TheSprinkler's Profile
Exploring Maudie's Menu
Mmmm... I don't care what anyone says, I love me some Maudie's. Of course, I was also raised to appreciate El Chico and On the Boarder restaurants haha. But in all seriousness, I do consider myself a "foodie" and I'd like to think that my standards for food are a notch above the majority. What exactly is it about Maudie's enchilada's that you find so offensive? I suppose if you just don't like the typical Tex-Mex style of enchilada rather than authentic Mexican recipes then I could see why you'd be disappointed. However, I do have to agree with you about the carne guisada - how the heck can stewed meat be dry?! Well, it is - reminded me of gourmet dog food to be honest. But seriously, everything else I've ever eaten there has been divine. I understand that American yellow cheese is an atrocity in almost all other applications, but it does have its place in the world of Tex-Mex and its place is at Maudies... I won't touch queso anywhere else, for real. To be fair, I've only ever eaten at the N. Lamar location, so I'm not sure how the other locations measure up. I would highly recommend Rockin' Ruthann's tender pulled chicken burritos covered in chile con carne sauce. But no, don't go looking for authentic Mexican fare here. That's what Cheko's or Aranda's is for. However, comparing Maudie's to El Mercado or Serrano's (both of which are downright inedible in my opinion)? Well, that's just a travesty.
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El Chico Restaurant
1701 E Central Texas Expy, Killeen, TX 76541
Aranda's
2129 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702
El Mercado
1302 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704
Chekos
1304 W Koenig Ln, Austin, TX 78756
Wedding Catering Dilemma
If you're happy with the menu that Crave offers you, but worried about the execution - then set up a sampling appointment with them. They should be willing to provide you a taste if you're going to give them your business, especially for your wedding.
However, I'm not well-versed with wedding/venue protocol - but I'm very confused as to why you would have limited catering options allocated by the venue. Why is it up to them who you choose to pay to provide your choice of food? I don't know, maybe this is normal and I'm just not aware... I just don't understand why they would feel the need to control your catering options. I certainly would not choose a venue that didn't allow me full control over such a thing, especially when the food you want is so specific and carries deep sentimental meaning for you.
If you can't figure out a good solution, then maybe you could consider doing the Thai/Vietnamese food for your rehersal dinner instead of the reception. My favorite Thai/Vietnamese place in Austin is Mekong River downtown.
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Mekong River Restaurant
215 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701
THEY WANT HOW LITTLE? Reasonable Beyond Belief Food Pricing In Austin Part 1
Titaya's on N. Lamar has a $6.50 lunch menu Mon-Fri 11:00am-2:30pm. The portions aren't huge, but big enough for me to take half home for later if I'm smart, or big enough to feel uncomfortably full if I'm not too smart about it. Lunch comes with free soup too!
Need Hot and Spicy recommendations ASAP!!!
I go to Titaya's at least once, if not twice a week for lunch. I wouldn't necessarily say they've dumbed down their spice levels, but it can definitely be inconsistent at times. I always order my dishes 3 peppers spicy - it's always got a good kick, but sometimes it borders on mild and sometimes it borders on painful. Also, it always seems like you have to convince them that you really DO want something genuinely hot... like they don't believe you can handle it or something. Don't get me wrong, Titaya's probably has my favorite food in town; it can just be annoying sometimes to have to convince a waiter that you know what you want and what you're getting into when you order something. Now, if you ever want to eat something that'll REALLY make you cry, then the magic words are to order it "Thai spicy." It's like a secret code or something, but seriously - WATCH OUT!
Where can I find the best hot and sour soup in Austin?
I second the Suzi's recommendation - my favorite hot & sour soup in town!
Sienna...oh no
Yes, I had a horrible experience there a few months back as well... never returned. I'll copy and paste my review from Yelp:
Austin, TX
4/19/2010 I have been here to dine twice, but have actually eaten food from Siena multiple other times as I have a good friend who works there and brings me yummy things from the kitchen. The food here has always ranked from 4-5 stars, however... in the two times that I've dined there the service has been far below par.
