Abuelita's Mexican Kitchen in Westridge Mall

Shopping always makes me work up an appetite and this holiday season I have the perfect place for those mid-shopping snack attacks. Abuelita's Mexican Kitchen is conveniently located in the Westridge Mall food court and it is sure to fit any shopping budget out there. They even offer $5 lunch deals that come with a drink. I pay more in taxes sometimes when I'm shopping and thought this was a good price.

Today, I went to the mall to do some light shopping for Christmas because it's that time of year, of course. I've been meaning to stop by Abuelita's for awhile now, but I really don't go to the mall that often. I have heard great things about the food so I ventured up to check it out. I already mentioned the $5 meal deals, and really the rest of the menu is not much more expensive than that. I got loaded carnitas nachos for $6 and couldn't hardly finish them all. That's what a shopping buddy would be perfect for.

The menu is split up by the type of meat you want and listed below are prices for tacos, burritos, tostadas and bowls. I went for the nachos with carnitas because I saw someone with the nachos before and knew they looked good. I always get carnitas because pulled pork nachos is one of my favorite things to eat and I went for it. Normally I'd at least get a salad, or something healthy, but not today.

The nachos came with a white cheese queso, queso blanco, pico de gallo, lots of carnitas and sour cream. I also asked for mild salsa. The toppings were piled on and the chips were crispy and plentiful. The white queso had chunks of chiles in it and a nice kick to it, but not too spicy. The pork was juicy and the queso blanco was the perfect touch. These nachos could also be shared with someone as a

snack if you're not wanting an entire meal, especially while out shopping.

The menu also has a few desserts, but I've been trying to avoid sugar as much as I can. I saw where they have chimis, smores and a couple types of cheesecake. I almost got a hot chocolate but it just wasn't cold out today so I couldn't justify it. I hear it's about to get cold again, though so I may have to return just for some of that.

I enjoyed my first visit and plant to return, and probably soon because it's the holiday season and I'm sure I'll find myself at the Westridge Mall again in the next couple of weeks.  Even if you're not shopping, go ahead and stop by, it's worth it.

HHB BBQ

Downtown Topeka has a great spot for some tasty barbecue. HHB BBQ -- I should've gone there a long time ago.  But, this is the place that burnt down in January, and then opened up a new spot in May. There was a food truck around but I could never catch it. What matters is that I finally got down there and it was as good as everyone has been saying it is.

To start, I ordered some pulled pork nachos for an appetizer. This could be ordered as a meal and devoured by just yourself. Crispy tortilla chips topped with smoked pulled pork and nacho cheese sauce with your choice of other toppings like shredded cheese, tomatoes, jalapeños and sour cream. I enjoyed these nachos a lot. They were different than taco nachos but the same, I liked the twist. The pork was smoked and tender and the portion was large. I liked that you could add your own toppings because I like lots of sour cream and tomatoes. Even eating half of this monster I got pretty full. Honestly, there's not real taco flavor at all, but I didn't care -- the smoked pork was enough for me.

For my entree, which I really didn't need, I had three sliders: One with pork, another with turkey and the third with brisket, served with your choice of a side. I chose potato salad. I was so full but it was all so good. There are a few different sauces available to try and I wasn't a fan of all of them. I like mine a little more thick and sweet-tasting, so I don't enjoy the ones that are too vinegary. There was one sauce -- Cousin Terry's Tangy Carolina sauce -- that I didn't enjoy much because it seemed kind of clovey to me and I'm not a fan of cloves. I liked the other one, I think it was the original sauce. Ryan, of course, really liked the tangy Carolina and he said it was the best on the turkey.


The turkey was juicy, smoked and pulled. I like it pulled instead of sliced because I feel like it's juicier that way. The brisket was good but I was so full I only tried a small bite. Ryan ate the rest of my meal, including the potato salad. I wasn't a fan of the mainly mustard salad -- I don't like yellow mustard and that's all I tasted. I prefer more mayo in my pot sally. There are other sides to choose from, such as smoked mac and cheese, corn, smoked baked beans, cheesey taters, pasta salad or chips. Ryan ordered the smoked mac and cheese, but I didn't really pick up on the "smoked" part. The mac was good, though and I would order it again.

I'm excited to see that HHB BBQ came back from a the fire that burnt down their original location and opened a new one. Click HERE for more information about the fire. The new place is fresh, sharp and clean. The staff is friendly and my food didn't take long, either. Even though I didn't like the potato salad, I plan to return and try other side items. The bbq is good and that's what counts.