BrickTop's (Nashville)

Steph was in Nashville for Memorial Day weekend and filed this report. Thanks, Steph!

BrickTop’s
3000 West End Ave
Nashville, TN

BrickTop’s is famous in our family for two reasons: For one, they have an amazing veggie burger on the menu. But most importantly, it was the place where Connor wrote his name for the first time. I still have that corner of the children’s menu with the shaky “Connor” scrawled on it, tucked away in the baby book for safekeeping.

For some reason, we haven’t been back since that historic Chockley event. I’m guessing it’s because the place is pretty pricy. It reminds me a lot of Houston’s restaurant, only without the Stepford wait staff. According to their website, there are only four BrickTop’s locations (in Nashville, Charlotte, Naples and Atlanta), with three more “Coming Soon!” So yes it’s a chain, but it’s a small one! I still get points for that, right?

We went on a recent Sunday afternoon, and felt horribly under-dressed in the midst of the elegant décor and tables of post-church diners in their Sunday best. We were not treated as heathens by the staff, however, so that was good. We were offered a brunch menu (served Saturdays and Sundays, 10-3), in addition to the regular lunch menu, but no one ordered from it. We did drool over the selection of brunch cocktails, including the French 75, which has recently been added to my own person drink menu. And it took a lot of self-control for me to not suggest the homemade donut appetizer to my kids. With three dipping sauces! I was not surprised to find this same dish offered again on the dessert menu. That’s the problem with donuts. (And with PopTarts. Just sayin’- if you can eat it for dessert, it’s not a real breakfast!)

Two people at the table ordered the veggie burger, and they both could only eat half- partly because it’s massive, and partly because the fries are fantastic and it would be a crime to leave any uneaten, so they probably filled up a little on those. One person ordered the Ahi tuna burger, and to be honest I didn’t hear a lot of feedback. It got eaten, so that’s a good sign. Another diner ordered the fish tacos, were were said to be good. Again- the only thing left on that plate was some rice, so I’m guessing they were good tacos.

Chip ordered one of the day’s specials, a flatbread with smoked salmon, dill, capers and onions. It was HUGE. And it was gooooood. I got to sneak more than one bite. I ordered the Ahi tuna salad with mango and avocado, and it was delicious. The tuna was very high quality, and melted like butter in my mouth. I particularly liked that it wasn’t crusted in sesame seeds. For some reason, restaurants consider that a requirement of seared tuna salads, but I don’t think it’s always necessary. The dressing was great as well.

The children also had a great dining experience. I’ve already mentioned that the fries were awesome, right? That’s usually enough to earn high praise from my kids, ages five and almost-eight. It takes a little more than that to get a good review from me, however, and BrickTop’s (mostly) delivered. Here were the kids' entrée choices:

Corn Dog
Chicken Tenders
Mac and Cheese
Grilled Chicken
Fried Shrimp
Grilled Salmon
Grilled Mahi

I know, right? Mahi mahi? Who puts that on a kids’ menu? I was really pleased with these options, particularly since Chloe, my five-year-old, has recently developed a love for salmon. It was a good-sized portion- she couldn’t quite finish it. I was more than happy to help her with that, especially since she had stolen a couple of pieces of my tuna. Connor, of course, ordered the chicken tenders. They were really good, possibly breaded in-house rather than thrown directly from the freezer into the fryer.

The kids’ menu was a bit problematic when it came to the choice of side items: French fries or noodles. Now, I wasn’t actually going to order vegetables for my kids or anything (the horror!), but it would have been nice to see them as an option. They also got their choice of milk or apple juice with the meal, which I wish I had noticed before letting them order Sprite. Finally, for dessert they had a choice of vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream, or animal crackers. They both chose chocolate ice cream, natch. And they both left very happy.

The bill for eight people for lunch was around $115 (food and soft drinks only), which as I’ve said is probably why we don’t eat there more often. We didn’t have an opportunity to check out the bathrooms, but if they are at all in keeping with the rest of the building’s atmosphere then I’m sure they are very nice and well-equipped. I would suggest BrickTop’s if you are in Nashville with money to spend looking for an interesting kids' menu and a terrific veggie burger.

