On separate occasions I’ve visited Gyros & Grill to try their gyros and kabobs. Their kabobs tended to be on the lean, tough and well-done side, but their beef gyros are spot on. If you pick up the combo, you can get either fries or salad with that. The salad is generally on display, pre-tossed, and typical salad fare. Fries are thicker than usual, with a better-than-average seasoning (probably the best fries available from this strip mall). I’ve also had their hummus and suspected it came from Central Market.
They have expanded their menu since my last visit, offering tacos, pizza, sandwiches, fish (grilled and fried) and rotisserie chicken on their menu. However I have one gripe with their posted menu. Often times one can’t figure out what combos are available and no descriptions are given on the picture menu. A little cleanup and de-cluttering is in order, methinks.
Gyros & Grill sits on the corner of a strip mall neighboring Grill Express. The dining room is smaller than other cafes on this strip, so large parties may have to get their Greek fix to-go.
FYI, a sign on their food counter indicates they are halal, though I did not ask to verify this.
Two words: Butter Chicken. 10 minutes and 2 music videos later, I was out the door and on my way home for some buttah luvin.
Tender chicken, a slow-burn spiciness, and delicious creamy sauce. Paired with rice and at $7.99 a plate, it made for a marvelous lunch. It was even too much for me to finish, and I normally gorge on this stuff.
I’ve also had their large wedge-shaped samosas (beef, chicken and veggie). Paired with their chutney it makes for great snacking.
This is a non-descript cafe, appropriate for casual lunches, and an unintimidating atmosphere for Indian food newbies.
After checking out the Coppell Deli, my man and I decided to see if Deliman’s is any improvement on the original.
At Deliman’s they offer an expanded menu including lunch and dinner items like chicken fried steaks, pork chops, chicken, and shrimp. They also had a Mediterranean menu, with the standard offerings of kabobs, gyros, and grilled fish. The dining room is casual, substantially larger than the original, and Dallas Cowboys-love is evident everywhere. There isn’t a direction that you can point your fork at without finding a flat-screen TV looking back at you, so this is great for Cowboy- and sports-viewing parties.
However for our visit, my man and I went for the burgers again. He ordered the double-bacon cheeseburger while I opted for the patty melt. Again, I took a stab at their breaded onion rings and found it lacking–flavorless, like the kind you find in your grocer’s freezer. The fries tasted better, though they weren’t the same kind of wedges we got at the original location. My patty melt came with two cheeses oozing over the sauteed onions. While the burger came medium well, it was juicy and full of beefy flavor. My man reported that his came medium-well too but delicious, perhaps near the top of his list, as burgers go. His only complaint came from the bacon, which while plentiful, wasn’t fresh and too crunchy from sitting under a heat lamp too long.
Total damaged amounted to $22 and change with a soda. We’ll be back to try out their Mediterranean menu.
We drove into Keller’s Drive-In for their burgers…
…and had to drive away.
They don’t take plastic. Strictly cash only.
A sign out front proclaims: “Been Here A Long Time…” and the place looks it. You don’t come here for the ambience or the people-watching (unless you enjoy this kind of place)…it’s probably the rattiest, dingiest little drive-in you’ll ever see. If you don’t cater to the truck-stop vibe, it will take a bit of courage to venture into the Harry Hines location. Forget about family-friendly–no Happy Meals here, no cheery-faced teenagers manning the registers, no wacky mascots, no ball-pits. The ladies walking up and down the stalls to take your order look like they can manage an unruly crowd—they won’t take no bull. This is an adult burger joint–beer is the liquid of choice to wash down their food.
But I hear it’s home to Dallas’ best burgers. So, one of these days…one of these days…
My man and I were looking for a new dining adventure, and the man was craving Indian. Previously, the man had only one year’s experience with Indian food, so going to buffets was the best way to initiate him into the earthy-spicy exotic world of Indian food.
So we headed into Addison to give Flavors a try. First mark in their favor: nice, clean and spacious digs. If it wasn’t for the Sunday buffet I can imagine this place can host upscale dining. Second good sign: we were greeted immediately and ushered to our seats. Always a telling sign that the staff gets down to business–and that business is good food.
Third good sign: 2 buffet lines and all-you-can-drink soda fountain. As soon as we hit the buffet, everything was clearly labeled and stocked with fresh food. This was a good sized buffet with diverse vegetarian and meat offerings. Some standouts include their chicken tikka masala, lemon rice, fried fish, a fried potato/veggie dish and an excellent naan. (Which is saying something since I generally avoid the bread everywhere I’ve gone.) Other dishes less memorable were the chicken biryani, goat curry, saag paneer. We were surprised by the inclusion of a bitter melon dish on the buffet–typically more ethnic than most Americans can handle…woo! that’s definitely an acquired taste.
