Day Trips

Photo by Gerald E. Mcleod

COWamongus! Creamery & Meat Co. at Texas Tech University in Lubbock is no ordinary campus malt shop. As the retail outlet for the Department of Animal and Food Sciences, the little shop offers ready-to-eat and ready-to-grill foods to students and the public.

The snack bar, hidden away in a remote corner of the campus in the new meat sciences building, was a gift from Tech alumnus Daniel Brackeen, the founder of the TCBY chain of yogurt shops. The student-run shop is known for sandwiches and extraordinary homemade ice cream.

While the grill might be a good, inexpensive place to stop for lunch, it can be inconvenient and difficult to find. What makes the place worth searching for are the freezers full of Raider Red Meats. Bring an ice chest to the High Plains, because you'll want to take a few pounds home. I smuggled two big steaks and some delicious bratwurst through the airport in my checked luggage.

Raider Red Meats are the product of the student butchers working in the school's processing facility. The award-winning meat sciences program has earned the coveted USDA Prime certification. Here's the good part: The high-quality beef, lamb, and pork are significantly cheaper than butcher-shop prices. Profits are plowed into scholarships.

COWamongus! is open Monday through Friday, 8am to 5:30pm, when the university is in session. For directions, go to www.depts.ttu.edu/cowamongus or call 806/742-2882.

1,136th in a series. Collect them all. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of "Day Trips," is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.