TripAdvisor Review Archives 01 -- 2013-2014

I’ve been posting on TripAdvisor since 2010.  During those times, I’d just log on, write my review, upload a couple pictures, and post.  I never saved the entries I’d done.  Later on when I started to get a little backlogged, I wrote the entries in a “catch-all” file so I could post a day or so later.  That’s where this file begins.  Most of these were already posted around the time when they were written.  I thought it would be interesting to show of a compilation of the entries I’d previously archived before posting them.

North By Northwest (NXNW; Capital of Texas Highway, Austin, TX) – November 2013

This is a place which I’d been to a few times for dinner or appetizers, so when my social group was going to hold a private “end of the year” party there, I knew what to expect.  We’d secured the outside patio section, which had some roll-down plastic sheets to protect the venue from the elements.  It ended up being a cold and rainy evening, and many of us were very cold, even with the number of space heaters which NXNW had brought out for us to use.  The roll-down plastic sheets had some gaps which allowed a lot of cold air in.  Not a fault of NXNW, as they did their best to keep us warm and dry.  The section we were in just wasn’t designed the unseasonal weather we’d gotten that night.

The food was a selection of the appetizers.  The glazed chicken wings were very good.  NXNW kept replenishing these when the pans got low.  We also had a bartender who gave us great service as the night went on.

Other times (prior to this), I’ve sat in the dining area, which has great décor.  The soups and main courses I’ve had were good portions, and reasonably priced.  There isn’t enough parking in the area, so if you plan on coming during a weekend, you might want to get there early.  Stopping by after work on a weekday you’ll find NXNW filled, but not packed, so parking shouldn’t be an issue then.

The servers, wait staff, and hosts always greeted me with a smile whenever I stopped in.  This is reasonably-priced place, with a decent menu selection, and good location for couples to go on a date night.

Blue Corn Harvest Grill (Whitestone Blvd, Cedar Park, TX) -- December 2013

My friend was having his CD release party here, so this was the first time I’d been to this venue.  I only had drinks and appetizers during the evening, and found everything was reasonably priced.  I didn’t look at the full dinner menu, so I can’t say what was on there.  I’ll venture to say (based on the trays I saw being brought to tables in the dining area) that light dinner fare were the main items.

The interior of the bar section (where the release party was taking place) was open and clear.  The décor of the dining area was neat, and the bathrooms looked nice.  One thing which I thought was good was the decent amount of available parking.

This is located off a busy highway (East Whitestone Blvd, also known as 1431), and the ease of getting to the area where this is enhances the niceness of this place.  Also, as it’s close to many neighborhoods in the area, this is a place when in the area I’d return to.

B.B. Rovers (Jollyville Road, Austin, TX) – January 2014

My friend was playing a concern here, so that was the reason I was here tonight.  I used to frequent this place when I lived over on this side of town.  It has good pizza, burgers, and other grill items.  The beer selection was always good.  And I was glad to see that had continued.

The layout is nice, so the dining area is separate from the bar area, which is separate from the pool table.  Plus there’s a good amount of outdoor seating, which is especially nice when the weather isn’t hot.

Being located between 183 and Jollyville Road, there’s easy access from both sides.  The plaza which contains B.B. Rovers is shared by many other establishments (both other restaurants and some stores), and the parking lot is spacious enough.

This is a good place to hang out with your friends on the weekend, and a quick post-work destination for some relaxation.

Tarka Indian Kitchen (University Blvd, Round Rock, TX) – January 2014

This is a place which I’ve been to many times, whether as a lunch destination, or going with friends for dinner.  As this is a local chain, I feel good about spending my money here, as it stays within my community.  Essentially this is “fast food Indian.”  If you’re someone who’s never had Indian cuisine before, this is a great place to start.

The menu is posted on the wall as you enter which shows what is in each of the dishes, and the spice level can be adjusted to your taste.  Essentially, choose your protein (meat or vegetarian options), choose your style (vindaloo, tikka masala, etc.), and then your level of spiciness (including “no spice”).  There’s also a selection of sides, breads (naan), and deserts in order to complete your Indian food experience.

