Upon arriving in the parking lot, dozens of wooden signs written in a Texas drawl (yes…written) were plastered on most every pole indicating services they provided. Phrases like, “we ‘kin do katerin” did not inspire confidence and honestly made a bad first impression. The campiness à la Saltgrass/”what-a-Disney-Theme-park-might-imagine- a-Texas-ranch-would-look-like” continued inside. I’m a fan of Texas Eclectic decor style, but many of the items seemed like they were trying too hard.

I can say that what would have given this restaurant an extra star was the staff. They were very clean-cut, friendly, and helpful. It was a welcome bright spot in this otherwise dimly lit tour of mediocrity. However, not even the friendliest of staff could over come what was coming out of the kitchen.

A review of the menu revealed a very wide selection and an interesting blend of Tex-Mex and Americana. The steak selection looked decent, but the names added to the plates (i.e. “Trail Boss”, “Gringo”, “Bandito”, etc.) added to the over achieving atmosphere already. And to be honest, it’s not that original since a quick look at the TrailDust Steakhouse menu will show the same thing.

I ordered a water to start and was immediately concerned about my health. The lemon wedge in my water had obviously been cut with a knife used to prepare a meal since there was charred bits of meat and cilantro on it. I hoped this wasn’t a bad omen as I discarded it. The chips and salsa was decent but the queso was the real story here. My first bite outed this queso as supermarket fare (you know the kind you get in a jar in the chip aisle). The queso was boiling and the taste confirmed that it had just been microwaved. I’ve made better queso with velveeta cheese at home.

I decided to skip the obvious order of fajitas because honestly, it’s hard to screw up fajitas. No, I decided to test this restaurant with a higher standard and ordered the Bandito, a plate of beans and rice, two pork tamales, one cheese soft taco with queso, and one cheese enchilada with chile sauce. I tried the rice first and unfortunately the first bite tasted literally like dirt, another bad omen. I should know when to fold ‘em but I wanted to give the entrée its due. The beans were fair and the cheese items were very mediocre. The biggest disappointment, however, was the utter blandness of the pork tamales. It was perhaps the most tasteless thing I’ve ever had the misfortune of chewing on. The pork was simply squishy filling for a corn tortilla and even had bits of bones every other bite. I asked my friends how their dishes were and almost in sync, they each said, “it’s bland. Needs way more seasoning!” My friend’s chicken ranchero was bland, dry, and the vegetables again had that dirt taste to them like my rice. My guess is that they never clean of their vegetables, so use caution when ordering! My other friend had an “Americana” item with BBQ sliders (simply Hawaiian sweet rolls charred with a mediocre shredded beef). Even the curly fries that came with it didn’t even seem to have a chance at being salted or peppered.

We considered sticking around to at least try their “historic” frozen margaritas but we felt we had had enough punishment for one evening. Honestly, I was shocked because of the rave reviews this place had received. But you could easily save $30-$40 and go to Taco Cabana and almost be assured to receive better “Tex-Mex”. But if you enjoy paying for bland food, questionable health standards, dim lighting, and cheesy décor, then give La Hacienda Ranch a try…I hear they have great fajitas and margaritas!

Austin Original

My buddy and I were recently visiting Austin for the weekend and had a craving for BBQ. I pulled up Yelp on my phone and saw this place. I confirmed with Full Custom Gospel BBQ and decided to give this place a try. Let me first say that this place can be somewhat difficult to find at first. Especially for those that might be unfamiliar with the area. It’s not that you have to make some treacherous trek to find it, in fact, it’s right on the service road for I35 North. Once you see “Dreamers” and “Le Rogue”, slow down, you’re getting close (it’ll be the little turquoise trailer behind the chain link fence with a huge line in front of it!) If you see the Fiesta, you’ve gone too far.

Once we found it, I was immediately struck by the cool hodge podge of picnic tables and old rusty patio furniture. It has a real cool backyard BBQ vibe to it. I was glad I had looked at the menu on their website before driving over because the large line of people blocked most of the menu and the crowd of people behind me would not have appreciated me standing for a few minutes to decide what I wanted!

***IMPORTANT NOTE! We arrived shortly after 1:00 pm and they were sold out of 3 of the 5 meats they offer. I wasn’t sure if this was just poor planning on their part or a huge indicator of the popularity of this place.

They were out of both of the meats that I wanted to try (the pulled pork and ribs) so I settled for the sliced brisket. I was offered a free sample to help seal the deal. He asked me if I enjoyed fatty parts and end pieces…of course I said I did. It was another indicator that this wasn’t your typical BBQ joint. My total was around $10 for a brisket plate, two sides, two pieces of white bread, and a sweat leaf tea. After I paid I was handed a gorgeous plate that was simply overflowing with portions. Normally you order and get paper thin slices but this was not the case at Franklin! The cuts were thick and the extra “scraps” were thrown in on top.

What followed next was nothing short of amazing! The melty fat, the perfectly charred bits, and the smoky meat was BBQ ambrosia! I’ve had alot of BBQ in my time but nothing as dead on as this! I was so entranced by the beautiful flavors of the meat that I almost forgot there was BBQ sauce sitting on the table. I grabbed one of the bottles and squirted some on my plate. It was unique and fresh but defiantly was simply a sideshow for the meat itself. The sides (slaw and beans) were great but nothing to write home about.

