Topeka, KS: Full Parking Lot, Open Arms, Good Food ... So-So Guacamole

El Centenario

1306 South Kansas Ave

Topeka, KS 66612

Phone: (785) 783-8968

After driving 30 miles to visit another highly touted Mexican restaurant nearby where we were turned away because they were closed during business hours "for routine maintenance", we drove to El Centenario. The parking lot was nearly full on a Tuesday night ... normally, a good sign.

We were quickly seated because the place is pretty big and chips and salsa soon arrived. They had a 99 Cent margarita special going, so I ordered one ... OLE! We also ordered their famous white cheese dip ($3.50) and, being my birthday, a large guacamole ($6.50). The chips were good and hot, but the salsa was nothing special, so I asked for the "hot" version which was a little better. The cheese dip was good, nothing special and the guacamole was terrible. Beside the tomato, onion, and jalapeños, there was something strange about it, like they added Imo or sour cream to increase yield. Either that or they used inferior (Hass avocados should be used) or unripe avocados. Whatever they did, it was one of the worst guacamoles I have ever had.

My wife had the torta (sandwich) Milanesa ($7.50), a thin breaded and pan-fried beef cutlet on a Mexican bread roll with mayo, lettuce, avocado and onion (tomato on the side because my wife is allergic) with French fries. It was pretty good, one of the better tortas I have had and the fries were hot and crispy.

I ordered the usual on my first visit, tacos and enchiladas. I ordered one hard shell taco ($1.75) and two traditional Mexican tacos (served on two soft corn tortillas), one with carne asada (they spell it "azada") and one with carnitas, and a side order of cheese and onion enchiladas. The hard taco was not bad, coming on the usual pre-fab shell with nicely flavored ground beef and lettuce and Mexican white cheese. Not bad. The soft shell tacos were excellent, coming on two large corn tortillas each and piled high with meat, some onion, cilantro and accompanied by sliced, fresh lime just as they should. Bueno! Finally, the enchiladas had just the right amount of deliciously seasoned red chili sauce and cheese and were baked to perfection. I have to say, these were the best enchiladas I have had in a very long time ... OLE!

It was too bad that the guacamole ruined what would have been an outstanding meal and I told the manager about the guacamole problem when were paying our bill, but all he said was "i'll check it out", not "I'm sorry, let me take that off your check". Otherwise, we were very happy with our meal and will likely return to see if the guacamole problem was a one off deal because it it was not, I will send it back to the kitchen.

CombatCritic Gives El Centenario 7 Bombs Out Of 10 (And An "S&G!" For You Military Types) ... With A Two Bomb Deduction For The Guac (One For The Guacamole And One For The Manager Who Shrugged His Shoulders) ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "Elite '14/'15"

TripAdvisor - "Top Contributor" 

Tabelog - "Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - "#1 Ranked Foodie"



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El Centenario

Title: Topeka, KS: Full Parking Lot, Open Arms, Good Food ... So-So Guacamole

Key Words: El Centenario, el, centenario, Topeka, Kansas, KS, Mexican, Mexico, taco, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Tabelog, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: "S&G" = Shits and Grins

Lawrence, KS: Aggressive Driving Was All I Had To See To Decide NEVER To Hire This Company

River City Heating & Cooling

1120 E 23rd St

Lawrence, KS 66046

Phone: (785) 841-2665

Facebook: RiverCityHeatingAndCooling On Facebook

I wouldn't hire these guys if my life depended on it.

When a police car suddenly stopped with lights flashing in front of me just minutes ago, I needed to merge into the left lane to get around the officer performing his duty. The white River City Heating and Cooling van that had cut me off just minutes earlier (on 9th Street just east of Iowa) was to my left, but rather than letting me merge left, the male driver (with a woman in the passenger seat) aggressively sped up to ensure that I could not get over, causing me to have to slow quickly in order to merge and avoid the police car blocking my way.

If this is the way River City Heating and Cooling treat Lawrence neighbors while driving their clearly marked vehicle around town, you can imagine how well you can trust them with your heating and cooling needs.

CombatCritic Gives River City Heating and Cooling 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My Quickly Filling WALL OF SHAME ... More Bombs Are Better!

One Bomb Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "Elite '14/'15"

TripAdvisor - "Top Contributor" 

Tabelog - "Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - "#1 Ranked Foodie"



... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: Aggressive Driving Was All I Had To See To Decide NEVER To Hire This Company

Key Words: River City Heating and Cooling, river, city, heating, cooling, furnace, air conditioner, Lawrence, Kansas, KS, 23rd, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp

Translation for Civilians: FUBAR -"Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Topeka, KS: Drove 25 Miles, Arrived During Business Hours, But "Closed For Maintenance"? UNSAT!

Margarita’s Jalisco
1616 SW 17th
Topeka, KS 66604
Phone: (785) 234-1500
Website: margaritasjalisco.com
Prices: $$$$ - Don't know, never saw a menu!

We made the 25 mile drive from Lawrence, on a night and time they advertise as being open (6pm on a Tuesday - my birthday by the way), but were turned away in the parking lot. As we drove up, a man I assume was the owner knocked on the window of our car and said, "we're closed for maintenance". I told him, "but we drove all the way from Lawrence to eat here", to which he replied, "sorry!".

