Jump to content
Jordan Washington chats with Bobby for Burnt Ends ×

Why isn't that chain more popular?

Parliament

By Parliament
in Food and Travel

 Share

Recommended Posts

Stunns38

Stunns38 3239

Posted
Posted


Taco Cabana went to shit about 5-7 years ago. It used to be consistently solid. They’ve cut so many corners lately it’s ridiculous. First they dropped their kick ass grilled chicken. Then they dropped the best breakfast platter - fajitas and eggs. You can order it off menu for now at least. A few weeks ago they dropped the green salsa.


It seemed like it went downhill in the mid-2000s then really went to shit after 2011 or so. The older locations were solid but the newer ones were hit or miss. The Parmer/Mopac location has always been subpar.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
BradInATX

BradInATX 9208

Posted
Posted (edited)
5 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

TC tortillas are still pretty good.  When living on West Campus, I used to get beans, rice, and a shitload of tortillas for something like $2 and go to town.  Can't believe they got rid of the green sauce.  

Dozen Tortillas and a queso was my old late night order. You'd end up with a few stragglers in the morning to make breakfast tacos out of whatever you had in your fridge. Now the queso is so watery and thin it won't even hold on a tortilla.

Edited by BradInATX
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

Posted
Posted
28 minutes ago, blacklab said:

Never in my life, have I been out of the house, kinda hungry, decide to get something to eat, and thought, man, I could go for a hot dog.

 

Fair enough, but...

Never in my life in Chicago, was I out of the house, kinda hungry, decided to get something to eat, and thought, man, I could go for a hot dog.

I can't spend more than 24 hours in Chicago or New York without getting a hotdog, usually two.  Just can't do it.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...
Al_4_ISU

Al_4_ISU 12199

Posted
Posted

Even where we have Dickey's up here, there is almost always some local BBQ option that just blows it out of the water.  I don't understand their appeal, beyond being close to the interstate and not having to be "found" when traveling.

And if I'm traveling and know I'm going to be downgrading my culinary experience, I'm just going to lean towards something that's either relatively healthy or easy to eat while driving.  I will never understand the purpose of Dickey's.

Whataburger would do great if it expanded.  Everyone in Iowa who ever travels into OK/TX makes god damn sure to get some.  We have Culver's, which is great, but they tend to stick to slightly larger towns (easier to find Whataburger right on the interstate in BFE), and have just a little different thing going on.  You can never have enough good burger options.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RPM

RPM 26073

Posted
Posted
12 hours ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

19 Taco Cabanas to close, most in DFW and Houston:

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/business/taco-cabana-closing-19-restaurants-including-lower-greenville-location/2291487/

Just saw this. Admittedly, I don't eat there much at all, mostly because there's not one near me. But the times that I do eat there, it's been outstanding for Mexican fast food.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
C-Man

C-Man 26535

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:


IIRC, Luther’s wasn’t half bad. Decent cue sammiches, good rings.

Shit I remember Luther's and we moved to SA from Houston when I was 6. Los Tios was our other H-town go-to.

Whoever said Las Palapas is right on. That place is fantastic. Always try to make it through when I go to SA.

Taco Cabana is pretty much garbage now. Sad because I remember going to the OG location near St. Mary's in SA and then hit the one off the Drag countless times when I was in Austin. Eggs Mexicana, yo. I've been to Rosa's once and it's really, really good but there isn't one close enough to me in North Dallas yet.

And I've never gotten the James Coney Island love. I guess it's just a Houston thing. Sub-par, boiled hot dogs with canned chili poured on top and topped with stadium nacho cheese. Uh, no thanks.

Dickey's is shit too. Most of the sides come out of cans. And the original at Henderson/75 is obnoxious as fuck when the line guys bust out with, "Welcome to Dickey's!" every time the front door opens. If I'm eating meh-chain BBQ in Dallas, give me Sonny Bryan's every day of the week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
immortal13

immortal13 4059

Posted
Posted
On 12/23/2019 at 3:54 PM, 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.

 

Dickies is not good bbq

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ChickenSandwich

ChickenSandwich 9749

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, riloh05 said:

Bring back Luthers.

love me some del taco.

one dude owns the franchising rights to Nandos here in the states. A well run Nandos is some delicious shit.

Luther's had a damn good chili burger + rings

 

And I would murder someone for a JCI combo with extra onions right now.  Their failure in Austin was partially due to the terrible location on Congress right in the middle of downtown.  Rent ate them up

Link to comment
Share on other sites
riloh05

riloh05 107

Posted
Posted
Just now, ChickenSandwich said:

Luther's had a damn good chili burger + rings

 

And I would murder someone for a JCI combo with extra onions right now.  Their failure in Austin was partially due to the terrible location on Congress right in the middle of downtown.  Rent ate them up

onion ring loaf at Luthers was my first onion ring experience...its been rocky ever since.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ftf82

ftf82 481

Posted
Posted
On 12/27/2019 at 1:42 PM, Celery Man said:

James Coney Island

 

On 12/27/2019 at 6:32 PM, Brisketexan said:


Growing up in Houston, JCI was most definitely a thing. Hell, if we can make it work, it’s one of the wife’s must-visit places when we’re in town.

Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment that was known as James Coney Island on Congress just north of 6th Street in downtown Austin. Probably mid to late 90s. Didn't survive the dotcom bust.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mack Tripper

Mack Tripper 691

Posted
Posted
On 12/24/2019 at 9:42 AM, AustinMT said:

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.

Same with White House Tavern in Aspen. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MaybeACoordinator

MaybeACoordinator 8349

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, ftf82 said:

 

Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment that was known as James Coney Island on Congress just north of 6th Street in downtown Austin. Probably mid to late 90s. Didn't survive the dotcom bust.

 When I both drank and worked in downtown Houston, JCI was my hangover go-to, but that location is gone now, I don't drink anymore or work downtown, and the building I used to work in has been torn down, all in the last ten years. It's like that whole phase of my life was a dream. A very Houston story.

I never much cared for the standard JCI coneys. I liked the jumbo Hebrew National dogs they used to have, but they phased those out years ago in favor of $8 chef-designed dogs. You chose between three styles -- Texas chili, New York (kraut and mustard), and Chicago. Two of those plus fries was a god hangover meal, but one of those gourmet dogs is not and two will set you back like $16.

They also added a huge array of generic fried crap nobody ever orders. All part of the rebrand as "JCI Grill," a bid to claim "We are more than just hot dogs." Uh, no you're really not. Nobody goes to JCI for a chicken sandwich.

Hot dog parlor seems like a doomed business model these days. You have to believe they lose a lot of business to the gas station roller grills, for one thing; there's no need to make time for a dawg if you are jonesing for one. And honestly, today's roller grill dogs are better than the old-school coneys at JCI. I'll be surprised if that chain is around in ten years, but I will miss it when it's gone, in spite of its flaws. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Iceman

Iceman 2576

Posted
Posted (edited)
4 hours ago, Brisketexan said:


IIRC, Luther’s wasn’t half bad. Decent cue sammiches, good rings.

the rings were great. 

Of all the Pappas restaurants, the barbecue side is so fucking meh... and that's what went in the place of many of the Luther's locations.

Edited by Iceman
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...