I can defiantly see why this place is always packed, it’s certainly now one of my top 5 places to eat in Austin! Do yourself a favor and try Franklin BBQ if you consider yourself even a dabbler in the art of ‘cue…it’ll make all the BBQ you’ve had before seem second class!

Ouch, looks like Ford not only upped the ante against Ford and Mopar, they pulled a trick out of the old 60′s play book and underrated the 5.0!  Yes, official numbers have the 5.0 cranking out about 410 at the fly, but several independent dyno runs show closer to 450 at the flywheel! Oh snap!

The Teardown Begins!

After the snow melted yesterday (yes, snow…in Texas…at the end of March), a beautiful spring day arrived and I decided to prep the car for my soon-to-be-arriving V8. The final drive as a stock V6 wasn’t anything special. I was, however, very pleased that she cranked right up after sitting in the yard after a month without being driven. And I must admit, there’s going to be some things that I’ll miss about the V6. Seeing the massive amount of working room in the engine bay definitely made me think twice about the swap. But after breezing through the fascia removal and unbolting the radiator, I’ve gone too far to turn back now!

I wish swaps were like the days of old where you didn’t deal with sensors, computers, endless cooling hoses, power this and that, and A/C lines, but this is the challenge I’ve accepted. And even though I’m admittedly nervous about the swap, I know it’ll all pay off!

The Heart of Black Betty

Here’s the first look of the new engine for Project Black Betty. I’m about to pull the trigger on it but just need to work out shipping details. It’s a 0 mile Ford test motor with oil coolers. But what makes it really special is the fact that it’s an iron block instead of aluminium like all production GTs. You know what else uses an iron block? The GT500! So this has some major boost potential. I’ll have more details when she arrives on my doorstep!

• Add Color!

Don’t just settle for green bell peppers that the restaurants seem to use, add a big splash of color! I did of course use, green bell peppers, but I also picked up a three pack of yellow, orange, and red bell peppers. Not only was it a hit visually, but my friends also commented on the collage of taste.

• Onion Selection

You can’t have fajitas without the kick of sautéed onions! But don’t just grab the first onion you come across, look for a sweet “Texas” type onion that will be yellowish-red in color. Don’t forget to add fajita seasoning to all your veggies!

• All About The Lime Light!

Don’t fear to use fresh limes! Buy some organic limes, roll them on the counter, and cut them in half. Be sure to use them right away to optimize the free flowing juices. I’ll usually drench a pan of onions or peppers while they sauté and usually give a healthy splash to my meat when it’s on the grill. Then take the remaining limes and add them to your favorite soda, mineral water, mixed drink, or Corona! Also, set out some on the table for your guest to add their own splashes.

• Whatever You Do, Don’t Put Those Tortillas In The Microwave!

The tortilla is the stage which your painstakingly grilled meats and perfectly sautéed vegetables dance upon! Give them a proper stage and skip downgrading your tortillas by putting them in the microwave! Instead, grease a pan (butter works well) and give that tortilla alittle color! I personally like my tortilla with a touch of char, but many find the buttery, light-brown texture a big winner over the flat microwaved tortillas.

Project Black Betty: Bone Stock

As some of you may know, I had begun the planning stage for my ’06 Mustang code-named “Project Texas Six Shooter”. The plan was to make an all-out 4.0 that could stand up to most stock V8s. Well, the price per horsepower ratio became very unfavorable when pitting it against the numbers for a V8 swap. So, being the old school muscle fan that I am, you can guess who won out!

Actually, let me back track alittle. Whenever the green light came from my wife (a.k.a. keeper of the bank account) to tackle any project I desired (within reason, of course) my mind went into over drive! Classic truck? Quirky 70′s coupe? Classic muscle car? 80′s G Body? I had settled on about 10 different projects that I was convinced I was going to do! But the prospect of building something that not only had significance to me, but also my daughter was very appealing. So I came back to square one and decided to keep the Mustang. My wife and I have always had long-term plans for this car as we want it to be my daughter Josie’s first car. Well, that, and the fact that there’s no rust or 50 year old parts to deal with was, admittedly, a big draw!

So I decided to fuse the technical advancements of the S197 Mustang with a classic look, feel, and sound. But when you think of a classic Mustang, what’s the first one that pops in your head? For me, it was the 69-72 Mustang Mach 1. The nomenclature always suggested that it wasn’t your average GT. The big chin spoiler…functional ram air scoop…adjustable pedestal spoiler….and who could forget those cool rear window louvres?

The Quintessential Mustang

So here’s the project as she stands now*:

• 4.6L 3v
• JLT Cold Air Intake (with SCT 93 Octane Tune)
• Shaftmaster Aluminium Driveshaft*
• 5 Speed Transmission with Upgraded Clutch
• MGW Short Throw Shifter
• Aluminium Radiator*
• 8.8 Rear with 3.55 Gears
• Long Tube Headers with TBD Exhaust

*Subject to change, of course!

Then there’s gobs of brakes, suspension, and interior mods planned, but that’s for later. But here’s a sneak peak at the exterior:

Cervini M1 Bodykit

Stay tuned!

Oh, and Ford posted a profit for the first time since ’05!

Good job Ford!

When you last heard about it, I had announced Project TSS (Texas 6 Shooter), but things have changed. After a long back and forth on whether we could keep the mustang, we just couldn’t let it go. So to cure my V8 itch, I’ve decided to head a new direction and do a Mach 1 tribute car (something lacking with the S197 mustangs). Hopefully I’ll have a preliminary plan posted soon!