In A Nutshell – January 2020

It seems as if the theme of January was handhelds and sandwiches from BBQ sandwiches, to tacos, to even a cookie that looked like a hamburger! It also saw me visit a few places including Miami, Denver, and of course a trip to Belton to see my friends at Millers Smokehouse. Here’s a look back at my favorite bites of January 2020!

Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew – Austin, TX

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Would you look at the time!? Whew, this one's coming in a bit late! – I had a strong craving for a pulled pork sandwich yesterday so naturally I headed to my neighborhood top 50 joint, @stilesswitchbbq! Ordered a pulled pork sammy, some super cheesy mac, and a delicious @coorsbanquet Yella Belly. It's not always about the big beautiful trays of meat, nope, sometimes it's the simple bbq sandwiches that matter more. Don't forget, they're open on Sunday and closed on Mondays so get your fix in today or you'll have to wait until Tuesday!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Jan 5, 2020 at 12:22pm PST

Hometown BBQ – Miami, FL

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Dare I say these wings are the best I've ever had? 🍗🍗🍗🍗🍗🍗 Got the pleasure of hitting up the new @hometownbbqmiami last night and these wings were easily the highlight. Now, I'm not saying the brisket, ribs, or any other protein was anything less than phenomenal but these wings were just that freaking good. This is the 16 count of the smoked wings that are mole dust and served with charred poblano crema and queso fresco. If you find yourself in Miami, go hit up Hometown and be blown away like I was!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Jan 8, 2020 at 11:44am PST

Millers Smokehouse – Belton, TX

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Woah, would you look at this beautiful burger!? 🍔🍔🍔🍔🍔🍔🍔🍔 Seven ounces of brisket and chuck on a house-made bun topped with cheese, pickles, and aioli come together to create one of the best burgers I've ever had. So how can you get it? Well @millerssmokehouse is offering this cheeseburger during their breakfast and brunch service from 6:30-11AM. If all of the delicious BBQ I've shared from Miller's hasn't convinced you to make the short drive to Belton then this should. Trust me, you'll want to go back every chance you get!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Jan 15, 2020 at 9:27am PST

Caldwell County BBQ – Phoenix/Gilbert, AZ

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More Texas style BBQ from the Grand Canyon State, Arizona! – This tray is from @caldwellcountybbq located in Gilbert just outside of Phoenix. Their sausage was the kind I like, the brisket had great flavor, and the pork ribs was surprisingly delicious. The pork ribs here are smoked with salt, pepper, and garlic and have the purest, richest pork flavor I've probably ever experienced from a rib. It's definitely a bit of a drive, even if you are in Phoenix already, but 100% worth the trip. Looks like a great spot for groups, too, with a big beautiful outdoor patio.

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Jan 24, 2020 at 12:12pm PST

Domo Japanese Country Food – Denver, CO

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I may have found my new favorite restaurant in Denver… – This is Domo Japanese Country Food Restaurant and it's freaking amazing. Walking in to this place immediately transported me back to my vacations to Japan and I'm happy to report that the food lived up to that experience too. Pictured here is their pork katsu curry with their seven signature house sides (that come with every entree!), a cup of miso soup, and a crispy salad. The shocking part? All the food pictured here was only $17.50! 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 A great deal, in an awesome restaurant, in a cool ass city, is there anything else you could want? Put this place high on your list of must try restaurants in Denver!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Jan 25, 2020 at 8:54am PST

Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen – Various (Denver)

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Well I finally tried it… – This is the @popeyeslouisianakitchen chicken sandwich and it's freaking awesome! I ordered the unmodified non-spicy version to try and compare it to the established competition and I'd say without the mayo this one might not hold up as well but overall, as it comes, I like this one a bit more! 😳🤯 Then again, I love Popeyes Chicken so I'm not sure what I was expecting putting it on a bun, but it shouldn't have surprised me! I didn't feel like leaving the hotel one night when I was in Denver so I used my new @doordash Dash Pass perk from my @chase Sapphire Reserve to get this sandwich delivered to me, can't beat that…

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Jan 27, 2020 at 8:45am PST

Freiheit Country Store – New Braunfels, TX

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I'm a big fan of burgers and it seems I even like burger cookies! 🍔 This cute cookie is from @freiheit_country_store in New Braunfels and although it's a bit over the top, it was super tasty! It's a chocolate cookie topped with red and yellow icing for the ketchup and mustard, white cream as the mayo, and (I think) coconut shavings with green food coloring for lettuce sandwiched between two sugar cookie buns. I'll be honest, I didn't have high expectations for how this would taste but damn it was awesome!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Jan 29, 2020 at 10:01am PST

Taco Bronco – Austin, TX

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A new taco truck in Austin doesn't normally excite me but when it's from the @craftmeats guys, I pay attention! 🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮 This is @tacobroncotx, a new amalgamation of Texas BBQ inspired tacos located behind @batchatx. This is the Tres Hombres Platter which is your choice of three of their tacos with rice, beans, and chips & queso. @kyrenabeana decided to tackle this tray and went with: 1️⃣ – El Jefe – sliced brisket, nopal (cactus) & potato hash topped with queso 2️⃣ – The Javelina – crispy smoked pork carnitas, mesquite roasted pecans, bronco sauce, toasted cheese, cilantro, and pickled onions 3️⃣ – Texas Wrap Around – your choice of meat (this one was chicken) and poblano rajas on a flour tortilla with pico and escabèche on the side. 🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮 Everything on this tray was excellent and I can guarantee I'll be back. I'm not surprised though because @tomtompickleplate always kills it!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Jan 30, 2020 at 9:17am PST

Pieous – Dripping Springs, TX

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Is there anything that really beats an amazing pastrami sandwich? – I won't hold back on the answer, it's no. This bad ass pastrami sandwich came from @pieousatx and it's what fantasies are made of. Nothing crazy just a simple sandwich with whole grain mustard in between two pieces of bread. Come get you some!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Jan 31, 2020 at 9:18am PST

Cocktail of the Month:
Easy Tiger LINC – Austin, TX

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Warm alcohol doesn't normally sound great but when it's cold and rainy you can't beat an Irish coffee! ☕☕☕☕☕☕ Popped in to @easytigeratx at @thelincatx the other night with @kyrenabeana, @atxcocktails, and Christina to catch up over a drink. Kyrena and I went with a hot Irish coffee topped with whipped cream and it was amazing. 🌡️🌡️🌡️🌡️🌡️🌡️ Besides this and a hot toddy, what other warm cocktails are there to enjoy? Let me know in the comments!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Jan 30, 2020 at 8:40pm PST