Some of my favorite Christmas gifts when I was young included: an NFL electronic football game (perhaps it wouldn’t compare favorably with a Wie), Cowboy pistols and holster (apparently an annual gift from my maternal grandfather), a 007 spy kit, a football uniform (with shoulder pads and helmet), and my brother’s rock-em-sock-em robot. There were also the wonderful pairs of boxing gloves my parents gave my brother and me one Christmas. Was that a good idea? But it worked — at least it did for me since I was 4 1/2 years older. Dad was the problem. He’d been a Missouri Golden Gloves champion as a young man, and boxing him was NOT FAIR.
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Donald Trump looks small when he’s mean and vindictive. No defense for Rosie here, but there is irony in having Mr. Trump as the moral compass for young women who stray.
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Here’s my “If You Come to Abilene for Christmas” guide.
Bar-b-que?
1. Sharon’s (across from Towne Crier). Now our favorite bar-b-que place in town. Be sure to get the corn.
2. Betty Rose’s. I like the smaller version on S. 7th. Maybe it’s because it’s so close to the office. The friendliness of the people there matches the excellent food.
3. Joe Allen’s. Not quite the same ambiance since they left the shack on Treadaway . . . but still good.
4. Harold’s. Two kinds of sauce: “hot” and “d——— hot.” Believe the sign before you lather it on. I haven’t been since . . . yesterday.
5. Harlow’s. NW side of town.
Mexican/Tex-Mex?
1. Alfredo’s. It’s the only place in town Eddie Parish would get Mexican food. (That’s saying a lot since Eddie and Judy’s kitchen WAS the best place in town to eat Mexican food.) I will vouch for the guacamole. I’ve made sure to taste-test it scores of times before offering you, my dear readers, this recommendation. I did it for you.
2. Los Arcos. Randy Harris has made this a cult favorite. He ought to eat free there. They actually had to add on a side room. We call it the Harris Fajita Room.
3. Abuelo’s. “Los Mejores de la Casa.” About the best meal in town — though pricey by Abilene standards (about the price of a bagel and OJ in NYC).
4. Pappasito’s. I’d list it first, but it’s a little ways out of town. (2 hours and 15 minutes to the east, including a bathroom break at Love’s.)
5. Rosa’s. This is a sentimental favorite. We’ve crammed 30 people in there many times and laughed ourselves silly. If you go on Tuesday, you’ll be joined by a couple hundred ACU and Hardin-Simmons students for the Taco Tuesday special.
Oriental?
1. Szechuan. The list stops here. It was — I kid you not — named in some list of the best 100 oriental restaurants in the United States. Unfortunately, they’re closed right now for remodeling. Maybe you’ll no longer have to go at 10:45 a.m. for lunch just to get a table.
Steaks?
Hey, this is steak country. You can’t go wrong. The chains are good: Texas Roadhouse, Logan’s (so I’ve heard — we haven’t been yet), and Outback. But I’d stick with a local: either Joe Allen’s or Lytle Land and Cattle.
My favorite place to get a steak is HEB. It’s eight minutes from their meat market to my grill.
Oh, I miss Harold’s!!! That is my favorite place of all time in Abilene. I used to go there everytime I would visit. Harold would come out and sing with a voice from heaven. I can hear him now. And that hot sauce really is ____ hot!
Szechuan…. I agree it’s the best Chinese in town, but it’s been closed for six months. They’re re-opening in late spring or summer in a new building. You didn’t mention seafood….. that place between Lytle Lake and the loop has the best shrimp…. yummy! -gcl
Harolds, Szechuan, Alfredo’s (love the breakfast burrito’s), I would add Mary’s Mexican for your morning breakfast burrito - dee-lish, and Copper Creek, way pricey, but I have never had a better filet and the service is wonderful. This is our favorite special occassion restaurant. And the “D” Hot sauce at Harolds is just that! Merry Christmas.
Mack Eplen’s — the staple of after Sunday lunch - I believe an order of vegetables was 19 cents.
Eddies - hard to beat for lunch, it’s been part of Hillcrest’s day care building for 20 years.
Poco Peso - all you can eat Sopapilla’s. Not sure if it still exists or not.
Restaurants from Abilene past. Merry Christmas Mike and all!
