Review for Delicias Colombianas Knoxville

Good evening and welcome to another installment of Fat Boy Problems.  I am so excited about the restaurant we will be discovering today!!! Now the way we found this place was kind of cool. We were out and about looking for places to line up for new vlogs on our YouTube channel.(If you haven't yet come to our YouTube page and subscribe, Hanger MGMT!!!) We pass a place I am familiar with but something is a little different. 

Now growing up on the Northside of Knoxville, there are not too many places I don't know about or know how to get to. But when you see a place where there use to be Chinese restaurant that was a staple in the community and see that it is now Colombian restaurant, you have to stop and see what is going on!!!

Walking into the restaurant you feel welcomed.  You are greeted by the family, Lina(Mom), Olmides(Dad), brothers Andres and Stiven,and they make you feel even more comfortable. They show love to their roots with pieces of home posted around the restaurant. (Major points in my book.)

But to real know the background of how the restaurant became and the things the family endured will touch your heart. From living in poverty in Colombia, avoiding the streets and drug gangs, mother being in a coma for a month and moving to a new country for a second chance. Their story is the stuff movies are made of. To see the drive they have and the passion for what they do is phenomenal. 

Now I could keep talking about their amazing journey but today we want to celebrate the gift they are giving to Knoxville.  This place is made for those who love food and are looking to expand their palates.

There food is prepared my the mother and father of the family.  They take meals and recipes they learned from family back home and give us something new yet at times is very familiar.  From steaks marinated for hours to seal in flavor, to blood sausage (yes blood sausage) that taste like boudin. They have the crispy, flavorful chichiron that reminds you of your favorite bacon on steroids. Then they hit you with the different bread options that all serve a purpose during your meal. (Get a full run down of all items on the vlog, https://youtu.be/mGf8Dd6xXdc.)

But the one thing I can say really opened up me up to their culture is their homemade tamales.  The wrapping of the tamale in plantain leaves and not one, not two but three meats in it. Where in the world do they do this at? Delicias Colombianas!!! Chicken, beef and pork!!! To say we left the restaurant full would be and understatement!!

And we can't forget the many drinks they have available from their homeland.  From soda to ice cold brews, they have you covered. 

Delicias Colombianas is a breath of fresh air and a great change of pace.  Then you have the love and care of the family to go along with the meal, a great experience is to be had.

I am giving it a 5X Tee and I hope everyone goes out and gives them a try.

Well that's going to wrap up this installment of Fat Boy Problems. Thank you for always tuning in and I appreciate the support.  Make sure to love the ones around you and most importantly make sure you treat yourself!!!

Review for Hamburger Hill

Good evening good people and welcome to a new edition of Fat Boy Problems.  First and foremost I have to thank you all for your continued support.  I enjoy bringing this to you and hope you are going out and supporting these local businesses. 

Today, we are taking you on a trip to a place that hasn't been open for a long time but has so much soul.  We are going to a place that treats you like family and enjoys serving the community.  Let's take a trip to Hamburger Hill. 

Hamburger Hill is a new food truck that came from an idea and is growing into on of the best trucks in the city to grab a good burger. (And the owners are vegetarian.) Though they have been open for only a few months,  the truck's owners, Troy (TK) and Erica Kyle are tied to the community and take little things from the past and use them as the foundation for the future. 

Now Hamburger Hill is open usually on Wednesday, Friday, some Saturdays and Sundays.  The easiest way to know time and place is to follow them on Facebook.  I make it a point to share when they post but if you don't follow me you can follow them directly. 

So, let's get to talking about this food. Hamburger Hill has one of the simplest menus in town and it serves them well. If you don't know, simplicity is genius. Sometimes a menu can be just too much because there is too many items on it. All you are getting at Hamburger Hill are "Smash Burgers", nothing more, nothing less and I love it.

So what does the menu consist of you ask? Well, you have 3 burgers on the menu:

The Original: with 2 patties,  onions, pickles cheese and Hill Sauce 

The Turkey Burger: Turkey burger with a vegetable medley, cheese and Hill sauce 

The Vegetarian Burger (Portabella Mushroom): Portabella Mushroom, marinated in seasoning goodness, a vegetable medley, cheese and Hill sauce. 

All three burgers are good in their own way I feel you will enjoy all three. My favorite is the Turkey burger.  I like to step away from the beef every now and then and this Turkey burger may be the best I have had. Sometimes with Turkey, it can be overcooked and dry. Not at Hamburger Hill, it drips with juice and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The OG is my second favorite on the menu. The way the cook the burger, you get a crisp skirt on the edge of the burger. This skirt adds another level of flavor to the burger.  Then to top it off with the cheese, onions and pickles, magic I tell you. 

