Bananarchy and Chaos In the Blogospshere!

My story on Bananarchy for The Decider has been re-blogged. Several times. By national pop culture blogs.

Videogum

Entertainment Weekly

Comedy Central

It's more buzz than the cake ball controversy, and despite all the banana-penis joke, it's much better, too. Now if only they'd credit SavannahRed for the photo they keep stealing.

I Love Avocados

Random food notes from the week:

• I tried several other Izzoz menu items for a write-up for The Onion. Any of the tacos with braised meat are excellent, especially the Padre (braised pork with avocado and pineapple) and the Bob Bowman (roasted chicken with pico de gallo and tomatillo sauce). The tortas are good, although there seems to be a disportionate amount of meat-to-bun. That said, I very much enjoyed my tempura shrimp torta, and the garlic fries are yummy.

• The Do Good Deli is a wonderful little basement outfit downtown. It doesn't have a retail store front, but they deliver downtown for free and take catering orders. Do Good derives its name from it's mission: it donates all of its profit to Caritas of Austin to fight hunger, homelessness and poverty. As for the food, the sandwiches are excellent, especially the Rockin' Roast Beef and the Keep Austin Veggie.

• Finally, I've eaten a ton of avocado sandwiches lately, and my favorites so far have been Garden District's veggie and, suprisingly, Which Wich's avocado and tomato. Keep in mind, Which Wich leaves a lot of control up to the customer, but it's still a delightful treat. It might also have something to do with its proximity to my work place and my general happiness to have a lunch break...

Let Bananarchy Rule!

As if Austin didn't need another dessert cart...

Then comes Bananarchy. Take that clever name, plenty of Arrested Development references, and damn good bananas (that are fair trade, too!) and you've got one of the most unique of all the food carts around town.

Bananarchy is run by two recent UT grads with no business experience, but they've got a lot of heart. Their cart (and it's really cart, not an airstream or a trailer) is hand-painted and customers can write on the sides with chalk. So it's got a great DIY, homemade atmosphere that makes you feel welcome as soon as you walk up.

As for the bananas, you can choose from chocolate, peanut butter or vanilla dippings and top them with anything from Oreos to cinamon (and if you try Oreos with cinamon, let me know how that goes...)

They've also got a menu of specialty bananas that make all the decisions for you. Be sure to try either the Afternoon Delight (a vanilla banana with chocolate and peanut butter drizzle, covered in graham crackers and peanuts) or the Cold War (a chocolate banana dipped in Reeces Pieces and M&Ms). If you're really adventurous or just a big Arrested Development fan, The Gob is a mammoth banana (well, bananas plural). It's two bananas double-dipped in chocolate and covered in peanuts--just as Gob would have ordered it.

Right now, it's just the two girls working, so the hours are somewhat limited, but if you can make it to Lamar during the afternoon, it truly is a delight.

The Basics
Location: 706 N. Lamar Blvd., just two blocks north of Whole Foods
Hours: Monday through Friday, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Accepts: Cash only
Rating: 4 stars
Bottom line: Bring on the revolution ... of desserts.

Home of the Hemp Burger!

Does that sound a little ... odd?

Okay, I haven't tried the hemp burger yet, but I have tried the avocado sandwich at Good Seed Organic, yet another food cart in South Austin.

But Good Seed is, well, good. Everything on the menu is organic and vegetarian, along with vegan, raw and gluten-free options. So they make food for all those complicated people. They also have an extensive breakfast menu that includes breakfast tacos (because what place in Austin doesn't serve breakfast tacos???)

But allow me to expand on lunch. The avocado sandwich was delectable, albeit messy for something I bought at a food cart. It's a open-face sandwich with piles of avocados, cherry tomatoes, pesto, mustard, raw cheddar, and sunflower sprouts. Alongside was a serving of Good Seed's signature yam rounds - "chips" made out of yams/sweet potatoes, served with an agave mustard.

I washed it all down with their specialty herbal tea, sweetened with stevia (an all natural, non-sugar sweetener). Much like my experiences at other veggie places, like The Daily Juice Cafe and Mother's, it was an altogether satisfying lunch.

