Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt

Some of us who remember the late 1980's may remember a wave of frozen yogurt franchises that started up, most of which fizzled out, with maybe the exception of TCBY. It seems that this fad may be making a comeback. So far, none of my friends who live East of Colorado have heard of this yet, but in the Denver metro area, these franchises seem to be popping up as fast as smoothie shops were five years ago. From what I can tell, this started in California a couple of years ago. Many of these frozen yogurt shops now, however, are self-serve to add a new twist on the fun. There are several yogurt dispensers, each a different flavor. They are in pairs, so the paired flavors can be "twisted" together. They all usually have little sample cups you can use to try out the flavors. Once you have decided, you grab a paper bowl and fill it up. You can add toppings on top of the yogurt as well, some including fresh fruit. Some of the yogurts are non-fat, others are premium. Once you are finished making your dream dessert, you take the bowl to the cashier and set it on a scale. You are charged by the ounce usually. Some places are more expensive than others, some offer more flavors.
I haven't found that there is one single franchise. All the yogurt places I have been to are single franchises, but all with the same general idea. Nearby the office and home in Denver, I have been to COYO (Colorado Yogurt, Co.) on Arapahoe and Havana, which charges $0.44 an ounce; Yo Craze on Hampton and Tower in Aurora, which charges $0.39 an ounce; and Crave It on Arapahoe and Peoria, which charges $0.37 an ounce. I'm sure as these franchises continue to open up, competition will increase and we will see a more steady price. My personal favorite is Crave It but like to take the family to Yo Craze too, both of which I love because I like gummy bears with just a sprinkle of Nerds on top, as seen in the picture. Adding the cherries to this dish was a mistake, a little overkill. I recommend checking one of these places out. Just Google "yogurt" for your area and see what comes up.

Razzoo's

I was on my way back to Waco, Texas this morning from Denver via DFW airport, where I drive the rest of the way. I have said before that I time my arrival so I can hit lunch at Rudy's or Bone Daddy's in Arlington. Today I decided to try a Cajun place in the same area called Razzoo's. My brother had it last week when he was in the area, and I asked some of the locals about it. They all said it was awesome, so I was naturally intrigued.
I read mixed reviews online, with no specific meal recommendations, so I asked my waitress for the "best thing ever" on the menu. She said her favorite was the Stuff'd Fish, which is a Tilapia filet on top of  "shrimp and crap stuffing", topped with creamy crawfish butter sauce, all on a bed of rice. I got the half-order, which was plenty of food, and also because I started with some Fried Crawfish Tails, half-order of that as well. The crawfish tails were pretty good, a little heavily breaded in my opinion, and not the best I have had. The Cherry Mustard sauce they came with was pretty tasty, a little different from the usual cocktail sauce. The fries that came with the appetizer were actually really good. The spices were nice and tasty. As for the entree, I was very impressed. That was a really, really good dish. The waitress did well with her recommendation. The creamy crawfish butter sauce was awesome, tasting just like it sounds like. The shrimp and crab stuffing under the Tilapia was very good as well, and with the sauce on top, everything came together nicely. I would like to eat here again when I get the chance.
It looks like there are about fourteen of these restaurants, all but one located in Texas. The other one looks like it is in North Carolina. They have a lunch menu, which has good prices, all around $8. I ordered off the regular menu, but got half-orders of each item, and thought the price was good. Their dinner entrees are mostly under $15.
I recommend trying this place. I give it four stars with the possibility to go up later!
Web site: http://razzoos.com/

 

Rudy's BBQ

I discovered Rudy's BBQ over a year ago when I started having to travel to Waco, Texas a lot for work. Rudy's started around San Antonio in 1989 and the chain is a gas station, store, restaurant combo. This barbecue has fast become one of my favorites.
This is Texas-style barbecue, not Kansas City-style or Carolina-style, so it's on the spicy side, not sweet. They sell their meats by weight or in sandwiches. They have ribs, brisket (both moist and lean), pulled pork, pork loin, turkey, chop, pit ham (only at some places),  and sausage. I have had every kind of meat, all of which are excellent. My favorites are their pulled pork, their turkey which is really moist, and their brisket (lean). Their sides are excellent as well, my favorites being their new potatoes (extra butter) and Rudy's beans. Their sauce is famous, and awesome. They have regular and "sissy" sauce, but I don't think their regular is very hot at all, and I love it. The ordering system is like a cafeteria, where you order your food at the register and they get it all for you, put it in a tray along with slices of bread, white or wheat, and then you take your tray to the drink station. They also have a condiment station where you can get pickles, onions, pepperoncinis, or jalapenos.
Did I mention this place has a breakfast menu? Oh man the brisket breakfast burritos with Rudy's sauce is outstanding! I posted a breakfast menu below. The other pictures are a pulled pork sandwich with a half sausage and new potatoes, 1/2 pound of turkey with a pint of Rudy's beans, and 1/2 pound of pulled pork with a half jalapeno sausage and new potatoes. 
As I said before, I discovered Rudy's in Waco, Texas, but they are all over in Texas. I have since been to others, including one near Fort Worth in Arlington (which is the only one I have found "pit ham" at), and... a new one in Colorado Springs! I love that there is one so close to home now! If I had make one negative comment about Rudy's, it's that they don't offer a "sampler" platter so you can try all their meats at once, which are all amazing! I make it a point to go to Rudy's whenever I am near one. Five solid stars for this place!
Web site: http://www.rudys.com/