Cheffie's

Tuesday is kids (10 and under) eat free night at Cheffies after 5:00pm.

Cheffie's
483 High Point Terrace
343.0488

I never went to the original Cheffie's, but there was so much buzz about Jennifer Chandler (a friend of mine) re-opening along the Shelby Farms Greenline in the High Point Terrace Shopping Center, Warren and I went for lunch on the third day that they were open.



From the sign, you might get the idea that Cheffie's is a small cafe tucked inside a bicycle shop, but it takes up the same amount of space, if not more with the patio, as the bike shop. The inside is absolutely gorgeous and reminds me of well-to-do, beach-y towns like Ventura, California. (That's a compliment.)

On day 3, Warren and I found the place packed and had to wait in line almost 15 minutes before getting to be "the chefs." Actually, there were several things on the pre-made menu that we wanted to try, so we didn't bother cheffing it up. (We picked our bread, but that was about it.)

Due to the large crowd, we ended up sitting at one of the community tables. At first, I really didn't like it. I'm the type of person who will move if a stranger sits next to me in a movie theater. BUT, the two little ladies next to us were really sweet and we left feeling like we'd made two new friends.

Since we were impressed with the food--we tried two sandwiches and a salad--I couldn't wait to come back with the monkeys (Satchel, 9, and Jiro, 7). In my mind, we'd hit Cheffie's after a family bike ride on the Greenline. In reality, I took them for dinner one night when Warren was out of town. I felt guilty for not riding my bike, but it seemed that most of the crowd gathered was bike-less.



Crowd may be a misnomer--there were several other people dining, mostly on the gorgeous patio--but it wasn't crowded per se. I was happy to several families, including many moms of babies and toddlers enjoying a glass of wine and some conversation.

When it came time to order, we had a man with his small child behind us and they appeared to be a bit huffy. Rather than just letting them skip, I rushed the monkeys to decide on something from the kids' menu--which I think is pretty sweet. They had a choice of a PB&J, a small salad, a grilled cheese, or 1/2 of a ham or roast beef sandwich. They both opted for a grilled cheese despite my attempts to get them to branch out a little. I went with the Tuscan Chicken sandwich since it was my favorite at my previous lunch. (I really liked the Santa Fe salad too, but I'd had a salad for lunch that day.)



I thought I might at least convince Satchel to add something "exciting" like artichokes to his grilled cheese, but he wasn't interested. He did however ask if he could have a side of egg salad. Having never known him to try egg salad, I obliged.



The real excitement for the monkeys came when it was time to select sides and a drink. Satchel seemed to be wavering, so the "helpful" cashier pointed out that they had just gotten a soda fountain. I politely told her that I was trying to avoid having that as a choice and she quickly zipped her lip. (Note: originally there was no soda fountain, but loyal patrons soon demanded one!)

With all of us getting chips and a drink, our grand total came to $30. Usually the four of us can eat for $30, so that was a tad higher than normal, but again, I am on board with paying a tad more for locally-owned, fresh, and eco-friendly. Cheffie's is all of these things.

Once I paid, we had a couple of trays to carry over. Jiro offered to help, and I think that's the main reason we ended up sitting inside. (The tray was a tad heavy for us to journey out to the patio.)

The monkeys, who were hungry, wasted no time digging in.



Jiro declared his meal both "awesome" and "delicious."



Satchel was also a fan of his grilled cheese. He ate all of it, a few bites of his egg salad, half of his drink, and none of his chips. He has a classic case of his eyes being bigger than his stomach--another reason dining out has become more expensive.



My Tuscan Chicken sandwich was almost as good as I remembered it. I don't know if they didn't leave it in the panini press long enough or if the ciabatta bread is harder to work with, but the inside was a little cold rather than yummy and melty like I remembered.



See? Melty. Yes, I pretty much take a picture of everything I eat! Anyways, hot or cold, it tasted good. And I thoroughly enjoyed my grapefruit Izze and pita chips.



Our dinner time conversation centered on Bon Jovi. The kids had been practicing a Bon Jovi song for the end of the year show at school and I happened to mention that they were playing at the FedEx Forum that night. Jiro REALLY wanted to go. It was hilarious. I came up with several reasons why we couldn't go--expensive tickets, late night sets, mostly adult crowd--but Jiro did not care. He wanted to go!