Please be sure to stop by. I'm not sure how long they've been open, but I think they're not very visible at their current location on Oltorf, near the Lamar intersection. They're really nice and can answer any questions you'd have about their special menu.

The Basics:
Location: 1402 W. Oltorf, near the Lamar interesection
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Accepts: Visa and Mastercard, cash
Rating: 3 1/2 stars
Bottom line: Meat was not missed, although my fork was.

Watch Out Torchy's

I've blogged quite about bit about Holy Cacao recently, but this is last post to mention them. I swear. They now have carrot cake balls. Not kidding. It's the best of their cake balls, probably because the carrot cake doesn't come out too sweet (like, say, the red velvet).

But I'd like to highlight Izzoz Tacos, the trailer sharing a lot with Holy Cacao. It takes some guts to open a taco trailer on South First, and Izzoz opened right next to the Torchy's-lead Trailer Park Eatery. I heard Izzoz's chef braises the meat daily, and I figured that was enough to give Torchy's a run for their taco-trailer-money. But we all know I'm not much of a meat-eater. So of course, I had to try the fried avocado taco.

Let me say, it is somehow better than Torchy's fried avocado taco. I still love Torchy's but Izzoz managed to out do them. This fried avocado taco comes with a pile of fresh arugala, bits of Cotija cheese, tomatoes, and a sweet, tangy sherry vinagrette. Then there's that crispy, lightly-fried avocado. It almost felt healthy. Then I remembered it was fried.

Still oh so good.

They have a menu full of other yummy-sounding items, including breakfast tacos. I'll have to try those some other time.

The Basics
Location: 1207 S. First St., in the same lot as Holy Cacao
Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Accepts: Visa, Mastercard
Rating: 4 stars
Bottom Line: Seriously, Torchy's better watch out.

Cake Ball Controversy!

So I told everyone to read the first comment on my Holy Cacao story, and then it exploded! I can't believe this little feature/review has generated so much controversy. I had read the press on Holy Cacao before I interviewed them, and I had only heard good things. I mean, they've had a few negative Yelp reviews, but that's to be expected.

It looks like some rival dessert business has issue with them and has no shame posting accusatory comments. I stand behind my story and the interview. John Spillyards and Ellen Kinsey, owners/managers of Holy Cacao, are friendly, positive people, and they gave me a great interview. I like HC's products and the story reflects that.

But judge them for yourselves.

The Dessert Queen Gets Published

I've always been a dessert queen. I've got too much of a sweet tooth, and always go straight for the chocolate.

However, I claim this title because I seem to be making a niche for myself by writing little food features on desserts. Check out these two stories I wrote for the Austin Decider site about NadaMoo! and Holy Cacao.

I was particularly excited about the comment on the Holy Cacao story because the commenter visited Holy Cacao after reading the write-up in The Onion print edition. I've been skeptical of whether people actually read those little restaurant write-ups in the back of The Onion, but apparently, this person did. Plus, my writing (with some help from my editor) was convincing enough to send someone out of their way to try a cake ball.

You can read my Holy Cacao write-up online, and also check out the one I wrote on Bennu Coffee. Both were published last week.

And, props to Anslee/SavannahRed for taking kick-ass photos for both stories.

Karibu Welcomes the Adventerous

Posting two days in a row! I should advertise on Facebook more often...

I lived in Tanzania for a few months back in 2006 and learned a tiny bit of Swahili. So when I heard there was an Ethiopian restaurant on the East Side called Karibu, I thought the name was cute.

[Karibu means "Welcome" in Swahili. And Swahili, while a commonly-spoken language in most of East Africa, is not considered an Ethiopian language...]

Anyway, I'm trivializing this place by calling it "cute." I'm not an expert in Ethiopian food at all, but I was really impressed with the overall atmosphere and dining experience at Karibu. Sadly, there were only a handful of people there last night, and I hope it does a better business in general.

It's a simple place with a pretty simple menu. I had the vegetarian combo plate, with the yellow lentils, green beans and sauteed cabbage, along with a salad. All these dishes have Ethiopian names that I can't pronounce and are served with the traditional fermented flatbread. You eat it all with your hands. It's not as hard as you think.

Apparently, the lamb is also really good, so when I'm in a meat-eating mood, I'll have to return.

