Lei Kitchen is the best hidden gem in Corpus Christi

Trying to figure out where to dine at for this column has been a little harder than I expected.

I've received a few suggestions to try out from the first On the Menu column, but I didn't want to head to those already. I figured keeping them in my back pocket would be more beneficial.

With this column, I did visit some of my favorite local restaurants in town. One is known for its chicken wings/tenders, another is a local breakfast staple and the third is the best hidden gem in Corpus Christi.

Is there a place you think I should try? Send a suggestion to [email protected].

Wings ’N More

6022 Sarazen Drive

A plate of chicken tenders at Wings ’N More in Corpus Christi on March 6.

Wings ’N More is my favorite place to go to for some delicious chicken tenders.

While chicken tenders can easily be seen as a child's go-to food pick, we all have that inner child who still loves chicken tenders, hamburgers and pizza.

My husband and I probably visit Wings ’N More at least once a week — whether it's dining in or picking up food in the drive-thru.

We visited the Southside restaurant on March 6 and were immediately welcomed by the hostess. Because we're regulars, she knew we preferred a booth and brought us to a table right behind the hostess stand. In all honesty, we don't care to sit in the far back of the restaurant because the tables back there at the booths are tilted somehow. It feels like we're eating while slanted.

Regardless, we've never had a bad experience there. Even when the power went out one time — the food and hospitality were great.

Our server swung by a few minutes later to take our drink and food order. We both ordered the four-piece chicken tenders (dry). I ordered fries and ranch, while my husband got fries, ranch and honey mustard.

Our food came out shortly afterward and was fresh, hot, seasoned and tasty.

If you've never been to Wings ’N More, the lighting is dim with a red hue overcast. There's plenty of sports memorabilia on the walls, while every TV has some sports match playing.

We spent $38.02, as we left our server a $10 tip. And as I'm typing this, I'm about to go convince my husband for us to pick up Wings ’N More for dinner tonight even though I just bought $165 worth of groceries on my lunch.

Andy's Country Kitchen

5802 S. Staples St.

Andy's Country Breakfast dish at Andy's Country Kitchen in Corpus Christi on March 8.

I don't play when it comes to breakfast. It's true what people say — breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

When my husband and I are both off together, I usually go pick us up some breakfast tacos for us to pig out on. Otherwise, I make myself some eggs and eat yogurt for breakfast.

But if we talk about making plans to wake up a little early to head to Andy's (Country) Kitchen, I know I will be full for the entire day.

We went to the breakfast joint on March 8, and forgot about daylight saving time so we didn't wake up quite on time. Still, we showed up around 9:15 a.m. and were able to find decent parking.

There were a lot of people waiting outside, but we were determined to stick it out because Andy's is so worth it. We walked inside and were told it would be a 35-minute wait. We sat down in the waiting area, and 10 minutes later, we were seated.

I'm always tempted to order an omelet or something different, but I always stick with my go-to — Andy's Country Breakfast. I get two eggs over-medium, sausage, bacon, hashbrowns, biscuits and gravy, and three dollar pancakes. Maybe next time I'll switch it up. I doubt it, but you never know.

Andy's is always busy, so we knew it would be a minute until our food was served. When it did eventually come out, everything looked delicious and fresh.

I remember watching this movie when I was younger where a character mixed all her food together before eating it. Someone asked her why she did that, and she said that it all goes to the same place so it shouldn't matter. I've had that mindset since then.

I pretty much grabbed my plate, cut everything up and made my own little breakfast casserole. I left the pancakes on the side to be my dessert (I'm not a monster).

After we scarfed down our breakfast, I felt stuffed and we made our way to the front to pay. We spent $48.72, as we tipped our served $10.

Aside from the food, my favorite thing about Andy's Kitchen is the atmosphere. As much as I could care less for the country, I always feel relaxed and comfy inside. The staff is nice, the toy trains above are fun to watch and the smell of delicious food would put anyone in a happy mood.

Lei Kitchen

4037 Saratoga Blvd.

Growing up in Corpus Christi, I remember my family typically picking up Chinese food from Hunan Express. As I grew up and moved out on my own, I would do the same.

But then I started to work for the Caller-Times and put together stories about health inspections. When I found out that Hunan Express scored badly from the Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District nearly every visit, I definitely stopped going and have not returned for years.

Then one day I came across Lei Kitchen. I had driven past it several times but never thought about dining in. One day my husband and I decided to try it out and fell in love with it.

Hidden in a small plaza on the corner of Saratoga Boulevard and Weber Road, Lei Kitchen is tucked away serving delicious food.

We recently visited there March 10 for dinner. For anyone headed there for the first time, it's self-seating at Lei Kitchen. We grabbed a table and our server brought over menus and took our drink order. We knew what we were going to get already: shrimp fried rice for myself and lo mein with chicken for my husband.

There was only one other table dining inside when we got there, so we knew our food would be out quickly. The restaurant is also always decorated so festively. I'm assuming the decorations hanging from the ceilings were from celebrating the Lunar New Year.

Their dishes are so large, which I think is because they're intended to be shared with others, but I don't believe in sharing food at all. I'll gladly try something off someone else's plate, but my food is my food. My meal was tasty, hot and filling. We ended up paying $53.84, as we tipped — you guessed it — $10.

We don't go out to eat at Lei Kitchen all the time, only for special occasions or when we're really, really craving Chinese food. And I'd been craving Lei Kitchen since the last time we ate there last year in November, so I'm sure my craving will creep up again real soon.

John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Have a story idea? Contact him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Lei Kitchen is the best hidden gem in Corpus Christi | On the Menu