5 Restaurants That Need To Come To The Hub City

Ok, I've been in Lubbock for about six months now and let me just say the restaurant selection is great!  The food in the Hub City is also exceptional.  However, I think with these five restaurants the selection would be complete.  These are the five restaurants that need to come to the Hub City...

PAPPASITO'S

Growing up in Houston, the Pappas family always delivered the goods!  I ate at pretty much every incarnation of their restaurants - Pappadeuxs (Cajun/Seafood), Pappa's Seafood, Pappa's Barbeque, Ya Ya Mary's (Greek) and even the now-defunct Pappamia's (Italian).  However, the crown jewel will always be the Tex-Mex experience known as Pappasito's!  With a queso that always delivers and fajitas always cooked perfectly - this is one restaurant the would kill in Lubbock.

CARRABA'S

I was lucky enough to meet Johnny Carraba and go to the original location on Kirby! Being half Italian, this is as close as it gets to your grandma aka nana making you a great Italian meal.  Carraba's now has 220 locations in the United States. Could Lubbock be next?

CULVER'S

This Wisconsin burger chain that specializes in Butter Burgers and Concrete Mixers is a mix of fast food and sit down restaurant.  They have items on the menu that you can find at your everyday fast food restaurant: burgers, fries, etc.  However, there are some wild cards - a pot roast sandwich, a pork loin sandwich and veggie burger.  A great family place!

GRANDY'S

When I lived in Houston, Grandy's homestyle cooking restaurants were big in the 80s. In the 90's, they started to disappear.  And, according to Wes Nessman, the Grandy's in Lubbock closed in 2004.  However, I when I spent some time in Victoria and I was happy to find out that Grandy's lives!  In fact, they have 23 locations still in the US. So, let's bring back the cheap, but good chicken fried steak!

BUCA DI BEPPO

I was lucky enough to sample the Buca Di Bepo menu when they launched in Houston awhile back. This family style dining experience offers huge portions of excellent food and a great atmosphere. There are paintings, drawings, and photos of Italian culture spanning from the 50's to today.  My family loves to go for special occasions. I recommend the meatballs (huge), chicken marsala and the chicken limone.  By the way, Buca Di Beppo translates into "Joe's Small Place."  Also, if you ever go, ask about the special "Pope" table.