Chili's, Sharyland~ Texas Cheese Fries “piled to the moon” and a Preview Dessert

One thing about chain restaurants is that you expect each one to be just like all the others you've been to, but when I walked into Chili's Sharyland (2419 E. Highway 83 in Mission) I noticed one huge difference from all the others—Rob Neagle, the Managing Partner, was active in all parts of the restaurant. You normally only see "the boss" when there is an issue, but with Rob, you see him all the time as he engages with the customers and employees. Rob stated, "I was a customer here long before I started working here. I've been with the company since 2003 and find it to be the best run restaurant company in the industry. We have fun at work yet take our jobs very seriously." And, Rob's Chili's is one of the best run I've seen.

 

"Our menu fits both the value minded consumer and the bold adventurous one. Our 2 for $20 promotion offers an appetizer along with two generous entrees." Even though the bold items featured in the seasonal menu were tempting (a variety of tacos and quesadillas) we decided to follow Rob's suggestion and give the 2 for $20 promotion a try. From the list of options, we went with the Texas Cheese Fries for our appetizer (Rob said they were "piled to the moon" and he was not kidding). They had fries, 2 kinds of cheese, bacon, green onions, and jalapenos. It felt like a meal in itself! When deciding on the entrees, we focused on what Chili's is famous for...the baby back ribs and the chicken fajitas.

Everyone has heard of Chili's baby back ribs; and when they deliver the sizzling fajitas to the table, everyone in the dining room can't help but turn and look. Rob described one of the features of Chili's as the atmosphere that includes the sounds of sizzling fajitas and the hand-shaken margaritas that fill the dining room and give it a sense of excitement. "Chili's is an exciting and fast paced place to work and eat. Whether the guest wants a delicious hand-shaken Presidente Margarita or a quick lunch, we can handle anything."

We had the same problem most of the other patrons had when they were leaving Chili's—we had to take some food home because we could not eat it all. We did stop eating early enough to enjoy a dessert since Rob promised something special—we were treated to the Oreo Molten Cake; which will be added to the menu soon (if you do not see it on the menu, ask your server and they will prepare it for you). If you are half the Oreo cookie fan I am, you'll love this dessert!

The final surprise for me was to learn that Rob's parents were Winter Texans that finally decided to become Converted Texans—that is how he found himself living in El Valle. He has a special connection with Winter Texans. "Winter Texans are a vital part of our business. They enjoy conversation more than most of our customers do! It's always a pleasure to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the business and have a nice chat with some folks from up north." So, when you tell Rob where you are from, and he is familiar with that area, you won't be surprised.

A Buffet in a Garden Setting? Remington’s Restaurant

One of the most striking things about visiting Remington's Restaurant is that you have to go through a garden with a fountain to get there. If you look around you'll see the entrance to the restaurant on the other side of the lush lobby of The Embassy Suites (1800 S. Second Street—Col. Rowe Blvd--McAllen) and then you can admire the vegetation as you make your way around the fountain. For Christmas there are poinsettias everywhere you look.

We went to Remington's to try their Sunday brunch buffet (from 11-2, for $19.95 per person—they also have a Mexican buffet on Wed & Thu for $14.95, and a seafood buffet on Friday for $16.95), and were impressed with the selection. Our first stop was the omelet station where you fill a bowl with what you want in your omelet (items like bacon, ham, mushrooms, broccoli, jalapenos, and onions) and hand it to the cook (let her know if you want cheese) and she will cook an excellent omelet right in front of you.

There is also a salad area with a large selection of fresh vegetables and salads (the "tuna Mexicana" was quite good—a tuna salad served on a tomato half. The next area we visited was where the main dishes were located. Here we found breakfast food (sausage links and bacon and cheese blintzes with strawberry sauce) as well as the lunch items such as stuffed flounder (at first they had a salmon dish, but then brought out the flounder with bacon-wrapped scallops thrown in for good measure), mashed potatoes (my wife loves mashed potatoes and says these are some of the best), mixed vegetables, prime rib, and chicken breast; and you can't forget the fresh-baked rolls—definitely something for everyone.