You cannot close a business during business hours for routine maintenance just because Tuesday evening may be a bit slower than most. For an emergency (power outage, flood, bomb threat), yes, but maintenance, absolutely not. They had 12+ hours between closing on Monday night and opening on Tuesday morning to perform the maintenance or they could have scheduled (and advertised) closing between lunch and dinner instead, but they chose to close unannounced during prime dinner time instead.

I had heard that the food was good here and the service excellent, but I will never find out because I will not be back. You had your chance Margarita's Jalisco, and you wasted our time and our gas ... you blew it!

CombatCritic Gives Margarita's Jalisco 1 Bomb Out Of 10 For Obvious Reasons And A Spot On My WALL OF SHAME ... More Bombs Are Better!

PS - We drove over to El Centenario just a few blocks away, they were open, they were packed, and we had an excellent meal ... read my review elsewhere on Yelp!

One Bomb Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "Elite '14/'15"

TripAdvisor - "Top Contributor" 

Tabelog - "Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - "#1 Ranked Foodie"



... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Margarita's Jalisco

Title: Topeka, KS: Drove 25 Miles, Arrived During Business Hours, But "Closed For Maintenance"? UNSAT!

Key Words: Margarita's Jalisco, margarita's, margaritas, margarita, jalisco, Mexican, Topeka, Kansas, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Tabelog, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: FUBAR -"Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Lawrence, Kansas: Allen Fieldhouse Is The Bomb ... Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

Allen Fieldhouse
Stadiums & Arenas
1651 Naismith Drive
Lawrence, KS 66045

If you go to a KU basketball game, men's or women's, or other event, you have a treat in store!

A new addition has been built on the east side, ground level, of historic Allen Fieldhouse, making room for thousands of photos, National Championship Trophies, game balls, uniforms and many other displays highlighting the history of KU sports and the University of Kansas Hall of Fame, not just for basketball. Many of the displays are chronologically arranged, making a trip back through KU sports history a breeze. 

And if you have not been to a KU Men's Basketball game, you are missing one of the greatest experiences in American sport, college or otherwise. The place is always packed, the fans are raucous, the KU pride without equal and the team routinely highly ranked, making for an extremely exciting and memorable experience.

Being a national dynasty, KU Men's Basketball games are not just difficult to get tickets for, they are somewhat expensive, so go to a women's game starting at only $6, making sure to allow 30-60 minutes before a game to take-in the sights at the Booth Family Hall of Athletics ... it's free!

CombatCritic Gives Allen Fieldhouse and Booth Family Hall of Athletics 10 Out Of 10 Bombs ... IT'S THE BOMB!

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "Elite '14/'15"

TripAdvisor - "Top Contributor" 

Tabelog - "Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - "#1 Ranked Foodie"



... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: Lawrence, Kansas: Allen Fieldhouse Is The Bomb ... Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

Key Words: Allen Fieldhouse, Allen, fieldhouse, field, house, Lawrence, Kansas, KU, University of Kansas, university, basketball, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor

Translation for Civilians: 

"Phonetic spelling of the acronym HUA, which stands for 'Heard Understood Acknowledged.' Originally used by the British in the late 1800's in Afghanistan. More recently adopted by the United States Army to indicate an affirmative or a pleased response." - Urban Dictionary

"The Department of Military Science and Leadership, University of Tennessee claim HOOAH 'refers to or means anything except no' ... Regardless of its meaning ... the term is an expression of high morale, confidence, motivation and spirit." - WarChronicle.com

"The U.S. Air Force stole 'HOOAH' from the Army because we were part of the Army until 1947 and rather than waste a bunch of time coming up with something new and unique, we said 'screw it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH! - CombatCritic

Lawrence, KS: "Most Authentic" Mexican Food In Town, Taco Zone Does A Very Good Job

Taco Zone
13 East 8th Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
Phone: (785) 424-7123
Website: thetacozone.com
Prices: $$$$

Selected yelp Review of the Day (Jan 7, 2016)

In a small shop in downtown Lawrence on 8th Street just east of Massachusetts Street (known to locals as "Mass") you will find Taco Zone's new location. Having originated in the back of a bar a few blocks up the street on Mass, they have apparently done well enough to rate their own space. Yelp reviews have been very favorable so far, so we decided to give them a try.

Being a self-proclaimed guacamole connoisseur and aficionado (and legend in my own mind), we had to start with the Guacamole and Chips ($5). At first glance, the guacamole was a bit on the small side for the price, maybe half an avocado's worth ($.75 retail) at best considering, like many restaurants, they use tomato as an ingredient and "filler". Having grown up in California with its rich Mexican influence, tomatoes are not routinely used in guacamole and, I believe, they detract from the essence of the almighty avocado. Beside being on the puny side, the guacamole was not bad, the avocados ripe and, unlike many commercial varieties, it was well seasoned. The chips were obviously made in-house, perfectly crisp and a deep golden brown. Tortilla chips need just the right amount of salt and my wife and I normally have to add salt to restaurant tortilla chips, but these were over-salted, detracting from otherwise nearly perfect taste. Close on both counts, but unfortunately no cigar.

