mkwng's Profile
Good Middle Eastern?
Thursdays (I think) Flying Falafel and Po'boys on Guadalupe features lamb mansaf as their lunch special. Lamb cooked in yogurt, absolutely awesome.
Good Middle Eastern?
Sarah's gyro is disappointing - pre-sliced and reheated on the grill - but every other meal I've had (kefta, falafel, kebabs, shawarma) has been excellent.
Terraburger Is Open (Sort Of)
Fair enough, though Heinz does make a HFCS-free organic ketchup. But maybe I should have said the Boylan fountain is a nice touch if you're into that. Me, I make the small sacrifices that let me keep Heinz and Diet Coke in my life.
Terraburger Is Open (Sort Of)
I have been to the Drag location and agree with previous reviews. The burger was thick and very tasty, well-seasoned and with a good beef flavor, but it was dry. I got the Thousand Island burger and there was way too much sauce on it. The fries were hand-cut and crispy, but the Muir Glen organic ketchup tastes all wrong (Heinz for me, please!). They have a Boylan cane sugar soda fountain, which is a nice touch. The Drag location does have its own parking lot in back, which is nice.
South South Austin Subs - Italian Beef sandwich: Yummy
Apparently the owners raised the franchise rate incredibly high, and the franchisees bailed, or so I was told by a guy at one of the Capitol City locations. Anyway, there are still a couple of Delaware shops.
Italian Beef fans should check out Chris's Little Chicago, a trailer on S. Lamar just south of the Broken Spoke. He sells Chicago-style Italian Beef sandwiches and Vienna Beef hot dogs.
Any place to get good Sticky Buns/Rolls?
The Philadelphia sticky buns at Upper Crust are tremendous. http://www.theuppercrustbakery.com/pastries/pastries.cfm
Austin food adventures
Couldn't disagree more about Kreuz Market. The building is cavernous, and shorter on atmosphere now, but the brisket and sausage remain absolutely stellar.
If you're planning a trip to Luling, be aware that June 25th-28th is the annual Watermelon Thump. http://www.watermelonthump.com/ Visiting Luling then has its pros and cons - you get to see a great small-town Texas festival and stuff yourself silly, but if you're just going for the 'cue, the lines will be very long.
A local chain called Amy's pretty much owns the local premium ice cream scene. http://www.amysicecreams.com/
Have a great time wherever you end up!
New Hog Island Deli location at 4th and Lavaca
According to today's Statesman, "Austinville" (shudder) is still on for this fall. And it includes the Hog Island!
http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/other/2009/06/18/0618amys.html
Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
They also have a location under construction at 38th & Lamar (at what was most recently a Subway).
Best Fajitas in Austin?
Fajitas rancheras at Habanero Mexican Cafe, on Oltorf near South 1st. Awesome marinade, mesquite grilled, and freshly grilled veggies.
-----
Habanero Mexican Cafe
501 W Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704
Chuy Bakery/Panaderia off Ohlen and 183
In an earlier post about Fricano's Deli, the owners said they get their bread from Panaderia Chuy as well:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/610183
It's really good stuff. I need to hit up the actual bakery soon. Maybe this weekend...
Best tasting menu in Austin?
Hudson's On The Bend hasa 7 course menu for $130, $200 wih wine pairings. http://www.hudsonsonthebend.com/
Good eats in area of Brodie / Slaughter / Wm. Cannon / Manchaca
Evita's is great, and they sure could use the support right now:
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/review?oid=oid%3A762214
Good eats in area of Brodie / Slaughter / Wm. Cannon / Manchaca
Actually, Schlotzsky's was bought by the owners of Carvel, and there are a few local Schlotzsky's that also have Carvel (and Cinnabon) on the menu.
Carvel = ice cream, Cookie Puss, Fudgie the Whale, etc.
Culver's = butter burgers and frozen custard, etc.
Bagels.
"Some of the places you can buy a Rockstar Bagels are: Summer moon Garden District Quack's Mozart's Cherrywood Blue Dahlia Pacha Spider House Snack Bar cafe Mundi Little City"
John Mueller BBQ Closed?
