Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

Simmons Bank

The Texas Bucket List – Mr. Hamburger in Huntsville

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Huntsville— Huntsville has the distinction of having a strong connection to Sam Houston but is also home to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and one of the most famous prisons in the entire state known as the Walls Unit. Built in 1849, this is where death sentences are carried out and the last stop for prisoners who have paid their debt to society. One of the first stops for those smelling freedom is a burger joint that began in 1959 just across the block from the cell block.

“If they’ve done their time, you know, justice has been served, you’re just hoping for nothing but the best for them,” said John Mathews.

John, born and raised in Huntsville, is the owner of Mr. Hamburger, the burger spot that happens to be a big hit with the recently released.

“Being this close to the Walls Unit, it was always a place where the releasees, as soon as they got out of prison, this was literally their first taste of freedom,” he explained.

John used to build homes but one day he had a calling to reopen the old restaurant that had been a part of Huntsville from 1959 to 2005.

“What can I do that I know is going to work, and what hit me at the same time is what does Huntsville need? Huntsville needed to have Mr. Hamburger back,” he said.

In 2011, Mr. Hamburger opened back up just a few blocks from its original location, but still in sight of the Walls Unit.

“We could have moved out on the interstate and probably had a lot better business. But it was important to us to open it on the side of town where we knew Mr. Hamburger was, so it had that local flavor,” said John.

That local flavor includes a menu of menacingly named burgers.

“The number one most popular burger, not just with the locals but also with inmates that just recently got let out, is the… killer burger,” John said. “A new burger we introduced when we reopened in 2011 was the Old Sparky, so of course it’s namesake was the old electric chair…We decided that we were going to take a fresh hamburger patty…batter it and…deep fry it like it was a chicken fried steak.”

General Manager, Max Rollo, got things heated up in the kitchen that has a great view of the free world.

“Pretty great, isn’t it?” commented Max on the window above the grill. Outside of it are roads, cars, businesses, and of course, the prison.

A 1/3 pound certified angus beef patty gets seasoned and faces the music on the grill while Max got to work on a special worth doing time for—some Mexican street fries.

After frying up some freshly cut potatoes, Max throws the book at them by adding garlic aioli, sour cream, cotija cheese, cilantro, chili powder and lime.

Once the burger is cooked, it is battered with shake mix, then it is time to flip the switch and fry it up!

A toasted bun gets covered in house made ranch and some Texas in July sauce!

One bite and you’ll need an alibi for all the sauce that ends up on your face.

“Nice and juicy. Plenty of flavor,” commented customer Wayne Calder.

Deep frying that burger, definitely adds a little crunchiness.

“I’ve been in all parts of the state of Texas and… tried burgers, and this is one I enjoy tremendously,” said another customer, Will Gollihar.

Fun fact of the day—these burgers are sometimes requested as an inmates last meal.

“That’s a little sobering to think about that, the reality of that. Good choice,” said Wayne.

“Typically, we don’t know if it is a last meal, they won’t tell us that,” said John. “So oftentimes they’ll send somebody to come over and get it, so we don’t usually hear about it until after the fact.”

“I’d want this for my last meal probably,” said customer, Bob Hotten, “not that I want to go over there.”

Whether it’s your first taste of freedom or the last stop on your bucket list, Mr Hamburger in Huntsville is well worth a stop on the Texas bucket list.

“Nobody can replicate Mr. Hamburgers history. It’s so unique because of this town, because of the location. I mean it may appear as a fast food joint, but it’s so much more than just fast food,” John continued, “We’re just glad to be another one of the great local places here in Huntsville.”

The Texas Bucket List – Pennie’s Tex Mex Take Out in Galveston

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Galveston⁠—We’re always looking for good things on Galveston Island and when we came across a little restaurant known for barbecue, barbacoa and tamales it was time to live on island time and make a stop!

Sitting in the center of the city, Pennie’s Tex Mex Take Out is situated in a building that’s been around the block for 100 years and has always been home to some fine food.

“This is Galveston’s best kept secret,” said longtime customer, Robert Quintero.

