I live in the 254 since 1994 and I've always driven by...presuming what might go on in that little A frame structure. When you're judgemental, the only person it screws is you.

Dang these wise old men can fry some yard bird. It ain't ghetto fried chicken...like Church's. And it ain't sexy metro chicken like Caine's. It's COUNTRY chicken. Like my Texas grandma used to fry up when me and PawPaw went fishin on Lake Livingston.

I can't be sure, but I think they even cut up chickens on their own. None of that premade nonsense.

The batter is simple and crispy. But not too crispy and defintily not caked on. IT's just right.

So if you want some real fried chicken without all the bells and whistles and recipe options and spicy or mild and original blah blah blah....go here. It really is Waco best kept Fried Chicken secret. And the best part is the people are just so dang friendly.

To Crispy Chicken!

Pei Wei. What does that even mean? I don't know. But I do know that it's a great option if you're feeling the need for a meal visit to the orient.

Granted, it's gimmicky. Very Americanized. And sometimes down right cheesy. But they produce a very fresh meal that's pretty consistent and definitely friendly to those who like "made to order".

At times they can be a little heavy on the saucing. So I've learned to ask for mine on the side. But it's worth it!

And, they even remember what you order when you call in. Call it a sales pitch or creepy stalker tactic, when you phone in an order, they store it. And when you call again, they ask you if you want to order what you ordered last time...and then they repeat it to you.

Look, we don't have a PF Changs. And sometimes you just need something else beside Bangkok. Pei Wei is a great alternative, even if a chain.

I love D's. Everything about it. The bars on the windows...the gyro...the fried chicken...everything. Except the price. It is, in fact a little pricey...especially for lunch. And if you're in a hurry, this is not your spot...even when calling in.

But, if you've got some time and a little extra cash, it's a definite.

Cutting carbs? Not to worry...they've got you covered. Fried green beans, baby!

If you're prone to after lunch burps, don't say I didn't warn you. Seriously.

Cheers to D's!

I like Starbucks. And I have nothing to say about their products. I'm a faithful customer.

But I will talk about the workers for a moment.

I'm not gonna lie...I have issues. There I said it.

Weekly, I head for the drive thru and order my weekly pound of coffee. I order the same thing: a pound of whole bean Goldcoast.

Almost 99% of the time, my order is met with this statement: "Would you like that ground?"

Do you see anything wrong with this? "whole bean Goldcoast."

I think what bugs me most is I took the effort to be efficient in my order and yet the person on the other end...for some reason...NEVER hears the phrase "whole bean".

Now, I'm not a sensitive person...but I'm really starting to feel unheard by the Starbucks barista people.

Dear Starbucks Barista people...listen to every word a drive thru customer says. It's really ok to do that...to listen.

When I say "whole bean"...don't ask me if I want it grounded. If I did, I would have said "can I have a pound of Goldcoast."

Ok. I feel better now.

And Coach Briles' wife scores a touchdown! It's her yogurt cafe, you know.

Visited for the first time today and it's great. Simple. Cool vibe. Not overwhelming in the flavor department either.

Some of these new trendy yogurt boutiques over do it with 9000 flavor options. But not OSO.

My ONLY complaint is they don't offer sample cups. Other than that, score.

My pick for today...fresh peaches and tart yogurt...with a little heaping of walnuts.

If nothing else, you'll feel cool being in there. It reminded me of a posh yogurt spot I visited in San Fransisco.

And it's downtown...what's better than that?

Go OSO!

My only complaint is the Slippery Minnow is not open year around.

Other than that, it's fantastic!

One the lake...check.
Cheap christmas lights everywhere...check.
Lake people roaming about...check.
Inebriated females in questionable attire and calf tatoos...check.

It's a perfect spot for people watching and fried food. And if you have a boat, you can show off and drive right up. Unless you have one of those floating mobile homes...but that's for a different discussion.

