Best Chicken Fried Steak

The Ratings Are In

I’ve been eating as many Chicken Fried Steaks (CFS) as possible without falling victim to a major weight gain, or a spike in my cholesterol (I’ve been doubling up on my Zocor), and now is the time to start rating the CFS.

In the midst of my CFS journey, I've come across a song that I can really identify with - you can view it at the end of my post.

I’ve come up with my own rating system and I know I’m going to upset some of you, but my goal is to give you the best, the worst, and everything in between.

So here is my rating system:

0 Udders Udderly not worth the calories	1 Udder Just OK	2 Udders Good	3 Udders Very Good	4 Udders Excellent	5 Udders Udderly the best

So let’s begin. Here is the list of the restaurants I’ve visited to date:
 

Florida’s Kitchen, Livingston 796 FM 350 S.  936-967-4216  Closed Mon/Tue Size: Enormous Look/Smell: Very Good Breading: Minimal, very little seasoning Gravy: Not much taste Meat: Tough Sides: Good Rating: 1 Udder (but the smoked brisket was wonderful)
Elm Creek Café, Lincoln 33 Texas Hwy 21 W  512-253-6775  Closed Mon Size: Enormous (The large has its own zip code) Look/Smell: Very Good Breading: Crunchy and perfectly seasoned Gravy: Good Meat: Tender Sides: Very good Rating: 3 Udders
Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar, Gruene 1287 Gruene Rd.  830-625-0648 Open 7 days Size: Good Look/Smell: Very Good Breading: Crunchy and peppery Gravy: Very Good Meat: Tender Sides: Very good Rating: 3 Udders
Good Time Charlie’s, San Antonio 2922 Broadway St. 210-828-5392 Open 7 days Size: Good Look/Smell: Excellent Breading: Very crunchy and perfectly seasoned Gravy: Very good Meat: Tough Sides: Very good Rating: 3 Udders
Lulu’s Bakery and Café, San Antonio 918 N. Main St  210-222-9422 Size: Fair Look/Smell: Very good Breading: Thick and nicely seasoned Gravy: Good Meat: Very tender Sides: Very good (very small portion of mashed potatoes Rating: 2 Udders

Well I survived Fiesta and can say that if you have never been to Fiesta San Antonio, you have to go at least once. Next year’s date is April 2-17, 2011.

My visit was the 2^nd weekend of Fiesta and I was able to catch the Parade (on TV). My first Fiesta event was NIOSA (Night in Old San Antonio) which takes place in and around La Vallita and has an $8.00 admission ticket. I met friends at the Marriott Plaza San Antonio, had a few and then walked a couple of blocks to the entrance of NIOSA. You have to buy food and beverage coupons as the vendors don’t take cash or credit cards. There are plenty of coupon sellers throughout NIOSA.

The crowds were intense and trying to keep eight of us together without getting lost was a challenge, but worth it. NIOSA has themed areas with its own food, music and even decorations. We started out in the French Quarter (which was apropos for me). The first thing my gang went for was the escargots in butter sauce. I didn’t partake. There is something about eating escargot out of a paper cup that said to pass. We then went to the Irish section, and just kept going. Eating and drinking along the way.

One of the best places to gather was to watch the Grateful Geezers who are fantastic. The best thing I ate at NIOSA was a brisket sandwich and the best place to hang out was in the German area which was indoors.

[Disclaimer: If you go next year, make sure you have comfortable shoes and ladies don’t take a purse if you don’t have to and guys, keep your wallet and personals in your front pocket.]

We finished the evening back at the Marriott Plaza San Antonio for a final nightcap.

The next day was the King William Fair which is held in the King William historic district.  We all met at one of the most popular restaurants in San Antonio: Rosario’s. It’s across the street from the entrance to the Fair. $5.00 will get you in and again, you need to buy food and beverage tickets. Even though it was very crowded, the atmosphere was wonderful as you were walking around this beautiful historic district with beautiful homes and tree lined streets. Here you will find artists and crafts spread among the food and beverage booths.

Now for my Chicken Fried Steak pursuit.