“I come here at least once a week,” admitted Galveston local, Ben Faulk.

“The food is incredible and it has history,” said customer, Tulisha Dampier, “it’s just happiness.”

“We’re the best little takeout in Texas, man, I’ll tell you what,” said Cameron Moreno.

Cameron is the grandson of Israel Ochoa who was also known as Pennie. In 1978, Israel and his wife, Connie, bought an old meat market and continued the tradition of slicing beef with the added bonus of barbacoa and tamales.

“I came over here and I remember running around as a little kid, seeing them work and how everybody used to come in there. I love my grandfather and my grandmother, and it really put a spark under me,” Cameron explained.

Damaged during Hurricane Ike, the meat market that had been a part of the area for so long was forced to close its doors.  A decade later, a new generation decided it was time to continue the the tradition of cultural cuisine, with an added twist of Texas BBQ!

“Everyone wanted to see it. People loved my grandfather and my grandmother, and I can tell now more than ever in the way they come in and talk about them,” said Cameron.

They brought out the Tex side of things with the addition of BBQ to the menu, which can be a little confusing for folks looking for Tex-Mex of a different kind.

“Some people come in here asking for enchiladas and stuff…We understand where you get the impression,” he said.

Cameron’s dad, Louis, mans the smoker, his Mom, Isis, does anything and everything, while Grandma Connie is still on hand making sure her tamales are worth every cent.

“Oh yeah…She lets me know. I’m the boss in here, but when she walks in, she’s right there,” continued Cameron, “I tell you what. I say, ‘Yes ma’am.'”

“People love her tamales. There’s no doubt about it,” said Cameron’s father, Luis.

“I was real happy that they took it over because…they’re going to make a good business,” explained Connie.

Louis and Cameron put together a plate of monstrous proportions to please our palate. First up is the BBQ, along with ribs, sausage, barbacoa, and tamales!

“They [tamales] are extremely labor intensive. We have to close Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to make the tamales,” continued Luis, “It’s a process…it’s a whole lot of work.”

“Tamales are a lot of work and we concentrate on the one kind because we do it so well. We just want to make sure that each tamale is perfection,” Cameron explained.

Their hard work pays off! The hardest decision is what to order, because it is all that good.

“The barbacoa, in the morning, that is the best thing,” said Connie.

“Mr. Ochoa has a recipe that beats all recipes,” claimed customer, Robert.

“It’s hard to decide if do you love the food better or the family? Because they’re all equally as wonderful,” said customer, Tulisha.

So whether you’re looking for some Texas barbecue or some Mexican tamales, Pennie’s Tex Mex Take Out on Galveston island is well worth the stop on The Texas bucket List.

“It’s one of those Texas gems that you’re going to hear from someone, as word of mouth” Tulisha explained.

“Food is wonderful. People here are wonderful,” confirmed Robert.

“Before you kick the bucket…try Pennie’s,” said Connie.

The Texas Bucket List – The Republic Steakhouse in College Station

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College Station – The continuously increasing population of Aggieland has turned a once small town situated next to the train tracks into a thriving community, and it is not only on game days.  As the Brazos Valley becomes bigger and bigger, so does the desire for refined dining and The Republic Steakhouse knows how to whoop it up.

“They definitely need to come here before an Aggie kickoff, you know what I’m saying?” said customer, Brandi Reed.

“As a foodie, I love the high end food,” said Kyle Parker, a frequent visitor at The Republic.

“I can go on and on about our food. I’m quite partial,” confessed Wade Barkman, owner of The Republic Steakhouse.

Wade brought big flavor to BCS back in 2007, but it all started in the 90’s when the former JUCO baseball player had to make a decision about his life.

“Well, you can continue to pursue that and get degrees from schools you may not want to get degrees from,” continued Wade, “or you can use your brains, give up baseball, and go play… school.”

He attended Texas A&M and earned his degree in business management and then pursued his dream of owning his own restaurant by the age of 30.

“I made the boastful claim to my parents when I was about 15 or 16 that if baseball doesn’t work out I’ll open my first restaurant by the time I turn 30,” he said.

