Run away from a Tiger and into a Crocodile

Bangkok Royal

215 S University Parks Drive
Waco, TX 76701

(254) 757-2741

Mon - Sat:11:00 am - 10:00 pm

            So last night I was hangin’ with a couple of my cousins (Rob & James McAttacks), just sitting around watching the Air-Force v Toledo Bowl game (I picked wrong… damnit), we started to get a little hunger. So after little thought we settled on Bangkok Royal, my younger cousin wanted to take his GF there to try it out. I had eaten there only once before with some friends; I don’t really remember what I got… but I believe it was ‘PAD KANA’ =meat sautéed with broccoli & house garlic sauce.
        
           Both my cousins have been here several times before, the oldest one frequents here often with his GF. Their favorite things to usually get are the PANANG CURRY & YELLOW CURRY. But I decided to snag something different from last time and so did Rob. Rob went with their PAD PRIG KHING & I went with their GAI YANG. James picked PAD GRA PROW & Robs girlfriend went with the YELLOW CURRY. All came with Steamed Rice, brown or white.

            So after placing our orders, we chill out & discuss the same ole same ole shit, make fun of the other customers, wonder why there is a stranded Santa on a lonely wall… you know. It’s a really nice place; the wait staff is very nice and on top of it, the place very well decorated and the joint is not very loud, but we decided it wouldn’t hurt with a little back ground Thai music to set the mood some.

So the food arrives… looks and smells delicious. So what is GAI YANG? It’s “Famous Thai style BBQ thighs with sliced cucumber, tomato, and broccoli on the side. Served with house chili sauce.”  Real quick let’s clear one small thing up…. It isn’t what American’s consider BBQ, it’s not smoked, it has been grilled and that is Thai BBQ. The chicken was nearly perfect; It was cooked well, it was juicy and tender, not chewy or burnt or dry. The flavors were very nicely blended and worked very well. The chicken was served over a nice bed of fresh lettuce for appearance and add a little crunchy texture without an over powering flavor. I didn't really touch the cucumbers or tomatoes, but I did enjoy the fresh broccoli dipped in the house chili sauce provided. The house chili sauce was great; I was pouring that on everything on my plate and the rice. It was sweet, a light heat and smokiness to it. The brown rice was pretty good too, I mean it’s just rice, right? Well No, but that another story… but It was cooked just right. Not soggy or too crunchy like many places serve it.

            Both my cousins’ dishes looked pretty tasty, minus the weird green beans and shrooms thrown in. My cousins girlfriend’s dish looked pretty dang good and I believe I’ll try that dish next time- The Yellow curry.

            Over all we had a really most excellent evening to finish off the Old Year; with some great family time and a great meal. Those 3 are off to go skiing for a week, while I stay in town to work and dog sit their mongrels. I highly recommend this Authentic Thai Restaurant for just about any occasion, especially dates….

Green Curry

Yellow Curry

Forgot, but was good

Oh and DONT touch the awesome moving fountain they have by the door as your walk in…..

Southern Baptist Cafe

Olive Branch
215 South 2nd Street

Waco, TX 76701

(254)757-0885

Olive Branch

Mon - Fri:7:00 am-3:00 pm

Sat - Sun:8:00 am-3:00 pm

            

So it has been a while since I’ve posted a new article up, and I feel really bad about it. Its just been chaotic with all the renovations, work and the discovery of Imgur…. Really should avoid that site…. It will devour your soul. I digress, kind of, then again that’s what you get with me and these blasted reviews. But seriously let us get onto the important stuff. This is about another local eatery I learned about from the best of the best- Waco Win Board.

The Olive Branch; A locally owned and operated (by a Baylor Graduate non-the less) Bakery & Café that specializes in fresh breakfasts, a diverse lunch menu (including home-made soups and freshly made sandwiches), homemade desserts, and specially blended coffees. They are located in the heart of Downtown Waco, in a huge building that they easily fill up with college students and workers there to chill, dine and study.

I have dined here only a couple times; once I dined in, the second time I snagged something to-go. For their lunch menu they have a pretty nice, but select men, that consists of salads, soups/pasta, sandwiches and combos of the aforementioned. The both times I gone by, I went a little early to beat any rush they might have… and man did I time it just right. Only a few minutes after I placed my order and sit down did the rush hit and the place start to fill up (and they are a roomy place.)

The first time I dined in I chose their Specialty Combo: which is ½ of any Branch specialty sandwich served with a cup of soup, &/or a small salad-Caesar, garden or fruit cup. The sandwich I chose was their Santa Fe Sandwich: Guacamole mayo, sliced turkey, chipotle jack cheese, tomato, & lettuce- Served on our homemade wheat bread. I got that sandwich with their small Caesar salad. The sandwich was served on their homemade wheat bread which was pretty tasty… not bland or chewy like you get at some places, with fresh lettuce, and other veggies. It came with a decent amount of turkey & cheese…. But I was a tad disappointed on the guacamole mayo spread. A big part of any Santa Fe sandwich is a nice guac kick, but I didn’t really get that and I was a tad disappointed on that front. Not to say the spread wasn’t good, it was alright. So over all on the sandwich I was decently pleased. The salad was filled with nice fresh & crunchy lettuce, little bit of cheese and a nice homemade Caesar dressing… it was alright as well. It was a filling, nice & light, slightly healthy lunch… which is what I was aiming for that day and I decided I’d come back at least once more to try some other stuff. Oh and did I mention I chowed down on one of their giant homemade cupcakes…. I honestly can’t remember the flavor name of the cupcake. But I do remember strong hints (aroma and flavor) of fresh french vanilla, a nice creamy frosting and a touch of ground cinnamon. That was the best part of the healthy lunch.

