uarent's Profile
Where is the best Spicy Fried Chicken in Austin on par with Prince's in Nashville
I've had fried chicken at Luby's in San Marcos twice in the last 6 months and it didn't disappoint. No frills, juicy, crispy fry. Not suggesting to go to San Marcos, but my guess is the Austin Luby's are just as good.
We're out of Mutton!
What's the difficulty level w/ this bc that looks really good?!
Live Oak Barbecue in East Austin
Doesn't look like I'm adding anything too new to the board, but the more opinions that are given, the easier it is to get an actual view of a place.
Went on Friday at noon and got brisket, sausage, and chicken with a side of slaw. The brisket was solid. Smokey flavor, a bit of fat at the top. Better than a fair amount of places in town, but, all things equal (#200hipsterswaitingin105degreeheat), I prefer the brisket I've had at Franklin's and Mann's -- I like my brisket real fatty. The "problem" could be that the cut was the back brisket as opposed to the front brisket, a/k/a the shoulder, which I understand tends to be fattier. The sausage was excellent - really some of the best I've had. It was not finely ground, not very greasy, and very tasty. The chicken was also very good. It was moist and the skin was well seasoned. No ribs or pork b/c the ppl I was with had them on a recent trip and said the pork was so-so and the ribs were plain bad. The slaw didn't have much flavor. It was essentially cabbage with some vinegar. The place has a good selection of beers and sodas. The setting is just right.
And the place is reasonably priced - $44 for 3 people's food with beers. I put this at the end and separate it out b/c I feel it is notable. I feel like the price of BBQ has gotten a little bit unreasonable at some places around. I've got no problem paying for quality, but it's nice to have some tasty BBQ at a centralish location that doesn't leave your wallet empty.
Where can I get Trappiste Rochefort beers in Austin?
There's a convenience store on 45th and Duval that has a good number of Trappist beers (you can't miss it with all the flags outside). Really this place's selection of beer is better than anywhere in town that I've been, but the prices are a little high.
Lockhart in Late Afternoon?
I'm with chefdavis on this one. Smitty's has the crown for me. The couple of times I've been to Black's I've been less than impressed.
Round Rock visits - help a Boston hound out of a rut?
Teji's Indian. Good and cheap.
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Teji's
1205 Round Rock Ave, Round Rock, TX 78681
Former NYT food writer wants Bestest TxMx
el meson. i'm also a fan of polvo's but some folks aren't as impressed (order the pastor fajitas of you go).
Working on my Austin Food Itinerary of Must-Eats
The drive to Smitty's in Lockhart and back is between 45 min and an hour. If you have a car and you have to wait in line 45 min at Franklin (b/c it is HOT here), it's a better option in my opinion. This also assumes that John Galt saying a place is a "lock" means that it isn't a "lock"...
What to order at Parkside & Fonda San Miguel?
Memorable dishes and drinks, I've had at Parkside: ravioli with spring peas, pork jowls with polenta, broiled marrow bones, gin-rosemary-cucumber cocktail, fried okra, a dozen Kumamoto oysters, the ceviche,...
There might be more but these are the ones that really come to mind.
Swinging through Austin
Just came back from a bday meal at Parkside and the spring pea raviloi are sublime. Little tipsy and was reading some posts and saw Parkside mentioned so I impulsed this one. Sorry if its a bit non sequitur.
Paggi House
This past Saturday I went to the Paggi House with the in-laws and it was delectable.
Got there at the time of our reservations and they hadn't noted that we were supposed to be outside. No problem, they took care of it. This gave us time to go to the bar for a cocktail (as an aside I really liked the design of the bar area -- modern but it fit well with the 30s style wood siding house). The cocktails were a delight. We passed them around so I tried 3 of them and the Texas Stormy was the stand out in my opinion, though all were good. We got seated about 1/2 way through the cocktails. I split with my wife the following: Foie Gras, Heirloom Tomatoes Salad, Duck Breast, and Rack of Lamb. The Foie Gras and Heirloom Tomatoes were both good; no problems, but not incredible. The duck breast was memorable. Primarily for the fact that the orange relish that accompanied it was unusual for me. I don't think I'd like the relish regularly on my duck, but it worked well and I really enjoyed it. The highlight of my meal was the Rack of Lamb; cooked perfectly, light sauce that let the lamb stand alone for the most part, plenty of fat. It was eyes roll back a little good. I order lamb semi-regularly and am usually not impressed, this was spot on. For desert I had the cheese plate, which was strong. All in all it was a great meal; the food and the setting were wonderful (we were seated on the deck and were fortunate to have a breeze almost the entire time). It is pricey but it was an occasion and the in-laws floated the bill.
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Paggi House
200 Lee Barton Drive, Austin, TX 78704
Eastside Showroom Review
The attitude of the staff there kind of puts me off. I respect the made from scratch drinks but, I've had a couple of their cocktails and given a choice I'd take a Jameson's on the rocks any day of the week.
Espresso in Austin
Ahhh San Eustachio and Tazza D'Oro. Quanto mi mancha....
