Hungry Monday- Red's Porch

Stay tuned this week for a fun giveaway! 

But, back to our Hungry Monday feature for now!

Awesome view, great location, delicious food, friendly service, fun decor

What more do you need?

Red's Porch is located near the intersection of South Lamar and Hwy 290. It's kinda difficult to see from the road, but you can't miss their big sign!

At the end of their driveway, you'll see why it's called Red's Porch. 

There is indoor dining, but the draw is the giant porch with the fantastic view. I went for lunch during August and with the shade from the porch and the hard working fans outside, we weren't hot at all! 

There's also a funky lounge area at the entrance if you're waiting for a table.

So the location and set up are great, but the food is the reason I'd go back.

I ordered the pot roast (ok, so I order pot roast everywhere I go) and it was melt-in-your-mouth tender with a savory gravy and smashed potatoes. I like it when potatoes actually taste like potatoes so that was a definite plus. I also got the spinach casserole which was a mess of spinach and garlic and cheese. Intensely flavorful, but I believe I may try something new next time. I also sampled the chicken fried steak and macaroni and cheese, which were both superbly done. 

(personal photo)

At lunch time, there was no wait and our server was very helpful and friendly. There was a pretty decent lunch menu, but I ordered from the dinner menu and took half home with me. 

Check out more info on their website

http://redsporch.com/

(Unless otherwise noted, all photos from the Red's Porch website)

Hungry Monday- Torchy's Tacos

Happy Monday everyone! 

Hope your week is off to a fantastic start.

My weekend was a little subdued by a sprained ankle, which affects way more than I thought it would, and I am looking forward to a brand new week. (more about the ankle later)

Anyway, this morning  I wanted to share about one of my favorite late night frequents and lunch regulars. Torchy's Tacos!

Let me start off by saying- I. Love. Tacos. So I have pretty high expectations when it comes to my tortillas, fillings and sauces. And I tend to start craving tacos right as most places are shutting down. My first Torchy's experience came from just such a craving. Well lo and behold I discovered that Torchy's is open until 10pm on weekdays and 11pm on weekends! When I got there, Queen was playing. The cashier asked how my day was liked he genuinely cared. I filled my drink cup with Dublin Dr Pepper from the fountain. And the tacos did not fail to deliver.

Since that day, I have been a big fan and frequent customer of Torchy's, and the reasons to love them have grown. They have several locations, including one food truck! They have a variety of flavors, and every time I try something new I am pleasantly surprised. Most have nice outdoor dining which is perfect if your furry friends like to join you for taco dining. They have two spicy ranch sauces- the chipotle and poblano- and I always get extra cups of it to take home. It's that good.

The tacos range from $2 for breakfast tacos to $4 for some of the meatier options. I normally get two tacos and it's plenty filling. I get everything on flour because I'm Caucasian like that, and I put the chipotle or poblano sauce on all of them.

My favorites are:

• The Trailer Park- flour tortilla, fried chicken strips, pico de gallo, lettuce and green chilies with poblano sauce. "Get it trashy" by taking off the lettuce and adding queso. Add the queso. It's sooo good. 

• Fried Avocado - a fried avocado, refried beans, lettuce, cheese and pico de gallo, with poblano sauce. Great vegetarian option, but still scrumptious even if you aren't! 

(photo from torchystacos.com)

• Baja Shrimp- hand battered fried shrimp, cabbage slaw, pickled jalepeno and onion, queso fresco, cilantro and lime, with chipotle sauce. The ingredients sound a little strange but they blend perfectly to make one flavorful little taco.

• The Democrat- barbacoa, avocado, cilantro, onion, queso fresco and lime. This is definitely a heartier taco. Don't be afraid of the word barbacoa. It's a tender shredded beef. And Torchy's version is not nearly as greasy as what you'll get out of a roadside taco truck. Yum!

What are you favorite Torchy's Tacos?