"Is the guy with the red hair going to be there?" he asked. "Uhhh..." I really had no idea who that might be. "Is it going to be like in the video where there are lots of people screaming and dancing?" he asked. "Uhhh...." I wasn't exactly sure how answering this question would affect his desire to go. "Yes," I said. "Aw, man!" he complained.

Hilarious.

Anyways, looking back on our meal, we certainly could have skipped the fancy drinks and shared chips, or skipped a gratuitous side of egg salad and had a more economical meal. But we were on a roll. "Who wants gelato?" I asked.

Silence.

Finally, "I'm too full for gelato," said Satchel. I looked at Jiro. "Can I get one for later?" he asked. Wow. Those were some filling grilled cheese sandwiches! I decided to let them think about it for a second. "Does anyone need to go to the bathroom?" I asked. They both shook their heads no, so I instructed them to sit tight while I made a quick visit.

The bathrooms are on the bike side of the building and they are lovely. I confirmed that there was a changing table, which was good since there was a large contingent from the diaper crowd seated in the restaurant. While I was washing up, a little girl, maybe 4, came out of a stall and was desperately trying to wash her hands. "Will you lift me up?" she asked.

Now, normally I wouldn't pick up someone else's kid, but I did because I appreciated the fact that this independent little girl not only went to the bathroom alone, but she WANTED to wash her hands, and even asked a stranger (very politely) to help her. I never met a monkey like that before! However, note to Cheffie's, how about a sturdy step stool in the bathroom?

Back at the table, the monkeys decided that they would "look" at the gelato.



The cashier afforded us several tastes and after a few moments of consideration, we got a Mexican vanilla and a mint chocolate chip to share on the patio. I ordered smalls, but she grabbed large cups and started filling them. When I tried to stop her she said she was giving me a small serving in a large cup. I wasn't sure why, but I could only assume she had a good reason. (Maybe it's easier for kids to eat that way?) Our two scoops added another $7 to our dinner total.




The gelato was very tasty, and it was a lovely evening to sit in the patio. All that I was missing was Warren, and maybe a glass of wine. If we lived in the neighborhood, I am sure that we'd be frequent visitors to Cheffie's. I've heard rumors that there are plans for more stores, so keep an eye out. I'd personally love to have their salad bar downtown where I work.

Also, I should add that Cheffie's is Project Green Fork certified. They offer recycling, but it isn't clear what can be recycled and what can't. I think there's a common belief that the plastic gelato cups and spoons can be recycled, but I don't think this is the case. Some signage would be helpful.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

Ed. Note: Friend, burger lover, and Go With Family blogger, Liz, braved the opening night crowds with her 7 and 3 year old monkeys to bring us this report of Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Thanks, Liz!

Five Guys Burgers and Fries
1315 Ridgeway
680-5386

Last summer, our family made an epic drive from Memphis to New Hampshire in a bare two-and-a-half days. On this tight schedule, we had to set aside our usual scruples against nasty fast food. There was no time for exploring Road Food’s recommendations or exploring byways on our own. Nonetheless, we did our best to hit restaurants that would at least serve food we liked. It’s not that we never eat at burger joints, by the way. When we’re in the Midwest, we carry a map of all the Culvers locations so we can enjoy an exquisite butterburger and frozen custard combo. I guess we’re just particular.

So there we were, heading north through Virginia on I-81, suddenly desperately hungry but reluctant to visit McDonaldland. When we saw an unfamiliar red-and-white checked sign on the highway sign alerting us to the next exit’s dining options, we decided to chance it. We thought maybe it was one of those rare local places that make it onto those signs. And we believed that for a while--the food was that tasty--until we realized that Five Guys was a huge DC-area phenomenon, with the area’s highest Zagat ratings for burgers and a plan for expansion that, unbeknownst to us, included Memphis, TN.