Flavors also delivered a capable fruit custard and a gulab jamun that was more custardy than bready, a decent rice kheer and good carrot halwa (though my partner says it’s not the best gajar ka halwa he’s eaten).
One thing I must fault Flavors’ buffet: not a single thing on the line was spicy-hot (not the pickled carrots or the spiced onions). Throughout lunch, I craved a burn, a kick, anything to get the nose running or throat scratchy…but none of the dishes I found delivered on the heat. In this I suppose Flavors’ buffet is newbie-friendly, but it would not be my first choice if I were looking to shock the tastebuds.
So Flavors’ buffet is great for initiates to Indian food, but too safe a choice if you’re looking for something stronger, more flavorful. However, the price is right (10.99 on Sat-Sun with unlimited soda), especially if it’s your first foray into this type of cuisine. As for me, I’ll come back for the good service and the naan.
1208 E Belt Line Rd
Carrollton, TX 75006
(972) 245-4621
I remember when the current space occupied by Burger Island was a Thai restaurant, then several incarnations of a Mexican eatery. So I didn’t expect upper-class digs in this small, almost-rundown little joint.
Which is always a good sign of genuinely greasy diner-style burger. I’ve heard my coworkers rave about their portions…and they weren’t kidding when it came to Burger Island sides. Every takeout order came home in boxes brimming with sides.
For the first visit, I tried Burger Island for their signature Jungle Burger. A nice, thin-patty two-hander loaded with toppings and barbecue sauce. I gave the burger high marks for being tasty and messy, even though it wasn’t my typical preparation. Unfortunately, none of their fried foods traveled well–from their onion rings to their jalapeno straws (Texas Toothpicks). The sheer volume of the side orders were daunting enough, without factoring in the sogginess.
On another visit, I sampled their bacon mushroom burger which again proved a tasty, oozy mess. Once again the onion rings failed to live up to the 15 minute journey, and the seasoned fries–while uniquely tasty–also came home soggy. The fiance tried their philly sandwich and gave it an above-average mark, rare for a Philly connoisseur.
I’d have to say for the price, Burger Island rates higher than some of the “gourmet burger” stops and is worth repeat visits.
The Coppell Deli’s claim to fame is the Stubbs breakfast sandwich–and they count the Dallas Cowboys as their biggest fans. The fiance and I however took aim at their burger menu…and in this we weren’t disappointed.
My bacon mushroom swiss was a 1/2 pounder, tall and bristling with bacon, and loaded up with lots of onions upon request. I found their choice of white onions strangely bland and faulted their use of tiny styrofoam boxes to carry their burger. Maybe they were highlighting the size of their sandwich by cramming it into a tiny space–whatever! Those styrofoam boxes are so 80s.
The fiance partook of the double cheeseburger and found it satisfying. We both thought that the pouch-sized fries however were on the bland side and could have used more seasoning. However the overall damage came to $22 and I thought the price too steep for the average result. We might give the Deli another try minus other side options.
100 N Kimball Ave
Southlake, TX 76092
(817) 416-2573
We came to Kincaid’s with high expectations–and walked away idly wondering what the fuss was all about. We expected greatness and found mediocrity.
Two things Kincaid’s had going for it–a thick burger patty and a nice chocolate milkshake. While it’s nice to bite into a hefty burger–measuring a thumb’s width by my reckoning–I wished I could have ordered it medium-rare, which wasn’t an option. Sadly, the burgers were lacking in flavor and ooze-factor–no greasy burger here, just dry over-cooked meat whose flaws were heightened by the mustard dressing. Even the crinkle-cut fries and the Blue Bell ice cream milkshake appeared standard fare, nothing truly spectacular. And let me say that I could have gotten better onion rings at Burger King–Kincaid’s rings were battered to death and devoid of flavor. The little container of ranch dressing couldn’t rescue them from oblivion.
Walking into the Southlake location reminded me too much of a Mooyah’s or a Fuddrucker’s. Everything in Kincaid’s was too clean, too neat–and dare I say it–too formulaic for a unique burger experience. I can attest that Kincaid’s isn’t gourmet enough for the Southlake neighborhood. Perhaps we’ll visit the original location someday, but we’ll definitely steer clear of this outpost.