Thanks for the mention of Mary’s . . . and I would add Hernandez bakery. The way to make a middle school boy happy on Saturday morning is to run for Hernandez bacon-and-egg burritos around 10.
Ann - Are you talking about Cahoot’s? Wonderful catfish.
Here are my favorite sandwich places:
1. Subway on S. 14th (say hello to Joseph).
2. Subway at 322 loop and Industrial.
3. Subway on Judge Ely.
And somewhere Towne Crier must be mentioned (other than just a marker to find Sharon’s Bar-b-que). Through the years, so many one-egg specials with friends.
Love Towne Crier….many daddy-daughter breakfasts were enjoyed there through high school and college.
I had Harold’s ham for the first time a couple weeks ago — a friend brought me back some when he was out for his finals. Oh my goodness……it melted in my mouth!!
I’ll be in Abilene this Christmas, but my most favorite place to eat will be in my mom’s kitchen….she still is hands down the best! Course it helps that she always makes our favorites.
I guess when you live in the southwest you like to eat things with hot sauce. Steve always claims you can’t get it hot enough. We were in Hawaii in May and stopped at one of those shrimp shacks (Giovanni’s) on the way up to Turtle Bay. He told them he really wanted them spicy. He ate about 6 and the skin around his mouth got red and blistered. I thought it was a hoot as he didn’t think they would have hot hot suace in Hawaii.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had the pleasure of visiting your town. Wow, it’s grown - you have an Abuelo’s? And don’t tell me Joe Allen’s moved from Treadaway!! I remember the best Mexican in the early 90’s was Casa Herrera. I loved the art on the walls of their N. (or S.?) First location. Then they sold out and moved by the mall. But it was still great food!
I have a plaster horse that once belonged to my Opa (german for grandfather) and one of my favorite Christmas gifts is a nick nack shelf that my wife gave me to put it on, along with copies of two photos of Opa and Oma.
Very special
Szechuan: I think we need a calendar that says: ” ______ days until the reopening of Szechuan.”
We also like Cracker Barrel. We usually have a very early Sunday breakfast there before going to early service.
I know Donald is no moral compass, but IMHO he smoked Rosie yesterday. I think the whole thing is kinda funny. Rosie has no chance against Donald. They are both like little kids, but Donald is a much smoother fighter. It will be interesting how it all truns out.
I have only been to Abilene once and I do remember Joe Allens. The size of the steaks were obscene. If I ever make it back to Abilene I will have to pass on the steakhouses. After bypass surgery I am afraid that one trip to Joe Allens might do me in.
I think Ann is talkong about Copper Creek. Fairly new. Very good!
Any list that does not have Harold’s (known by some of you as Toby’s) as number one is suspect.
Kentf: Poco Peso is long gone. The building is now owned by First Baptist.
Oldtimers will want to list Farolito’s. Still there. Still great food.
I had to google Rosie and Donald to figure out what they were fussing at each other about. Now I wish I hadn’t. Good grief.
I remember Town Crier. I ate my first chicken fried steak there. Yum.
How did Ann Thai Kitchen not make the list? It’s the best Thai food I’ve had outside of Thailand, and it’s so affordable! It far beats the more expensive Thai restaurants here in Dallas, in my opinion.
I’m no big fan of Trump, but I absolutely LOVED what he said about Rosie. It was so true.
A local news station did a poll, asking if you side with Trump or Rosie. Trump won by a big margin. What were the producers of The View thinking when they hired her? Did they think she would suddenly change from mean and ugly to nice and pleasant?
Keep talking, Rosie. Pretty soon you’ll be off of TV for good!
How I wish I were to be in Abilene this Holiday. Missing dear friends that I could laugh, joke, talk, hug, cry and just “be” with. Missed being with them for our annual Thanksgiving (due to a husband who made plans with his family! How dare him?)
But soon, very soon, we will enjoy some time together. We will make room for that laugh, joke, talk, hug, cry and just “be” and certainly eat at several of these places you mentioned.
Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year!
Can we assume you and Jared both like Subway Mike? Next time you run into Dr. M. Love ask him for a Towne Crier work story from the late 70’s. Thankfully all survived.
A moment of lament for Crystal’s Pizza. I grew up hanging out with my youth group after church every sunday getting breadsticks and a pepperoni pizza. Alas, poor Crystal’s, we knew you well.