The final table was filled with desserts—a variety of fresh fruit, cakes, pies, and even rice pudding. Their dessert offerings include a sugar free cheesecake for those of us who try to avoid sugar. Of course, it would not be a Sunday brunch if you did not mention the mimosas (wine, champagne, and mimosas are only $3 during the brunch).

While the buffets are a great option, they also have an excellent lunch menu that includes gourmet burgers, salads, sandwiches, soups, and south of the border items. One of the specials they offer is the TexMex burger (sweet potato fries are my favorite, but you can get other sides as well—for more about this burger, see Cactus Willie's previous article about Remington's) with a beer (Corona or Dos Equis) for $10.00.

Their dinner menu looked very good, with a large selection of steaks, fajita toreadors, and surf & turf items. One of the appetizers that looked good was the Embassy Ponchos—a nachos type of dish made with tortilla halves and topped with fajita meat (beef or chicken) and cheese, guacamole, jalapenos, etc—and served with refried beans. Some of the specials they have in the evenings are the half-price wine from 5-10pm on Sun and Mon and 5 different appetizers for $5 each 5-7pm daily. Remington's can accommodate groups of any size; during the buffet we saw a very large group and the staff provided them excellent service with no problem, and the manager said that they can even have people seated in the garden area that I mentioned earlier.

While Remington's is an excellent restaurant that serves food that is worth the price, keep an eye out for discount coupons that make it an even better deal (buy-one-get-one free buffets as well as the same offer for gourmet burgers on Tuesday). Talk to the Welcome Home RGV folks the next time you see them to see if there are any discount cards still available (and there is a coupon in the Welcome Home RGV directory). Click here for a Buy One Get One Free Buffet Coupon!

So, grab a group and head for the buffet that it seems everyone has heard about—but don't forget all the other great options for visiting Remington's.

Check out Remington's Steakhouse listing on our site.

Kohnami Restaurant & Sake Bar: 2-for-1 AND Karaoke

While talking to Allan at Kohnami Restaurant and Sake Bar, on W. Nolana in McAllen, the main message I heard was “We Love Winter Texans!”  To show how much he loves Winter Texans he has a couple of 2-for-1 dinners:  Fresh Flounder (Allan assured me you will not find any flounder in McAllen as fresh as this), rice, vegetables, and soup for $9.50; and Teriyaki Chicken, rice, vegetables, and soup for $8.50.  I know if any of you are like me, it is hard to pass up a 2-for-1 dinner—especially one this good (Flounder and Teriyaki Chicken are both popular dishes)!

 

Another thing Allan pointed out about Kohnami is that there are 4 private rooms of various sizes where you can bring groups and have your own party.  Each of these rooms is equipped with karaoke equipment (loaded with 50,000 songs—Allan told me that no other karaoke system in McAllen has this many songs).  The night we were there, 2 of the 4 rooms had parties.  One was not using the karaoke (so, you can bring your group here even if you do not want karaoke).

While the dinner specials and private rooms are excellent reasons to visit Kohnami, there are many more reasons.  The first of these is the sushi bar—I have to agree with the claim that this is the best sushi in Texas.  We tried a couple of half-rolls.  One of these was the Alaska, which is a California roll wrapped in salmon and avocado.  We also enjoyed the Lobster Crunch, which is baked baby lobster, cucumber, avocado, and cream cheese with tempura crumbs on the outside and topped with spicy mayo.  They also have a good selection of nigiri and sashimi.  We enjoyed a couple of appetizers as well (dumplings and calamari—Kristi was right, the calamari is very good!).

