Not to miss in Austin area and environs

[munchcake]

welcome to Austin!. we have lots of great restaurants here, but a road trip through the hill country is always worthwhile. here's a list of suggestions:

TEX MEX:

Austin - (I think it's better in san antonio, but here are some suggestions):

las manitas for lunch during the week

juan in a million (for the name and the "don juan" breakfast taco, and for the thin, actually HOT sauce)

san antonio -

Los Barrios

Teka Molina (on San Pedro or St. Mary's - has THE BEST tortilla soup, also bean and guacamole cups). My favorite.

MEX-MEX:

Austin -

Fonda San Miguel - I'm sure this has already been mentioned, but I think it's great - especially the cochinita a pibil - slow-roasted pork with achiote.

Asian:

Austin -

Din Ho - far up north, but worth the drive for delicious Chinese BBQ.

Tam Deli - North of 183 on Lamar - delicious vietnamese bakery and cafe. closed tuesdays

Musashino - fantastic sushi. my favorite is the sayori

Uchi - also fantastic sushi, with some interesting (and successful) fusion dishes).

barbecue:

luling and lockhart (SE of Austin)

Smitty's (lockhart)

City Market (luling) - Ruth Reichl writes about this place - it's amazing. it's about 20 minutes further from Austin than Lockhart, but their delicious mustard-based sauce might be worth it.

Road trip:

to Mason (NW of Austin)

Cooper's - much better than Llano cousin, and more representative of hill country game (their goat is to die for!)

Taqueria Santos - fantastic tex-mex - call ahead, weird hours.

Also, if you go to SAN ANTONIO, check out:

Sand Bar - fantastic seafood owned by Chef Weisman of Le Reve. Great Oyster selection and lobster rolls. only open for lunch.

Have a great visit and please let us know what you think of our favorite spots!

Lauren

[Becca Porter]

"Fonda San Miguel - I'm sure this has already been mentioned, but I think it's great - especially the cochinita a pibil - slow-roasted pork with achiote."

This sounds so good. I have been craving achiote. I have some beautiful annato seeds from Penzeys. I will definately try this place when I get back to Austin. Until then, Rick Bayless will have to do.

[Blanche Davidian]

I like Hoover's best out of all the chicken-fried restaurants, but Tony's is good too. Also, for breakfast/lunch you cannot do better than Joe's Bakery on E 7th. I order a couple a la carte breakfast tacos and a side of beans. I am in a hot dispute with my UT friends about Ruby's BBQ (they LOVE it, I don't.) My father-in-law liked Quality Seafood so much we had to eat there twice his last visit. My husband is a big fan of Tien Hong and Dog Almighty, mostly because he rarely visits the Burnet area so these places are a rare treat.

I was not impressed by Polvo's or Juan in a Million. I have been casting around for a good tex-mex place to go in the PM when Joe's is closed, but haven't found anything that hits the spot.

Personally, I am not fond of the "Austin Institution" restaurants: Threadgill's, Chuy's, Magnolia Cafe, Stubb's, Kerbey Lane, etc. I know it's so Very Austin to go to these places, but the waits are long and the food is mediocre. I would totally skip the Eiffel Tower if the view, once fabulous, now sucked. Just my opinion.

I know I am going to get pilloried for saying this, but I was very disappointed in the food scene in Austin when I moved from Houston. I like Austin fine, but I find the city sort of pretentious when it comes to evaluating its own merits.

[Edited to add husband's 2 cents.]

Edited April 12, 2006 by Blanche Davidian (log)

[Jaymes]

I would totally skip the Eiffel Tower if the view, once fabulous, now sucked.

Somehow, I doubt that if you were in Paris for the first time ever, and folks told you that the "view, once fabulous, now sucked," you'd "totally skip it." I certainly wouldn't take their word for it. I'd want to see it for myself and make up my own mind.

If you did "totally skip" it, or the boats, or the Louvre, or the other famous touristy sites, you'd be quite foolish. For one thing, when people speak of Paris, there are several things unique to Paris, regardless as to whether or not they are now as perfect as they once were. (Although I'm sure you'd find Paris to also be "sort of pretentious when it comes to evaluating its own merits.")

