Fish City Grill Revisited
After our first experience at Fish City Grill, we had mostly made our minds up that we were NOT going back. However, the raving comments some of you left after our last review and the owner’s warm invitation to come back and give it another try convinced us to give this place one more shot before writing it off completely. At the end of the day we support Tyler businesses and hope to see them all succeed and flourish. And, we just really like places that serve good food and have excellent service. Tyler can never have too many of those, right?
We went back to Fish City Grill on Thursday evening and were seated at a corner table right by the big screen. Though we were invited back, we remained anonymous throughout our meal. Just like it might not have been fair to judge Fish City after one night of bad service, it also wouldn’t be fair to critique them if they knew they were serving the Tylerites. We wanted to give them a fair shot to redeem themselves, and did they ever.
One of the big reasons our second visit to Fish City was so much better than the first was our awesome server, Ray. He was funny, polite, and knowledgable, and I’d venture to say he’s one of the better servers in Tyler. I enjoy having a server who can make good suggestions, and all of his were spot on. We started with the fried pickles which were delicious, and for our entrees I had the mahi mahi, my sister had the salmon, and my husband had the crab cakes. I also knew I wanted a glass of wine with my meal, and Ray’s suggestion to go with the Pinot Grigio was perfect. Our entrees, which came out promptly, were amazing. My mahi mahi was seasoned just right, and I especially liked the green beans spiked with diced purple onions. My sister’s salmon came with a dallop of spicy butter and was excellent, but we all agreed that the crab cakes my husband ordered (based on Ray’s recommendation) were our favorite. I will definitely be ordering those next time. And yes, after this experience, there will definitely be a next time.
It’s amazing how different my impression was after this visit than it was after our first. Everything was better this time around. Thank you so much Fish City for inviting us back. We would be sorely missing out if we let one bad experience keep us away from this place.
Fish City Grill
4740 South Broadway Avenue
Tyler, TX 75703-1308
(903) 266-9218
There are two types of articles that are especially fun for me to write. The reviews of really bad experiences, and reviews of really great experiences. Luckily, Friday night at Jakes I had a really, really great experience. My sister and I decided to make an impromptu trip downtown just to get out of the house for a little while. We thought we’d have a drink and maybe share an appetizer if we got hungry. We took a seat at the bar and were immediately greeted by one of the polite and friendly (and handsome – hi Thomas!) bartenders. We were off to a good start.
Jakes is the type of place that you would expect to be exceptionally good, and it lives up to all of my expectations each time I visit. It’s one of the pricier places to eat in Tyler, but the atmosphere, service, and fantastic food really make it worth the price. Jakes makes the perfect spot to celebrate a special occasion, or to satiate a need for indulgence which is exactly what we did on Friday. We decided to share the Oysters Rockafeller, and I kid you not when I say they were the absolute best oysters I have ever tasted. I think even people who don’t like oysters would love these. Broiled with butter, Applewood smoked bacon, onion, spinach and freshly shaved parmesan cheese, Jakes’ Oysters Rockafeller are simply to die for. We devoured all dozen of the oysters, and on an oyster high made the impulse decision to finish the night off with Jakes coconut cream bread pudding. Yes, this was as fantastically good as it sounds. Not one word was spoken as we dove into the dessert, and we didn’t come up for air until the plate was scraped clean.
We could not have picked a better place to enjoy our girls’ night out. Everything was perfect from the moment we walked in until we bundled back up and headed home for the night. It was far too cold to enjoy this weekend, but Jakes roof top cheveta is one of the coolest places in Tyler to visit on a warm spring evening. You can dine while overlooking the square in downtown Tyler, and they even have live music on the weekends. I’m already looking forward to coming back for more oysters and bread pudding on the roof when the temperatures warm up.
Jakes
111 East Erwin Street
Tyler, TX 75702
(903) 526-0225
If the Fish City Grill is a sinking ship, then our server last night was the captain.  And unfortunately, the food did little to preserve the life of this vessel.
We arrived last night, a Wednesday evening, and were excited and optimistic to try Tyler’s newest seafood restaurant. And hungry. We were very hungry. We arrived about 10 til 7 and waited just a few minutes for a table. This was promising… I thought the food must be great in order for a small seafood restaurant in Tyler to be packed on a Wednesday. The hostess sat us at a nice corner booth, and we started browsing the menu. We waited nearly 20 minutes for our server to take our drink orders or even greet us. I was pleased with his draft UFO suggestion, but that’s about the only compliment I can muster up.
