Opening his own restaurant has been a longtime dream for Jerry, but for Jerry and Tamara as a cook and a preschool teacher, respectively, the funding for this dream has always been an issue, they said.
“[Owning a restaurant] is kind of always where I was headed,” Jerry said. “I think Tamara was probably not, but we’ve made it work.”
Tamara said this restaurant, which opened in June, became her own dream.
“I’m headed wherever he’s headed,” Tamara said.
They offer a range of dishes, such as wings, burgers, cheesesteaks, salads and more, so there is something for everyone. They hope to continue to expand their menu to include even more dishes, Jerry said.
The restaurant features a number of loaded tater tots that fit into its motto “Less haters. More taters.” These tot options include the Mt. Fuji, which comes topped with shrimp and crab; or the Taco Tuesday that comes with taco meat, queso and ranch.
While in the process of opening Awesome Times, the Lisbys saw an outpouring of support from the Highland Village community.
Jerry and Tamara struggled funding their restaurant as they were in the process of building it. Every time they did not think they were going to make it, they received donations from members of the community, Tamara said.
“It was because of that that we made it through and we were able to build this,” Tamara said. “If it wasn’t for those people that supported us, we would have somehow found a way, but it would have been a lot harder.”
The importance of community is reflected in the restaurant’s food and slogan: “neighborhood food,” Jerry said.
Jerry described the Highland Village community, and Texas as a whole, as a melting pot.
“Nobody is from Texas; it’s a melting pot of people from all over the United States,” Jerry said. “When I thought about the menu, I tried not to be so regional and hyper-focused on one thing, and we tried to make a menu that was affordable.”
They want to provide the community with a restaurant that they can afford and be comfortable in.“We did not build this restaurant; Highland Village built this restaurant for us,” Tamara said.
Tater options
The restaurant features an array of food, but tater tots are a staple. Here are the tater tot options:
Mt. Fuji—$15 Shrimp, crab, Sriracha and mayo finished under the broiler with teriyaki and wasabi sauce, wonton chips, green onion and dojo dust
Taco Tuesday —$12 Taco meat and tots topped with queso, chipotle sauce, ranch, Texas Red seasoning, cilantro, and green onions
The Big Jim—$12 Topped with fire-roasted Bueno Green Chile from New Mexico and shredded cheese. Drizzled with ranch and Texas Red seasoning, cilantro and green onions
The Cemetery—$12Tossed in Texas Red seasoning, covered in queso, chopped bacon, jalapenos, cherry peppers, drizzled with Blazin’ Awesome Sauce and sprinkled with red chili flakes
Pizza Tots—$12Pepperoni, Italian sausage, marinara, mozzarella cheese, drizzled with ranch dressing and sprinkled with Italian seasoning and green onions
Awesome Times
2630 Justin Road, Ste. 107, Highland Village
972-318-0830
www.awesometimestx.com
Hours: Tue.-Thu., Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.;
Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon. closed