This time I went to Lulu’s Bakery and Café. Many people still call it Lulu’s Jailhouse.
 

Lulu’s tells you they have the best chicken fried steak. It’s on their window, a sign outside and on their menu. Well, I’m here to tell you it was good, but Good Time Charlies in San Antonio is better. Sorry Lulu’s.

Here is what you’ll find:
 

• Cost: $6.99 special for the day (regular price $9.49.)
• You get a good size portion with a great crispy crust (it’s double dipped in buttermilk).
• Very good white gravy that's nicely seasoned, but the beef was very tough to eat.
• You also get a very small portion of mashed potatoes which were great, and another side.
• It also comes with a yeast roll.

Lulu’s is famous for their 3 pound cinnamon roll. And yes, I ordered it. This was featured on the Travel Channel with Adam Richmond (Man Vs Food). It comes to your table hot, with a nice sweet frosting and a surprise in the middle. No I’m not going to tell you it’s a surprise. The looks you get from the others will make you laugh (especially after you’ve eaten a CFS). But, it was worth every penny of the $6.99.


Did I eat it all? Not even close. I’m still eating it and it’s been over a week now.

Travel Tip

When you go to Six Flags San Antonio, or any other theme park, give your children a coach’s whistle in case they get lost. Put it on a ribbon so they can wear it around their neck. The sound may be annoying, but, you will be able to find them quicker.

Travel Bargain: Six Flags Fiesta Texas is open and ready for you to enjoy the park without the summertime crowds. They also have some fantastic bargains but you have to seek them out online. Here is an example. When you go to Six Flags, you act like a kid, so why not pay like a kid. The “Everyone Pays Kids Price” is only $34.99 ($37.83 with tax).

He’s back.

Yes the Texas Travelin’ Man is back - and get ready to read about a lot more places I’ve visited.  And yes, the Chicken Fried Steaks I’ve been eating as I tour Texas. But first I need your help. I’ll be going to Fiesta San Antonio for the first time (the 2nd weekend) and need to know what not to miss. This is your chance to tell ME where to go. Be gentle now. I won’t be going with children, but I may act like one after a few beverages.

• Please tell me what to see.
• The best place to see it.
• The best place to park.
• What should I eat?
• Any other tips.

In an earlier blog I mentioned I was searching for the best Chicken Fried Steak in Texas. You gave me a great list of restaurants to try. So the last time I was in San Antonio (just a few months ago), I went to Good Time Charlie’s which was high on the list.

Well, all you Good Time Charlie’s fans were right. It was the best I’ve had so far!

Here are the facts:

• Cost - $8.25 for a big, crunchy, peppery coating with a very tender steak.
• The thick white gravy was nicely seasoned.
• The CFS is served with great mashed potatoes and very good green beans.
• They also serve Texas Toast, but please I beg you, leave the TT alone. After you’ve eaten the CFS and the sides, your body doesn’t need the toast.

Good Time Charlie’s is a hole in the wall, which so far, are the best places for CFS. Good Time Charlie’s is located in San Antonio’s Cultural District and is open 7 day/week.

Tour Texas Travel Tip: Before you go to sleep in a hotel room, make sure the previous guest didn’t preset the alarm and turned the volume up. This will save you a possible heart attack in the middle of the night.

Tour Texas Travel Bargain: Six Flags Fiesta Texas is open and ready for you to enjoy the park without the summertime crowds. They also have some fantastic bargains, but you have to seek them out online. Here is an example. When you go to Six Flags, you act like a kid, so why not pay like a kid. The “Everyone Pays Kids Price” is only $34.99 ($37.83 with tax). Go to Six Flags Fiesta Texas to view all the deals.

It's holiday time in Texas and all around the state
People are trying to remember everything they ate
From bar-b-que to pecan pie
To the best chicken fried steak one could buy
From Austin to Amarillo
From Refugio to Roscoe
Make sure you're with the right person
Under the mistletoe
Travelling by car or train by bus or plane
If you can't find enough good food here
You must be insane
During this holiday celebration
I hope you find peace, happiness and a new Texas destination.

