Panda Express

2501 W Parmer Ln
Austin, TX
(512) 821-2307

My wife and I were on our way to a meeting and needed something quick for dinner and I let her talk me into Panda Express.  It was against my better judgment.  I'd been there once before and hadn't liked it.  

First, I don't really like the way they do things.  You end up having to order two entrees, along with rice and soup and an egg roll cost extra.  By the time you get what would be considered a whole meal in a true Chinese Restaurant, it costs you as much or more as that Chinese Restaurant, and it isn't nearly as good.

I got Orange Chicken, as the closest thing to the Sesame Chicken that I love, and something with Beef and broccoli.  The chicken was chewy, the beef was tasteless, and they need to change the name of that entrée to Broccoli with a hint of Beef.  There was very little beef, which as I said was tasteless, and it was hidden in masses of overcooked broccoli.

Of course, things can't help but be overcooked, because they come out and sit under heat lamps for hours on end.  But, I didn't think that chinese cooking could manage to cook all the flavor out of food this way.  Of course, Panda Express bears as much resemblance to chinese cooking as Taco Bell does to mexican cooking (and I like Taco Bell).  And, to accentuate the tastelessness of the fried rice, they didn't give enough sauce with either the chicken or the beef to add much flavor to the rice.

The fried rice was as tasteless as the beef.  I got an egg roll and it was actually crispy on the outside, which was a bit of a surprise, but it was mushy inside, and it tasted a bit odd.  I have eaten a lot of egg rolls and none of them ever tasted like this.

Now, it wasn't a complete loss and I might go back to Panda Express, but it won't be for the Orange Chicken, the Broccoli Beef, the Fried Rice or the Egg Roll.

The Hot and Sour Soup was excellent.  I am a big fan of Hot and Sour Soup, even if all I really want is the broth, and theirs was really good, probably the third best I have ever had and certainly worth a return trip, but I think I will just get the Hot and Sour Soup to go, and then slip across the street to Taco Cabana for Mexican food a step above Taco Bell.

The Great Austin Burger Hunt - Burger King

Burger King

2700 Guadalupe

(512)477-5672

Well, the advertising worked on me...once.  Over the weekend, I saw several commercials for the Burger King Chef's Choice Burger, and that is what I decided to try.  Now, it is not too unusual considering that I write the Great Austin Burger Hunt.  Now, I often end up buying burgers while out doing something else for lunch, and that was again the case today.

I was intrigued by the description of the burger, a special blend of beef, bacon, a thick slice of American Cheese (meh) and an artisan roll.

The first problem was the lettuce.  It was leaf lettuce, but they used the base of the leaf, so that I ended up with a thick stalk, almost like having a celery stalk on the burger.  It was not appetizing, and I ended up pulling it off the burger and throwing it away.

The meat was tasty-ish.  There was nothing wrong with it, but there wasn't really anything special about it either.  It was beef, and surprisingly, the signature Burger King char-broil taste was missing.

The cheese was there, but American cheese is never much to write home about, and putting on a thicker slice, means a thicker slice of nothing much to write home about.

The bacon was limp.  By my way of thinking that makes it undercooked.  Mostly, that makes it a big non-factor in the burger.

An Artisan Roll?  Well, they may want to claim that it is an artisan roll, but I doubt an artisan would be willing to claim it.

The fries were good, better than I remember for Burger King.  They were fairly large cut and well cooked.  I also found that they had reasonable legs, so one point for the BK boys.

Having nothing to do with the burger, except that it could affect any future decision to try Burger King again, the only diet drink they had was Diet Coke.  I prefer Coke Zero or Diet Dr. Pepper.  I have been known to make restaurant choices based on beverage selection.

Conclusion?  I cannot recommend the Burger King Chef's Choice Burger.  It was a very average burger at a premium price...not a good combination.

The Great Austin Burger Hunt - Stallion Grill

Stallion Grill
5201 Aiport Blvd

512-380-9433

I have to admit that I ate my burger from Stallion Grill on the run. I'd been out doing errands on my lunch hour and saw the Stallion Grill and decided to give it a chance. I intend to go back some time and sit down for a burger at my leisure.

The combo that I got was a little odd. It isn't a big chain, so no one asked me if I wanted to upsize, and I ended up with a very small drink. Of course, that isn't the biggest problem in the world, since I didn't actually come for a soda, that is just to wash down the burger and fries.

The burger was enormous, 1/3 lb. and you get a selection of cheeses. I chose Swiss. The burger was excellent, one of the best I have had during my search and easily in the top five, possibly as high as second. The meat was well cooked, not too done, and the cheese was actually there...as a taste, and not just a gooey mass. The only bad thing I have to say about the burger is that the bun did not impress, and yet it was still better than most fast food buns.

The fries were seasoned. They were a bit on the greasy side, but they had good legs as I drove back to work, and they provided catsup in a cup, which is a big boon for the driving diner. When are fast food restaurants going to understand that a catsup packet is worthless to someone in a car?

I was very impressed and the Stallion Grill will be getting more of my business.

Fast Breakfast Tacos Done Right

Taco Cabana

517 MLK Blvd

Austin, TX 78701

(512) 478-0875

So, in a recent review I mentioned Taco Cabana in passing, and I thought I would give them a full review for their breakfast tacos. Taco Cabana's standard breakfast taco combo is $3.29 for two tacos and a drink. If you look back at my previous breakfast taco review, you might see that I paid $3.25 for those two tacos, with no drink.

The real beauty of the Taco Cabana taco is that it is constructed after you order it. Fresh tortilla (they make their own) loaded with eggs and bacon and then wrapped up just for you. Of course, the eggs and bacon are cooked before you ordered it, but the whole thing isn't assembled ahead of time, and then stuck in a warmer.

Fresh food is always better, and so the mass produced tacos of the taco truck just are not going to fair well in comparison...and they don't.

I like the Taco Cabana salsa and I like to order cheese on the side. You can order the cheese on the taco, but I found that the amount of cheese they add to the taco is very small, but if you order it on the side they give you a little tub of cheese which is plenty for two tacos.

There may be better breakfast tacos in Austin, but they aren't close to my work, and they don't have a drive-thru.