Jump to content

Why isn't that chain more popular?

Parliament

By Parliament
in Food and Travel

 Share

Recommended Posts

irishtexan

irishtexan 11522

Posted
Posted

Culver's is very good and there are only a handful of them. I always like Taco Bueno more than Taco Bell. The Mexi Dips and Chips/Muchaca combo both slammed and went hard. Alas, the only one in Austin off Slaughter closed recently. Cabo Bob's makes a damn good fast food burrito and there are only a few of those as well. They're always jammed up at lunch time.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
TommyGufano

TommyGufano 6021

Posted
Posted

Tropical Smoothie Cafe... Wikipedia says they're opening a new location every 4 days, so I might be in the wrong thread, but every time I go there the place is empty. Have enjoyed every item I've tried on the menu, and he southwest wrap is better than whatever you had for breakfast today 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TwiceHorn

TwiceHorn 31529

Posted
Posted

There are a couple of old-school Dickeys, the original at 75 and Henderson and the one on Forest, that are tolerable even for brisket.

I can at least get a sausage sandwich there and it will be ok.  The turkey is edible, too, although that's not really my thing.

The franchises are a disaster because most of them are in strip malls.  There's no pit smoking in strip malls.  I think at one time they attempted to distribute partially smoked brisket to the franchises, but gave that up and they now use aluminum pans and liquid smoke, or a gas smoker thing.  It wasn't good either way and its worse now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Errestaurants

Errestaurants 2570

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, irishtexan said:

Culver's is very good and there are only a handful of them. I always like Taco Bueno more than Taco Bell. The Mexi Dips and Chips/Muchaca combo both slammed and went hard. Alas, the only one in Austin off Slaughter closed recently. Cabo Bob's makes a damn good fast food burrito and there are only a few of those as well. They're always jammed up at lunch time.

there's nearly 800 units and over 3 billion in sales. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
52-80

52-80 19226

Posted
Posted

I've never been to an empty KFC, Taco Bell, or even McDonalds abroad.  But there's simply not enough of them.  Completely absent in many countries, too.  KFC is particularly baffling because there's no culture that is opposed to or unaccustomed to fried chicken and fried potato sticks

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Iceman

Iceman 2725

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Parliament said:

 

This thread is meant to be the positive companion to the "How are they still open?" thread.

 

My offering is Dickey's BBQ. While mediocre by Texas standards, this place is rather good for those of us who can't run to Austin quick for brisket.

 

that place sucks ass.  Possibly the worst barbecue ever. They are wrse to barbecue than Taco bell is to Mexican food.  Straight up garbage.

If it shortens the lines to the good joints, then more power to 'em.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Brisketexan

Brisketexan 105273

Posted
Posted

Dickey’s...I had a mediation a few years ago in the building where they have their corporate hq or training center or whatnot. In the lobby, they had a crew of management trainees doing corporate gobbledygook cheerleading. It was so, so sad. As I walked by, I really wanted to say “all the positive attitude is well and good, but how bout y’all just serve bbq that doesn’t suck?” But I didn’t. Idiot,

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
PhillyD

PhillyD 1257

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, woohorn said:

Ok, why aren't there more Houston's? Every time I've been to one it is packed.

Not sure if this is true in all of them.  The Houston's in Bethesda, MD changed it's name several years ago.  I am not sure how many of them did that but I was told by the staff that they did it to hide the fact they were a chain.  Perhaps there are others with a different name.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RollLeft

RollLeft 5045

Posted
Posted

Pollo Loco (west coast) > Pollo Regio (Austin) > Pollo Campero (Dallas) in that order for me

Taco Palenque (South Tx) > Tacotote (El Paso) > Chachos (Houston) > Taco Cabana (SA) in that order for me among the taco chains.

Dan's (Austin) > Whataburger (Corpus/SA) > HopDoddy (Austin) > Becks (Houston) in that order for me among the burger chains

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TheFlyingBoat

TheFlyingBoat 906

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, RollLeft said:

Pollo Loco (west coast) > Pollo Regio (Austin) > Pollo Campero (Dallas) in that order for me

Taco Palenque (South Tx) > Tacotote (El Paso) > Chachos (Houston) > Taco Cabana (SA) in that order for me among the taco chains.