I mean, why bother to visit Austin if you're going to "totally skip" all of the "Very Austin" things? Perhaps Jason should go to Houston instead? And of course, "totally skip" most of the "Very Houston" things, too, since so many of them are no longer what they once were.

And since he lives up near the New York City greater metropolitan area (where he'd probably advise first-time visitors to "totally skip" that statue in the harbor because it's tarnished, you know), one presumes he has access to pretty good food from all over the world, so silly me would think that the reason he would go to Austin in the first place would be to do things that are "Very Austin." If he wasn't interested in that, he could just stay home.

Edit: Oh, and PS to My Confusing Horoscope: The CFS at Broken Spoke is darn good. But there are better CFS's to be had in the area. If someone is going to be in Austin for a time, though, it is fun to go to "the Spoke" for dinner first, and then go into the back room for the music and dancing. Partially because if you get there early, there's better parking.

Edited April 12, 2006 by Jaymes (log)

[Jason Perlow]

So last night I headed over to Lockhart. I have all the hi-res stuff that I'm going to post to eG in my Austin summary that I will write up in a week or so, but if you want to see what I did yesterday, have a looksee:

http://offthebroiler.wordpress.com/2006/04...lockhart-texas/

I'm heading back to Jersey tonight for the weekend and coming back sometime next week.

[dexygus]

jason,

a recent favorite of mine has been the lengua plate at habanero cafe on oltorf. check it out if you're in the area.

[Blanche Davidian]

I mean, why bother to visit Austin if you're going to "totally skip" all of the "Very Austin" things?  Perhaps Jason should go to Houston instead?  And of course, "totally skip" most of the "Very Houston" things, too, since so many of them are no longer what they once were.

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I'm sorry to disagree with you, but that's my honest opinion. I think Austin is a great town, but I've been very disappointed in a lot of the Must-Do stuff. I started my previous post with places I do like to eat because I think those places are representative of what's good about Austin, if not so well-known.

Have you ever been to Houston? I didn't realize until I left what a great place it is for someone who is interested in food.

[Jaymes]

I mean, why bother to visit Austin if you're going to "totally skip" all of the "Very Austin" things?  Perhaps Jason should go to Houston instead?  And of course, "totally skip" most of the "Very Houston" things, too, since so many of them are no longer what they once were.

I'm sorry to disagree with you, but that's my honest opinion. I think Austin is a great town, but I've been very disappointed in a lot of the Must-Do stuff. I started my previous post with places I do like to eat because I think those places are representative of what's good about Austin, if not so well-known.

Have you ever been to Houston? I didn't realize until I left what a great place it is for someone who is interested in food.

Yes, I've been to Houston many, many times. My son and his wife live there. She's from there. He graduated from U.H.'s - Conrad Hilton School of Hotel & Restaurant Mgt -- and has worked at both the Four Seasons and the Sam Houston, so when I go, I get squired around pretty good. My favorite aunt lived there for years and I often spent summers with her. My former father-in-law performed with the Houston Grand Opera and the Theater Under the Stars and we went to many of their productions. My former husband is from Galveston, and I lived there for a time. So I'm very familiar with that entire area.

Here's the thing I think you're missing....

I've never heard anybody say that Austin is a "great food town." Just recently I've heard people say something like, "You know, Austin is getting to be a pretty good food town."

I don't think that overall the restaurants in Austin measure up to Houston. Or to Dallas. Or, for that matter, even San Antonio. They're heading in that direction, but they're not there yet. (For one thing, each of those cities is more than twice the size of Austin.)

But the very things you denegrate, the "Very Austin" things, the things that Austinites love and are so proud of, are what make the town so special. It's not just the food. It's a difficult-to-define something, a mood, an atmosphere, a character, a way of life. If you're only looking for it on the menus and plates of the restaurants there, you'll never find it.

I'd even go so far as to say that food was (and probably remains) of secondary importance (and probably much less) to the sorts of folk that made, and make, Austin special. There were artists, maybe even starving artists. There were college students, maybe even starving college students. There were musicians, maybe even starving musicians. There were all-night parties and skinny dipping in Barton Springs and warbling a tune or two at Threadgill's and hanging at the Armadillo and buying pottery at Clarksville and twirling under the Christmas tree lights at Zilker Park and dressing up like Pooh Bear or a fairy or Baby Roo at Eeyore's Birthday Party.

