Tag: Italian

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Dining

Taste of Italy by the Lake

Taste of Italy by the Lake, Hawkins, Texas
Taste of Italy by the Lake, Hawkins, Texas

So, you’re from the Big City and you miss great Italian food?  Looking for a great ‘date night’ location in the sticks of East Texas?  Give Taste of Italy a try in Hawkins, Texas.

You’ll probably need to pull out your GPS to get there, but Taste of Italy by the Lake is worth the drive.  They have a tremendous menu that rivals big chain restaurants and each entree could easily serve two people.  My wife went with her tradtional favorite, Fettuccine Alfredo, and it was creamy and delicious.  I had the Chicken Cacciatore which was unbelievably rich with the right amount of peppers, garlic, onions, and sauce.  Service is excellent and downright friendly, making Taste of Italy a great place for dining-for-two, a family get-together, or even a company dinner.

Taste of Italy sits directly alongside Lake Hawkins (thus, the “by the Lake” distinction) and features live entertainment on the weekends.  Reservations are not required but recommended if you are planning to eat during dining “prime time.”

Taste of Italy by the Lake:

2448 County Road 3440

Hawkins, TX 75765-5041

(903) 769-0600

Categories
Dining

Doc’s Pizza

Pizza shouldn’t be complicated….and Doc’s keeps it simple. Great assortment of traditional pizzas. I’m a thin-crust guy (unless I can get my hands on a good Chicago-style pizza) and Doc’s pizzas have a nice, almost cracker-like crust. Toppings are generous and evenly distributed over the entire pie.

Our first visit to Doc’s was after church one Sunday and they’d apparently just opened because the (very tiny!) seating area was cold. We ordered salads while we waited and they were nothing more than a few leaves of lettuce and a dollop of salad dressing in a styrofoam bowl. Overall, the “dine-in” experience wasn’t worth the overall investment.

But if you want some pretty good takeout, Doc’s is a great option…..especially if you can get your hands on a coupon from their website.

Categories
Dining

Ken’s Pizza

East Texas has no shortage of buffets and when it comes to pizza, few can rival Ken’s Pizza in Tyler.  It seems most pizza restaurants spend more time trying to come up with “experimental” flavors.  Ken’s, however, does a great job of keeping the traditional favorites coming while inserting something new here-and-there.  Hamburger, Cheese, Pepperoni, and Sausage pizzas always seem to be available alongside Spinach, Taco, and Fajita pizzas, among others.  Ken’s also has an ample salad bar and great desserts.

The cost is about $40 for a family of five.  “Servers” will bring you new plates, but service tends to be a bit slow and inattentive.   If all else fails, simply walk up to the buffet and request a new plate and you’ll be on your way.