I’m as perplexed as you. I would guess that just about every upscale restaurant has some decent-to-spectacular offerings. But not here…
I’m not really sure what went wrong, but being next to the Roaring Fork which has the best mac & cheese in the city… I would think they would be even better. ( Based on the total receipt – $125 vs $180)
The reason I’m writing in past tense, which is rare… is because I really didn’t want to write this blog entry.
There is nothing good about this mac & cheese, in fact, there is lots and lots and lots that’s wrong.
The funny thing is that it boils down to one ingredient that took over the entire dish… Planko. In all of my years of eating mac & cheese this dish took the 1st prize in worst-mac&-Cheese in the fine city. It was THAT bad. Dry. Dry. Dry.
I’ll take a pass.
Now if you want to talk about the martinis or their fantastic fish dishes which is why you would go there I think they’re fantastic.
Just don’t get the mac & cheese.0
Beyond being fabulous, Chucks’s Mac & Cheese has everything you want from a good bowl…
1. Perfect Rigatoni pasta
2. Quality Cheeses – Gruyere & Cheddar
3. Bacon
4. Panko crumb crust
5. Reasonably priced at 6.95
Go ahead and get it… You never know when your next truly good mac & cheese splurge will come.
And grab Chucks Burger. Blue cheese burger on a 9-grain roll served with sweet potato fries. It may cost a whopping $10 but well worth every cent.
Dixie looks, feels and tastes just like a good ol’Texas county restaurant.
Offering fried green tomatoes, fried catfish, and fried okra, they obviously cater to the fried-lings (you qualify if you order Fried Oreos or Twinkies just because they have it).
But for those of us who eat the fresh and baked versions of every dish imaginable, Dixie’s gets it right.
No matter what you order, make sure to pick up the side of mac & cheese. It’s good, homestyle-country-cookin’ and by golly you’re going to love it because, it satisfies our innermost need; our need for mac & cheese.
Guilty Pleasures
Auden’s
Antler Cafe
Texas Pride
Houlihan’s is a 20-something upscale joint, at least in the Happy Hour, which is to die for… half priced drinks and small plates ideal for those of us overwhelmed by portion sizes these days.
<a href=”http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/39/1425803/restaurant/San-Antonio/Northeast-Side/Houlihans-Live-Oak”><img alt=”Houlihan’s on Urbanspoon” src=”http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1425803/biglink.gif” style=”border:none;width:200px;height:146px” /></a>
Now that I’ve shared the good, it’s time to break the news for our loyal followers… step away from the Mac and Cheese! It could be that I’m getting a bit jaded, though if it’s not Mac and CHEESE, I don’t know if I really want any of it. Staff boasts of scallions, house made bacon bits, Buttermilk and sour cream… But wait! No one says nut’in about no Alfredo Sauce!!! Much like Hofbrau Beer Garten, Houlihan’s sauce is based in Alfredo Sauce. Yuck!
Some of you may enjoy this, especially those who plan on shoving anything else down the ol’gullet. The thing is that for a traditionalist, such as me, and probably you… nothing can replace the creaminess and texture of cheese.
Sorry folks. That’s just the way it goes. Order the sliders or seared tuna steaks… and wash it down with a Long Island. You’ll thank me later.
For a fresh from a frozen bag, kind of Mac and Cheese, McAllisters probably has the best. There are plenty of sub-par m&c dishes available out there. Mac or cheese is off… Never both. But this is probably the best you could get from the sub-par category. (Because it is frozen, their pasta misses the au dente mark. You and the kids won’t mind so much, thanks to its creamy cheesiness.)
So yes, my vote would be to get it as your side.
<a href=”http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/39/431547/restaurant/Northwest-Side/McAlisters-Deli-San-Antonio”><img alt=”McAlister’s Deli on Urbanspoon” src=”http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/431547/biglink.gif” style=”border:none;width:200px;height:146px” /></a>
Hmmm… Not much to offer here except, don’t do it. Red Robin’s M&C really needs a makeover. It has potential, though ends up just. plain. bland.
Seriously, ordering their child’s version is better tasting and creamier, though that comes from a frozen bag.
Yes, RR has joined the M&C bandwagon, though it’s about time they step it up. Please.