Great food, when you find it (and you can, more and more) is just icing on the cake.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that there is a great deal more to having migas at Kerbey Lane at 2am than just the migas. And more to having turkey legs at Eeyore's than just the turkey legs.

I'd suggest that you go back and look at my list of suggestions for Jason, or anyone else, when visiting Austin. See how many of those things you've done. Make an effort to learn and understand and appreciate what's different and weird and wonderful about Austin.

And go for, say, Vietnamese food when you're back in Houston. Which has, I've been told, the country's second-largest Vietnamese population.

But although Houston's many restaurants may please, I personally would not live there for all the beer in Shiner.

Edited April 13, 2006 by Jaymes (log)

[Jaymes]

I need...and Asian...

Try Madame Mam's for Thai. It's on the drag, right across from the university and is a popular hangout for UT's Asian students.

[ludja]

I've always wanted to visit Austin sometime, and this thread only confirms it. Thanks for the great recs--from new and old Austin; this thread is being bookmarked directly.

[nacho]

I need...and Asian...

Try Madame Mam's for Thai. It's on the drag, right across from the university and is a popular hangout for UT's Asian students.

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I second Madam Mam's. Best Thai in Austin, IMO.

I've always wanted to visit Austin sometime, and this thread only confirms it.  Thanks for the great recs--from new and old Austin; this thread is being bookmarked directly.

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It is fun watching Old Austin duke it out with New Austin, isn't it? Austin is an incredibly laid back town, and there's hardly any place you can't go dressed in flip flops and a t-shirt. That's why it's so much fun when you do happen to strike a nerve and watch people's passions flare. I feel like I need some popcorn while reading this thread.

Oh, and Jason, if you are in town on Saturday, April 29th, do check out Eeyore's 43rd Annual Birthday Party. I'm still trying to figure out what costume my Doberman will be sporting this year. This poodle kit may do.

[Jaymes]

It is fun watching Old Austin duke it out with New Austin, isn't it?  Austin is an incredibly laid back town, and there's hardly any place you can't go dressed in flip flops and a t-shirt.  That's why it's so much fun when you do happen to strike a nerve and watch people's passions flare.  I feel like I need some popcorn while reading this thread. 

Oh, and Jason, if you are in town on Saturday, April 29th, do check out Eeyore's 43rd Annual Birthday Party.    I'm still trying to figure out what costume my Doberman will be sporting this year.  This poodle kit may do.

[Kent Wang]

Personally, I am not fond of the "Austin Institution" restaurants:  Threadgill's, Chuy's, Magnolia Cafe, Stubb's, Kerbey Lane, etc.  I know it's so Very Austin to go to these places, but the waits are long and the food is mediocre.  I would totally skip the Eiffel Tower if the view, once fabulous, now sucked.  Just my opinion. 

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I totally agree. Magnolia is only worth considering at 3am when all the other restaurants are closed, and even then I prefer Starseeds. I'm also not really sure how they capture Austin-ness. They're only institutions because they've been around a long time. Go to El Chile instead of Chuy's, Artz or Sam's BBQ instead of Stubb's, etc. and you'll have just as good of an "Austin experience" while having much better food.

Hmm, while we're on the subject, one restaurant that actually deserves the Austin Institution hype: Casino El Camino. Great burgers, total Austin vibe. Other than the lack of live music I think no other restaurant captures the "Keep Austin Weird" vibe more than Casino, regardless of quality of food.

[MissAmy]

I was going to say you have to go to El Chile and Casino el Camino as well, but Kent totally beat me to it! Those two are FAR superior to the hyped-up places. The mojitos at El Chile are superb.

Vivo's (right across the street from Hoover's) is some of the best Tex-Mex in town. Fresh ingredients, homemade sauces, and a really nice atmosphere. I love it, and most people I've taken there do as well. Others here might disagree with me, but I actually like Trudy's for Tex-Mex as well. It's one of the popular Austin spots, but their chile rellenos somothered in green chile sauce are devine. They also have really good happy hour deals.

