Pappasito’s
321 W. Road to Six Flags
Arlington, TX 76011
Menu: http://pappaspizza.net/images/dyn/menus/menu_208.pdf

Pappasito’s came very highly recommended by my boy Sammy (aka the concierge, who I bothered all four days I was in Arlington).

It’s interesting here to note that Pappasito’s is under the same umbrella of Pappadeaux, which I’ve already reviewed. In fact, Pappas Restaurants appears to be a power down in Texas that I’d never heard of (imagine that, coming from someone who has never lived outside Indiana, huh?). Pappadeaux is their “seafood kitchen” and this one is their “cantina.” So it was Tex-Mex. Just like Pappadeaux, the atmosphere was great. TVs all around; good, friendly service and patrons just having a good time. It might be cliche, but people were most certainly a lot nicer in Texas than in the northeast, for example.

What I Got: Ribeye and Diablo Shrimp, $25.95: “Ribeye topped with grilled peppers & onions with Diablo shrimp & choice of enchilada.”

I went with a ground beef enchilada, and thankfully it was worlds better than the El Fenix variety. Really good flavor and cheesiness, the ground beef was juicy, the enchilada sauce was fresh, etc. I was a big fan of this.

Everything — including, most importantly, the steak — was cooked properly. I went medium rare on the steak and they did it to perfection.

The ribeye was really good, but I’ve had a really good ribeye many times. The onions and peppers didn’t really add much “Mex” to it for me. Don’t get me wrong, I certainly enjoyed it. I’m just saying that my steak wasn’t really enhanced at all by the toppings. It was a ribeye and I’m admittedly a sucker for those, but this one wasn’t special.

On the shrimp, I’m not sure if the presentation was lazy or if it was really meant to be like this for a specific reason. I actually googled “diablo shrimp” to find out and didn’t find anything like this. They simply took each shrimp with the shell and legs still intact and split it down the middle. You actually should be able to see a few of the legs in the picture (look lower left, over the enchilada … the legs are burnt black). Also, since they cooked the shrimp on the grill in a split shell, the meat stuck to the shell and I couldn’t really get all of it out without eating leg/shell, too, which I really didn’t want to do. What meat I did get out was seasoned well and tasted really good. I just wish it was easier to eat.

Refried beans and Mexican rice were the sides and they were good. They tasted freshly made and were a nice complement.

Would I Buy It Again? Yes to the restaurant, no to what I got. I’m a big accountability guy and so I’m going to prove it by blaming myself here. This was a good meal. A damn good one, in fact. I didn’t really have any huge complaints, as the ribeye was good and the shrimp were fine (again, logistical issues, but that didn’t ruin the meal). But I was at a cantina. My mea culpa is that I hadn’t had a steak on the trip yet and if you straight up asked me what my favorite food is, I’d say a medium rare ribeye. It was like day six of the trip and I caved. I shouldn’t have, but I did. Not only that, but the other option for shrimp with the ribeye was brochette and I’d already had that just two days earlier. Considering it’s also under the “Pappas” umbrella, I assumed it was the same one I’d already had and passed for the sake of variety. But knowing what I know now, man, the brochette was so much better than what I got this time around.

I scroll through the menu now and wonder why I didn’t have enough foresight (or fortitude?) to try something like the gordita trio or filet fajitas with crabcake-stuffed shrimp. Or, really, any of the fajitas or combinations. Those all sound so enticing now and I’m beating myself up over the fact that I passed on them. This one was on me, so do not punish Pappasito’s for my transgression. I’m very confident the food is awesome here and I just didn’t serve myself well. Hell, as I said, I messed up and still had a good meal. That’s pretty tough to do in lots of places.

- Show

Logan’s Roadhouse
http://www.logansroadhouse.com/Default.aspx

Logan’s Roadhouse is a casual type of steak/barbecue type of eatery that is along the same lines as Texas Roadhouse (it’s almost an identical clone) and has several locations scattered around the United States, but focuses primarily on the Midwest and Southeast.  Logan’s has been in the Indianapolis area for quite a few years, but for some reason, I had never been to one until recently.

