What Makes 50th Street Caboose A Lubbock Favorite?

Last night I went to a restaurant I've enjoyed since I was a little girl: 50th Street Caboose. Like many Lubbock folks, Caboose is dear to my heart since it's always been there for birthdays, dates, and many other happy celebrations. Also, I love throwing balls at clowns.

What 50th Street Caboose Gets Right Every Time

Caboose has mastered the most essential skill any restaurant in Lubbock can achieve: consistency. While they have made changes and improvements over the years (like expanding the menu or replacing an old game with something new in the arcade), I can always rely on the following at Caboose:

My table will be clean when I sit down (why is this SUCH a problem at so many other places???)

I will be given fresh chips and salsa, and my drinks (alcoholic or not) will be out quickly and will be of the quality I expect.

My server will know the menu and put my order in correctly. The prices are fair for what I order.

My fajitas will come out sizzling, and I will be the envy of the dining room. (Or whatever I order will be fresh, the correct temperature, plentiful in portion, and tasty.) I'll get my ticket and any to-go containers in a timely manner.

None Of This Is That Difficult, But It Is Comendable

50th Street Caboose deserves all the love for maintaining these standards, especially in a high-volume restaurant that caters to large tables and couples alike (and with plenty of kids present). But none of what I mentioned before is difficult or unreasonable to ask of any restaurant. So why are so many failing to achieve it?

Cheaping out: some restaurants refuse to pay for bussers or a host/hostess to help keep the restaurant clean and get people seated quickly. Opting for cheaper ingredients is a huge mistake, too.

Poor management: a manager who fails to hold the FOH or BOH accountable can shut a restaurant down quicker than anything else. But it is a balance; you don't want a manager who despises either, as that will lead to burnout and losing your best people.

Inability to manage volume: This cuts both ways, too. Are you not keeping a steady enough stream of people to ensure fresh ingredients and a happy serving staff? You might need to find ways to advertise. And if you have a lot of volume, you need systems in place to handle it.

I love you, 50th Street Caboose. You celebrated my good report cards, my birthdays, my wedding rehearsal dinner, and now you help me celebrate surviving a Monday. Thank you for a lifetime of reliability.