$2 thursdays at luby’s

If you read about me, you would know that I don’t believe good eats always equate with expensive eats. This is why I’m not ashamed to put it out there that I love Luby’s! I recall the days of girlhood when my immigrant parents, who had no idea how to roast a Thanksgiving turkey, would order our holiday meals from Luby’s. And during the other times of the year, my mom would take me to the cafeteria after either my piano lesson or a long day of shopping. I would always get the Lu Ann Platter (a half portion entree served with two vegetables and a bread of choice) with fried chicken, corn, and either mashed potatoes or mac ‘n cheese, the dinner roll with extra butter, an iced tea which I drowned with ten packs of sugar, and (if my tooth was feeling extra sweet) a serving of strawberry Jell-o. Back then, the Lu Ann Platter ran us only a few dollars, but prices have since gone up. That’s why I appreciate the $2 Thursdays at Luby’s where you can get a chicken fried steak or a fried fish for just two singles. You can bet I’m going to round up my fellow Luby’s fan club friends one of these upcoming Thursdays and relive the magic of cafeteria childhood.

And here’s an interesting tidbit: The Lu Ann Platter is the inspiration for the same named character on “King of the Hill,” a redneck TV show created by Mike Judge which was based on real people he knew while he lived in Texas. Judge is also known for making “Beavis and Butt-Head” and the Office Space movie. On “King of the Hill,” Lu Ann Platter is Hank and Peggy’s niece who moved in with the family after her mother stabbed her father with a fork, and their trailer was capsized. The late Brittany Murphy played Lu Ann’s voice for several seasons. At first, I couldn’t stand the show because it stereotyped Texans–I’ve had more than one person ask me if Texans were like that–but after watching a few episodes, I found myself laughing aloud. Give it a try some time. They’re syndicated on FOX; check out the showtimes here.

$1 coffee & tea smoothie at jamba juice

There is something about Jamba Juice that increases my willingness to part with multiple dollars for an un-fancy orange juice. Maybe they slip something into my drinks. Or what about that matcha green tea smoothie? Yum.

But today, let’s try something different. For today only, you can get coffee and tea smoothies at $1 a pop. No coupon needed; just go right up to the counter and order.

Thanks to Heari (a.k.a. love.sewn) for the tip. Keep ‘em com’in’, guys.

buy 1 chipotle now, get 1 free chipotle later

In the land of gargantuan burritos, Chipotle wins the taste test hands down. I think it’s better than some of their competitors (here’s a hint: they rhyme with “Treebirds” and “Tission Turrito”). Some say it’s the corn, others say it’s the marinade in the meat. Whatever it is, I can’t believe it’s a company owned by McDonald’s. Who knew that red-haired clown could whip up such a mean burrito?

Today and tomorrow, if you purchase a burrito or burrito bowl from Chipotle and save the receipt, you can redeem it this weekend for the same order. Here’s the coupon. Thanks to Joanna again for her cheap eat finds.

the cheapest beers in houston

Valhalla
6100 Main St.
Houston, TX 77005
713-348-3258
$
5/5 pints

I love dive bars, smart people, and cheap drinks. I got all three at Valhalla, a hole-in-the-wall bar located in an old chemistry building on the Rice University campus. We only happened upon this place thanks to a friend of ours who is a Rice alumnus. There is practically no free parking, but it seems the thing to do is just park alongside the road and leave your hazards on. We were skeptical at first but saw several other cars with their headlights blinking, so we decided why not? When in Rice…

In Scandinavian mythology, Valhalla–old Norse for “hall of the slain”–is a majestic hall in Asgard ruled by the god Odin. Inside isn’t majestic, but instead feels like a cozy bunker with its windowless walls and cavernous ceiling. Music just depends on whose iPod happens to be hooked up to the speakers at the moment; Bob Marley, Cat Stevens, and the Cure all got a chance at the airwaves during our visit. The crowd consists of mostly graduate students–there are probably more intelligent conversations per capita at Valhalla than any other bar in Houston. But despite all its charm, the best thing about Valhalla has got to be the prices.

We had one soda (that’s me–you didn’t think I’d be drinking so soon after chemo, did you?) and five beers (and I’m talking none of that Michelob Light bullshit, but rather Guinness, microbrewed (512), locally brewed St. Arnold’s kind of stuff) for–get this–$12. You can’t beat those prices.

The beer is cheap because it’s a non-profit bar; bartenders are all voluntary students, and the money goes back into Rice grad programs. There are tables outside in case the weather’s nice, but funny thing is Valhalla isn’t open Saturday nights when perhaps the peak of weekly drinking happens. So if you don’t mind the odd hours, the skimpy parking, and the lack of hard liquor on the menu, Valhalla is an awesome neighborhood bar that’s definitely off the beaten path. I give this place five out of five pints.