I was hungry on my drive down Interstate 45 in Texas. My car needed fuel, too. Now, ordinarily, when I’m driving from the Dallas area to Houston, I’d stop in a town called Madisonville to meet my needs. It’s easy to get on and off the highway there, and I can gas up and eat at the Subway Sandwich Shop.

This time, I thought I would try something different. I didn’t want another cardboard sandwich! Especially after I saw the billboard advertising a Mexican food restaurant called “Gilberto’s.” It was located in Fairfield, just two towns before Madisonville.

When I pulled into the parking lot, I could definitely tell that this was the place to eat in Fairfield. I barely found a place to park. I was planning to have a light meal, but when I stepped out of the car the aroma of grilled steaks greeted me. I changed my mind in a heartbeat.

As soon as I saw the Tortilla Machine, and knew there were “real live” tortillas, I knew that whatever meal I chose had to have tortillas.

It’s a lovely little restaurant, clean and nicely decorated.

It even has a fountain.

This family owned restaurant has been in business for eight years, and is definitely worth a stop.

I sat down to order my meal, but when I looked at the menu I was overwhelmed by my choices! I wanted the appetizers: “shrimp kisses” were offered. That’s 6 shrimp battered, covered in coconut and deep fried. Or,” Texas Toothpicks!” That would be strips of onions and jalapeno battered and fried. But, I don’t need more deep fried food, so I resisted.

Diablo Shrimp, Poblano Steak, Poblano Chicken, Enchiladas, Tamales (and every other kind of Mexican food you can name) all called my name. Ribeyes, Sirloins, burgers, Chicken en Mole! The prices were so reasonable! What could I choose? What would you choose?

Well folks, I decided to have steak fajitas.

That way, I could have tortillas and guacamole. Ummm. GOOD!

Gilberto’s is now “on my list.” That means that when I drive down Interstate 45 south of Dallas, my stomach will start rumbling, because it knows I’m stopping in Fairfield!

Here is what you need to know:

Gilberto’s
1-45 and Hwy 27
Fairfield, Texas
903/389-8879

Here’s a map from Dallas. Click to view a larger map, and it will mark Gilberto’s for you. If you live in the other direction, I bet you can figure out Google Maps.

If you are traveling down I45, do make a stop in Fairfield. But, don’t expect it to be a quick meal! Once you get there, you will want to linger.

Now, I’m off to tell stories at a Children’s Festival! I’ll be back with more when I can. Y’all make it a good day.

My day started pretty well. I visited Jupiter House before I got on the road. It’s my favorite little coffee shop on the square in Denton.

J.C. is one of my favorite “coffee artists.”

He makes such beautiful design on the mochas he makes for me, that it’s almost a shame to drink them.

Ten hours later, I am sitting in a “coffee” bar in Galveston,

actually drinking a Dos Equis. I should be sitting in my room at The Tremont Hotel.

Yeah, I know you are jealous. Look at my room:

Are you green with envy? It’s a pretty room, alright, but there is a definite problem. Supposedly the place has internet access for $9/ a night!!! [I told them, "I can host a blog to complain about this doggone place for a month at that price."]

However, the pricey internet won’t connect. I don’t know if it is operator error or their service, but at this little coffee bar, they told me that a lot of people from the hotel come here. Hmmm. Seems that the more a hotel charges you, the less you get.

You don’t have to be jealous. Though there were a lot of wildflowers spilling down the hillsides:

I couldn’t see them, because of the traffic

and the rain

I did get to eat at a marvelous restaurant in Fairfield, TX and I’ll tell you about that tomorrow. Maybe tell you about The Grand 1894 Kid’s Fest and Galveston, too. Let’s see if I have an internet connection. Right now, I’m going to drink this beer, take a walk in the rain and go listen to the pianist at the piano bar in the hotel lobby.

Yeah. It’s a tough life, but somebody has to do it.

I told you before that business travel isn’t exciting. I meant what I said.

Y’all, I had stayed for one night at this “inn” a few days ago. I’m back for most of this week, but I’m not here by choice. It’s what my patron arranges for me. I don’t have to pay for it, and I just accept what I get, because I figure that the hotel has given them a price break. I don’t want to make trouble for my patrons.

I’ve stayed here in previous years when I have visited in Beaumont, and I knew not to expect much. The place is in dire need of some maintenance and updating. It’s looking pretty ragged. I won’t name the “inn”, but I’ll tell you that it is not as “comfort”able as its name implies. While I don’t expect much, I do consider that I deserve a modicum of cleanliness.

On my last visit, I walked in with my bags and checked into my room. After putting the first load in my room, I went back for the second load of luggage. Then, for the third. Finally, with everything in my room, I stopped long enough to go to the restroom.

OH! THE HORROR!

There is no polite way to tell you this. Someone had experienced an explosive bowel movement in the toilet, and housekeeping had not cleaned that mess up! I recoiled in shock and then started looking around the room. I noticed that the bed looked somewhat rumpled.

Well, I tell you what!

I marched right back to the front desk and demanded a different room. The next one appeared cleaner, but I didn’t trust that it really was clean. I slept on a sliver of the bed, wore house shoes instead of going barefoot, and checked out as quickly as I could the next morning.

It was with a little bit of trepidation that I returned for my three night stay this week. I determined that I wasn’t moving anything into the room until I had inspected it. At the front desk was the same young woman who had dealt with me less than ten days ago. She definitely remembered me. I relaxed knowing that she would make darn sure I had a clean room this time.

A cursory glance over the room revealed that it didn’t seem horrible. The pillowcases were wrinkled, but it looked like someone had just left them in the dryer too long. I brought in my baggage, and then stepped next door to Carraba’s for a nice meal. I got busy trying to get an internet connection (very iffy). Then, I started putting my clothing away.

ICK!

There was filth in the bottom of the drawers. Evidently, housekeeping never cleans out the drawers.

ICK!

I took a second look at the bathroom! The floor had little spots of dried urine sprinkled here and there. There was mold under the silicone caulk in the bathtub. There were pubic hairs on the floor!

ICK!

I looked at the bedspreads! OMG! There were “stains” on the bedspreads on both beds. I don’t have to tell you what it looked like someone had been doing on top of that bed, because you have seen the same television shows I have. I couldn’t tell if the stains were set in to the fabric or fresh.

Back to the front desk I marched. I was quiet about it, because there were people in the lobby, but I said, “Honey, there is a problem with housekeeping.”

We came back to my room and I showed her the filth. We found a room that was clean and she helped me move. She asked if I was going to be around this morning so that I, personally, could tell the housekeepers and staff what a guest expects of the hotel. She thought it would have more impact coming from a disgruntled customer.

Unfortunately, I have to go to work early, so I’ll miss out on that pleasure. I’d really love to rant at the people who “clean” this hotel. I mean, I know it’s not a high paying job. That doesn’t matter. No matter what job you do, you should take pride in your work.

Those folks ought to be ashamed of themselves. Maybe it should be required that they stay in one of these rooms for a night or two. Yeah, that’s it. Have them stay in a room that one of their fellow employees cleaned. They can grade each other. I bet they wouldn’t stand for it if they found a mess in the toilet, or a “stain” on the bedspread, or a pubic hair on the floor!

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