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Recommend me an Austin Restaurant

KyouguKyougu Registered User regular
Going to be at Austin for the weekend with some friends, and I'm need of a good restaurant.

The big caveat is that we're a group of 16 people, so trying to fit us in many places may not be feasible. I tried to make a reservation at Jack Allen's (one of my favorite spots) but it was filled.

We really wanted to hit up Prohibition Creamery that night (1407 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702) so anything in that related area would be nice.

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    TexiKenTexiKen Dammit! That fish really got me!Registered User regular
    Brick Oven Restaurant on 12th and Red River is a really good italian place, the calzone's come out of the oven still bubbling inside.

    El Gallo on Congress is solid as always, as is Magnolia Cafe. And if you go even further Hill's Cafe is always great. Yeah, you cross the river but you know what South Austin is better 78704 wut wuuuttt.

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    DjeetDjeet Registered User regular
    Do you have a particular atmosphere in mind? Or type of place (steakhouse, sushi, italian, gastro pub, etc)?

    Checked out Jack Allen's Kitchen (is this the place you were talking about?) and their Austin locations are pretty much on the very edge of town. Is that distance OK? Sounds like you guys might be wanting to wander a bit downtown.

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    KyouguKyougu Registered User regular
    Djeet wrote: »
    Do you have a particular atmosphere in mind? Or type of place (steakhouse, sushi, italian, gastro pub, etc)?

    Checked out Jack Allen's Kitchen (is this the place you were talking about?) and their Austin locations are pretty much on the very edge of town. Is that distance OK? Sounds like you guys might be wanting to wander a bit downtown.

    Relaxed but unique? Its a couple people's first trip to Austin (we're from Dallas) so I want to show them something different, which is actually hard as Dallas has some pretty awesome restaurants.

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    dispatch.odispatch.o Registered User regular
    Wherever you go, tip well and make people look at the menu a few days ahead of time.

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    IrukaIruka Registered User, Moderator mod
    With a group of 16 on a summer night, I'd personally look for a food truck park in the area. Its usually the easiest way to accommodate everyone's needs. Basically every spot I frequent wouldn't be able to take on 16 with any sort of punctuality, and usually the bigger the place the less interesting it is.

    Unfortunately that's not my area of town, and my favorite truck park is no longer.

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    DjeetDjeet Registered User regular
    edited August 2016
    Pretty sure the Rainey St food truck park is gone.

    The Picnic on Barton Springs is not too far (couple mile hike though). Uncle Billys and Shady Grove are right there too, which have abundant outdoor seating. I've taken visitors, but the food is secondary to the outdoor seating. Though Uncle Billys brews good beer, if downtown and I wanted BBQ I'd go to Iron Works instead (suitably BBQ-shacky, but no outdoor seating).

    Maybe Hillside Farmacy? You'd have to walk by a cemetery to get to the ice cream parlor/bar :) . Nasha's close, open late, they might could accommodate. Agree w/Iruka; call ahead and see if you can get reservations, cause most neat places are small and may have trouble accommodating seating 16 at once on any night much less on a weekend night.

    Moonshine is about halfway between, and could probably accommodate your reservation. It may not be too different from what you can get in Dallas though.

    Djeet on
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    jimb213jimb213 Registered User regular
    Djeet wrote: »
    The Picnic on Barton Springs is not too far (couple mile hike though).

    This is what I was going to recommend.

    If you don't mind a drive, there's also Lucy's on Lake Travis. Views and sunsets similar to The Oasis, but the food is actually decent, and they're set up for big groups.

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    KyouguKyougu Registered User regular
    Oh totally forgot about The Oasis, which would be worth it for the view. Thanks for the great suggestions!

    And yeah, def calling ahead of time. That's actually why I'm in the position I'm in, since Jack Allen's couldn't take our reservation.

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    AstaerethAstaereth In the belly of the beastRegistered User regular
    Chuys is my favorite Austin restaurant, a great relaxed local Tex-Mex joint.

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    HeirHeir Ausitn, TXRegistered User regular
    edited August 2016
    Yeah don't go to the Oasis. It's bad...just so bad. It has the view but that's it. Just...don't.

    Lucy's is good but I prefer Gus's fried chicken. Has better spices in the fry.

    Hillside Farmacy is good and east of I-35.

    Congress has:

    el Gallo (used to live right around the corner. Good, cheap TexMex)
    Home slice - decent pizza
    South Congress Cafe - good brunch. Mimosas and Bloody Mary's.

    South 1st has:

    Elizabeth St Cafe - Vietnamese fusion food. Good stuff.
    Uchicko/Uchi - expensive but good sushi. Get the Brussels sprouts
    Boldin Creek Cafe - vegan mostly...but good stuff.
    Odd Duck - good food. Pricey.

    Others:

    Bacon - it's lots of bacon stuff.

    Gordoughs - awesome gourmet doughnuts. Fun to go to after the bars late at night.

    Gordoughs Public House - pub food. Their burger buns are doughnut based (no sugar on them, just the bread part).



    Jacoby's - east Austin. Good brunch.


    There's also Franklins and La BBQ. Good good BBQ. But get in line several hours before they open. Bring a cooler if beer.

    If you like Chuys, go to Hula Hut. Similar menu but has a Hawaiin flare to it. Sit on the patio, which is a dock over lake Austin.



    Man, I don't miss Austin (or TX) for the most part...but damn I miss the restaurants.

