Stephen Montoya
The German hotdog ay Curly's Frozen Custard hit the spot during an impromptu lunch stop.
Every morning, almost out of habit, I pick a button up shirt from my closet to pair with my outfit for the day. And almost every time I try a new restaurant, food truck, or pop-up, said button up shirt comes back home with remnants of my meal. I usually carry a Tide stick in my camera bag, a pro tip I learned my first year as a journalist, which is lightweight, easy to conceal and a less awkward option than a bibb.
What can I say? I make a mess when I eat, more specifically when I’m trying my best not to make a mess. To date I have ruined countless shirts with plops of spaghetti sauce, red chile, and the always unforgiving drip of red wine. Despite this culinary faux pas, I’ve always been able to cover up these stains and move forward throughout my day until I get home. However, I’ve never had a food stain quite like the one I picked up after a recent trip to Curly’s Frozen Custard at 4017 Camp Bowie Blvd.
It’s well known that Curly’s has legendary sweet frozen custard treats. Since opening at its current West side locale in July of 2002, Curly’s signature frozen custards have been a hit.
What I didn’t realize is that this tiny eatery also has a savory side menu. Old-school ice cream stand classics like the Frito pie, along with a selection of Nathan’s hot dogs were welcomed menu surprises. My stomach was overjoyed although my shirt was in serious danger of bringing home remnants of my meal.
I opted to order both a sweet and savory item so as to strike a balance of flavors and take in all Curly’s has to offer. For my main order, I went with the German hotdog, served with spicy mustard and sour kraut on a bun. For dessert, I kept it with the same country and ordered the German Chocolate custard, served with butterscotch, pecans, chocolate, and real coconut shavings. You can order your favorite custard flavors here in a single, double, triple, or quart size. Since I was on my lunch break, I went with the single, which for all intense and purposes wasn’t small.
Stephen Montoya
After scarfing my German-style hot dog down, I reached for my frozen chocolate treat, which was already covered with gooey custard on the edges of the cup. No matter how I grabbed the cup, I was left with a mess smeared on both my hands, the stack of napkins I had, and the middle of – you guessed it – my shirt.
I was worried about the big brown stain on the front pocket of my shirt, but was also pleasantly surprised by the cool, coconutty flavor of my custard. Every bite was filled with pecans and coconut, which really gave my mouth the illusion of eating a cold version of German Chocolate Cake.
Another thing I noticed was how stable frozen custard is compared to ice cream. It turns out that the founders of Curly’s worked diligently with food scientists, and flavor experts, i.e. family, to develop this style of cold treat. Curly’s owner Bourke Harvey stated, he uses Indonesian Vanilla as well as a few other rare ingredients to concoct these frozen goodies with. Curly’s is also a part of the Westland Restaurant Group, which includes local favorites like JD’s Hamburgers, Margie’s Italian Gardens, Pulido's, and Westside Cafe.
I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the flavor of frozen custard after my quick lunchtime visit. My two regrets afterwards come down to not trying the Frito pie made with Texas Chili Company Gourmet Chili or the Chuckwagon Dog made with Bull Pup Sauce, cheese, and crispy onion rings. I guess I’ll have to go back with a bibb next time. Although the big chocolaty stain eventually came out of my shirt, I felt compelled to tell everyone back at the office where I had acquired the blotch, while also reliving the flavors I enjoyed.
All-in-all Curly’s offers a nice outdoor space where one can take a break from the office while enjoying a cold treat. My only words of advice would be to grab plenty of napkins after ordering.