Wade attended the Culinary Institute of America, and afterwords landed his first job in Las Vegas—but it wasn’t as glamorous as he had hoped.

“You got three degrees and you’re counting kegs in the pump room underneath Caesar’s Palace and it’s very humbling. And then your next job is the Cleopatra’s Barge. It was my first official position,” he explained.

Eventually hard work and consistency paid off as Wade made his way through the ranks for 6 years in Sin City.

“Six years in Las Vegas is about 15 anywhere else,” he said. “To leave Wynn Las Vegas to go back to College Station turns a few heads, when people have no idea where that is. ”

With only six weeks to spare before his 30th birthday, The Republic opened its doors and brought a steakhouse to Bryan College Station unlike any before.

“I spent a lot of time researching what the classic American, timeless steak house is,” he said. “Back to the 1880s to 1920s… the quad Hollywood booths that you’ll see over here, that doesn’t exist anymore. That used to be in almost every supper club in the late 1800s to 1940s… to Hollywood booths over here to… create a bunch of crazy cool pockets of what I’ve always called ‘excuses to come into the restaurant.'”

One of the best excuses to come in is the massive whiskey collection.

“There’s one place I know of, in Chicago, in this entire country that has a better whiskey list,” said Wade.

Wade piloted a flight of fine whiskey and finished things off with a special bottle known as Michter’s Celebration.

“This one is as rare as it gets,” he explained. “It’s unbelievably hard to find it… It’s only been released twice… so there’s only been two barrels ever in the history and that’s 2013 in 2016. So when you find something that rare you have to get it.”

In the kitchen, Wade and chef, Gary, worked up a few fine dishes, starting with a shrimp dish with Cajun roots.

“Refined version of a New Orleans style barbecue shrimp, but we call it Gulf Shrimp Beurre Monté, because in Texas this is not barbecue [but] in New Orleans it is,” said Wade.

This dish is all about the shrimp and the sauce.

“We instruct our servers to make sure that they don’t clear this dish before all the sauce has gone, because it’s worth getting just for the sauce, and the rest of the components are incredible as well,” he commented.

Next up a, steak au poivre.

“It’s a classic way of eating a steak. It’s also a way that not a lot of people are eating steaks these days, and we, like a lot of things, try to bring back some of the classic, old school ways of preparing and eating steaks and crazy cocktails. I’m a bit of an old school guy,” he confessed.

“It’s the best steak you’re going to get in town…” said customer, Brandi.

To top it all off, some Ribeye Tartare.

“Small diced filet mignon mixed with curried red chili paste, medium diced red onions, flash fried capers, extra Virgin olive oil, Nam Pla fish sauce,” Wade continued, “so then you just make sure that you mix all of those flavors thoroughly… This is a dish that was not popular at all… and now it has such a cult-ish following that if we took it off the menu… It would be a problem.”

“I refused to even try it, and my friend said, ‘You know what? I’m going to mix it up, put a potato chip. Try it one time, if you don’t like it spit it out on a napkin…’ And you know what? It’s fantastic,” confessed customer, Kyle.

When eating at The Republic, it feels like you should be in Vegas, or New York, or Chicago, but instead you’ll find this fine dining experience in College Station.

If you’re looking for some of the finest flavors in the Brazos Valley for steak, wine, whiskey, shrimp, and even a little filet mignon tartare, The Republic Steakhouse is well worth a stop.

“This is the best place in College Station to come to,” confirmed customer, Kennedy Jameson.

“Definitely worth the trip to come here and get the experience one time for sure, if not at least twice,” shared Kyle.

The Texas Bucket List – Ponderosa Restaurant & Hotel in Snyder

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Snyder—If you ever find yourself scouring through county seat of Scurry County, head to the west of town for a restaurant in front of a rest stop; because you might just need a room for a nap after eating here. The Texas Bucket List Bite of the Week goes to Ponderosa Restaurant & Motel, a small business known for its savory, sizable portions.

“You get plenty of food,” said customer, Bobby Hernandez. “You leave full, not hungry.”