What I Got:  Steak and BBQ Ribs Combo.  It comes served with two sides (I chose Sweet Potato Fries and the Grilled Mushroom skewer); $18.99.

Before I get into my entree, I will point out that each table is adorned with a steel bucket of unlimited peanuts and if you are a peanut loving freak like me, this can be either the biggest positive in the world or the biggest negative because you’ll eat a ton of them.  Once your done, just toss them on the floor or on the table and you are good to go.  Thankfully, I kept myself under control on this visit so that I could actually leave room for my entree.  [Note:  If you or someone you know has a peanut allergy, Logan's is not the type of environment you want to bring them into, because there are nuts and shells EVERYWHERE.]

By it’s menu description, my entree was “Our 12-ounce Rib-Eye & a half portion of BBQ Ribs” (there was also a 6-ounce option for the Rib-Eye, but I chose the larger version). 

Let’s address these individually and start with the rib-eye.  I ordered mine medium rare and it was served perfectly.  The outside was was seared perfectly and had the beautiful grill marks from the grill imprinted into it.  The steak was moist, tender and flavorful and I can really give this one a big thumbs up.

The Ribs were also outstanding.  They had that sometimes overplayed “fall off the bone” quality and were moist and flavorful.  They were also lathered in a sweetish flavored barbecue sauce that I found very appetizing.

As for my side items, they were kind of what you’d expect.  You can never go wrong with grilled mushrooms and these were no different.  They were decent sized and had that wonderful grill flavor.  The sweet potato fries were crispy and flavorful, although I wish I had more (not a knock on Logan’s, but just a knock on how hungry I was).

Would I Buy It Again?  Definitely.  I don’t know why it took me so long to get to Logan’s, but I’ll definitely be going back in the future.  It’s a great competitor for Texas Roadhouse and since it is closer to my house, it would probably be my first option if I was looking for the casual steakhouse experience.  Plus, if I ever have a craving for a truckload of peanuts, this is my place!

-IndianapolisEater

The Capital Grille
40 W Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
http://www.thecapitalgrille.com

As an esteemed member of “the press” (HA!!), WIBIA was invited to preview The Capital Grille’s summer wine event called “The Generous Pour.”  Being the selfless person that I am, I offered to cover this event and give everyone else a night off.  I mean, who has the time for free five-course wine dinners?  I’m practically a saint.  I’ve never dined at The Capital Grille before, so I’ll have to make some comments about the food.  In an effort to keep your attention, I’m just going to spill the details – quick and dirty-like.

The Generous Pour

July 12^th through September 4^th

$25.00 with the purchase of a meal and try as many of the featured wines as you like

Whites
Marquis de la Tour, Cremant de Loire Brut, Sparkling Wine

La Caña Albariño, 2010

Chateau St. Jean Belle Terre Chardonnay, 2008

California Reds
Freemark Abbey, Cabernet Bosche, 2003

Chalk Hill Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006

Byron Pinot Noir, 2009

International Reds
Conte Brandolini, Vistorta Merlot, 2006

Tarima Hill Monastrell, Alicante, 2009

Dessert
RL Buller, The Portly Gentleman, Port

My wife and I arrived for the preview night of “The Generous Pour” to be greeted by extremely friendly and attentive staff.  We were given canapés and French brut to hold us over while we were briefed on the premise of “The Generous Pour.”  Master sommelier George Miliotes greeted us via live webcast and explained the choices for the wine list.   Suffice it to say, The Capital Grill has put together a stellar list of wines for a very reasonable price.

Following the briefing from George, we were seated in the main dining room and given choices from a fixed menu of TCG’s most popular items; each paired with two wines from the list.  By this point, I believe we are supposed to be experiencing what the average diner could expect if paying for their dinner.  While the extremely attentive service is not usually my cup of tea, it was very well done and tasteful at all times.  At no point did I feel like we were receiving preferential treatment just because they knew we were essentially scoring their every move.  I watched the other diners around us very closely and they all received the same kind of attention that we were getting.

