Well, I decided to go to Seminole Canyon State Park after a fellow Master Naturalist made it sound so appealing. I booked a four-night stay since it was a far piece to get there. I researched the area for things to do and places to see. Let me tell you, there isn't a whole out out that way. I saw that the only place to eat in Comstock, Texas was the J and P Bar & Grill. My initial reaction to that was "I'll pass", but everyone I talked to said they had seen it mentioned on TV, or eaten there and loved it.
I decided that I would go there for a burger the day I arrived, so that I would have plenty of time to "walk it off" on the trails. As soon as I sat down, the friendliest server came over to take my order. She was so nice and welcoming that I felt at home, even though I was surrounded by cowboys and working men who seemed to know each other and felt a little out of place when first walking through the door.
I ordered the Devils Burger, which comes with grilled jalapeno, pepper jack cheese, and jalapeno mayo. I added bacon, of course. It was on a ciabatta bun. The fries were those little thin ones that I normally don't care for. These however, were cooked perfectly and had a really delicious taste, almost as if they were a bit caramelized from the fryer. I know that makes no sense, but this is my review, so suck it up buttercup.
I asked the server for a knife. I have this obsessive habit of always cutting my burgers in half. It annoys one of my sons. He says hamburgers are meant to be eaten whole. I don't care. I like to cut them in half and dip them in ketchup with each bite. Anyway, she brought me a plastic knife wrapped in a napkin which did the job.
I have to say that burger was the single best burger I have ever eaten in my entire life. The ciabatta bun had just a bit more chew to it than a normal one. The meat was juicy, well-seasoned, and had that greasy goodness that I love in a burger. With all of the other things on it, especially the jalapeno mayo, it became an absolute explosion of wonderfulness with every bite. There was a little bit of a spicy burn, but not overpowering enough to interfere.
So I went back to the park and got on with my life. The wind was predicted to be bad enough on my departure day, that I booked another night, rather than have a white-knuckle trip home towing my trailer. That gave me more time to hike trails, even though the wind was annoying as hell.
On Friday, the day I was originally supposed to return home, I took the guided tour down into the canyon to see the ancient paintings for the second time. On the way back up, the topic of food came up, and a couple mentioned how good the chicken fried steak was at J and P the day before. That got my brain reliving that burger. I had hiked to the tour, so during the mile-long hike back to the trailer, I decided that I would go back for another one. I looked at the pictures of their menu on the Facebook page when I got back to camp and decided that, this time, I would get the patty melt with added bacon and jalapeno mayo. I cleaned up a bit and hopped in the truck.
I went to the same table from Monday, and the same wonderful server came over to take my order. I was fully intent on the patty melt, but my mouth asked for a chicken fried steak! I am a big fan of chicken fried steaks. I have tried hundreds of different ones around the state. This one was the best I've ever had. I was totally floored by the concept of finding my life-best burger and chicken fried steak in the tiny town of Comstock, Texas, out in the middle of nowhere.
The steak was served with a mound of those delectable skinny fries I already mentioned. There was also a side salad covered in the thickest and creamiest ranch dressing on the plate and some Texas toast. The steak was covered in cream gravy, which is the only way I like it. Whenever I go somewhere that offers a choice of brown or cream gravy for their chicken fried steak, I order something else entirely because they obviously don't know what they are doing. No offense folks, but if you eat your chicken fried steak with brown gravy, or even worse without gravy, you are just plain crazy!
The gravy was super thick and perfectly seasoned. I kept dipping my Texas toast into it. The coating on the steak was also perfect. It was thick, tasty, and crunchy. It had a floury lightness to the crunch that made all the difference in the world. Also, it stayed on the meat. There's nothing worse than a chicken fried steak where the coating comes off like a glove. The meat was fully flavored with just enough chew to it to tantalize your mouth.
I am going to be sure to go back there to eat. I honestly think it is worth the drive from San Antonio even without staying at the park. I won't do that. I'll come back, stay in the park, hike the trails, and try some other burgers at J and P Bar and Grill. I'm going to try and time it for the Deer Feed Bash! I want to try the "Fried deer meet with lot's of fixin's"! read more