I want to agree with Charlie about Harold’s place in the barbeque heirarchy. Get jalapeno cornbread and be happy.
And I gotta tell you, for those of us who live south and east of Abilene, Taco Bueno is a must visit when one hits town.
Tammy is right about Copper Creek. I went there with my parents and it was delish. Lobster bisque!
No defense for Rosie here, but there is irony in having Mr. Trump as the moral compass for young women who stray.
Even more ironic, imho is Rosie calling ANYONE to accountability on the moral compass issue. I know, I know, she’s the absolute paragon of morality. Yeah, right!
my favorite christmas presents…red tricycle and the Swinger camera…
and yeah..you just made me really hungry..
yikes..i watched the news about the rosie - trump war and it makes me really sad..its hate in its most black and white form…subtle hate is the worst though and i pray that today i only love even those with weird hair like the Donald’s..i just don’t understand his hair?..
Help me out here…how was Trump giving the chick a 2nd chance have anything to do with morals?
We waited 40 minutes in line at Harold’s yesterday! Got to get there a little before noon but it is well worth the wait.
This is so weird… Grant and I were talking about Chinese food just yesterday. I was commenting about how Abilene has lots of great restaurant choices at this point, but none in the Chinese cuisine category. I just had a hankering for a little Pei Wei! Wow is that yummy. I think that would do well here.
I do love Abuelo’s… awesome fajitas.
Grant and I both really like the steaks at Outback, too.
ReJoyce,
I also ate my first chicken fried steak at Towne Crier. I was a freshman at ACU, and my roomate’s faterher took a few of us there for dinner. I had never eaten or heard of Chicken Fried Steak. We didn’t eat that in Illinois.
Alfredo’s at #1, really? Man, I don’t know about that Mike. I like Mary’s a lot even though they don’t have the greatest service. I also like Abuelo’s. I went to Alfredo’s once and really wasn’t that impressed, but I guess I’ll try it again and give it another chance. I still haven’t been to Los Arcos.
Listen, If you or anyone reading this blog is ever in San Antonio, there’s this little Taqueria off of Medical and I-10, and it’s pretty friggin amazing. Probably the best Tex-Mex I’ve had in a long while, especially what they do with their fajitas. They mix shrimp, mexican sausage, chicken, and beef together and grill an extremely unnecessary amount of it in some lime juice with red and green bell peppers, and you get it all for a lot less than most other places. Also, they have Limonada!!! Only catch is you have to Speak spanish to order there, but I like that about the place.
Peace
Mike, I’m glad to see that you added all of your Subway stores.
I’d be curious to see how many people in this blogging community could place your Subway order for you.
I would have to add the Home Place to your list. It is about a 20 minute drive but it is worth the experience.
Check out Joe Hayes’ blog for a virtual Christmas card (warning: you may need a Kleenex! Who doesn’t love seeing Ira & Sophia?)
http://www.brooklynchurchplant.blogspot.com/
Mean…this post is simply MEAN. I remember the good ol days when I could come to Abilene to visit family and hit all my favorite hot spots. I NEED MEXICAN food. At this point, I’d settle for a bueno chilada platter with a strawberry Fanta at Bueno.
Just mean.
I have to eat at El Fenix and at Fujis everytime I’m in Abilene. Oh and Harold’s and Betty Rose’s. mmmm….good
Mike Cope…I. LOVE. YOU. Just the other day I was wishing that a conversation about all the best Abilene restaurants would start up on this blog (I have my reasons), and lo and behold, Santy Claus granted my wish! FUN!!! Thanks, and merry Christmas to you!
Oh, and I have to add, if you want girlie food, you can’t beat Bogey’s sandwiches and Hickory Street Cafe’s chicken salad and zucchini bread.
Merry Christmas, Jana!
Bogey’s is excellent. As is lunch at McKay’s. Or Copper Creek. Or Spano’s. Or Joe’s Italian. Or Cypress Street Cafe.
I like Johnny Carino’s (which we have) better than Macaroni Grill (which we don’t have). And now we’re a two-Chili’s town!
Jocelyn - Good reminder about the Thai place.
Here’s a lesson I learned the hard way: not to try to match your father on “heat level” with food. The man could eat fire. Actually he does. (When Szechuan reopens, ask for anything on their menu served “hot” rather than “medium” or “mild.”)
