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Burgers and Beer at Hopdoddy Burger Bar

December 18, 2012 by

After less than three years in business, Hopdoddy Burger Bar is already an Austin institution. Their simple menu features burgers, salads, beer, and other adult beverages. Burgers are reasonably priced and made from top quality ingredients. Hormone and antibiotic-free black angus beef is ground in house and grilled to perfection. Buns are baked from scratch twice daily, and they even cut their own fries.

In addition to several beef burgers on the menu, Hopdoddy offers turkey, lamb, tuna and veggie burgers. Be sure to top your patty with their homemade chipotle ketchup. Staff will guide you through their ordering process, which starts with bar items first — including many craft and local beer options in addition to mixed drinks — before placing your food order. This place is busy, so be prepared for a line out the door. Excited customers and tight seating make for a boisterous atmosphere, so it’s best suited to a night out with friends.   
 

Hopdoddy Burger Bar
1400 S Congress Ave
Ste A190
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 243-7505
www.yelp.com/biz/hopdoddy-burger-bar-austin

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Carmelo’s: From Sicily To Texas

November 27, 2012 by

This top-flight Italian eatery has been dazzling Austinites for years, and one bite of Chef Carmelo Mauro’s spectacular cuisine will make you a convert as well. Mauro opened the first Carmelo’s in Houston in 1978 and expanded to Austin in 1985. In the three decades he’s been in the restaurant business he has assembled a legion of devoted fans who claim that his place offers the best Italian in Texas, hands down. For appetizers, the beefsteak tomatoes topped with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil can’t be beat, as well as the mussels, flavorful and simmered in garlic white wine broth. Entrees that garner special attention are the chicken Parmesan, which is lush and delicious, as well as signature dishes like the tender Ossobucco and fettucine carbonara, which is cooked tableside. In general, the seafood here is beyond reproach, with tender, perfectly-cooked salmon a highlight. Carmelo’s also has an excellent wine selection. For dessert, the lemon cake, served from an old-school three-tiered dessert cart, is some of the best in town.

Carmelo’s
504 E 5th St
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 477-7497

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Beets Living Foods Café: Refresh with Raw Creations

November 20, 2012 by

Beets Living Foods Café is a vegan, raw food establishment that makes food that will impress any diner. Passion and creativity are at work in the kitchen to create healthy and good tasting meals. These dishes aren't your typical, bland sort of health food fare. Inventive items like the raw reuben and an eggplant B.L.T. are all over the menu, as are an impressive selection of side and entree salads. There's also an array of refreshing fruit and vegetable smoothies. Beets also regularly offers classes on raw cooking, and can be rented out for events at extremely great rates. Relax in the spacious dining room and enjoy a nice meal or a quick refresher. Whatever you do, be sure not to miss Beets Living Foods Café. You'll be amazed that so much flavor can come out of raw cooking, and your body will thank you for it!

Beets Living Foods Café
1611 W. 5th Street
Suite 165
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 477-2338
http://www.yelp.com/biz/beets-living-foods-cafe-austin
 

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Gourmands: Sandwiches with Personality

November 13, 2012 by

Do you want a sandwich? Then there’s one place in Austin that you need to try: Gourmands, opened in 2011, has earned a reputation for seriously great food at fair prices. Located in an old bar that’s been thoroughly remodeled, the atmosphere is quirky and overflowing with character, from the checkerboard tile on the walls to the slight lean to the building. That character comes through in the food as well. These aren’t your ordinary deli sandwiches – each of them has real personality. The menu is extensive, and just about everything is great, but some favorites include the Second Deadly Sin (smoked turkey, bacon, Swiss cheese, sprouts and fried avocado) and the Cool Hand Luke (house-made egg salad, celery and caramelized onions). One of the best things about Gourmands is the house-made potato chips that come with every sandwich. Fresh from the fryer, they’re perfectly crispy and salty and will leave you craving more.

