Jump to content

Surly's Texas Small Town/Road Trip Gems


PatrickMcHorn

Recommended Posts

On 1/4/2019 at 10:31 PM, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

Also, this thread should probably be stickied so we remember to check it before or during road trips.

 

On 3/27/2018 at 7:42 AM, PatrickMcHorn said:

From the old board, post more if you got 'em.  

Google Maps Link

I'm driving to New Mexico in a couple weeks, and already planning a couple stops.

I agree with it being stickied.  I went through 4 pages of best burgers, best mexican, best place between here and there...etc.   

I have this google map as a shortcut on my phone.  Works great that way. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

House of Burgers and Wings in Corpus Christi has one of the better burgers I've had, particularly for not being too greasy. It also has an outdoor playground with bouncehouses and stuff for kids, so it's pretty family friendly.

Edit: They have pretty good mexican food as well.

Edited by NotActuallyALonghorn
Link to comment
Share on other sites

More nostalgia than anything, teenagers learning to drive, we drove from round rock to Elgin, via the back roads, included the fm roads  from 79 to the road that coupland is located on.  Drove through Norman’s crossing and rices crossing, which included the cemetery with the lawn chairs in middle of cemetery.  Challenge was to navigate the super winding fm roads without applying brakes.  The roads have since been straightened quite a bit.  Visited relatives in Elgin and occasionally picked up some hot guts from southside market, when the old building was located near the railroad tracks.  It really was a serious driving challenge.  Quite disappointing when road got straightened.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I have to add two standouts from my last trip to northern New Mexico:

Mayelas in Pecos, NM - if you’re fishing in the Pecos this summer, drop by Mayelas in the small town of Pecos for fantastic New Mexican food.  The place is kind of a dive but they had some of the best green chile rellenos that I’ve ever had.  Crispy and just right.  

Cowboy Cafe in Roswell, NM - on the east side of Roswell on Highway 380.  We stopped here on the return trip to Austin.  Excellent green chile burger and everything else looked good too.  CFS, steaks, etc..  Old school small place filled with local farmers and ranchers.  Website - thecowboy.cafe

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

You could stop in Longview at Bodacious on Mobberly.

If you don’t mind a slight detour, Riverport BBQ in Jefferson is damn good.

In Shreveport you have Superior Grill for Tex Mex. Strawn’s Eat Shop for the lunch special and pie. Don’t forget the pie. Did I mention the pie?

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, EE2B said:

You could stop in Longview at Bodacious on Mobberly.

If you don’t mind a slight detour, Riverport BBQ in Jefferson is damn good.

In Shreveport you have Superior Grill for Tex Mex. Strawn’s Eat Shop for the lunch special and pie. Don’t forget the pie. Did I mention the pie?

It's a damn good icebox pie.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, EE2B said:

You could stop in Longview at Bodacious on Mobberly.

If you don’t mind a slight detour, Riverport BBQ in Jefferson is damn good.

In Shreveport you have Superior Grill for Tex Mex. Strawn’s Eat Shop for the lunch special and pie. Don’t forget the pie. Did I mention the pie?

This guy obviously knows what he’s talking about but I’ll throw in a couple more options. Both Marshall and Longview have Jucy’s hamburgers which are great. Also in Marshall, Neely’s is kind of an institution (90+ years or something) I guess I would call this some sort of bbq sandwich place... whatever you’d call it, it’s damn delicious. A couple brown pigs will set you up right. All three of those, as well as the bodacious on mobberly mentioned above are pretty painless to get to off I-20. 

Damn... I think I’m gonna have to make a Neely’s stop the next time up that way. 

Edited by Etexhorn13
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is also a very nice restaurant in a gas station called Nanny Goats in Longview.  They make fantastic sandwiches.  They make a turkey BLT with avocado that is very strong.

Also the only place I have found in Longview that sells decent wine, if you need a bottle.

Pizza King is some damn good pizza, if you wanted pizza for lunch.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is also a very nice restaurant in a gas station called Nanny Goats in Longview.  They make fantastic sandwiches.  They make a turkey BLT with avocado that is very strong.
Also the only place I have found in Longview that sells decent wine, if you need a bottle.
Pizza King is some damn good pizza, if you wanted pizza for lunch.