We ordered the oyster nachos to start with since we were both so hungry. They arrived promptly and were just OK in my opinion. Not bad, I just doubt I’d order them again. After much deliberation between the crab cakes and the shrimp dinner I made up my mind that I would try the shrimp dinner with grilled shrimp. My sister decided on the Mediterranean shrimp pasta. One problem… It was now 7:35 and our server had not been back since he dropped off our appetizer. He hadn’t even asked us what entrees we had selected yet. We thought about just getting the check and leaving, but at this point we had invested so much time in trying to eat at Fish City, we felt like we should stick around for a full meal. When our server finally came back around, we said we would like to order dinner, but were worried it might take awhile. He responded by saying, ‘oh, I didn’t know you were in such a hurry’… Umm we were not in a hurry, but we had no idea we were in store for a lengthy dining ‘experience’ a la Melting Pot. Whatever, at least he took our order.
When our food did arrive, it was mediocre at best. My grilled shrimp was good, but no better than any other grilled shrimp I’ve tasted. My sister’s pasta was a pretty big disappointment as well.  The menu describes the dish as sautéed veggies and feta cheese tossed with bowtie pasta… This description is quite misleading seeing as the ’sautéed veggies’ include nothing but an overwhelming amount of sliced black olives and tomatoes. I decided to drown my disappointment with a second UFO, but instead of bringing me that – the beer that he had originally recommended - our server brings me a mug of dark brown porter ale of some sort. When I asked what it was, he realized his mistake but instead of taking it back, he told me just to try it first to see if I liked it before he had to walk it all the way back to the bar. Mind you, our booth was less than five feet from said bar. It was clear that it was time to get our check and get the heck out of town… errr, Fish City I mean.
We placed our credit card on the table to signal we were ready for the check. Our server took the card, and came back once he’d scanned it. To end the night on a good note, he attempted to strike up a conversation by inquiring about the pronunciation of my sister’s last name. Even after she told him what it was, he mispronounced it again and since his mispronunciation involved a reference to pigs, he actually oinked and snorted several times before bidding us adieu. Of course, after he left we realized he did not leave the itemized receipt, only the credit card slips, and we were left wondering what we were actually paying for. Not wanting to subject ourselves to another oinkfest, we just let it go and left.
Fish City Grill certainly made an impression I am not likely to forget. And definitely not in a good way. I’d be curious to hear about others’ experiences at Fish City. If any readers have eaten there please tell us your thoughts. I’d hate to write Fish City off completely but am compelled to after the experience I had last night. Hopefully they can turn things around and steer this ship back to safety.
Fish City Grill
4740 South Broadway Avenue
Tyler, TX 75703-1308
(903) 266-9218
This weekend I went back to Belladonna to meet with Kimberly and have my hair extensions redone. It had been about two and a half months since I first got them, and they had grown out considerably and were due for a touch up. Over the past few weeks I’ve seen Kimberly several times for random extension maintenance and once for highlights, but most touchups took just 10 to 15 minutes. This visit promised to take a little longer.
First, Kimberly had to remove all my extensions so we could start with a clean slate. I couldn’t get over how different and weird my hair felt without my extensions in. This time, Kimberly decided to use a different method of application on me, one that will last longer and involve less maintenance. In fact, Kimberly actually created this method herself. This method involves strings, tiny beads, and a lot of skill, but I ended up with a head of hair that looks so natural you would never know it’s not my own.
I think my appointment lasted about three hours total, which is pretty amazing seeing as we removed a whole head of extensions, then intricately wove them back in to my natural hair, and cut and styled. I actually enjoyed my time at the salon visiting with Kimberly and the other girls who work at Belladonna. Everyone there is so nice and enjoyable. For anyone interested in learning more about the different types and methods of hair extension application, check out Kimberly’s website www.hairadded.com.
