Cory "Soupaholic" O.'s Profile

This is one of my favorite off campus spots for lunch due to its proximity, great prices, and speed.  There are very few places that I can go to off campus that will get me a decently tasting meal that isn't fast food all in under an hour.  

I tend to always get the lunch special which is a slice (a HUGE slice, mind you), salad and drink.  The salads are always decent with no browning produce, but they only have two dressings--a homemade ranch-type dressing and the typical oil and vinegar.  Luckily, the dressing is plenty delicious, so no complaints from me.  

The slices of pizza are enormous.  I'm a pretty big eater so I like to get a full meal in at lunch since my dinners can be unpredictably timed.  I've had quite a few of their types, but generally either stick with the Hawaiian or something with prosciutto on it (though it isn't very heavy on the meat).  

The service is never great.  Ever.  But they get the job done.  The indoor seating is pretty sparse with only a few tables in the place.  The awkward part is eating your pizza while everyone watches the crowd like vultures waiting for an empty seat.  There are a few tables outside as well which can help with crowd control.

I recommend visiting for a decent slice of pizza.  It is great to have a place that gives you pizza by the slice so you don't have to take leftovers and the variety of toppings makes it a great place to take picky eaters.

I'm not much of a two-stepper nowadays, but once in a while I get dragged out here for an evening of fun.  This is a typical country bar and it is just what you'd expect--tiny bathrooms, shuffleboard, a dance floor, and cheap beer.  

What I think I love about this place is the odd location.  It is in the middle of a business-y area of town where you'd never expect a honky-tonk bar.  Half the time I miss it, because it doesn't occur to me that a bar would be here.  But that cute little house with the long porch in the front is definitely a good place to stop by for an evening out.

I've heard that the food is phenomenal during the day, but my only experience with it was when they catered a wedding reception there.  It was decent (fajitas and all the fixin's), though I'm guessing that their regular meals are better by leaps and bounds.

The service is always friendly in that southern way that you would expect.  The back patio always has a bunch of people milling around if you want a break from all the dancing.  There are pool tables on the side as well for a quick pick up game.

As you all know, I love darts. And good beer. And places where you can get both. So it is no surprise that I enjoy coming to Roeder's (supposedly pronounced "Raider's") to get my fix.

Things that I love about this place: the semi-surly service that is on the edge of charmingly abrupt. They have a decent beer selection for a small bar. They have dart boards. You don't have to push past the crowds of popped collars and fake tans just to get a drink. And they have a patio with misters and fans. Love it.

The things that keep me from giving it the full five star loving include: the awkward, roundabout way you have to get to their parking lot. Oh, plus the dart set up can be a bit in the way when people are going to get beers.

As much as I like this bar though, it never occurs to me to come here often. I always have a good time, but it doesn't stand out for me as a place that I'd come to on a whim. I do, however, enjoy that there's a Ruchi's next door and generally make it a point to get some good, cheap food while drinking my beer.

I hadn't even realized that T-Bones was KC's until Ms. Farrah and I were talking about good crawfish in the area. Turns out we were talking about the same place!

I came here long ago to visit a friend of mine who bartends. It was an interesting crowd that varies from people just getting off work to the more..."tough crowd.".

The bar itself has a lot of room which you wouldn't assume from the exterior.  They have tvs everywhere, pool tables, dart boards, and a large outdoor patio.

They're pretty famous for their crawfish and I've had it before when it was phenomenal. The last time I went though, it was a little late in the season and the bugs just weren't that good. The seasoning and flavor was still all there, but they probably should have just stopped serving crawfish a little earlier in the season.

T-Bones is a bit out of the way for me which I why I rarely go out there. That being said, with it's close proximity to Papa Geno's, I may find myself in the neighborhood more often!

Considering that the hubs works at the mall, I end up here pretty often to escape the maddening crowd of people in the food court.  It is definitely worth the little bump in price point just to actually sit in peace and enjoy your meal for an hour.