It's been closed for a couple of years. Lots of rumors about him reopening in Bastrop and elsewhere, but as far as I know none are true.
My current personal favorites in Austin itself include Sam's on E. 12th, House Park on W. 12th (lunch only), and Ruby's BBQ at 29th & Guadalupe.
Bagels.
Looks like Joe at Rockstar Bagels does take orders.
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=463138746&blogId=479794847
Best Fish Dish: Sao Paulo's, Clay Pit, Kerby Lane, Chez Nous, Z'Tejas
If you liked the food at Sao Paulo but were unimpressed with the atmosphere, you might try Sampaio's on Burnet. Sao Paulo used to be called Sampaio's, but an ownership dispute led to a spilt, with Sao Paulo keeping the original location and Sampaio's opening a new location.
Sampaio's is much nicer inside, but it's also pricier. Each place has its proponents - see a discussion here:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/433025
Asia Cafe off Spicewood Springs
Lots of suggestions here:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/480316
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/403599
Coffee!
JP's Java also has a Clover, or at least they did. I tried it on a lark and liked it.
The Clover locator is now on the Starbucks site (now that they own the company) and it's not very helpful.
Austin Burger Smackdown!
I hit the new P. Terry's on N. Lamar today. It's the second time I've done their drive-thru at that location and it was terrible. Over 15 minutes in line without an apology or explanation. The burger itself was overcooked. The cheese slices are too big for the burger, and half of the cheese stuck to the paper wrapper. I like thousand island, but there was so much glopped on the bun that it was a soggy, slimy mess that literally dissolved in my hands. I recall previous trips to the original location as being pretty good, but there's no way I'm going back now.
Onion rings
Dirty's! Here's a photo - http://tinyurl.com/c2am2d - and a link to their menu - http://www.dirtymartins.com/5/menu.htm
The new (to me) Opie's
I haven't been since last fall, but the restaurant (and food) looked nothing like that. I think those might be stock photos.
Fricano's Deli (campus area)
Fricano's is a little deli on E. 31st near Speedway, just north of campus. They have hot and cold sandwiches, hot dogs, salads, and homemade deserts. It's a small hole-in-the-wall, maybe 4 or 5 tables plus counter seating.
The staff is friendly and the sandwiches are great. They use fresh ingredients (unlike some other places - if you're going to put a tomato the color and taste of a pencil eraser on my sandwich, don't bother). They have a variety of house-made sauces and spreads to add, whether you order off the specialty menu or make your own. The Rocket Sauce is a tangy mayostard (or mustardayonnaise, if you prefer) concoction. The Garlic Herb Roast Beef has a Boursin-type cheese spread that melts on the grill. And they are quite sizeable, made on big slices of what I think is bread from Texas French Bread.
They also offer catering and delivery. I really like this place, and put it up with the Little Deli and Hog Island as one of my favorite sandwiches in town.
http://www.fricanosdeli.com/
Hangtown Grill on Burnet
Hang Town is underrated, and should be right up the alley of the many young families in the area. And yet the Allendale Moms® continue to choke Phil's Icehouse for mediocre burgers and skinny glasses of Chardonnay. Who can figure?
Yume, in the Triangle
Yume has closed. There's a banner outside indicating another sushi place will replace it (I forget the name).
KG Sushi Train is right up N. Lamar. Not close to Uchi or even Musashino, but it's a fun concept. I really like Mikado Ryotei, but that might be pricier than you want. Maru on Burnet has gotten mixed reviews - I've only been once and found it passable.
Good burger in Arboretum area
What's that burger place at Burnet & Mopac, in the shopping center with Tacodeli and Mangia? I thought I remembered people recommending it.
Hard Hat Report Volume 2
New place on W. 24th called Big Bite Pizza & Grill. Looks like they're catring to the college crowd by bringing in New Jersey grease truck cuisine like fat sandwiches (they call theirs "Phat.") More on grease trucks here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grease_Trucks
More on Big Bite at http://www.bigbiterestaurant.com/