Finally,  for the people who don't want meat and are living a healthier lifestyle, the Vegetarian burger is just what you need. They marinated the Portabella mushroom in a seasoning combination that makes it oh so juicy.  I am not a vegetarian but this burger is a great way to take a break from the norm and be truly satisfied. 

You have three options for sides: chips, baked beans and potato salad.  I am a sucker for some good baked beans and the way they cook them, with the meat and the sweetness, trying to figure out if it was molasses or brown sugar, makes you feel like you are at a barbecue. The potato salad was on point too. (You can get you 2 sides with any burger for $10. Who doesn't like a deal?)

And your meal wouldn't be complete without something cool and refreshing to wash it down. Get you a cup of their sweet tea. It goes perfectly with your meal.

The biggest takeaway I got from Hamburger Hill is family is important and helping the next man or woman to their goal is a way of life. These two really enjoy what they are doing and want to see others succeed with them.

I have nothing but high praise for this place. The all around experience was something I was thoroughly impressed with.  The genuine love for the craft and the way they treat each customer will have me back for sure. And to get a great meal with it, you can't lose.

Hamburger Hill gets a 5X Tee with no hesitation.  I recommend this place to anyone and hope you check it out. 

Well this wraps up another edition of Fat Boy Problems.  I would like to thank Hamburger Hill for their hospitality.  Take the time to love the ones around you but most importantly make sure to treat yourself!!!

Taste-O-Texas Review

Good evening good people!!! It has been a little while and I am glad to be back!!! Happy Father's Day to all and I hope it was a blessing to all.

Today, we are going to talk a restaurant that holds a special place in my heart. This place is not just special because of its food. This place is special because of the great atmosphere and family bond that we found. Let's take a trip to Texas,  Taste-O-Texas that is.

Now this restaurant is located in Loudon, TN. A little bit of a ride but if you are driving on Interstate 75, it's not too far off the interstate and you can stop by, pick up food to go or sit and stay awhile. 

The owners, Mark and Marge, run the restaurant with their 2 sons and their daughter-in-law.  They also have a granddaughter waiting in the wings to join in the fun. The restaurant has a cozy family-friendly restaurant that not only will you get great food, you will also be treated like family. 

But without further ado,  let's get to talking about this food. Let's say we received a spread that has us comatose at the table. We started out with some a great appetizer, Tachos. These morsels of goodness set it of.  Tater tots topped of with queso, tomatoes,  pinto beans,  brisket, lettuce and well let's just say it could be a meal within itself. 

Our next menu item was the Texas Two-Step. We had heard a little about and well, this sandwich was a hit. Brisket, sausage and coleslaw on a branded bun. It was a great combination, just a little more burn on the sausage for me.

Next the brought us an entree called The Longhorn. It consisted of three meats: sausage, brisket and pulled pork,  along with 2 sides. The potato salad was very good. It's dill-based and I took it all in. They also gave us some Mac and cheese that was very good. We also had some more coleslaw and they gave us a house salad.  Now when talking about the salad,  they only have a lime-cilantro ranch. For a person who doesn't like ranch, this little combo was not bad. (One thing I am learning is to be open to new things since embarking on this new journey.)

And final, the main event,  dessert!!! Now they have 2 desserts they serve and l tell you you will get both.  Now you remember I told you I have been open to new things,  both of these desserts I have really not eaten or tried in a long time. But I can say they both pleasantly surprised me. 

Let's start with the chocolate chip banana pudding.  This combo was something different.  The flavor of the chocolate with the banana pudding was amazing.  Also, the way they layer the pudding, then the crumbles of wafers, then whip cream, whoaaaaaaaaaa!!! This worked so perfectly together. 

Then to follow up they bring out cheesecake with a blueberry sauce. Again,  it was another pleasant surprise. The blueberry sauce was a great compliment to the cheesecake. (My palate is expanding more and more each place we go. Lol)

Oh, before I wrap this up. I have to mention the 4 homemade barbecue sauces. These sauces will give every person something they will love. From sweet and tangy to a super spicy sauce that sneaks up on you and punches you in your face.(Each sauce has great flavor for sure.)

So all in all, this restaurant was one I was impressed with. From the family hospitality to the great food, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  If you are out on 75 and looking for some BBQ the Texas way, stop in at Taste-O-Texas. 