Gourmands
2316 Webberville Road
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 610-2031
http://www.yelp.com/biz/gourmands-austin-2

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TRIO: Fine New American Fare

October 16, 2012 by

Austin diners looking for a high-quality meal have been flocking to Trio in the Four Seasons Hotel for years, knowing that a meal here is a delight. Chef de Cuisine Grant McDonald brings a fascinating life experience to the kitchen here, from a boyhood in Norway eating farm to table to a chemistry major at McGill University, McDonald’s diverse influences show up in the beautifully-composed menu, which boasts dishes like awesome Gulf ceviche as an appetizer. Entrees are equally impressive, with diners raving about the perfectly-cooked flatiron steak, the rack of lamb cooked in rosemary, garlic and house-made mustard, and the gulf redfish with corn and pumpkin. The wine list is very good as well, pairing excellently with the flavors on the menu. The Sunday brunch buffet packs the restaurant to the rafters with an incredible selection of tasty options, including unforgettable made-to-order eggs Benedict, stuffed French toast, pastries, muesli and more.

TRIO
Four Seasons Hotel
98 San Jacinto Boulevard
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 685-8300
http://www.yelp.com/biz/trio-austin-2

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Louisiana Longhorn Cafe: “Where the Bayou Meets the BBQ”

September 25, 2012 by

According to the restaurant, Louisiana Longhorn Café boasts “The Best Cajun Food West of the Sabine River.” Where’s that? In the heart of the Louisiana Bayou, of course. All the proprietors hail from Cajun Country, and LLC recreates the laid-back world they grew up in.  When we say this is an authentic experience, we’re not just talking about the Mardi Gras beads; we mean all the food comes from “borrowed” family recipes, the piquant, generations-old work of people with French names and the patience to make sure those Fried Pickles have just the right snap. The Shrimp Acadiana is a peppery eye-opener, and we haven’t had Etouffee this good since we spent a long night in New Orleans. Grab some of “The World’s Coldest Beer” and toast the alligator on the wall—they fry up his buddies here, and after one bite, you’ll wish you had a few in your back yard, too. Louisiana Longhorn Café is closed Mondays.

Louisiana Longhorn Cafe
200B E Main Ave
Round Rock, TX 78664
(512) 248-2900

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French Quarter Grille: Enjoy Cajun Cuisine

September 18, 2012 by

With fantastic cajun cuisine, the French Quarter Grille is a friendly spot that's great for casual fine-dining. This cozy space serves up a menu full of incredible gulf specialties. Incredible incarnations of classics like etoufée and gumbo along with inspired culinary creations like pecan-crusted trout and crawfish beignets. Pastas and salads are also available. Save some room for dessert, too, to sample incredible fare like a croissant bread pudding or an orange crème brûlée. The lunch menu has a number of these great choices, and some classic po-boy sandwiches, too! Portions are generous without being overwhelming, and service is professional and helpful. French Quarter Grille is Cajun cooking at its finest.

French Quarter Grille
13000 N. IH-35
Suite 600
Austin, TX 78753
(512) 832-9090
http://www.yelp.com/biz/french-quarter-grille-austin

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Torchy’s Tacos: Tacos Perfected

September 11, 2012 by

If you haven’t ever had an elaborate taco, it can be hard to imagine that such a thing exists. After all, how interesting can a dish that comprises nothing but a bit of meat, a handful of veggies, and some grated cheese be? Check out Torchy’s Tacos in Austin to see the true potential of the taco. For its signature taco, Torchy’s has taken a tip from New Mexico and crafted the Green Chile Pork: roasted pork carnitas with green chiles, dressed in fresh queso sauce and topped with cilantro, onions, and lime. Or check out Torchy’s Tacos's monthly specials. One recent favorite was the American (their proudest taco yet, they say), with crispy fried chicken, pineapple coleslaw, jack cheese, pico de gallo salsa, and cilantro, drizzled with chipotle ranch sauce.

Torchy’s Tacos
5119 Burnet Road
Austin, TX 78756
(512) 382-0823

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Restaurant Reviews Are On The Way…

February 4, 2012 by

Check back for full reviews of the best places to eat in your area. Thanks!

Filed Under: Restaurants
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