Nick's Taste of Texas Tasted Just Okay

Although I consider myself a carnivore, craving something as substantial as a steak or bbq is more the exception than the rule, but one day, I had a hankering for bbq something. I wasn't sure what protein that bbq would come in, but I just wanted what I wanted. However, in my neck of the woods, there weren't too many options available until I remembered Nick's Taste of Texas. I did an online search, found the menu and saw exactly what I was in the mood for, BBQ Beef Brisket.

For some reason, Nick's Taste of Texas didn't seem big from the outside, but when you walked inside, it was a large open space with long communal tables from one end of the room to the other. To order, you go up to the counter, get a number and than get your food when your number is called. My niece who came with me ordered the chicken soup while I went for the BBQ Beef Brisket and for dessert, we decided to share a funnel cake.

While waiting, there's a self-serve chip and salsa bar to get your appetite going. I think there were only 2 or 3 salsas to choose from, but the one I ended up getting was pretty fresh tasting and had a nice kick to it.

Finally, the food arrived. My niece's chicken soup was enough for 2 people and came with tortillas and Mexican fried rice. She's generally a picky eater and usually doesn't even eat soup, so I was surprised that this was the dish she ordered; however, she said she liked it. Looking at it, without tasting it, I have to say that they were generous with their vegetables and the broth looked clear and light, so that's a good sign.


When it came to the BBQ Beef Brisket, it wasn't anything exciting. I know that beef brisket is a cheaper cut of meat that requires a slow cooking time to make it tender and for the most part, the brisket was tender but the meat itself didn't really taste "beefy" enough. In fact, it tasted kind of blah. As for the BBQ sauce, it had little bit of a tangy sweetness to it that I liked, but there was really no flavor punch to it. It just seemed one note to me. Suffice to say, I gave in to my craving, but wasn't satisified.

The real highlight of that meal were the tortillas. Those are some of the best flour tortillas I've ever had. They were thick, soft and fluffy. On their own, they'd be good with pats of butter or dipped into salsa as an appetizer or a snack. As for the other sides, neither the beans or salad merited any excitement.

I had high hopes for dessert. After all, how can you mess funnel cake? Unfortunately, they did. They served us funnel cake that was over-fried. I should have just returned it and asked for a fresh order that was a bit more golden brown, but wasn't sure if we'd still get the same results. Maybe, the cook thought the funnel cake was suppose to be more of a caramel brown? At least, the soup was supposed good and the tortillas were fantastic.

I don't have any plans to return to Nick's Taste of Texas anytime soon. It's disappointing to be really in the mood for something and than be let down. If and when that craving comes back, I'll just have to look elsewhere.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157610376214788/

Nick's Taste of Texas
545 N. Citrus Avenue
Covina, CA 91723
(626) 331-2824

www.nickstasteoftexas.com