The tables are small, but do provide enough space.  The food is made to order, and brought to your table hot and fresh.  Take-home boxes are readily available, as things easily can be reheated the next day for lunch.  This particular visit of mine happened when it was starting to sleet, so the take-home box was used.  Prior visits I’ve been able to sit and enjoy the ambiance.

This location is easy to access from both the IH-35 frontage road or from University Blvd (1431), and there’s plenty of parking.  Other businesses are nearby (like IKEA and Spec’s), so this can serve as a great lunch destination during a shopping day.  There’s also some limited outdoor seating.

Krave Wine Bar & Bistro (Main Street, Round Rock, TX) – March 2014

I’d spent a lot of time in downtown Round Rock, and had always seen this establishment, but never actually went inside until one of Meet-Up events happened there.  Like most of the businesses in this section, the historic buildings have been converted to modern standards while keeping the classic exterior.

Being a wine bar, that’s obviously the biggest draw, so there’s a decent selection.  The menu had a number of reasonably priced dinner items, although most of my group consumed the tasty appetizers.

The building is on a corner, so the interior tables are all along the windows, which enhances the nice atmosphere.  There’s also an outdoor patio in the back (where my group had gathered), which has some space heaters which could be turned on when the weather is chilly.

We had friendly service, and were brisk when bringing our orders.  While open during the day for lunch, this would be a good place for a couple to go on a date night.

Chola Indian Restaurant (South IH-35, Round Rock, TX) – February 2014

I’d been this place a couple times previously, so when my date wanted to try Indian food, I recommended this as a good place.  As it’s located in a shopping plaza, there’s a large amount of available parking close by, and is easy to get to from the frontage roads of both IH-35 and Louis Henna Blvd.

The interior is elegant in design, with good lighting and nice table cloths.  The menu is reasonably priced, and there is a large selection of main course dishes, appetizers, and desert items.  As common with Indian restaurants, it’s open in the middle of the day for the buffet, closes for a couple hours, and then re-openings for dinner later.  We’d arrived for dinner.

There were a sparse number of patrons, which wasn’t surprising as it’s just re-opened.  We were sat in a section to the left of the host, not the main dining area to the right (which was where I’ve sat previously).  While previously the service I had here was slow, but ended up being balanced by great food, this experience was not that.

It took nearly 30 minutes for us to be even given glasses of water, because the host had disappeared and the one server was not coming anywhere the section my date and I were in.  I ended having to walk over to personally get the attention of the server.  It took another 15 minutes for someone to come over to take our order, and another 30 minutes before we got our order (which was incorrect).  As there were only a handful of other patrons in the place, the kitchen couldn’t have been slow, and people who came in after us were getting their meals before us.  We were pretty much forgotten about.

We mentioned the orders being incorrect and the slow service to lone waiter we saw, and received an apathetic response.  The food this time wasn’t even close to the quality of what I’d had before.  It took another 30 minutes for our bill to be brought, and credit cards returned.  There was no attempt at any apologetic gestures at any time during the night.

Perhaps it could’ve been an off night for the place, as that happens sometimes.  But because there was nothing done to rectify the poor experience we had that evening, this went from a nice place I’d go occasionally to something I doubt I’ll return to in the future.

Genuine Joe’s Coffer Shop (Anderson Lane, Austin, TX) – March 2014

On Anderson Lane is a house which has been converted into a coffee shop.  I’d visited here a number of times, so it seemed like a good place for my friends to meet after work one night.  There’s a decent amount of parking in the back, so it served as a good locale to wait out rush-hour traffic.

The interior space is broken up into many small rooms (following the pattern of the dwelling this used to be), so there lots of little enclaves to sit around without feeling like you’re in the middle of a large crowd (like at your national chain coffee shop).  Like snacks are available, but the draw is the coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.  My friend ordered a bottomless cup of coffee, and I got a hot chocolate.  Since I’m not a coffee drinker, having a bottomless cup of hot chocolate would be nice.

