Hennessey’s (La Plaza, Dana
Point, CA) – September 2015
We
were looking for a place for lunch, and stumbled upon this located in a small
shopping district. Due to the experience
I’ve had with the Seal Beach location, I knew this would be a good place for my
party to have lunch at. In comparison to
the Seal Beach location, this one was more spacious, with a good-sized bar
area, private room, and outdoor patio area, as well.
I
ordered the grilled salmon which was very good.
The sides of potatoes and room temperature broccoli weren’t as good as
they could’ve been to compliment the meal, but it was acceptable. The rest of my group commented their dishes
were good. Service was good, although a
little slow as it seemed the staff was short-handed today. All things considered, my party enjoyed
coming here as it was a nice relaxing place to get good food. This is an establishment I’d love to
experience how it feels in the evening when there’s a livelier crowd present.
Newport Landing
(Newport Beach, CA) – September 2015
This
place was recommended to us to have a snack while we waited for our harbor
cruise to begin. There’s a main dining
area inside and a private room on the ground floor, plus seating available at
the upstairs bar and patio. The view of
the harbor from the patio was nice, and it was a good place to relax and people
watch. The décor was nicely done, and
the establishment was warm and inviting.
My
party got appetizers and drinks while we waited. I had a Bahama Mama, which was pretty
decent. The appetizer of chicken strips
I got wasn’t what I expected for the price paid, as I thought I’d get more than
two small pieces of meat. It certainly
wasn’t enough to share with the rest of the group. It was too early in the day for us to have
dinner, and considered the size of the appetizers, perhaps we should’ve.
Our
server was nice, and the dinner menu appeared to have a good variety of dishes,
so this would be a good place for a couples to go who want a nice evening out.
Mesa Rosa (FM 620,
Austin, TX) – October 2015
We
stopped by here for drinks, as it was late in the evening. Since it was after 9 pm, the dinner crowd had
thinned out, so we were able to sit out on the back patio. The music coming from the speakers was a
little loud. Other than that, the area
was comfortable, and our server was nice (as she kept checking on us to see if
we were going to order food). Scoping
out the rest of the interiors, we could see if was clean and nicely designed
having lots of small dining areas instead of one huge one. The entrance to the driveway might be
difficult to spot, but there’s plenty of parking available. I’ve eaten at other Mesa Rosa locations, so
I’m sure the menu quality is just as good as the others I’m familiar with, but
this was a great place to stop and get a relaxing evening drink.
Cheddar’s (IH-35,
Pflugerville, TX) – October 2015
My
friend offered to take me out to dinner, and since it was her turn to pay, she
picked the locale. Neither of us had
been here in a bit, and since it was a Saturday evening, it seemed to be the
logical place to go. There was a wait
for our table, but it wasn’t unreasonable considering the time we were
there. Besides, it gave as a chance to
sit outside on the patio, have a drink, and enjoy the nice weather.
I had
a rum runner to start the evening, which was nicely made. My meal consisted of the Buffalo Chicken
Wrapper, as I wanted something light.
The server was nice to allow my side to be a salad, instead of the fries
which normally came with it. The meal
was tasty and enjoyable, and hit the spot.
With
this being clearly visible from IH-35, this is easily accessible and a good
place to go.
Hurricane Wings (La Frontera,
Round Rock, TX) – October 2015
I’d
driven past this place a number of times, so it’d been on my list of new places
to check out. Since it’s tucked away in
the LaFrontera complex, it has easy access from the highway and good
parking. The interior placement hadn’t
changed much from the restaurant which used to be there, but having the covered
patio area was a new addition. And a
good one.
I was
attended by “Ninja Server,” also known as Alex, and she was fabulous. Since this was my first visit, she suggested
I try a couple flavors first, and I could do a different flavor for each set of
boneless wings I ordered. As the
boneless wings were more of a “bite-sized” variety, I ended up ordering a set
of ten with the hot BBQ sauce. While
tasty, it could’ve used a little more flavor spice.
One
thing which I personally liked when looking over the menu was the rum of choice
here was Cruzan (my personal favorite).
That means I plan to come back here at some point to savor the
drinks. This was a nice alternative to a
different wing place in the area, so I’m glad I scoped it out.
Chili’s (Route 79,
Hutto, TX) – October 2015
I
arrived here to meet a new group of friends, as this was a venue they
frequented. Since it was located right
off the highway, it was very easy to get too, and there was plenty of parking. Our server enjoyed hearing us talk about
various topics as he brought drinks and our entrees, and he commented here and
there (which showed some genuine interest).