The menu selections are very limited. You can get tacos (3), a burrito, a torta (Mexican-style sandwich), nachos, or their "special", which in this case was a roasted pork and green chili soup, all at $7 a pop. Meals are not accompanied by rice or beans, in-fact they are not even an option. I am not a big rice fan, but a traditional side or two, such as borracho (the word for "drunk" due to beer being a primary ingredient) or charro ("horseman" or "cowboy") beans would be a nice option.

Traditional tacos vary by region in Mexico and come with some form of meat, normally grilled or roasted, such as "carne asada" (sliced or chopped, marinated beef steak), "al pastor" (roasted pork shoulder shavings, normally served with pineapple), "picadillo" (ground beef cooked with tomato, onion, and chiles), "carnitas" (pork braised or simmered in oil for several hours), "barbacoa" (barbecued beef, normally from the head of the cow), "de pescado" (grilled fish), or "de camarones" (grilled or sauteed shrimp) just to name a few. Each meat filling comes with its own unique accompaniments, including chopped/diced onion, pineapple, avocado, guacamole, tomato, pico de gallo, chile, radish and/or carrot, almost always accompanied by green or red salsa, chopped cilantro, and fresh, sliced lime.

Being our first visit, we tried the tacos and nachos for our entrees at $7 each. You get three tacos in a box with your choice of three of the seven somewhat unusual filling options. I say unusual only because these are, for the most part, uncommon taco combinations (beef and sweet potato, mole and poblano pepper, chorizo and potato) or ingredients (mole, sweet potato, potato, and cheese). I ordered one each taco cochinita pibil (pork, normally pigling, marinated in citrus juice with achiote seed), chile rojo beef and sweet potato, and green chile chorizo and potato. The nachos came with cochinita pibil and roasted garlic queso because my wife does not like pico de gallo (tomato in particular) or crema (cream, sour cream), both of which were included.

Each taco came with one tortilla instead of the usual two and they were a tad small, coming in at around 3.5 to 4 inches max, so the fillings appeared to be more substantial than they actually were. I am not positive if the corn tortillas are made on the premises or are purchased elsewhere, but they were good and thick enough that they held up well without falling apart, so two would have been overkill in this case. The cochinita pibil was topped with pickled carrot, the beef and sweet potato with sliced red onion, the chorizo with diced green chile and sour cream, and all were topped with too little chopped cilantro. There was a small container of a reddish salsa verde on the side which was obviously not store-bought and was neither too mild nor too hot (spicy). The cochinita pibil was tasty although a bit too dry and the other two were palatable enough, but could have done without the potatoes altogether in my opinion. Like the tomatoes in the guacamole, they seemed to serve more as a filler, saving the house some money rather than enhancing the culinary experience.

The nachos came in a similar size, but deeper cardboard box with the same good, but over-salted chips, the roasted garlic queso, and cochinita pibil (you also get your choice of the seven fillings - in this case toppings). There were plenty of chips and the cheese sauce, although again nontraditional, was warm, creamy, and delicious. There was also plenty of the too dry pork and another container of the red/green salsa. When I added the pico de gallo and salsa to the nachos, they were quite good although they were not bad without them. The crema was unnecessary in my opinion, detracting from the yummy cheese sauce and adding additional fat while contributing little to the flavor.

They have specials every day and a decent, varied selection of reasonably priced drinks. The taco plate would be more appropriately priced at $5.50 to $6 and "Taco Tuesday" brings the plate in at a much more reasonable $5. Another bargain is "Finally Friday" with Cadillac margaritas being half-price (on Fridays of course) although I am not positive about either the size of or ingredients in them, so I cannot comment on their full-price or half-price value. You get free "fresh water" on Wednesdays if that is any kind of deal or enticement. The only addition to the drink menu that could contribute to a better, more authentic experience would be horchata, a traditional sweet Mexican drink made from rice and with vanilla, cinnamon and sugar added. A digestivo such as RumChata, a liquor made with cream-based horchata and rum, would be another good after dinner option.

My recommendations for a better value and experience are:

1. Less salt on the chips
2. Slightly larger or cheaper guacamole WITHOUT tomato
3. A few more menu options, including some side dishes
4. Focus on more traditional meat fillings and lose the fillers
5. Fresh lime slices are required with traditional tacos and are very inexpensive - provide them
6. Drop the entree prices slightly or add a side, like borracho beans, effecting profits negligibly

I was quite pleased with our meal overall and service was excellent, but there are too many concerns for me to give them 9 or 10 Bombs (5 Stars on Yelp, TripAdvisor, Zomato, and Tabelog). Therefore, ...

CombatCritic Gives Taco Zone 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

TripAdvisor - Top Contributor

Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - #1 Ranked Foodie





... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Taco Zone

Title: Most Authentic Mexican Food In Lawrence, Taco Zone Does A Very Good Job

Key Words: Taco Zone, taco, tacos, zone, Lawrence, Kansas, Massachusetts, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Tabelog, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: "S&G" - Shits And Grins