Scattered about in the rooms are various seating arrangements, from comfy couches to small tables and chairs perfect for working away from the office.  The layout also keeps the noise level from being too loud, except for when an acoustic guitar gets played in the main section.  Some of the rooms can be “reserved” for private meetings.

There’s a patio out front which is partially covered, so there is some respite from the sun if you’re there in the afternoon.  We were present in the early evening, so it was comfortable to be there.

This has been an Austin establishment for many years, and retains the charm of that “laid back” atmosphere Austin had when it was still considered a “small city.”  This is a good destination for meeting people for the first time, or as a place for friends to gather.

Mesa Rosa (South IH-35, Round Rock, TX) – March 2014

When I lived on the northwest side of Austin, I frequented the Mesa Rosa location off of Anderson Mill Road, and always had great service and excellent food there.  Living in Round Rock now, I frequented the location here.  Located off of IH-35 (and clearly visible from the highway), this was easy to get to, and had good parking.

Being a local, Austin-based chain, the menu at all the locations are the same, so no matter which one of these you hit, you know you’re going to get good food.  As a creature of habit, I tend to have the queso as an appetizer, and cheese enchiladas as my main course.  The enchiladas are done to the way I feel are correct, where the cheese is hot but not melted.

I introduced this place to someone, and they enjoyed it also.  The establishment is spacious, but with various sections separated off from others it keeps it from being too noisy.  The décor is nice and clean, and the staff has always been friendly.  Like the Anderson Mill Road locale, when an order did come out quite right, it was corrected quickly and with sincerity.  My friend’s order didn’t come the way she had asked, the Round Rock locale fixed it with no fuss.  That level of customer service is what keeps me coming back to a place.

This has both lunch and dinner options available, and a wide selection of various dishes and styles.  No matter what type of Tex-Mex food you’re looking for, you’ll be able to find here.  And it was be enjoyable.  Everything is reasonably priced, so this works as both a casual outing for couples, and for family dining.

Sarovar Indian Restaurant (Burnet Road, Austin, TX) – March 2014

I met some friends here, as I was informed this had a really good mid-day buffet.  They weren’t kidding.  My favorite dish is chicken vindaloo, which wasn’t part of the buffet, but available as a dinner menu item.  When I try out a new place, I usually order a dish I know so I can gauge how well it was prepared.  This time, with the amount of fabulous looking items from the buffet table, and the sensual smells, I indulged in the ability to sample a wider variety.  Everything was delicious.

The containers in the buffet were small, which meant hot and fresh food came out more frequently.  Everything was nicely labeled, so when you find something you liked, you’d know what it was in order to be able to order it again.  There was also a selection of soups, rice, and naan bread available.

Located in a corner section of a strip mall off of Burnet Road, this has great parking and easy access.  The interior was elegant, but simple.  The gentleman who replenished our drinks was very friendly, and did make some beverage suggestions to us.

I looked at the dinner menu, and noted various styles of dishes containing chicken, lamb, seafood, and vegetarian options.  There was an extensive amount of options available, and all were reasonably priced.  While certainly families could be accommodated, this would be best for a couple doing casual dining or larger group of peers meeting.

The buffet is available during lunch time, at which point Sarovar closes for a couple hours, and then re-opens to handle the dinner crowd.  When you’re in this section of north Austin, you should take the opportunity to come over here to taste the flavors of India.  You’ll like it.

Titaya’s Thai Cuisine (Lamar Street, Austin, TX) – April 2014

My friend recommended we meet here after work for dinner, as this had been “recently re-opened.”  Located on Lamar just south of where Koenig, it wasn’t bad to get to during evening rush, and the parking was decent.  Inside the tables were placed close together to make a cozy setting, but there was enough space for the servers and other patrons to navigate their way.  Some walls severed to separate the sections, which kept the noise level down.

The menu items were reasonably priced for casual dining.  We ordered dinner types of things for appetizers and our main course, so we could try what each other had.  It was nice that our server asked what level of spiciness we liked, so it could be adjusted to our individual tastes.  The food was good, and it was a decent value.

