Bear-y Good Shakes

Bear Nutrition

1100 La Salle Ave,

Waco, TX 76706

(254)313-1146

Mon - Fri:	7:00 am	-	5:00 pm (7:00pm)
Sat:	9:00 am	-	1:00 pm

Website

So all this eating of fatty, greasy, awesomely delicious food eventually takes a toll on one’s body. Even with my fast moving, always on my feet job, I’ve put on a tad bit more weight than I’d like. So I joined the gym and I’ve been hitting it hard, and really enjoying it. One of my health nut friends recommend that I start drinking protein shakes after my work outs to lean down and increase muscle. Well, I’m not a big fan of the Protein shake mix I bought and most evenings after I get back from the gym I don’t feel like making one. So when I heard that a new Shake place opened up down by Baylor, I decided to give it a try.

            Driving down there, I ended up passing it. It’s kinda hidden if you aren’t sure what to look for, but a quick U-turn and I was there. One of the Baylor girls inside ended up doing the same… Not sure if that’s good or bad ;)

It’s a small little building, with decent parking, and a nice big patio so you can sit outside and enjoy your shake and tea. I was greeted by the 3, working, employees as I walked in. There were a couple Baylor girls sitting at the front bar, I went and sat by the side bar. While sitting, one of the employees sat a small plastic shot glass in front of me with a clear liquid. Then, the owner, Diana (least I think that was her name… I suck when it comes to remembering names) greeted all 3 of us and began to explain the whole process and tell us about their business.

           The liquid that was sat in front of me was a special Aloe drink. Apparently it is used to help ones digestive system and help intake the shakes nutrients better.  After that I was asked to choose a Green Tea, I went with the Peach. While I drank my aloe and tea, Diana explained some more about their business, their goal and what all they offer… which is a lot more than just tea and shakes (FYI: all their shakes are 250 cal or less). They also offer other fitness shake mixes, additives and such. They also offer wellness assessment, and checkups on your fitness progress. Sounds like a great deal for those interested in getting fitter. They also have it set up where its Members Only and anyone can join… that way every basic set-up is only about $6. You’ll have to talk to her for further explanation…. But it’s really cool if you are looking to get in better shape.

            After she finishes explaining everything, I pick one of their shake flavors. I originally wanted Banana Pudding, but they were out of one of the ingredients… so I went with Apple Pie. Boy was I surprised when I took my first sip and it tasted just like an Apple Pie, was really pretty good. Kinda hard to believe it was healthy for me. Can’t wait to try some of their other flavors; They have fruit flavors, chocolate flavors, peanut butter flavors, coffee flavors, cold shakes with orange juice and hot shakes for colder days.

            As it stands, I plan on going there at least every Friday after my heavy workout. Try some new flavors, meet all kinds of new people, get a fitness over-view and get healthy. It’s an all WIN situation. If you are interested in getting into better shape and like a good shake, I definitely recommend hitting this place up…. Who knows, maybe you’ll run into me one of these day. I also here a couple of the guys from Wacoboard are regulars to the place…. Always a good sign.

--A side note, on the counter they had a burger from McDonald's and a Twinkies that they bought back in early December.... looks like they bought it just this week. They use it to show off the extreme preservatives that are used in foods like there.

EDITORIAL: Dublin Dr Pepper myths

 Courtesy of Waco Tribune Herald 

 EDITORIAL: Dublin Dr Pepper myths
 

Wednesday January 18, 2012

However you might feel about cane sugar and high-fructose corn syrup in your soft drinks, the end of Dublin Dr Pepper last week yields two important truths. First, the free-market system isn’t always so pretty or so neat. Secondly, details have an inconvenient way of scattering to the four winds the tenuous mystique surrounding any beloved product.

For instance, popular Dublin Dr Pepper was not generally produced in the engaging little Erath County town of 3,700 but down in Temple. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s important to realize it was a Temple bottler that for years made this drink, complete with the seemingly requisite cane sugar, even though it was packaged and sold to folks as Dublin Dr Pepper.