I have to have Taco Bueno and Becker’s Loft when I am back in town. Also like eating at Tamolly’s over by the mall.
Add one thing: HEB: Taste of Abilene coffee.
Joe Allen’s. As a gift for my best friend’s husband, last fall I called Joe Allen’s, asked for the biggest ribeye they had ($37 and 2″ thick AFTER COOKING…easily 2 lbs…!) and explained the situation. They wrapped it specially and it made the 300 mile trip on ice…then was slowly heated all afternoon on low, and enjoyed by a whole family! A steak that melted like butter in your mouth…great! The adventure of it all and the smile on my friend’s family’s faces…priceless.
Oh, how I love Abilene. What a hometown!
Shameless housing solicitation…Given that the apartments on ACU campus are full for the pre-semester one-week term, 1/7(pm)-1/12(am)/07, and given that qb promises to be a good boy and play nice (he’s an EARLY early bird, ~3:30am to ~8:30pm, and a boring arch-Republican killjoy at that), what are the odds that qb could find a warm, Abilene-style bed and a shower among the august denizens of this sector of the blogosphere, for just that 5 nights whilst qb toils beneath Dr. Willis’ rod in “Biblical Exegesis?” qb would handle all of his own comestibles, especially given the recommendations posted today, and could offer some modest remunerations as well for the pillow…
…anyone needing a character reference could e-mail qb (queue_ball@juno.com) for a name or two among the Minter Lane brethren and sistren; and for background on just who this qb might be, one could check out qb’s faculty web site at http://amarillo.tamu.edu/~bauvermann/.
As I said, shameless.
I moved away from Abilene about 4 months ago now… to Connecticut.
We’re headed back to Texas (Post, TX) for a few days at Christmas, and I’m imagining all the yummy places to eat there are in Abilene, and how I can escape my in-laws house to enjoy a little Los Arcos (chiken or cheese enchilada plate with Dr. Pepper, and at least two rounds of chips and hot sauce) or Ann Thai Kitchen (Panang Chicken, Four stars) or Betty Rose’s (Sausage sandwich, BBQ Sauce, Couple of slices of cornbread with that butter in the squeeze bottle); the three places that top my list for food in Abilene.
I was hopeful when we moved to Connecticut that there might be something comparable to any Tex-Mex place in Abilene. Part of my hopefulness rested in the fact that we live in Southeastern Connecticut where there is a large Hispanic population. About a month after our move, we went to a place called “Coyote Flaco,” as it was advertising itself as the best Mexican food in town. My hopes were brought low.
We were lucky to find that we could drive an hour to Providence, RI for Texas Roadhouse, which looks just like the one in Abilene. (I realize it’s a chain and I shouldn’t be so surprised that it would look the same, but boy oh boy did it make us feel at home.)
So here’s to Abilene and all it’s dining wonders.
Not really in Abilene but close. Pirini’s (sp?) in Buffalo Gap is great! The Bread pudding is fantastic. Ya’ll have a nice day and a Merry Christmas.
man…people sure do go out to eat alot!
I was already getting a little hungry before I stopped back by over here. Now I’m starving…and somehow I don’t think homemade pizza is gonna really do it for me tonight. I’m with Brandon. You’re just MEAN!
Great Mike. What a great way to torture those of us who aren’t in Abilene for the holidays. Now let me go find a tasty taro and some rice… and maybe I can imagine it’s a taco from Rosa’s. (yeah right. even my imagination won’t stretch that far.)
My favorite Chinese place in Abilene is Ecko’s. Ecko and her husband are such nice people and she makes her egg rolls from scratch–none of those frozen things are sold there. I discovered Ecko’s back in the late 70s/early 80s. Her sweet and sour sauce is delicious as is the lemon sauce on the lemon chicken.
Mike, you’re right about the corn at Sharon Allen’s–yummy. We like the South 7th Betty Rose’s too. When the banana pudding is just made and still warm–I don’t really like banana pudding but I like theirs.
My favorite Christmas memory–I was 4 or 5 and Christmas eve was Sunday night and, of course, we went to church (my dad was the preacher and way back then we always had church no matter what) and when we came home Santa Claus had been there. We lived right next door to the church building and I suppose someone helped my parents out but still…….I think it must have been old Santa Claus. I got high heel play shoes and a “mink” stole for Christmas that year. I was really dressed to the nines. I think I also got my “Beauty Parlor Chair Doll” that year–she never had another name–we always called her that. What a mouth full.