I’m all too familiar with the battle of the bulge, however in Flint, at the corner of FM 2661 and Hwy 155, it’s more like the battle of the gyms. First the Trinity Clinic started expanding their facility, bringing in more physicians and the Ross Breast Center. Across the street the ETMC First Physicians Clinic stood like an old ruin. Then, naturally, the ETMC clinic started epanding as well. Over the course of several months, both health clinics grew from small, family practice operations, to huge health clinics offering a plethora of medical services, and also each boasted a brand new fitness facility.Â
The Trinity Mother Francis Health & Fitness facility was completed first, and they began advertising and giving out free week passes. I’d been meaning to check the facility out for awhile, since it was the closest gym to my house, but for the past several years my workouts have consisted only of outdoor running, so I never saw the need to pursue a gym membership. However, with the problems I have been experiencing with my knee lately, and the pounds I’ve gained as a result of not running or working out, I decided to take them up on their offer of a free week.Â
My first day at the gym I met a couple of staff members and was given a brief tour of the facility. Though on the small side, there was all the standard cardio equipment – bikes, elipticals, and treadmills, all the weight machines you’d ever need, a free weight station, and a studio for classes. They even have a three lane lap pool. I glanced over their class schedule and saw a pretty impressive offering, though I was never able to make it to one of their classes due to my busy schedule.Â
Overall, this gym has everything a gym should have. They even have no commitment memberships. I’d definitely consider joining in the future for two main reasons. Number one, the facility’s close proximity to my house, and number two, the people who work here are VERY nice. They will even get you started on a custom fitness routine when you join.  I don’t know how well this gym measures up to others in Tyler, but I think it’s a great option for those living in the Flint/Noonday/Gresham area.
Trinity Mother Frances Health & Fitness Lake Palestine
20208 Hwy. 155 S.
Flint, TX 75762
(903) 531-5930
Eagle’s Bluff is without a doubt East Texas’ finest country club. Located in in Bullard on the bluffs of Lake Palestine, the clubhouse, golf course, staff, and home sites are unlike anything else around.
The par 71 Championship golf course, designed by Carlton Gipson, is one of the longest in East Texas, featuring a distance of 6,977 yards from the back tees. The course runs through one of the most beautiful neighborhoods around, and is lined by dogwoods, mature hardwoods, and azaleas.
My personal experience of the golf course is limited, as I’ve only played a couple of rounds, but what I can attest to is the fabulousness which is the clubhouse. The grounds are beautiful, and the clubhouse itself is nothing short of magnificent. The French Country style facility hosts formal and casual dining, player lounges, and a full service golf pro shop.  I had my wedding reception in one of the banquet rooms, and all my guests were blown away not only by the location, but by the friendly and attentive people who work at Eagle’s Bluff. I worked with an event coordinator, and she made sure that everything was perfectly taken care of so my night would be everything I could have ever imagined.
My husband and I also enjoyed our first Valentine’s Day as a married couple last year at Eagle’s Bluff for their spectacular five course menu created especially for that occasion. It was beyond wonderful and we both enjoyed every minute (and bite) of it. I liked it so much that when I was put in charge of planning my company Christmas party, I immediately knew it HAD to be at Eagle’s Bluff. Once again, all our guests loved it, and everyone had a wonderful time. We had a private room and a special menu, and everything about it was perfect. I’d definitely do it again next year.
In addition to the restaurant and golf course, Eagle’s Bluff also offers their members swimming, a fitness center, and tennis. Each year they host a Fourth of July fireworks show on the course and last year they opened it up to the public and it drew quite a crowd. For anyone planning a romantic evening, a special event, or a round of golf, Eagle’s Bluff is definitely worth a look.
Eagle’s Bluff
465 Eagles Bluff Boulevard
Bullard, TX 75757-9826
(903) 825-2999
A Formal Apology
I wrote before about my first impression of Einstein Bros Bagels restaurant and coffee shop. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but it wasn’t good either. It would be fair to say that I thought it was just ok. I’d like to take this opportunity to say I was wrong, and I am sorry.
I have since been to Einstein several times, and have been happy with each of these subsequent visits. It turns out that my hunch was right – stick to what Einstein does best and order a bagel. Upon the recommendation of a friend, I ordered something I probably wouldn’t have ordered on my own, but I am thankful I was turned on to the deliciousness of the garden veggie spread on a toasted Asiago cheese bagel. They toast the bagel perfectly and don’t skimp on the spread, making each bite better than the last. Especially the bites in the middle where most of the spread seems to end up.