The first thing you see when you walk into a Five Guys is the peanuts. Great big open boxes of peanuts in their shells. A sign on door warns diners with nut allergies that the place is basically aerosolized with peanuts. Even the fries are cooked in peanut oil. But if you’re safe around peanuts, dive in. They’re fresh-tasting and will get you through the almost inevitable wait. When we (me, husband Josh, 7 year-old monkey Gus, and 3 1/2 year old monkey Solly) arrived at around 6 on opening night at its new Ridgeway location, there was a line out the door. It was longer when we left. The vibe was festive and crowded, but even with the crush, a smiling server stopped by the table a couple of times to ask if we needed anything.



Fortunately, you can order online. I signed up while we waited and placed our whole order from my phone. (There’s even a mobile app -- Android only, as of now -- for Five Guys fans.) Though it took longer than the site predicted once I’d finished ordering, I’ll chalk that up to opening day. In every other way, the place was running smoothly. It was clean and bright, and Gus recognized the trademark red and white decor the moment we entered.



Whether you order online or in person, you’ll find that the menu sticks to what they do well: burgers, available with cheese and/or bacon, hot dogs and fries. Within that simple framework, though, there’s surprising flexibility. (Their website claims that “There are over 250,000 possible ways to order a burger at Five Guys.”) The online ordering setup offers a crazy selection of toppings (mayo, relish, onions, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, mustard, jalapeno peppers, green peppers, A-1 Steak Sauce, bar-b-q sauce and hot sauce), in three levels of intensity (regular, lite, or extra). “All the Way” is ketchup, mustard, mayo, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions and grilled mushrooms.




According to their website, the burger itself is made from never-frozen, freshly-ground beef. Grilled so there’s a deep mahogany crust, it has a toothsome nubbly texture and robust beef flavor, and it’s served on a nice seeded bun. I had mine with cheese (they only offer American), plus mushrooms and onions, which could’ve been more deeply browned, but still tasted good. Mine came as a double. I’m not sure whether this was a mistake or that’s just what they do, but I wasn’t complaining. We got two orders of fries, one each in plain and Cajun. One regular size order would’ve fed four of us just fine. They were good, but not as crispy as I remembered them being in Virginia. Gus had bacon on his Little Cheeseburger. After all those nice shelled peanuts and fries, it was too much food. Solly couldn’t finish his, either, but what else is new?




Five Guys accommodates trailing vegetarians, in a way, though the only non-burger options other than hot dogs is grilled cheese or a veggie sandwich with or without cheese on a bun. My husband Josh, who doesn’t eat red meat, said, “If you’re a vegetarian, don’t ever go to this restaurant. It’s not a place for vegetarians,” not because his vegetable and cheese sandwich was poorly executed, but because it’s essentially toppings on a bun.

I was thrilled that the big soda selection included soda water and tap water, so we didn’t have to order bottled. They also had root beer, lemonade and Sprite Zero, which I didn’t even know existed. There’s a water fountain, too.

The tab was $33.54 including tax. Not as cheap as the McDonald’s across the parking lot, but a good deal for a family dinner that actually tasted like food. Five Guys is at 1315 Ridgeway Rd., near the corner of Primacy Parkway. It’s open from 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Burly's Burgers, Fries & Shakes (Closed)

Burly's is no longer open.

Burly's Burgers, Fries & Shakes
662 Madison Avenue
521-9200

There was a lot of buzz about Burly's Burgers, Fries & Shakes when it opened, so I had to check it out. After a successful lunch with co-workers, I enticed Warren, the monkeys (Satchel, 9, and Jiro, 7), and the monkeys' friend, Kai, to go for dinner last Saturday night.

As you can see, Burly's is heavily lacking in curb appeal. I'll go ahead and credit nearby neighbor, The Trolley Stop Market, for making most of us feel "safe" checking it out.



You can enter from the front or the back, but either way, it's kinda sketchy. Actually the back is sketchiest as it requires walking up a flight of steps. The interior is nice enough--nothing special. The stark decor in combination with the bold red and black color scheme leads me to believe that Burly doesn't have a woman in his life to add that much appreciated "woman's touch."

When we arrived around 6:30pm, there were a few other tables, but it was far from bustling. Since they cook everything to order, that was just fine with me. I had three hungry monkeys in tow and I was concerned about a long wait. Even though Burly's looks as though it's a place where you'd order at the counter, get your own drink and napkins, and sit down and wait for a number to be called, it offers table service. Our waitress came over to give us menus and take our drink order. Since the name of the restaurant is Burly's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, naturally we were interested in trying the shakes.