    Heir on
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    IrukaIruka Registered User, Moderator mod
    Both Gordough's brick and mortar and Uchicko I wouldn't bring 16 people to without calling at least a few days ahead. If your aiming for Saturday night, you might get turned away by people who'd rather rotate out 4 normal tables than have a group that large. I personally think Lucy's is over priced.

    Wow I never realized that Home Slice wasn't national, we have a place in Baltimore called the same thing, and I just assumed they were the same. I guess I should try it.

    Normally I would tell you to punch someone who told you to go to the domain, but the rock rose restaurants can almost all accommodate huge groups. There's a brass tap there that literally just opened, and the other location has great food. The other shit in the domain is mostly shit you can find anywhere in the country, so its not very Austin. In fact the whole area is a yuppie dystopia and I hate it, I change my mind, don't go there.

    If its not all that important that you eat together, split up and go to some different places, then meet up at a bar. Any bar with a patio can accommodate all of you. But to me eating in Austin is wedging your way into a place like Ramen Tatsuya, and to do that with 16 would be obnoxious.

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    DjeetDjeet Registered User regular
    The fish caramel at Uchiko is ridiculous.

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    Blameless ClericBlameless Cleric An angel made of sapphires each more flawlessly cut than the last Registered User regular
    hey if you like indian -- The Clay Pit is fucking fantastic and will DEFINITELY take large parties

    idk if you can make a reservation at Hopdoddy's but if you can it's goddamn worth it

    Orphane wrote: »

    one flower ring to rule them all and in the sunlightness bind them

    I'd love it if you took a look at my art and my PATREON!
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    KyouguKyougu Registered User regular
    We actually have both of those in Dallas,and yeah, Hopdoddy's is pretty awesome.

    Tangebly related, anyone know what time the South Congress bats come out? I know its usually sunset, but I'm reading that the heat and rain now has them coming out closer to 7

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    spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User regular
    My current favorite spot is Seersucker on 4th st. They can seat you if you call ahead but it wont be cheap.

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    Local H JayLocal H Jay Registered User regular
    I have a few good recommendations but for 16 people most won't work. Bangers is pretty great with tons of outdoor seating. Taco Mex is just a taco window but it is so good and cheap, you can call ahead for big orders. Not sure on the price range, but Jesse's has some of the best steak I have ever had... but it's hella pricey. Stubb's BBQ is pretty stellar and reasonably priced.

    Not to shill my own spots, but I work at both Haymaker and Black Sheep Lodge. They both have a great patio/bar and interesting, mid-west inspired dishes like poutine and bratwursts. If you come through, I might be able to toss you some swag or a discount.

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    HeirHeir Ausitn, TXRegistered User regular
    Black Sheep Lodge is legit.

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    KyouguKyougu Registered User regular
    Thanks again for all the recommendations! I actually visit Austin semi regularly so a lot of the places you all recommended I'm familiar wit (and agree with!),its mainly been the big group that's making things hard.

    Right now it looks like it'll either be Bangers, Stubbs or Black Sheep Lodge. Something I forgot to mention is that one of our friends is a really, really, really picky eater, so those are the three spots that he would be able to actually get something to eat.

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    DjeetDjeet Registered User regular
    Kyougu wrote: »
    Right now it looks like it'll either be Bangers, Stubbs or Black Sheep Lodge. Something I forgot to mention is that one of our friends is a really, really, really picky eater, so those are the three spots that he would be able to actually get something to eat.

    So like pub grub: sausages, BBQ, burgers or sandwiches?

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    KyouguKyougu Registered User regular
    Djeet wrote: »
    Kyougu wrote: »
    Right now it looks like it'll either be Bangers, Stubbs or Black Sheep Lodge. Something I forgot to mention is that one of our friends is a really, really, really picky eater, so those are the three spots that he would be able to actually get something to eat.

    So like pub grub: sausages, BBQ, burgers or sandwiches?

    Yep.

    This is literally no exaggeration, his diet consists of, ranked by preferences:

    1) Cheesesticks
    2) Fries
    3) Pizza (pepperoni only)
    4) Plain Burger
    5) Fajitas

    Ocasionally he'll eat a chicken fried steak if there's no other options. So yeah, makes travelling with him somewhat of a pain in the ass.

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    DjeetDjeet Registered User regular
    Ooof, that's difficult. I sympathize. When I try to organize something for work I have to deal with observant Jews, vegetarians, Jains (vegetarian, but they don't eat onion/garlic/shallot), vegans, and carnivores.

    Stuff that immediately comes to mind is: Billys on Burnet (too small though), PintHouse pizza (few blocks away if Billys is full), the Pour House (up north on Jollyville, awesome fried mozz), Black Star co-op ... sadly I don't think any of these places take reservations, but they all have good draft beer selection, which matters to me, but not necessarily to your party.

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    spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User regular
    Black Star won't be able to manage 16 people... that place can barely swing 6 sometimes.

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    Sir CarcassSir Carcass I have been shown the end of my world Round Rock, TXRegistered User regular
    edited August 2016
    There's a Jack Allen's Kitchen in Round Rock, about 15 miles north of Austin. I actually ate there for the first time last weekend and it was amazing.

    Edit: Just realized you're probably eating right this minute! Oh well, it'll be there for next time.

    Sir Carcass on
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    KyouguKyougu Registered User regular
    We're actually waiting for our table at Bangers right now.

    Which isn't too bad. Nice weather and an awesome beer selection makes the wait bearable.

This discussion has been closed.