Pouring me an Alaskan Amber!
Local Restaurant Review / Discussion (2026)
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379 Replies |
Last: 15 hrs ago by techno-ag
Don't forget 3C!
FlyRod said:PS3D said:maroon barchetta said:
And has a drive-thru. And is closer to a population center and has much more traffic driving by.
Also, the two concepts aren't similar. Totally different vibe and menu.
Hullabaloo has 20 years of sales history to know what days are profitable and what times on those days. And even what days or weeks in which months they can expect sales.
Mojo has, what, seven months? Let's see how it looks in 20 years I guess.
The area near the diner has grown in 20 years, but it still isn't the same amount of population and potential customers of something closer to 6 or Texas and north of Rock Prairie or even Fitch.
There isn't an anchor for them like a Tower Point or a Century Square so you can't use those comparisons either.
Try comparing it to all of the other rustic diners (non-chain) in B/CS and get back to me if you want to make comparisons.
I can see it now, if we had TexAgs back in 2000 you'd be arguing that the Texan Restaurant (South College and Villa Maria) is totally fine and in no danger of closing, despite cutting back service to three days a week (from six) and that they must know what they're doing because, after all, they were open for 30 years.
The Texan closed in the 90s if I'm not mistaken. Never got to try it. I remember that first wave of bbq places though: Tom's, Pop's, Randy Sims. Gone with the wind…
It closed in May 2000 (link) and while the hours did EXPAND before closing, it doesn't necessarily disprove my point, but they made cost-cutting measures, cutting expensive items from the menu, and so forth.
I should also mention that the Hullabaloo Diner from 20 years ago was nothing like what it was today, or even 10 years ago. It served desserts and coffee--no real food, they had a retail component selling crafts and antiques, and it was run directly by the Schulte family, who still own the restaurant and the land it sits on.
There are times when a business was marginally successful and only killed when the powers that be decided that the land was too valuable or rent was too low, but I don't think that the current state of Hullabaloo is one of those cases.
Never had the pizza, but I haven't ever been impressed with anything I've ordered at Hullabaloo.
The Texan closed because Mr. Tarpley (the chef/owner) passed away and the food was never as good with his son and wife running things. We frequented The Texan and had all of our special occasion dinners there.
Sadly all too common in the (tough restaurant biz, esp if the original owner-chef was particularly talented and committed.
Maybe some local businesses affected - drove past a big yard sale on South College in Bryan. They had a few dozen large jugs of Gain and Tide and whatever else.
I've seen FB Reels of people getting busted trying to leave Target with a cart full of detergent. I always wondered where they sell them. I guess it's the yard sale in this case?
I've seen FB Reels of people getting busted trying to leave Target with a cart full of detergent. I always wondered where they sell them. I guess it's the yard sale in this case?
maroon barchetta said:
Maybe some local businesses affected - drove past a big yard sale on South College in Bryan. They had a few dozen large jugs of Gain and Tide and whatever else.
I've seen FB Reels of people getting busted trying to leave Target with a cart full of detergent. I always wondered where they sell them. I guess it's the yard sale in this case?
Also some people who are big into couponing will sell those - they get for free or super cheap.
Looks like La Madeleine backed out.
No win-win out of the park?
A little outside of BCS, but Doughboy Pizza in Hearne is excellent. We've had it three times now, including catering a birthday party for our kids.
Nooooooo!
maroon barchetta said:
No win-win out of the park?
Knocked it into the cow pasture with the plane?
This is what Rusty said.
They had to change locations again. They're supposedly finishing up lease paperwork for a spot on Rock Prairie near Highway Six. That's all they've shared with me at this time.
They had to change locations again. They're supposedly finishing up lease paperwork for a spot on Rock Prairie near Highway Six. That's all they've shared with me at this time.
MyNameIsJeff said:
A little outside of BCS, but Doughboy Pizza in Hearne is excellent. We've had it three times now, including catering a birthday party for our kids.
That's like 25 miles out from 2818 and Texas Avenue. It would be like someone asking about good pizza in Cypress and you suggesting downtown Houston, it's about the same distance.
And yet, we drive to Hearne a few times a year to eat at Mary's El Alamo Cafe….
I'm sitting here spitting up my coffee at the thought of people from South College Station driving to Hearne for pizza. Anything farther away than Tower Point or Jones Crossing can be too far.
It's more about going to Hearne, the town that lost its Wal-Mart.
Maybe you need to drink better coffee?
Mathguy64 said:
I'm sitting here spitting up my coffee at the thought of people from South College Station driving to Hearne for pizza. Anything farther away than Tower Point or Jones Crossing can be too far.
