The Truck Yard on Lower Greenville!

Here’s your unreadable sign.

Just walk in. Try to bike in?, it’ll be on display.

Truck bed patio seating!

Sanford’s son gave it up!

The trucks at the Truck Yard.

The main line for CHEESESTEAKS!!!

What?!?! No line?

If yo’re unsure, go get you a couple of these in the main building!

Beer here!!!

The acoustic guitar lined patio stage!

The “Tree House”.

From the Tree Patio (house).

Eagle eye on the trucks shutting it down.

Liquor bottle chandelier!!!

Ice chest bar stools.

Unclear? “Eat safe. Use condiments.”

The Truck Yard on lower Greenville here in Dallas is definitely one of my favorite new additions!  I can’t wait for the weather to get nice so that the stage outside is always booked!  As far as parking?  If you don’t think you can park there, don’t park there!  I got a ticket for parking in the huge empty lot next to them that was riddled with tire tracks where hundred have parked before. Still, no pavement.  My bad.

As far as the menu, it’s always changing because they change out the food trucks on a weekly basis.  When I went, there was a Mexican, Italian, and Greek truck.  If you’re ever unsure which truck to visit, just go into the main building and order a cheesesteak (or live dangerously and choose a truck you pansy!).  They drop the meat on the grill right in front of you and chop it as it cooks.  They ask you what type of cheese you want on it, and I usually choose the kind that doesn’t destroy my bowels.  🙂  Once you get it, don’t be afraid to use the condiments provided when you get it and on the counter on the other side of the door as you leave the grill line.

The patio was super cool.  I felt like I was in a redneck museum!  There were truck beds made into patio tables, igloo bar stools, liquor bottle chandeliers, old school picnic furniture, old coke machines, DIRT, a stage lined with acoustic guitars, and a tree house!  Actually, I’d call it a tree patio since there weren’t walls and a roof, and it wasn’t built IN the tree like I tried to as a kid (everything fell down including me).  Still, not to rain on their parade.  It’s a tree house that has tree house cocktails as well!  Go get some!

Also, they DO have wait staff working the floor.  Unfortunately, it’ s not always easy to distinguish them from the rest of us.  A couple of times I asked, “Excuse me.  Can you get me a beer?”  I then got a look that didn’t really sit well.  I can interpret it here, but that would take a few pages.

Beer?  Of course they have the regular selections, but they ALSO keep the Texas selections available!  You know, the more you support local, the richer our city becomes? (As I point at you with my politician’s thumb).

Anyways, I’ll put the website links below.  Keep it real!

The Truck Yard website!

The Truck Yard Food Truck Calendar!

 

Cock and Bull on Gaston in Lakewood!!!

The dining room.

Sample menu.

Here’s your sign!

Hours of operation

Ravioli.

Delicious steak.

Au gratin scallop casserole.

 

This place may have the best food in Lakewood EVER!  Still, if you come here, don’t be in a hurry.  There is a possibility that the food may take a while.  In that slight possibility, order an easy appetizer to hold you over.  They often have one bartender, one server, and one cook/bad ass Chef.  It may even just be a bartender and a BAD ASS COOK!!!  🙂  Still, most of the time, everything, including service, is amazing, but you never know when an unexpected rush surprises these wonderful people.

Their specials are generally written on “the board.”  I always like to order the most expensive thing on the board, especially if it is a steak or an odd meat of some kind (like kangaroo).  It’s usually the best thing “not on the menu on the menu” that day, even though a lot of their regular items are pretty amazing.  The board specials tend to run out early in the evening, so if you plan on getting their board special, show up early!  You may see pictured a bay scallop gratin prosciutto with garlic, parmesan, and panko crust.  It’s on the menu, and it ROCKS!!!  The ravioli is on there, too, and I love it!  Chewier than expected, but very satisfying.

As far as music goes, I think they finally did away with the old school jukebox and upgraded to the digital on-line version.  If nothing is playing, be prepared to listen to awkward conversations you shouldn’t be listening to.

All in all, I love this hole-in-the-wall.  It’s been around a long time and hope it stays forever.  It’s totally broken in and has a history we all want to be a part of.  I’ll put a link to their website and menu below in case anything changes.  Please excuse the bad pics taken with my iphone as opposed to my awesome Ashton Kutcher camera that I usually use.  It seems to grab too much attention when I’m out, so I just decided to whip out the phone on a few pictures this time.

Thanks for going out with me.

Cock and Bull menu.

Cock and Bull website.

Victor Tangos at Knox/Henderson and Central (75)!!!