Junior’s Bar & Grill (Main Street, Round Rock, TX) – April 2014

Tucked away in the historical buildings in downtown Round Rock, is this little establishment.  During the day, this is a good destination for lunch items while watching sports on the TVs hanging from the wall.  There’s a section in the back for outdoor seating, where there’s a stage for live music.

My friend recommended we go down for a show and some light dinner fare.  The menu consisted mostly of burgers and other grill items, so it was rather inexpensive.  Being an outdoor venue for the music, the acoustics were good.

If you’re looking for some place to go for an evening out which is easy on the wallet, this is a good bet.  The free parking garage is only a short block away, if there’s nothing available on the street.

Flix Brew House (South IH-35, Round Rock, TX) – April 2014

Ordering our tickets online for the showing we wanted was extremely easy (we were seeing Divergent).  There was a nice bar section in the lobby for us to wait before our show, where we could have a drink and look movie posters.  An employee made an announcement when we could now go to our specific theatre.

The seats were comfortable, and they trays which our food was to be placed on would slide towards a bit to make eating easier.  The area behind the trays was clean, and free of crumbs.  The menu was tucked in a pocket under the tray so it could be referenced throughout the show, although the light underneath wasn’t very bright (in order to cut down on the light pollution in the theatre).  A good recommendation would be to use a red light, which could be brighter without disrupting any low-light vision.

Our server took our order, and food came pretty promptly.  We were still consuming our appetizers during the previews, and the main course was being served as the main feature began.  I would’ve liked to have all the food delivered before the movie started, so the servers moving about wouldn’t be disruptive.  A call button was located at each seating area, so a server could be summoned when additional items were required.

The food we ordered was tasty and the appropriate temperature upon arrival.  Paying the bill was easy, too.  When Flix first opened in Round Rock, there were a number of issues they had with food quality, payment taking, and food debris behind the trays.  I was glad to see this had greatly improved.

Hanover’s Draught Haus (Main Street, Pflugerville, TX) – May 2014

Tucked away on a side street off the main drag (Pecan Street) is a music venue that’s always hopping.  During the day, the covered patio seating is filled with people having excellent barbecue, and socializing.  A sand volleyball court in the back is designed to have regular league play (and some Meet-Up groups frequent there).  There’s also indoor seating for those wishing to eat within the AC.  There’s a delicious selection of BBQ items available.

After the dining crowd has left, the kitchen closes and the stage opens to allow live music to fill the air.  The atmosphere has greatly improved since Hanover’s made the interior smoke-free.  The stage is small, which allows a close experience with the bands who play there.  The acoustics in the indoor stage are great, so the sound can be appropriately loud without the sound reverberating around.  Small tables and benches are scattered near the stage, so those viewing a show have the option to sit or stand close to the stage.

Along the opposite wall is a bar which stretches nearly the length of the establishment, which provides additional seating and socializing areas.  The restrooms are centrally located, and easily reached from the both the stage area and the outdoor dining section.

Even though this is located in center of Pflugerville, there’s a decent amount of parking on the street available during day.  Even after dark, the streets are well-lit so if you have to walk a few short blocks to your car, the area is safe.

Pecan Street Festival – May 2014 (Pecan Street, Austin, TX; also September 2013)

During two weekends twice a year (in May and September), the Pecan Street Festival takes place in Austin.  Portions of East Sixth and some other nearby streets are closed to traffic during this time in order to give space for the vendors to set up their tents.  Pecan Street Festival has been an Austin tradition going back many years, and is a great local festival that all residences should frequent.

There are no shuttles to the area, so you’ll need to park somewhere within the city and walk over.  Bringing a small umbrella to give yourself shade while walking around, wearing some sunscreen, and bringing a bottle of water is recommended, especially if you’re going to be there all day.  The local businesses that line the festival are open during this time, but note that bathrooms are patrons only.  Strategically placed throughout the festival are some portable toilets although.

