ampeg66's Profile
BBQ in Austin
Just to follow up on Carter B. for the OP...
In general, your old-school barbecue joints - Lockhart, Luling, Taylor - tend to cook for a lunchtime crowd. By early evening, they're either running out of things or closing, and the meats can lean toward the drier side as it gets later in the day. Even if they're open till 8, we tend to avoid going any later than 3 or so.
Salt Lick is an exception - Driftwood location only, please - due to the volume of business they do. It may not be in the absolute top tier, but it's good, plus it's a nice drive and an enjoyable setting.
JMueller and Franklin are the best in town, but they're done by mid afternoon. Stiles Switch has been getting good reviews, not sure about dinner time though.
Hard Hat Vol IX
FWIW, I KNOW I recently read that next Monday is opening day, but now I can't find the article.
two foodie girls eating their way through austin...
This, plus some good vanilla ice cream, is all you need. Tastes like bacon with maple syrup on it. Around here, World Market (Cost Plus) carries it.
http://www.torani.com/products/bacon-syrup
Suggestions for brfst lunch and dinner for a weekend in April
You're in luck: Franklin is right downtown, just east of I-35 on 11th. JMueller is maybe a 5 minute cab ride south of the river on South 1st.
There's nothing wrong with Lambert's, though some might say the barbecue items aren't as strong as some of the other things on the menu.
But the other two are at the top of their game, and I wouldn't miss the opportunity to try at least one of them. Franklin is a national phenom for good reason, and Mueller's beef rib alone marks him as a top-flight pitmaster (not to mention his lineage as part of the Louie Mueller dynasty in Taylor).
There's a website with "shaggy" in the name...if you googled that + Franklin, you might find some good local insights about both joints.
Locally-sourced, farm-to-table, grass-fed beef, pastured pork?
(Smacks forehead) Oooh...yeah, Franklin is the way to go then, if you can handle the wait.
Suggestions for brfst lunch and dinner for a weekend in April
Franklin and JMueller are the best in-town barbecue choices, and they're both a quick trip from downtown. They're very favorably compared with the best Texas has to offer (the legendary joints in Lockhart, Luling, Taylor, etc.).
Franklin has long lines and sells out early.
JMueller is a trailer with picnic table seating. Shorter lines, also routinely runs out by early to mid afternoon.
Locally-sourced, farm-to-table, grass-fed beef, pastured pork?
Ruby's BBQ isn't farm-to-table, but I believe they refer to their beef as all-natural, hormone-free. It might be as close as you'll get for barbecue. While it's not Franklin or JMueller, it's reasonably well-regarded among in-town barbecue joints.
Where is the best Spicy Fried Chicken in Austin on par with Prince's in Nashville
Max's Wine Dive, downtown near the convention center at 207 San Jacinto. They're in Houston and San Antonio too. It's not the hot style, but it's quite good. And they have all-you-can-eat chicken and waffles at Sunday brunch.
http://www.maxswinedive.com/austin/index.php
Rptrane has it right though, it's a pricy hipster place.
I am dying to try Prince's.
Cheddar cheese with Texas BBQ: what's the deal? [moved from Austin board]
Here's my understanding: Many of the old-school barbecue joints started out as small-town grocery markets; even today, several are still called "City Market." They began offering cooked meats in addition to staple items. So things like pickles, onions, tomatoes, avocados and cheese - produce and snack-able items that they already had on hand - stuck around as side items, as their businesses evolved from grocery stores into barbecue restaurants.
RIP part 4
Austin Biz Journal says they're leasing the building to a sports bar company:
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/retail/2011/09/meltzer-pub-to-reopen-as-sports-bar.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bizj_austin+%28Austin+Business+Journal%29
Did Brad Meltzer also own UR Cooks? Just wondering, since it sounds like he was thinking about revisiting that concept.