I ordered the mango-chili chicken, as it was light fare and primarily a
protein dish. It was very tasty, and
just enough to hit the spot for dinner.
While I generally don’t go to national chains, this was a good choice
for all parties involved.
Mama Fu’s (Route 183,
Austin, TX) – October 2015
I gave
my co-worker a ride home, as she offered to buy me dinner as payment. Since we were in an area I used to live, it
served as an opportunity to visit a place which doesn’t have a locale on my
side of town. It’s a national chain, but
one which always provided good service to me in the past. While visible from 183, it’s easily missed
when driving on by, but once you know it’s there, it’s easy to get to. Because it’s situated in a large shopping
complex, there’s plenty of parking.
Our
server was Kenny, who was good-natured about the friendly ribbing we gave him
(and he gave some back in return). That
made the experience more fun. I ordered
the orange peel chicken, which was meat nice-sized meat chunks covered in a
tangy glaze. It came with brown rice,
which nicely mopped up the remaining sauce.
The
orange peel chicken was part of the “rice dish” line, which you you’re your
protein and the style in which it’s prepared.
That allows a lot of flexibility for the guest to try different items on
subsequent visits. This was good food
with great service, and is a place which I highly recommend.
Moonshine Patio Bar
& Grill (Red River Street, Austin, TX) – October 2015
My
friend and I came here for dinner, as we’d be leaving from this location for a
ghost tour later on. Because of where
this establishment was, street parking was difficult, so the $6 for valet
parking was well worth it. We arrived
there at 6 pm, and were surprised at the hour wait we were facing before being
able to get a table in the dining area.
I’m sure the inclement weather keeping patrons from using the patio had
something to do with this.
We
were able to find a seat at the (crowded) bar, and it was a nice bonus that we
were able to order menu items from there (as opposed to just getting
appetizers). Each with a drink in hand,
we started off with the warm bacon dip and potato soup.
For the
main course, my friend got the blackened catfish, which he rather enjoyed, but
was still hungry afterwards. I got the
chicken fried steak, and was amazed at how huge the portion was. I was only able to about two-thirds of it due
to how filing it was. I didn’t think the
battered portion really complimented the taste of the steak. The chipotle cream gravy was good. Overall not only was the dish more than I was
hungry for, and didn’t really tantalize my taste buds. My friend ordered the fudge stout brownie,
which was a plateful of rich tasty decadence that I helped finish off.
Ignoring
the weather and the crowds, I rather enjoyed the atmosphere of the place. A historic building which had been converted
into a restaurant is a great idea even time I come across it. The patrons were nice, and our bartenders
were very friendly. I recommend this for
a couple looking for a special occasion place, as this would be a great
location.
La Madeline (Lakeline
Blvd, Austin, TX) – October 2015
My
friend suggested we meet at this place, as it had a nice outdoor patio area to
sit at. Of course it was raining when we
got there, so not the place to be sitting (we found a table by the fireplace
instead). This has a nice casual
atmosphere of a quiet café. There’s a wide
selection of soup and sandwich options available, and I went for the chicken
pesto sandwich and a side of soup, both of which were tasty. What I really liked was the layout, as there
were a lot of small sections with few tables, so it had the feel of individual
rooms. And this set-up kept the noise
level very low. Because this was located
in the middle of a large shopping plaza, it can be difficult to locate a
parking spot.
Newk’s (Jollyville
Road, Austin, TX) – October 2015
What
else can you say about a place which you’ve reviewed a number of times? By the fact I keep coming back here (and keep
recommending it to people), shows how good I think the quality of this place
is. We met here for a light dinner, as
the menu provided enough variety for us to each get what we wanted. With a large selection of sandwiches, soups,
salads, and specialty pizzas, I’ve been able to enjoy different combinations on
every visit. My friend and I each got a
chicken pesto sandwich, but with different soups; I had the chicken chili and
she had the potato soup. Everything came
out quick, was at the appropriate temperature, and very tasty.
Bombay Bistro (Route 183,
Austin, TX) – November 2015
There’s
few places in the area for decent Indian food in the Austin area, and this is
one of them. Located in a shopping plaza
anchored by an HEB, it has easy access from both 183 and Jollyville, and
there’s plenty of parking. Bombay Bistro
is designed to have a bit more elegance than other places, so it’s the perfect
place for couples to go. I ordered by
favorite chicken vindaloo, which was extremely tasty as it was prepared the
correct way. My friend got the tikka
masala, which she found very good, as it was able to be made with no spiciness
to suit her taste.
