Off Two Eighty-Ate

Collegiate foodies exploring Denton's eateries under the influence of craft brews & the occasional cocktail.

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BBQ Fusion // Rooster's Roadhouse

As if through strategic market research or just pure blind luck, Rooster’s Roadhouse fills (or rather just diverts) the significant void in the Denton market of barbeque. While newcomer Gold Mine is working through some kinks and the mainstay of Metzler’s is honestly a better destination to pick up a 6-pack than anything else, Rooster’s runs circles around the competition the way the New Orleans Saints would playing in the NFC East.

Inebriated with tin and neon and small paper menus with stains of oil and barbeque sauce, Rooster’s is a haven of glutton and grease – a place so staunchly unconcerned with health and saturated fats that they serve a double cheeseburger stacked between two grilled cheese sandwiches - as if mere buns were an affront to their stomachs.

Even the veggie sandwich (which embodies a bit too much of the ‘grease is good’ eidos of the place) comes with what I believe amounts to an entire bag of shredded cheese melted on top, (not to mention a side of house-made chips or fries) further cementing Rooster’s as a place where diets go to die and cholesterol and cheap beer go to thrive.

In this day and age of crossbreeding culinary cuisines and Frankenstein-foodie creativity, I think it’s fair (appropriate even) to label Rooster’s, with its burger dive-meets-barbeque menu, as BBQ fusion. The idea of the traditional meat-plate-and-sides is alluded to, but the real draw here is with the burgers and sandwiches that blend (or rather slap together) both traditional American and BBQ standards.

The Rooster’s Sloppy Joe ($5.49) is made with smoked brisket and ground beef while the King Brisket Burger ($9.95) has too many ingredients to list, but all you need to know is that it’s a triple-decker with a beef patty and brisket served two ways all under the same roof (bun).

For slightly more conservative eaters, the Pulled Pork Sandwich ($6.25) and the PIT Sandwich ($7.95) both come highly recommended by myself, but both of which come with their house-made chips, which if substituted (which I always do for either a side of okra, fries or onion rings dubbed ‘Rooster Tails’) just know that you’ll be tacking on an extra $2. For those of you bad with numbers, that’s one Lone Star.

However, perhaps the best thing I’ve eaten here is the Red Neck Sushi ($6.95), chopped brisket with cheese and sweethots wrapped in a grilled tortilla and served tongue-in-cheek sushi style. For all of Roosters’ gargantuan, napkin-required sandwiches and burgers, sometimes it’s the little things – a quaint appetizer, the comfort of a really cold, bad-tasting beer – that keeps me coming back. Or maybe it’s because if I want some good barbeque, there’s really no other choice. 

// chase

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The Katz Pajamas // The Bowllery

The black-and-white checkered floor is still present, but had you not looked down, any evidence of the building’s previous purposes may have escaped you. For those of us who used to frequent Katz’s Hamburgers before it closed and re-opened as The Bowllery under the same management late last year, the evidence is actually rather glaring.

The diner-style bar/kitchen area and the island of condiments are still very much present, as are owners Annie and Kevin Vivorakji, who have successfully made the transition from a classic 50’s-style burger joint to a modern, vegan Asian fusion restaurant. I’d wager that transformation has not been attempted very often.

But I’m certainly glad it has in this case, as The Bowllery now represents one of the more specialized, fresh and unique restaurants in Denton. True to their name, the place sells plenty of bowls and salads as well as fresh smoothies and juices, but the “yogi” bowls are where they really excel.

Each yogi bowl comes with either a base of soba noodles or rice topped with a bevy of different fresh vegetables and a sauce made from scratch. The Gobi Bowl ($9) is a coconut curry sauce over rice with cauliflower, peas and carrots while the Mega-k ($9.50) features soba noodles and beet noodles mixed with kale, carrots and corn in a balsamic orange ginger sauce.

On this day, I had the supremely tasty Denton Bowl ($9.50), which I’d say – through Yelp reviews and word-of-mouth, is a crowd-pleaser of sorts. Soba noodles topped with avocado, onion, zucchini, tomato and romaine lettuce topped with a carrot miso sauce and grilled sweet potato slices. I might take slight issue with the use of romaine lettuce, but the carrot miso sauce with the avocado, sweet potato and noodles are such a lovely combination, I can overlook their rather suspect inclusion.

Mariah ordered a grilled teriyaki steak bowl ($8), which is designated as a “ninja bowl.” Huge chunks of broccoli and carrot over brown or white rice served with the meat of your choice and the option of adding a fried egg on top. The house-made teriyaki sauce was the clincher – a revelation of sorts.