If you’re having family over for Thanksgiving here’s a tip:
Prepare dinner the day before, leave the key under the doormat, leave instructions on how to reheat the dinner and get out of town.

There are still some fantastic deals all around Texas whether you leave on Thanksgiving Day or on Black Friday. Even though there will be tens of millions of people on the road, hotel rates are LOW.

Here are some examples:

• Houston hotels near the Galleria are as low as $52.00
• San Antonio hotels near the Riverwalk are as low as $92.00
• Austin hotels near 6^th St are as low as $65.00
• Dallas hotels near Downtown are as low as $55.00
• Galveston hotels are as low as $95.00

These rates come from the Intercontinental Hotels Group site which includes Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and many others. (www.ichotelsgroup.com)

You will be able to find even lower prices by going to your favorite hotels chain website and check there rates. Now here is another tip. After you find the best rate on the chains reservations website, call the hotel and ask if they have a better rate. If you are a Senior, ask for their Senior Rate. If you are a member of AAA, ask for the AAA Rate.

If you travel, please be safe.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving no matter what you do.
 

Stu, The Texas Travellin’ Man

Ps. I’m stuffing my turkey with Chicken Fried Steak, so it will be a real Texas Turkey for the Texas Travellin’ Man.

Wurstfest

OK you probably think I’m going to use the expression I had the Wusrt time, or it was the Wurst festival I’ve ever been to, or it was the Best of the Wurst, but I wouldn’t do that to you. You expect a lot more and I hope I’ll give it to you.

As you know this was my first visit to New Braunfels and Wurstfest and even though I didn’t get to explore New Braunfels the way it should be, Wurstfest was fantastic. From the festival grounds to the food, to the music, I had a blast. Let me break it down for you so next year you can enjoy it with ease.

Parking: Plenty of it and most parking was $5. We parked in the Lions lot across from the main gate. Now, we got there at around 1PM on Saturday and we barely got a spot, so you may want to pull into the first lot you see. We left around 5PM and the traffic was serious, but it looked like as many cars were leaving the lots as were looking to park.

Tickets: When we arrived there were approx 40 people waiting in line to buy tickets. When we left, there were 2 lines of 200 people waiting to buy tickets. BUY TICKETS IN ADVANCE.

Food: They had just about every type of wurst on a stick, on a bun, in a stew, in a wrap etc. Plus every type of German food imaginable. They even had German turkey legs. How did I know they were German? They were wrapped in Lederhosen. But I think the busiest booth (besides the beer booths which were everywhere) was the potato pancake booth. Now, I didn’t taste the potato pancake, but it looked awesome. Yes there were deep fried Oreo’s and Funnel Cakes and pizza, but not for this Perosn einen Blog unterhaltend.

Music: There was so much wonderful music my oom-pah pah was kaput. You had the choice of two outdoor tents and the main hall. We did it all and even danced. We chicken danced, rolled out the barrel, drank from the barrel and then waited in line for the second most important line at Wurstfest. The restroom line. One of the groups performing were the Sauerkrauts. (Take a listen to "(Gotta Have A) Jalapeno" and "Tic Toc and the Pennsylvania Polka".) Great music, great lyrics and lots of fun. They also performed on my smoked wurst sandwich. Only at Wurstfest.

Don’t miss the Wurstfest’s Salute to Sausage Golden Anniversary October 29-November 7, 2010

Gruene

The Gruene Historic District is located within the city limits of New Braunfels. I only spent a few hours in Gruene but I will be back for one of the many events they have each year. It might just be for the Gruene Music and Wine Fest, Oct 2010 (www.gruenemusicandwinefest.org) or for Christmas Market Days (www.gruenemarketdays.com)  this Dec 5-6 (or both).

One of the things I did while I was in Gruene was have dinner at Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar. This was the #1 recommended restaurant for Chicken Fried Steak (see previous blog comments). The Gristmill is open 7 days from 11 am.