Enough about that…on to the food and wine!

What we got:  Getting a clear picture of the wine bottles in a dark restaurant was nearly impossible.  I apologize for the lack-luster photos.  Wine pairings are in parentheses.

Appetizers:  Fried calamari with hot cherry peppers.  Prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella with tomato salad. (La Caña Albariño and Chateau St. Jean Belle Terre Chardonnay)

Mains:  10 ounce filet with bordelaise jus (Freemark Abbey Cabernet Bosche and Tarima Hill Monastrell).  Bone-in, kona rubbed sirloin with caramelized shallot butter (Chalk Hill Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Conte Brandolini Vistorta Merlot).

Sides:  Lobster mac & cheese and sautéed spinach.

Dessert:  Flourless chocolate espresso cake.  Strawberries with ice cream and port/Grand Marnier reduction.

The appetizers were great.  Honestly, I could’ve stopped here and been blissfully happy.  My wife loves fried calamari and we get it often.  I was initially a little put off by the lack of dipping sauce, but I quickly realized that marinara or sweet chili sauce would’ve been woefully unnecessary.  The hot peppers, which I typically detest, were excellent and perfect with the surprisingly crispy and “un-rubbery” texture of the calamari.  The mozzarella dish was delicious as well, albeit a little cold.  The cheese had already started to firm back up, but the flavor was excellent.  The aggressively oaked and buttery flavors of the chardonnay worked well with the prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella and the crisp, tropical brightness of the albariño paired nicely with the spice of the calamari.

Our main courses arrived in traditional steakhouse fashion; steaks are front-and-center on the plate with shared sides that are dished out by the wait staff.  For the record, I didn’t want the filet.  I really wanted the bone-in sirloin, but I have a pathological aversion to ordering the same items as my fellow diners.  The wife wanted the sirloin, so I was stuck with the filet.  Fortunately, the filet was paired with the more expensive wines so it worked out fine.  My steak was slightly overcooked and a little under seasoned, but I’m not the kind of person to send back an order, especially a steak.  I would’ve been more inclined to complain if I had actually been paying for the meal.  My wife’s sirloin, on the other hand, was perfectly cooked very flavorful.  I didn’t pick up a lot of the coffee flavor from the rub, but the rich onion sauce really made for a great steak.  By this point in the meal, I was bordering on being uncomfortably full.  The lobster mac and cheese was excellent.  The rich, creamy sauce was studded with lots of claw meat and I genuinely wish I had been able to eat more.  The spinach, on the other hand, was nothing to write home about.  Baby spinach sautéed with whole garlic cloves, ‘nuff said.  The wine pairings didn’t have any real logical connection for me, but they certainly were delicious.  The Cabernet Bosche was rich, velvety, and dreamy.  Being the most expensive wine in the bunch, I would expect no less.  On the exact opposite end of the spectrum, the Monastrell was bright, acidic, and lively.  The real star of the main course pairings had to be the Chalk Hill Cab.  This wine was just jaw-droppingly aggressive…so much so that the Conte Brandolini Melot barely registers in my memory.  There was really nothing good or bad about it.  It just simply couldn’t stand up to the fireworks going on in the Chalk Hill glass.  Unfortunately, we did not get to sample the Pinot Noir on the list.  Neither of us ordered the corresponding entrée and we’re just not big enough pinot drinkers to ask them to uncork the bottle just for us.

The desserts were nice, but definitely very typical for the American steakhouse scene.  You’ve probably had desserts just like these elsewhere, so I won’t belabor the point.  The port was certainly appropriate for the dessert course, but we’re just simply not into fortified wines.  It was rich with lots of caramel and raisin flavors, but with the sweetness and alcohol content it tasted a little medicinal to me.  It was good enough that I found myself taking a couple of sips, but again it’s really just not my thing.

