled vegetable taco was basically 2 pieces of poblano pepper and 2 mushrooms, was cold, like it had been sitting out waiting for the other 2 tacos.  Disappointed I went back to the Rusty Taco which was always my favorite, achiote pork roasted with pineapple, it also fell flat.  It was the right temperature but instead of the cubed pork and cubes of pineapple all mixed together like it used to be, it is shredded pork topped with pineapple, that being said, it was fine, the pork was cooked well and mixed well with the grilled pineapple.  Then off to the Picadillo, which is a pretty standard ground beef taco, but what I was hoping was to have the potato mixed in and cooked with meat, the potato topped the meat.  That being said it was my favorite taco of the night,  it had just the right amount of spice and was perfect temperature and not greasy like many places.  Now I haven’t talked about the tortillas, I always order corn when I have a choice, and ALL the tortillas were crispy on the edge and wet and soft in the middle, like they had been in the warmer too long.

Final assessment:  Would I eat there again, probably?  I wouldn’t get the Rajas or Rusty Taco, but the Picadillo did win me over for having above average favor without the grease.  i will try to make it back and try the Black Bean Taco or perhaps one of the $2 breakfast tacos but after this experience it will be a while before my cheap ass returns.

[cheapassfoodeater]

Rusty Tacos: starting on the far left and going clock wise. Raja, Picadillo and the signature Rusty. Review to follow.

[cheapassfoodeater]

A new review is coming...

I have dinner plans tonight so within the next 24hrs there will be a new cheap ass food review.

[cheapassfoodeater]

Sofrito and Veggie Salad from Chiptole

So just a heads up on how I choose the food that I write about; when I go out to eat I order the cheapest entree available (no kids meals) or the entree I can get the cheapest with a coupon or discount. That being said we celebrated a co-workers birthday but ordering his favorite food, Chipotle. And I quote "I don't always want a 3 pounds of food at once, but when I do, it better be Chipotle!" So I ordered the Sofrito and veggie salad. You maybe asking why not get the burrito or chicken, being that they would be the same price, but I wanted to try something new and I still got the tortilla. (if you order a salad or bowl you can still get the tortilla or taco shells for free if you ask). The Sofrito is Chipotle's seasoned and cooker tofu. It was delicious, had that great smokey flavor you expect from tex-mex food and had the consistency and mouth feel of ground beef. It would be the perfect filling a burrito or quesadilla. This is a must try. The question asked when trying something new (and knowing it is the same price as chicken) is would I order it again and that is a hell yes!

[cheapassfoodeater]

Sofrito and Fajita Veggie Chipotle Bowl. Review to come...

[cheapassfoodeater]

Luscher's Red Hots in Deep Ellum bachelor partying it up

So while bar crawling across Deep Ellum to celebrate a friend's last weekend as a single man, there are lots of places to stop for a cheap ass bite. We decided to stop at one of Deep Ellum's newest places Luscher's Red Hots. There two most popular dogs (and the Post Oak Red Hot voted best dog in Dallas by D magazine) are only $5 each, so hell yes that is what I'm ordering. With a poppy seed bun and traditional northern red hot and tomatoes, I wish I had order 4 or 5 of these. The wonderful snap of a well grilled dog and sport pepper on top, the not over whelming mustard, it is the perfect dog to help keep the energy up for a long night of drinking or a mid-afternoon snack before hitting some shops there in Deep Ellum. It is a must try for anyone on a budget.

[cheapassfoodeater]

Luscher's Red Hots in Deep Ellum. The Post Oak Red Hot

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Bachelor party beer

So apparently I’m reviewing beer on a bachelor party, CONGRATS JESSE! So here at Braindead Brewing the cheapest beer is the Real Ale Brewing Han’s Pils. So for the bachelor party it works at $4 a can and isn’t too hoppy, isn’t too malty. The perfect beer for a night of drinking and celebrating the upcoming wedding a life long friend and good company and bad decisions. Go “woohoo girls” go!!

[cheapassfoodeater]

So apparently I'm doing beer reviews right now

[cheapassfoodeater]

Josephsbrau Oktoberfest in my Fantastic Four pint glass.

[cheapassfoodeater]

1st post and it is about beer...

So my first post is about beer, but staying true to the theme of this blog it is cheap beer.

I purchased a 6 pack of Josephsbrau Oktoberfest from Trader Joe’s for $6.49.  Even though I love my local brews, I’m always willing to try a new beer and season beers are a great way to try them.  So for those of you beer knurds out there I will not post a standard a beer review, I’m sorry, that isn’t my strong suit, I just know what I like.  So for those of you who aren’t beer people,  I will say it is a smooth malty beer, when a nice after taste and totally worth every penny of the six dollars I paid, and will definitely be enjoying this beer again.