The Basics:
Location: 1209 E. 7th St., near the intersection of 7th and Attayac St.
Hours: Monday through Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.; Thursday through Saturday, 11:30 to 2 a.m.; Lunch buffet 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; closed Sundays
Rating: 3 1/2 stars
Bottom line: Eating with your hands has never been this good.

Brand Spankin' New

I'm not really sure if anyone reads this at all. I've been to several new places in the last two months, but I haven't been motivated to write about them because there seems to be no interest in this blog, from myself or anyone else.

But I felt inclined to share about two new spots, both of which I'm covering for The Onion/Decider.

First there's Holy Cacao, a dessert trailer on South First. As soon as my story is posted on Decider, I'll share the link here. Holy Cacao is Austin's only retail outlet to serve cake balls. While I still giggle a bit when I say "cake ball" they're so good, I have to take them seriously. Little round bits of cake and homemade frosting covered in a chocolate coating, they rival any cupcake place in town. (I'll be getting to cupcakes sooner or later, seeing as Austin is able to support several bakeries specializing in cupcakes.)

But if you try anything at Holy Cacao, get the frozen hot chocolate. That's not a typo. It's a mix of real drinking chocolate (this ain't Swiss Miss), chocolate ice cream, and ice. It's a rich, refreshing drink--much more than a milk shake. You really have to experience it.

Also recently opened is Bennu Coffee on E. MLK. It's a standard independent coffee shop, but it's got a few notable characteristics. One, it's open 24 hours--they only coffee shop east of I-35 to do so. It also has plenty of seating and outlets, and a menu of decadent mocha drinks all named after classic works of literature. The Pride and Prejudice is topped with chocolate shavings. The Great Gatsby is a mix of dark and white chocolate. The Don Quixote is topped with cinamon and chile powder. Any place that honors my favorite books by developing them into chocolate-coffee drinks is worth my patronage, so I expect it will replace Clementine as my East Side hangout.

The Basics:
Holy Cacao
Location: 1207 S. 1st St., just north of the Trailer Park Eatery
Hours: Closed Mondays, Sunday and Tuesday-Thursday 12-8, Friday and Saturday 12-10
Accepts: All major credit cards (a rarity of food carts)
Rating: 4 stars
Bottom line: There's no better place to satisfy a chocolate craving.

Bennu Coffee
Location: 2001 E. MLK Blvd, between Chestnut Ave. and Poquito St.
Hours: Open 24 hours, all week
Accepts: All major credit cards
Rating: 3 1/2 stars
Bottom line: Grab a comfy chair and the East Side's best mocha.

Austin Chronicle Restaurant Poll

I just voted. You should, too.

Austin Chronicle Restaurant Poll 2009.

Clarification on the Red House

What was once Stortini is now officially (based on the paint job) The Red House Pizzeria and Bar. The Red House Lounge referred to the bar in the back, and it's still the same, what with all the dead animals and vintage lamps.

I mention this because I wrote a post about the closure of Stortini and, at the time, the old Stortini dining room was for private parties and events only. Now it's open to the general public and looks more like a traditional pizzeria.

All the better, I suppose. Pizza's still half-price at happy hour, which is why my book club meets there at 6:30.

Sandwiches! Sandwiches! Sandwiches!

Need a new lunch place? Food Heads has won several local awards in regards to sandwiches, and the Upper Crust Bakery has held the titles of similar honors in regards to bakeries.

We're talking some serious breads and sandwiches, people.

Let's start with Food Heads. First of all, it's quaint and settled in a renovated house, so you automatically have associations of good, homemade food. It's close enough to campus that it's often overrun by students, but it's worth waiting in line (although if you avoid peak times, it's not a bad wait).

The best sandwich, by far, is the grilled salami and fresh mozzarella on toasted sourdough, although other combinations of meats and cheeses on artisinal breads make for a pleasant experience no matter what you order. There's the mouth-watering garlic and herb roasted leg of lamb sandwich on ciabatta. There's also the grilled chicken and eggplant served with goat cheese on a toasted baggette.