Where is this Nanny goats?
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Jkwellborn said:

I’ll have to check it out next time I’m down there. Usually I don’t make it that far up there. Is that meat market that’s right there worth a damn?

The Butcher Shop? They make damn good pies.  That’s all I’ve had from there.  I am told they make a really good burger.  Haven’t had one. My squaw is from Longview.  

Edited by Johnny Sack
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Butcher Shop? They make damn good pies.  That’s all I’ve had from there.  I am told they make a really good burger.  Haven’t had one. My squaw is from Longview.  

The Butcher shop isn’t that close. I was thinking of Skinners.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/6/2019 at 6:10 PM, Etexhorn13 said:

This guy obviously knows what he’s talking about but I’ll throw in a couple more options. Both Marshall and Longview have Jucy’s hamburgers which are great. Also in Marshall, Neely’s is kind of an institution (90+ years or something) I guess I would call this some sort of bbq sandwich place... whatever you’d call it, it’s damn delicious. A couple brown pigs will set you up right. All three of those, as well as the bodacious on mobberly mentioned above are pretty painless to get to off I-20. 

Damn... I think I’m gonna have to make a Neely’s stop the next time up that way. 

The last few times I went to Neely’s on 80, it was awful.  I’ve been going to Porky’s on 59 and getting their Pigs. Very good. Orville Neely started that joint after he branched off from the family. I don’t know the group that owns it now. They do a good job, catfish is good too. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, DeepEastTexas said:

The last few times I went to Neely’s on 80, it was awful.  I’ve been going to Porky’s on 59 and getting their Pigs. Very good. Orville Neely started that joint after he branched off from the family. I don’t know the group that owns it now. They do a good job, catfish is good too. 

Good to know... it’s been a few years since I’ve been to Neely’s; maybe I’ve romanticized it just from growing up going there. I know Porkys has been around about as long as I can remember, but I’ve never been. I’ll be up that way in a few weeks going to the lake so I’ll have to scope it out. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Jkwellborn said:


The Butcher shop isn’t that close. I was thinking of Skinners.

Some of my friends buy their meat almost exclusively from skinners. I don’t live in Longview anymore but as far as i know it’s got a good reputation. There is also a skinners closer to I-20 off FM322 just past the Sysco warehouse. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Etexhorn13 said:

Some of my friends buy their meat almost exclusively from skinners. I don’t live in Longview anymore but as far as i know it’s got a good reputation. There is also a skinners closer to I-20 off FM322 just past the Sysco warehouse. 

When I’m in East Texas that’s where I go exclusively. The original owners sold out about 10-15 years ago, but then turned around and opened another Skinners at Lakeport near Gregg County airport. Both have quality meat selections. The head butchers at both locations are good. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, Etexhorn13 said:

Good to know... it’s been a few years since I’ve been to Neely’s; maybe I’ve romanticized it just from growing up going there. I know Porkys has been around about as long as I can remember, but I’ve never been. I’ll be up that way in a few weeks going to the lake so I’ll have to scope it out. 

I have fond memories of the 80 location. Hated to see it go downhill. That was my go to spot for lunch every Friday I was in town. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, DeepEastTexas said:

When I’m in East Texas that’s where I go exclusively. The original owners sold out about 10-15 years ago, but then turned around and opened another Skinners at Lakeport near Gregg County airport. Both have quality meat selections. The head butchers at both locations are good. 

there was some drama about those two a couple of years ago...but yeah, from a meat market perspective you can't go wrong at either one

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Skinners in town will have the best grades of meat you can find in Longview. The one in Lakeport is just in too much of a lower income area to keep USDA prime grades on hand. Everything else in the stores will be about a buck higher than most big box stores, so don't plan on getting a basket full of groceries unless you hate money.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/7/2019 at 4:44 PM, Johnny Sack said:

1401 Judson Rd
Longview, TX  75601
United States

This place is random as shit but has excellent bfast tacos.

We are back in Longview this next week and we will be there one morning. 

And Bodacious. And Papacita’s. And Shivers. And Tele’s. And Jucy’s. And Country Tavern. I’m gonna die happy.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

53 minutes ago, The Ace of Aces said:

This place is random as shit but has excellent bfast tacos.

We are back in Longview this next week and we will be there one morning. 