Conclusion: The Generous Pour is an incredible value.  The big WIBIA question doesn’t really apply to a free preview, but would I go back and pay a total of $50 for two wine flights filled with unique and costly wines?  Hell yes.  That’s a great deal.  The meal, on the other hand, is a whole different situation.  I would’ve killed to see the total bill for our meal.  I’m relatively certain that we would’ve passed the $200 mark, maybe more.  Granted, there is NO WAY I would’ve ordered that much food to begin with, but I just know that even a modest meal for two would probably qualify as a “special occasion dinner.”  The stipulation of The Generous Pour is that you must purchase a dinner, so keep that in mind.  I don’t think you can just go and split a couple of appetizers and qualify for the $25 wine tasting.

If you love wine, you really can’t go wrong here.  This summer tasting series was designed to expose customers to wines they wouldn’t typically order or even find on a menu in a restaurant for the lowest cost possible.  In that respect, The Capital Grille has succeeded.

-Indy Food Geek

Taco Bell Quad-Steak Burrito
http://www.tacobell.com/menuitem/Quad-Steak-Burrito

It has long been my thinking that Taco Bell should focus on what it does well and that is providing cheap and fast tacos and burritos.  At about $1.70 less than the Poblano Pesto Burrito I get from Qdoba, I had expectations that this would be a signature product for Taco Bell that would be comparable to other chain burritos but probably not as good at Qdoba or Chipotle.  In this review I will compare the Quad-Steak Burrito to Qdoba’s Steak Poblano Pesto Burrito, a fast food favorite of mine.

What I Ate: Taco Bell Quad-Steak Burrito $4.99

The Quad-Steak comes in at 13.4 oz in comparison to the 23 oz burrito from Qdoba making it more expensive per ounce.  The ingredients are simple including four servings of steak, sour cream, rice, salsa, and cheese.  Comparing nutrition to the Qdoba burrito has the Quad-Steak at 690 calories, 26 g of fat and 2140 mg of sodium to the Qdoba burrito at 1235 calories, 50g fat, and 3035 mg of sodium giving the lower quality Taco Bell Quad Steak slightly more fat and salt per ounce.  Neither will be on the list of anyone watching what they eat.

The appearance of the burrito completely turned me off.  Unlike the Qdoba burrito where you can clearly see the ingredients you have ordered, the Taco Bell Quad-Steak Burrito’s contents looked similar to all of the drop droppings in my backyard after a long winter full of snow.  Unfortunately, the taste did not save this burrito.  The steak tasted rubbery like it was a week old and was drowning in so much sour cream that you could not taste the rice or small amount of salsa included.  I tried adding some hot sauce to balance the source cream but it did not help this burrito disaster.

Would I Buy It Again?  Never! There are many menu items at Taco Bell that are half the price and are at least five times better than the Quad-Steak Burrito.  I enjoy Taco Bell but my guess is that this burrito will disappear from the Taco Bell menu and the sooner, the better.

-EatHSE

Peterson’s
7690 East 96^th Street
Fishers, IN 46038
http://www.petersonsrestaurant.com/

Peterson’s is a locally owned restaurant owned by Joe Peterson that tries to fill the role of the high-end steak and seafood restaurant meeting the needs of those seeking a special night out or the social elite who like to congregate in Peterson’s bar area where live music is often part of the scene.  My first trip to Peterson’s was about five years ago to celebrate the completion of my first 500 Festival Mini-Marathon and I thought a good steak would be a reward for my accomplishment.  On that night, I walked away from Peterson’s disappointed that they could not get a rare steak order completed correctly.  Since then, Peterson’s has hired a new executive chef, Jeff Heaviland, that I had heard positive comments on from other patrons prompting me to give Peterson’s another shot.

Environment:  When you pay the prices that Peterson’s charges for its food, you know that environment is part of the cost.  My wife and I visited on what was a hot summer night and the restaurant was packed.  Unfortunately we felt packed in and the dining room was so hot that I actually sweated through most of the meal and my wife was uncomfortable.  Our table was near the entry way to the kitchen with server traffic constantly buzzing past our table.  We were not off to a good start.  On a side note, lighting in the restaurant is dim making it difficult to get good picture quality for this review.