Second, Jack McKinney, executive director of the Dr Pepper Museum here in Waco, tells the Tribune-Herald editorial board that Southwest Canners in Nacogdoches also bottles Dr Pepper with cane sugar in 20-ounce plastic bottles, 2-liter bottles and eight-can packs. And you can get Dr Pepper made with cane sugar at grocery outlets such as H-E-B and the Dr Pepper Museum.

Finally, it’s speculation, but we’re betting you’ll see more bottlers forsaking corn syrup for sugar as ethanol continues to pump corn prices higher, finally making them competitive with sugar prices, which is why bottlers years ago began using corn syrup — another nifty lesson in free-market dynamics.

All that said, there’s a good argument to be made that Dr Pepper Snapple, which owns Dr Pepper, might have been misguided in efforts to legally halt Dublin Dr Pepper operations. When your group sales were $5.6 billion in 2010 and Dublin Dr Pepper is making about $7 million a year, the old David vs. Goliath analogy does anything but spur sales.

On the other hand, it’s just as likely Dr Pepper Snapple was taking some heat from bottlers around the state who took notice of individuals who bought loads of delicious Dublin Dr Pepper, then hauled them off elsewhere to sell, cutting into profit margins of the others. And, after all, Dublin Dr Pepper was originally to be confined to a six-county area.

Finally, as is usual in such legal settlements, you can be fairly sure that the owners of Dublin Dr Pepper did not walk away from this empty-handed. There may be wailing and gnashing of teeth over in Dublin, but bad feelings will pass. When we talked with visitors from Shreveport, La., and Gainesville, Fla., at the Dr Pepper Museum on Tuesday, none had even heard of the infamous Dublin Dr Pepper flap.

“I love Dr Pepper,” said Crystal Tatum, of Shreveport, a former Texan who was at the museum with 18-year-old daughter Jackie Brown, a student at Baylor University. “But I really miss Big Red.”
Our take: It’s time for everyone to get past all this. We can’t put it better than McKinney did: “It’s like we have two good friends — Dublin, whom we’ve worked with on exhibits and collectibles, and Dr Pepper Snapple, and now they’re getting a divorce. And it’s all about business. So are we going to say bad things about the bride or the groom? Well, the answer is neither. If they ever get back together, they’d both hate you!”

-Waco Tribune Editorials

 http://www.wacotrib.com/opinion/editorials/137544203.html




 

Thoughts on Dublin Dr. Pepper
(some of it is repetitive of the article.)

           
            ) I love Original Dr. Pepper (ODP as much as the next person. OPD has been my main soda of choice since I can remember, and the same goes for just about everyone in my family. I was born and raised in the town that OPD was born it. I visit the Dr. Pepper museum at least once a year and at the end snag a Dr. Pepper float.

            ) I love Dublin Dr. Pepper too. It is like a sweet and rare treat for most of us, only once I started workin at Uncle Dan’s did I have daily access to it. If I could I would drink it every day, but I preferred to keep it as a once in a while drink… all that sugar can do some body NOT good. It was a nice occasional sweet liquidy treat.

So after reading the above article, some basic research and from what I’ve heard on my own account, here is what I think of the whole Dr. Pepper closing down Dublin Pr. Pepper.

            Yes I am sorry to see the Dublin Dr. Pepper plant and factory closed. But was it a real surprise? Unfortunately Dublin breached its agreement with Dr. Pepper to sell its special product in an outlined district (6 counties). This special agreement was set up to “protect” other, Texas Local, Imperial sugar Dr. Pepper.  I suppose Dublin thought they could make more profit by going outside these lines, and take a risk…. I know of at least 3 places in Waco alone that carried Dublin on tap… Waco was pretty far from the district. There was no real reason for these places to sell DDP, besides the hype of the name. They could’ve just as easily sold bottled Dr. Pepper made with the same Imperial sugar from HEB or their local purveyor that was provided by the for mentioned places in the article.

            Dublin brought this on themselves, plain and simple. They broke the agreement; they were cutting into other peoples profits. That what happens when you step on others peoples toes and you have a rather big target on you. I know If I owned a business that specialized in a product, and was the only one allowed to sell it in my area… and then found out another business with a similar product was shipping and selling their stuff on my turf… Id be pretty upset to, and Im sure if you were honest with yourself, you’d be pissed too.