If you feel you absolutely must go to Threadgill's, go for a drink and to look at the Janis Joplin paraphanalia, but don't eat there. The food used to be really authentic and good, but something happened, and it's just not any good anymore. It's a very sad thing, actually. Go to Hoover's for real Southern food, and try to go on a weekend when they have garlic cheese grits - you won't be sorry. I recommend trying to get there between 11am and 12 on Saturday or Sunday so that you can choose from both the breakfast and lunch/dinner menus. Breakfast ends at 12, so go right within that hour.

Avoid places like Kerby Lane, Chuy's and Baby Acapulco. Over hyped in the extreme. If you do want Kerby Lane style casual and cheap, but better food, try Austin Java. I prefer the new location on Barton Springs road as it's less crowded and there's better parking.

For an exceptional, money-is-no-object, no-holds-barred kind of meal, you must go to Uchi or The Driskel Grill. Those places are as high end and exceptional as you could possibly hope.

Madam Mam's is as good as the Thai food I ate in Thailand. Parking can be a bit of a hassle, and the place has a tendency to be packed with loud students, but it's worth it.

If you have a day to just chill, go check out the Whole Foods flagship store, buy a few things for a picnic, then head down to Zilker park. After your lunch, go swimming in Barton Springs and revel in the 68 degree water. With fish and turtles!

An evening spent on Fourth Street is always fun. I tend to avoid 6th, as it is primarily mobbed with drunk frat boys trying to get laid and drunk sorority girls pulling up their shirts at inapropriate moments. However, as an outoftowner you should check it out, simply for the novelty of a mini-Bourbon Street.

If you are here on Monday and Tuesday nights, go hear some real Austin music. Bob Schneider plays every Monday night at the Saxon Pub, and Toni Price plays every Tuesday at the Continental. Both start relatively early (around 8ish) and the shows are always a blast. Bob is more rock and draws a younger crowd, but Toni is more country and draws an older crowd. Both are well worth the time. I have never been to a Bob or Toni show and not had a good time. If you smoke, remember that we have this stupid anti-smoking law now and you can't smoke in the clubs anymore. (Of course, that's also a good thing if you don't smoke and hate coming home from clubs smelling like smoke. No worries about that anymore.)

Have fun while you're here!

[Blanche Davidian]

But the very things you denegrate, the "Very Austin" things, the things that Austinites love and are so proud of, are what make the town so special.  It's not just the food.  It's a difficult-to-define something, a mood, an atmosphere, a character, a way of life.  If you're only looking for it on the menus and plates of the restaurants there, you'll never find it.

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I'm sorry, I thought this thread was about good places to eat in Austin. I really feel like the dining/food culture here pales in comparison to Houston, which is why I asked if you'd been there. Being on this board, obviously, this is something that matters a lot to me.

As for enjoying the town IN GENERAL, I would say I've found plenty to appreciate here, including some of the things on your list. I've tried very hard to acculturate to Austin and appreciate it on its own merits. Personally, I've been blown away by the film events put on by the Alamo Drafthouse and roasted my skin to a crispy pink while toobing.

Oh, and the burgers at Casino ARE pretty good. I prefer the bars on Red River to most of 6th street, though.

[Jaymes]

But the very things you denegrate, the "Very Austin" things, the things that Austinites love and are so proud of, are what make the town so special.  It's not just the food.  It's a difficult-to-define something, a mood, an atmosphere, a character, a way of life.  If you're only looking for it on the menus and plates of the restaurants there, you'll never find it.

I'm sorry, I thought this thread was about good places to eat in Austin.

Oh no, I'M sorry.

I thought that most people agree with me that dining in this particular restaurant or that is about more than just the food -- things that one should keep in mind when one has been asked for recommendations for something so subjective as "good places to eat." There's also service, ambiance, mood, menu, a sense of place, time, history, etc. Especially with people "on this board, obviously" since they dissect and discuss and argue about such intangible and peripheral and (apparently) superfluous and unimportant things endlessly.

And that traveling and visiting places is about more than just the restaurants. And making an effort to learn about and understand and appreciate a destination, and the people that lived there, and the history and traditions and culture that shaped it, helps one to more fully understand and appreciate the restaurants and foods and individual dishes and preparations that that particular destination offers.