“It’s not big,” Luis Conteras, Ponderosa’s owner, commented on the portion size. “It’s what you pay for.”

Luis loves making meals memorable and making sure his customers get their money’s worth. Born in Mexico and raised in California, he did not follow his fellow west coasters to the capital city, but opted for the big country instead. Luis was tired of California dreaming and wanted to raise his daughter somewhere simpler.

“L.A. is very hard for kids to grow up in the school; between ten to fifteen years old, sixteen years old—it’s the hardest part of their lives,” he said. “You don’t want that kind of life for your kids.”

Fate was on his side in 2001 when he picked up a classified ad.

“We saw this ad in the thrifty nickel… and we couldn’t believe it, the price,” explained Luis. “A hundred and twenty thousand dollars; twenty-five rooms with one point seventy-five acres. It was unreal.”

He packed up his family and purchased the hotel that needed a heck of a lot of work.

On the topic of moving to Texas, Luis claimed,  “[It] was the best thing that happened to me.”

Once he renovated his hotel, he built a restaurant. Luis and his wife Lucia run this little joint with love, but Lucia knows to leave the cooking to Luis.

“That’s what I fight with my wife [about]. Kitchen is mine, not hers,” he said.

Maybe that’s because his meals are beyond big. Take breakfast for example!

“It’s just only three pancakes, hash browns, bacon, sausage, ham and five eggs with whatever way you want it,” Luis said nonchalantly.

One big smothered burrito caught our eye thanks to its unique combination of carne.

“I call it a mix between barbacoa and birria, ” said Luis. “Birria is one of the most traditional dishes in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. It’s the most common.”

With an unreal amount of meat on the grill, Luis started warming up a massive tortilla made especially for his restaurant. Refried beans, rice, the meat and cheese were tossed on the tortilla. A special sauce consisting of salsa, spices, queso and enchilada sauce along with peppers and onions tops off the inside. Luis then flipped the behemoth burrito and covered it with more sauce!

“That’s eleven ninety-nine,” he said.

A surprisingly small price for a burrito the size of a newborn baby.

“It also comes with a birth certificate. In case, you want it?” Luis joked.

“It’s amazing man, it’s real good,” said customer, Miguel Juarez. “There’s not a lot of places that… fill you up like this, you know?”

“Like I said, you get your money’s worth,” confirmed Bobby Hernandez.

If you are looking for a literal hole in the wall with hefty portions and amazing taste, head to Snyder, Texas to visit the Ponderosa Restaurant & Motel, a perfect stop on The Texas Bucket List.

The Texas Bucket List – Underwood’s in Brownwood

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Brownwood—When driving through the little big town of Brownwood, it’s hard to miss the old cowboy calling people to the table at Underwood’s. Take a few minutes to see what all the fuss is about at this fine establishment that’s been around since 1946. If you do, you’ll be happy you heard the imaginary ringing of that bell!

Just take it from many of their loyal customers.

“One of our favorite places in the state of Texas, maybe anywhere, to eat,” said Joe Lombard.

“It’s just really, really good,” raved Joyce Ragland.

“It’s been one of my favorite places to eat all of my life,” expressed Pat Hagerman.

“I don’t think they can imagine a Brownwood without it,” said Paul Underwood, one half of the brother duo that runs Underwood’s.

Paul and Leo Underwood are the third generation of Underwood’s to make sure the family name is honored at the beloved food joint. This dynamic duo have been in charge of the family business since their father retired, but that wasn’t their first career choice when both boys went off to Baylor.

“I wasn’t going to do it. I was going to be a banker or stock broker or something highfalutin like that, but when I got to Baylor, whenever I’d meet somebody…and I’d tell them I’m from Brownwood. It was like, ‘Oh, that barbecue place, that Underwood’s,” continued Leo, “when I realized that, I just felt like I’d be a fool to pass up that kind of opportunity.”

“I always grew up with a love of our food,” said Paul, “but I didn’t want to come home smelling like barbecue every day.”

Eventually the boys found themselves back in Brownwood and have been proudly passing on the tradition of this unique sort of BBQ that comes with a crazy amount of sides.

