During some down time, I took a bit of an urban hike to see the Texas capital (pretty, but no West Virginia) and stopped at the Texas Chili Parlor on my way.

It's a bit kitschy, but the restaurant is a tourist favorite so I wanted to mark it off my list. It's pretty dark inside and smells a bit musty. But people from all ends of the spectrum - businessmen in suits to young hipsters - were waiting for their grub.

Texas chili has NO beans in it; in fact, it's sacrilegious. Just beef and tomatoes and other tasty spices. But, I wanted to try the chili, and I couldn't think of a better way to do so than atop fritos and with cheese. That's right, I ordered a Frito pie. Fritos, topped with chili, topped with cheese and then I got sour cream on the side, because it's essential.

Overall, I thought it was just OK. I did get the mild chili, but I thought it was a bit bland. I was looking for all sorts of depth of flavor, and maybe I should've gone the spicy route for that. Either way, cover something in cheese and sour cream, and it's good no matter what. A decent rendition of the dish, though I think I've had better.



Grade: C