"We're out of ice cream," the waitress said.

"You're kidding," I said. They were out of ice cream three days earlier when I came to lunch with my co-workers. The explanation given was that they were open 24/7 during Music Fest weekend and ran out. I was willing to accept that explanation on Wednesday, but not Saturday.

"How hard is it to go to the store and buy ice cream?" I asked.

"I think the Blue Bell delivery is a bit sporadic," the waitress replied.

They have Blue Bell signs everywhere, so I imagine they feel the need to serve Blue Bell, but come on. If one out of your three main menu items is not available, it makes you look really, really bad. I've seen Ben Vaughn stocking up at Piggly Wiggly. Surely, Burly could make a Sam's run.

*deep breath*

The fact that we'd hit Jerry's Sno Cones earlier in the day allowed me to get over not having a shake with dinner. I went ahead and let the monkeys order sodas, figuring they'd get combos, when I discovered at my previous lunch that ordering hamburgers and fries separately doesn't yield a larger serving of fries. It just costs more and doesn't include a drink.

By the time our waitress came back with our respective sodas, we were ready to order. Burly's offers a kid's combo, so I asked how big the burgers were. When the waitress said they were on the small side, I went ahead and let the monkeys order full size burgers. They've been on a serious eating kick lately. Kai insisted he only wanted fries and wasn't hungry, but I convinced him to get a kid's burger just in case. Once our order was in, we commenced with the waiting.

The monkeys were pretty jacked up from a day of activity and just generally being together, so giving them sodas and then asking them to sit still for thirty minutes was pretty torturous. They were playing a verbal version of TF2 (Team Fortress 2) which was pretty intense as you can see from the pictures.




Every so often they would pause and Jiro would ask, "Where's my hamburger?" I assured him it was cooking--we could smell them. Then Kai, whose dad is a chef, would optimistically add, "Well, at least we know it's fresh."

While we waited, the waitress did her best to avoid us. I saw her check on every other table, escape to the back to wash cups, etc. Taking a cue from another patron, I went up to the soda fountain and got refills for the table. (I switched the monkeys to water.) I saw a man I believed to be Burly come out to chat with another table, then disappear outside. I also saw a girl come in who appeared to be making deliveries. I even saw the man I believe to be the main hamburger maker, come out and hang by the counter for awhile.

I felt guilty for bringing three hungry kids, knowing there might be a long wait. I should know better by now.

Eventually our food did come out--our order was 100% correct much to my surprise and delight. We couldn't wait to dig in.



I had the Farm Burger (with bacon and a fried egg) at lunch and loved it, but I wanted to try the Blue Bacon (with blue cheese and bacon) with a side of Buffalo fries. (I think the most exciting thing at Burly's is the variety of flavors for the fries.) It looked and tasted great. Burly burgers are total Home Burgers, which I consider a good thing. The bacon was crispy and cooked to perfection. I want to eat Buffalo fries until I explode, leaving just a puddle of hot sauce behind.



Warren ordered the Burly Texas burger (with salsa, chili, jalapeno, and cheese on Texas toast) with regular fries. It was so freaking spicy. I have no idea how he ate the whole thing.



Jiro got a regular Burly Burger with regular fries and ate every single bite.



Satchel ordered the Bacon Bacon burger minus the lettuce and ate all but just a few bites. He got the garlic parmesan fries with the garlic parmesan on the side. He really liked those too, but was crazy jealous of my Buffalo fries. I did agree to exchange a few with him, though, because he is my baby and I love him.



Kai's burger was really tiny, and he was glad to have it. The wait definitely increased his appetite. He also had Buffalo fries and loved them.

What none of us loved about the fries was the fact that we had so few of them. Due to our hunger, I didn't count them while we were there, but looking at the pics, it seems that they give you maybe 15. The "healthy choices" part of me is really quite pleased with this. Once you eat the whole burger and the 15 fries, you are pretty darn full. I can't even imagine the pain that a milkshake would bring, should they ever restock the ice cream. But, I think there should be more. Especially if you don't get the combo, and you order separately. (Maybe my lunch order was a snafu. I haven't done a just order fries test.)

