Men's room rating: 2. (Not at the "make me puke" level, but it could have used a good cleaning and some repair work.)
Dwight's comments:
Things we learned:
It is a bad idea to bring your fingers anywhere near your eyes after handling hot peppers.
Especially if you wear contacts.
Both of those are good places to eat, but I think Pho Cong Ly benefits from focusing on pho: I'd rank them highest of the three.
Service was mostly attentive (which I've actually found to be a problem for non-Asians in Asian places), and they showed great tolerance for our relatively large and silly party.
I'd actually suggest trying this instead of Southeast Asian Restaurant (one door down: one of these days, I'll write up the story of the curried allegator.) I don't think you'll be left disappointed or broke.
9041 Research Boulevard
836-5127
Men's room rating: 3.5.
Dwight's comments:
I have about as much to say about Black Eyed Pea as I did about T.G.I. Friday's: the "large menu of mostly undistinguished food" comment applies here as well.
I will confess that they do manage to make it tolerable enough for me to eat there every so often (and one of my many pet peeves is the "fake country-style" dining experience: I was dragged to far too many of those as a child.)
I'll also add that this was the most pleasant dining experience in a great while: we had a very large turnout, with +Rich and Terri, John and Marty, RoadRich, Lawrence and I, and my sister and her husband (visiting from out of town: she had just finished a gig at a local OB-GYN practice, and may take a job there when she finishes interning.)
Much to their credit, they did a good job of getting our large party seated quickly (on a Saturday night: I did call ahead and let them know a large group was coming, but they don't take reservations.) and the waitress handled our very silly noisy bunch with grace and style.
If you've got to eat here, this is the way to do it: with a large party of good friends, so you can overlook the shortcomings.
Men's room rating: did not rate.
Dwight's comments:
Places like this remind me of something an Austin Chronicle writer said once about film festivals: you go, you sit through something that you know represents years of a person's life, their dreams, their visions...and it's crap. What can you say in a situation like that?
Lawrence's BBQ isn't quite at that level: it's the kind of place you really want to see make a go of it, with a couple of hard-working folks in a little storefront selling drinks, lotto tickets, and their own barbecue...
Sadly, it's just not very good barbecue. I had the rib and beef plate: the ribs were slightly better than, say, Bill Miller's, but the brisket had nothing to distinguish it.
The sauce tastes bought: like they get it from the same people who supply Pok-E-Jo's.
I feel slightly sorry for the people who run this place: only slightly, because they're within walking distance of Radian, and must do a big lunch trade.
But if you're going to devote your life and time and effort to barbecue, why do average barbecue?
(Side note: I would give my right arm for another barbecue place that realizes there are people who want a choice of sides other than beans, slaw, and potato salad. I can't stand any of those three, and would love to be able to get fries or a baked potato instead. Eight out of ten Austin barbecue places don't offer you that choice. Why?)
Dwight's comments:
Quote of the week:
"Shut up, Andrew."
I don't get it. I don't understand why Chuy's is so popular. The decor? Big deal.
The food? Well, it's edible, and decently executed, but it's not ambrosia. To be honest, I don't care for any of their sauces (which all have too much tomato for me). I tried chicken fajitas, this time: they were decent, but it's a hard to screw up dish. (And I actually prefer Serrano's.)
Chuy's is much better than, say, Compadre's, and we had a lot of fun with a very large crowd (including our youngest co-conspirator yet, Mr. Wimsatt's nephew (also the source of the quote above)). I'm just puzzled as to why so many Austin diners flock like geese to the same average places on such a regular basis.
Send e-mail to Dwight Brown (stainles@bga.com).
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See the logs for June of 1996.
See the logs for April of 1996.