One thing I love almost as much as eating, is getting things free. I just found a way to get both at once.

In celebration of three successful years in Houston, Krystal, the fast food restaurant known for its tiny burgers with big taste, is giving away two free hamburgers to Houstonians on Saturday, October 27. As a long-time consumer of said burgers, I am excited to be getting two free ones Saturday. Okay, its not like they cost a lot in the first place, but damn – it sure is a great excuse to go and scarf a few down.

The two free Krystal hamburger give-away is going on at the restaurant located at 1623 FM 1960 Rd W in North Houston anytime during store hours (drive-thru is open 24 hours and in-store dining is open 6a.m. – 11 p.m.) on the 27th. You will receive two of the famous hot, fresh, small, square hamburgers that have made the restaurant a cultural icon across the South and trust me, you’ll be hooked.

While covering a football game in Deer Park for Lone Star Gridiron, my friend Mike (pictured) and I discovered a great restaurant. I just felt I had to share. The name of the place is The Udder Place and all I can say is WOW!

Pictured is one of the normal burgers, but they offer one calle “The Udder Burger” that weighs out at FOUR POUNDS! The menu includes things like pork chops, potatoes, cabbage, chicken fried steak, heck, just click the link cause I can’t remember everything.

The other cool thing about The Udder Place is the ownership. We met Sue Bujan and her husband and were instantly taken with how nice they were. It really did feel like going to Mom’s house for a dinner. If you’re tired of the plastic benches and same boring menu, take a drive out to Center Street in Deer Park and tell them Chris & Mike sent you by.

Dudes, talk about being late to the party.

I had been to Coco’s once over a year ago when her place was on Richmond. Although I had always wanted to go back, I just never made it out to that side of town very often.

So imagine my surprise when I realized that the Coco’s on Westhiemer (near Montrose) was the same place. Evidently, Coco had to move out of her Richmond location (for whatever reason) and so decided to move closer to Downtown.

You may recognize this location as the old Montrose Diner site… which was the worst fucking diner ever with their horrible service and bland/poorly cooked food.

By sharp contrast, Coco’s is nothing like the Montrose Diner. I ordered a “J” roll as well as several individual pieces of sushi and some hot green tea. My order also came with a small dish of edamame, but I don’t know if that was because I was there during happy hour or that’s the way it is with any order.

The overall experience was dynamite!!! Yummy food and Coco is a trip to chat with. My fear is that the highly supportive clientele from Coco’s old location won’t follow her to the new location. Which means The HouMetblog community needs to get out to Coco’s damn it!

A happy eater is you!

We have a tradition at work of taking the new guy out to eat prior to a proper initiation that includes lining up all available computer mice on their desk, breaking computers so that they can fix them, etc, etc. Typical hazing that all new employees have to go through. But this post is supposed to be a food review so I’ll get to that right now. The other part of the tradition is to take new employees to Phoenicia Deli. I hadn’t ever been there before (they skipped the tradition for me!!) but they now have a loyal customer. The chicken shawarma was delicious and the menu offers enough for the culinary adventurer to be satisfied. There is a good selection of wines as well. The environment is super relaxed and inviting. And in case you want to try your own hand at cooking with international ingredients, Phoenicia Foods is across the street. What are some unique eateries that you enjoy?

St. Arnold’s Brewery has shipped a special batch of Christmas Ale, to help you get in the holiday spirit a wee bit early.

It’s certainly one of my favorite brews, and according to their Web site has many other fans as well:

Christmas Ale, with its 8% alcohol, has interesting effects on people. Many of these people have been compelled to share these exploits with us. Why? We’re not really sure. Several have involved public nudity. One of the best was a voicemail left the evening after a tour that included Christmas Ale. The lady called to say, “I don’t know what you put in your Christmas Ale, but after the tour, my husband and I went home and made love all afternoon long.”

UPDATE from St. Arnold’s!! :

Dear St. Arnold’s Army:

A few establishments in Houston will be celebrating Christmas in July over the next week, so dress in your best Santa outfit (actually, that could cause heat stroke, so maybe not) and go out and enjoy the one keg of Christmas Ale each place received. Of course, we can’t tell you where these will be, but some hints now follow:

Wednesday (7/18): Look for ducks on Norfolk.
Thursday (7/19): Hang with PhD’s and feast with Odin at Rice.
Tuesday (7/24): Christmas Ale downtown with aliens.
Wednesday (7/25): Rice Village at a really old pub (well, 22 is old in Houston)

At unspecified times, Christmas Ale can also be found in the Shepherd Plaza area (perhaps as soon as today) and in the Bissonnet/Morningside region, an area not otherwise known for volcanic activity.