In true Austin fashion, Food Heads has plenty of vegetarian options, like a grilled squash and fresh mozarella sandwich. It's so flavorful, you don't really miss the salami. And you can't go wrong with any of the salads or soups. Plus, the cafe offers a wide range of iced teas and fresh coffee all day. Did I mention it caters?

In the same vein of fresh ingredients and homemade bread, Upper Crust is a family-run European style bakery that offers delectable pastries and has a thorough lunch menu. You build your own sandwich, with choices of meats, salads, and veggies and then pick from their choice breads. Whole grain, croissants, sourdough and others all make for a good sandwich no matter what you decide.

The stand-out chicken salad, full of celery, green onions, grapes and pecans, has flavor and texture to spare. Try it on a fresh, airy crossaint with side of chips and salsa for a near-perfect lunch. Or opt for a homemade soup. My favorite is the cheese soup, a creamy blend of cheese, onions, garlic, and celery. It's made with half-and-half, so it's a little bit better for you than other cheese soups (but only a little...)

Upper Crust is renowned for its cinnamon rolls, which have a blend of cinnamon and sugar, noticeably without icing. This makes for a sweet treat that is not overwhelming but pleasant and filling and probably won't send you into a diabetic coma.

The basics:
Food Heads
Location: 616 W. 34th St., just past the intersection of 34th and Guadalupe
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Accepts: All major credit cards
Rating: 4 stars

The Upper Crust Bakery
Location: 4508 Burnet Dr., at the intersection of 45th and Burnet
Hours: Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Accepts: All major credit cards
Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Bottom line: Bring on the bread!

Sometimes I Get Paid For This

I've written a few restaurant blurbs for Decider Austin, the city-specific spin-off of The Onion's A.V. Club. Basically, it's the only news that's not fake (although, I'm not sure I'd use the word "real" to describe the Decider...)

Here are some of my favorite reviews:
Siena Restorante Toscana
Shanghai Chinese Restaurant
The Daily Juice Cafe
The Red House Lounge

Sadly, no bylines on the website, but I get them initialed in the print edition. Plus, I get paid a tiny little bit of money for these. While this gig has taken some of my attention away from this blog, I hope it will become more active for 2009.

New P. Terry's Location Coming Soon!

According to the Austinist, there will be a new P. Terry's on the corner of 32nd and Lamar. So now we can have organic burgers all along Lamar. Plus, it's close to campus.

Casa Colombia

The obvious assumption (and one all too easily made) is to consider Latin American cuisine in Austin limited to Mexican food. With a taqueria on every corner and more upscale, gringo-fied places such as Chuy's and El Chile receiving most recommendations, it's a hard assumption to break.

That was my case until I happened to look out my window while driving down E. 7th Street one afternoon and spotted a big yellow sign reading "Casa Colombia." I had already found Habana's Cuban food, but I wasn't counting on any more Latin variety. After all, tacos are good.

But the discovery of Casa Colombia made me forget tacos and even good Cuban sandwiches. I went with my friend Leslie, who spent a several formative childhood years in Colombia. I ordered what she ordered, and I was not disappointed.

For appetizers, we had arepa: fried cornmeal pancakes, served with goat cheese and panela salsa. The pancakes were crispy on the outside, but soft and warm inside. The textural variety, along with combination of tangy goat cheese along with the spicy salsa, was a pleasing starter for the palate.

Leslie insists that Colombian empanadas are much better than the Americanized ones you get around here, and overall, it was probably the best empanada I've had in Austin. The wrap is made with cornmeal also, and the flavorful meat and potatoes are so filling, I was almost too full for my soup.

The ajiaco soup may be the best cure for a bad day. Especially a bad, cold day. It is Colombian comfort food. A creamy soup made from potatoes and served with chicken, it's an excellent take on a traditional dish. Casa Colombia serves it with a small piece of corn-on-the-cob, as well as avocado, rice, and capers on the side. This way, you can add what you want in whatever quantity you like.

We finished off the night with a good cup of coffee, and I left entirely satisfied. However, I also left looking forward to my next visit.

The Basics:
Location: 1614 E. 7th St., one mile east of I-35, near the intersection of 7th and Comal
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed Mondays
Accepts: All major credit cards
Rating: 4 stars
Bottom line: Forget tacos. This is the best empanada in town.