“You get your meat item, you can get any and all the vegetables you like,” Leo explained, “we’ll bring some fresh hot rolls around to your table. Homemade cobbler for dessert…And your drink, everything included for that price.”

Selecting a meat is not as simple as it sounds with Underwood’s surplus of smoked meats and savory chicken to choose from.

“Our sliced barbecue beef steak…It’s our number one seller. Very lean, very tender. We have St. Louis style spare ribs…chicken fried steak. We have a barbecue chicken and a roast chicken. We have a mild German sausage and a spicy jalapeno cheese sausage and Mama Underwood’s fried chicken,” listed Leo.

After gathering up as made sides as humanly possible, people make their way down the line to the rolls that always get a warm reception.

“The rolls are to die for,” said Pat.

“My dad couldn’t keep up with the demand for those hot rolls,” Paul explained, “we’d be out of rolls so he’d have to catch up with people… That wasn’t any intentional kind of deal, but now people, they’ve started really loving it. ‘Oh, I love it when you bring those hot rolls right out of the oven to our table.'”

These really good rolls are so revered that whenever a fresh batch comes out of the oven, there’s a light letting those ‘kneading’ another to be on the lookout.

When it comes to tackling your meal, beginning with beef is truly the only way to go. It’s like a barbecue steak, tender, like you could just roll your tongue around and it will come apart.

“The food is the best. I mean, you just can’t get better food than this,” said Underwood’s customer, Joe.

“You can brag about [how] you’ve been in business over 70 years… but nobody cares,” said Paul, “ultimately, if you’re not good that day, nobody cares how long you’ve been in business.”

“If you have to go a little out of the way. It’s worthwhile to come down to Underwood’s,” Joe confirmed.

“One of a kind,” said Leo, “every Texan should experience Underwood’s.”

Well, if you’re looking for the best beef steak between Brownfield and Brownsville, a stop at Underwood’s in Brownwood is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“This is Texas. This is Texas food,” said Joyce, “and that’s just the way it is.”

The Texas Bucket List – The Texas Chili Parlor in Austin

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Austin⁠— In 1976, we celebrated America’s 200th birthday and Texas’ gift to the nations, the Texas Chili Parlor. From its Mad Dog margaritas and true Texas chili, this Austin icon is known for being in movies, songs by Guy Clark, and the home of owner, Scott Zublin, or as most call him, Zoob.

“Zoob; Z-O-O-B. Booz spelled backwards,” said Zoob.

Born in Houston, Zoob grew up in New York, but returned to Texas to work in the oil fields back in the 80’s.

“You start out as a rough neck. They throw you out there and see if you’re going to make it or not. I loved it, you know? Throwing that big iron,” he said.

Whenever he had time off in the capital city, he headed to Texas chili parlor. He feel in love with the hole in the wall that has been a part of the Lone Star State linage for over 40 years.

“In 1976, the state capital named chili the state dish. The same year the Chili Parlor opened. Coincidence? I think not,” commented Zoob.

In 2002, the parlor ended up in a precarious position and he knew he had to do something.

“…The property had been seized for lack of a tax payment,” he continued, “I walked into the councils office with a check for $50,045. That’s what they owed; they gave me the keys immediately.”

After working in the oil field for 23 years, Zoob found himself in a new position as caretaker of the storied chili parlor. He took the parlor back to square one and is adamant about keeping the place how it was meant to be.

“You can’t be in Austin without hearing about the Texas Chili Parlor,” said Matthew Lewis.

“It’s Austin. Right? It’s a hole in the wall with great food,” said Allix Jackson.

Unable to pick just one, we decided to try a chili combo, handpicked by Zoob himself.

The combo featured three different chilis— white chili, the 2x, and habanero chili.

“For everyday chili it’s pretty darn good,” said Zoob.

“I can’t do the 3x. I’ll be just, sweating like crazy.” said Leo York

All of them were incredible. The white chili is what Zoob likes to call designer chili, the 2x is a classic bowl of reds done right, but the habanero chili leaves you wanting more.