The biggest surprise for me was the extensive Korean menu that was available.  They offered a number of authentic Korean recipes that were served with traditional side vegetables.  My favorite Korean dish is bulgogi (a Korean barbeque dish), and I was not disappointed.  I always enjoy a good plum wine with spicy Korean food, and they had a nice selection of wines, beers, and a full bar.

The overall experience was elegant.  The dining room was decorated in what I would call a Japanese theme, our waitress made many recommendations about the food (especially the Korean menu when she discovered that I like Korean food), and I liked that there was no silverware on the table when I sat down…only chopsticks.  I’m comfortable with chopsticks, and my wife decided to give them a try and did very well.  They will bring you silverware if you ask for it, and the soup came with a spoon; so don’t worry about the chopsticks (but it is always fun to at least give them a try—and the staff will be happy to give you some pointers).  The soup was a beef broth with mushroom and green onion, and was very tasty (it is a new item they are trying, and I hope they keep it).

Now, as if this was not enough, Allan then showed me the patio where he has live music, tacos 2 for $1, and beer for $1!  So, by visiting Kohnami, I found an elegant sushi bar and Korean restaurant with a top-notch atmosphere and service, excellent dinner specials (you can’t beat 2-for-1), private party rooms equipped with karaoke, and a patio with live music, tacos, and beer.  What more could a Winter Texan ask for in one location?

So, no matter what you are in the mood for (from a romantic dinner on valentine’s day to a birthday blowout and anything in between), you need to pay a visit to Kohnami—and start planning on including karaoke into your next party—and include a Konami Princess Boat (one of the Kohnami specials for groups).

Submitted by Hoby Follis, Converted Texan, Retama Village

Click here to check out their listing on our website.

 

Top Picks - The Blue Onion

Looking for that place with food offerings different than the run of the mill? Try the Blue Onion for your next outing and let those blah same ol' same restaurant foods be totally yesterday's news. My friends, wife and I recently had a great lunch while in Weslaco at the Blue Onion located at 423 South International Blvd. This is a neat little place near the Expressway 83 bridge close to a Holiday Inn Express. It's a great place to bring friends and enjoy the many homemade treats on the menu.

If you like grilled flat bread this is like heaven on earth. Try the Classic Dip Sampler where you choose any 3 dips served with 2 flat breads. In need of a shrimp delight try the Shrimp Bagna Caldo sautéed with fresh garlic in a cream sauce. Like I said before, this isn't your humdrum blah food place.

Well a cold front passed through a couple days ago and I was chilled to the bone. In fact, thought I was back in Minny Snow Days (Minnesota). I ordered Wednesday’s meal in a bowl offering called Southwest Pork Green Chili and got warmed up quick. The taste is somewhat like a regular chili with a wonderful smooth flavor. Served with your choice of french or flat bread. One of my friends said he comes most Thursdays for the Bouillabaisse which is worth whatever distance it takes to get there to order. Each day of the week they offer different bowls, which is from a batch made for that day. My mom was from Georgia and had an old saying about when its gone that applies here. "They ain't making no more for that day!" Other items of note are the in house home made fresh pizzas. We had a Fajita and a San Franciscan Pizza just to see what they are like. The pizzas are small 1 - 2 person size. So you might want to order something to go with one or order as a side dish. They were excellent! Other items we tried included Pecan Smoked Turkey Sandwich and a Gyro. We washed all this fine food down with a smooth unsweetened Cranberry Hibiscus Tea. You can have wine or beer if you like, too.

I had a chance to talk with the owners Eric Arndt and Gary Ancelin to compliment them on the great food we had there. They assured me that Winter Texans are welcomed there with open arms. By the way, the wait staff is very good and will pamper you and your party with whatever you need to help make your dinning experience great.

Life's too short to not enjoy such good food. Sing with me now! Blue skies are smiling at me.... Oh yes, it’s the Blue Onion I see!

Go to www.MyBlueOnion.com to see menu online!

Be sure to check out the Blue Onion listings on our site: McAllen & Weslaco locations!