Chili Dogs
There's this place:
http://dogellos.com/
I haven't been, but here's a review from Texas Monthly's food blog:
http://www.texasmonthly.com/blogs/eatmywords/?p=3706
Need opinions on 4-day BBQ-plus plan
Looks like they reopened:
http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/19/The-Sun-Is-Shining-In-East-Austin-Once-Again-Sams-Barbecue-Has-Reopened#more
RIP part 4
The parking lot at Meltzer is dead empty at 8 p.m. on a Friday night. I'm guessing it's closed.
That location seems to be quite unfriendly to restaurants, though Antonio's did stick around for a while.
Tex Mex restaurant on Lavaca
A little more Arredondo history from an old thread:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/416523
Best Enchiladas In Austin?
We went to El Flaco for the first time the other day. I mention this because the cheese enchiladas in beef sauce feature one of Karen's more elusive criteria.
Cheese: Their cheese enchiladas are actually made with real cheese, no plastic in sight. (Really, I like 'em both ways, depending on current mood...)
Beef sauce: This is more of a very chunky/beefy chile con carne style than the thinner, lighter-bodied chile gravy with a few bits of meat here and there. Not sure if that works for you; I like all different sorts of sauce, and this made for a very hearty plate. I enjoyed it a lot.
Onions rolled in: Nope. Vivo is the only place I recall onions in the filling. (I know others don't love Vivo's beef sauce; though it's thicker and darker than many, I think it has more flavor depth than some others I've had, it works well with the enchiladas, and I really like it.)
Bonuses: Good carne guisada. Really good charro beans; a bit more tomato-y than I usually prefer, but I liked these a lot. Beef taco meat seemed a bit more shredded, with a little thicker gravy than your standard straight-up ground beef, good.
Salsa was good, but not my favorite; a very smooth puree, it did have good flavor and plenty of heat for me.
Overall, we enjoyed it, and we'll go back. Note that it's currently lunch only; they close at 3.
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Vivo
2015 Manor Rd, Austin, TX 78722
Girls weekend in Austin
FWIW...yeah, down here in Barbecue World, the Salt Lick has its detractors. Heck, based on just the food, we are blessed enough in this area that it might not make my top five, either. And yet, I find myself there 2 or 3 times a year, because overall it's just an enjoyable experience, particularly for a group.
If you're coming from anyplace in the country that isn't a barbecue mecca, the food will still probably be better than much of what you've had before. And as far as taking a nice little drive through the Texas Hill Country to enjoy a good meal in a setting that oozes "Texas barbecue joint," it's hard to beat. It's certainly a fun, common and perfectly acceptable introduction for out-of-towners.
If it's a peak time, there can be a wait; just bring a cooler with beverages of choice and chill with your friends at the picnic tables under the big oak trees (the weather looks a little iffy, might be OK by then). Make sure you go in the main building and check out the open pit. If you like a little more kick, try the Lauren's sauce (you have to ask for it). And make sure it's the original location in Driftwood, not the one in Round Rock; it's not even remotely the same experience.
Note that it is byob and cash only.
If you're looking for the best we have to offer, the road leads south from Austin to Lockhart, featuring the Holy Trinity of Smitty's, Kreuz and Black's. And City Market in Luling (the real one, not the pretender in Houston) is a bit farther down that same road. All are steeped in barbecue lore. On any given day, any of them can arguably represent the pinnacle of Texas barbecue, all less than an hour from town.
Keep in mind that these places started as local groceries or meat markets that evolved into selling smoked meats, and they remain the definition of "no frills." As an example, Kreuz does not offer utensils. This may or may not fit your idea of a good time. Also, look to these for lunch rather than dinner; they tend to close by early evening, they can run out of some items toward the end of the day, and alcohol, if it's available, is generally limited to beer. Not that there's anything wrong with barbecue and beer.
Having said all that, Franklin is seriously good, and is rightfully considered right up there with the best here on the Austin board. The only real downside is the ambience, with minimal outdoor seating mere yards from a major highway (soon to be rectified with their new permanent location, but not quite soon enough for your trip).