I should not have made those assumptions.

I guess it's not easy for me to so casually separate the great "town IN GENERAL" from the people that live there (and in fact even to be dismissive of them; i.e., "Personally, I am not fond of the 'Austin Institution' restaurants... I know it's so Very Austin to go to these places... I find the city sort of pretentious when it comes to evaluating its own merits...."), the reasons why they find it special, the places they're proud of, the things they do, the common history they share, the restaurants they frequent, and what they order and enjoy when they get there.

And why on earth they'd go to someplace so awful again and again and again.

Edited April 19, 2006 by Jaymes (log)

[thegreatdane]

Speaking of Austin vibe, come on down to the Austin Downtown Farmers' Market, 4th and Guadalupe, Saturday, 9-1. It's smallish but high quality. My goal, for the second year in a row, is to sell chocolates through a hot Texas summer. Gotta have a goal in life.

Tom

www.cocoapuro.com

[MissAmy]

Speaking of Austin vibe, come on down to the Austin Downtown Farmers' Market, 4th and Guadalupe, Saturday, 9-1.  It's smallish but high quality.  My goal, for the second year in a row, is to sell chocolates through a hot Texas summer.  Gotta have a goal in life. 

Tom

www.cocoapuro.com

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YOU'RE the one with those chocolates?!?! Oh don't EVEN get me started on those chocolates! They're like crack. They are the most wonderful things in the freaking UNIVERSE.

Seriously, ya'll. Go get some of those chocolates. The first time I tried them, I bought one. Then I went around the farmers market, came back to the booth, and bought another. And another. I left with a small bag of them, and they were gone within the day. Heavenly. I haven't had any in a while, but every now and then - like now - I get a huge craving for them.

ETA: If any of you going to Austin do go down to the Farmer's Market, also check out South Austin People's Soap. My friend is a chemist and makes his own handcrafted soaps and lotions which he sells at the Farmer's Market. They all smell really herby and yummy, and he is a very nice guy.

Edited April 18, 2006 by MissAmy (log)

[joiei]

You know what they say, Keep Austin Weird!!!!!! Love the place.

[thegreatdane]

Speaking of Austin vibe, come on down to the Austin Downtown Farmers' Market, 4th and Guadalupe, Saturday, 9-1.  It's smallish but high quality.  My goal, for the second year in a row, is to sell chocolates through a hot Texas summer.  Gotta have a goal in life. 

Tom

www.cocoapuro.com

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YOU'RE the one with those chocolates?!?! Oh don't EVEN get me started on those chocolates! They're like crack. They are the most wonderful things in the freaking UNIVERSE.

Seriously, ya'll. Go get some of those chocolates. The first time I tried them, I bought one. Then I went around the farmers market, came back to the booth, and bought another. And another. I left with a small bag of them, and they were gone within the day. Heavenly. I haven't had any in a while, but every now and then - like now - I get a huge craving for them.

←

MissAmy, you are too kind to write such things about our chocolates. But, shhh, don't mention anything about the addictive qualities. We're hoping to keep them legal.

When y'all come down to the 4th and Guadalupe Downtown farmers' market, say you're from eGullet. I'd love to meet you, and we'll make sure you get a taste of our chocolate.

By the way, Kakawa Cocoa Beans were featured in the Saveur 100 and most recently on TheStreet.com in a fantastic article by Ana Dane titled, "Transcend The Truffle."

Back to Keeping Austin Cool. (Anyone else choke on the phrase "Keep Austin Weird"? The only time Austin's been weird was when everyone got greedy in the 80s and seemed to not care about Barton Springs getting polluted.) Keep Austin Cool.

Tom

cocoapuro.com

[Blanche Davidian]

But the very things you denegrate, the "Very Austin" things, the things that Austinites love and are so proud of, are what make the town so special.  It's not just the food.  It's a difficult-to-define something, a mood, an atmosphere, a character, a way of life.  If you're only looking for it on the menus and plates of the restaurants there, you'll never find it.

I'm sorry, I thought this thread was about good places to eat in Austin.

Oh no, I'M sorry.