Service:  When our server introduced herself, she also introduced a second man that would also be our server.  Two servers for one table?  I never was told why we had two but finally figured out that the male server was in training and he was given primary responsibility for our table.  Although he did a good job answering any questions I had about the menu, there was no trust put in him by the more experienced server that was training him.  As a result, she was constantly questioning us on whether we were taken care of instead of asking the other server directly.  Questions were often duplicated by the two servers sometimes less than a minute apart.  Between the hot dining room and the constant confusion and interruptions by the servers, the food was going to have to be outstanding to overcome the negatives of the environment and service.

What I Ate:

Appetizer: Oysters Rockefeller $20

Although I usually prefer raw oysters, I decided to give this baked oyster dish a try.  Peterson’s claims they fly their seafood in daily and these oysters tasted and smelled fresh.  The combination of spinach, cream and Pecorino Romano was proportioned well and had a nice crispy texture from the baking process.  Combined with the freshness of the oysters, this appetizer choice was a big hit and I would order them again without hesitation.

Bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with crab: $ Surprise

My wife loves jumbo shrimp and the idea of them being stuffed with crab and a good sales pitch from our server sold my wife on this appetizer special.  Her order came with three shrimp and they looked well done and my wife enjoyed them enough to order another three with her filet main course.  I decided to order three for myself.  Although difficult to see in the grainy picture with my main course, the shrimp were a good size and tasted fresh.  Unfortunately, they were slightly overcooked and the bacon was hard and overpowered the crab stuffing.  The shrimp I got did not look nearly as good as the same shrimp my wife had has an appetizer thirty minutes prior.  The real kicker came when I got the bill and found out the nine shrimp cost a grand total of $54.  Yes, $6 a shrimp!  Perhaps my rare visits to “fine dining” establishments is showing through here, but I was not expecting this and especially for shrimp that was overcooked.

Drink: Mojito $9 each

With it being so warm in the restaurant, my wife and I both decided to get a Mojito as a cool refreshment. It took forever to get our drinks and when they did come, they we not very cold, tasted watered down and lacked any punch. They were a complete disappointment in comparison to other Mojitos I have gotten elsewhere. Appetizer and a drink had my bill over $90.

Main Courses:

Shark Special: $30-35

Due to my prior Peterson’s experience of not being able to get a steak cooked to what I define rare, I decided to go with a seafood dish.  The server sold me about a shark special that included a combination of peppers and corn topping covered with cilantro on top of white asparagus. Perhaps the server told me the shark included white asparagus.  I honestly do not remember him mentioning the white asparagus and had I heard the dish included asparagus, I would have never ordered a side dish of green asparagus.  I have had shark before and this dense filet was cooked well.  Although the pepper corn and cilantro idea sounded good, it lacked any kind of kick making this dish just average and one I might expect to pay $22 for at another fish restaurant.  After a few bites, I was regretting my order and wishing I would have given Peterson’s another chance to see if they could make a steak that is rare to my taste.

Petite Filet: $29 Peterson’s uses Prime Grade Beef and my wife ordered her 8 oz. filet medium-rare.  After my last experience of getting overcooked steak, I had he cut into her filet and once again, I thought the filet was and overcooked medium.  Although she thought it was close enough for her taste, I would have sent it back.  Flavor of a the filet was just average and did not compare to what I have had at Eddie Merlot’s on 96^th St. or even Morton’s downtown.

Sides:

Au Gratin Potatoes: $9

Peterson’s au gratin potatoes come topped with bacon that was too crunchy and the potatoes were undercooked.  It almost tasted like they were hurried out of the kitchen before the cheese and potatoes had time to meld together.  An easy simple dish not done well.

Jumbo Asparagus: $9

There is nothing worse than overcooked asparagus but Peterson’s got this just right. Although I am sure the Hollandaise Sauce is made from scratch, it tasted no better than what I make at home using a store bought packet at the holidays.