I wouldn't be so offended by the service if the food prices weren't ridiculously high, but if I'm going to pay around $20 for a small portion of pasta then I expect the waitstaff to at least acknowledge my existence. The first time I went for dinner early on a weeknight, and the restaurant was close to empty. My waiter was so-so during this experience - he was fairly attentive, however he had a very severe and very noticeable lack of confidence which made interaction with him awkward and uncomfortable. We had to ask him to repeat almost everything he said because he mumbled in whispers. I had sympathy for the guy and I still left him a good tip, but this struck me as odd for such a nice, fine dining restaurant. On this visit we had the carpaccio, the ravioli, the beef tenderloin, and the tagliatelle - all of which were delicious, especially the ravioli.
On our second visit here, we arrived around 7:30pm on a Sunday night. There was no wait to get a table, and the restaurant seemed to be filled to about 1/4 to 1/2 capacity - not very busy by any means. We were seated in one of the balcony dining sections by a little window, which was nice. We sat there for about 5 minutes before being offered water - ok, not great but not horrible yet. Our waiter poured our water, took my boyfriend's order for an iced tea and then left without asking if we wanted to order any appetizers. It took 15 minutes for him to return with the iced tea and serve us some bread. I decided at that point that we should probably go ahead and order our appetizers + entrees then if we wanted to get them any time soon. We ordered the wild boar bruschetta, and ravioli for both of us. It took about 20 minutes for the appetizer to come out, which I don't blame the waiter for - but he didn't check up on us once during that entire time. Our drinks sat empty for quite a while. When the wild boar bruschetta finally came, it was pretty good - would've been perfect if the "grilled" bread didn't taste slightly of lighter fluid. I happily ate the dish regardless, partly because I was starving at this point after having been there for nearly 45 minutes without any substancial food. Our water glasses went empty again as we were enjoying our appetizer, but again our waiter did not come to check on us or re-fill our drinks until 20-25 minutes later when our ravioli entree came. The ravioli was delicious, but on a side note - they have half servings of this ravioli for $9, which comes with 4 raviolis. However, the full serving is $18 and comes with only 7 raviolis... questionable pricing. The only reason I have a slight issue with this is because for one, it just doesn't make sense, and also - one more ravioli would've actually made for a satisfying meal where I would've left feeling full. I am not a big girl (5'2" 115lbs) and it's not like it takes much to fill me up, but 7 raviolis just didn't do it. Back to the service, this is where it got really bad. Our waiter put our entrees on the table, and just walked away. He never came back to make sure the food was ok, or that we were having a good experience. It took us about 10 minutes to finish our entrees, and we were pretty much held hostage there for another 20-30 minutes until our waiter decided to come see if we wanted dessert. At this point it was already 15 minutes after closing time for the restaurant and there was no way we wanted to be kept there any longer so we declined the dessert. I pulled out my credit card and asked him to go ahead and run it even though I hadn't received a bill yet. I was terrified of the time it might take him to retreive my card if I waited for the bill. Thank god he promptly came back with my receipt, as my rear-end was starting to go numb after sitting there for almost two hours. Just to be clear, this waiter was servicing about 4 tables from what my boyfriend and I could see. He seemed to be doing just fine with his lower-level tables but I didn't exactly feel comfortable trying to flag him down from our second-level seating area. I can't remember the last time I didn't give a waiter AT LEAST a 20% tip, and it really pained me that I just couldn't bring myself to give him that. I just couldn't justify it. I wrote my complaints on the back of my receipt and handed it to the host on my way out. Sadly, if I ever eat that heavenly ravioli again then it's going to have to be a pick-up order.
Breakfast in Austin
I second the Cafe Java recommendation... it's like bacon magic. Mmmmm
Austin Restaurant Week
I have a reservation at Green Pastures this evening - will keep you guys posted on how it goes.