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City Market
633 E Davis St, Luling, TX 78648
Pre-1970 Mexican Restaurants In Austin Texas
For reference, I lean towards Tex Mex more than Mex Mex. When I do vintage, my plate is usually called the Deluxe, the Number 1, or the "name of restuarant" plate (i.e., El Gallo Dinner). And I don't go in expecting mango salsa, ceviche, any sort of cactus, or $10 guacamole to be on the menu. It helps to set appropriate expectations when eating 40-year-old recipes. :-)
El Patio is the one that got me started seeking out old-school Tex Mex again. More nostalgia than great food for me now, though.
As you said, there's El Gallo.
El Azteca, since 1963. Good salsa and charro beans. And they have cabrito (none for me, thanks, but I thought it was interesting in an older place).
Matt's has been around a long time. I like it, I know many here don't.
I don't know if Amaya's dates to pre-1970, but it's got the old-skool vibe. The tacos on the just-fried corn tortillas, yum...
Dario's. Not sure if it's that old, but it's got that sort of vibe.
Joe's Bakery, 1962. Only been once, I'd go back and try it again.
There was Jaime's Spanish Village, but they finally closed this year.
Felix in Houston started it all for me as a kid. They were around for maybe 75 years, finally closing about a year and a half ago. I had started going back a couple times a year, and it definitely brought back those flavor memories from childhood. People that didn't grow up on it tended to hate on the food, but I blame a lot of that on inappropriate expectations.
Depending on the particular mood, I tend to rotate between El Gallo, El Azteca, Matt's and Amaya's.
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El Azteca Restaurant
2600 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702
El Patio Restaurant
2938 Guadalupe St, Austin, TX 78705
El Gallo Restaurant
2910 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
Jaime's Spanish Village
802 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701
I want to order a turkey from a restaurant for Thanksgiving Day. Any recs?
It's confusing, because there are still Richard Jones Pit BBQ websites up...one is in California, and the one on South Congress still has a website, but I remember them closing for good earlier this year. Here's a link to the story:
http://www.austin360.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/dining/entries/2010/08/19/richard_jones_pit_barbque_clos.html
Threadgill's Only Better
Hoover's is popular for a similar home-cooking style: http://hooverscooking.com/
Moonshine is a little more upscale. Not strictly home cookin', but still in the "comfort food" range: http://www.moonshinegrill.com/
Vince Young Steakhouse
No, you're not imagining it. I specifically remember "wet-aged" on there when I looked at the menu last week. I thought it was kind of weird at the time, as that wouldn't normally be a big selling point for beef enthusiasts.
Lakeway Restaurants
I don't live out there, but I found a ton of stuff I want to try on this site:
http://wayoutwestaustin.com/
Looks like the blogger is also a 'hound, since they posted just above me. Nice job on the blog. :-)
Hard Hat Report Vol 5
Looks like a November 6 opening:
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/realestate/entries/2010/10/28/vince_young_steakhouse_sets_no.html
Best ny/nj pizza in austin
Hmm, I guess Niki's took over the Saccone's Round Rock location (that was Conan's before that)?
Sweet Tea in Austin
Bill Miller and Rudy's both have it. I haven't had Bush's to compare sweetness levels.
Surprised nobody has weighed in on the news about Katz's
I believe they're setting up and serving lunch in Charlie's.
Anyone been to Mandola's new restaurant in Driftwood?
FYI, the Salt Lick is a nearby barbecue restaurant.
Yankee(s) in Austin and We Need Your Advice
Interesting...their online menu notes that the links are from a longtime supplier, while the patty sausage is made in-house. I suppose I'll have to do a taste test now... :-)
RIP part III: Austin Restaurant Closings
It looks like Joe D's is run by a restaurant group that also owns Maria Maria (among others, but that's the only one with an Austin location). Maybe you could contact HQ and see if they would honor there?