The second time around I kept it simple and went with their Traditional Combo: Choose 2 or 3 items; ½ Traditional Sandwich, Small salad: Caesar, fruit cup, or cup of soup. I chose a Ham & Cheese sandwich and a cup of their freshly made Broccoli Cheese soup (also came with a bag o’ potato chips & pickle spear). I ordered my Ham n Cheese sandwich on their freshly bake croissant bread (next time I wanna try their French), topped with lettuce, marinated shredded carrots and mayo. The croissant bread was nice and flaky and good flavor. The sandwich had a nice amount of ham, slice of fresh cheese, nice fresh lettuce and handful of shredded carrots which added nice crunch & slight flavor pop. The soup was the best part. I love Broccoli n Cheese soup. This soup had a nice consistency and creamy texture, had nice fresh chunks of properly cooked broccoli, which still had some nice bite to them, not all soggy like some places. The soup had a great fresh cheesy flavor. I wished I had ordered an extra bowl of it and another hunk of sandwich, as they went very well together… great for dunking. Will definitely be getting that soup again, especially with this cooler weather upon us.

            Over all I give this place a pretty good rating. They focus on freshness & quality over quantity & ease. They are always friendly & efficient; they want to make your experience enjoyable. I can’t wait to get up one more and try out their breakfast menu. If you are ever looking for something a little on the lighter, maybe slightly healthier side this is a nice little deli to hit up… and then ruin it all with one of their huge cupcakes and sweet tea… cause that’s how you roll. Look for them on FB and Waco Board, you can win free soups off them.

Dont the Pictures just make your mouth water? Making my hungry right now just uploading them.



PART DUEX: BREAKFAST

           Yesterday after pulling a major workout I decided to go snag some breakfast, but I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go. After some minor thought I decided I’d try Olive Branch, I had to go by there for a gift card anyway (more on that soon).

            After browsing their breakfast menu; they have French toast (with their special custard batter), pancakes, omelets, quiches, and you can order off their lunch menu as well, I chose their French Toast Meal. The French toast meal comes with a few slices of toast, 2 eggs (over easy), and crispy bacon.  They tell me it will take a little longer to prepare, and that lunch items will come out faster… that’s fine, I’m in no hurry. So if you are in a hurry, I probably wouldn’t recommend this place for a regular breakfast meal, or call it in To-Go.

            So after a while my breakfast comes out. Looks pretty tasty; got 4 1/2 slices of sourdough French toast, 2 eggs cooked perfectly and 2 skimpy crispy pieces of bacon, and two small containers of “syrup.” The first thing I tried was the French Toast, dusted very lightly with powdered sugar: It was nice and hot, fresh, light buttery savory flavor, but it was a little soggy in on one side of each piece. They didn’t fry it long enough on their griddle, and I like mine crispier with more ‘crust.' Don't get me wrong though, it had great flavor and by frying it a tad longer, I think it'll be EVEN better. Next time I go, I’ll have to request that they cook it longer. The eggs were well cooked; nice and fluffy outside, nice and runny inside… went real well with the French toast. I like to dip my French toast in the yolk. The bacon was really good too, nice and crispy, but unfortunately it was only 2 small pieces… I was expecting more than that. The most disappointing thing of the meal was the “syrup” they provided for the French Toast. The Olive Branch prides themselves on their fresh ingredients and for the healthiness of it all. Then they go and serve you 2 little packages of; corn syrup, H.F. corn syrup, caramel color and flavoring, etc. I know it’s a way to control cost, but I’m sure they could find a better way to do it. I honestly wouldn’t mind paying even a little extra for REAL Maple Syrup. But the simple syrup they provided was passable and got the mission done.

            The entire time I was eating, they had a steady flow of people dining in for breakfast. Some people would get breakfast eatings and others would get lunch eatings; both are great choices. I think its cool that you can order off their lunch menu for breakfast, since many places don't. I will definitely grab breakfast at the Olive Branch again, Id like to try their omelets and their pancakes. I’m also sure I’ll grab their French toast again, but will just ask for them to cook it a tad longer… and I of course can live with the syrup they provide…. It tasted just fine. I ate every last bite and was quite full. So if you are ever down town and are in the mood for some decent breakfast or wanna grab a fresh sandwich, head on over to the Olive Branch.

Their standard French Toast and fried eggs.

Their Delicious Stuffed French toast. They rotate the filling every weekend. Well worth checking out -08/22/12

Spinach Pasta Salad; Fresh and Delicious.