On other trips I’ve sampled the Gado Bowl ($9) and the Vair-day ($9.50) and while the former was delicious (especially that peanut coconut sauce), the latter was quite hard to get through. The culprit was the salsa verde, which was far too oily and just did not mesh well with the garden of vegetables underneath.

Even still, the Bowllery’s menu of mostly vegan and gluten-free salads and bowls is something of a miracle. A vegan Asian-fusion restaurant shouldn’t taste this good, but against all odds – and against that checkered floor – it has officially (and welcomingly) made the switch from ketchup to soy sauce. After all, you can get a burger pretty much anywhere.

//chase

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Pride Can Be Hard to Swallow // Sweetwater Grill & Tavern

The concept of Sweetwater Grill & Tavern – the locally owned dive just off the square with Southern food and attitude – seems to be excavated almost exclusively from the large umbrella of simple Texas pride. Televisions where you can fit them, beer wherever you can pour them and a menu packed with more blandly titled, classic Southern dishes – from Tex-Mex to comfort food – than a Black-Eyed Pea.

Which would all be perfectly acceptable had Sweetwater the food to back it up. Instead, after a bite of one of the worst chicken-fried steaks you’re likely ever to have, that Texas pride and attitude turns from spirited to misguided, and the rips in the booth cushion and the dirty floors from endearing to unsettling.

We began with some Chips and Salsa ($5.95), which were so particularly bland and unmemorable that describing them as commonplace seems too generous a description, especially given that they’re priced like a meal.

Mariah ordered the aforementioned horror show of Chicken Fried Steak ($9.95), which came with mashed potatoes and mac-and-cheese, all of which was reduced to merely being picked-apart, although the sides fared far better than the steak, which wasn’t so much battered as it was applied with a coating and then held together by gobs of gravy.

My Guacamole Burger ($8.95) was unfortunately accompanied by a cold, bland side of French fries, which I somehow managed to eat half of in-between deafening shouts from the bar area being emitted from the mouth an older woman playing shuffleboard. “But how was your burger?” Mariah asked. “Eh, it was edible, “ I said. For Sweetwater, consider that a recommendation. 

// chase

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Never Too Many Hoptions // East Side Social Club

A couple of weeks ago, a new bar opened in town but not just any bar: the beer and whiskey headquarters. Suspicious of this claim, we decided to check it out the night it opened to the public as Oak St. Drafthouse had built some pretty intense hype on the new Social Club via Facebook.

Located up and across the street from the endearing, homey aforementioned Oak St. Drafthouse, this is essentially a newer, digitized version of the antiquated house of ping-pong and taps. ESSC has over 88 choices of draft beer, all from the great state of Texas and the “biggest” selection of bourbon whiskeys in America. We’re skeptics on the latter but over joyous with options.

The mere name, East Side Social Club, gave the idea that this new hangout would be a mix between Paschall’s and OSDH but in reality it raises more comparisons to a sports bar – albeit one with the best beer and whiskey selections in town.

The interior has church-like pews and a few tables along with some dartboards in the far corner. Chase and I were immediately put off but couldn’t help be drawn like bugs to a zapper towards the brightly illuminated screens in which all the beers on tap were listed. I say screens because it takes two to ensure each beer is listed along with the location of the brewery, the % of alcohol, and the type of beer (a lot more helpful than the crowded chalk board at OSDH). Like the drafthouse, you need to order by number because I’m sure as a bartender the amount of spouts on the wall can get mightily confusing.

We ordered a Real Ale Oktoberfest and Revolver Blood & Honey and decided that sitting outside would be our best bet to avoid the loud, undecided crowd of beer browsers. The best part, other than the beer (duh), is the porch seating. If porches aren’t your thing and you prefer sitting under the night sky, they have a decent sized beer garden as well. 

Due to early morning classes we only had one beer and were unsure if we would return. Considering that it’s officially football season, you may find me in the garden with a nice dark beer in Dallas Cowboys attire or Chase sporting his Dolphins colors. 

// mariah

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Fool's Gold // Gold Mine BBQ

It’s perhaps all too fitting that the entrance to Gold Mine BBQ – Denton’s newest and latest addition to the barbecue scene located just off the square – is a long, narrow and covered walkway. This is a gold mine, after all, yet even though the trail up to the front door is akin to venturing down a mineshaft – with the décor ever so mindful of this fact – the food is anything but a gold mine.

A simple one-meat plate with two sides will run you a whopping $10.99 if you show up for dinner (it’s $8.99 for lunch), and although the swashy, elegant typeface on the menu to go along with that high price tag would lead to believe you’re getting some high quality BBQ, what you get is thoroughly, decidedly average.