The large majority of the vendors are Pecan Street Festival are local or regional craft artisans who produce pieces out of wood, metal, or other materials.  Paintings and prints are available, as well as a number of interesting things you won’t find anywhere else.  Soy candles, specific-fabric clothes and purses, and soaps & lotions are among some of the items you’ll find.  Most vendors have cards available with their website to allow direct ordering.

There are many places to get food as part of the festival as well.  Some local restaurants have limited grill items available (like gyros or BBQ chicken), and there are many places to purchase beverages to stay hydrated.  As the street is closed to create the festival space, beer vendors are available and patrons may carry around the open containers as long as they stay within the clearly-marked boundaries.  Additionally, there’s some vendors selling salsa, jerky, almonds, or other foods which can be sampled during your visit.

Pecan Street Festival wouldn’t be an Austin event if there wasn’t a stage to have some live music going on during the weekend.  The schedule is available online of who’s playing, as well as what vendors can be found.  The festival generally opens late morning (circa 10 am) and continues on until around dusk.

I’ve been going to this for over eight years now, and it’s something I look forward to.  Specific vendors tend to remember customers who return on a regular basis, which enhances the fun feeling of the festival.  This is something which is recommended for any Austin resident to come down and check out when this happens.

Estancia Churrascaria (Brazilian Steak House; Arboretum, Austin, TX) – May 2014

Located with the Arboretum is this high-quality Brazilian steak house.  Be sure you come hungry, because you won’t leave that way.  Of course there are other entries you can get, but the best fun is being able to sample all the various types of meats available.  You’ll start out with the large salad bar, but the recommendation I got on my first visit here was not to fill up there.

An informational card at your table details the style of over the dozen meats available.  Most are beef and steak, and the remainder of the selection being pork, lamb, and chicken.  Servers will come to your table with a load of meat on a large skewer, and announce what it is.  If you wish some, the server will then carve off a portion for you.  Tongs which have been provided as part of your utensils allow you to grab the meat and get it to your plate.  The servers will keep carving until you tell them to stop.

Each person at the table has a marker with the familiar “green = go, red = stop” colors.  As long as the marker is green side up, the servers will continue to come to your table with more food.  As some meats are more popular than others, fresh pieces come out soon, and the server will visit you again.

If you wish to sample the widest variety, then you keep the green side displayed until you’ve had all you can eat.  Once you’ve gotten all you want, then simply flip the marker over to the red side as a signal you’ve had enough.  Deserts are available too.

My recommendation is to try small amounts of each, so you find which style pleases your taste the most.  At that point, then indulge a bit more.  Coming with a hearty appetite is preferred, as this is not “light fare.”  While a good evening destination for couple who really want to treat themselves to something special, this works best as a weekend afternoon destination when you have to time savor all the flavors.

Pluckers (183 & Burnet Road, Austin, TX) – May 2014

I don’t know what I can say about Pluckers to show how awesome it is.  This is my favorite location, as being the first one I ever ventured into (back in 2003).  Having a serious need for good chicken wings, I spotted the menu for this on a co-workers desk, and since it was right on the way home (at the time), I stopped right in.  In those early days, Pluckers was a tiny little establishment in this strip mall.  It was a continued destination for me to meet friends, watch football every Sunday, and get my fill of tasty wings.  During the time I’ve watched their space double (as they took over a neighboring space), and then double again.  The quality and the friendliness has been consistently good.

This particular visit was for my birthday meal, given to me free as being part of the Pluckers Club.  While normally the points I spend during the year accumulate towards bonus meals, this is a specific separate event, as my birthday date was registered with the Club.  Birthday meals are also available for any spouses or family members (like children) registered on the card too.

When my Pluckers Club card is run in the system, the server will see my profile information (which I’d previously filled out).  That way they can ask me about my favorite sport teams.  That extra bit of customer service is something I like.

My usual meal is the Boneless Buffalo Basket done with Spicy BBQ sauce, with a side of waffle fries and country gravy to dip the fries in.  It was great, as it always is. I tried a bunch of different wing sauces available, but this one was the one I’ve liked the best.

