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Overrated Austin restaurants?


Chet Steadman

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17 hours ago, Deej said:

Fonda San Miguel. I have a soft spot for it in my heart, but damn they need to change up the menu from time to time. Sometimes it seems like it's such old hat that it gets mailed in. 

They've been doing more with the specials menu but I agree with your last sentence. 

That said, last time I was there I had a pork chop with roasted veggies and it was outstanding. The oyster "nachos" appetizer was on point as well. 

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17 hours ago, sidis said:

i am fucking done with wink.  went there saturday night and did their lame ass 5 course and left starving.  they are taking shit to an extreme.  the wine pairings were brutally bad...just awful. 

Last time I was there (maybe a year ago?)  the food was fine but the waitstaff was a bunch of cunts. I brought it up as a potential option for dinner the other night and was quickly shot down so sounds like it is trending in the wrong direction. 

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16 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Definitely not overrated, probably closer to underrated, but does anybody still eat at Austin Land & Cattle? I loved that place. 

Probably my favorite steak in Austin.  Was there a few weeks ago and it's still top notch.  Best creme brule in town too.

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17 hours ago, Gardner Barnes said:


I don’t get the love for Loro either.

We went for the first time this weekend.  It was good, but nothing mind blowing.  But I haven't seen a ton of hype for it since it's opened (there was a ton before opening), so I'd say it's reputation is about spot on.  

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On 4/29/2019 at 10:38 AM, CooterBrown said:

Wink

Jeffereys

Uchi

Barley Swine

Odd Duck

Olamaie

Loro

 

Eaten at Barley Swine 8-10 times, and we've never even had a meal that I would call just good.  Great every time we have gone.  Expensive as shit if you get the tasting menu, but always felt it was worth it.

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2 hours ago, Longhornfan1024 said:

We went for the first time this weekend.  It was good, but nothing mind blowing.  But I haven't seen a ton of hype for it since it's opened (there was a ton before opening), so I'd say it's reputation is about spot on.  

You know, with me living in NW Hills and the names behind Loro, I just figured it wouldn't be the kind of place for me, especially with my whole family in tow.  I just looked up the menu -- it's completely reasonable, and arguably priced too low if the food is as good as I imagine it might be.  It's on the list.  Thanks for getting it on my radar . . .

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I thought Loro was terrible. You pay the same price for brisket as you would at Franklin, but you receive about 2 oz of meat. The sous vide chicken was literally mushy. The Mexican style corn in a cup was delicious, but I think it was $7! Just fucking ridiculous pricing.  Aviary is across the street and is a million times better. 

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I thought Loro was terrible. You pay the same price for brisket as you would at Franklin, but you receive about 2 oz of meat. The sous vide chicken was literally mushy. The Mexican style corn in a cup was delicious, but I think it was $7! Just fucking ridiculous pricing.  Aviary is across the street and is a million times better. 


Taco Bell has a dollar menu
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On 5/16/2018 at 7:29 PM, ChickenSandwich said:

Usually the best fajitas coincide with a higher grade cut of beef. The smaller joints don’t spend the money on expensive  beef. If anything, stick to the chicken if you must. 

Username and shit

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On 5/16/2018 at 3:54 PM, jimmyjazz said:

I love Fonda San Miguel for what it is, which is a very nice restaurant that serves better than decent Mexican food.  I'd sure rather pay $20 for a plate of enchiladas there than $17 at Manuel's.  The difference in dining experience is vast.

A couple of really important aspects to FSM.  First, they make an insanely good spicy margarita....made with muddled seranos (not jalepenos).  Secondly, the Duck Enchiladas are the shit...amazing and unique in their own right.  The only problem I have with FSM is that their chips / salsa are subpar.

Why all the hate in this thread for Chuys?  For cheap, good comfort food...I enjoy it.  You can put Creamy Jalepeno on anything and it would taste great.  Plus, they have recently updated their drinks to include a nice, spicy margarita that is made from the green chiles they use in other food items.  It's pretty tasty.

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On 5/4/2019 at 10:24 AM, Jack Straw said:

tatsu-ya ramen is overrated.  i mean, i'll go there if someone else chooses it, and it is pretty good, but it does not warrant the hype or the lines at all.  michi is superior.  