Our meal didn’t get off to a great start when we ordered a basket of cornbread to start with ($1.99) only to be informed that they had run out and were beginning to bake some more. I would have chalked it up to a busy kitchen, but since the only other persons in the entire restaurant were the wait staff, that seemed unlikely to say the least.

Hungry and without cornbread, we then ordered our entrees – with, at this point, a sneaking suspicion that they might be out of brisket. We both went for the meat plates, making sure to divvy up the responsibilities and try out as many meats and sides and sauces as we could. I settled on the pulled pork with okra and baked beans while Mariah went with the brisket, mac & cheese and okra. If you’re wondering why we each got our own side of okra, it’s because we’re selfish and like fried things – deal with it.

You can also pick your sauce at Gold Mine, which is a nice little option to have, or if you can’t decide, you can even have your waiter bring out all three (spicy, original, sweet). This was a case of the good, the bad and the ugly, as the original was nice and tangy, the spicy overly assertive and thin with the sweet so cloying it was basically a dessert.

This was all rather moot however, since both cuts of meat we had were dry and even a little tough – especially the pork. All of the sides at Gold Mine are handmade by the wife of owner Vince Wolf, and both Mariah and I were okay with but not wowed by the fried okra, which is battered in a Cajun seasoning that gives them a little unexpected kick.

The beans were a little bit too sweet, but the mac & cheese was wonderful. Huge elbow noodles with a clingy, baked-in consistency and a nice breadcrumb topping made them the star of the night, if only after we had to ask our waiter to heat them up since the majority of our food was basically served at room temperature or worse.

Finally that cornbread we ordered fifteen minutes ago arrived mini-loaf style with a side of cinnamon butter that was apparently working overtime to compensate for the cornbread, which like most things at Gold Mine BBQ, merely gets the job done. If the restaurant were in fact, a functioning gold mine, I’d say it’s best to dig elsewhere.

// chase

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South Meets West // Seven Mile Cafe

Owned and operated by San Francisco natives Josi and Kevin Klingele, Seven Mile Café – which has to be the only restaurant in Denton named after a beach in the Grand Cayman Islands – is yet another entry into our growing list of breakfast spots worth waking up for. Balancing local, natural food consciousness with belt-adjusting indulgence, the breakfast here is so good, you’ll immediately forget those trepidatious first-impressions on the walk up to the door.

The small, squatty building, with its muted blue paint job and that orange, unsightly sign, looks more like a weathered Palm Harbor Home than a breakfast café, yet the interior proves to be more spacious and assured; by the time the food comes, you won’t mind where you’re eating, or how many type crimes are committed in the logo – it’s that good.

The menu is specialized but varied; yet after this first visit, it seems quite clear that when you come to breakfast here, you come for the pancakes and the eggs benedict. With 7 different kinds of the former and 9 of the latter, it’s here where Seven Mile Café’s menu veers into the territory of exclusivity and inventiveness. I’m willing to bet there aren’t too many other places in town where you can get a stack of Pineapple Upside Down pancakes.

In fact, there are so many varieties of pancakes and especially benedicts – or “Bennys”, as they call them – that merely deciding on one is a strenuous process of elimination. You can get The Original Benny, The Chicken Apple Sausage, The California Benny (avocados, tomatoes, bacon), or even an Ahi Tuna or Crab Cake Benny. The Café owners know it’s difficult, too, so they offer a Benny Sampler where you can pick two. (Their menu is also very vegan and vegetarian friendly, offering vegan pancakes, cheese and tofu throughout, either as a substitute or as a standalone entrée in and of itself.)

I settled on The California Benny ($10.50) because I can never turn down the wonderful union of avocados and eggs and it was exactly my kind of Eggs Benedict. The crispy bacon adds the perfect texture and the avocado granted it that subtle, bitter, nutty flavor. Then the hash browns – which are usually an afterthought for me at most places – are anything but here.

Mariah ordered the Loaded Potatoes ($8.95), which is basically a baking dish stuffed with hash browns, lots of cheese and green onions with your choice of added toppings, 2 veggies or 2 meats. It certainly wasn't gross, but a bit tedious as a dedicated meal. We both agreed that adding eggs into the mix would seal the deal, and fortunately enough, they offer Seven Mile Scrambles, which can be ordered with pretty much anything folded into those eggs and they come with those heavenly hash browns, as well.

With the embarrassment of riches in the pancake department, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try one, and luckily enough, continuing with their extremely accommodating menu, Seven Mile offers their pancakes (and pretty much everything else on the menu) a la carte. The Red Velvet and the Chocolate Peanut Butter (seriously?) were tempting, but we began salivating at the idea of a Cinnamon Roll pancake ($3.50) and had to take the plunge. A cinnamon pancake smothered in glaze and topped with chopped pecans and served with maple syrup, I’ll go to bat for these things any day – they were sensational.

