Krystal - A fast food burger chain found in TN, MS, AL, and TX. A "Krystal" is a hamburger slider (they only sell sliders) as pictured above. They also sell fried chicken sandwiches and boneless wings.
Per Amanda, the burgers taste like they are boiled. They are also paper thin and greasy. She compared them most closely to McDonald's burgers, but smaller and having more onion.
I had the chicken bites. They were passable, nothing special.
We did enjoy the fries, which were hot and salty in a very good way. It was also interesting that they give you a number and bring the food to you at your table.
Menu amusements - Banana pudding milkquake, 1 crispy chicken salad hidden carefully on the menu behind pictures of chicken sandwiches
Jack's is another burger place located in AL, MS, and TX. They also sell fried chicken with sides like green beans and mashed potatoes. There are also biscuits which come with either fried chicken or are made into breakfast sandwiches, and hand dipped ice cream.
The burger was unremarkable per Amanda. I had the grilled chicken sandwich (the only thing I could find that wasn't fried or stuffed with butter). It was actually very nicely seasoned, and pretty healthy once I took the mayo off.
The fries were large and ridged and again well salted.
Menu amusements - British biscuits, which are not, in fact, cookies as one would expect, but actually are English muffins; Bologna, egg and cheese biscuit sandwich
Shoney's is a sit down restaurant featuring both a menu and a buffet. The soup and salad portion of the buffet comes included with the entrées. The buffet featured things such as fried catfish fillets, gumbo, clam chowder, salad, pudding, and the like. The menu was classic American with some southern classics thrown in.
Amanda had the liver and onions with a huge pile of mashed potatoes and brown gravy. She loves her organ meats and was well pleased. I had a grilled chicken breast with rice pilaf which was acceptable and well seasoned. The gumbo was good and a little spicy. Unfortunately all the fruit on the salad bar was canned, but still a nice change from the entirely carbs and coffee diet we had been enjoying.
Menu amusements - none come to mind, but it was amusing when Amanda saw that there were milkshakes on the menu and yelled "MILKSHAKES!" then proceeded to order a water.
Mamacita's is a very good Mexican sit down restaurant which Glory and Don were kind enough to escort us to on the first day we were in Houston. It features the traditional assortment of Mexican platters at decent if not excellent prices. However, the slightly high cost was offset by excellent quality dishes.
I had the chicken enchiladas with Mexican rice and refried beans which all had great, authentic flavor. The rice was moist in a way that is atypical of my experience, and the beans had many layers of flavor without being overseasoned or spiced. Don's mixed fajita platter looked wonderful, with juicy thick slices of chicken and steak accented by peppers and onions.
Menu amusement - Amanda's meatless lunch platter came with what I will assume was a garnish of a fried tortilla in a cup shape, placed upside down and covered in canned cheese sauce - truly out of place on an otherwise authentic, tasty looking platter.
Menu amusements - all day happy hour on Monday and Tuesday, happy hour from 11a-7p every other day (they must all be very happy)
Mediterrano Market and Cafe is an excellent Greek restaurant down the road from Johnson Space Center in Houston. They have all the classic Greek specialties plus some good wraps and salads. There is also a great little grocery section with spices, grains, sweets, and other specialty items.
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| Veggie platter - L to R - falafel, hummus, domas, tzatziki, baba ghanoush, tabouli (C) |
I had the veggie platter lunch sampler since it provided the most variety for the lowest cost. Having only ever had hummus before, I was eager to try out the Greek food. Everything had great flavor, and I'm sure was an excellent representation of what it was supposed to be. However, I was not a big fan of the vinegary grape leaves, the crunchy herbaceous tabouli, or the tart baba ghanoush. I also snagged a taste of Glory and Don's moussaka ("say it again!"), which was pretty good, but which I would probably not like as much after I ate too much of the eggplant.
So, all in all, I'm glad I tried Greek food, but I don't think I'll be rushing back any time soon.
Menu amusement - in the grocery section, a bag of tea with brand name Amanda
