Food Truck #2: Pacha's By The Pound

For my second food truck, I chose Pacha's By The Pound, currently found on 32nd and Topeka Blvd. I would follow their Facebook page, though, in case they move, which food trucks are known to do.

Pacha's can be found in the Gordmans' parking lot, and yes, there is plenty of parking. They do not, however, have any seating available. Plan to get your food to go, and don't forget to grab some napkins.

Featuring smoked meats, homemade pickles and sauce and some of the best candied bacon I've ever had, Pacha's By The Pound is some of the best bbq I've had in Topeka. Of course, I've only had the pulled pork so far, so I should say they have the best pulled pork I've had in town. I can't vouch for the other meats and items they have available.

I ordered the Piggly Wiggly, which I heard about from friends and my husband who've all said it's an amazing sandwich. A thick piece of toast topped with a large portion of tender, smoked pulled pork and crispy, sweet candied bacon -- you don't even need sauce. I still got some to try, but I'm not sure it really needed it. It was tender, sweet and juicy. The candied bacon tasted like cinnamon, sugar and maybe some brown sugar, oh and bacon goodness. The crispy-chewy sweet candied bacon was a great idea, I just wish there had been more. It paired well with the sauce, too, even though some may not think it would... oh but it does.

The Piggly Wiggly

On the counter, at the pick-up/order window, there are a variety of barbecue sauces. (You can also tip to help support the sauce.) I sampled the regular pork sauce and the all-purpose sauce. I especially enjoyed the pork barbecue sauce. It had a flavor of apples, vinegar and a slight spice to it, but nothing crazy, just enough so it's there but it's not actually hot. It's a nice blend and it pairs well with the pork -- almost like it's made to go with it! (note the sarcasm). The all-purpose sauce is named accordingly. It was a nice, thick sauce, with a sweet, smoky flavor. It was good, but the pork sauce was much better, at least with my dish.

I ordered some coleslaw and I thought it was a nice side item to accompany the Piggly Wiggly. It was apple-cidery, tangy and fresh with a slight kick. I thought it seemed to have a bit of a spice to it. It was a shredded-cabbage style coleslaw with a thin, mayo-based sauce. It seemed to be made fresh because the cabbage was still nice and crunchy.

Coleslaw. (I spilled it everywhere)

I also got some of their fresh-made chips. This was the only thing I didn't like. They tasted like they were fried in old grease, they were too think and most of them were chewy instead of crispy, like maybe the oil wasn't hot enough. The chips are sprinkled with what seems to be a Cajun or other spicy type of seasoning mix, which is good, I just wasn't happy with the the chips themselves. Skip those, go with the coleslaw or something else.

Make sure you go early because Pacha's is only open from 10 a.m. until they run out of food -- and that could be early, especially if you're thinking of a dinner date. I would go for lunch.

I payed $11 for the sandwich, the coleslaw and the chips. The sandwich was $8, coleslaw $2 and chips were $1. It seems to be a bit pricey for lunch, but the portion is huge and I couldn't eat all of what I got. You almost don't even need a side, but I like to try a few things when I go. I would say get one side if you have to have one, and maybe share with another person.

I'm excited to return and try other items on their menu and make sure they have the best barbecue in town.

Food Truck #1: Taco El Guitarron

My husband took me to a taco truck on the east side of town, and I can't believe I hadn't gone before that. This one, called Tacos El Guitarron, is located on the corner of 20th and California Avenue, near the highway 75 exit.

The prices weren't bad, either, especially for being authentic, Mexican cuisine. It's also locally owned, which is a major plus for me.

Quesadilla

The truck is, of course, outside, so the eating area is outside, too. This particular truck has a dining area set up to the side of the ordering area. There were about five or six tables and chairs set up for those wishing to "dine in". The day we went, it was beautiful out and there was just a light breeze. I'm all for sitting outside as long as it's nice like that, but if the wind was any stronger, our experience wouldn't have been quite so pleasant. On a windy or rainy day I would recommend ordering your food to go.

I ordered some steak quesadillas and the hubby ordered pork tacos. The tacos were only $1.25 each, and they come with a lot of meat. The quesadilla cost a little bit more, but it was also stuffed with meat and lots of veggies on the side -- lettuce, tomato, avocado, radishes, etc.

