An aborted conspiracy.
Armadillocon weekend.
The first time I ever had sushi, it was at the original Azuma. The Express version seems to have survived for quite a while now, but not on the strength of their sushi.
I had a very nice chicken curry dish (with breaded and fried cutlets of chicken) for about $5. I was also able to try a couple of appetizers (such as the beef rolls) that worked out okay. The major problem was sushi: fifteen minutes after I ordered, the GBTC told me "we can't make that today." What, did the sushi chef misplace his knife? And why did it take you so long to figure that out?
Further, the sushi is limited mostly to rolls: shrimp and tuna don't seem to be available except as part of combo plates, and things like eel aren't available at all. Perhaps it is unfair to judge them as a sushi place, but why even offer sushi at all if you aren't going to do it right?
Cheap Japanese food. That's pretty much a summary of Azuma's virtues. The problem is, given the small portions, it's still not cheap enough. For what a small plate of food at Azuma will set you back, you could get a huge bowl of pho or vermicelli at any of a dozen Vietnamese places. While the sushi is also cheap, it's nothing to write home about either. Variety is extremely limited (no unagi???) and the sushi rolls themselves are malformed. The spicy sauce served with it is a nice touch, but the wasabi was wimpy. Combine all this with the plastic fast food decor, and you have rather strong reasons to avoid Azuma Express.
Decent brisket, good ribs, very good mutton, and fair sausage.
As usual, nothing but potato salad, slaw and beans in the sides department.
I'd stop in if I was passing through Elgin, but nothing here gives me any incentive to make the drive in from Austin.
When you walk into Crosstown BBQ in Elgin, you know you're in a real Texas BBQ joint, complete with a dingy, no frills, smoke-stained interior. The BBQ makes it well worth the trip.
The potato salad is quite good. The brisket is merely OK, nothing to write home about, and the sausage merely good, both a far cry from that served at Kreuz Market or other top Central Texas BBQ joints. The pork ribs, on the other hand, rank right up with the best I've ever had. And the mutton! The Crosstown crew are geniuses when it comes to lamb. The mutton was so delicious I wonder why few other BBQ joints serve it. The next time I visit (and there will be a next time), I think I'll just go for ribs and mutton and smile all the way home.
The biggest drawback is that the rundown building motif extends to the men's room. An overflowing toilet and a lack of paper towels are definite low points. You'd be better off using the Dairy Queen on the way in our out. (And since Crosstown doesn't seem to offer desserts, you might pick up a Blizzard as well.) Crosstown seems successful enough that they should be able to hire a plumber.
Though I wouldn't rank it as highly as the Salt Lick or Kreuz Market, Crosstown is clearly a worthy BBQ contender, and true aficionados should head on down 290 to sample some mighty fine ribs and mutton.
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