Donut Run

Round Rock Donuts - Round Rock, TX
106 W. Liberty


Tucked away in historic downtown Round Rock is a small donut shop that packs a big punch. I had heard for years about the awesomeness that is Round Rock Donuts but never made the effort to mozy on out to Round Rock to try it for myself. One brisk Saturday morning I decided to finally do so.


The building was very easy to find, parking on the other hand... not so much. After playing with the idea of squeezing my way into the somewhat long drive thru line I did one more loop around the block and snagged the spot of a couple that I could only imagine was delightfully full of donuts and heading home. After parking I made my way over to the line that was literally out the door. Given the choice and assuming you know exactly what you want to order, I would say take advantage of the drive thru lane. I watched 2 dozen cars full of screaming, sugar deprived children and hung over adults (not necessarily in the same vehicle) pass before I even got to the part of the line that was inside.


My total wait was about 45 minutes to an hour but the way those handmade donuts melted in my mouth made it all worth it. My companion and I split a dozen donut holes, 2 Round Rock Donuts and 2 kolaches (the bakery also has , among other things, chocolate RR Donuts, and various flavors of traditional cake donuts). The donuts and donut holes were amazing, the kolaches however left something to be desired. The bread was fresh, light and utterly perfect, the bread to meat ratio though was sub par for sure (imagine one cocktail wienie hidden in 2 dinner rolls). The price of everything at Round Rock Donuts was more than fair in my opinion ($5.50 for a dozen donuts, $1.50 for a dozen donut holes). The bakery also makes cakes, pies, and other desserts but I was on a mission to try the donuts, plus it was 10 AM.


The seating at Round Rock Donuts is a little sparse. So, if you are like me and don't live just down the street, I recommend using just a little bit of self control and move a few blocks to a table at Round Rock Memorial Park.


Pros: Price, Taste, Handmade melt in your mouth donuts
Cons: Parking, Wait, Meat to bread ratio in kolaches, hours of operation are not friendly to extreme non-morning people
Bottom line: Make a donut run one weekend or before your next business meeting to grab a Texas sized donut (a dozen donuts in one) or a dozen regular sized donuts.

The guy wearing the helmet is kinda cute!

The Spazmatics - TX

Eight words that I would have bet money would never come out of my mouth while standing in a dark, crowded, night club. But sure enough, one Thursday night at Sammy's in downtown Houston I found myself saying just that.

The Spazmatics are a rockin 80's cover band, covered from head to toe in what can only be described as pure 1980's nerdiness. They played three sets of quintessential 80's pop classics, everything from Girls Just Want to Have Fun to 99 Luftballoons, all while performing perfectly planned choreography. The energy in the room is pure 80's cheesetasticness and will have you doing the Carlton dance in no time.

Currently, the guys are playing every Thursday night at Sammy's on Main. Although paying a cover ($10 in this case) to get in anywhere goes against everything I stand for I folded just this once, and I'm glad that I did. I highly recommend valeting, parking around there can be difficult to say the least. Sammy's is rather small as far as night clubs go, so expect to be packed in like hot, sweaty sardines until after the first set but people will start to filter out after that.

Pros: Top notch entertainment, good time, 80's music
Cons: Parking, cover, cramped, no drink specials

Bottom Line: Grab your friends, geek out on brat pack movies and chocolate Yoo-hoo, and check these guys out. Totally outrageous!

St. Arnold - Patron Saint of Brewers

Saint Arnold Brewery Tour - Houston, TX

2522 Fairway Park Drive

Drive down Fairway Park Drive and you would probably never guess that there was a microbrewery tucked away in this industrial neighborhood, but there is. In fact, St. Arnold's Brewery is the oldest microbrewery in Houston and every Saturday at 1:00 pm they offer a brewery tour. Well, it's less of a tour per say and more of a 20 min informational session followed by 1 hour and 40 mins of drinking.

The warehouse is completely opened up, which is a good thing because there is no AC/heating (sometime this fall the brewery is moving to a climate controlled warehouse just north of downtown). It costs $5 to get in and that includes a 6-8 oz. souvenir glass and 4 drink tokens. Tip: if you have a large St. Arnold's glass be sure to bring it, because they will fill that, regardless of how big it is. Get there early to score a table and feel free to bring a picnic. The tour, which is just an employee standing on a ladder with a microphone regurgitating information while some people listen and most people get in line for beer, starts @ 1. The 4 bars open as soon as the tour ends and the beer drinking free for all begins. Oh and don't think you'll be sly by waiting to get there around the time the tour ends because drink tokens are only given out until 1:15. Don't let the crowd/lines deter you; by 2:00 the warehouse really starts to thin out.

Pros: Price, Good Beer, Great Place to Socialize, Free Parking, BYOF (Bring Your Own Food)

Cons: No A/C, crowded at first

Bottom Line: A great way to spend a Saturday afternoon with friends.

Quack Quack

Austin Duck Adventures - Austin, TX

If you work in downtown Austin, or even frequent the area, you have undoubtedly seen the Austin Duck Adventures mobile maneuvering it's way around town. The people on board always look like they are having a good time and if you get caught at a red light next to them you just might get quacked at. I had always wanted to take the tour but the $25.99 price tag just seemed a little too much to me. Fast forward to a late July morning when my mom was in town and offering to pay and I started whistling a different tune.

The 75 minute tour takes you around downtown, by the capital, out to Old West, into Lake Austin and back towards downtown. The tour guide was a little cheesy but funny nonetheless and full of interesting information (like the story behind the statue of the woman lighting a cannon on Congress). The coolest part was most definitely driving straight into Lake Austin at 15 miles an hour and trekking around for a bit.

Pros: Fun, Great Tour Guide, Informative, Duck Noise Makers

Cons: Pricey, No A/C

Bottom Line: If you have the money, it's well worth it.

Mean Eyed Cat

Mean Eyed Cat - Austin, TX
1621 W. 5th St

A great, little, Johnny Cash themed bar tucked between brand new, shiny, corporate monstrosities. I was worried for this bar when those 2 buildings started going up over a year ago but so far it seems as though the Mean Eyed Cat has survived.

The Mean Eyed Cat is a cool little joint that is covered wall to wall, inside and out, with Johnny Cash art and memorabilia. There is always something new on the walls each time you go in. The crowd is a motley crew of laid back people of all ages who are just looking for a cold beer and good tunes. The jukebox plays everything from Stevie Ray Vaughn to Journey and of course the man in black himself. Although, I have never been there for it, I know they do occasionally have live bands on the patio. I've always seen the same bartender there (I'm ashamed I can not remember his name at the moment) and he is a very cool, funny, easy to talk to, charismatic guy.

The only issue I take with the Mean Eyed Cat is that they only serve beer and wine. The more I think about it that definitely fits their whole scene, but I'm just not much of a beer drinking gal. Also, almost all of their bar food (they only have about 7 things on the menu) is very spicy and again I'm not much for spicy foods.

One final note, the exterior may look a little rough and the large amount of bikes that sometimes add up in the parking lot may deter you but I assure you this is not a combative, aggressive, rough and tumble type of place.


Pros: Good music, Great wall art, Cool bartender, Location, relaxed atmosphere, mixed group of people
Cons: Only serve beer and wine, spicy and overpriced bar food, not a huge selection of beer

Bottom line: A chill place you would take your dad.