Tag: branson

Food Review: Gettin’ Basted in Branson

Gettin’ Basted is a newer restaurant that is climbing the Yelp and TripAdvisor ranks very quickly. I’m always looking for food that isn’t very typical of Branson- so nothing Southern, including barbeque. But these reviews were too good to pass up. So, I checked it out, and I am so glad!

ENVIRONMENT

I would not have known about this new place unless it were for online reviews, since it is hidden in the retro diner in the Starlite Theatre. However, the food truck full of about 8 smokers outside of the theatre helps give a tasty-smelling hint.
However, the diner inside is super cute and helps fit in with the Branson theme.

MENU

(https://www.facebook.com/pg/GettinBasted/photos/?ref=page_internal)

This menu, posted on their Facebook page, is about what you would except- lots of barbeque.  However, there are more salads, sandwiches, and sides than I expect from a typical bbq place. And they have beer and wine!

While I first ordered the Burnt & Bleu salad, they said they were out of burnt ends, and usually that’s the first thing they run out of. So, eat here early if that’s what you’re craving.

FOOD

Pittsburgh Sandwich- $9 with one side
Description: Texas toast, smoked bologna, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, mustard, fried egg

Apparently, I’m a sucker for a bologna sandwich and this was no exception. The bologna was also pan/ griddle seared and was a great texture without being overly smokey or too thick (which can be off-putting). The fried egg was PERFECT with some yellow yolk running all over the sandwich. The other toppings were in great proportion as well, with the mustard adding that delicious tang. Oh, it was good.
The chips I ordered for a side (I first went with the steamed veggies, but our helpful waitress warned me that today it was going to be just steamed broccoli….so I ordered the chips instead). These were fantastic house-made chips. They weren’t greasy, super crisp and seasoned well. I even took most home, there was a ton, and ate on them for another couple days without them getting stale.

Pulled Pork Plate- $12
Description: 1/2 lb of pulled pork with two sides

Drew got this dish (of course I got half) and with the help of our waitress, ordered amazing sides. The potato salad has won awards, so we went with that one. And I already knew from the Yelp reviews that we needed to try the Poblano Cream Corn Brule, which surprisingly has no cheese! Both were hits, and I want to make that corn dish at home now.
The pork was A LOT. We took over half of it home, but it was very good. Smokey, juicy, with a little sauce over the top. The sauce wasn’t overly sweet or thick, it had a little tang, which I really enjoyed.
Also, both of these plates came with some house-made pickles, which were a great addition to the richness.

OVERALL

I will definitely visit this place again. Not only was service fantastic, the prices seemed fair for all the food you get, but the food (especially the sides which can fall flat at many bbq joints) was VERY memorable. Give this place a shot, even if you don’t LOVE barbeque like me, you’ll still be very impressed.

Food Review: Arandas Tacos Isn’t Foolin’ Around

In recent years, Branson’s food game has really started to diversify. Today, there are Thai restaurants, a few sushi restaurants, an Indian restaurant, and now there is a fantastic, very authentic, Mexican restaurant. Arandas Tacos is not your typical tex-mex joint. Rather, there are options such as tongue tacos or chorizo tortas or tripe sopes. If these sound scary, don’t worry,  they also have chicken and steak options, too. Here’s the breakdown:

The Environment

This restaurant is located in a small shopping center, directly across the street from the Tanger Outlets entrance.
On the inside, it is nothing special. Sort of small, but clean. We arrived for lunch around 1:15, and we were almost the only people there at that time.

The Food

There are two things that are immediately different about this restaurant than any other Mexican restaurant I have been to.
1. You don’t get chips and salsa once you are seated. Rather, you get a basket of “duros”. I had never had these before, but they were pretty tasty. They are simply fried dough, but they are very light and crispy.

 

 

Duros, free appetizer

2. There is a toppings bar!!! This is my favorite aspect of this restaurant. There are multiple salsas and toppings, such as mango salsa, cilantro, lettuce, chopped onions, etc, to put on your tacos or any other dish you order.

Tacos

Since the toppings bar is available, when you order tacos, you simply get two small corn tortillas filled, pretty heavily, with whichever meat you choose.

I ordered 4 tacos for $7.99 and tried the chorizo, cabeza (beef cheek), lengua (tongue), and al pastor pork.
The al pastor was my favorite. It was very tender and not heavy in grease. The chorizo was my second favorite. It was very flavorful, and again, not too greasy. This is usually the problem I find with chorizo. In third place came the lengua. I have had great tongue tacos before, but these were not good, at all. They were a little chewy, probably overcooked. Lastly, the beef cheek was disgusting. It was so fatty I couldn’t even swallow one bite.

Anyway, after trying all of the meat, I headed to the toppings bar to make my tacos pretty and tasty.  I put a light green salsa on all of them. This salsa was flavorful, yet mild, and helped break up the savoriness of the meats. I put mango salsa on the al pastor, onions on all tacos, and tons of cilantro. Yum!

Taco Salad

This was, by far, the best taco salad I have ever had. It was pretty large and only $7.99. I ordered it with chicken, which was perfectly tender and well-seasoned. The toppings were so generous that I did not even have to visit the toppings bar. Three sauces also came with it: a traditional red salsa, sour cream, and a spicy ranch. The spicy ranch got dumped all over the taco salad because it was very tasty! The crunchy bowl was fried perfectly as well, I love those things!  I will definitely come back to order this taco salad every time I am in Branson!

Overall

This restaurant is one of my favorites in Branson now. It is unique enough to give you a new type of Mexican food experience, but not so different you aren’t sure what you are ordering.
The staff was very nice as well. Our waitress answered questions about what certain dishes were and offered to refill our duros and waters in a timely fashion.
There is even a coupon in one of those Branson coupon books I picked up from my motel lobby that had 10% off here, so the price was great, too. I will definitely be back…many times.