Abilene was nice but it does not compare with San Antonio.
Stake; Ruth’s Chris
Tex-Mex; PICO DE GALLO
French; La Madeleine
Sea Food; pappadeaux
Barbeque; Rudy’s
Burgers; Chris Madrids
To name a few.
why is my comment awaiting moderation, jealous
Oh, yes. A moment of silence for Crystal’s. I remember going to Abilene when I was a kid to visit my uncle at ACU and going to Crystal’s when it still had the cave. Years later, I remember eating there on Wednesday nights with pretty much all of Highland before Peak. And my favorite Crystal’s memory was when I was working at Highland and a week-long ice storm set in. Instead of going home for lunch, the office staff went over to Crystal’s every day that week. Their spaghetti was the best on those cold days.
Deana,
*Whimper Whimper Whimper*
Don’t you miss it?
Say hi to Chad.
Gotta give props to three favorites of mine. It’s unfortunate that Los Arcos isn’t the top spot for Mexican food. If you’re giving that to Alfredo’s, I’ll have to go try it out when I get back to Abilene. Little Panda is some of the best Chinese food I’ve had, it’s over by Box Office on the ACU side of town. And although there’s your usual Italian food places (great date food btw), like Olive Garden and Carinos, there’s also Spano’s at the other side of the town. I like to surprise Katie on dates and go there…only by now, it’s not so much of a surprise anymore.
Jeremiah, to my Mexican taste buds, Los Arcos is definitely in the top spot for Mexican food here in Abilene. Mexican and Tex-Mex really are miles apart in texture, taste and variety, the former being far more extensive than the latter. Los Arcos is the only place I’ve found that truly satisfies my homesick taste buds.
There is, however, a grungy little place on the corner of, I believe it’s S. 9th and Butternut, that looks like an abandoned former drive in. They have a barbacoa burrito that makes me want to catch the next flight to Guadalajara. Great authentic taste, but may not seem as spotlessly clean to suit some northamerican tastes.
Also, it’s best if you can order in Spanish. It’ll earn you a great Jalisco smile and gracias that’ll warm your heart.
Henderson, Tennessee has great barbeque.
*cough*
You can’t list best places to eat in Abilene without listing Fuji’s. Even living here in the metroplex I haven’t found a Japanese steak house that’s compares and kids love to watch the chefs. Just be sure to go at lunch. It’s a lot cheaper.
Sorry, but there is a place in Amarillo that flat out stomps Fuji’s and all other imitations. It’s called Kabuki and it sits on I-40. Tell them I sent you…
do NOT go there, Matt Elliott. We both know Tennessee does NOT compare!
AHA! You’re talkin’ about my neighborhood! When you’re at the Pappasito’s that’s 2 hours and 15 minutes from Abilene, you’re less than 2 minutes from my front door. Next time you’re here, look me up and give me a call, and I’ll meet you for lunch.
Mike, you really make us miss the mexican food and steaks in Abilene. I would be very happy with my half dozen favorites there. Mexican is almost not in existance and what is here is pretty. We’ve heard there is better an hour and a half away in Kaiserslautern but have not had a chance to try it. Beef in general is way tougher here. I still have not had german food as good as in Fredericksburg, Tex although some of it is pretty good if you don’t mind pork. It looks like it will be April before we can come home for a visit so we’ll have to settle for our own steaks and mexican food.
Oh, I have such fond memories of so many of these places during college. The Colorado BBQ joints are just not the same. My favorite is Harold’s, and my husband and I even had our rehearsal dinner there! And for steak, I vote for Perini Ranch. Not only is the steak good, the bread pudding is to die for. The best I have found anywhere. Thanks for reminding me of these great places!
Is Szechuan really that a whole lot better than Little Panda?
Dear MJ,
Yes, Szechuan REALLY is that much better…than ANYWHERE ELSE. Everyone kept telling me to get the (4-meat) House Fried Rice, but I was trying to watch the carbs and kept skipping it.
Never again.
After trying it once, I’m hooked. When it reopens, IF you can get in, try the House Fried Rice, 4 stars. (Don’t ask for it Crazy Hot unless you have free medical care.)
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