Chicken liver pate with balsamic onions and toast.

A blurry but enhanced new menu!

Fried gulf shrimp with a nice chili pepper sauce underneath.

Bar by Instagram.

VICTOR TANGOS!!!

Blackboard behind bar with daily specials

Back dining area

Flatbread

Mussels

Dayboat scallops

The Last Word.

Poached pears, arugula, blue cheese, pine nuts & ginger snaps

BBQ quail over a broccolini salad

I love this place!  The food is delicious, and it’s a great escape from the outside world.  No windows.  It’s like a big, cozy, well lit, basement, with awesome people.  When I walk in, I feel like I just entered a well kept secret.  Almost like I shouldn’t be here.  The staff here are super nice.  I just can’t help but smile when any of them speak to me.  Also, I noticed a lot of Texas brews on draft.  I love that!  I had the Fireman #4, and my buddy had the Lakewood Wheat.

For food, we started with a flatbread.  I try to be sure and order whatever’s written on the board behind the bar, because it’s ALWAYS good.  The flatbread had grilled shrimp, lemongrass sausage, fresh jalapenos, cheese, etc. etc.  It was great.  After that we had the dayboat scallops, mussels, and roasted bone marrow.  The bone marrow came with caramelized onions (“onion confit”) and buttered toast.  Be sure to put it all together for the best bite ever!  The scallops laid on a bed of mushroom risotto and black bean sauce.  The mussels were served with a buttered baguette, and we discovered more lemongrass sausage in the bowl!  Wow.  I usually get the lollypop lamb chops, but I was a bit full after that random “surf and turf” we devoured.

For dessert, I was gonna get the toffee cake with an extra side of that fancy whipped cream.  I always get it, but opted for a cocktail called “The Last Word”.  I said, “can I get the last word?”, but he spoke, so I guess not.  LOL?  Not so much?  Oh well.  It was very good!  It had rye whiskey, lemon juice, green chartreuse, and maraschino liquor.  Shaken to perfection and poured in the least manly glass I could drink from…  as I kept my pinky out.  I was very happy with my cocktail as my dessert.  It was delicious, and I am not insecure, so I took my time.

Oh. They have so many other good things on the menu.  This is just what I had on this visit.  Definitely try other things. (tuna nachos)  Their kitchen is usually open until midnight EVERY night except Sunday when they’re closed, of course.  They’re located at Knox/Henderson and Central across from Velvet Taco and right next to Sleep Experts.

www.victortangos.com

 

May 2014.  New Chef.  The menu has changed a bit.  Still very good.  Check it out.  They kept the most popular items if you’re worried about the bone marrow.  😉

Chicken liver pate with balsamic onions and toast.

A blurry but enhanced new menu!

Fried gulf shrimp with a nice chili pepper sauce underneath.

Bar by Instagram.

Goodfriend Beer Garden and Burger House!

Good Friends. Josh and Matt.

I love this bar.

The dining room.

I’ll fit in there somewhere!

The Patio!

The lounge area that I refer to as “the living room.”

Nice wrap around bar with pretty lights.

Delicious wings.

The Coop burger with an egg over easy, brie, bacon, and I added srirachi ketchup!

I love this bar.  They’ve got great food and a huge selection of beers on draft and in the bottle.  The whole place has great “craic” inside and out!  Very laid back and inviting.  The wings are probably the best I’ve had in Dallas. I’ve ordered the spicy wings, but it was way too spicy, although my buddy loved them, so I stick with the milder version!  My burger of choice was the Mary Mary (lamb burger), but as soon as I tried the Coop (burger with grilled bacon, brie, and an egg over easy), I had a new favorite.  Everyone’s telling me to get the Pepper Bomb burger, but that’s apparently on the spicy side as well.  I’ll leave that one for you guys with the steel tummies!  One of my favorite appetizers is the Cuddly Pigs.  They’re like pigs in blankets but with quality meat and a puffy pastry.  Nice dipping sauces as well.  I didn’t really get good pictures because I kept attacking my food before I realized I wanted pictures.  I’ll add pictures later, because I’m sure I’ll be back many times.  Oh, they started doing happy hour all day on Mondays.  All drafts are $4.  Still, Kronenbergs are always $3, although I always end up ordering a rotating draft.  On this visit, I got the double pumpkin ale.

Of course they’re in Dallas located at Garland and Peavy road.  You’ll see a CVS one way and a Walgreens the other.  They’re next to a car wash, and use them for parking sometimes.  Check these guys out.  They really know what they’re doing.

goodfrienddallas.com

🙂