2401 Lake Austin Boulevard
478-6600
Pepper grinder rating: 0.
Men's room rating: 1.5. (You'd think they could
afford more than a single stall.)
I like Mangia's Lake Austin location much better than I do the Mesa location: for some reason, the Mesa location seems to attract management and staff that are both rude and incompetent.
Both locations do turn out a very nice stuffed pizza: I don't care how close it is to "Chicago style", the pizza is still damn good.
It's amazing how filling Mangia's stuffed crust pizza can be.
Usually, I'm not the sort of person who has trouble finishing any but the largest of meals. However, after a salad, a couple of pieces of cheese bread, two pieces of Mangia's stuffed crust pizza, and the decadent brownie concoction with vanilla ice cream, I felt ready to burst. The salad was adequate, but I can't recommend the Italian dressing, which seemed a bit thin (even for Italian). Speaking of thin, our dining compatriot's stuffed pizza seemed slightly on the skinny side, but ours was just fine. Service was good, a marked contrast to our recent trips to the Mesa location.
If you're looking for indulgent pizza, Mangia's is still your best bet.
9717 N. Lamar B-6 (Twin Fountain Plaza Center)
832-8393
Pepper grinder rating: 0.
Men's room rating: 2.
I don't think Twin Dragon is quite as good as Pao's: on the other hand, they seem to be more of a Vietnamese than Chinese place, and they do make a credible try. I highly recommend the curried squid and the fried shrimp rolls (served with fish sauce and chilled lettuce for wrapping: I suggest ordering these instead of the dumplings). I can't say I care as much for their soups: this is the only place in town where I order wonton soup instead of hot and sour (because the hot and sour is rather disappointing).
Since we had enjoyed Twin Dragon's Dim Sum, we decided to give them a try for dinner, at which they proved surprisingly apt. Though they also offer Vietnamese dishes, we mostly opted for Chinese, and for once the entrees didn't seem like the afterthoughts that you find at most pho places. My spicy beef dish was very tasty, easily the equal of anything I've had at Tien Hong, and I also liked the fried springrolls. On the other hand, the wonton soup was bland (par for the course since Asian Restaurant closed), as were the dumplings, whose wrappers were a bit thick. The service was standard for a North Austin Chinese restaurant (i.e., slightly indifferent).
The oddest things about Twin Dragon were the chairs. Though comfortable, they seemed top-heavy, with Dwight, Elze, and I all tipping our respective seats while getting up at one point or another. Nothing like a dose of low comedy to make your dining experience complete...
The food was good enough that I'll probably make a return trip to Twin Dragon the next time I'm hungry for Chinese and don't want to drive downtown to eat at Pao's. Worth trying.
31004 W 24th Street
478-7427
Pepper grinder rating: 0.
Men's room rating: 2.
Sadly, they've only gone downhill since our last visit. You can still get fries with your meat, but it doesn't seem as big a bang for the buck as it did before.
If I were Earl Campbell, I'd move my barbecue joint to the campus area. (Then I'd hire some new cooks.) Right now, though, if I were in the campus area and wanted barbecue, I'd either reconsider or drive over to Hoover's.
Whatever charms Bongo's had displayed on our last visit have waned.
I had the three-meat plate and was quite underwhelmed. The ribs that had so impressed us before were much smaller and less flavorful this time around. The chicken was good, but again, the portions were small, and the only reason I got the chicken was that the brisket had been so disappointing. The sausage was the only meat they provided decent portions of, and it wasn't any better than something you could pick up at HEB. The fries remained good, but they're not enough to recommend the place when the BBQ is so mediocre.
What's more, the underpowered air conditioning we had experienced on a previous visit was much in evidence this time around, which, with the early summer heat, resulted in a sultry atmosphere that bordered on the uncomfortable.
Why, when the rest of central Texas boasts many a great BBQ place (Salt Lick, Kreuz Market, Cooper's, Crosstown BBQ, etc.), does all the BBQ in central Austin suck? Did the Austin City Council pass a Mandatory BBQ Mediocrity ordinance while I wasn't looking? (Knowing the Austin City Council, I wouldn't put it past them.) Bongo's has gone to hell, the Ironworks went to hell in the mid-1990s, Stubb's was never that great to begin with, and Earl Campbell's has a long way to go. Show me a man with the talent and drive to open a great BBQ place near downtown and I'll show you an instant millionaire.
See the logs for June of 2000.
See the logs for March of 2000.
Return to the main Saturday Dining Conspiracy page.
Return to my home page.