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Green Pastures Restaurant
901 W Live Oak St, Austin, TX 78704
"I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today ": Best Hamburger in Austin
I tried Your Mom's burgers the other day and I enjoyed it, wasn't my favorite but it was good. It more just inspired me to make my own cheese-stuffed burgers at home. They're pretty pricey ($7.00-$8.00 for a burger alone, another couple of bucks for fries and/or a drink). I know they haven't been open very long either, but they seem to have some consistency issues. Sometimes they're out of bbq sauce, or onion rings, or tomatos, or their fries are over-cooked, or they don't put the same amount of cheese in the burger. I'll give them another shot eventually, but still... not my favorite.
I work right down the street from Phil's Ice House, so it's definitely one of my go-to burger places. This is where I go if I want a semi-fancy super flavorful greasy burger that makes me feel like I'm going into cardiac arrest. Their sweet potatoe fries are the best as well. Decently priced ($7.50 for a burger and fries) and I like the fact that they have mini-burgers available because their regular sized burgers are HUGE. I still haven't tried Hat Creek burgers, which opened up down the street on the other side of my workplace a while back. I think I would kind of feel like a traitor against Phil's if I ate there, but I am curious...
Now - Mighty Fine. It's just so... pure. That's the best word I can think to describe it. I can eat Mighty Fine any day of the week and never get sick of it. It's simply just a good burger with no pretentious notions. Organic, hormone-free, freshly crinkle cut fries, and I don't know if anyone else has noticed but there's something about their plain American cheese that is amazing. Best American cheese I've ever had. Let me put it to you this way: right now I'm home sick running a 101.9 fever with an upper-respiratory infection and I managed to polish off a 1/2 lb Mighty Fine cheeseburger last night and ALL the fries with no problem what-so-ever. I could go for another one right now, even though the though of all other food makes me want to gag. Also, their strawberry lemonades are great!
Almost forgot, the burger at Roaring Fork. I have no idea what all the hype is about. The only thing worth noting about this burger is that it's huge. I really don't have any respect for food that is just ridiculous, and there's no way you could eat this burger without taking it apart and re-assembling it somehow. The meat is good, but seems a little too lean for a burger. Plus, there's way too much of that meat. I like a certain ratio of meat to cheese to toppings to bun and this was just a stupidly copious amount of meat. Blah.
The Best Thing You Ever Ate: New Orleans
The Mississippi rabbit at Mr. B's - braised with apple cider, applewood smoked bacon, roasted shallots and shittake mushrooms - served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Mmmmmm *drool*
Thai Kitchen - Guadalupe
Try Titaya's lunch menu - I'm not a Thai food expert, but it's definitely the best Thai I've had in Austin, and many other people seem to agree. I say try the lunch menu because of the comment you made about Thai Kitchen being pricey, and hating to spend money on food you don't like. Titaya's has 24 different dishes on their lunch menu, ALL of which run only $6.50 and the portions are large enough to split with someone - the staff where I work split dishes from there all the time and are satisfied. That way, if you end up with something you don't like (unlikely) then it won't hurt too much. I get take-out most of the time, but I've eaten in there several times and I can positively say that they have the best service I've ever experienced at a small Asian restaurant. The people there are so nice and they act as if just getting your business is the best part of their day. I've eaten there at least 20 times now - and I've never experienced the slightest short tone, nor have I ever gone more than 5-10 minutes without my table being attended to or checked on.
Austin Thai War
It means "with little or no effort." Same concept as winning "with your hands tied behind your back."
Titaya's on 9.1.09
I just discovered Titaya's about six weeks ago and I have eaten there over 10 times since, if that says anything about how good they are. I order take-out there once or twice a week, which is completely affordable at the $6.50 lunch menu prices (portions are large). The weekend/dinner menu is a little more pricey, but there's a lot more to choose from and it's well worth it. I try different things every now and then, but I order the Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice pretty consistently. I know it sounds like a really simple, not very exotic dish but the complexity of the flavors combined with the heat would amaze you. That's my favorite thing about Titaya's that I haven't found anywhere else - they know how make food ultra-spicy without sacrificing any flavor. Also, the spiciness is customizable; they classify their heat levels on a scale of 0-3 "peppers" which is shown on the menu. I started out ordering my dishes with 2 "peppers" which burned my mouth delightfully the first few times, but then I found myself craving more and more heat. Now I order my dishes with 3 "peppers" or even more (which they're happy to do) and my friends think I'm crazy when they try my food. The only dessert I've had there was the coconut ice cream, which was to die for. The service is always very quick and pleasant, and they're always careful to cater to any vegetarians/vegans. All in all, I find myself craving food from Titaya's more often than any other restaurant in town - and anything that can beat out my cravings for Mandola's and Maudie's must be good.