Agreed. Spread the word and tell all your friends. 

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A couple of really important aspects to FSM.  First, they make an insanely good spicy margarita....made with muddled seranos (not jalepenos).  Secondly, the Duck Enchiladas are the shit...amazing and unique in their own right.  The only problem I have with FSM is that their chips / salsa are subpar.

Why all the hate in this thread for Chuys?  For cheap, good comfort food...I enjoy it.  You can put Creamy Jalepeno on anything and it would taste great.  Plus, they have recently updated their drinks to include a nice, spicy margarita that is made from the green chiles they use in other food items.  It's pretty tasty.

 

Interior Mexican food doesn’t really include chips and salsa. Just like real Neapolitan pizza isnt offered by the slice.

 

CSB- Inlaws were in Rome. Asked for their pizza to be sliced. Waiter brought scissors, sincerely, to cut the pizza.

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A couple of really important aspects to FSM.  First, they make an insanely good spicy margarita....made with muddled seranos (not jalepenos).  Secondly, the Duck Enchiladas are the shit...amazing and unique in their own right.  The only problem I have with FSM is that their chips / salsa are subpar.
Why all the hate in this thread for Chuys?  For cheap, good comfort food...I enjoy it.  You can put Creamy Jalepeno on anything and it would taste great.  Plus, they have recently updated their drinks to include a nice, spicy margarita that is made from the green chiles they use in other food items.  It's pretty tasty.


Raise your hand if you like spicy margaritas....
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On 5/4/2019 at 10:24 AM, Jack Straw said:

tatsu-ya ramen is overrated.  i mean, i'll go there if someone else chooses it, and it is pretty good, but it does not warrant the hype or the lines at all.  michi is superior.  

I guess it’s just a style preference. I don’t really like the broth at michi compared to tatsu-ya

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On 5/7/2019 at 11:36 PM, Eskimohorn said:

CSB- Inlaws were in Rome. Asked for their pizza to be sliced. Waiter brought scissors, sincerely, to cut the pizza.

so do italians manually tear off bites of the pizza?  or do they roll it up into a big burrito? 

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1 hour ago, lonestar3 said:

Fuck this thread.

Name me one all-around Mexican restaurant in Austin that beats Matt's.

 

Maudi's

EyM

Habenero

 

And since you didn't qualify Tex-Mex but Mexican

Curra's

El Meson

Sazon

El Borrego de Oro

 

This doesn't include any "upscale" Mexican joints like El Naranjo, La Condesa, etc

And I'm not a Matt's hater. I think it's much better than the general consensus gives it around here. It's an office lunch favorite spot so I probably eat there more than any of the other places above. I love their Asadero tacos. But their tex mex staples like enchiladas aren't as good as the three mentioned above. And the rest of their menu doesn't stack up to the mex-mex joints listed above. 

 

 

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Habanero is the one I might give you off that list. But when you toss in drinks and atmosphere, it's not winning that race.

**Interior Mex is a completely different argument. I personally am not a fan, so I cannot agree or disagree with that portion of the list.

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4 minutes ago, lonestar3 said:

Habanero is the one I might give you off that list. But when you toss in drinks and atmosphere, it's not winning that race.

**Interior Mex is a completely different argument. I personally am not a fan, so I cannot agree or disagree with that portion of the list.

Oh come on.  Enchiladas y Mas crushes Matt's for TexMex, and I suspect I've missed a couple of dozen better joints in town, because I'm a gringo and my safe-tether only goes so far.

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15 minutes ago, lonestar3 said:

Habanero is the one I might give you off that list. But when you toss in drinks and atmosphere, it's not winning that race.

**Interior Mex is a completely different argument. I personally am not a fan, so I cannot agree or disagree with that portion of the list.

you would dig rainforest cafe.

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1 hour ago, lonestar3 said:

Maudie's is garbage.

Overly-sweet margaritas - check

Store-bought tortillas - check

Sysco-style salsa - check

Crappy yellow cheese - check

If you couldn't tell I was kidding. Maudie's blows. Their queso is good and they do decent breakfast tacos but I'll pass on everything else. 

And you don't go to Matt's for enchiladas. I thought that would be common knowledge. 