Best Turkey Sandwich in Town

Today, Progress Coffee is celebrating its fourth anniversary, and in honor of four years of solid business and a fiercely loyal customer base, Progress is offering everything on its menu for free. Instead of charging it's regular prices, it's taking donations for some great local non-profits.

Progress is always pulling little stunts like this - offering free coffee here and there, for customer birthdays, local music events, or art shows. It's always trying to be honestly progressive: all the coffee is organic and fair trade, the barristas make a decent hourly salary. I wonder how the place manages to give so much away and stay in business.

Oh wait: it's always packed, and you can't get a sandwich for less than $7.

But, oh, what great sandwiches. In particularly, the 5th Street Turkey. It is the best turkey sandwich in Austin. Possibly the best turkey sandwich ever. Or at least, the best I've ever had.

It's thinly sliced roasted turkey on toasted ciabatta bread, along with cream cheese, spring mix greens, and the cout d'gras - the rosemary habanero jelly. The jelly makes this sandwich rise above the rest through a harmonious mixing of savory, sweet, and spicy. It's so good, I would gladly pay $7 for it, but it was even better to get it for free today.

The Basics
Location: 500 San Marcos St., at the intersection of 5th street and San Marcos, just east of I-35
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday 6:30 a.m. to midnight; Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Accepts: all major credit cards
Rating: 4 stars
Bottom line: Coffee with a conscience, along with a stellar turkey sandwich? I could not ask for more.

Austin Restaurant News: Closure of Stortini

Seeing as I have about five readers, and all of them go to Vox, I can safely guess that you (one of those five readers) probably ate at Stortini for half-priced lunch.

I was sad to learn in the Chronicle last week that Stortini closed November 1, and the owners are focusing on the Red House Lounge. The good news is that the Red House will continue offering Stortini's pizza menu, and the Stortini building will be used for catered events. (So if you're looking for a laid-back Austinish wedding reception site, you know where to go.)

So in honor of Stortini, I leave you with the parting memory of an eggplant parmesan sandwich...

Some Continental Charm for the East Side

While I cringe a little at the state of uber-gentrified East 11th Street, I'd like to highlight its most charming corner cafe, the Blue Dahlia Bistro. Nothing says gentrification like faux-Euro fare, but the Blue Dahlia is quirky, authentic, relatively inexpensive, and surprisingly humble (check Le Mission).

To the stranded francophile's relief, it offers a menu full French-inspired dishes, including cheese plates and open-faced sandwiches. It also offers continental inspirations not of France, like the porcini ravioli with basil pesto and caprese salad (fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and fresh basil). Other seemingly everyday American fare is given a French treatment - the egg salad is served with capers.

It's also a vegetarian's delight, with several exotic meat-free sandwiches (and let's face it - those are a rare find). I've already mentioned the egg salad, and also consider the ricotta with fig, black pepper, and agave. Or the brie with walnuts and apricot preserves. Or the humus with avocado, sprouts, and tomato. Plus, all the salads are served sans-meat.

The Blue Dahlia also tries to offer as much local, organic produce as possible, all the while keeping most entrees under $10. Every sandwich is served on whole wheat bread. It's these little touches, plus the beautiful ambiance created through low-lighting and sturdy wooden tables, that make this place seem right out of Provence.

Lucky for us, it's happily settled in East Austin.

The Basics:
Location: 111se E. 11th St., across from the Victory Grill
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Accepts: all major credit cards
Rating: 4 stars
Bottom line: East Austin's the better for it.

Rainy Day Shelter

Tea and rainy days go together like peanut butter and jelly, Jim and Pam, Austin and weird, and when Anslee and I were looking to escape the Seattle-like weather, we stumbled upon Koriente Tea House & Restaurant. I can think of no other place in Austin where I'd want to spend a rainy afternoon than Koriente.

It has a large selection of hot teas, and the friendly, accommodating staff can answer any of your questions regarding flavor, caffeine-content, brewing method, even how the leaves were grown. They offer bubble teas and "art teas" if you're looking for something fun.