Shucker's is a bar in the mall connected to a hotel.  That makes it a little odder than most places you'll go for a meal since it seems to have somewhat of an identity crisis.  You feel sport bar in the actual establishment, but the restrooms are clearly 100% hotel.  It makes for interesting times.

The food here is nothing amazing, but it always hits the spot and the portion size is ridiculous.  We generally go for the nachos, split them and leave half it on the plate because there's just no way to finish them.  They never disappoint and there's always plenty of meat on the plate--no skimping!

The beers are a bit overpriced, but considering that you're in a mall bar AND a hotel bar at the same time, I can't complain too much.  

The service is nothing spectacular, but at least the food comes out quickly.  I found myself here a lot during the World Cup and enjoyed watching the games while eating decent food and drinking a cold beer.  Only during major games are they full to the brim and I've almost always found seating to be plentiful.  

When you're in the Galleria and need a food fix, you have a few options: 1) food court madness with screaming children  2) higher end dining (Oceanaire, Del Frisco's, Kona Grill, Mariposa, and Gigi's)  3) the in between (Daily Grill, Shucker's).  I tend to go for option 3 so I alternate between the two restaurants for food that is just okay, but provides me a safe sanctuary in the mall on a Saturday which makes it all worth the while.

I'm a little surprised by all the bad reviews of the place, but as I continued reading, I saw a trend of great reviews all mentioning the stellar service received by the owner and most of the negative reviews referencing terrible service from the regular waitstaff.  Since we had both, I can see why.  

We got there early for our typical Sunday double date and since we hadn't been there yet, we sat at the bar to peruse the menu.  I'm not a huge wine drinker, so I went for a beer (great, great selection of fun microbrews) as did the hubs.  We ended up chatting with the owner who went through all his microbrews based on my preferences and recommended some others that I try.  I love this kind of attention to detail and focus on the customer.  

After the other couple arrived, we moved to a table and worked with a waiter to order some food.  The place was only about 30% full and it was getting later in the night, so not an abundance of staff was necessary.  But that also meant that they could've been a little more dedicated to the job.  We started with two meat and cheese plates which were unceremoniously dropped off at the table without even an introduction as to what was on the plates.  By the time they came back again, we got a chance to ask what was presented but we'd eaten most of it, so it didn't really matter.

The waitstaff also didn't seem to be as knowledgeable or caring about their beers.  Granted, that's to be expected, but it was a huge jump down in service.  Luckily for us, the owner continued to come around to the tables and we were able to ask more questions and get recommendations on other beers that we'd like.

The meals were good, though a little over seasoned.  I got a burger and sweet potato fries--all good, but way over seasoned.  Perhaps it was just a ploy to get us to drink more?

Considering all the negative (or, let's say, not so positive things) I've just said about the place, why am I giving them four stars?  Because the beer was good, the owner actually *cares* about the customers, and the whole ambiance of the bar is fun and perfect for a casual date out.

I know it is just a FedEx, but I can't tell you how many times they've saved the day for me.  While being in Rice Village is both convenient due to proximity from me, it is a pain to deal with since it is, well, Rice Village.  Nevertheless, I've never *not* found a parking spot in their dedicated lot, so no complaints from me.

What I love about this FedEx is that they're never crowded.  It is pretty spacious considering how small it looks from the outside, but it has all the standard amenities that you look for in a FedEx office.  Most importantly for me, they have all the shipping products I'll need for my last minute needs.  Even three days before Christmas, I came in with my boxes and they took care of everything quickly, pleasantly, and surprisingly cheap considering I had to overnight things to Alaska.  

There's never an overabundance in staff, so don't go in there expecting to be waited on immediately, but they're efficient and polite which is more than I can say about most mailing places (ahem, yes, I'm referring to you, USPS).  

Yes, they do printing and all that jazz as well, though I've actually never used their services, so I can't vouch for that area.  I did see one of those machines to make customized cards based on your pictures, so if you're into that stuff for the holidays or celebrations, look no further.

While FedEx won't rock your world, it is nice to know that there's a reliable place I can count on for when I'm inevitably late in sending a gift or work documents.