My score for Taste-O-Texas is 4X Tees. And if you go, tell them we sent you.

Well, this wraps up another installment of Fat Boy Problems. I want to thank Taste-O-Texas for having us and wish them nothing but the best. Until the next time, make sure to love the ones you love but most importantly make sure you treat yourself!!

Review for the Chicken Coop

Good evening good people and thank you for joining me for another Fat Boy Problems' blog. We have been to a lot of great places, we have enjoyed some great food and the wins don't stop this week!!! This week we will be highlighting the Chicken Coop.!!!

The Chicken Coop is another husband and wife duo who are killing the game. They have found a way to take one thing that everyone loves, chicken, and put their own little twist on the delicious entree!!!

We traveled back to Wears Valley and the scenery was once again amazing.  A nice beautiful day to enjoy some of the best food you will have in the East Tennessee area. The Chicken Coop is a mainstay at Wears Valley Social so anytime you are that way, stop on in for some good food and entertainment. 

Now the specialty of the Chicken Coop is chicken, of course, but we must start out with sides. We had the Fried Mashed Potatoes and the Honey Sriracha Fries.  Let me tell you, each of these held a special place in my heart!!! 

Let's start with the Fried Mashed Potatoes.  This was a pleasant surprise.  How they came up with the idea of placing mashed potatoes, cheese and bacon, place it in an egg roll wrap and fry it to perfection.  This combo was phenomenal and left you wanting more. Then we moved on to the Honey Sriracha Fries and it took fries to another level.  Honey Sriracha, beer battered fries with that extra crisp and bacon.  Now tell me you don't want to try either of those right now? I'll wait.

Next we had some healthier alternatives.  We had the Island Chicken Wrap with the cucumber salad and the Orange Chicken with mango coleslaw.  Both of these combos were amazing.  The wrap had a great crunch from the chicken,  sweetness from the mango coleslaw. It just worked.  The cucumber salad was refreshing as well. The Orange Chicken was a pleasant surprise of sweet and spicy.  But the mango coleslaw was the king. If you enjoy coleslaw this will not disappoint.  The only bad thing is the mangos are ripe only one time a year that they use.

We finished of the day with two more of the favorites,  the Chicken Salad Wrap and the Drunken Nachos.  Now we had so much already but we had to finish strong.  The Chicken Salad Wrap was crazy. The chicken salad itself was worth of the highest praise. And the Drunken Nachos were out of bounds too. The portion they give you could  be a meal by itself. 

To wrap this all up, the Chicken Coop didn't disappoint.  The hospitality, the great food, you can't miss. It will definitely get a return trip!!!

The Chicken Coop gets 5X Tee with no doubt.  If you are disappointed after having their great cuisine,  I don't know what to tell you!!!

So, make sure you go show some love and support your local businesses.  Visit Wears Valley Social and check out all the trucks and vendors. 

Make sure to take care of the ones that you love but most importantly make sure you treat yourself!!!!

Review for The Mac Food Truck

Hello again and thank you as always for rocking with me. It has been a while but got new things in the works and had to hold off on this particular blog. I am excited, to say the least, to tell you about The Mac Food Truck.

Before we go any further, I just want to let you know that I am now doing a vlog as well. The name of the vlog is Hanger MGMT.  My co-host Alonzo and I are out to show off the growing food industry we have in Knoxville and the surrounding areas. Find us on Facebook and YouTube.

So where do we begin when it comes to The Mac Food Truck. Let's just talk about the owners first and foremost. Mac and Terri are transplants from Destin, FL. They began as car salesmen and got out of the car business to come to Tennessee and join the food industry. And let me tell you it's working.

Not only are the bringing you a great product with their food, their  hospitality is something that can't be matched.  These are some of the most polite, humble people you will know and they will take good care of you. I could talk more about these two amazing people but we must talk about the food they are serving. 

If you are a seafood lover, this place will bring you much joy. They are bringing fresh seafood from the coast and you can tell the difference.  You also can tell how much they love serving the people with the love they put into their food.

Let's start with the fish. They serve up 2 different types of fish, Mahi Mahi and Grouper. Each piece of fish is seasoned to perfection and fried lightly.  Next you jump to the shrimp.  These shrimp may be my favorite part of the menu. Anything dealing with the shrimp you are going to receive a proper portion. Also, he makes a shrimp salad that will ow the roof off the building. When I say it's that good, it really is that good.

I also stepped out of my comfort zone and had some items I never had before. First, I tried fried oysters for the first time.  This delicacy was fantastic.  You could taste the ocean in every bite literally.  I also had cucumber salad for the first time and let me say, it was such a delicious surprise. It's a great alternative if you are trying to eat better or have restrictions. 

