A Taste of Texas: Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q

This past Memorial Day weekend, my husband and I went to San Antonio. As a couple who grew up near Kansas City, we were interested in trying some authentic Texas barbecue. We had some car problems, so we asked the guy who worked at the mechanic shop we went to. He said to go to Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q because it was the best and most authentic in the area. There were a couple others around but he said not to go to those, go to Rudy's. So, that's what we did.

Chopped meat

Pulling up, it looked like a gas station, but once I got closer I noticed it was a restaurant with a gas station attached. There's an area to come in and wait in line for your to-go order, an outside, covered dining area and an inside dining area. First, we stood in line to order our food. Behind the counter, and right where you can see them, people are chopping meat to order. After telling the cashier what I wanted, he yelled out to the butchers what he needed, then built my order and I paid. Of course, Ryan and I got a little bit of everything.

The food is served on a tray with parchment paper that acts kind of like a plate. Although, there are no plates -- just meat on parchment. It works. I also bought a drink cup and the proceeds went to veterans in need. With Lackland AFB in San Antonio, there are all kinds of armed services benefits around, lucky for my sister and cousin who were with us, they got military discounts pretty much everywhere we went.

Fatty brisket. 

I wanted to try the chopped meat, which was a mixture of chicken, brisket and pork. It came in a sauce and chopped in small pieces, not pulled like I'm used to back home. I think I would have liked it more if I liked their sauce more. The sauce is made with a lot of black pepper and I couldn't get over that, I'm not a fan of a lot of black pepper. It was a thick sauce, just too much pepper. The meat was good, and I liked that they served their meats with thin-sliced white bread because I made a sandwich with the meat. It was good that way. They also give out little bags of sliced dill pickles and raw onions, so I added pickles to mine.

The brisket was my favorite. My only complaint is that I got fatty, chewy brisket that could hardly be eaten, but my mother got a better order of the lean meat, (not pictured), more of what you'd expect of brisket. It was smoked, juicy and tender. I didn't even use sauce because I didn't think it needed it. Same with the turkey and the half-chicken. My sister got the half-chicken and let me try a bite. It was juicy, smoky and tender. No sauce needed, which was good because as I said before, I wasn't a fan of the sauce. I like mine sweeter, maybe even with more vinegar.

Cream corn.

The sides were just as good as the meats.

I loved the cream corn. It's not your canned crap that's like mush. This was whole-kernel corn in a creamy, delectable sauce. The kernels are firm, but tender and the sauce is creamy. While waiting in line, I saw a huge sign about how it's a secret family recipe that many people have tried to figure out over the years. The cashiers hand out samples to guests in line, and I bet most people order the cream corn after sampling it. It's so good. If you don't like cream corn I would recommend trying this anyway, I think you'll like it.


The potato salad and cole slaw were both good. The coleslaw was pretty typical, and reminded me of coleslaw you can get most places like Long John Silver's or KFC. I loved the potato salad. It was creamy, mostly mayonnaise based with some mustard, but not too much. There were a few peppers and some onions, but not too many as to be overwhelming. I would order this potato salad again.

I enjoyed the food at Rudy's. If I come across one again, I would return. You can find their restaurants in Colorado, Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. There are a lot more locations in Texas than anywhere else, of course, and I remember seeing quite a few of them on the drive home on I-35. For all of their locations, click HERE. I did like the food, I just wasn't a fan of the sauce. It was too peppery for me and not sweet enough for my tastebuds, yet I would return. The meat was smoked just right and everything was good. I'd recommend it to any barbecue fan, especially someone who wants to check out Texas-style.

I'm still a Kansas girl at heart and enjoy Kansas City barbecue the best. I like the Kansas City sauce better. It's thick, sweet and sometimes spicy. Plus, there's pulled pork, my favorite, and there was just none to be found at Rudy's. Texas did good, but KC wins this round.

Food Truck #3: X-Marks The Spot

I was fortunate enough to make it to X-Marks the Spot, a food truck in downtown Topeka. It's usually
at the south west 10th and Topeka Blvd. from 11 a.m. until about 2 p.m.

I got to the truck around 12:15 p.m. on a Monday and there were a few people in front of me, and two or three who showed up after me. The wait was only about 8-10 minutes, which wasn't bad, considering I ordered a Black Angus cheeseburger, and they're a pretty good size. So, if you're in downtown Topeka for lunch, it doesn't take long to grab a bite to eat and make it back in time for that after-lunch meeting.

I ordered the regular cheeseburger and I asked them to add lettuce and tomato. It comes with thick-sliced Swiss cheese and garlic herb mayo on a pretzel bun. If you don't like pretzel buns they also have plain ol' regular ones, too. I liked the pretzel bun because it was soft, but it held up well to the burger and didn't mush up and tear apart like most buns. It looks like it would be hard, but it's just firm, but still fluffy inside. I asked for a medium-well cooked burger and that's what I got. If you don't specify, they will cook it to medium, so make sure you say if you want it otherwise.

The burger was juicy, thick and flavorful. It was cooked medium-well just like I like it, and just like I requested it. The garlic herb mayo was definitely garlicky, so be careful if you don't want garlic breath. It was creamy and good, and definitely worth it. I was glad I asked for tomato and lettuce because it added that texture I wanted.