With a dynamite array of unique sweet and savory breakfast dishes, Seven Mile Café is one of the best places to go in Denton before noon. It’s a little pricey and certainly not a visually compelling place to have a meal, but the food here is outstanding – the freshest, most delicate kind of indulgence around.

// chase

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More Mex Than Tex // Mazatlan

Being in Texas, you’d think there would be an impeccable standard for Tex-Mex but in reality it’s almost always hit or miss. When you find the hits, the misses become quite forgettable - Mazatlan is a hit, but also a miss. Located off University next to University Lanes, this small, yellow, decked-in-murals kind of building is the home of some pretty decent Mexican food. 

No worries here, you get complimentary chips and salsa. The chips were crunchy and the salsa was smooth and not too hot. The menu is typical of Tex-Mex food although their disclaimer is Authentic Mexican Food. Or, is it really "authentic" and we just lump it all into a Tex-Mex category because this is Texas and we have too much pride to just call it Mexican food? Mazatlan does have truly authentic Mexican food but from choosing between enchilada plates, flautas and quesadillas it might be overlooked. The authenticity comes in the form of mole, tomatillo sauce, carne asada, and indias. With this authentication, I declare Mazatlan to be one of the few Denton establishments to go above and beyond the Tex Mex mayhem. 

For this date night trip, I ordered the Chicken Feast that is essentially one chicken flauta, one sour cream chicken enchilada and a chicken quesadilla with sides of rice and some incredible charro beans. This pollo sampling was an improvement from previous visits and I honestly can’t complain about any of it. The enchilada and flauta were muy delicioso and I could go back just for the charro beans alone.

My partner-in-crime had the chicken mole and says the mole sauce is “savory, not too sweet with a good consistency”. He’s ordered this twice now if that also says anything. We both enjoyed the classic frozen margaritas. If you ever feel like the classic lime taste of a margarita is below you, Mazatlan has several flavors, with a pretty long list to look over.

The overall vibe from Mazatlan seems like you’ve walked into your tia’s kitchen and dressed to the occasion, she went all out for you. I take back the daycare center comment, it’s just odd and confusing but I get it now and I embrace it. Mazatlan is the official place for authenticity but not losing sight of the Tex in it all. When I crave charro beans, and some carne asada, you’ll find me at Mazatlan.

//mariah 

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Just Add Water // Hoochie's Oyster House

Nestled behind Industrial St. past the square on Bell Ave. lies a little porched-off restaurant known as Hoochie’s Oyster House. High on fried fish, cheap beer and plenty of that local, friendly personality, the only things really missing from this beach shack of a restaurant are some good fries and a body of water. 

  Such is the vibe at Hoochie’s, where the food is pretty good, but the character and endearing tastelessness of the place is what inevitably wins you over. As we awkwardly gawked at the menu (there isn’t much room to do so), we saw that they offer essentially Po’Boys, Fried Baskets and Kabobs, with a few specialties like Fish Tacos, Red Beans & Rice, and, of course, Raw Oysters.

In order to branch out from my dinner mates, I ordered the Red Beans & Rice ($5.95) and a side of Cole Slaw ($3.50), knowing full well that I would be able to sample the rest of their menu through my accommodating and fully understand friends.

The red beans & rice were good, made with a little too much pepper perhaps, but the ham and Andouille sausage were much appreciated. The cole slaw on the other hand, was a bit of horror show. Predictably made with far too much mayonnaise and far too little vinegar and merely one scoop’s worth for $3.50, I can safely say to avoid.

Sampling some of my comrades’ dishes, I can say that the steak fries, meanwhile, left me somewhat underwhelmed – a bit mushy, bland, underseasoned - they just needed quite a bit more zip to fit the occasion, which is concerning since Hoochie’s serves them with just about everything.

I can say, however, that the fried shrimp had a really nice, flaky breading and I know Mariah, whose dish it was, echoes my sentiments. They made me a touch envious, so much so that I will certainly be ordering the fried oysters next time, as well as fighting off the urge to order the Hush Puppies ($3.50) again, which were just about as good as it gets.

When we had had our fill, we got up to leave, only to be greeted by the sound of a passing train. We looked around at each other and decided to turn around and head back in to take advantage of those $1 Lone Stars. Particulars about seasoning, portions or the menu aside, sometimes a place just has a way of winning you over. 

//chase

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Where The Light Doesn't Shine // Greenhouse Restaurant & Bar

Nicole Probst and Ken Currin, the same folks who opened up the terrific Southwest brunch spot Loco Café across the street a couple of years ago, have been running Denton mainstay Greenhouse Restaurant & Bar for fifteen years now. Described by the two as an “environment to accommodate all occasions,” the place, in fact, does seem to transform itself from visit to visit, making Greenhouse rather difficult to pin down, exactly.