And Bodacious. And Papacita’s. And Shivers. And Tele’s. And Jucy’s. And Country Tavern. I’m gonna die happy.

Papacitas is dog food.  Fucking putting butter in salsa on chips and tortillas. I’ve yet to have decent Tex mex in east Texas.  

  • Fuck You 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/23/2019 at 5:20 PM, MalibuSheriff said:

I have to add two standouts from my last trip to northern New Mexico:

Mayelas in Pecos, NM - if you’re fishing in the Pecos this summer, drop by Mayelas in the small town of Pecos for fantastic New Mexican food.  The place is kind of a dive but they had some of the best green chile rellenos that I’ve ever had.  Crispy and just right.  

Cowboy Cafe in Roswell, NM - on the east side of Roswell on Highway 380.  We stopped here on the return trip to Austin.  Excellent green chile burger and everything else looked good too.  CFS, steaks, etc..  Old school small place filled with local farmers and ranchers.  Website - thecowboy.cafe

 

Good call on the New Mexico reqs. Hell, all of the land east of the Rio Grande in New Mexico was Texas at one point. (Which would have been totally badass for the mountain ranges and natural scenery alone).

Speaking of New Mexico...in Ruidoso- the green chile burger at Lincoln County Grill and country style breakfast at the Log Cabin. Fuckin A.

Edited by Girdwood
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, VirginiaLonghorn said:

 

Made the trip out there and the burgers are damn good.  The onion rings are badass.

 

We drove by "Lobsterfest" in Bankersmith on our way.  Passed on that.  Great road trip.  On our way home we stopped at Pecan Street Brewing in Johnson City.  Good brews at that joint.  Food menu looked legit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Finally got to stop at Brett's in Rockdale.  Quality stuff all around.  Portions on meat were kind of light considering the pricing.  Just high, not highway robbery.

https://www.instagram.com/brettsbackyardbbq/

https://twitter.com/hashtag/brettsbackyardbbq?src=hashtag_click

 

Rockdale is loaded with good places to eat for a town its size, like Lee's Landing and Coronas.  Just adding Brett's is  icing on the cake.

And if you want a burger, Schroeder's is just down the road in Thorndale.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/9/2019 at 9:21 PM, Johnny Sack said:

Papacitas is dog food.  Fucking putting butter in salsa on chips and tortillas. I’ve yet to have decent Tex mex in east Texas.  

Best is probably Little Mexico or T. Blanco's out by the airport. Little Mexico comes in a little closer to the authentic side (they have an authentic Mexican food menu section as well as Tex Mex) and T. Blanco's is definitely more Tex Mex.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

Best is probably Little Mexico or T. Blanco's out by the airport. Little Mexico comes in a little closer to the authentic side (they have an authentic Mexican food menu section as well as Tex Mex) and T. Blanco's is definitely more Tex Mex.

Have to try them.  I assume with Mexicans becoming a bigger part of the demographics, there has to be good Tex-Mex in some of these small East Texas towns.  I just have not found it yet.  I know to just order things like enchiladas or dishes with ground meat, because I find most small town Mexican food joints to use cheap fajita meat that is not as good as what you can get at more expensive places in big towns.

  • Fuck You 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/12/2019 at 3:04 PM, Johnny Sack said:

Have to try them.  I assume with Mexicans becoming a bigger part of the demographics, there has to be good Tex-Mex in some of these small East Texas towns.  I just have not found it yet.  I know to just order things like enchiladas or dishes with ground meat, because I find most small town Mexican food joints to use cheap fajita meat that is not as good as what you can get at more expensive places in big towns.

Racist white fucks searching for good Mexican food. Bring a camera crew.  Could be some good entertainment. 

Better yet...stay the fuck out of East Texas and keep your opinions there. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, Jkwellborn said:

You could always go through Jefferson. There’s supposed to be a couple of good joints there.

TBH I grew up in Jefferson and have never gotten the Riverport hype other than to say it’s tasty, but I’ve never been blown away. I will grab a chopped brisket sandwich when I go back to visit my parents, but I’d probably rather get my bbq fix when I get home and go to Pinkertons. I will say that it’s better than all the other bodacious in the area that aren’t mobberly, though. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Like 1
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.



×
×
  • Create New...