OOHHH!!!
I also made it over to one of the three House of Pies locations here in Houston... Since I only can compare it to the location in Los Feliz...
-Since smoking is allowed in restaurants and bars here in Texas, there is a smoking section in the restaurant. -And it's about twice the size - if not more - of the non-smoking section. Ah, well... -I'm not a non-smoking zealot, but it was kind of sad to see so many teenagers sitting and smoking in the smoking section of the restaurant.
-The menu is basically the same as the one in LA. There are some regional specialties, and I didn't see avocados listed as frequently on the menu here.
-The choices for the type of potato here are: baked, mashed, french-fried, cottage (basically small tater-tots), and hash browns. *And you can request just how crispy you want your hash browns! -I wanted mine extra crisp, and that's what I got! YUM!
-And judging from the portions that were served to me and friends, everything is indeed bigger here in Texas.
-The bakery case also features Mexican Wedding Cake cookies. However, they're "flat" and not the round balls I'm familiar with. However, they still taste the same, and are very good.
-The restaurant is open 24 hours.
As for the pies...
The selection and "styles" seem to be the same. However, the Pecan Pies are listed as Texas Pecan Pie, and there is also a Texas Fudge Pie listed on the menu. I've only tried one pie so far. It's their House Specialty - Bayou Goo. And, boy, is it gooey... and rich. I ended up buying a whole pie to go - it was only $10.00 - since the slices were $4.00 a piece. *Oh, and the pies come in 10" pie plates - which I think are larger than the ones in LA - and the pies are served in fifths rather than fourths. But back to the pie... After analyzing a slice - or two - a Bayou Goo pie is made up of the following:
(from the bottom up)
-Pie Crust - flazy and crunchy all at once
-A cheesecake-type layer - and I think there was even some flaked coconut in it.... I think. About 1/2 inch thick.
-The "Goo" layer - basically, it's a very thick and rich chocolate pudding/mousse with crushed pecans in it. About 1 inch thick - if not thicker.
-Whipped Cream. Lots and lots of whipped cream.
-Chocolate shavings.
And I'd have to say the whole pie weighed at least three pounds if not more.
All in all, a very good pie. -But I think I'll opt for something more traditional on my next trip there - it really is rich(!). But I'm glad I got to try it.
*And I shared the rest of my pie with some others in the cast.