The extensive menu is split into segments – salads, burgers, grill, sliders, vegetarian, etc. – and features a little bit of just about everything, skimming from classic steakhouse fare (10z Ribeye, $24.99) to casual sandwiches (Greenhouse Club, $8.99) to intriguing vegetarian flair (Quinoa and Sun Dried Tomato Burger, $7.99).

Having previously sampled their excellent Salmon Wrap ($9.99), I felt it appropriate to check out the other side of the menu, so we started with some Ceviche ($8.99), which was quite good. Made with tilapia, it was definitely of the tomato-variety, with plenty of red onion and avocado – maybe a bit too sweet, but tasty nonetheless and served with a generous helping of tortilla chips. 

Next, keeping in line with the impromptu quasi-Mexican theme of the evening, we ordered the Tamale Sliders ($6.99) and the Southwest Avocado Tacos ($8.99). The tamale and mole sauce on the sliders were surprisingly quite good, but unfortunately, the bun was seeded and dry, almost as if it had been sitting out all day. And then there’s the landslide of fried tortilla strips just dropped on the plate, which, whether employed as an attempt at presentation or implied as a garnish, shouldn’t have been on there at all.

The Southwest Avocado Tacos fared much better – large slices of really good avocados with onions and Monterrey Jack cheese, served with another helping of chips w/ salsa and guacamole (y’know, just in case you didn’t have enough avocados) and some really good Mango Pico de gallo. That being said, I still feel as if the tacos were missing some finesse. An order comes with three and I’m not confident I would want to get through them all by myself, and I say this as some who generally can’t eat enough avocados.

In the end, Greenhouse is, in fact, as versatile as its owners stake claim to, but with versatility sometimes comes inconsistency. With a building and a menu as large and as segmented as this, there’s bound to be some blemishes. In the case of Greenhouse - a place in which I’ve come away with two distinctly different impressions on two separate occasions - I’m not entirely sure that versatility, in this case, is an asset.

// chase

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Pho-king Good // Viet Bites

After finishing my meal perched upon a barstool overlooking Elm St., I reached down for my back pocket upon receiving my check only to realize I had left my wallet at home. Embarrassed, I humbly asked my waiter if I could run to my apartment to retrieve it. It's worth mentioning, as this was the only point during my entire experience that was not exceedingly enjoyable.

If you can’t pronounce “Pho” or much less even know what it is, have no fear because this is as good a place to try it as any, I can tell you that much. And for those wondering, it’s pronounced “Fuh,” or in such a way that the people at Viet Bites can hang a sign on the patio that reads “So Pho-king Good”.

Trivialities aside, Pho is essentially a broth-based soup with lots of noodles and veggies and typically your choice of meat. For those daunted by the prospect of trying it or even saying it, the Viet Bites menu, despite being somewhat confusing, does offer plenty of other options, including Banh Mi’s ($4.50), Vermicelli Noodle Bowls ($6.95/$7.95) and Rice Plates ($6.95). It also affords you the option to “Build Your Own Meal”, which is basically just another way of saying that you can put on or take off pretty much anything to and from your sandwich, bowl or plate.

The Traditional Spring Rolls ($4), which I started off with, are a must-order. Perfectly prepared with pork and shrimp and served with a dangerously good peanut sauce, they could be a meal in and of themselves. They also offer Lettuce Wraps ($6), Crab Rangoon ($4) and even Vietnamese Tacos served in a crispy shell that look teasingly good.

For my entrée, I ordered the Vermicelli Noodle Bowl with beef, all the veggies and opting for the fish sauce over the ginger, soy, sweet & sour or peanut sauces, all of which sound as if they wouldn’t be bad choices. The bowl as presented (provided you don’t alter it too much) comes with rice noodles, lettuce, pickled veggies, cucumbers, herbs, bean sprouts, green onions and roasted peanuts with your choice of chicken, beef, shrimp, pork or tofu. Or to put it another way, it’s a banh mi without the toasted baguette.

My bowl was fantastic, light and fresh with just the right balance of textures and flavors, each passing bite came and went with myself dissecting the different layers of flavor packed inside – the hint of cilantro, the crunchiness of the bean sprouts, the nuttiness of the peanuts. It’s one of the best things I’ve eaten in Denton.

Intoxicatingly friendly and irresistibly one-of-a-kind, Viet Bites is the kind of place that makes its impression on you even before you have that first bite of spring roll. By the time I left, there wasn't an empty seat, so if you’re on the lookout for good Vietnamese food or just looking for something different, wander on over – just remember to bring your wallet.

