Beighlie O.
Yelp
Alright y'all.
We are always in the mood for a good burger (extra drippy please!).
Haystack delivered with near perfect execution.
On order today:
Homemade Fried Mozzarella: melty, gooey mozzarella in a light crust, served with a lightly spiced marinara and homemade ranch. Fantastic. Nothing pairs better with fatty cheese sticks like fresh, spicy marinara and cold, tangy ranch.
Ranchero Chicken Stuffed Jalapeños: SPICY
Guys...trust me...do not fail to order these. Moist, shredded chicken, zesty sauce, stuffed into a FRESH jalapeño then battered and deep fried. Think of the best taquito you've ever had...then shove it in a wicked hot jalapeño and you still won't come close to how good these were.
Half & Half (not pictured): a single bowl with the best of both worlds: hand cut fries and onion strings. What's an onion string, you ask? An onion ring, basically, but more consumer friendly. Sliced super thin before being fried up, it is incredibly difficult to serve these without them sitting in a pool of their own grease. And yet...haystack did it. I think we all know how good handcut fries are, and these were cooked to perfection.
Chicken Fried Burger: tasted exactly how the menu says. Great burger to batter ratio (about 4:1, not ideal for a classic chicken fried steak, but exactly what you want for a fried burger). The jalapeño gravy was good also, but I would have liked it to have a kick of fresh black pepper (I'm picky about my CFS gravy).
Burger of the Month (January) / 3 Alarm Burger: Please don't draw & quarter me if I got the name wrong, we ate there several days ago and I failed to note the name. For the average consumer, this would more than likely pack a punch in the spice department. For my chili-head boyfriend who eats whole habaneros for fun, it wasn't spicy enough. I didn't manage to snag a bite, but he assured me that it was an absolutely solid burger.
The Haymaker (not pictured): I probably should have read some reviews before we ordered this because my lil Texas self CANNOT stomach whiskey, and this is a frozen whiskey drink. I know, I know. I can't drink whiskey (I've tried! I promise! But it makes my stomach extremely unhappy). If you like old fashioneds, this frozen twist will be perfect for you.
Our food and beverage experience warranted four stars, but the service rounded this out to a five star review. The woman running the counter was friendly and efficient, not only with us but with the next guest that came in. During our dining, a group of gentlemen came in and asked multiple questions about the menu. At this point, a male staff member had taken over the register and answered all of their questions without hesitation and offered suggestions based on what the group was saying they liked. That's the kind of service I love to witness, and to see it at a quick counter service establishment is almost unheard of.
Haystack made for a truly pleasant dining experience from start to finish.