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<\/a><\/p>\nRound Top Burger House<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The old Perkins Fat Burger location is where this dining tour of Westlake begins, and, just by chance, it is home to the new burger joint in town \u2014 and the burgers are worth the trip.<\/p>\n
The owners of Round Top Burgers really made the location nice to look at, and all the old pictures of Westlake from the black-and-white photography era really gives you a sense of Westlake\u2019s history, and what it looked like well before I was born.<\/p>\n
I always get the \u201cMad Dog\u201d burger when I go to this place, and the burger comes with a perfectly seasoned hamburger patty. It is topped with jalapenos, pepper jack cheese and jalapeno mayo on a slightly toasted bun. Let me tell you, this is a great burger made by some really nice ladies.<\/p>\n
Everyone at Round Top is always so nice, and the fact that they seem to remember everybody\u2019s name makes it feel more like an old-school burger join \u2014\u00a0 so much better than these fast-food places where no one even smiles at you anymore.<\/p>\n
I really don\u2019t know who makes the best burger in SWLA, but I think I am going to do my own best burger contest and see if some of my young chef buddies want to come along and help me find the burger of all burgers. And, by the way, just because a burger has 10 patties on it doesn\u2019t make it a good burger \u2014 it makes it a messy burger.<\/p>\n
Next up is a place owned by a friend of mine. It\u2019s called Mel\u2019s Cakery, and Melani Duncan is the amazing pastry chef who creates the sweetest of sins in the absolute cutest place in Westlake. Chef Mel does a complete assortment of cakes, cookies, and cupcakes that she will personalize to your specifications.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nMel’s Cakery<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
I don\u2019t eat a lot of sweets anymore, but I asked Mel if she would do my son Mac\u2019s first birthday smash cake for him, and when I went in to pick it up, I decided to grab a few different items to taste. I tried her red velvet cupcakes, as well as the strawberry cupcakes, and I must admit I ate half of what I was supposed to bring back to the people helping with Mac\u2019s party \u2014 and it was worth it.<\/p>\n
Mac was having a baseball-themed party, and I asked Mel to make him a baseball-shaped cake. She did a perfect job, and it tasted pretty darn good. I know this because I had to sneak a bite in before Mac destroyed it. Mel is a hometown girl who shares her talents with all of us, and Westlake should be proud to have her.<\/p>\n
Everybody knows that the king of the po-boy in SWLA is Darrell\u2019s, and they\u2019ve earned the title. Every place in the Lake Area that has a ham, turkey and roast beef po-boy on the menu has a version of the Darrell\u2019s Special, even if they won\u2019t admit it. In fact, the \u201cBig Daddy\u201d on my menu was created in California so that I could get my own Darrell\u2019s fix.<\/p>\n
There is a place in Westlake that\u2019s called Old School Poboys, which my brother Barrett told me has a po-boy that could compete with the Darrell\u2019s Special. I felt that was a bold statement to make, and I had to find out for myself.<\/p>\n
The location is designed for customers to grab and go. It even has a drive-through window, which makes it very convenient for all the refinery employees who only get a 30-minute lunch.<\/p>\n
I got the small OSP Special, which has three different meats and three cheeses, as well as jalapeno mayo and mustard, which I actually really liked. The gravy had a nice flavor, as well.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nOld School Poboys<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The other sandwich I got was the Surf and Turf. The shrimp had a buttery flavor that went very well with the gravy. I am not normally a surf and turf fan, but this was a sandwich I would get again. Here is the kicker: The bread they use is as good as any that I have had with this type of sandwich.<\/p>\n
Westlake also has a new meat market in town, and if I am not mistaken, it\u2019s in the original Dino\u2019s Donuts location (Dino\u2019s is still one of my favorite donut spots of all time). Lagniappe Meat Co. is now open for business. I went in during the first week that they were open, and they were still working out some of their production procedures. The\u00a0 owner was very upfront about this, and didn\u2019t make any excuses about it, which I thought was very honest of him.<\/p>\n
This place will be doing plate lunches every day, as well as breakfast sandwiches. I had the ribeye, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich, which was served on Texas toast. There was just enough of a runny yolk to make the sandwich perfect. I also had a boudin egg roll with cheese \u2014 a first for me (and I can\u2019t be the only one who\u2019d never had one). Surprisingly, the ingredients are well suited for each other … go figure.<\/p>\n