There are still a few cases of our Christmas Ale out in the market. Those of you in Garden Oaks will feel like a 5 year old on Christmas morning if you go by 43rd and Ella.

So last night, in a fit of inebriated glee, I joined rank with my fellow beer connoisseurs and signed up as member of the 200 Beers Club!

That’s my kick ass t-shirt and membership card in the photo!

The way the club works is that once you enjoy 200 different beers at the Flying Saucer, you get your name on a plate, which is somehow nailed to the ceiling where it stays for all perpetuity. Or until a developer comes along and tears everything down.

Now before I rush out and sign my name to the waiting list for a liver transplant, I decided to enroll in Saturday’s Sprint for Life 5K Run and Walk with MD Anderson.

That’s my kick ass t-shirt and race number in the photo! Oh wow… like I just realized that my t-shirt wardrobe has like doubled this weekend.

Anyway, I am not going to be in the race with Mr. Anderson, but rather with my girlfriend and about 10,000+ of her co-workers. Afterwards, we plan on enjoying a lemon and brew… care to join us?

Tomorrow, Thursday March 15th, from 10am-12pm, is Starbucks’ ‘Coffee Break’ – its 2nd annual coffee-give-away. Via Brotherhood of the Bean:

Starbucks will be giving away free 12oz. cups of coffee to anyone who wanders by their stores and needs a coffee fix. You can bet your money that the lines will be long, but if you find yourself within walking distance of a Starbucks (LOL — “If”), stop on by for some free coffee.

Look for a Starbucks nearest you and join in the caffeinated madness. Or be a rebel and visit one of the many other amazing (less corporate) Houston coffee shops.

We visited the Te House of Tea (1927 Fairview St) for the very first time this weekend and are already having tea withdrawal symptoms.

They have an astounding selection of teas (as the name would imply), but more astounding still was the staff’s patience in describing, recommending and walking us through the different varieties and families of tea. It’s nice going to a tea/coffee shop where the staff really knows their stuff, but don’t make you feel ridiculous for not having written an encyclopedia on it yourself.

It’s a laidback kind of place with some couches, cool tea sets for sales, good lighting, decent music and free WiFi. At around 9pm on Friday nights, the lights start to dim and the Tango dancing starts which is quite beautiful to watch (if not rather unexpected in a tea shop, but eclectic is good).

We’ll be back to meet with friends, munch on yummy fresh baked goods and create our own elaborate tea ceremonies. Tea-licious. Photo thanks to Oolong

The Houston Heights Onion Creek had its last indoor smoker friendly day last Thursday, February 15th. The patio is still tobacco happy, but the O.C. has decided to honor the Houston-wide bar indoor smoking ban a little early. From their press release:

… Onion Creek will remain ahead of the curve by no longer allowing smoking indoors. We are one of the first establishments in the city to adopt the recently approved smoking ban prior to its actual date of enforcement in September of this year, and we look forward to providing a clean, smoke-free environment for our patrons and employees. Onion Creek values our customers who smoke, and will still allow smoking on its spacious patio. We see this as a win-win situation and hope that our customers – smokers and non-smokers alike – will appreciate our efforts to provide a comfortable experience for all Onion Creek visitors.

Will other Houston-area bars banning smoking early lose your business? Or will you be more likely to visit them, knowing that even a late night DJ-accompanied beer will mean a nicotine-free adventure? Photo thanks to Onion Creek Cafe

Last week marked the closing of the Westheimer location of Diedrich Coffee. A popular hangout for many students (such as some of my colleagues), the coffee shop had a loyal (and I mean LOYAL) following. If you were to walk in on any given day, you would recognize at least a few of the people who practically lived there.

Personally, I never frequented Diedrich to the extent that some people I know did, but I will say that the people at Diedrich know how to make coffee alot better than most of the coffee shops out there. I also found the free WiFi an added bonus, but that’s become fairly common place now. In fact, I’m at another coffee shop closer to my house that I’ve grown quite attached to.

Although some may contest that the outing of Diedrich was masterminded by their neighbors at Upper Hand, the Chronicle article attempts to explain the reasoning from the perspective of the land lord. Whether or not it’s a convincing argument is a choice that I’ll leave to the reader.

I’m sure I speak for many when I say this: after 10 years of service, Diedrich’s on Westheimer will be greatly missed.