Lubbock

(From September 2010) This is a chain? It feels, acts, and tastes like a hometown cafe run by the neighborhood’s favorite abuela. An extensive menu has something for everyone: shredded beef enchiladas smothered in rich red chile sauce, chiles rellenos bursting with queso fresco, overstuffed burritos, and spicy menudo. The shrimp burrito, with rice, coleslaw, and tangy sauce, is excellent, and the traditional tortas satisfy with a variety of fillings, our favorite being the tender carnitas. ¡Muy sabroso!

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(From May 2011)

The red-and-white tablecloths, murals of country scenes, and friendly servers at Apple Tree make for a cozy, farm-house atmosphere. The tortilla soup, brimming with vegetables and chicken, is light but filling, especially paired with half a sandwich. Apple Tree blends tangy mayonnaise, pickles, and pineapple into its chicken salad and serves it on thick-sliced fresh bread. There’s also an assortment of Mexican dishes, including an enormous burrito, stuffed with beef and beans and topped with creamy enchilada sauce. Breakfast is good too, particularly the baked goods: The pretty Bavarian cream turnover was our favorite—flaky and just rich enough.

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(From November 2010) We blinked and almost missed this tiny spot, where traditional Thai and Japanese hibachi offerings are generous and always tasty. They excel at soups here, like the tom yum, with its layers of tart lime, lemongrass, cooling mint, and fiery chiles, and noodle soups that mingle peanuts, bean sprouts, and cilantro. A humble mix of chicken and vegetables is elevated with coconut milk and a striking green curry. Thai iced coffee nicely complements the spicy fare.

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(From January 2011) Located next to a tattoo and piercing parlor, this burger joint is as hip as its neighbor. Just for fun, build your own burger: Pick a regular, wheat, or jalapeño-cheddar bun and then choose your toppings (all the usual ones, plus roasted pepper relish, cranberry-apple chutney, and “guaco mayo”). There are also salads and a variety of sandwiches, as well as onion rings and regular and sweet potato fries. Finish with the O-Pie, an Oreo crust with peanut butter crème and chocolate-velvet filling. (All of the artwork at Belly’s is for sale, for those who prefer it on the wall rather than the body.) Bar.

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(From September 2010) A favorite Amarillo eatery makes its way south, to the delight of Lubbock burger fans. The roll of paper towels on our table comes in handy as we bite into juicy beef patties on soft, toasted buns; grilled chicken sandwiches dressed with olives and tangy Greek dressing; and thin, crispy onion rings. The Frito Pie Salad features crispy greens topped with meaty chili, corn chips, and queso, while the Pico Pasta Chicken Salad gets a kick from pico de gallo and a sweet-and-spicy salsa vinaigrette. A thick, creamy shake (banana is our favorite) completes the meal. Beer & wine.

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(From January 2011) This is a family diner, and customers are treated like kin: Our waitress kindly stacked our purses in a chair because, according to her, handbags on the floor bring bad luck. To start, chips, guacamole, and hot sauce (a smoky recipe), followed by the hearty caldo de res aswim with beef, cabbage, potatoes, and a little ear of corn. Traditional Mexican entrées get a twist here: A spicy red sauce topped the meat enchiladas; shredded beef, a tender alternative, filled the tacos and burritos; and creamy queso, not grated cheddar, smothered the cheese enchiladas. For dessert, try the sugary sopaipilla. Beer.

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(From May 2011) Cross the porch and enter Espuela, where saddles, tack, feed bags, and album covers (Crystal Gayle, Kenny Rogers, Glenn Campbell) decorate the walls. Friday nights, it’s an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet, but we’re partial to Saturday supper and Sunday lunch. The steaks are famous (hesitate and your feisty waitress will tell you how to order it), and the catfish and chicken-fried steaks are equally good (both coated in a kicky black-pepper batter). On the side: a crisp salad, a baked potato that will warm your heart (and is about the same size), and buttery rolls. The slices of chocolate meringue pie, creamy as sweetened condensed milk, are so huge you should share—but you won’t. BYOB.

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(From June 2011) Inside, the dining nooks have parson chairs and elegant tables, some near the live music and others secluded and très seductive. We started with shrimp wrapped in delicate prosciutto and fire-grilled, then moved on to chicken escalope topped with a slice of tomato, creamy Swiss, and a subtle lemon sauce. Ravioli came pin-striped (with squid ink), stuffed with ricotta and lobster, and sauced with a vodka marinara. We had the most fun, though, with the fondue (share a savory version, like the Italian cheese with spinach and artichoke or the smoked-gouda and caraway, or a chocolate one for dessert) and the Eno-matic wine dispenser: Pay two bucks for a microchip card, load it with any dollar amount, and sample some of the 48 wines on tap. Bar.

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(From June 2011) Anchored by an old-fashioned bar and crowded with weathered four-tops, Jazz is the kind of soulful hole-in-the-wall you’d find in the French Quarter. The red beans and dirty rice, a heaping serv-ing, have a chile-powder bite, and the hand-breaded popcorn craw-fish comes with a dipping sauce that’s creamy and tart. Our favor-ite entrées: the Chicken a la Mer and the Lemon Peppered Chicken, the first basted in an herbal marinade and the second with just enough lemon to wake you up after a long workday. Cap it off with beignets: warm and fluffy, with a generous dousing of pow-dered sugar. Bar (till 2 a.m.).

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(From September 2010) Impressive stonework and chianti-colored walls create a charming and relaxed trattoria. The Italian-inspired menu features house-made pasta, like hearty gnocchi, spinach fettucine (with shrimp and tart sun-dried tomatoes), fiery spaghetti arrabiata, and more. We were especially taken with the light and creamy Alfredo sauce and the divinely tender New York strip accented with garlic-basil but-ter. French onion soup served in a hollowed-out onion was both creative and tasty. Bravo! Bar.

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