“I warn people that…their first bowl of habanero, you’re going to get addicted,” said Zoob, “every time you come in you’re gonna want it on something.”

“I think it’s fantastic,” said Allix.

Well if you’re ever in the mood for a real bowl of chili. The Texas chili parlor is well worth the stop.

“You just need to get a good bowl of certified Texas chili,” said Matthew.

“As long as I’m alive it’s going to stay here, I’ll tell you what” said Zoob,  “and if I move on I’m going to make sure whoever buys it from me is going to keep it the same way.”

The Texas Bucket List – Henderson & Kane General Store in Houston

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Houston⁠—In the historic 6th ward of Houston, you’ll find this neighborhood store attracting all sorts of customers.  That includes furry friends just looking for someone to throw them a bone.

“The bulldog is a sight to see, man, he’s a big guy,” said Michael Martin.

“You’ll see him and he’ll just stop and he won’t move until he gets a treat,”  explained Veronica Avila, one of the owners of Henderson & Kane.

Veronica, her brother Jesse and her husband John started this small business in 2018 and have already cooked up quite the reputation.

“It’s pretty tremendous barbecue,” said Joe Bailey Jr.

“Some of the best brisket if you’ve ever had it,” claimed Scott McLemore.

Breakfast tacos, barbecue and baked goods. It’s the trifecta. “For sure, and coffee,” added Veronica.

Being in the food industry was not Veronica and John’s main goal in life. Veronica was an architect for 15 years, and John did accounting, but when they followed their family lineage in food making, destiny had another destination for the couple.

“I think that I knew when we met that it was going to end in all of this one way or another,” she said.

“We both do come from families that are more involved with food a long time ago and I think that the passion and the love that was in that industry was not necessarily in accounting or architecture,” John added.

Veronica’s grandparents owned a restaurant in El Paso and John’s owned a tamale and BBQ joint in Bryan.

“When I walk in, and I smell the brisket, in my mind, I’m not smelling brisket but I’m smelling my grandfather’s old place in Bryan, Texas. To me, that’s good for the soul,” John explained.

Well I was ready for a sample and Veronica suggested something sizable.

“We call our five meat plate the Pitmaster… because it does give you a little bit of all of our smoked meats and quite a few of our sides,” she said.

So here we are at the Henderson and Kane General Store with a barbecue platter that is not very general, it is particular with smoked meats: brisket, pulled pork, ribs, sausage, turkey and all sorts of sides. We’re going to start with the brisket because that’s usually the star of the show, but it might not be here. They all might be stars. Smells amazing, looks amazing, cooked amazing, smoked amazing. How many more amazing can there be? Tastes amazing.

“I’ve eaten enough barbecue in my life to concern a cardiologist a few times and this place is incredible,” Scott said, “I’ll ignore what my cardiologist says if he tells me not to eat here.”

“Out of one to ten, it’s like eleven, twelve,” Michael commented.

“There’s Texas barbecue and then there’s really great Texas barbecue” Scott added, “and they got it nailed.”

Well, if you’re a little piggy that needs to go to the market for some bodacious barbecue and you happen to be in Houston, Henderson and Kane is well worth a stop on the Texas bucket list.

“We’re proud in Texas” said John, “anytime there is anything to be proud of, we love letting the world know and Texas barbecue is definitely one of those things which is the best in the world.”

The Texas Bucket List – Neches River Wheelhouse in Port Neches

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Port Neches – In the Golden Triangle of Texas sits a golden stop for soaking up sun, seeing some serious ships, and sampling the spiciness in Southeast Texas.  It’s called the Neches River Wheelhouse and it’s like a little oasis on the banks of the Neches.  

Lance Bradley is one of the masterminds who came up with this cozy place to get a cocktail and satisfy your craving for a carefree place to chow down. Lance, Bert Lamson and Robbie Muse opened the Wheelhouse in 2014 after the three friends got tired of ordering an extra beer during happy hour.