            So to all you who suddenly "hate" and claim you’re gonna “boycott” Dr. Pepper/Snapple Company for this “Horrific” act; Remember, they had no intention of shutting Dublin down until they started to get complaint. Dublin knew the risk, took it, and unfortunately lost. It’s over and done with, move on, quit your whining, take it like a Texan and head on over to your local HEB where you can still buy Dr. Pepper made with REAL IMPERIAL SUGAR from your local grocery store, like HEB. It just won’t have the “Dublin” name on it. I bought a pack of it yesterday myself… MMMmmm refreshing. 

Blowin Smoke!

Up In Smoke, BBQ
212 S Hickory St.

Abbott, TX 76621

(254) 580-9644

So yesterday I had to go up to Dallas for some work, I figure if I have to drive all that way, I might as well snag some Q on the way back. So I Googled mapped the place I was heading and searched around for a BBQ joint that was within a few miles…. I found one….Backyard BBQ Perfect Touch. Unfortunately they were closed when I went by, so I went to plan B; to try out a joint outside of Hillsboro out on I-35. The place is called Up In Smoke and it’s hard to miss them. They are a real easy to get to, being right off the high way, and great place for truckers to hit up with their large parking lot. If you’ve ever driven to or from Waco to Dallas, you’ve most likely seen it… a big ole loser Long Horn is their mascot. 

            You walk in, I never really got a strong smell of smoke but I did get plenty the aroma of cooked meats. You are nicely greeted by, whom I am guessing were the owners. It’s a buffet style joint; you pick your meats, they cut them, you snag your own sides and dessert(s). They have a fairly simple menu: Single meat plates, a combo plates, sandwiches, taters, a “Trash Can” which is described to be a “Frito pie, Texas style”, sides, desserts, drinks and of course “Lbs to go.”

            So after browsing the menu and looking at everything behind the glass I make up my mind. I go with the combo plate: Pulled pork & brisket, with potato salad & slaw, their spicy BBQ sauce... and it comes with a freshly buttered and toasted piece of bread… before he even cuts the meat he preps and starts toasting the bread. I also snag a slice of apple pie and a glass of sweet tea. I also get a sample rib and couple slices of their sausage. The spicy sauce was alright, really wasn’t that spicy.

            The first thing I try is the pulled pork; it looks kinda dry, but the aroma is pretty good. On first bite, it is a tad dry but still has pretty good flavor but just a little bit of smokiness. With a little bit of the spicy sauce and some pickles it is pretty good. Not the best I’ve had, not the worst I’ve had either. Next I try the brisket and I first notice that there is no smoke ring; so either they don’t smoke it for very long or maybe not use a lot of wood. I hope they smoked it at least some since that is what BBQ is, Smoking of the meats low and slow. It was alright, definitely nothing special about it. It still had decent flavor and wasn’t that dry. Then onto the sausage; again, it was alright, no distinct smoke flavor and just a little bit of spice flavor with a unique bitty texture. Last but not least of the meat was the rib; This was the best out of the four; it had good flavor, a little smokiness to it, and it was cooked well- not falling off the bone and not too tough or chewy. 

Onto the sides; the cole slaw was pretty good, had a mild dressing and flavor, but a big cabbage after kick. I really enjoyed the potato salad; nice and chunky, nice amount of mustard to mayo ratio, and not too much on peppers and onions. The potato salad was the best part of the main meal. After all that I took a couple bits of the apple pie before heading out, they make them there fresh. It had a nice fresh delicious apple filing, but I wasn’t fond of the crust flavor (it left an odd after taste), plus it was a tad raw (too doughy) on the top portion. 

Before I left, I decided I’d pick up some turkey to try and for my salads later in the week. The only reason I decided to get some was after reading some of the reviews on Google… many said the turkey was one of the best things there. As I went back to the counter to get some I asked the lady about it; She proudly said that people love the turkey because they “double smoke" it (they use hickory, one of my favorite woods). Now, what I consider double smoking is: Smoking it all one day, cooling it down, then re-smoking (as a way to warm it up) on the day you plan to serve it. I know of a few places that do this with their briskets, it adds a slightly different Smokey flavor and allows for easy quality control. I tried a piece before hitting the road… it was pretty dang good. Great flavor and juicy, some of the best turkey I’ve had. Even good the next day col; I’m actually eating some on my salad as I write this.