The tacos were my favorite part. White corn tortillas topped with chopped up meat -- choice of chicken, steak or pork -- onions, cilantro, avocado, radish and lime. The meat was cooked well, not hard and overcooked like some chopped taco meat. The meat was spicy but not so hot you couldn't eat it, spicy like flavorful. The fresh cilantro, raw onions and radish complimented the soft corn tortilla and tender pork. I usually don't like raw onions or radish, but this was a welcome change. I enjoyed these two ingredients on the tacos, they fit well. So, if you don't like raw onion or radish, just give it a try here, it's good.

Pork tacos

The quesadillas were pretty tasty, too -- you know, what I ordered. I actually enjoyed what Ryan ordered more than what I ordered for myself. The quesadillas were quesadillas -- grilled tortillas filled with cheese and meat with a side of veggies to stuff inside as you go along. I got pork in my quesadilla, too, and it was the same pork used on the tacos.

What I appreciated the most was the use of fresh produce, especially the avocados. I was surprised at how much of the fresh stuff was garnished, and as a veggie lover, it was welcome.

I will definitely be returning to this particular food truck, and soon. I want to try so much more. If you haven't checked it out, I recommend it.

Food trucks are finally showing up around Topeka, but there have been a few that've been around for awhile, especially on the east side of town. I want to check all those out in the near future, so follow my blog so you can check them out with me.

A Taste of Carbondale: Pepper Patch

I decided to head south this week and try a Tex-Mex place I've heard many good things about: The Pepper Patch.

Recently I joined the Topeka Restaurants group on Facebook, and shared this blog. I received a message from someone and a few other recommendations to try the Pepper Patch in Carbondale. So, a friend and I decided to go check it out and see what it was all about.

chips and salsa

Locally owned and the only sit-down restaurant in Carbondale, you can't miss the bright orange building right on Topeka Avenue, the main drag. The inside is just as bright as the outside -- green, blue, orange. The dining room seemed small but there was a back area with more tables that I didn't get a real good look at.

We were served chips and salsa as soon as we sat down. The salsa was thick and chunky, with good flavor. It was fresh and zesty and I enjoyed it. I appreciated the thickness as opposed to some salsa that is thin and runny.

To start off I ordered some guacamole and my friend ordered some white queso. I thought both items were tasty, but must note that the guacamole has a little kick to it. I love guacamole and I was happy with this order because it was a little different than what I'm used to at most Mexican restaurants where it seems like it's just avocado with pico de gallo added. There were chunks of avocado and plenty of garlic.

Chalupa

I ordered the featured item of the day, the chalupa. I wasn't sure exactly what I was getting when I ordered it, and I was pretty surprised with the humongous portion of fried tortilla topped with refried beans, taco meat, lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream and guacamole. I added some of the salsa to mine, because, like I said, I really enjoyed their salsa. This dish reminded me of a huge tostada and it was really good. I just cut chunks off and ate them with my hands, like you would a tostada. Some parts I ate with my fork like a taco salad. Either way, really, works.

I enjoyed the taco meat because it wasn't greasy and didn't drip all over the place. It had a lot of flavor but it didn't end up all over me, that was a plus. The tortilla that was fried was obviously fried fresh because it was nice and crispy and held up well to the heavy toppings thrown on. Everything tasted freshly made and bold flavors.

Tres leche cake

Since everything was good so far, my friend and I ordered dessert, which seemed pretty cheap to us, too. I got the tres leche cake and she ordered the churros. We shared. That was probably a good idea. The cake was so rich, there's no way I could've eaten an entire piece to myself! The chocolate cake was soaked in Kahlua, three milks and topped with their homemade whipped cream, cream cheese frosting. The top was sprinkled with cinnamon and chocolate shavings. Whoa. It was scrumptious. It was pretty rich though, so make sure you have some water nearby while eating it. The cake was soaked so much, milk is left puddled on the plate when you're finished. But, it doesn't feel soggy to me, like they soak it just before serving it maybe? The creamy frosting was thick and soft and reminded me of a dream whip topping.

The churros were good, too, but I think I've had them before at other places. I think they were just the kind you buy frozen and fry yourself. They were covered with honey (maybe) and cinnamon-sugar, I think. They were good, but the cake was better. I would highly recommend the cake.