The
servers were very attentive refilling our water glasses during the meal, but
vanished once they removed the dished from our table. We looked around, and didn’t see other tables
being attended to either. We ended up
having to hunt down the host in order to take care of our check. Overall, the visit was a good one, as the
food was as good as it was the last time I had the opportunity to get here.
Longhorn Steakhouse (Route
1431, Cedar Park, TX) – November 2015
My
friend and I went here for dinner because it was close by to where we’d
been. I’d been craving a good piece of
chicken-fried chicken, and I thought this would be a good place for it. Our server was attentive, but was a
little-overwhelmed. The salads came
later than they should’ve, but were still received before the main course.
I’d
asked for mashed potatoes as my main course’s side, and received fries
instead. The runners who bring the food
out don’t know what was ordered, so when you tell them it was incorrect, you
have to wait a period of time for your server to appear. I had fries instead of mashed. It wasn’t a big deal, and I mentioned it was
incorrect, but not to worry about it. (I
preferred the mashed because it wasn’t fried, and generally tasted better.)
Both the server and the manager (who came later) offered to bring me a side of
mashed. Since the fries would just be
thrown out anyway, there was no reason to waste food.
But I
wasn’t impressed with the main course. I
expected a chicken piece, but what I got were three “chicken tenders” which
were heavily-breaded. They tasted fine,
but there was far less meat than I expected to have with this meal. As far as chain restaurants go, I wasn’t
overly impressed, and not high on my return list. The food wasn’t bad, it simply just didn’t
meet expectations.
Opal Divine’s Penn
Field (South Congress, Austin, TX) – November 2015
My
friend wanted to meet after work for a couple drinks, and since she’d never
been here, this was a good choice. She
was a little late because she took the earlier driveway and turned into the
strip-club next door. I had let her know
the sign for the correct driveway wasn’t as well light as it should be.
Since
it was a nice evening, we were able to sit out on the patio, and shared an
appetizer of queso. Her margarita was
quite good, but I wasn’t overly impressed with the cider choices available (as
other Opal’s location have Woodchuck).
Since
this was the middle of the week, the patio wasn’t crowded, and there were few
smokers out there, so it made a nice atmosphere. And even though the patio overlooks the road,
there wasn’t much noticeable traffic noise.
For a place to relax for a drink in a leisurely atmosphere, I’ve found
the other Opal’s locations to be great for this, and the Penn Field
establishment met that expectation.
Rio Grande (Route 79,
Hutto, TX) – November 2015
I met
friends here for drinks one night, although they were having meals. I’ve been the Pflugerville location of this establishment,
so the menu was something I was familiar with.
The restaurant was tucked away in a plaza off the highway, so it could
be difficult to spot if you didn’t know it was there. It had good amount of parking, though. The interior layout was broken up into
smaller areas (as opposed to one huge dining room). The service was good, and my drink came out
without delay. My friends reported their
meal being very good.
Hea Cafe (Ben White
Blvd, Austin, TX) – November 2015
When
my manager wanted to take the leadership team out to lunch, our response was
“wherever you wanted,” so we ended up at a place the manager liked. Located in a small shopping plaza off of Ben
White, it was pretty unassuming from the outside, but had a nice clean
interior. The staff was friendly,
especially as my manager was a regular there.
Since this location served both Chinese and Viet cuisine, it was an
opportunity to try something different.
I went for the bowl of stir fried noodles with chicken and veggies. While my dish was hot (not spicy) and tasty,
there wasn’t a lot of meat there. The
proportion of the veggies was double that of the meat. So while the meal was good overall, it wasn’t
as filling as I wanted. But as the menu
had a lot of other choices available, I could see returning here to try more
things.
Cheesecake Factory
(Arboretum, Austin, TX) – November 2015
It was
my friend’s birthday, and she chose this as the place she wanted to be taken
out to. We arrived after the dinner
rush, so it was only a short wait to get a table. My date got the chicken & biscuits, which
she said was very tasty. I got the
chicken enchiladas. The dish was warm,
but not very spicy. The cilantro rice
actually over-powered the taste of the enchiladas, so I couldn’t taste the meat
or the cheese. I didn’t see that wrong,
as much as it was the way the dish was prepared. Not caring for how it tasted does not equate
to something being incorrectly done. Our
server was very nice, and the atmosphere here was elegant and casual at the same
time. We were dressed nice for the
evening, but there were also people wearing jeans present. This is a good place for couples to go. Location is good, as there’s plenty of
parking.