The Tuesday Texas Teas are what this bar is most famous for and for a reason.  They are just as strong as everyone says and you only need two (or one, if you're a lightweight!) to really feel the effects.  

This is a bar that still allows smoking inside, so be aware.  You can always tell who the newbies are by the look of shock as they walk into a room full of smoke.  

The layout is interesting--I'm not sure if the rumours are true about it being a former strip club, but I could definitely see it.  It has a seedy feel to it that I'm not sure will ever go away.  The bar is split up into two large room with bars on both sides (though the right bar is only open on the weekends, as far as I know).  On the left is the main bar area with plenty of seating.  On the right are a bunch of tvs, a pool table, and two dart boards.  The bathroom are what you'd expect from a dive bar like this, so don't have high expectations.

I actually like this bar quite a bit, but have had problems with overcharging.  Every so often, I'll get a tab a few extra drinks added to it and I can't tell if the bartenders do it on purpose (not likely?) or if people sitting at the bar hear you say your name and order a drink on your tab when the new bartender shows up.  Nevertheless, this has happened to me more than once and within the dart world, Marquis II is very famous for this (supposedly, there are whole teams that refuse to play out out of the bar do to this).  

I like the bar enough to keep going back , but I try to take cash and pay out my drinks each time so I don't have to worry later on.

I made the mistake of planning a half marathon as part of my New Years Resolution.  Stupid, stupid girl.  Nevertheless, I'm sticking to my guns (and dragging the hubby along for the ride) and have started training.  Only, now I want to just splurge nonstop with gear.  And since I'm so close to Rice Village, I justify it by saying that a stop to Fleet Feet is just a part of my run.  Oi, I have a feeling that this is going to be very, very dangerous.

I've always noticed Fleet Feet because every time I walk by, there's someone outside trying on a pair of shoes while an employee watches and comments on how their walk can be better supported by a different shoe.  Since I have problematic feet (bunions to be exact), I'm really excited to get to the point where I can splurge on some real running shoes.  Until then though, I've kept myself content by buying all sorts of fun socks, pepper spray, jerseys, jackets, pants, and hats.  Next on my list is a wrist band for my iPhone.  

While this is evidently a franchise, it feels very mom & pop where the employees actually take the time to talk to the clients.  They even stayed late one day so that we could get a bunch of stuff.  As I continue to train, I know I'll be visiting very often and spending ridiculous amounts of money towards things that I probably don't need, but just want.

I love taking guests to Saint Arnold's.  It is such a great glimpse into Houston life and since I work at Rice, I have strong connections to the brewery (http://explore.rice.ed...).  

I'd been to tours at both the old location and the new one and the improvements cannot be described properly.  The fact that there's climate control is mind boggling.  I remember the sweltering heat and having to wait in lines outside just to get in.  I remember the mad rush and elbows being thrown just to get your beer.

Now, it is so orderly, it is a little unnerving compared to what we used to go through!  Granted, it was part of the fun of the old place--rushing madly to get in line for the beer of your choice.  That being said, I do love that we can actually get a refill readily without having to take someone out.

If you haven't been to the tours yet, let me give you a quick look into the procedures.  You enter the building, go up the stairs to the second floor and pay your $7.  This provides you with a glass (I have a pretty great collection going now) and four tokens.  You take your tokens and give one for each refill that you want.  You have access to all their normal beers (read: no Divines are part of the tour as far as I know) and unlimited free root beer that does not require a token.  There are picnic tables all around and people often bring food and board games to make a day of it.  

The tour hours are listed on the website and I'm happy to say that there are many times and days available which is great for when guests are in town during the week.  The parking isn't plentiful, but I've always found a spot.  The neighborhood that they're in now is a little sketchy, but I've always felt safe there.  

If you're a huge fan of beer and supporting local businesses, this is a match made in heaven for you.  The owner does the tour himself every time which I adore.  Plus, they have all sorts of adorable merch to buy (I particularly love the jersey, though I'm not a cycler).  This is the perfect way to spend a few hours, especially if you have guests in town (or if you just want to make some new friends while drinking cheap beer!