// chase

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New King on the Block // Royal's Bagels & Deli

Opening their doors just a few short months ago, you may have noticed the regal, hand-painted signage of Royal’s Bagels & Deli right on the corner of Carroll and University. Designed and painted by Sean Starr of the eponymous Starr Studios, his work can be seen at Royal’s owner Joey Hawkins’ own Jupiter House right on the Square as well as down the street at Rusty Taco, where the paint might even still be wet.

Such a delicate, handmade approach may seem merely fashionable from the outside, but once you step inside Royal’s – the newest bagel shop that could keep you from sleeping-in some mornings – and actually try the bagels, the carefully crafted façade makes too much sense.

I say that because the food – a smorgasbord (or chalkboard, if you will) of bagel and deli sandwiches, schmears and cinnamon rolls – tastes just as well conceived, fashioned and executed as Mr. Starr’s lovely hand-painted signs, which are also heavily showcased inside as well.

As you walk in, you’re ambushed by the sprawling, aforementioned chalkboard menu that features the daily bagel specials and shmears (usually 7-10 of each until they run out) plus a bevy of twenty different sandwiches-by-number which range from simple concoctions (the No. 3 – sausage, swiss, mushroom and egg) to more loaded fare (the No. 9 – egg, prosciutto, provolone, mushroom, spinach, tomato, green onion and mayo) and of course, you can have your pick of bread or bagel. These will run you anywhere from $5.25-$7.25.

On this day, they had plain, pumpernickel, asiago, onion, eight grain, blueberry, cranberry, jalapeno, French toast and chocolate chip bagels, with shmears ranging from regular, garden, maple pecan, strawberry and garlic to the awfully tempting-sounding chipotle and green chili. I ordered the No. 8 on onion, which comes with bacon, cheddar, egg, avocado, red onion and garden cream cheese and it was just about the perfect bagel sandwich.

The bagel itself was great - lightly toasted and just the right amount of crispness with a warm, doughy inside. The slightly melted cheddar with the bacon, egg, avocado and red onion was in perfect harmony, but the clincher was that garden cream cheese, which had a slight dill flavor and didn’t overpower the sandwich whatsoever while offering just the right amount of creamy texture.

In the name of money, I did not try one of their “best in Texas” cinnamon rolls ($3.50), but they’re quite massive and look like they’re up to the name (plus if you show up around closing time, you’re likely to take home a few for free.) I’m sure I’ll have my fill of them some day, as there seems to be little reason not to return to Royal’s – even if it’s just to admire the sign.

//chase

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Weird Name // II Charlie's

Walking into II Charlie’s gives one the vibe of a total redneck run down bar but you make a quick left into the small dining and bar area to find a nicely remodeled interior. The space appears small but there is an upstairs interior and an upstairs patio area so no worries, you won’t feel claustrophobic.  After finding a table near a window, we quickly ordered some beer. I had to order my summer guilty pleasure, Summer Shandy by LeinenKugel. Chips and salsa is only $2.99, super tempting but I passed because sometimes you need to step back and say no.

  No appetizer was a bit of bummer but I didn’t dwell too long after ordering the II Chuck’s Cheeseburger with a black bean patty substitute and a side of Cajun Parmesan vegetables ($7.99). De-lect-able. My dining companions for the evening ordered chicken street tacos with a side of black beans (it comes with it’s own serving of chips and salsa) for $8.99 and the Chipotle Chicken and Bacon sandwich that comes on a hoagie with French fries for $8.49. The side of black beans was slow cooked but missing flavor from onions and jalapeños but everything else was on point, or maybe on taste bud. The black bean patty is definite competition for the Cool Beans black bean burger and I may never eat vegetables without Cajun Parmesan seasoning again.

  The thing about II Charlie’s is, it’s not a college crowd. This hole in the wall is a mixture of college kids and Denton local country, cowboys. I would love to go back on a Friday night and see how these two worlds combine here and to also explore the drink menu more; their drink specials look pretty great. I’ve also seen the large roof patio area have a large projection of baseball games being played which is a stand-out amenity to a bar like this. II Charlie’s you’re a nice little dive, but why the weird name?

// mariah

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Overalls Welcome // Bagheri's Italian Restaurant

The front of the two-sided menu at Bagheri’s Italian Restaurant would have you believe that you’re dining in a cliff-side restaurant on the shores of Italy – which is ironic given the fact that the actual restaurant itself bares no such pretentions.

Portraits of Sophia Loren and Al Pacino adorn the walls and your meal is made by a guy who looks like Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid, so don’t expect Bagheri’s – which shares a parking lot with Metzler’s, Mable Peabody’s, and includes a conjoining hookah bar just a few doors down sharing the same name – to transport you anywhere.

