The Bistro - Lubbock, TX
I've driven by this building so many times so I knew The Bistro was here. However, it's taken me years - five to be exact - to actually try it. Don't wait that long because this should definitely be in your normal lunch rotation.
They serve breakfast until 11am, which includes coffee, omlettes and various pastries. For lunch they have a variety of panini's, salads and a soup of the day. The soup is made by a local restaurant Rain Uptown, which is just around the corner, and brought over daily. They do have some "off-the-menu" sandwiches, but the you'll have to stop by to find out what those are (I'm not spilling the beans on that just yet). It also has an outdoor patio that is shaded by the building so it's a great nice weather option, which is somewhat limited in Lubbock.
I ordered a 1/2 ham and cheese panini on wheat with a cup of the mushroom soup.
The Soup had an earthy mushroom flavor from the different kinds of mushrooms in it, like oyster and portbella, without being too strong. The broth was also nice and light, not thick or creamy. The spoon I was using was almost too small to take it all in! I could have had just a bowl for my whole meal; it was that good.
The panini had ham and melty Gruyere cheese, tomato and pickle. The not-too-spicy mustard complimented the whole panini. The crusty bread added a nice crunch and was pretty flavorful for wheat bread.
I went back for another visit and tried a different sandwich and soup combo. This time I had the potato and leek soup along with the BLT.
The potato and leek soup had good flavor. It was filled with tender, well seasoned chunks of potatoes as well as good amount of chopped leeks. I couldn't get enough of it.
The BLT had the required crispy bacon with fresh lettuce and tomatoes. Nothing ruins a sandwhich as simple as a BLT as wilted or brown lettuce and mushy tomatoes. It did come with slice of avocado, which added a nice creaminess to the sandwhich. You can always order it sans the avocado if that's not your thing.
Overall I'm truly glad I finally stopped by to try The Bistro. You should make your way over to 98th and Slide to do the same thing. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