New Place to Eat in North Austin-DiMassi's
The Parlor offers vegan cheese - don't know if it's soy.
Recommendations for Maudie's?
I agree with you whole-heartedly. The salsa can be a bit hot sometimes, but the queso is the best freakin' queso I've ever had in my entire life living ALL OVER Texas. Oh, and MIXING the queso with the salsa = heaven. I've had their migas mid-day and it wasn't the best migas I've ever had but it was definitely good and edible (ask for extra chips and queso with it). I'm a big fan of their Tamales el Jeffe, and their spinach/mushroom enchilada's - I think that one's called Kimberley's Special. My friend raves about their tortilla soup every time we go, but I haven't personally tried it yet. My boyfriend loves their Carne Guisada burritos smothered in chile con carne sauce, which is a whole nother story. I would go there just for a gallon of chile con carne sauce and some dipping tortillas if I could. Sure, the service isn't always great but the prices are cheap and the atmosphere is welcoming... plus it's just soooo good!
Best Pizza in Austin?
While I am definitely a fan of the more well-known pizza joints in Austin (East Side Pies ROCKS), I really have to give some props to the lesser-known fare. First of all, how is it that no one has mentioned Slices and Ices on the drag? Their pizza is the epitome of perfection if you like a nice thin, bubbly crust that doesn't get soggy or weighed down by toppings. I like that they build up the "bone" part of the crust too so I actually have a mouthfull of blissfully chewy bread to gnaw on when my pizza is all but demolished. Also, a great little gem that I just discovered by chance - The Parlor. There's a Hyde Park and a North Loop location (I went to the North Loop location). I was incredibly lucky that I was starving that night as I just went to see my friends play a show there, but I had to eat something and they had pizza. I can't say much for the atmosphere there, it's pretty much a TINY bar (not 21 and up) with really bad, loud music and moody bartenders - but the pizza was INCREDIBLE! This pizza is the perfect compromise to solve the war of thick/thin crust lovers. It has a nice thick crust that provides the chewy, toothy feel that some crave, but it also has the nice crunch of bubbly crisp layers that thin crust lovers want. Also, everything is just in perfect ratio - from sauce, to spice, to cheese, to toppings. I got a simple pepperoni and mushroom pizza there and was blown away by how good it was. ADDED BONUS: They have VEGAN cheese and toppings upon request!
Good Indian Food in Austin
I second this reccomendation - although it is a lesser known Indian buffet in Austin, it is definitely a hidden gem that has actually been around for several years and is owned by the same owners of Bombay Grill. There's not a huge selection, but all the basics are there and the quality is definitely there too.
Bush's Fried Chicken in RR,TX
I'm a native Texan, and I've lived all over the state so I'd like to think I know a good bit about fried chicken. This Bush's is just alright if you're in a bind. The breading is scarce and kind of bland, and the chicken is bland too - but juicy. I absolutely HATE the fries, but to be fair I've never liked any crinkle cut fries ever. The other sides are fine though, good fried okra though I don't know if they still have it. Stay away from the sweet tea, it's got to be 100 calories per sip - sickeningly sweet.