I enjoyed my experience and would recommend the 15 minute trek south for a taste of Tex-Mex. The service was good, our waitress was one of the owners of the restaurant. She was friendly and helpful and answered all of my questions. I enjoyed the local, small-town feel. I am excited to try the Spanish potatoes and the Mahi Mahi tacos or the chimichanga -- I love chimichangas.

Check out the menu by going to their Facebook page and clicking on "menu" and downloading the file.

Blind Tiger

I was invited to Blind Tiger for a friend's birthday dinner, so I decided I might as well do a review. Seemed like as good a time as any, plus, I could judge other people's food without having to order it, that's always a plus.

In case you don't already know, Blind Tiger is Topeka's one and only local microbrewery. It opened in 1995, so it's not historic or anything, it's just the only brewery in town. The building seems old, though, and I'm pretty sure it was a restaurant for years before becoming the Blind Tiger. Inside it's all wood, and when you walk into the main dining areas you will see stairs leading up to more dining nooks and other little areas. Up at the top you will find a banquet area for larger groups and parties. We sat in an area located at the back of the restaurant on the south side. The entire south wall is made up of large windows that over look a smoking balcony and the parking lot.

Fried pickles

I ordered some fried pickles and a pulled pork sandwich with seasoned French fries. A girl I sat next to ordered a sirloin, (I'm not sure the size) and another girl ordered the bacon cheese fries.

My fried pickles were pretty good. Here, they use the spears, but not your typical spears. These seemed to be like the hamburger slices that are long and thin. The breading was a little different than most places, which have an almost beer-batter coating to them. This coating was crumbly and more like an actual breading than a batter. The pickles held up well and the coating didn't slide off, leaving you with a hot pickle. These I was able to eat easily. The flavor was good, too, but the pickle did seem a little mushy and lost in the batter. I do with they were a little thicker, or maybe done a little less time in the fryer. Overall, I would order them again some time.

Side note: The fried pickles are NOT on the menu. I had to ask the waitress about them. The only place they appear on the menu is in the description for the Carolina-style pulled pork sandwich.

The girls next to me ordered some bacon cheese fries. All I really need to say about this monster is only order this if you have a large group, or you're ready to eat five people's worth of bacon cheese fries. This order is humongous, shaped by a bundt cake pan and fried, covered with cheese and bacon and served with ranch, this isn't for the faint of stomach. I wish I would have gotten a picture, but alas, I didn't. (If you have photo, please share.)

My pulled pork sandwich was dry. It was flavorful, and I enjoyed the sweet sauce, but I felt like I

Pulled pork sandwich with seasoned French fries

needed to add a lot of sauce because the meat lacked any juiciness on its own. I also ditched the wheat bun and ate the meat alone, so next time I should remember that. The sauce was sweet and reminded me of Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce -- that's my favorite bbq sauce, yum. I had to ask the waitress to bring me pickles and then all they had were the spears so I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't get dill pickle slices for my pulled pork sandwich. I lived, though, and settled for the spear. (It ended up working out because I didn't eat it like a sandwich after all.)

The French fries did not disappoint. Seasoned kind of like the curly fries from Hardee's only straight, they hit the spot. They were so crispy and tasty. I like dipping these kind in ranch dressing and they went well with the barbecue sauce, too. I was glad they brought two containers because I used a lot for my fries.

The service was pretty good. Our waitress took good care of all 15 of us, and was able to meet the demands of all of us, (at least from what I could tell, and I'm a pretty needy diner).  She got us refills when they were needed and she also turned my debit card in to the manager when I forgot it after signing my bill. She even promptly took back an undercooked sirloin for the girl I sat next to, although she ordered it well-done, it still came back around medium.

Blind Tiger is on the entire opposite side of town than I live, but if friends gather there I will return. I didn't have a real problem with any of my food, but none of it was out of the ordinary. I hear the beer is good, I'm just not much of a beer drinker. I do wish the pulled pork hadn't been so dry, but the pickles were pretty tasty.

Hanover revisited

 I went to Hanover's this morning and overall had a good experience. There were a few items worth noting, though, and hence this post.

In the past, I wrote about how great the French toast is there. Today, it wasn't the best and I could hardly eat all of it. Actually, I didn't eat all of it, even though I could have. It was smothered in powdered sugar and so much cinnamon I tasted nothing else. Even in the photo you can see how much cinnamon was poured on.


