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Overrated Austin restaurants?


Chet Steadman

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Crown & Anchor is definitely not overrated.  Still remember sitting on the patio with some friends on the night before my 21st birthday.  At midnight I legally ordered a beer for the first time, a Black and Tan.  You always remember your first.

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20 hours ago, Eskimohorn said:

I like going to Hopdoddy and Home Slice but both are overrated.

Went to Players before the closed and that was really, really overrated. Jester probably had better.

That's a good one. Hate to shit on a place when it's dead, but wtf, it's dead it won't care. Players was memorable bc I went there many a Sunday nights with friends and caught a few games on that old-school big screen TV they had. The burgers were always very average to me, could have had many better at any point.

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I don't understand the Y Mas obsession on Surly/Shaggy.  I also think every food critic in this city overrates Olimaie.   
 
It seems like most on this thread are basing an "overrated" assessment on  how crowded a place is, but you don't really know everyone's intent in eating there.  I go to Stile Switch because it is close to my house and open for dinner (unlike many better BBQ spots).  Maybe all the dudes eating at Ranch 616 know the food is meh but are just there for the eye candy.  Maybe the olds waiting in line at Chez Zee will overpay for so so brunch because they like the piano player and the magician.   


Took this picture at Y Mas 10 minutes ago just to say “fuck your opinion”.

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On 4/16/2018 at 2:57 PM, SimonBolivar said:

Hopdoddy

Torchy's

Tacodeli

Homeslice- They're good, but not the best in the town/state/whatever that people are always clamoring about.

 

care to elaborate on the places that are better? in my estimation you can make an argument for little deli or via 313, but that's about it.

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12 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Hoboken pie is pretty damned good for a thin slice. East Side Pies is good, too. But yeah, Little Deli is really strong.

sure, but would you put either of those places before homeslice or little deli all things equal? it's not like they cost any less.

if the definition of overrated is "it's good but i wouldn't put myself through any trouble to go there when other, more convenient options exist" then i guess it's overrated. but i don't think the reputation as the best in austin is undeserved.

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On 4/16/2018 at 2:32 PM, GreenspointTexas said:

Moonshine

I've never had a bad meal at that place.  The wait sucks, but the food has always been delicious. 

 

And I've never been anything but thrilled to eventually get the burger at Casino (speaking of waits).

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On 4/18/2018 at 10:58 PM, Lhorn said:

I understand the spirit of debate, but yall are spoiled.  Austin has a fantastic food scene.  Every time I go to Austin I'm amazed at how competitive and creative the food scene is.  Makes me very jealous.  I live in the east bay and have to say the food scene largely is abysmal.  Sure there are placed to go in the city (SF) and Napa, etc, but considering prices, parking, and especially traffic, it's not reasonable to do expect for a special occasion.  When you talk about placed you might go on a weekday to get a good dinner after work, it's largely chains.  There's a reason why people here think In and Out is "amazing."  They don't know any better.  I'd have to say that creativity is not valued or rewarded here either.  The one off restaurants largely serve food that's interchangeable with a chain.  No better or different.  There's very little "local fare" or regional specialties.  You guys have great BBQ, CFS, Tex Mex, kolaches, breakfast tacos, etc.  For being near the ocean the seafood is nonexistent, unless you are willing to spend $$$.  There is good authentic ethnic food here since you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a Mexican, Indian, Philippino or Vietnamese, but yall have enough of that too.

The Austin Creativity you speak of is largely an illusion when it comes to regional fare.  The best CFS in Texas is 200 miles due north.  Aaron occupies a special place, but even Chuy's is now just Chuy's.  GM Steakhouse, Katz's, Castle Hill Cafe, places like that, where regional meets execution meets "unique" austin, they are gone or dissappearing.   Dallas and Houston have equalled Austin, and Austin only retains a slight lead because of the truck scene.

Get thee down to Le Cheval for the Clay Pot and a Tsing Tao and tell me you can get that anywhere in Texas.

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1 hour ago, Hagbard Celine said:

The Austin Creativity you speak of is largely an illusion when it comes to regional fare.  The best CFS in Texas is 200 miles due north.  Aaron occupies a special place, but even Chuy's is now just Chuy's.  GM Steakhouse, Katz's, Castle Hill Cafe, places like that, where regional meets execution meets "unique" austin, they are gone or dissappearing.   Dallas and Houston have equalled Austin, and Austin only retains a slight lead because of the truck scene.

Get thee down to Le Cheval for the Clay Pot and a Tsing Tao and tell me you can get that anywhere in Texas.

where in dallas is this great CFS?

and dallas and houston have never “equalled” austin because they have always been comfortably ahead.  austin is great and food trucks are fun but the food here does not compete with dallas and houston.  get the fuck outta here. 

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48 minutes ago, futureman said:

where in dallas is this great CFS?

and dallas and houston have never “equalled” austin because they have always been comfortably ahead.  austin is great and food trucks are fun but the food here does not compete with dallas and houston.  get the fuck outta here. 

i'll give you dallas/houston ahead.  CFS is in Strawn.

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Austin's food scene has to be viewed in the light of its history, especially since the music explosion of the late 60's early 70's.  There was never much demand for fine or adventurous dining here.  Until the tech boom it was largely a town defined by academics, politicians, random large businesses and a ton of mom & pop small-town retail and service companies.  And hippies (some of who turned into punks) and country/blues artists.

Nobody had much money and what money they had sure wasn't gonna get spent on food.  TexMex and CFS and burgers and pizza and a salad now and again was fine for most people.  It was all cheap, as was the beer and the rent.

And then everything blew up.  And now Dallas and Houston types look down on Austin for even trying to float the random fine dining establishment like Uchi, because, well they're Dallas and Houston types.  Yay, no soul.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 4/16/2018 at 9:49 PM, Bottlecap said:

Ever since Oasis Brewing decided to do a kitchen I couldn't imagine why anyone would decide to go to the shitty Oasis.

Had lunch there yesterday, wife picked it as a "something we don't normally do" for Mother's Day.  The food was predictably pretty terrible (combo fajitas), and the service was even worse.  15 minutes before greeting, queso/guac showed up but we didn't have chips, yet.  Took 5 more minutes (and two employees) to solve that.  Food took about 30 minutes.

I don't know if they didn't know it was Mother's Day or if they're just even more terrible than before.  I'm glad I only go about once a year.

 

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I'm a big Whataburger fan too.  But, why the hate for P Terry's?  Think it's a pretty solid burger.  Oh, and my submission, the metrosexual burger joint, Hopdoddy.  

Couldn't agree more on Maudie's.  Thy have one good thing, the margarita.  

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