Dessert: Chocolate Bread Pudding $9

My wife and I split dessert and this bread pudding included milk chocolate, pecans, caramel and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.  Although I have never cared for bread pudding due to the texture, I truly enjoyed this combination.  My wife who is somewhat of a bread pudding connoisseur, said it was one of the best she ever had.

Would I Buy It Again?  No. With our total bill coming to about $220 for two including a $25 gift certificate, nearly all the food had to be a hit.  Unfortunately, my main course (shark dish) lacked any special appeal, the horribly overpriced and overcooked bacon wrapped crab stuffed shrimp, hot dining room, and annoying service left me walking away from Peterson’s disappointed again.

WIBIA and I both believe Eddie Merlot’s on 96^th Street sets the bar for steak & seafood restaurants in Indianapolis.  Their service is outstanding, environment is always comfortable and service is among the best.  When pricing out a similar meal to the one my wife and I had at Peterson’s, we could have gotten the same food for about $160 saving $80 to $100 on food that is superior in taste.

-EatHSE

Outback Steakhouse
3454 W 86th St
Indianapolis, IN 46268
http://www.outbacksteakhouse.com

I usually stay away from places like Outback Steakhouse just because reviewing them is so boring.   Everyone knows what the place is about, Bloomin’ Onion, etc.   However, I got an e-mail from the manager from my closest Outback and said that he loves the blog and that he would like to be reviewed.  He went on talking about how the vast majority of what they serve is made in house, etc.  This is my first e-mail from a manager of a chain asking me to come in, so I was suspicious.

I actually had Outback twice in the last month and I will just push them together in one review.

What I Ate: First visit, Prime Rib, 12 0z $18.95.  Second visit, Ribeye 12 oz $18.00.  You get a choice of two sides so I decided to vary my salads.

House Salad with Ranch Dressing: 

This was a pretty big starter salad.  I liked the ranch dressing, the croutons were pretty good, tomatoes were ripe…nothing to complain about here.

Bleu Cheese Wedge:

Sorry about the bogus picture, it was really dark.   Ripe tomatoes, red onion, bacon and bleu cheese crumbles.  I liked this quite a bit as well.  This would easily rival a $6.00 salad that you would get at the prime steakhouses in town.  It was huge too.  Hmm…

Ribeye Steak:

It was a little past medium rare, but not enough to send it back.  The ribeye was a very lean for a ribeye and I liked the flavor quite a bit.  Outback uses Choice grade (the same as Sullivan’s), so it is a good quality steak.  The sweet potato is always a favorite of mine and this did not disappoint.

The prime rib (not pictured) was actually my favorite.  It was a little bland as I like a salty crusty edge to it, but it was pretty good.  There is not a lot that I can say here, it is a standard cut of meat done really well.

Would I Buy It Again?  A very enthaustic YES!  You really don’t know how bad I wanted to slam them after the manager e-mailed telling me how great it is.  I say that only because my last five visits to other Outbacks were pretty bad.  This particular location is worth trying though.  

The service is exceptional, I mean really top notch (Mandy was particularly awesome.  We were greeted quickly with well paced meals and very friendly service.  Plus, I sent back the kid’s chicken and the manager was over in about thirty seconds making sure everything is okay and then we were comped a free app for that.  Totally unnecessary, but a nice touch.

This location really has their ducks in a row.  I figured out why the manager e-mailed me…because he gives a damn and is proud of his restaurant…and he should be.

-wibia

I have an appreciation for authentic Mexican food and Taco Bell is far from authentic.  However, it appears Taco Bell is trying to take a step in this direction with its new Cantina like tacos made with two corn tortillas, chopped onions, cilantro and a lime wedge with three meat choices.  Writing a review gave me a good excuse to stop by and try all three.

What I Ate:  Cantina Triple Pack, $4.62.