Their menu is very traditional with pretty much any pasta dish you could possibly want ($7.95-$8.95) and some house specialties ($9.95) like Cavatelli Pomodore and Fettucini Carbonara. Don’t look for a drink menu because Bagheri’s is BYOB and there’s no corking fee on wine – they’ll even bring you chilled glasses if you bring in a six-pack of beer.

A complimentary plate of toasted bread greets you once you order and I didn’t really know how to feel about it. Instead of the usual hot fluffy garlic rolls you’ll get at most places, Bagheri’s gives you thick, crispy slices that my dinner date for the evening and I couldn’t quite figure out what to make of at first.

I settled on the Tortellini a la Parra, which was just a bowl of cheese tortellini in alfredo sauce with sautéed broccoli. The tri-colored tortellini was fine and the fresh broccoli was a nice touch to the dish, but I was slightly underwhelmed with the alfredo sauce, which was a bit thin and not as flavorful as I would have liked.

The aforementioned date ordered the Eggplant Parmesan, which came out nicely presented on a flat dish served on a bed of penne pasta. But she too was underwhelmed, describing the eggplant as bitter and tough and not able to hold together with the breading and cheese.

The atmosphere is endearing and friendly, as regular customers walk right up to the kitchen to pick up their order, exchanging pleasantries with Sid, the owner and chef. If anything, a place like Bagheri's just goes to show you that no matter how much love goes into the food, the results can still be mixed.

// chase

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Can I try all the flavors? //Beth Marie’s

Recently, Texas decided to become hotter than hell so of course we NEED ways to cool down. Ice Cream is maybe one of the only logical first steps in staying cool in the Texas Summer. I went out on an ambitious mission to try every flavor currently available at Beth Marie’s. When I arrived, I soon realized there were not 20 flavors but 100 (ONE HUNDRED). Oh boy. So instead of providing this wonderful list of flavor profile descriptions of each one, I’ll just highlight ones I hated and ones I loved.

After the second bowl of various flavor scoops, they all started to melt into one and it became increasingly difficult to distinguish each flavor. But my most important details is you can never go wrong with any type of chocolate based flavor and stay away from the off kilter colors of bright pinks, yellows, oranges and greens. Unless those are sherbet based (the best besides chocolate) then you probably won’t enjoy it, like the after dinner mint. What’s even more appeasing about Beth Marie’s is that they can make any flavor a milkshake.

  Although trying all flavors at once was a semi-fun adventure it’s not worth the $12. Stick with one to two flavors, milkshake or a sundae; it’s a more wholesome way to eat this beloved, ice cold, treat. 

A list of SOME of the flavors:

(*indicates notable picks)

Bees Nees

Dulce de Leche

Old South Fudge*

Caramel Cheesecake

Cupcake

Orange Pineapple*

Raspberry

Apple Pie

Kayla’s Dark Side*

Carly’s Country Coconut

Bubble Gum

Cake Batter

Amaretto Cheesecake

Coconut

Turtle Torture

Texas Doctor*

Wobbly Monkey

Peanut Butter Fudge*

Mocha Almond*

Strawberry Margarita

//mariah

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RG Burgers// It’s real. It’s good. It’s real good.

This little burger joint has a sort of emotional connection to my time in Denton. After my family moved me into the dorms, we ate our “last meal” together at RG and the only other times I’ve eaten there have been with my parents. Burgers are the All-American food, the Budweiser of Burgers, the official unofficial meal of America. Though this could be argued with hot dogs, pizza and funnel cakes but whatever these burgers over at RG are more than just real good.

The burgers on this menu are each unique and equally worthy of any foodie’s taste buds. Vegetarians, guess what! All the burgers on the menu can be made with an alternative patty so you don’t get cheated out with a plain Jane burger. The burgers also all come as medium rare unless you tell them otherwise. Other fun facts about RG is that they have unlimited steak fries, so if the proportion on your plate isn’t enough you can totally get more. Steak fry heaven. If fries are not your thing, they have other sides to choose from as well. 

This night with my parents I ordered the Paris Burger, it came with dill mayo, bleu cheese and caramelized onions on a perfectly juicy patty. My dad ordered the Smokey Joe Classic, which is basically a burger with BBQ sauce while my mom ordered the burger wrap. The burger wrap is this interesting combination of a spinach tortilla with all the contents of a typical burger on the inside. When I go back I am totally getting this. It will be quite difficult to not order a burger with buns because RG burger buns are sweet, buttery and very much fresh and handmade.  The family behind RG and Bochy’s are very keen on making all their food quality fresh, we thank them and appreciate them!