Red Horn Coffee House (Route
1431, Cedar Park, TX) – November 2015
This
is a nice little coffee shop tucked away in a plaza by a busy intersection, so
there’s plenty of parking space. The
interior space is open, with lots of seating areas. That makes it a little noisy, because there
were a lot of soft surfaces to muffle the noise. There’s a small private room off to the side,
which will hold about a half-dozen maximum.
So even when the band takes the stage, the sound echoes throughout the place. In addition to a selection of coffees,
there’s craft beer which is brewed here.
My friend and I had just had coffee as we chatted. Overall, this is a good location, and it
needs to be explored further just to sample the available beer.
Suvia Indian (Route 1431,
Cedar Park, TX) – November 2015
My
friend recommended we should go here for dinner, and since it was an Indian
place I’d never been to, I was game.
While this was located in a plaza, there wasn’t a lot of parking
available (as it had to share with the other businesses). Inside was open, and small, so not a place where
a large party could be accommodated. My
friend got the chicken tikka, and I had the chicken vindaloo. She said her dish was decent. The flavor on mine was okay, as all the
elements were there, but something was lacking from the dish. The spices perhaps weren’t as pronounced as
other locales where I’d been to. The
food was okay, but it just came off as average or bland. Since there aren’t any other Indian
restaurants in the area, this does deserve another visit just to make sure it
wasn’t an off night.
Monkey Nest Coffee Shop
(Burnet Road, Austin, TX) – November 2015
My
friend and I met here, as it was a place she knew well. It’s a small building with limited amount of
parking available, both of which fill up fast.
There were a few side rooms with small tables, but most of the patrons
were packed into a central area really close to each other. It was crowded, but the noise level wasn’t
over-powering. It was just more of a
confined space than I expected. The hot
chocolate we had was okay, but not spectacular.
There’s a corner section with some comfy couches where a band would set
up, which forced some patrons to move to other places (provided they could
locate seats). Location-wise, this is
right along a busy street where there are a lot of residents who’d frequent
this, so it’s a decent place to go if you live in the area.
Hat Creek Burgers
(Burnet Road, Austin, TX) – November 2015
We
were looking for a place for dinner, and my friend recommended this as she said
it was a good place. For arriving there
on a Saturday night, it was strangely empty.
Both the indoor dining room and covered patio were sparse of
patrons. She ordered the Chicken
Flashers with a side of fries, which she enjoyed. I got the Big Hat cheeseburger with a
chocolate milkshake. The difference
between the Big Hat and the Little Hat is deciding whether or not you want a
single thin patty or two thin patties.
The burger was decent, and not too greasy as I expected. The milkshake was thick, but could easily be
drank without having to wait for it to melt a bit. I found this a decent place to get burgers,
and would recommend it to others.
Red’s Porch (South
Lamar, Austin, TX) – December 2015
This
place was recommended by my friend for us to go and get some late-night snacks
and appetizers. From the road you think
you’re turning into a bank, but go all the way to the back to where the parking
is. The establishment is multi-level,
each one being a patio. Every level had
a bar with TVs present, and covered outdoor seating to be able to enjoy the
fresh air of the area. There’s also a
small side yard with picnic tables. In
addition to brew, this provides a decent menu of stuff (we looked at it, but
declined on ordering). What made this
place really nice was a great atmosphere of both the employees and the
patrons. We really felt welcomed coming
here, and that goes a long way. This is
a place worth checking out (especially in you live close-by, as this can be
your regular hang-out location).
Cheddar’s (IH-35.
Pflugerville, TX) – December 2015
I
promised I’d take my friend out for a birthday drink, and this was where she
chose. Business was packed for a Friday
night, so our wait for a table to get food was about 30 minutes (which was
average for the time of day). While it
was nice being able to walk in get a drink at the bar, it was nicer to be able
to sit at the outdoor patio area to enjoy them in a quieter environment. The bartender didn’t know how to make a rum
punch, he was able to do a good approximation by substituting the vodka for rum
in the Passion Punch. Very well
done. With our drinks we had the Triple
Treat Sampler, and I thought the Wisconsin Cheese Bites were the best of the three
appetizer items there. Sure this place
was crowded and noisy, but it’s not uncommon.
The layout was designed divide up the dining area so it didn’t feel like
we were sitting in the middle of a sea of people. We’ve frequented this place before, so we
knew there were a lot of other good items on the menu. While we like to go to local establishments,
when we can’t this is a good substitute.
Five Guys Burgers
(Arboretum, Austin, TX) – December 2015
I
needed to grab a quick bite before a meeting, and the choices were limited
where I was, so I came here. The
location of this establishment means there’s good parking, and the interior is
spacious and clean. I ordered a
“regular” cheeseburger, as opposed to the “little” version. The difference is solely the “little” has one
thin patty, while the “regular” has two.