I thought that most people agree with me that dining in this particular restaurant or that is about more than just the food -- things that one should keep in mind when one has been asked for recommendations for something so subjective as "good places to eat." There's also service, ambiance, mood, menu, a sense of place, time, history, etc. Especially with people "on this board, obviously" since they dissect and discuss and argue about such intangible and peripheral and (apparently) superfluous and unimportant things endlessly.

And that traveling and visiting places is about more than just the restaurants. And making an effort to learn about and understand and appreciate a destination, and the people that lived there, and the history and traditions and culture that shaped it, helps one to more fully understand and appreciate the restaurants and foods and individual dishes and preparations that that particular destination offers.

I should not have made those assumptions.

I guess it's not easy for me to so casually separate the great "town IN GENERAL" from the people that live there (and in fact even to be dismissive of them; i.e., "Personally, I am not fond of the 'Austin Institution' restaurants... I know it's so Very Austin to go to these places... I find the city sort of pretentious when it comes to evaluating its own merits...."), the reasons why they find it special, the places they're proud of, the things they do, the common history they share, the restaurants they frequent, and what they order and enjoy when they get there.

And why on earth they'd go to someplace so awful again and again and again.

←

Yo, that's a lot of words to defend someplace as dreadful as Threadgill's or Chuy's.

[Jaymes]

But the very things you denegrate, the "Very Austin" things, the things that Austinites love and are so proud of, are what make the town so special.  It's not just the food.  It's a difficult-to-define something, a mood, an atmosphere, a character, a way of life.  If you're only looking for it on the menus and plates of the restaurants there, you'll never find it.

I'm sorry, I thought this thread was about good places to eat in Austin.

Oh no, I'M sorry.

I thought that most people agree with me that dining in this particular restaurant or that is about more than just the food -- things that one should keep in mind when one has been asked for recommendations for something so subjective as "good places to eat." There's also service, ambiance, mood, menu, a sense of place, time, history, etc. Especially with people "on this board, obviously" since they dissect and discuss and argue about such intangible and peripheral and (apparently) superfluous and unimportant things endlessly.

And that traveling and visiting places is about more than just the restaurants. And making an effort to learn about and understand and appreciate a destination, and the people that lived there, and the history and traditions and culture that shaped it, helps one to more fully understand and appreciate the restaurants and foods and individual dishes and preparations that that particular destination offers.

I should not have made those assumptions.

I guess it's not easy for me to so casually separate the great "town IN GENERAL" from the people that live there (and in fact even to be dismissive of them; i.e., "Personally, I am not fond of the 'Austin Institution' restaurants... I know it's so Very Austin to go to these places... I find the city sort of pretentious when it comes to evaluating its own merits...."), the reasons why they find it special, the places they're proud of, the things they do, the common history they share, the restaurants they frequent, and what they order and enjoy when they get there.

And why on earth they'd go to someplace so awful again and again and again.

←

Yo, that's a lot of words to defend someplace as dreadful as Threadgill's or Chuy's.

←

Well, I was trying hard to help you understand.

Maybe it's just an age thing.

[Lita]

OK, I may get skewered for recommending a Colorado-based Tex Mex restaurant that just opened an Austin location (301 San Jacinto), but here you go:

http://riograndemexican.com/

When we lived in Fort Collins, Colorado, there was great celebration at the end of the school year when the college students left town and we could actually get in there to eat with less than an hour wait. It’s a wonderfully noisy place and family-friendly (if you don’t mind your kids witnessing margarita swilling). Their margarita recipe is a tightly-guarded secret. I think they might have some Rose’s lime in them? Or apple juice? <scratching head> Whatever is in them, THEY ROCK!

I love their chiles rellenos. Their food can definitely hold its own in Texas.

Please report back if you go. We haven’t been to the Austin location yet, but I think we’ll give it a try tonight.

[nessa]

Someone mentioned upthread Hudson's on the Bend, but said that it was technically BBQ. I would personally disagree. Lest you overlook it, please take a gander :

http://hudsonsonthebend.com/main.php

If you like game, here's your place!

Is Dirty's still as good as it used to be?

[Kent Wang]

Is Dirty's still as good as it used to be?

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I haven't really been around long enough to remember the old Dirty's but most people say it's not.

I prefer Casino El Camino and Hut's for burgers.