That Dirty Dirty Dog

Salty Dog
Ridgewood Village
2004 N. Valley Mills Drive
Waco, TX 76710
http://www.saltydogwaco.com/

The Salty Dog; I’ve been hanging out here since they first opened; they’ve become an institution of my rep and of Waco. It is a decked out sports bar, with plenty of TVs, sports memorabilia, 3 bar sections, a great patio, a jukebox, and a great kitchen.

I call them an institution of Waco for a couple of reasons; Randy and Richard are part of Goodfellas, and as so Salty Dog has raised money for a great cause and they helped with donations during the big Texas fires (which was just Awesome, you should’ve seen all the stuff they took to Bastrop). They also have gained a really large following of several local bands that play there, for no cover, which is great.

Since I’ve been going there for so long Ive gotten to know most of the people that work there, which is pretty cool, as they have some of the best staff in Waco. Randy is a really cool guy, who will do a lot to help out. The staff is almost always on the ball and has a great memory about what you drink.

I’ve eaten several items on their menu, which they have expanded since they first opened the grill; which is open for lunch and dinner. They have a little bit of everything from burgers, salads, Buffalo wings, different kinds of sandwiches, and plenty of fried items. Some of the most memorable items I’ve had are; The Mouth of the South Burger, Philly Cheese Steak, Buffalo Wings, Turkey Burger, Buffalo Salad, grilled mac and cheese sandwich, a Dog Bowl and their Bacon, Egg and Cheese Burger. Ive also had a few of their “lunch” items including; Catfish, hamburger steak, and their chicken fried chicken. I still want to try their meatloaf and deep fried jalapenos and one of their chicken wraps.

--Mouth of the South Burger: 8oz patty, topped with pepper jack cheese, guacamole, homemade salsa, grilled jalapeno peppers and onions.~~
I ordered this, minus the onions, as I’m not a fan of raw onions on burgers.
It was cooked very well (not well as in doneness, but in quality). The burger was juicy, the salsa and guacamole, combined with the cheese and jalapenos… was just great. All tasted fresh and most of it was probably made in house. I would definitely order this burger again… and probably try to make one of my own at home. The shoe string fries were good, better than most places~ nicely crunchy and great flavor and seasoned well.

--My stand by is their Philly cheese steak. It’s not exactly a traditional one, but it still has good quality meat and a bunch of it, good cheese, nice toasted bun with freshly grilled fresh peppers and onions; Along with their fries and a cold Dos Equis it is a tasty meal for a good price.

-- Ive eaten a lot of Buffalo wings in my days and these are some of the best Ive had. They are juicy, tender and much bigger than the ones you get at BBW and WS. Salty Dog might not have as many flavors, but I don’t think that’s really a bad thing. I almost always get the Sweet & Spicy Chili wings... just great flavor… I could probably eat them for a week straight before I got tired. I’ve been getting them every Sunday (50cent wing day) to chow down on while watching me some football- GO DALLAS COWBOYS!!!
--I get their turkey burger or turkey burger salad every once in a while when I feel like eating something light and slightly more healthy. The patties have great flavor, aren’t bland like many I’ve had. For something so lean, they manage to serve them juicy. They are just great quality turkey burgers; so if you aren’t keen on beef, want something lighter or just want to try something different, I definitely recommend giving these a try.

--One of their new menu items is a Buffalo Chicken Salad. You can get the chicken grilled or fried, covered in their house Buffalo sauce and thrown onto a big ole bed of salad topped with cheese, croutons and eggs. You get a hefty portion of juicy chicken (I got mine fried) the chicken was steaming hot, crunchy and the sauce was very flavorful with a light kick. The Salad portion was fresh, a nice amount of cheese, croutons, and egg. The salad was very delicious and filling.

--Another new item on their menu was the Grilled Mac & Cheese sandwich. Can you say artery clogger? Can you say awesomeness in the palm of your hand? They make the mac & cheese in house; it has a nice cheesy flavor, creamy texture, the noodles were nicely cooked. Bread was perfectly toasted with cheese slices added in-between the sandwich. Was very good hearty sandwich.