In addition to their fantastic bagels, the coffee is good too. I’ve ordered several of their pumpkin lattes, and they are hot and delicious each time. I’d like to try something else at Einstein, but now that I’ve found the Asiago bagel with garden veggie spread and their lattes, I doubt I will stray too far. I am happy I was able to make peace with Einstein and see what they really have to offer.
Einstein Bros Bagels
4500 S Broadway Ave
Tyler, TX 75703-1305
(903) 509-2929
I love Coyote Sam’s for two main reasons. First, their location is beautiful. Coyote Sam’s boasts tall ceilings, rustic architectural details, a stone entrance, and a a huge patio area which make this restaurant one of the most visually appealing in Tyler. The second thing that I love about Coyote Sam’s is the brunch. Coyote Sam’s started serving brunch at a time when there really weren’t too many places in Tyler to eat a good Sunday brunch.  Now that a couple of new breakfast places have popped up, I hope that Coyote Sam’s can continue to bring in a good brunch crowd, but if not, their regular menu and drink specials ought to get people in the door.
Coyote Sam’s offers burgers, barbecue, and several delicious appetizers such as the brisket quesadillas and venison chili cheese fries. Their pulled pork is some of the best I’ve had. They also have steaks, seafood, and some yummy salads like the Crispy Chicken and Avocado Salad. However, like I mentioned before, their brunch is my favorite thing offered. There are few things better than a leisurely weekend brunch, complete with a Mimosa and Amaretto French Toast.
Coyote Sam’s Bar & Grille
5424 Old Jacksonville Highway
Tyler, TX 75703-3337
(903) 705-4278
Dakota’s Chop House is one place in Tyler that I feel doesn’t get enough love. The food is delicious, the service is always good, and the ambiance is nice. Owned by Jimmy Lynn, who also owns Cimarron, Dakota’s offers a nice selection of steaks, seafood and even a chicken fried steak that I hear is delicious. It’s also a popular week day lunch spot, with some of the best soups, salads, and sandwiches in town.
Out of all the wonderful selections on their menu, I’d have to say my very favorite thing – actually one of my favorite dishes in all of Tyler is the warm spinach salad. It is beyond words. This salad, made of slightly wilted spinach and warm bacon dressing, is hands down the best salad I’ve ever had, ever. They also have an amazing tomato soup which pairs wonderfully with the salad, making the perfect lunch or light dinner.
If you’ve never been to Dakota’s I’d highly recommend it. It’s located on Broadway in the shopping center behind Racquet & Jog, and it’s never too crowded. With all the new restaurants Tyler has been getting in the past couple of years, Dakota’s sometimes slips my mind, but it is one restaurant not to be missed.
Dakota’s Chop House
5377 South Broadway Avenue
Tyler, TX 75703-3724
(903) 581-6700
Located in front of Home Depot on the corner of the Loop and Old Jacksonville, Newk’s has got to be one of the best new places in Tyler – especially for lunch. It’s trendy decor, well stocked menu, and cool take home plastic cups all combine to make a winning combination. Just check out the parking lot on a Saturday lunch – the place is packed!
Newk’s offers fresh tossed salads, oven baked sandwiches, soups and pizzas. My favorite thing on the menu is the Vegetarian Club with roasted red and yellow bell peppers and grilled portabella mushrooms smothered in pesto and goat cheese… It’s addicting. Half a veggie club with a cup of their seasonal squash bisque is one of my favorite cold weather meals. Another one of their sandwiches I’ve been wanting to try is the Newk’s Q which consists of Newk’s white BBQ sauce, grilled chicken breast, Applewood smoked bacon and Swiss cheese. It sounds so good, but I just love the Vegetarian Club so much it’s hard to stray.  Newk’s is set up where you walk in, order, take a number and a seat, and your food is brought out to you when ready. The service has been fast every time I’ve eaten there, even when there’s not an empty seat in sight.
For dessert, Newk’s randomly sells several different varieties of cake. Red velvet, chocolate, and pineapple cake just to name a few. It does seem a little strange to me that a place like Newk’s would sell whole cakes, but I’ve heard they’re pretty good, though I’ve never tried them myself. They also sell these really good brownies with white chocolate shavings on top.