Chicken Cantina:  The chicken was finely chopped and tasted marinated but was still a bit dry.  The cilantro taste was strong but squeezing the lime over the top gave it a nice flavor.  Overall, mixed with the chopped onion, I enjoyed this 170 calorie taco with only 20 calories from fat making it a sensible choice.  For those watching your salt intake, this taco had 350mg, the highest of the three Carnitas.

Steak Cantina:  I am always leery of the quality of the steak from a place like Taco Bell.  Have you ever had the pre-made steak you can buy in a zipper bag in the processed meat section at your local grocery?  To me, this kind of steak usually has an odd texture and is missing the grilled taste.  This was the case for my experience with the chopped steak on the Steak Cantina as it tasted like hard pellets going down.   A problem with all the Cantinas is how quickly they fall apart even though there are two corn shells supporting the insides of this taco.  The double taco shell has a purpose but leaves flaps of corn shell hanging off making it an even bigger mess.  Surely Taco Bell could have a double thick shell made for this taco.  I ended up taking one of the shells off and giving it to my carb crazy daughter who loved it.

Carnitas Cantina:  Although wibia is a big fan of Carnitas, I have never been myself.  Of all the Cantinas, this taco was the big winner for me.  For some reason this one held together the best and the pork was soft and almost creamy with a nice juice.  That juice softened the chopped onions making them softer creating a blend of the ingredients that went well with the lime.  Due to the pork, this taco comes in at 200 calories with 60 from fat making it the worst choice of three for those counting calories.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes & No. I commend Taco Bell for trying something new that leans toward the authentic side a bit more.  The Carnitas were a hit for me and it would be something I get every time I go to Taco Bell.  The chicken is worthy of another try and a good choice for those with a chicken preference that like that cilantro chicken combination.  At all costs, stay away from the steak which had poor texture, little taste and was very dry.

-EatHSE

West Coast Tacos
All Over Indianapolis
http://thebestdamntacos.com/

Food trucks have become all the rage recently.  So much so that Food Network is starting a show next month hosted by Tyler Florence where they have different food truck teams compete against each other for a prize.

In Indianapolis, the newest “hip” food truck craze is West Coast Tacos and they provide small, Korean style tacos at various locations throughout the city.  West Coast Tacos locates themselves downtown for lunch and then in the Cardinal Fitness parking lot in Broad Ripple for the dinner and late night hours.  I was in Broad Ripple this past Saturday, so I decided to give them a shot after reading all the praise for them.  FYI, here are some reviews from Metromix, Indianapolis Amy, Nuvo and the Indianapolis Star.

What I Got:  Three tacos (one steak, two chicken) for $5.  They also offer the tacos individually for $2.

These tacos are made with soft tortilla shells that are roughly the size of your hand and each taco includes two shells.  They are then filled with a freshly marinated and grilled meat (steak or chicken) and then topped with a homemade salsa.

When I received my tacos, I was shocked by how small they were.  I knew they would not be huge based on everything that I read, but I was still surprised.  They were so small that they took a maximum of four bites to finish.

Still, despite the size, they were tasty.  The meat was flavorful and tender and while the overall size of the tacos may be small, the amount of toppings that they jam into them do not reflect that lack of size (even though you can still get them down in four bites), so that was nice.  The salsa was homemade, VERY FRESH and had quite a spicy kick to it.  Since I love hot foods, I loved this salsa.  It had hints of cilantro, onions and garlic in it, so if you plan on going out after eating these tacos, you might want to have a breath mint nearby.

Would I Buy It Again? Well, this is a tough call.  If I was looking for a drunk food at the end of the night or a light snack to have in between bars if I was hungry, then I would definitely buy this again.  If I was looking to have this as my full meal for an evening, then I would not buy them again because it would take at least six of these to fill me up (at at least $10) and I honestly believe I could eat ten of these and not even feel full.  That’s how disappointing the size was.

Even with that lukewarm review on the size, I would still recommend that everyone try these at least once.  I don’t think that anyone will be disappointed by the taste, just maybe the size.

You can also find info on West Coast Tacos’ location, hours, etc. on both Facebook and Twitter.

-IndianapolisEater