All in all, I'd say the food is worth the wait, but I wish the service was better. I really wish they'd move to an order at the counter and sit down model. Once our waitress brought the food, she had to go back for napkins, ketchup, etc. I don't know, maybe they could just already have those items on the table.

Burly's does deliver, and that might be the way to go assuming you plan about an hour ahead. I was told that they do the sauce on the side when you get fries to go, so it may or may not be as good as having them in the restaurant.

Burgers range from $6.50 to $8.50 and combos, which include fries and a drink, range from $8.50 to $10.75. (If you want flavored fries with the combo, add another $.50.) Warren thinks it's over priced and would rather get a Big Red burger at the Trolley Stop. I don't think I'm going to crave the burgers as much as I will the fries. OMG, the fries! I hope they get their act together and stay in business. There's definitely a lot of potential here.

As a side note--Jiro and I checked out the bathrooms. No changing table, but clean enough.

Cosmic Coconut

Cosmic Coconut now has a full lunch menu.

Cosmic Coconut
5101 Sanderlin
729-7134

On Saturday, while running errands, I couldn't resist popping into Cosmic Coconut for a look see. The monkeys (Satchel, 9, and Jiro, 7) were with me, but I could only convince one of them to come in for a treat. (Don't ask.)



Located in the same shopping center as Muddy's, the Cosmic Coconut is too cute for words. Once inside, I felt like I was in Ventura, California rather than East Memphis. Whoever the designer was did a fantastic job.

I loved the giant chalk board wall with the menu lovingly written out in colorful chalk.



It was seriously hard to decide on what to get. Everything sounded fresh and delicious. Every time I read a description to Jiro, he said, "I want that!" Eventually he decided on a Mango Mama smoothie with mangos, strawberries, and coconut. I decided to try and get in a serving or two of vegetables, so I moved on to the juice menu. As I read them out, Jiro and I were both reminded of one of our favorite books--Garlic Onion Beet Spinach Mango Carrot Grapefruit Juice. That was not on the menu, but now I'm dreaming of the book's author coming to town (she lives in Nashville) and doing a signing there. I'm sure they could add the juice to the menu for a day...hmmm.

Ok back to the review. I had a hard time deciding, but eventually ordered the Go Green juice with cucumber, celery, apple, ginger, chard, and lemon. Once that decision was made, we had to decide on the size. I tried to steer Jiro towards a small since he rarely ever finishes drinks of any sort, but he insisted on medium. I too went with medium.



When the gal told me our order was $14, I had to do a double take. It seemed a tad pricey, but like with Fuel Cafe, I am ok with paying a little extra for high quality ingredients at places that go out of their way to be earth friendly. (Yes, Cosmic Coconut is Project Green Fork certified!)

I mean, here's something you don't see everyday in Memphis:



In addition to juices and smoothies, the Cosmic Coconut has a bazillion teas and coffees to choose from as well as berry bowls and steel cut oats. You could start the day with a killer breakfast.

While we waited for our drinks, we looked around and chatted with people. Everyone who worked there seemed super friendly and chatty. I really liked the decor, especially the specially sized table for kids with books to read!



All of the tables were different and they had mismatched chairs and fresh flowers. Cosmic Coconut is totally the kind of place where you just want to hang out all day. It made me long for maternity leaves gone by when I had hours to hang out and chat with an adorable baby in my lap.

Smitten by all the thoughtful details already, the merch sealed the deal. I was in love. It was really hard not to add a "Save Uranus" t-shirt to our order. (If they had a kid's size I would have been all over it.)



When we got our drinks, Jiro could hardly wait to get a taste, His first word was, "Yummy!" He gave me a sip, and he was right. It was incredibly yummy.



I had a taste of mine, and while it wasn't as sweet as a smoothie, it was still pretty darn delicious. I offered Jiro a taste and he said it was good, but I could tell he was just being polite. At his age, I wouldn't have gone near a mango smoothie much less chard juice, so I wasn't going to hassle him!

When we saw Warren later and shared our rave reviews he seemed a little hurt. He makes smoothies every morning, but we all decline to share with him. (In my defense I drank one every morning for about 8 years.) I'm hoping to get him in the Cosmic Coconut and get him inspired to branch out with some new flavor combinations!