Over all, it was a alright experience. Nothing really that special, but good; not the worst and definitely not the best. I fell if you are on a road trip and are riding down I-35 and get a little hungry around that area, it’s a decent place to stop by. Get some ribs, some damn good turkey or their pulled pork sandwich (with plenty of sauce) with a side of their potato salad and some sweet tea… you’ll definitely be set… and if you feelin’ a little naughty, snag some pie “Would ya like a piece of Pie?”in an Adam Sandler voice

New Station in Town

The Grillin’ Station
3600 N. 19^th

Waco, TX 76710

(254) 753-2478  

Mon- Wed  6am- 3pm

Thur- Fri     6am- 8pm

Sat             7am- 8pm

            Most of us loved and miss Bill & Bobs Diner, that closed a couple months back and are now focusing soley on their catering. When they closed, I was curious as to what would happen to their building. Would it be taken over by another restaurant, if so would what kinda food would they decide on serving…. Well my questions have been answered. A new diner has moved in and they call themselves The Grillin’ Station. They are your run of the mill diner that serves breakfast, burgers, nachos, burritos, and plenty of fried items to kill a moose. A perk to this menu is that they serve breakfast all day… I love diners that serve breakfast all day.

             

The place looks a little different inside, it’s a lot more bright and open now with most of the license plates taken down… there is even an extra (yet small) sitting room. The rest of the layout and look, even the kitchen are pretty much the same.

          

  After learning about the new joint, I quickly moved in to try them out. I went for lunch with my dad. I ordered a cheese burger with japs, some fries and a sweet tea. My dad ordered the BLT, still baffles me that he’ll buy a BLT that only comes with 3 slices of bacon for 3.99, when I can get a whole pack of bacon for that. But he can’t eat a lot since the surgery, so I guess it makes some sense.

          

  So my burger and fries come; the burger looks good, the fries are your run of the mill medium cut French fries. The fries were nicely cooked and with some salt & pepper go just fine with the burger. The bun is nicely butter and toasted, the veggies fresh, the japs hot, the cheese nicely melted. The burger was simple enough, just a good ole fashion American burger…. Which, believe it or not, can be easily messed up. The burger was well cooked; not dry, good beef flavor and a little extra flavor picked up from their flat-top. My dad enjoyed his BLT well enough. Over all, it was a nice lunch.

          

  I really wanted to try their breakfast, and after some stuff going down at work I managed to get Saturday morning off…. So I used that time to go snag some breakfast from them then head over to the Downtown Farmers Market. After glancing over their menu I chose their Big Grillin’ Breakfast Platter: 2 pancakes, 2 eggs, hash browns, toast/biscuit, and your choice of bacon/ham/sausage. I ordered my eggs over easy, toast and of course bacon. While waiting for my food, a I noticed a couple other people also had ordered pancakes and one of the workers there was going from table to table looking for syrup… it seemed like they only had 2 or 3 bottles….. Which seems kinda odd for this size joint and that sells breakfast all day. But I guess they are still working out the kinks.

          

  My food arrives a little bit later; looks and smells pretty good. The pancakes are of decent size and thickness, the eggs look perfectly cooked, the hash-browns look great & crunchy, the bacon looks nice and crispy, the toast lightly toasted. I dive into the pancakes first; they taste pretty good with that flat-top seasoning, nice and mildly fluffy… maybe just a tad dense, but that’s no biggie for me. I like to dunk my pancakes in some syrup or my egg yolks after I’ve cut into them… soak it all up, Mmmmmm. The eggs were nicely cook and tender. The bacon was pretty good too, nice and crispy nice. The hash-browns could have been great, but sadly they were a bit over salted. I tried mixing them with the egg yolks and some syrup, but that didn’t help much…. Which is a bummer; because I bet they would be amazing otherwise…. I really liked their crunchiness. Was a pretty good breakfast, minus the hash-browns. Next time, I’ll have to remember to ask them to hold off on the salt.