Though it seems nearly every Tylerite has caught on to the greatness of Newk’s by now, if you’ve somehow missed it, be sure to give them a try, and soon.
Newk’s Express Cafe
3985 Old Jacksonville Rd
Tyler, TX 75701-8519
(903) 509-4646
Lit up like a giant circus festival with it’s colorful exterior and flashing neon lights, Mercado’s Mexico Restaurant somehow manages to draw a crowd each and every night. It even seems as though each time we have out-of-town guests come visit, their first request is Mercado’s. Personally, I just don’t get it.
Mercado’s, and its sister Tyler restaurant Posados, serve ‘Mexican’ food, and are both extremely popular. However, in my opinion, Mercado’s and Posados are both struggling to make the leap from just decent to good.  The food is decent, the service is decent, the atmosphere is decent-ish…  It’s everything you would expect from a Tex-Mex chain and nothing more.  The food is traditional Tex-Mex that will somehow leave you with an aching, heavy stomach even if you just order the lunch chicken salad.
I’m not sure the best way for me to describe exactly what my problem with Mercado’s is. I guess I just feel like an enchilada here is exactly like an enchilada at any other Tex-Mex restaurant anywhere else. It has a highly generic feel to me.  It’s ok food heaped with cheese and grease to make it taste good.  And I don’t deny that I do like some of their stuff… For example, I like a crispy chicken taco with black beans and rice, but it has taken me years to find the one thing on their menu that my stomach can tolerate.  I love quesadillas, but the cheese is so rubbery and greasy at Mercado’s that I can hardly stand to eat theirs.
Maybe I’m missing something. If someone can clue me in on what I’m not seeing in Mercado’s and Posados please let me know. It would make my life much more tolerable, because so many people I know like to eat at Mercado’s and Posados so often. To me, it just seems that we have such a wonderful selection of fresh, delicious, authentic Mexican food around here, there is no reason to settle for an impostor – especially if it’s an impostor that will give you a stomach ache.
The Tyler Jaycees are a group of civic-minded Tylerites, looking to enhance their lives and the lives of others through leadership training and community service. The Jaycees focus on what they believe are the five areas vital to becomming a well-rounded individual. These areas are Community Development, Management Development, Individual Development, Membership Development and International Involvement.
Tyler has a pretty decent selection of small, mostly Mexican, hole in the wall restaurants that are pretty darn good and definitely worth checking out. Like I mentioned before, I am a fan of authentic Mexican food. A big fan. I like Tex-Mex if it is good and fresh, but not any of that frozen, generic tasting, cheese loaded stuff found in far too many places around here. I much prefer a simple taco to a plate of enchiladas, and how about some free beans instead of a basket of chips and salsa?  Actually, I love chips and salsa, but it’s nice to change it up on occasion.
This brings me to notable hole in the wall numero uno, Los Gueros Taqueria on Vine Street. My husband has been raving about this place for years… Even claiming that their (free!) beans are better than his mothers. Finally, I agreed to meet him for lunch there this week, and WOW have I ever been missing out. You walk in, order, then take a seat and wait for your food to arrive. I ordered one #7 Taco which I believe was something like beef, avocado, and melted white cheese and a small Maria’s salad which was lettuce, tomato, avocado, chicken, beans, carrots served with dressing. We helped ourselves to the free beans, took a seat and waited for our food.  The food came quickly, and everything was just as delicious as I expected. I was especially impressed with the salad, which was HUGE and a meal in itself.
Los Gueros Taqueria
929 South Vine Avenue
Tyler, TX 75701-1463
(903) 526-8226
Notable hole in the wall numero dos would be another taqueria, Lindo Mexico on East Gentry. The thing that makes this place notable is the freaking unbelievable prices. For two crispy chicken tacos with rice and beans and a set up of chips with salsa and queso the price is only $3.99. And the food is great! This is another place my husband talked me into trying, and I am so glad he did. Also, they serve breakfast and the parking lot is usually full so it must be pretty good.