Personally, I like Bennu, Dolce Vita, and Frank for espresso. Teo and Dolce Vita both have very good cappucinos
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Teo
1206 W 38th St, Austin, TX 78705
Best BBQ - Heavy on the PORK!
I've got to interject here and comment that the 1st time I went to Snow's, at least a year ago, maybe closer to 2, we got nearly every meat product on the menu, including the pork (I can't remember if it was shoulder, chop, or loin, but I think it was shoulder). The consensus was that it was pretty uninspired and bordered on bland, particularly when compared against the brisket and even the pork ribs. Maybe it was a different cut or they have upped their game in the pork arena (ribs excepted as they have been krunk every time I have been). I have been back on a couple of occasions since then and have not gotten anything but the brisket and the ribs due to the excellence of these 2 meats and the relative mediocrity of the others that I had tried. Maybe I'm due for another trip to Snow's to reevaluate...as if I need a reason.
Best BBQ - Heavy on the PORK!
I'd drive to Smitty's in Lockhart and get their pork chop. Really one of the best pork chops around. They've got ribs and sausage too, both of which are worthy of the drive. While there, I'd try just a bit of moist brisket too. If you don't like it there then you likely won't like it anywhere.
House Pizzeria on Airport Blvd.
Good to know. My couple of experiences there worried me. I used to live closer and all other things equal, wish I still did, so I could partake a bit more often.
House Pizzeria on Airport Blvd.
I was gonna post something after eating there a cpl of weeks ago and forgot.
I agree with these posts, it is the best pizza in Austin and it's a great value. I worry that it may not make it b/c I've been there a number of times and there aren't a lot of people at the tables. So, 'hounds make an effort and try this place out regularly so we don't lose an Austin gem.
Yankee(s) in Austin and We Need Your Advice
I second Hruskas. Make sure you get the pan sausage kolaches. They are light years beyond the link ones when it comes to flavor.
Hot pot
I really like the chinese eggplant, salty fish, and chicken hot pot at Din Ho BBQ.
Best Mexican food in town
What do you think is the best Mexican food restaurant in town?
I ask because I've lived in Austin for almost 6 years now and have yet to find that Mexican restaurant that I need to eat at regularly. I take that back, I'd eat at Fonda San Miguel regularly but my wife and I might have to move in underneath I-35 due to that expense.
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Fonda San Miguel Restaurant
2330 W North Loop Blvd, Austin, TX 78756
Somunanjib weekday bulgogi/bibimbap lunch buffet
I stopped in for lunch yesterday and will say that this is one of the better lunch deals around. BiBimBap was very tasty in both the beef and pork form. Had some cabbage cooked in some way with mackerel that was wonderful. With tax and tip it was $10 and I tip way too generously.
SXSW Is Coming. Here's Where the Out of Towners Need to Go
Sam's bbq at 230am and get some mutton. Be smart while on location though b/c it ain't the best area of town.
How late is too late to get to Snow BBQ?
How many ppl do you have going out there? They're real nice and if you've got a good number of folks looking to eat BBQ then my guess is you could get 'em to hold some for you if you call a good bit in advance.
Friday/Saturday visit
For the seafood, you really can't go wrong with Quality Seafood on Airport near Koenig. Well priced and tasty no frills seafood.
In Austin for a day this week
I've never been to or heard of Johnny T's, but Louie Mueller's is top notch. Definitely worth a 30 min drive each way. I'd suggest you try one beef rib while you're there too. Not a whole lot of places have beef ribs and Louie Mueller's does them right.
Austin Burger Smackdown!
In the past I have enjoyed Sullivan's burgers and would mention them in a discussion of the best burger in town. However, last night my wife and I went and the burger was decidedly mediocre. The meat didn't taste or have the texture of high quality ground beef. I asked for medium rare and the patty was between medium and medium well. The buns tasted like they had enough additives to stay good until 2015. It wasn't bad but was mired in mediocrity (think Chili's). Food-wise, the sole redeemer of the meal was the french fries. Sadly I'm not gonna go back for a while even on the $5 burger nights.
Neighborhood Chow Part I: French Place
i went a couple of weeks ago and it's some solid bbq. of the places i've been in the austin city limits, it's at the top of the list with mann's. i'd go w/ ribs and brisket and wouldn't waste my time on the pulled pork or sausage, which are serviceable but nothing to wait in line for. the brisket (and everything else for that matter) has a nice black crust and was definitely moist as requested. price wise, you don't get much of a break for it being a trailer and i think you're better off going with a 2 meat plate than ordering by the pound. i'm definitely gonna go back. hopefully sooner than later.
Places that are Popular to Hate
Not sure if I am the "nameless, faceless defender" that you are talking about, but in a town that has surprisingly few suitable Tex-Mex places for its size and location, Polvo's has rarely disappointed. Never been to El Meson, but I've hit up many Mexican food places in this town, from Bejucos to Trudys near 183, and I've got to say that if Polvo's is the median than my sample must be way off.
Places that are Popular to Hate
Polvo's has some krunk fajitas for a great price. I'm a big fan of the pastor fajitas and their black salsa is delicious. Only hating on Polvo's I can understand is the lack of parking and the high hipster traffic.