           

Over all it’s a pretty nice diner, and I hope they only get better and stay a while… would be great to see. They are a real friendly trio, working hard to serve the customers and make some good ole simple food. So for all you MCC students (or heck anyone in the 254) that need a pick-me-up breakfast that isn’t from Micky Ds or just a simple burger or maybe some mando nachos…. I think you should give this place a try and welcome them to the 254 local restaurant scene.

 

The City Review

Apparently the publishers of a local paper called the City Review has seen my blog and read it here & there. They enjoyed it enough that they asked me if Id be interested in writing a food column for them once a month.... I of course jumped at it. Just another way to share the awesomeness that is Wacos local food joints.

 You can now find a monthly restaurant review by yours truly in The City Review.
Here is a scan in of my first one; Lolitas, which you can also find here on my blog.
MY future published reviews will be of places yet touched by me; so keep an eye out and Ill let y'all know when they due and what they're on

Not only can you find my articles; but you can find articles on Beer, Movies, Local Musicians & Artists. Something for everyone and all the writers are local folks. Really great!

.
 

You can pick up a paper, for free, at Beatnix Burgers, Uncle Dans, and several other places around town.

FYI: My next one will be on Lone Star Tavern, Steak House.

Texas Sized CFS

Griffs Grill
10400 Wortham Bend Rd.

Waco, Texas 76708

#254-836-4622

Monday- Sunday, Breakfast from 5am- 11am

Monday –Saturday until 8:30pm

Sunday until 3pm

            I learned about this place from a good friend of mine, Abigail, about a year or two ago. Every time we drove by, she’d rave about their fried chicken and sides. By now, y’all know that it can take me a while to try out some places…. But I do make good on it.

            From the outside, Griffs looks like a regular ole hole in the wall gas station that might serve halfway decent food. That is until you see that the parking lot is packed, and I’m betting that they aren’t there for the “awesome” gas prices or gas station hot dogs.  When I went today with my dad we were lucky to snag a parking place and one right up front as well (that’s how we roll.)

            As you walk in, you are hit with a strong fried food aroma… delicious. The first thing you see is the mass of people sitting down, eating some great looking food, all on long bench tables… great way to bring people together. Ahead is a massive menu that covers breakfast, burgers, sandwiches, dinner plates, snacks, salads and plenty of sides to choose from. It takes a while to look over it all. After a few minutes I decide on their Chicken Fried Steak with mashed & mac, along with sweet tea. When I place my order the lady asks me if I want a full or half order of the CFS…. Psshh… “I want the full order”. She does a double take, asks me if I am sure and shows the size of them with her hands (bout the size of a football)… I didn’t realize I looked so small…. I told her I’ll take the full. She doesn’t believe I can finish it. Ha, she must’ve not heard of the beast that is ME!
      

      While I’m getting my drink I look over the bar and watch them cooking the burgers and onion rings, fries, etc… but the thing that really caught my eye (besides their onions rings, which look AWESOME) was my CFS. I watched them hand batter that sucker, and man it was huge… son of a bitch…. But have NO FEAR! I AM MAN, HEAR ME ROAR!
          
They call our order, I go pick them up… and yep, it is even bigger now with all that batter fried up nice and flaky golden brown. As I sit down, I stare at it trying to figure out how to attack this beast. While planning out my attack, I try out their home-made mashed potatoes with brown gravy and their creamy cheesy mac. The mac was pretty dang awesome; great cheesy flavor, it was gooey and creamy…. Can’t be beat for some ole southern mac. The mashed taters were equally as good; great fresh flavor and seasoning with a slightly crunchy texture, the gravy added a great pop… I love me some fresh mashed taters with my CFS. It also came with some nicely buttered toasted bread. Finally I dive into that creature of a CFS; the batter was super flaky, had nice crisp texture and nice subtle buttery flavor with very light seasoning. The meat was lightly seasoned with a nice hint of pepper, nearly fork tender and still steaming hot. Was definitely the biggest CFS I’ve ever eaten (yes I finished it all), and one of the best tasting ones I’ve had as well.