Since this is Texas, of course there is an eating challenge. If you order the King Kong burger (gigantic) and eat it under a certain time (I think it’s 15 or 30 min) you win a t-shirt. Personally I would want my meal paid for if I ate that much food but hey I may need a new t-shirt after vomiting. RG features burgers of the month, this one being a red, white and blue theme. I love this place because I like to imagine this is Denton’s version of Bobs Burgers and because it’s damn delicious. The service and prices are great as well. This place may be overlooked due to it’s tucked away location but be sure to go here if you’re into burgers.

  //mariah

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Pot 'O Gold // Siam off the Square

In truth, the signage exists merely to overcome this modestly sized Thai food restaurants’ off-the-beaten-path location, which despite their unattractiveness, gets the job done. But the biggest complaint with the signs, past my snobbish viewpoint, is that they simply do not represent the elegant, tasteful and oh-so-delicious restaurant that I eventually found myself in.

A mannequin in a dress and a cowboy hat stares at you as you walk in, a bit of a bizarre beginning to the experience, but once you take a few steps into the dimly-lit dining area and soak in the lovely greens and purples with black antique dining tables and gold-and-teal accents and things start to make a bit more sense.

The waiter – in this case, the owner, as well – brings you your menu, which is either more limited or more focused than most Thai restaurants in Denton. They offer your standard Pad Thai and curry dishes (both of which I was informed are “crazy popular”) along with traditional rice dishes (Mushroom Chicken, Garlic Beef) and for vegetarians, tofu can be substituted for most.

I opted to start off with a cup of Tom Yum soup ($3.95) which is herbs, lemongrass, mushrooms and vegetables in a flavorful, clear, spicy broth and couldn’t have been happier with my decision as the soup was light but delicious, with plenty of cabbage, squash and zucchini. You can order it in a bigger portion with your choice of meat and even add noodles. 

For my entrée, I wasn’t feeling like having curry or pad thai, so I went for the Garlic Chicken, an extremely light and fresh stir-fry of broccoli, cabbage and squash in a really terrific brown sauce with a scoop of jasmine rice that was cooked perfectly – a sign as good as any that this isn’t a cheap take-out joint.

In the end, my only disappointment with Siam off the Square was my bill. Entrees like Pad Thai or my Garlic Chicken will run you at least $10.95, which may be acceptable for the business lunch crowd, but a bit too much to ask for college students. If you’re committed and have a big wallet, the food will not let you down, only the signs will. 

// chase

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Gyropean Vacation // Yummy's

Walking in, the sheer multitude of tawdry, faux-Mediterranean décor – in addition to the rickety, sunken-in, duck-taped booth that I wallowed in – is enough to get you to even gloss over the fact that the entire menu (slipped underneath the glass tabletop so you can’t physically pick it up) is set in Papyrus.

“The food better be good”, I said to myself.

Fortunately, it’s worth every Greco-Roman column you’re forced to stare at and then some. The menu is quite large and rarely strays from traditional Greek-American cuisine – we’re talking hummus and baba ganoush, dolmas and rice, gyros and falafels – but I’m willing to bet that most Denton residents making their way to Yummy’s for the first time will not be disappointed by the menu, given that most probably haven’t had traditional Greek food this good.

I ordered the Hummus ($4.99) to start with and things couldn’t have begun any better. It was the perfect balance of smoothness with that chickpea flavor and the grilled pita that was served with it was quite easily the best I’ve ever had, a good indicator that my gyro that I subsequently ordered would be something special.

Yummy’s thinks so highly of their gyros that they have three completely separate signs outside their boxy storefront that all tout their specialty. Hey, at least you’ll never have to ask them, “what’s good here?” One particular sign on the window even reads, “Preferred by 3 out of 4 people over McDonald’s Quarter-Pounder”. I have photographic proof of this – and McDonald’s is across the street.

The Gyro ($4.99) arrived quickly – just like everything else here – and we were certainly glad to see each other. After getting to know one another, I fell head-over-heels for the perfectly tender, cubed (not sliced) meat, the excellent special gyro sauce, but once again, nothing could compete with that pita. Warm, lightly crisp and thick as you need it, I’m now convinced it’s the best way to go by a healthy margin.  (Sorry, Pita Pit and Grip).

Even though the gyro and I hit it off right away, like any relationship, we learned each other’s weaknesses. If I’m nitpicking, there was a tad too much sauce for me and not enough lettuce, but I’m sure other more carnivorous, lettuce-hating eaters would be inclined to disagree with me.

Fairly affordable but not cheap – well, unless we’re talking interior decorating – Yummy’s is worth the slight detour off campus and then some. They would have you believe that 3 out of 4 people prefer their Gyro to a Quarter-Pounder. After trying it, I’m convinced they’re lying – I don’t think that person, that other 1 out of every 4, even exists.

//chase