My favorite...the fried shrimp.

We must all recognize that we are in Central Texas. I grew up on the coast so I'm pickier than others when it comes to seafood. So much so that I cringe when people refer to catfish as seafood. Catfish is lakefood. Which is why it tastes like lake. It's offensive to me and the countless ocean species to refer to a catfish as seafood. Whew, I'm glad we're clear on this now.

Typically, a place like the Slippery Minnow might offer fried shrimp. But the kind that was caught 2 months ago...frozen...and breaded with a thick flavorless breading at some food supply company in the midwest.

But not at the Slippery Minnow. They bread on the spot. And it's perfect in the world of breading thickness. The shrimp are big and the tartar sauce is great.

I highly recommend this place. It's a great change of pace from the norm. And again, who can beat lake people and drunk girls with calf tattoos? If nothing else, that makes it all worth it!

Hands down, the best burger in the city limits.

From the atmosphere to the product, it's a staple to the lunch rotation. If you like a good greasy burger with a huge selection of sizes, this is the place.

I will say, they're a little stingy on the amount of tater tots they give. Not sure what that's about...so if you're in the need for a large dose of potato carb, then go with the fries. They're more generous with those.

If you're on the no carb way of eating, they'll even do your entire burger without a bun! It's a nice alternative.

RR is consistent and fair priced. Go now.

As far as chains go, I'm going to have to disagree with my friend GGPeel and say that JJ's is brilliance. They had me at the finely shredded lettuce.

They're meats are fresh and plentiful. Great cheese. And the bread is wonderful.

And to top it all off, if you're doing the low carb thing, they'll put every sandwich on a lettuce wrap. If you get the Italian on lettuce, it's like eating a rolled up antipasto salad! Amazing.

For me, Subway can't compete. And as a road warrior, Subway is a staple. I will also say that it's not fair to compare chains with local establishments.

Jimmy John's is good. Real good. And the fine lettuce = MONEY.

We've got our fill on superb BBQ options around the 254. But Tony D's is truly a local gem. I've been eating there for years.

The wonderful opportunity to eat on butcher paper should never be turned down. And to be offered gravy...which is actually meat drippings from the pit...is a blessing in disguise to your lower GI.

It's simple. It's Texas. But more importantly, it's Waco. And when they sell out, they're closed. My advice...don't wait until noon to go. You will be left high and dry. It's a "early lunch" kind of place.

I noticed the hours were 9am-sell out. So I asked Tony if they served breakfast. He looked at me with such disdain and said, "no, we sell BBQ." I said "at 9am?" He said "we've got people lined up at the door when we show up to work.

It's that good!

Go. Go now. And get the Large order...1/2 brisket 1/2 sausage. Hot sauce over BBQ sauce for sure. You thank yourself.

I was excited when I heard the news of a pub coming to town. I mean a real pub. We didn't go for the longest...hoping to give them time to work out the kinks. But the time came. And we went.

From the moment we walked in it felt like what I imagine the uncool kids feel like walking by the cool table. It was cliquish. And thats just from the staff.

Being a first timer, after 20 min of realizing I would have to be my own beverage advocate, I saddled up to the bar. About 7 min into the ackward saddledness, the bartender simply looked in my direction...as if I asked him if I could kiss his girlfriend. I said, "hey it's my first time...what do you guys have?". He responded by looking over his shoulder at a terribly small selection of beers...paused...then looked back at me. "so, what drinks do you have? Do you have a menu?". His response was fantastic..."what you see...is what we got.". He obviously didn't excel in grammar, but that was the least of my issues.

Needless to say I began hearing JT in a beer stein suit singing "bring it on down to Cickets-ville".

We left. Sad at the terrible display of service, selection, and, well, verbal skills of the staff.

Time to realize, Barnetts, you are no Cheers. Hire people who enjoy people...not grammar flunkouts who think they are a gift to the social scene. If you want my money, earn it.