Pizza in Austin
I've never personally experienced "true New-York pizza" or anything of the sort, as I've never really been out of Texas. I like all different styles and types of crust. What really makes a good pizza for me is creativity and super high quality ingredients. That being said, my favorite pizza around has to be East Side Pies. I never thought I could survive being vegetarian until I tried an artichoke, spinach, and mushroom pizza from there and realized I could die happy the moment after I was done. Slices and Ices is pretty good too for some good, down-home, simple pizza. I am not, however, a fan of the "ices" there, as they taste very artificial. Mandola's has some pretty good pizza if you can actually tear yourself away from the other delectable menu items - great ingredients, imported from Italy. Double Dave's has a good deep-dish pan pizza, and their honey whole wheat crust is great, but I'm not a fan of their thin-crust or hand-tossed pizzas. Their toppings aren't of the highest quality either, but they're good if you're eating there for the sake of convenience. Everyone here raves about Mangia's, but I don't like it. To be fair, I'm the ONLY person I know who doesn't like it. Though to my credit, I am a chef, but a pastry chef at that so I don't know how much credit that warrants in judging pizza. However, I think that everyone just seems to be more in love with the idea of a true pizza pie rather than Mangia's pizza itself. They're just the only one's around who offer it. Their sauce is entirely too sweet for me, the crust is the flavor of a saltine cracker, and every time I get a pizza with meat it comes out extremely fatty (stay AWAY from the bacon). It's pretty obvious that their toppings aren't that fresh either, because when I asked if I could have a spinach pizza without all the garlic, they told me no because they had it shipped in pre-mixed.
Best Salsa in Austin
The salsa at Maudie's is a bit hot for me, I like more flavor than fire. However, they have the BEST queso I've ever had in my life. It is definitely a must-try and there's no excuse not to because locations are popping up all over Austin. They're food in general is quite good as well.
Over dressed...
I know it's a chain, but I really love McCormick and Schmick's, preferably the North/Domain location but the downtown location is good too. It's definitely appropriate to dress up, and they even have private dining booths if that suits you. Very elegant food - pricey, but worth it in my opinion. My recommendation would be to start off with the calamari (BEST I've ever had), move on to the Caesar salad, followed by the crab stuffed shrimp with asparagus, and finished off with the chocolate bag dessert and a drink at the swanky bar.
Tony's Southern Comfort - Horrible!
Well, my co-workers were starving the other day and decided to give Tony's another chance since it's literally a two minute walk from our workplace. They had the chicken and waffles and thought it was pretty awesome. The sides and desserts were still sub-par though, in their opinions.
Best Breakfast Place In Town??
I recommend Cafe Java on Metric Blvd. (in the little strip right next to the ACC). They have great simple breakfast food, cheap prices, and a broad selection. Plus, they serve breakfast all day which is always an added bonus. My favorite meal there is the "Java Melt, which is your choice of bagel (they have several kinds, I get the whole wheat) with one egg cooked any style and your choice of bacon, ham, or sausage plus cheese. It's the perfect breakfast sandwich- and it comes with hashbrowns too! I believe that costs $5.29 just to give an idea of pricing. As for their coffee, I'm the type that tends to load up my coffee with cream, sugar, and flavorings but their coffee is so good that I'd rather just drink it black - even better iced.
They also have lunch food as well, but I've never tried it - even when I'm there at 7:00pm, just because I'm so attached to their breakfast dishes. However, I've taken many friends there that have raved about their philly cheesesteak and burgers. The only disappointment is that they come up with really awesome unique daily specials, and if that becomes your new favorite then you're out of luck because chances are it won't show up on the menu again any time in the near future.
Tony's Southern Comfort - Horrible!
I went there recently for a lunch outing with my co-workers. Despite all the hype, I really wasn't too impressed. First of all, I'm not a restaurant snob and I'm happy to sit down and munch at any hole-in-the-wall joint. However, this place is seriously filthy. There are stains in every place imaginable, and the decor looks straight out of the Salvation Army. Not only that, but the area we were seated in smelled strongly of a mixture of body odor and rotting food, possibly coming from the stain-ridden curtains. The waitress was alright in general, but pretty apathetic and the snot pouring from her nose wasn't too appetizing. Another group of people were seated directly behind us a few minutes after we came in, and they were being seriously loud and obnoxious - not that that's the restaurant's fault but I don't quite understand why we couldn't have been given a little more space when the rest of the place was totally empty.