Lindo Mexico
2410 East Gentry Parkway
Tyler, TX 75708-9072
(903) 526-5464
Numero tres isn’t so much of a hole in the wall anymore, though it did start out that way… El Lugar – what every hole in the wall dreams of becoming, started with one small location on Gentry, but now has locations on Troup, in Bullard, and on 5th Street. I’ve never eaten anything from El Lugar other that the legendary Super Quesadilla, but I’ve heard everything on the menu is delish. One major drawback is they don’t accept credit cards – cash only. At least this is the case at the Gentry location which happens to be closest to my office. If they took cards I would eat there MUCH more than I currently do… I just never carry cash.
Taqueria El Lugar
1726 E Gentry Parkway
Tyler, TX 75702
(903) 597-4717
Taqueria El Lugar
3320 Troup Highway
Tyler, TX 75701-8395
(903) 526-1188
Taqueria El Lugar
2121 East 5th Street
Tyler, TX 75701-3515
(903) 526-6118
Taqueria El Lugar
155 US Highway 69 N
Bullard, TX 75757
(903) 894-9242
You may remember the race report I wrote on my experience at the Tyler Half back in October. Unfortunately, since that race, I have been battling some knee issues that have pretty much put my running (favorite hobby) on hold. I tried stretching and icing my knee and cutting back on my mileage for a couple of months before I broke down and went to see Dr. Cathy Fieseler at the Trinity Mother Frances Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Clinic on Troup Hwy. After about three miles my left knee would rapidly go from a dull ache to a searing pain that could no longer be ignored or tolerated. It was time to show my knee who’s boss.
My first appointment with Dr. Fieseler went well. She bent my leg in every which way, did some basic strength tests on me, and sent me in for x-rays to dismiss any major issues. She determined I had what is known as runner’s knee, and prescribed me four weeks of physical therapy. Dr. Fieseler is a long distance runner herself, having competed in numerous marathons and ultramarathons, so she understood how it feels to be a runner who can’t run. She even gave me the green light to continue running as long as the pain was not severe.
Physical therapy was fun. Basically, it was two hour long sessions a week with a physical therapist who actually gave me a decent workout. I really liked all the people who worked in physical therapy at this TMF clinic, and felt like I really got to know and even became friends with my therapist. I started really looking forward to my sessions. Soon enough the month was over, and I hadn’t seen much improvement in my knee pain, though I could tell the therapy was making me stronger. Casey, my therapist, said my knee pain might go away, and it might not. There was a chance I would have to baby my knee forever. Not the news I wanted to hear as spring racing season loomed in the near future.
At my follow-up appointment with Dr. Fieseler, she bent, stretched, poked, and prodded around my knee and determined that my knee cap just was not cooperating with all the tissues and tendons holding it in place. It was hurting pretty good by the time she got done examining me. Dr. Fieseler gave me three options. 1. Keep doing my PT moves and take it easy and hope for the best. 2. Get an MRI to determine the exact cause and proceed from there. 3. Get a cortisone shot in the knee. I considered my options and decided to go for the shot. We hoped that it would calm all the inflammation and after a few days of no running but still doing my PT moves, I could start back up running and let the strength and flexibility I’d gained from my PT take over.
Tonight is the night. My first night to run post-shot. I was planning to run outside, but yikes is it cold out there. With wind chills expected to be in the teens this evening, I think I will take it to the treadmill. Please keep your fingers crossed that this was a success. The dull ache in my knee right now tells me it was not, but I’m still hoping for the best. As far as showing my knee who’s boss? As of right now, I am taking direct orders from Mr. Lefty. Maybe after tonight, or in a few days, or maybe even in a few weeks I’ll finally be able to stick it to the knee.
Trinity Mother Frances HealthPark Plaza
1327 Troup Hwy.
Tyler, Texas 75701
(903) 510-8840
Just like my occasional uncontrollable sushi cravings, I sometimes get equally strong Andy’s cravings. It just so happened that the last time an Andy’s craving struck was following a yummy sushi dinner at Shoguns. I thought I might as well calm two cravings in one night, so I hit up Andy’s on the way home.
People may think Andy’s is your typical run-of-the-mill ice cream shop, but that is so wrong. Andy’s Frozen Custard is a secret recipe of cream, milk, sugar, and eggs, and is processed and shipped to Andy’s locations within 24 hours providing their patrons with the freshest, creamiest, best tasting custard out there. The custard is then made fresh hourly, and only served at its peak to insure optimal taste and texture.