Dan's (Austin) > Whataburger (Corpus/SA) > HopDoddy (Austin) > Becks (Houston) in that order for me among the burger chains

I'm sorry, Whataburger over Hopdoddy? That's just ludicrous. Most of the other takes are OK but that's just awful.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
BradInATX

BradInATX 9208

Posted
Posted
Culver's is very good and there are only a handful of them. I always like Taco Bueno more than Taco Bell. The Mexi Dips and Chips/Muchaca combo both slammed and went hard. Alas, the only one in Austin off Slaughter closed recently. Cabo Bob's makes a damn good fast food burrito and there are only a few of those as well. They're always jammed up at lunch time.
Rosa's crushes bueno, bell or cabana. Best cheap Mexican fast food easy. It's what Cabana used to be back in the 90s, before they watered down the queso and the rest of the food got shitty.

Bill Muellers sucks, for whoever asked. I used to work there in high school. I could tell you some things that would make you never eat there.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
RollLeft

RollLeft 5045

Posted
Posted
11 minutes ago, BradInATX said:

Rosa's crushes bueno, bell or cabana. Best cheap Mexican fast food easy. It's what Cabana used to be back in the 90s, before they watered down the queso and the rest of the food got shitty.

Bill Muellers sucks, for whoever asked. I used to work there in high school. I could tell you some things that would make you never eat there.

Ah yes, how could i forget.  Had it twice when i was in Odessa once.  Are they based out of west Texas?  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BradInATX

BradInATX 9208

Posted
Posted
Ah yes, how could i forget.  Had it twice when i was in Odessa once.  Are they based out of west Texas?  
Not sure where it's from. They put one in south Austin a few years back and it rules. Haven't been to Taco Cabana since. They send me sheets of really good coupons in the mail too.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
TwiceHorn

TwiceHorn 31529

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, PhillyD said:

Not sure if this is true in all of them.  The Houston's in Bethesda, MD changed it's name several years ago.  I am not sure how many of them did that but I was told by the staff that they did it to hide the fact they were a chain.  Perhaps there are others with a different name.

The more "scientific" answer is that they changed the names to avoid menu labeling requirements.  Some Houstons became Hillstone, which is the name of the ownership group.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Walden Ponderer

Walden Ponderer 12639

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, conVINCEd said:

If I ever need a reason to not leave Texas I’m just gonna refer to this thread.  You have to be a bbq deprived mf’er if Dickey’s is a good option.

I live in pig land. There's only one halfway decent brisket option within an hour and a half's drive of me. And there's no fucking way I would go to a Dickey's. Just for what it's worth.

I was pleasantly surprised by how many Culver's there are out East. Less so by how few Sonic drive ins I can find.

But what really has me questioning the future of civilization are the signs you'll see along the highway for Taco Bell -- some look normal, and those Taco Bells are to be avoided. Others include the word "breakfast", indicating that they actually serve their breakfast menu.

Now, a Taco Bell grilled breakfast burrito is no substitute for a really good breakfast taco, but it does at least resemble something a civilized person would eat. Not even knowing that breakfast tacos are what God eats in the morning, though... that is the lamentable condition in which much of the country lives.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AustinMT

AustinMT 952

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, PhillyD said:

Not sure if this is true in all of them.  The Houston's in Bethesda, MD changed it's name several years ago.  I am not sure how many of them did that but I was told by the staff that they did it to hide the fact they were a chain.  Perhaps there are others with a different name.

Rutherford Grill in Napa Valley is a Houston’s with a different name, but owned by the same company.  Imagine my shock several years ago when I went in, sat down and looked at the menu and realized I had gone to Napa Valley to eat at Houston’s.  Nothing particularly wrong with it, just have made sure to go to other places in subsequent trips.

The one in Austin changed to Bartlett’s a few years ago.  Basically the same menu but it’s no longer a franchise.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


Football ... Basketball ... Baseball ... Other Sports ... Futbol ... 🤫995🤫 ... Gambling ... Movies & TV ... Music ... Hobbies ... Lulz ... Food & Travel ... Daily Texan ... Business and Markets ... Cloak Room ... Help ... For Sale ... Board Discussion ... Subscribe!... Donate!... Advertise... COOKIE MONSTER!

×
×
  • Create New...