Right now the store has pretty limited hours, but I have a feeling it will be one of those places worth making a special trip.

Fuel Cafe

Fuel Cafe
1761 Madison
725-9025

A few weeks ago at the Food Truck Fare downtown, the Fuel truck was by far the most popular. A lot of people associate tacos with food trucks, so I think Fuel deciding to offer vegan and bison tacos was a smart move. I waited about 30 minutes, but eventually gave up on securing any tacos on my 1 hour lunch break. I follow Fuel on Facebook and when I saw that they were adding the tacos to their menu for Cinco de Mayo, I called Warren and insisted we go for dinner.



I really love the Fuel space. It actually used to be a gas station, but most of us remember it as a restaurant--namely Petra or Hattley's Garage. The inside is a little small, but the patio is nice and airy. Unfortunately the monkeys (Satchel, 9, and Jiro, 7) thought it was too cold to sit outside.



We picked a nice table in the kitchen side of the restaurant and immediately became the center of our waiter's attention. He first asked what we'd like to drink and Jiro asked for a Juarito, which he associates with tacos. When the waiter said they didn't have any, Jiro tried to order a Coke. They didn't have any of that either. (YES!) Then Jiro tried a different approach. "What drinks do you have?" The awesome waiter then invited Jiro to go with him to the cooler/refrigerator behind the kitchen counter to inspect the drinks. Of course, Satchel followed along. They soon returned with all natural sodas--orange for Jiro and black cherry for Satchel.





Is there any other restaurant in Memphis that doesn't sell Coke and Pepsi products? Seriously, this is huge.

I'd been to Fuel a couple of times when they first opened, and I knew that they were Project Green Fork certified, but somewhere along the way I missed the memo that they serve all all-natural products. Yep, even the ketchup.



We were off to a very good start. The waiter told us about the awesome taco specials and I ordered the vegan version, Warren the bison. I decided to let the monkeys split a bison burger since it was $13. I asked the waiter if he could cut it and put it on two plates and he said that was fine. Then he asked which side the monkeys wanted--chips, salad, or fries. "Chips!" Jiro said. "Salad!" Satchel said. I explained that they needed to pick one side because they were sharing. Then I explained it again. Finally, I just ordered fries on their behalf. (I didn't want to not humor Satchel's desire for salad, but Fuel is known for their hand cut fries.)

Later, when I was on my way back (from the super cute) ladies room, our awesome waiter took me aside and said, "I can get them each the side they want." I assured him it was fine for them to split fries and then he looked at me, smiled, and said, "You want the fries don't you?" Ding, ding, ding!

Back at the table we chatted and patiently waited for our food, which we could see Eric cooking just a few feet away, and greeted some friends of ours from our old Tucker-Jefferson 'hood who also came in to try the tacos. It wasn't long until our awesome waiter brought us our food.

Behold the vegan tacos.



My understanding is that the base is made from their standard vegan burger and topped with vegan cheese, vegan sour cream, avocado, lettuce, and salsa. The shell is an organic corn tortilla from Whole Foods. On the side we had a lime slaw, rice & beans. The cost was $10 and it was YUM. I ate every single bite. I almost felt like I could be a vegan when I was done!

Warren thoroughly enjoyed his bison tacos. When I asked if he wanted to trade bites, he said no. I was secretly happy because I didn't want to share my deliciousness at all.

Meanwhile, the monkeys, who are going through a ravenous stage, devoured their dinners. I thought it was cute that Jiro ate his burger first, and then his fries, and Satchel did the total opposite.





The burger wasn't as massive as I assumed it would be weighing in at $13, but it seemed filling enough and there was a hearty serving of fries. I also felt fine forking over a few extra dollars for top quality meat, bread, cheese, and toppings.

I think we were all full, but not stuffed, and quite happy with our meal and our awesome waiter. Our total bill was about $40, which is definitely on the high end for a casual dinner, but again, Fuel is doing something that few--if any--other restaurants in Memphis are doing and I feel good supporting their efforts.

I'm bummed that the tacos won't be on the regular menu, but I'm thrilled that the Fuel truck will soon be selling them all over town. Keep an eye out!