You say that in jest, but I still see people asking for restaurant recommendations and then people trying to defend their favorite spot near downtown Bryan as viable option and then mocking them when told it's too far. The distance between Highway 6 and Highway 40 and downtown Bryan (assuming Texas Avenue) is 10 miles. It's 10 miles, 10 miles is the diameter of Loop 610. You could cover a significant part of the Houston metro in 10 miles, and you sure are going out of your neighborhood if you wanted to visit a restaurant 10 miles away.
Admittedly, it's not that long if you have a car and mostly highway, but I'm just trying to put it in perspective.
In other news I talked to Costa Dallis today in person...he indicated that the prices at Burger Mojo and Mojo Tortilla Company are stable unless beef prices go higher. I guess whatever he plans for Ozona (is that still in the works?) definitely won't be a steakhouse.
Nice meeting you today Aaron.
A good friend and business associate bought the ozona property. So far we cant make feasibility there pencil, at least for our concepts and skill set.
The town is going through some growing pains, as towns this size do until they get to about a 350,000 metro population.
We do however have a pending deal that we hope to announce soon.
A good friend and business associate bought the ozona property. So far we cant make feasibility there pencil, at least for our concepts and skill set.
The town is going through some growing pains, as towns this size do until they get to about a 350,000 metro population.
We do however have a pending deal that we hope to announce soon.
Agree. Nothing is 'far 'in College Station/Bryan.
Might be further than you currently want to drive but it's not actually 30-45 fighting traffic.
Might be further than you currently want to drive but it's not actually 30-45 fighting traffic.
Mathguy64 said:
I'm sitting here spitting up my coffee at the thought of people from South College Station driving to Hearne for pizza. Anything farther away than Tower Point or Jones Crossing can be too far.
Mary's ain't pizza… it's Mexican. It's more of nostalgia for us.
PS3D said:MyNameIsJeff said:
A little outside of BCS, but Doughboy Pizza in Hearne is excellent. We've had it three times now, including catering a birthday party for our kids.
That's like 25 miles out from 2818 and Texas Avenue. It would be like someone asking about good pizza in Cypress and you suggesting downtown Houston, it's about the same distance.
Which is why I started my post with "a little outside of BCS". Some of us live in the surrounding communities such as Anderson, Iola, Franklin, etc. I guess I'll go post in the Hearne board.
MyNameIsJeff said:PS3D said:MyNameIsJeff said:
A little outside of BCS, but Doughboy Pizza in Hearne is excellent. We've had it three times now, including catering a birthday party for our kids.
That's like 25 miles out from 2818 and Texas Avenue. It would be like someone asking about good pizza in Cypress and you suggesting downtown Houston, it's about the same distance.
Which is why I started my post with "a little outside of BCS". Some of us live in the surrounding communities such as Anderson, Iola, Franklin, etc. I guess I'll go post in the Hearne board.
Right now, CEFCO is converting to Casey's, with the largest and newest stores coming first, and their pizza seems to be popular. I am looking forward to when they convert the Snook store, and the Hearne store could be next if they evict Subway, and even then it might be worth only to try it, not enough to get consistently.
The point of a pizza restaurant is for it to be available near you, and I am blessed to have Trackside near me, enough that I can drive home using only the side streets (yes, now you have my first name AND where I live).
On that note, the convenience store scene in Bryan-College Station is pretty disappointing; they haven't built any new 7-Eleven stores (though with the high rate of failure around Houston I'm not too surprised) or any new Circle K stores (have we even had a new-build?) or anything else. The only things I've seen is TXB, Aurora, and Circle T, all of which are various degrees of disappointing. I think "The Texan" was supposed to build at the southeast corner of Texas Avenue and Dartmouth, and that has yet to happen. Casey's for the pizza (which I have not yet tried) and QuikTrip for the sandwiches (which I have tried), that's what I want to see.
Do we really need more gas station food places? Just curious.
A gas station just needs a Laredo Taco Company. There are several in town. They don't need to be fancy.
They don't even need to be Laredo.
TXAGBQ76 said:
Do we really need more gas station food places? Just curious.
Yes. Next question.
"The greater BCS gas station scene" is definitely slacking.
TXAGBQ76 said:
Do we really need more gas station food places? Just curious.
No.
Dr. Watr said:
They don't even need to be Laredo.
Right. Cole Stop on HWY 30 does not contain a Laredo, but they have excellent breakfast tacos.
Ate at Mojo Tortilla again yesterday and still happy with the experience. We got to try the new seasonal drink flavors and they were really good.