While the custard itself is fabulous, its Andy’s creative toppings and sundaes that put them over the top. A topping blended into the custard is known as a concrete, and the injection of topping into the center of a concrete is known as the jackhammer. My personal Andy’s favorite is the James Brownie Funky Jackhammer which consists of brownie and peanut butter concrete jackhammered with hot fudge… Oh man, that sounds so good right now despite it being about 30 degrees outside. Andy’s also serves seasonal treats such as Blackberry concrete during peak blackberry season, warm Apple Pie sundaes for cold winter nights, and Candy Cane concrete for a Christmas time sweet treat.
The Andy’s in Tyler, located on South Broadway, is family owned and operated and at least one family member can be found working at all times. The service is always so friendly, and the workers are always smiling. I probably would be too, if I got free custard.
Andy’s Frozen Custard
6106 South Broadway Avenue
Tyler, TX 75703-4411
(903) 509-2639
Everyone be sure to check out our new Message Board. Please use it often! And, as always, we welcome your opinions and suggestions. Please email them to tylerites@tylerites.com or post them on the board.
One genre of restaurant currently lacking in Tyler, in my opinion, is sushi restaurants. Luckily, despite the lack of sushi establishments, the sushi options we do have here are fantastic, particularly, Shogun of Japan. Shoguns is a Japanese hibachi/sushi restaurant with two locations in Tyler, both on Broadway, known as Shoguns #1 and Shoguns #2, though I have never been able to remember which one is which. I usually distinguish between the two as either inside the Loop or out… The location I most frequently visit is Shoguns in the Loop, and judging by the crowd I witnessed there last night, I am not the only one.
Whenever I get a craving for sushi, it comes on strong and is impossible to ignore. Last night I had one of these cravings, so the sis and I went out to Shoguns for our sushi fix. Every single spot in the parking lot was full, although it really didn’t seem that busy inside. I think the hibachi side must seat a lot of people, because the parking lot always seems more full than the restaurant. Not a huge fan of hibachi myself, I happily stick to the sushi side. I am by no means an expert in sushi, however, I have eaten at The Bluefish in Dallas, and Tao in Las Vegas, and I really think the sushi at Shoguns in Tyler is just as good, if not better. Nothing is off limits to me sushi-wise. Octopus, eel, fish eggs, raw, whatever – I’ll eat it all. Shoguns has a really great selection of both beginner sushi options like the California and Shrimp Crunch rolls, to more daring options like the Sunomono salad loaded with octopus.
Recently remodeled, Shoguns in the Loop has tasteful Asian decor, and a nice but small bar area. The service is always good, though a bit slow sometimes, and I notice that many of the servers at Shoguns have worked there for years. If I could change one thing about Shoguns, I would make them open for lunch… At least the sushi side so I could get a Seaweed salad and a Sunomono for a quick lunch. Tylerites highly recommends Shogun of Japan on food, service, and ambiance. Definitely worth a look for anyone who loves sushi or who wants to learn to love sushi. Or, if you don’t want to learn to love or even like sushi, check out Shoguns for the hibachi grill, and enjoy a Mai Tai with your Surf and Turf.Shogun #1
5515 South Broadway Avenue
Tyler, TX 75703
(903) 534-1155‎
Shogun #2
3521 South Broadway Avenue
Tyler, TX 75701
(903) 561-9890‎
Tyler welcomes another new clothing store… This time it’s a Gresham transplant, Jewels & Jeans. Located on Old Bullard, next to one of Tylerites’ favs, Sonoma Grill, Jewels & Jeans is a small women’s clothing boutique offering a pretty decent selection of jeans, and a small variety of tops, jewelry and accessories. Jewels & Jeans carries Citizens of Humanity, Seven for All Mankind, Paige, Miss Me, and my current favorite, Joe’s Jeans.
In my opinion, the thing this store has going for it is its jeans selection. For being such a small store, they really do offer a good variety of brands and styles, and they had some good stuff on their sale rack for pretty decent prices. I don’t recall seeing as many big brand names in their tops section, other than basics by Michael Stars, but they had some really cute stuff. Overall, it’s definitely worth checking out, especially if you are looking for a good pair of designer jeans
Jewels & Jeans
5850 Old Bullard Road
Tyler, TX 75703-4341
(903) 939-9151