Instead of getting French fries, I ordered the Fried Pickle Fries. I had never had them this way -- thin

sliced, julienne style -- and I enjoyed them. The pickle fries were thin and crispy, but there was enough of the pickle inside to know you were eating pickles. The batter reminded me of a tempura or beer batter, and it held up well to the pickles, so they didn't slide out of the fried case, like sometimes happens with the spears. I was scared the pickle taste would be lost in the fried batter, but the ratio was pleasing to the palate and they were salted well, too. The pickle fries were paired with what I think was chipotle-mango ranch sauce. It was sweet with a kick, and much better than just regular old ranch. I would recommend getting this and sharing it between a couple friends because there are a lot in this order.

I look forward to trying out some other menu items, such as one of the hotdogs, some onion rings and maybe another burger.

X-Marks the Spot is another food truck in Topeka I'd recommend checking out.

The Kansas Food Truck Festival

This past weekend, I attended the Second Annual Kansas Food Truck Festival in Lawrence, Kansas. I went with a few friends and my husband and we had a pretty good time.

Fifteen food trucks, cold beer, music and good company, we had a great time hanging out in lines and grubbin' down on some street food. Each food truck had about a 20-30 minute wait, but that's nothing compared to last year. Last year, there were only five trucks and the wait was more like an hour to an hour and a half. This year was better, at least, I thought so.

I'll start with my least favorite.

Mac and Cheese

The mac and cheese at Deco Street Eats was probably my least favorite dish, (even though they did have one of my favorite items, continue reading below). It's tied pretty close with the buffalo tots, but I know I don't like buffalo sauce, so that wasn't really a surprise. I was excited about some creamy, cheesy mac and cheese, but that's not what I got. What I got was a mushy mess, with hardly any cheese and far less than al dente pasta. There were parts that had cheese in it, but not enough for my taste. I like free-flowing mac and cheese -- cheesy and thick. This was neither. I think I was so disappointed because my hopes were so high. I saw "mac and cheese" and I jumped for joy. There were kids in line who were doing the same when I told them the hope-inspiring menu featured mac and cheese. I wonder if the kids were as disappointed as me?

Anyway, I mentioned buffalo tots. I got these at the Street Wings food truck. Basically, tater tots with

Buffalo tots

bacon, sour cream, blue cheese crumbles and buffalo sauce. I thought I'd give them a try, (the hubs ordered them, I'm not a fan of buffalo sauce, as stated earlier). I wasn't a big fan. Maybe if there had been less of that nasty buffalo sauce, like, if it had been more of an accent flavor instead of smothered thickly all over everything. That was all I tasted, so I only took a few bites. I suppose if you're a huge buffalo wings fan and like tater tots, this dish would have been for you. It did seem to me like the tots were a little mushy and couldn't been fried a little longer so they'd stand up to the smothering of sauce. Eh, I'm not a good judge of this dish, but my husband really liked it.

On to better items.

Pork street tacos

I got street tacos at Deco Street Eats, a bright red truck, 2 for $3, so the hubby ate one and I had the other. We wanted to try as many items as we could. Shredded pork topped with cabbage, fresh lime and cilantro stuffed into a flour tortilla, this was my second favorite menu item at the entire festival. If I were to return and get a meal from any of these food trucks tomorrow, I'd get a few of these tacos to fill me up. The taco was fresh, especially with the addition of the fresh-squeezed lime, the meat was tender and flavorful and the cilantro added a flavor that can't be replicated. The only thing that could have made it better would've been some fresh guacamole or just plain avocado.

I found some surprisingly amazing Swedish meatballs, at the same truck. The sauce was creamy, the meat was highly seasoned, but good, and the noodles were done just right. I don't understand why, but there were two different types of noodles in this dish, but, either way, it was good.

Look at all the nasty mustard!

I made a big mistake and ended up hating the last item I ordered at this year's food truck fest. I should have paid more attention to what I was ordering. I ordered a chili dog from Brock Hops Food Truck. I knew to tell them no raw onions, but did I say no mustard? Heck no. I totally forgot, or didn't notice, or something. When I got it, my heart immediately sank. I didn't want to return it, so I took one bite, all's I tasted was mustard, and then I let my hubs eat it. He likes that nasty yellow mustard crap. I don't mind dark mustard, grain mustard and stuff like that, but not yellow mustard. Yuck. So, that one was a bust.

Creme brulee

My favorite item of the night was the creme brulee. Torched Goodness was one of the trucks that featured only sweets, creme brulee, actually. Of course they had the regular, vanilla flavor, but they also featured specialty flavors such as cookies n' cream, S'mores, a coconut one and a couple others. I ordered the vanilla custard and my hubs ordered the S'mores ones. The top was hard, caramelized sugar, the inside was creamy, sweet, cold custard. It was worth the 30 minute wait. I only wish I'd have ordered the cookies n' cream one. The S'mores one was chocolate custard inside, with toasted marshmallows and Golden Grahams cereal on top of the "torched goodness". That one was to die for. The custard was a little less thick and creamy on this one, but it still sated that sweet tooth I have.

Overall, I'd say the Food Truck Festival was a success. The hubs and I returned home full, tired and ready for next year.

Critical notes: I do think there should have been more music. It seems like we spent most our time on the strip that went North-South, so we weren't close to the music, which was on the far, North side. There were speakers set up, but it seems like music only played sometimes, and it was intermittent.  I also wish there had been more art. Maybe I was missing something, but the one place I tried to enter to look at art, I was told it was a private event, so I had to leave. I thought I remembered last year when the warehouses were open to the public and we were allowed to walk though and enjoy art in between food trucks. I probably would have stayed longer if there was something like that to fill time in between trucks, then I would probably have spent more money on food.

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.