--One of their most interesting new menu items in something called a Dog Bowl. They have 3-4 different types. I got their Philly Dog Bowl, which consists of; philly steak, cheese sauce, bell peppers all tossed on a dog bowl full of tater tots. Its a carb and meat eaters delight. Its messy, its gross looking, and its Delicious. The meat had good flavor and good quantity, the tots were steaming hot, the cheese was a little spicy, hot and wasn't overly smothering. They are really something worth trying. I also think they should do a contest with these; try to eat 3 of these suckers.... I was stuffed off just one, and didnt even finish.

--Last but not least, today I tried their Bacon, Egg and Cheese Burger; 1/2lb meat, 2 fried eggs, and bacon sandwiched between 2 Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. That’s right, they use grilled cheese sandwiches as the buns. I love a good B/E/C Burger. The meat patty was well cooked and had great flavor, most 1/2lb patties come out a little dry… this wasn’t too bad. The Fried eggs were nice and had good flavor; they were cooked a little over medium… I like mine a little runny, but since they pre-cut the burger before serving I guess its best they cooked them more… or else the ‘juice’ would’ve run all over. The bacon had a great flavor, but parts of it were a little chewy. I like my bacon crunchy, not chewy. The “buns”, aka grilled cheeses, were pretty good too; nicely toasted and melted cheese oozing out. Most of it was cooked on the flattop, which really added to the flavor of the meal. I’m just glad I was able to finish the whole thing without killing over.

Besides the food; the Salty Dog is also great for drinks. They have good prices on their cocktails and beer, one of the cheapest places in Waco to get a Dos Equis or Vegas Bomb shot. The tenders are generally pretty well on the ball and very friendly, looking to make it a good time… with a kick of attitude. I enjoy going out there to grab a brew, chill on the patio and meet all kinds of people, hang out with old friends, or just hang out with the tenders for a bit.

So whether you just wanna grab a drink, chill or snag some good ole bar food… I definitely recommend that you give the Salty Dog a try. I highly doubt you’ll be disappointed. There’s also a good chance you’ll spot me chilling out on the patio enjoying a nice cold Dos.

Cold Food and Warm Beer

CLOSED

Pop-A-Top Cafe
1601 S 29th
Waco, Texas
http://www.myspace.com/popatopcafe


“Cold Food and Warm Beer.” That’s what I first read about them in one of their adds, its naturally caught my attention and had to give them a try.
I have eaten there twice now, both times eating their daily specials. The first time I had their meatloaf with mashed potatoes and french fries. The second time I ordered their beef-tips with white rice and mashed potatoes. My father ordered their Hawaiian chicken.
I am very particular with meatloaf. People tend to add too many or too chunky of vegetables and a lot of places tend to serve dry meatloaf. None of which are desirable in my book~ some like the veggies, not me. Pops was just right on the vegetable count and it was far from dry. I really enjoyed it and will go back to order it again. The mashed potatoes are your run of the mill mashed served with a white gravy but they worked with the meatloaf.
The beef-tips were very good, reminded me of homemade beef tips that my grandma used to make. I really enjoyed them, and on top of that they were very filling. They were flavorful and tender, the rice was properly cooked and the mashed potatoes went perfect with it (though the special originally comes with green beans, I no like green beans).
They have a few other daily specials I really want to try, I just need to find time. They have a BBQ special I really really want to try~ But that’ll have to wait till I can find time.
As I said earlier I went with my dad and he ordered their Hawaiian Chicken with pineapple. I must admit I was rather suspicious of a place like this serving chicken since it can be so hard to cook just right. But it was great, it was sweet and flavor full and cooked just right… wasn’t dry or chewy at all.
The service was just as good as the food. They were fast and polite. Now the crowd is something else, you have everyone coming here. From the construction worker to the high business men… its great. That’s the sign of a great place.