Pluckers is an Austin-based business with locations all over the area.  This specific locale is my favorite, and is a place I continue to frequent.  Being right on the way home from work is handy, too.  I highly recommend that not only should you go to Pluckers, but you should check out this location.

Masala Wok (IH-35, Austin, TX) – May 2014

With the world becoming smaller, more and more Americans are being exposed to Asians cuisines which they’re not familiar with.  A good way to sample some of those is coming here.  The available menu has both Indian food, as well as some traditional Chinese dishes.  There’s enough of a sampling which someone whose unfamiliar with either of those cuisines, so it’s a good place to start.

Being located in a shopping complex off of IH-35, it is easy to get to, and there’s plenty of parking.  The tables are nicely spaced, so even when the establishment is at full capacity it doesn’t feel crowded.  The décor and lights are nice, and the place clean and inviting.

My friend got a vegetarian noodle bowl, and I had an order of chicken vindaloo.  As the food is cooked to order, our dishes were brought to us when they were ready.  Everything came out hot, and tasted fresh.  There are many dining choices in the vicinity here, so this is one place you should try.

Pluckers (Round Rock) – May 2014

It was a crowded evening when I met my friend here, but we still ended up having great service.  As I live near this location now, it’s a place I’ve frequented many times on the weekend or Friday evening.  Other times when I’ve come in and there’s a large number of people waiting, I usually just eat at the bar, or go to the covered patio (known as the “Roost”) and grab a table out there.

This time my friend and I decided to remain indoors.  I’ve learned that letting the host know you’re a Club Member, as sometimes you get seated quicker.  Considering the number of people already waiting, I didn’t think that would make much of a difference.

One thing which was done on this visit was something I hadn’t seen before.  I’m not sure if this specific to this location, or is the process at all Pluckers restaurants.  Instead of giving us a pager when putting my name on the waiting list, they asked for a phone number.  The host said they’d send a text when our table was ready.  I thought that was a great idea!  As there’s other shopping areas nearby, I wonder if this was done that way because people accidentally wandering off with the pagers.

Because the dining area is a huge space without a lot of soft surfaces, it’s going to get loud.  That’s especially true when there’s a sporting event, or some other evening entertainment happening (like Wingo).  The noise level wasn’t too bad tonight, so my friend and I were able to have some decent conversation.

I ordered what I consider “my usual” meal, as I’ve tried all the sauces and have decided on the one I like the best.  My preference is Spicy BBQ, especially when drenched over the Boneless Buffalo Basket.  My friend had the teriyaki style, and we rounded that off with an order of mozzarella sticks.

I’ve continuously gotten good service from not only this location, but from any Pluckers location I’ve gone to.  I’ve always let my server know how much I appreciate that, but that continues to breed good service.  As Pluckers is an Austin-based chain, I feel good about spending my money here.  To me, Pluckers makes the best wings in the entire Austin metro-plex, and I highly recommend you try them.

Morelia’s Mexican Restaurant (Stone Hill Center, Pflugerville, TX) – May 2014

I’d read in the Community Impact this was now open.  As I greatly enjoyed Mexican food, and it was close to the house, it was a perfect opportunity to check out.  The dinner rush had started yet, so there wasn’t too much of a wait.  Once we were seated by the host, it was a bit before our server came by to take our drink order.  Since we’d gotten tickets to the theatre next door, our time was limited, so we gave our food order right then.

Most Mexican places will bring you chips and salsa to snack on while you wait, we weren’t given any.  I did see other servers bringing that to other tables.  In fact, we didn’t even see our server until our food was delivered.  We had to flag a different person in order to have our drinks brought to us (which were only glasses of water to start with).

The cheese in my enchiladas was still pretty solid, and not very melted.  It was acceptable, but not quite warm as it should’ve been.  My friend ordered beef fajitas with no onions, and was given twice the number of onions.  Our server bringing us utensils was an afterthought, too, as we had to ask specifically for those.  When a manager did wander by to ask us how our meal was, and we informed her of the situation, we received a shoulder shrug in response.  There was no apology given, and not even anything knocked off the bill as a way to compensate.