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Haven’t read the whole thread, and I’m sure it’s been discussed, but my god torchy’s is just straight garbage. I saw a line down the street at the south congress location and could not, for the life of me, understand why anyone would wait for that shit. Granted, a lot of people in line had luggage so they were foreigner that don’t know better. It’s the austinites that eat there that confuse me. 

Biggest fraud ever perpetrated on mankind.
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On 5/1/2019 at 10:17 AM, chitwood said:

Eaten at Barley Swine 8-10 times, and we've never even had a meal that I would call just good.  Great every time we have gone.  Expensive as shit if you get the tasting menu, but always felt it was worth it.

So don't do the tasting menu?  As you know we're going there for youngest's graduation dinner next Friday.  DDD will be there too.  Good thing @texanbychoice will not be in town.

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1 hour ago, irishtexan said:

 

Maudi's

EyM

Habenero

 

And since you didn't qualify Tex-Mex but Mexican

Curra's

El Meson

Sazon

El Borrego de Oro

 

This doesn't include any "upscale" Mexican joints like El Naranjo, La Condesa, etc

And I'm not a Matt's hater. I think it's much better than the general consensus gives it around here. It's an office lunch favorite spot so I probably eat there more than any of the other places above. I love their Asadero tacos. But their tex mex staples like enchiladas aren't as good as the three mentioned above. And the rest of their menu doesn't stack up to the mex-mex joints listed above. 

I'll agree with this list.  And I'll go to some bastardized Tex-Mex restaurant like Chuy's or La Mancha before Matt's.

I'm also not a Matt's hater.  It just happens to be bland B- level Mexican food, bolstered by nostalgia. 

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28 minutes ago, DDD Dad said:

So don't do the tasting menu?  As you know we're going there for youngest's graduation dinner next Friday.  DDD will be there too.  Good thing @texanbychoice will not be in town.

i've done the tasting menu a couple of times, and ordered a la carte many other times, and enjoy both.  my .02 - i am not one to pinch pennies when eating out at all - but honestly, ordering a la carte items is way, way better bang for the buck.  now, there are items that are only available on the tasting menu that you cannot order otherwise, but unless there is some particular item on the tasting menu that i can't live without, i am doing the a la carte menu every time.  

point of reference: gf and i had dinner there thursday night - we shared 5 items and were both very satisfied, enough that we didn't want dessert.  $61 for 2 without tax/tip.  That is a crazy value for a top notch meal.  tasting menu would have been $190 - more items, but about the same amount of food.  ymmv.

*whatever you do, get the shitaake dumplings, they are amazing.

Edited by Jack Straw
pinch not punch
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14 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I'll agree with this list.  And I'll go to some bastardized Tex-Mex restaurant like Chuy's or La Mancha before Matt's.

I'm also not a Matt's hater.  It just happens to be bland B- level Mexican food, bolstered by nostalgia. 

I enjoy your contributions in other threads but I hate you and wish for your shitty opinions to die on this one.

 

Chuy's? GTFO.

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Agreed a la carte over the tasting menu at Barley Swine.  Aside from the value, when the wife and I tried the tasting menu we felt very rushed, like they were just laying food down at a rapid pace and trying to turn the table.  Our next visit, we did a la carte and took our time, and it was a more enjoyable experience.

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1 hour ago, lonestar3 said:

Unless you're getting a plate of enchiladas only, no it doesn't.

 

1 hour ago, jimmyjazz said:

Well, excuse me for ordering enchiladas at Enchiladas Y Mas.

 

1 hour ago, ztejas said:

If you couldn't tell I was kidding. Maudie's blows. Their queso is good and they do decent breakfast tacos but I'll pass on everything else. 

And you don't go to Matt's for enchiladas. I thought that would be common knowledge. 

 

54 minutes ago, lonestar3 said:

You said for Tex-Mex, homey. I didn't say Austin's best enchilada store.

Cheese enchiladas are the essence of Tex-Mex. It's square fucking one. It's how you judge a place. It's not by their queso, or the combo platters, or a burrito suizo, or their margaritas and atmosphere. It's "How well do they do cheese enchiladas with chili gravy"? 

I guess that makes Dart Bowl the best tex-mex place in town.

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