The rest of the sides were amazing as well. Fried corn on the cob, coleslaw and the daddy of them all, the seasoned crinkle fries. (I almost made those a meal by themself because I ate so many #fatboyproblems)

So, all in all, this was one of the best dining experiences I have ever had. The menu is awesome and continually expanding.  The people were so good to me and the crew. And the scenery was breathtaking. (When you have a food truck, the world is your oyster lol)

The Mac Food Truck gets a super 5X Tee and it's well deserved.  You guys are the cream of the crop.

As always I want to thank you again for the support.  I will keep these going because I have a passion for it and I love to share my experiences with you guys and gals.

I hope everyone has a great day, show love to the ones who around you but .most importantly make sure to treat yourself!!!!

Here's a little sneak peek of the vlog!!! Hanger MGMT,  hope you enjoy!!!!

https://youtu.be/BXmf16x22hw

Review for Last Days of Autumn Brewing

Good evening good people!!! I know it has been a while but man it's been a wild and crazy few months.  We made it into another year and slowly but surely we will be able to venture out to these great restaurants around the area and enjoy good food and great company!!

Tonight I finally got to check out a place I have heard a lot of good things about and finally got to taste it for myself.  I took a trip to Last Days of Autumn Brewing and partook in Taco Tuesday!!! They didn't disappoint!!

I got two different types of taco's tonight. (Greedy, I know but someone has to make the sacrifice.) I started the evening with the birria style tacos. I have seen this so much lately and wanted to know for myself why people were crazy about these tacos. Man, I get it!!! The the meat itself is so good. Tender and juicy and the seasoning was on point.  The cruch of the tortillas after being dipped and fried on griddle. The melting of the cheese to were each bite gave you some gooey happiness.  And we can't finish without recognizing the broth and hot sauce that both played a key roll in making this an excellent meal.  And I  almost forgot about the pickled onions that gave you the perfect balance to the heat form the hot sauce. 

I then had the Korean pork tacos. These tacos were also delicious.  The pork and the coleslaw complimented each othe very well. Also for 8.00, you got a lot of bang for your buck.

The overall atmosphere was great. Once summer comes around,  they have plenty of outdoor seating.  They had a couple TVs for sports and had a nice selection of crafts for you to partake in. I would recommend this place for a small gathering for friends or even a date.

I know for sure I will be back to enjoy another Taco Tuesday and I will also be back to see what other good eats I can find.

Today,  Last Days of Autumn Brewing gets a 5X Tee for their tacos and hospitality. 

As always I thank you for rocking with me and hope you enjoy the reviews. If you will share, comment and let me know what you think. As always take the time to tell the ones around you love them but most importantly, make sure to treat yourself!!!

Review for Connors Steak and Seafood Turkey Drive Knoxville

Good evening good people and Happy Monday to you!!!! Today was a good day!!! After being blessed to see another year this Saturday I decided to go with my motto and treat myself!!! Today we are going to talk about a restaurant that I heard a lot about and well it lived up to the hype.

Connors had a variety of different cuts of steak. And well, I felt I deserved a steak!!! Lol. But steak is not the only thing that will catch your eye. Their seafood options were pretty tempting as well.  They give a nice selection of sides that will perfectly go with whatever entree you decide on. 

Today I went with the ribeye and loaded baked potato.  Before crushing the entree like a champ, I had a side salad made with fresh greens, lettuce, carrots, almonds and tomato. You can never go wrong with a good salad. 

Now let's talk about this steak.  The steak was cooked exactly how I requested. The seasoning used was simple and there was no need to use any type of sauce. (Great steaks need no sauce.) And the loaded baked potato was just the side to compliment this beautiful piece of meat. I had to take picks to make sure to cherish this meal and the happiness I felt after eating this deliciousness. 

Now you would think they would be more than enough but I messed up and asked the server about the dessert menu. He begins the list by advising they have a chocolate mousse cake. After hearing the word chocolate my ears went deaf, a piece for me for the road please and thank you. 

All in all it was a great experience. The service was top notch.  The homie Bryan Cook joined me and we had some A-1 food. I know eventually I will be back for sure.

Today's review is going to be a phenomenal 5X Tee and I hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy this experience once in your life.

Well, I  stayed awake long enough to give my review.  I hope you all are staying safe and taking care of your loved ones. Make sure to tell someone you love them but most importantly, make sure you treat yourself!!!!!