Hudson Oaks has a new place to eat and it’s good!

By Janis Saunders

Democrat Food Critic

It may take me awhile to get around to all the new eating places in Parker County, but eventually I’ll make a visit.

That’s what I did this last weekend. I had been meaning to stop in and check out the new Waffle House on Fort Worth Highway in Hudson Oaks, but it seems I was always going on a specific trip to pick something up and ended up passing right on by them. This day I was going to stop, go in and check it out

Finally, I told Jim to whip our Suburban into their parking lot. We were a little early for lunch, but since we hadn’t had breakfast I thought, what the heck. As soon as we walked in, two of the staff greeted us. By the time we found a place to sit, another wanted our drink order while we looked at the menu. They didn’t hurry us, they were just being friendly and I liked that.

Their menu is extensive, so it took me some time to make up my mind. People say women are terrible about choosing things, but I had my mind made up before Jim did. I thought the pork chops looked good. The luncheon order consisted of two pork chops, garden salad and a hash brown, plus grilled Texas toast.

The salad came first and it was so fresh I thought they had just harvested the lettuce and carrots. It was the freshest salad I’ve had in a long time. I mentioned this to Mike Richards, the district manager, and he said the salads are around only 24 hours and then they are not served to customers. He said they are checked for freshness and if they don’t pass the test, again, they are not served. I’m not a die hard salad eater, but I enjoyed this one and so did Jim. He got a couple of bites as I was talking, but I saw what he did out of the corner of my eye.

Jim ordered the two luncheon chicken breasts. He also got a salad and hash brown, so I don’t know why he had to try mine. He also ordered a slice of pecan pie and ordered me a slice of apple. I knew why he did that. He wanted to get some of the apple pie, so I shared with him when we got home.

He said his chicken was excellent and I said the same of my pork chops. He loved the pecan pie. He pronounced it delicious and said it would be great for Thanksgiving. Well, that’s one less pie to bake.

Friday, he got the munchies and I asked him what he wanted. He said he was craving chocolate. I told him I had heard that Waffle House had good pies. He drove down there and came back with a whole pie. He said the price of the pie was very reasonable as he cut himself a big piece. I must admit it was really good. It had a chocolate crust and the filling was creamy and like homemade. I guess Jim got his craving for chocolate satisfied.

I met Mike Clements, the division manager, and he told me something I hadn’t noticed when I looked at the menu. There is nothing fried on the menu. Their hash browns are served different ways and are so good you won’t miss not having a bunch of greasy french fries. Actually, I found in looking over the menu, all the prices are very reasonable and the serving sizes will fill you up.

Waffle House has specials that can really save you money. They have 14 meals under five dollars, drinks included. These 14 items include biscuits and gravy, ham biscuit and hash browns, cheeseburgers and hash browns, chili and grilled cheese, BLTs with chili, plus so many others you should drop in and see for yourself. Speaking of the chili, Jim ordered a chili to go for his dinner that night. One advantage to the open kitchen concept is it’s right out there in the open. You can see your food being cooked immediately after you order it. The food isn’t cooked then put in a warming drawer or under a heat lamp. When it’s done, it is put on a plate and served to you.

I noticed one of the kitchen servers was busy spraying and wiping down everything in the serving area, and after finishing, she cleaned her hands with a cleaner like Purell. At a time when everyone is so germ conscious, Waffle House personnel seem to be doing their part to make sure you eat in a clean environment. That’s very important.

Joe Rogers Jr. owns around 90 Waffle House restaurants in the Metroplex area. He runs a tight ship and wants every customer to leave his eating establishments with satisfied smiles on their faces and full stomachs.

Jim and I did both, so they did their job as they were trained to do.

All in all, I enjoyed my lunch. The food was good; the pork chops were tender and the price was right. If you want to take the kiddies, there is a children’s menu that will satisfy the appetite of any child.

The Waffle House is located at 2840 Fort Worth Highway in Hudson Oaks and they are open 24 hours. Their phone number is (817) 598-5912.

Just think ... when your stomach starts rumbling around midnight and there is nothing in the fridge and the cupboard is bare, just remember, Waffle House is there.

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Janis may be reached at jks4417@aol.com.