The patty was dry (not juicy in any way) and the flavor was bland, so
while the meal was filling, the eating experience was unfulfilling. It was a matter of convenience which had me
purchase this McDonald’s quality burger (read: low) for the price for something
I’d pay at better burger joints. Next
time I’m in this situation, I’ll be sure to go a little further out of my way
for a better product.
Brio (Arboretum, Austin,
TX) – December 2015
My
friend suggested we meet her for drinks.
Sitting at the bar, we could tell how spacious and clean the
establishment was. This is geared
towards more “fine dining.” We just had
wine, and the bartender was gracious to allow us to try some samples until we
found ones we liked. I was particularly
fond of “19 Crimes.” Other than the
bartender, we didn’t have any interaction with the rest of the staff, but in
our observation we could see a lot of courteous service. There’s plenty of parking, and this is a
place to go when some elegance is desired.
Art on 5th
(South Lamar, Austin, TX) – December 2015
Initially
I was confused to where this was, due to the name, but stumbled upon its
location when visiting one of the other businesses in the plaza where this
could be found. There’s plenty of
parking available. The specific Star Wars
exhibit was only present for a limited time, while the Dr. Seuss and other
works are permanently on display.
There’s no admission, which makes a nice place to spend an hour or so
during the afternoon. All the paintings
are displayed so you can appreciate them up close, and look at the intricate
brushwork. Different styles and mediums
are used, from oils to collages. The Dr.
Seuss portion has sculptures, although I was amused at their presentation of
being “heads mounted on the wall.” I
thought it was in the Geisel hunting lodge for a moment. The staff present in the gallery are very
friendly and helpful to answer questions about the various pieces.
Kerbey Lane (South
Lamar, Austin, TX) – December 2015
I
recommended to go here for lunch to my friend when we were in the area. He commented that he hadn’t been to a Kerbey
Lane in about twenty years, since he’d previously been going to UT. I knew what type of awesome quality we’d get,
and my friend said the feeling hadn’t changed even though the menu had. I enjoyed my requisite migas with queso. He got the Boss Burger, the half-pound of
Angus beef topped with all manner of goodness.
Sure it was messy, but my friend found it fabulous. When I mentioned there was now a KL location
in Round Rock near where he lived, he planned on going there on a regular
basis.
Smash Burger (Lakeline
Blvd, Cedar Park, TX) – December 2015
I was
in the area, and stopped here to get take-out dinner before heading over to
meet friends. I’d never been here
before, so it was an opportunity to try something new. I decided to go for the Create You Own
burger, and informed the server of what I wanted. I ordered a chocolate milkshake too, which
came out first and was very good. My
burger was wrapped up and in a bag, so I went out the door without even looking
at it … which was my mistake. All the
veggies I’d requested (tomato, lettuce, and pickle) had been left off. What I was left with was an okay patty with
melted cheese and some BBQ sauce. Not
high marks for a first outing, and no opportunity for them to correct it (which
would’ve happened had I eaten in). It’s
not high on my list to return to because the burger quality by itself wasn’t
really that great to begin with, as it was dry and slightly-charred.
Pluckers (183 &
Burnet Road, Austin, TX) – December 2015
My
friend had never been here before, and she was concerned it was just a “sports
bar.” I assured her it was (in my
opinion) the best place to get wings in Austin.
We sat at the bar, and got excellent service from Leroy. I had my usual Boneless Basket, and my friend
got five bone-in wings. She thought
those were fabulous, and found the atmosphere of the place very welcoming. I’ve been coming to this location for a
decade, and it continues to be one of best Austin establishments
hands-down. My friend enjoyed it a lot,
and looked forward to coming back here with me.
I even made sure she was signed up as part of my Pluckers Club too. This place has always been high on quality
and service, and that’s why I frequent it.
BB Rovers (Jollyville
Road, Austin, TX) – December 2015
This is
a place I’d been many times to have a drink or watch a band, but I’d never
actually eaten a meal there. Since my
friend liked the burgers here, she recommended we go. I got a nice juicy cheeseburger which was
delicious. The fries were okay, but my
friend liked the fries a lot, so she grabbed some of mine. I already knew the drink selection was good
here, as this was one of the first places in Austin that served my beloved
Woodchuck Cider. I was glad to know the
food here was very good. I fully expect
we’ll come back here for some meals, as the service and atmosphere match the
excellent quality of the food.
No comments:
Post a Comment