We got there around 6PM and got right in (after about 15 minutes I was told the wait was close to 1 hour). We were seated outside overlooking The Guadalupe River. The perfect atmosphere for my search for the best Chicken Fried Steak. I learned that the restaurant can seat 1,100 in 10 distinct dining areas,  and has a staff of 185 in the summer. So I placed my order, grabbed my knife and fork and waited patiently for it to arrive. Before I knew it, it was gone. My CFS had a thick peppery batter, with a very tender piece of meat and a wonderful white gravy on top. OK, so for all of you who claimed it is the best CFS, as of this post, I agree. It’s the best I’ve had.

After dinner, we took a peek at the Gruene Music Hall which was rockin, stopped in to a few stores and went on our way.

Travel Tip

When visiting a smaller destination that has a major festival or event that you are interested in, you have to plan two trips. One trip to see the festival or event and the next one to experience the destination. It’s very difficult to do both at the same time.

The Best Chicken Fried Steak (so far)

1.      Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar, Gruene

2.      Elm Creek Café, Lincoln

The response was tremendous and your comments were appreciated. You will be able to see your comments and the others, by clicking the comments section of each post.

So here is what I learned about where to find the best Chicken Fried Steak.

The city with the most restaurant suggestions was San Antonio.

The restaurant with the most votes was (drum roll) The Gristmill in Gruene followed by Babes (several locations) Tip Tops in San Antonio and Charlie’s also in San Antonio.

So it’s The Wurstfest this Saturday, look for me, I’ll be the one Saluting my Sausage (http://www.SaluteToSausage.com) and then on Sunday ordering the CFS at???? I can’t tell you. You’ll have to read the next blog to find out. 

Here are some of the upcoming topics to keep an eye out for (still an old joke) in upcoming blogs:
Waco (You will be surprised)

More on Chicken Fried Steak

Livingston

Wurstfest

Travel Tip

When you are planning to go to a theme park, and there are several to choose from in Texas, always bring a few plastic zip lock bags. You can place your wallet, cell phone and anything else you don’t want to get wet.

Travel Bargain

One of the least expensive weeks to cruise is the week before Christmas and the week after New Year. Here’s an example.  A 7 night cruise on the Carnival Conquest from Galveston to the Eastern Caribbean, costs about $85 per person, double/night. Now that’s an inside cabin, but it includes your food (you could eat 11 meals a day, but DON’T), all the entertainment, and daily events. Parking near the cruise terminal will cost you $70 for the week. If you plan to stay at one of the Galveston hotels check to see if they provide you free parking for the week.

A Blog about Texas travel? Why not? What will be different from other Blogs about traveling in Texas? You'll just have to keep reading to find out.

Now I'm not a native Texan, but I'm a Traveler. I've lived in Texas since 2005 and have had the opportunity to see just a small part. My goal is to visit every corner of this great state to find the good, the bad (I'm not looking for the bad, but I know it's out there) and the ugly. I'm also very opinionated. So you'll hear about the good things and the bad. Are my opinions right? YES. Will you have different opinions? Sure. Will you have an opportunity to refute my opinions? Yes. I dare you. I'll also give you some helpful travel tips, not just for Texas.

Topics you'll be seeing on a regular basis:

• Places to eat and places not to eat.
• I'm searching for the best Chicken Fried Steak (I've stocked up on Zocor)
• Travel bargains
• Websites to check out
• Tell me where to go (I know you want to)

Travel Tip: When searching for the lowest hotel rates and you don’t want to use an online travel agency like Travelocity, Expedia, etc, go to a specific hotels website (or a chains website) and check out their rates. They should be the lowest available. You can also go to the destinations Convention and Visitors Bureau website and if you see a search box that says “BookDirect” you can view the lowest rates of all the hotels that are available with just a few clicks.

So keep an eye on out (old joke) for my Blog, and let's have some fun.

Make the most of your travels through Texas, the Lone Star State with the help of TourTexas.com. Everything you need to plan your Texas vacation in one place. View Texas travel and tourist information on popular Texas city destinations, attractions, events, Texas city maps, book your accommodations, and even order free TX travel brochures, visitor guides, maps, and more.