Their menu is Korean-inspired with some amusing variations (like chicken bulgogi and three bears porridge). It's all pretty healthy and there are plenty of vegetarian options. For being right behind Beauty Bar, this little hideaway could be much-too-pretentious, but it keeps a sense of humor about things. Cute but kitsch country decor mixes and somehow matches the vintage toys and old vinyl that decorates the place. On any given rainy afternoon, you might be lucky enough to share the place with some old Korean men arguing and some hungry hipsters.

The Basics
Location: 621 E. 7th St, at the Sabine and 7th intersection, small parking lot in the back
Hours: Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Saturday 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Accepts: Visa and Mastercard only, $5 minimum
Rating: 4 stars
Bottom line: It feels a bit like Seattle. All the better for Austin.

Damn Good Tacos: Welcome to Torchy's

Hello, culinary world of Austin, Tejas. I am Anslee and I am a foodaholic.

To kickstart my culinary journey on this wonderful blog, I will begin with my most favorite of all restaurants Austin-style: Torchy's Tacos.

Ahhh, Torchy's! That cute, little cartoon devil on the sign alone is comforting to the soul, in a somewhat twisted way. The logo/name of the place is actually a representation of this great city that prides itself on being weird, having pretty incredible TexMex, and being liberally unassociated with Baptists (or anything that isn't as passive as Buddhism). Whatever way you decide to look at it, Torchy's is 100% Austin and 110% awesome.

My favorite location is on South 1st and El Paso. Parking isn't the best situation, but usually one can find adequate room on El Paso or at the seemingly run down business across the street after hours. (Apparently, this place is still in operation. Who knew!) It looks kind of small, and that would be correct, but there is just as much (if not more) seating outside either off the patio or near El Paso Street. On a nice day, sitting outside is mandatory as there are umbrellas and adequate amount of shade.

As far as the food goes, I can honestly say that I cannot live without it. My favorites are the Baja Shrimp Taco with Chipotle Sauce (12 stars for that mess) and the Brush Fire Taco. The Beef Fajita Taco is another one I enjoy because even though it is plain compared to the other options I tastefully select, there's just something awesome about it. Maybe that is because I put the Chipotle Sauce on that, too. Hmmm. . . Anyway, there is a special taco for everyone like the Fried Avocado Taco, the Trailer Park Taco (Try it "Trashy!" You'll love it!), and the Ranch Hand. The names of the tacos trip me out, but be advised that if you take small children with you, they may ask you what the Dirty Sanchez is. Rest assured that in this case you can describe a tasty taco and not something else. Those taco people are naughty! I like it! Also, please note that they serve breakfast tacos. That's just the best of all taco worlds.

Now, there's something else that absolutely cannot go unmentioned - the Green Chili Queso. If this stuff came in bag form, I would attach a needle to it and feed myself intravenously around the clock. It is so good that I'm sure Mother Teresa herself wouldn't share a bowl of it with anyone else. Do yourself a favor and don't skip out on this one. You'll probably want to thank me with your first born child.

As far as the icing on the cupcake goes, why not kick your arteries while they're down and enjoy the Deep-Fried Chocolate Chip Cookies. That's right - deep-fried chocolate chip cookies. This could be a diabetic's dream (and coincidentally, I happen to be so). I wouldn't advise you to get them every time you go to Torchy's, but if it's a special occasion or you have someone to split them with, you should indulge. You only live once, right?

Some other things to note are that it is a BYOB establishment, but there is a Shell station within a block away. There are recycling containers as well. Also, I believe that the patio is dog friendly. The staff is really great, too. I'm on a first name basis with most of the South 1st and El Paso crew as well as the manager of the one on Guadalupe. Mention that I sent you, and you never know what will happen. But don't forget to get a Taco Junkie card. You'll probably fill it up quicker than you think!

Lowdown
Locations: 1311 South 1st St. (trailer), 2809 South 1st St., and 2801 Guadalupe St. (across from Dirty Martin's on the drag)
Hours: M-W 7am to 10pm, Th-F 7am to 11pm, Sat 8am to 11pm, Sun 8am to 10pm
Accepts: All major credit cards, cash, and full frontal nudity (Just kidding! Or am I?)
Rating: 5 stars (I'm biased.)
Bottom Line: I'm seriously going to Torchy's right this second. I'm completely not kidding.