Ive heard a few complaints about service…. But I didn’t experience any problems. I thought it was just fine, better than several others I’ve been to. The place does get extremely busy, the whole time we were there; there was a constant line of people. I’m not saying it was slow, cause it wasn’t for us, but I can see where it could be a little bother-some for someone on a tight schedule. But it the long run it isn’t that bad, you go up place your order, they give you a ticket and call it when ready. Our food didn’t take long to prep and it didn’t take long to place our order. It took longer for me to decide on what to eat. So I recommend if you are on a time crunch, to get there early or get there late (around 1pm). You can also get an order to go, so maybe call ahead. But whatever you choose, it will be well worth it to miss a little work.
        

    Over all, I had a great dining experience… and did I mention this monster lunch only cost me around $10 ($7.69 for CFS, $1.50 for Tea). I definitely plan on going back to try their breakfast, burgers, Philly steak, fried chicken and those awesome looking onion rings. This place could easily make it onto Diner, Drive-In, and Dives. If you haven’t tried them yet, you are missing out.

I hear they have great fried chicken & fried pork chops... so I def plan on going again soon.

Dry Pizza Pie

Domino's (NEW) Pizza & Cheese Sticks

In the past I’ve only written up posts on Locally owned eateries and culinary experiences, but today I’ve throwing in a wrench. After all the hype and hoopla on Domino's new Pizza recipe and cheese sticks, I thought I’d give it a go around.

            I have eaten Domino's only a few times, mostly during my college days down at TAMUG (Gig'em Aggies)… they were closer to the campus than the other pizza companies. My room-mate was the main who ordered from them, I was a Papa Johns fan, but since he was buying I figured Id give them a try. Their pizza was alright, definitely nothing special, a little bland from what I can remember… and next day was pretty sucky. Left over, cold, pizza is a big thing for College students… and Domino’s pizza next day was really dry and lost most of its flavor… it became crunchy cardboard (where as, PJs does not). So to say the least, I was very little impressed.

           

Earlier this week for the (miserable) Dallas v NYG game I decided to change it up and order Domino's new Pizza and Double Stuffed Cheese Sticks and see how they compared to PJ’s. For the pizza I ordered a Medium, thin crust, with regular cheese, bacon and white sauce. For the Double Stuffed Cheese Sticks I ordered their regular cheese stuffed, though I thought about snagging the Spinach and Feta one instead.

            The pizza straight up, was a lot better than I had dined on in the past. It had a better, more rounded flavor. Good amount of cheese, they were kinda light on the bacon, and the white sauce was decent enough for the price.  The cheese sticks fresh, were pretty good. Great cheesy flavor with plenty of cheese stuffed in and piled on. They had good crust consistency and nice seasoning. Fresh, they were both pretty good and a lot better than they had been in the past. BUT, next day, it was the same ole story. They both dried up and become dull, flavorless and stale. Heck, the cheese sticks dried out in only a couple hours after being delivered. Something about their dough and cheeses, they just aren’t made for next day. Which, in my opinion is a big flaw; I mean come on, people love next day pizza especially the college student. Even when I microwaved them, it wasn’t nearly as good, just didn’t have the same next day quality I would expect. 

      I should add, a couple days later I decided to go by and pick up an order of the Spinach & Feta stuffed cheese sticks. Fresh, they were pretty great. But as previously mentioned, they turn extremely stale next day, I still have some in my fridge cause I cant bring myself to eat them. Had they been Papa Johns regular cheese sticks, they'd be GONE!

           

While they might have taken their main recipe formulas back to basic and re-created them to make a better tasting fresh pizza, I feel they need to now work on making them edible for next day consumption. Would I recommend them for a party? Ya sure, for freshness and their price it’s a decent deal. But I wouldn’t count on saving any for the next morning, enless you like stale & dull pizza for breakfast. If you want Pizza that you can eat 2, 3 or even 4 days later… I’d go with Papa Johns.

“You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I'm not hungry enough to eat six.”