“We would get together in the afternoons and have a couple of beers before we went home and we would go to one particular place and they would serve us five beers in a bucket and five does not divide into three very well,” Lance said. “And so we kept trying to get them to do six beers in a bucket and they never did. And so we finally decided that we should just open our own place where we have six beers in a bucket. It all came down to one beer and that’s how the Neches River Wheelhouse idea originated.”

Now, they proudly served six beers in a bucket. If you’re lucky enough to be on hand to see a ship go by, you get a shot at a shot with more alliteration than your typical Texas Bucket List tale.

“We have a bell out here at our palapa and in the restaurant and as soon as the ship comes by, the bell rings and we have ship shots specials,” Lance said.

Once a big ol’ boat does go by, it’s hard to miss. If it’s fun you’re looking for, the Wheelhouse will float your boat, but what about the food?  We somehow found our way to the back to find a way to drown our ship shot. Head Chef Adrian Zepeda prepared a dish that’s right in our wheelhouse: the Cajun grilled cheese sandwich.

“You start out with your basic grilled cheese sandwich and then you put some crawfish on it and it just takes it up several notches and that’s what makes it special,” Lance said.

I’m all for feeling good, especially after our ship shots. Adrian got started with exactly what I needed: Lots of bread.

“First thing we do is toast the bun,” Adrian said. “Toast the bun, make sure it’s nice and toasted. There’s your crawfish right there. We just season it with some Cajun seasoning. Let it get hot. And next thing we do is we put our American cheese. Put your cheese. Let it get nice and hot.”

Once it’s all melted together, it’s time to sample the sandwich and look for more boats.

“It takes it away from being just a basic sandwich to something that is uniquely southeast Texas and for far as we’re concerned uniquely Wheelhouse,” Lance said.

If you’re into views on the water, boats going by, ship shots, or even great grilled cheese sandwiches, the Neches River Wheelhouse in Port Neches, Texas is well-worth a stop on the Texas Bucket List.

“Beach bungalow type place with great food and scenery and the breeze and people and the music and it’s a great vibe,” Carolyn said. “It’s just, it’s worth it.”

The Texas Bucket List – Hullabaloo Diner in College Station

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College Station – When it comes to life in Aggieland, Texas A&M is a hot topic in this part of Texas.  So is the cuisine in College Station thanks to a booming population in Bryan/College Station. Fortunately, the food at Hullabaloo is a hot spot for college kids and the fine folks who frolic around Brazos Country.

Rich Risbon, his wife Sydney, his daughter-in-law Natalie and his pet parrot Turkey lead the charge at this little diner. We’ve been coming here for a long time considering we’ve been shooting our show here since 2013. The best part of shooting our show at Hullabaloo’s is getting a chance to grub on some great food.  Since 2005, they’ve been serving up delicious diner food from the diner car they found on the internet.

“On eBay, yes,” Rich said. “I don’t remember, it wasn’t much though. It cost ten times that to get it here.”

After shipping it down from New York, the diner got an overdue overhaul.

“Stools are all original,” Rich said. “We left the original counter top which, you know, being up in New York area everybody’s wearing coats. So you can see all the sleeve marks on the countertop, but it survived.Some of the same tile work on the wall. We ended up taking some off, some of the wall over there to fix spots over here, and patch it with a checkerboard over there to make it work, cause you can’t match that same color anymore, you know.”

You’ll find all sorts of offerings from homemade pie, ridiculously sized reubens and pork rinds with a punch. Being from Philly, Rich knew the menu had to include one more thing: Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches.

“It is the place to get a Philly,” Rich said. “Even our rolls come from Philadelphia, so we actually get the meat from Philadelphia, too. You’re getting the Amoroso roll, which is baked in Philadelphia. And you’re getting the Philly meat straight from Philadelphia. So it’s a Philly steak sandwich original, you know, just a few thousand miles away.”

Food from a far away place known as the Northeast might have been a hard sell at first, but it didn’t take long for folks to take notice.

“Probably Food Network showing up,” Rich said. “We ended up being on a second one which was fine. They came here and this is the second place they ever filmed.”

If it’s good enough for a guy named Guy, I’m looking forward to getting a taste. We’re going to try a new offering, and it sound like something we can refuse.