Also, my sister ordered a breakfast platter, which came with some of the most pathetic sausage links I've ever seen.  When she cut into them, the skin cracked and the meat was dry and chewy. Gross.

Other than that, the food was good. We waited about 25 minutes on our food, but, it was 11:30 on a Sunday morning. Of course you're going to wait for breakfast on a Sunday morning.

I ordered the sausage and egg bowl and it was good. No complaints there.

I've been to Hanover's many times and have had great food, so I plan to return. This time, there were just a few things worth noting. That sausage was pretty awful and I thought you'd like to know.

El Mezcal - 21st & Fairlawn

Usually, I am truly happy with my experiences at El Mezcal, but this last visit, not so much.

For the most part, I go to the El Mezcal on 5th and Topeka Blvd., but this time was for a friend's celebration so we went to the one on 21st and Fairlawn. It was a busy Friday night, right at 7 o'clock.

Cold, still-shredded cheese inside :(

We were seated pretty quickly and served drinks and chips and salsa. We ordered and didn't have to wait that long for food. This was surprising because it was pretty busy and there weren't many open tables around the restaurant. The only thing we had to wait for awhile for was our checks.

Then, we got our food.

Mine was cold. All of it. And I don't think it was because it sat in the window and cooled off, (at least in the case of the quesadilla) I think it wasn't even cooked in the first place. I ordered ala carte because I wasn't very hungry. I got a cheese quesadilla with a side of sour cream, a small order of guacamole and a beef enchilada, which turned out to be two, not one like I thought.

The quesadilla consisted of cold shredded white cheese inside a cold, un-grilled tortilla. I mean, I opened it up and the cheese wasn't even melted, it was still in little shreds (pictured to your left). I also never got my sour cream. I sent the quesadilla back, though, and asked for them to grill it for a minute because it was cold. I got back an entire new quesadilla that was hot and melty, but the tortilla was still not grilled enough to my taste. At least this time the cheese was melted and the quesadilla was hot.

The enchiladas were not what I was expecting, but they weren't bad. They were beef enchiladas smothered in a white cheese sauce. I was expecting a red sauce but this was alright. But, it was cold, too. This, I think, may have sat in the window for a minute. I didn't ask for this to be warmed up, I just ate it.

I understand the place was busy, but getting cold food always sucks no matter the case. I chose to send one item back instead of both, mostly because I wanted something to eat while the rest of the table chowed down. I usually don't like to send items back, but the quesadilla was unacceptable.

I've been to El Mezcal many times over the years and this was probably my worst experience. That being said, the good have outnumbered the bad so I will be returning, just probably to the one on 5th street.

Burger Stand - Fish Sandwich

I've recently re-visited Burger Stand and I have to say, I wasn't impressed.

With it being Lent, I decided to go for the fish option to see what they had to offer.  I wasn't expecting anything spectacular, mostly because it's a burger joint, not a seafood restaurant. That being said, I was expecting it to be good. And that's all it really was, was good.



I ordered their regular French fries and the hubs ordered some onion rings with his burger so we could share. The fries were tasty as usual -- crispy, salty and not too greasy. The onion rings are probably frozen and fried on site, but they were good.

Now on to the fish sandwich.

The fish sandwich comes with a spicy remoulade sauce -- which I didn't find to be very hot -- tartar sauce, pickle relish, tomatoes and lettuce. It's served on one of their normal buns, which is soft and chewy, but crispy on the bottom where it was obviously grilled.

My problem with the fish sandwich is that the fish was two thin pieces of fish stacked on top of each other. It seems to me that there was more breading than fish. By the time I was halfway finished with my sandwich, the breading was mushy from the sauce and I felt like I was eating mushy-bread-tartar sauce. By the end of it, I could hardly find any fish, it was all breading and bun and sauce. Plus, it just didn't stay together well. It was a sliding mess.

My idea of a good fish sandwich is one that has lots of fish in it, and yeah, it can be breaded but I would hope there's less breading than actual meat. Maybe these fish planks would have been good, just not in a sandwich. The fish itself was good, I just don't think it was good for a sandwich.

Burger Stand is a great place to eat, I just wasn't happy with this particular sandwich. Every Monday is half price for Washburn Students and Wednesdays is half price for teachers. They have all kinds of events going on there throughout the week, especially during the Washburn semesters.

I plan to return, I just don't plan to ever get the fish sandwich again.