So, now we get to the food. We ordered the fried potatoe slices as an appetizer and I have to say, they were pretty delectable. The potatoes were cut in thin round slices, thicker than a chip but thinner than a fry. They came with a great dipping sauce too, sort of horse-raddish based. As for the entrees, my friend tried to order the fried chicken that was posted on a whiteboard as the daily lunch special but was told that they were out. I work in the food industry too and I understand that it happens sometimes, but this was at 12:00pm and I felt they should've either been better prepared and/or at least taken the special off the board as soon as they ran out. She ordered pork chops instead and rated her meal as average. I ordered the famed chicken fried steak and really wasn't that impressed. The meat was kind of greasy, and the breading was scarce and soggy - not crisp and flavorful. I usually don't expect the meat itself to be all that flavorful, as the gravy usually makes the whole meal for me. Not this time - the gravy was completely flavorless as well, not to mention there was hardly any of it. In fact, the whole meal was pretty tiny. I'm only 5'2" and 105 lbs, so it doesn't take much to fill me up but I left here feeling hungry. The steak was smaller than even the average grocery store steak, and the side serving of mashed potatoes was maybe a little over a quarter cup. Now for dessert. At first, my friends tried to order the banana pudding, which is a fixture on the menu, but was told that they were out of that as well. So they opted to try the cobbler and the pie, though I don't remember what variation of fruit they contained. My friends said the desserts were so-so, kind of stale and super microwaved. Not to mention I could clearly see the snotty waitress go directly from our table and into the kitchen, then scoop the desserts out of a pan without washing her hands which really grossed me out.
All in all, I would never consider going back there. It was my first time, and maybe it was an off day for them - but in my opinion, there's no excuse for being that off. I really wish I could've had a rave review experience like so many people here seem to have had, but this just didn't do it for me.
Quick: Best Baby Back Ribs
I actually eat at Chili's a lot; however I would not recommend their ribs. I have eaten Chili's baby back ribs several times, until I knew how easy it was to make amazing ribs on my own. Plus, there wasn't really any other place to get ribs in Cedar Park where I was. Now that I've been exposed to REALLY good ribs, I know that Chilis' suck. Rudy's baby back ribs are pretty good, but I'm not a big fan of the barbeque sauce as it is too peppery for my taste... prefectly edible though for those who aren't too picky with barbeque sauce. I've heard that County Line has really good ribs as well. Other than that, I'm actually partial to my own ribs since I've learned how to make them. If you're willing to cook, I would recommend buying a rack of baby backs from Whole Foods Market, which offers high-quality organic, grassfed meats. Then just take your favorite barbeque sauce, slather it all over the ribs, wrap in tinfoil and marinate in the fridge overnight. The next afternoon, open up the foil, slather with more sauce, close foil tightly, and bake at 275 degrees F for around three hours. Then open up the foil, baste with more sauce, and broil for about 5 minutes to give everything nice color. You can finish them off on the grill instead of broiling, both ways are delicious.
Bakery Referral, Please
Your best bet would probably be the Wal*Mart bakery actually. Just MapQuest the closest Wal*Mart, and give them a call to make sure they can do what you need in that time-frame. They're cakes are nothing special in taste, but they're not bad... just box mix cakes and the typical powdered sugar/shortening frosting.
Object: Fantastic dinner for 2 under $30.00
I would suggest going to the Whole Foods Market on N. Lamar. If you've never been there, then you probably don't know why I'm telling you to go to a grocery store for dinner, but they have tons of different prepared food stations including Italian, sushi, barbeque, Indian, soup/salad bars, Mexican, etc. It's already cooked for you, hot and ready to eat! It would definitely be under $30 unless you somehow went absolutely crazy with it, and everything at Whole Foods is as nutricious and organic as you can get. You and your date can get whatever you want in the store, and then go around the side of the building up the stairs to the dining area on the roof of the store where you can look out over all of Austin... it's really beautiful.
Am craving really good ice cream or an ice-cream-based dessert!!
The Whole Foods Market on N. Lamar has good gelato in my opinion, although I can't claim to be well versed in gelato matters. The peanut butter flavor is my favorite by far, but they also have a pomegranate flavor I've been dying to try. I'm also a big fan of The Marble Slab (they're everywhere, just MapQuest it) for ice cream. I usually get the cheesecake ice cream with crushed oreo mix-ins... it's awesome!