“We have a Roman Sausage sandwich, and we have a Philly Cheesesteak and just a year or two ago Rich started, like, combining them out of, you know, boredom,” Sydney said. “We’re always looking for things to do and, like, new things to eat cause we see that they, you know, change stuff all the time.”

Sydney got started with the sausage.

“So we get to slice it to get the meat out of the casing,” Sydney said. “That we’re going to stick under a weight to help it cook a little quicker.”

After some more cooking, it was time to step into the ring.

“Spice with a little kick,” Alicia Jordal said.

The Philly Roman Combo, an incredible stop at the Hullabaloo Diner in College Station. Even the Mayor of Flavortown approves and it’s well worth a stop on the Texas Bucket List.

“One of the best I’ve had,” Heath said. “Sausage has got a bit of a kick to it, but not too bad.”

 

The Texas Bucket List – Brasserie 1895 in Friendswood

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Friendswood – In a part of Texas known for Tex-Mex and barbecue, there is a fancy fine establishment in Friendswood that feels a bit different than the rest. Brasserie 1895 is a can’t miss spot that infuses some fun flavors.

“We have a lot of people, foodies if you will, that come for the adventure,” Kris Jacob said.

Owner and Chef Kris is originally from Poteet. His wife works with him at this uniquely named  restaurant. They got 1895 from the year Friendswood was established, but Brassiere is a European thing.

“When you go to a brasserie in Europe, they don’t have suburbs, they have neighborhoods and each neighborhood has their own brasserie,” Kris said. “It’s the place you go to hangout, the bar, a lot of them make their own beer, cocktails and just simple food. But it’s really just a hangout.”

To complete the European feel, Christian Echterbille, also known as Chef Bill from Belgium, fits the bill.

“A lot of people ask me why Texas,” Chef Bill said. “So I tell them, ‘Why not?’”

These two have been at each other’s side since the mid 90’s when Kris went to culinary school.

“Everything that he did, he just changed my perspective of cooking, and I think at that point that’s when I fell in love with cooking,” Kris said. “I saw what he could do and I said, ‘I gotta know how to do that.’”

“Yeah, begins as a student, finish as my boss,” Chef Bill said.

With the assortment of incredible cooking knowledge, we couldn’t wait to taste their burger and chicken fried steak.

“We use a lot of different products that you may not be comfortable with, but when you actually taste them prepared correctly it’s great,” Kris said.

First, Kris prepared the burger. A simple beef patty is cooked with salt and pepper and topped with some unique cheeses.

“So we have Gruyère in here, we have some brie,” Kris said. “We’re gonna do a thing called gratine.”

Once the burger is cooked, it is topped with the cheese mix. Then a house-made onion raisin jam is added. With that, the creation is complete.

“They’re plumped up with Cognac,” Kris said.

On to the chicken fried steak which starts with beef cutlets marinated in buttermilk for three days.

“Then we go into what I call a cowdust,” Kris said. “On to the green beans, and the full foie gras gravy.”

Potato puree and the pieces of steak get stout side of foi gras gravy.

“The sauce, gravy if you will, is actually a white wine reduction, with a chicken stock reduction, with a heavy cream reduction, and then we finish it with foie gras and truffle,” Kris said.

Apparently, putting on the fancy sauce was the only way Chef Bill would allow something like Chicken Fried Steak on the menu.

“If you ask Bill to do a chicken fried steak he’d probably tell you, ‘Dude, we’re not doing chicken fried steak,’ Kris said.

Well, thankfully we are.

“You can eat it and it tastes great and the ingredients are really high end,” Doug Wrinkle said.

Having never tried foi gras before I was a bit surprised when it came to tasting.

“Normally, there’s no guy around here that’s gonna say, ‘Yeah man, sure dude, I’m up for the foie gras gravy,’” Kris said. “But once they taste it, it’s gold.”

With flavors from across the pond and a little bit of home cookin’ all mixed together, Brasserie 1895 in Friendswood, Texas is definitely well-worth a stop on the Texas Bucket List.

“It might be the best meal you’ve ever had,” Doug said.