  

 

Beau Jo's Pizza

Beau Jo's pizza is a unique "Colorado Style" pizza, otherwise known as a "Mountain Pie". There are eight locations, seven of them in Colorado. The original one is in Idaho Springs, up the mountains West of Denver off I-70, on the way to the ski resorts up there. I like to make a stop through Idaho Springs when I have the time, to hit Beau Jo's. I admittedly have never had any of their menu items besides the Mountain Pie, which has a very big crust and traditionally you put honey on the crust after you eat the part of the pizza with the topping on it. I'm not really a huge fan of the big crust to be honest. I need to try one of their "Prairie Pies" which supposedly have a thinner crust. The topping part of the Mountain Pie is really good, though. They use premium ingredients, whole milk cheese (which I think makes a great flavor), and a distinct spice combination in their sauce. In the pictures you will see their "Little Sicily" specialty pie, which is pretty good. The prices, however, aren't very good in my opinion. A "medium" (2 pounder) will run you $18 to $20. The Idaho Springs restaurant does have a very cool feel to it, though. It's like a big log ski lodge. I suppose you are paying for the experience. It's a good pizza, but I have had much better for much less money. I recommend this place, but have to give it only 3 stars, maybe 3 1/2 on the taste itself. If you're craving honey on this crust, though, it's really good.
Web site: http://www.beaujos.com/

 

Buffalo Wild Wings (B-Dubs)

Buffalo Wild Wings, or "B-dubs" is my all time favorite FRANCHISE place for wings, hands down. They have about fourteen regular sauce selections and four different dry rubs or seasonings. I'm not a huge fan of the dry rubs but they are pretty good. I usually go for the sauces, my favorite being the Parmesan Garlic, followed closely by Jammin' Jalapeno. After that I love the Mango Habanero (that's about as hot as I can take!) and the Caribbean Jerk. I always go Traditional wings. For some reason they taste so much better than the Boneless. Their potato wedges are awesome too, and I prefer ranch on the side (not a big fan of Bleu Cheese). I tried their ribs once and was not impressed at all. Most BWW have lunch specials where you can get ten Traditional wings plus fries or wedges for about $8. The location nearest where I work (on Chester Street by Park Meadows in Centennial, CO), however, does an "Unlimited Wings" M-F 11 AM to 2 PM, $9.99 for Traditional, $10.99 for Boneless. You get unlimited fries or wedges too. That usually makes for about a two-hour lunch, though, because I usually do either 18 or 24 wings (you order 6 at a time after the initial 12) plus wedges. Some places don't offer this special, and even this location stops it from time to time. When they have it, though, I put a serious dent in their profit margin for that day! The atmosphere is great too, if you like sports. They usually have numerous TVs with multiple games on. If you join their "Buffalo Circle" on their web site, each year on your anniversary of joining they send you a certificate for six free wings! I love this place!
Web site: www.buffalowildwings.com

 

Buzzard Billy's

One of my favorite places to eat when I go to Waco, Texas for work is Buzzard Billy's. It is a Cajun restaurant right off I-35 with a few crawfish choices I love. I usually start with their Cajun Popcorn, which is fried battered crawfish tails. I ask for a side of New Orleans style Remoulade sauce in addition to the regular cocktail sauce. It is awesome! My favorite entree is their Crawfish Fettuccine Alfredeaux. My second favorite when I am just craving Andouille sausage, chicken, and ham is their Mardi Gras Pasta. These dishes are to die for, and the prices here are very reasonable (everything is under $15). It looks like they have three other locations also, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Nebraska, none of which I have been to. This one in Waco is a must though!
Web site: http://www.buzzardbillys.com/

Red Lobster

Everyone loves Red Lobster right? I love Red Lobster, especially when they offer their Endless Shrimp special (which... they just happen to be offering right now!) for $15.99. I haven't had a bad meal here, ever. I would say it is my favorite nationwide-chain seafood restaurant. The prices can hurt a bit, though. That's why I love the Endless Shrimp special. It is what it sounds like, all you can eat. The last time I went, they had five different shrimp entree choices, my favorites in order being 1) Garlic Shrimp Scampi 2) Parmesan Shrimp 3) Hand Breaded Shrimp 4) Shrimp Linguini Alfredo 5) Sweet and Spicy Grilled Shrimp. You start out with two, then order one refill at a time. You can order your first refill when they bring you your initial two. The pictures below (that last picture got distorted somehow) show all five entrees, the scampi making two appearances that night! I also love Red Lobster's garlic cheddar biscuits they serve you while you wait!
Web site: http://www.redlobster.com/