I can deal with the maraca players indoor, even though the sound reverberated through the entire place, which made it much louder than it should’ve been.  Normal conversation at our table was difficult, and the maraca players were on the other side of the room from us.  The bar area looked nice, with many TVs present showing sports.  The rest of the interior was nicely decorated.

Overall we had mediocre food with un-attentive service, and manager staff which didn’t seem to care we were unsatisfied with our dining experience.  While this simply might be growing pains of opening a new establishment, but this is not something I plan on rushing back to anytime in the future.

The Egg & I (La Frontera, Round Rock, TX) – May 2014

As I encountered this chain during a visit to Houston the previous summer, I was happy to see there was no one close to home.  We went over for Sunday morning breakfast, and since we got there fairly early there wasn’t much of a wait.  The interior was bright and inviting, and the staff was very friendly.

The seating choice is both booths and small tables, and there’s even a room set aside for larger parties.  The Egg & I is open for breakfast and lunch (no dinner), so the menu items reflect that.  The choices of how you want your eggs prepared, and what to go along with them, are varied.

My friend had an omelet.  I got scrambled eggs with pepper jack cheese melted over it, with a side of home fries and muffin.  The service was quick, the food filling and delicious, and at a reasonable price.

As this is located in the La Frontera shopping plaza, there’s easy access from Louis Henna Blvd, and it’s close to IH-35.  When you’re in this section of town, or even just passing through, this is a good place to stop for breakfast, as its open seven days a week.

Maudie’s (North Lamar, Austin, TX) – June 2014

Maudie’s is the best Tex-Mex restaurant in Austin, as far as I’m concerned.  There’s a couple different locations besides this one (South Lamar, and 360 are the other two I frequent), and all have the same menu.  No matter where you are in Austin, a trip to Maudie’s is worth the drive.  My friend wanted to try Tex-Mex as her birthday dinner, and since this was the locale closest to her place, we went here.

I told her what people told me when I was first introduced to the North Lamar location.  Located at the far end of a strip mall, the neighborhood doesn’t look the best, and even the décor is well-worn from a lot of use, but that’s because this is a place which you’ll want to return to.  It may not be the prettiest place inside, but the quality service and excellent food outweighs everything else.

I got the Josie’s Enchiladas, which is essentially cheese enchiladas covered in queso.  I don’t believe there’s any other way to have more cheese consumed.  The server let me know the plate was hot when it was brought out, and I had to use my napkin to adjust it to where I wanted it.  That level of heat assured me the enchiladas were done the way I liked them.  My friend got the fish tacos, which she enjoyed a lot.

Whenever I’ve gone to any Maudie’s location, I’ve always had a good dining experience.  The costs are very reasonable if you want to take your family there, or it works as a great date-night destination.  Being a locally-grown Austin business, and one that’s been in operation for a long time, there’s a history about the place.  You can feel how much they care about their customers, and that enhances the already awesome experience.  This is a place you should go to.

Jasmine’s Mexican Restaurant (Ben White Blvd, Del Valle, TX) – June 2014

This is a hidden gem tucked away near the airport.  The building is close to the road, and none of the establishments look currently inhabited, but take the opportunity to pull in here.  Parking is limited, as it’s directly off the road, but it’s worth checking out.

The interior is simple, but casual and clean.  Service is good, and the atmosphere friendly.  The menu has a variety of Tex-Mex dishes, and everything is at a reasonable cost.  The food comes out fresh.  The chicken burrito I had was both tasty and filling.  This is definitely a small operation, but I felt that care was taken in the preparation of the dishes.  Because I happened to be in the area, I’ve stopped here a couple times for lunch or an early dinner.

There’s good value for families coming here, as there are many nearby neighborhoods.  The better value is for the traveler or visitor staying in the vicinity of the airport looking for decent food without having to travel far.  This is a good bet for them.  Jasmine’s doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the meal you get is extremely pleasing.

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