2602 Guadalupe
494-1011
Dwight's comments:
Good steamed dumplings, and reasonable prices, but otherwise not outstanding Thai food from the people who brought you Satay.
Perhaps if they raised the prices a bit, they could afford some paint.
Within walking distance of campus: but do yourself a favor and walk the extra few blocks to the Guadalupe Thai Kitchen instead.
Lawrence's comments:
Wouldn't it be great if there were an excellent Thai restaurant within walking distance of UT campus?
There is. It's called Thai Kitchen.
Thai Noodle House, on the other hand, pretty much sucks. The Tod Mun cakes were small and their taste merely adequate (Thai Garden and Thai Orchid both do a better job), and the dumplings were inferior to other Austin Thai offerings. The Tom Yum Guew I ordered as a plate (rather than a soup) had too many vegetables and not enough meat or noodles (not unlike a dish I once had at Korea House), wasn't nearly spicy enough (despite my request and the dish's designation as the hottest thing on the menu), and just wasn't all that good. Plus the service was indifferent and (as with Thai Passion) they charged $1.25 for cans of soft drinks.
The food is reasonably cheap, but that's about all that can be said for it. I've eaten better campus-area Asian meals from Saigon Eggroll Stand.
As far as I can tell (though it's been years since I ate at Bangcock Cuisine), Thai Noodle House is at the very bottom of the Austin Thai food chain.
13376 Research Blvd.
335-8008
Men's room rating: 3.5.
Dwight's comments:
I can't find much to say about this Mama Mia's location, except that it's as good as the original Shoal Creek branch.
Mike and I did find, however, that his dessert course was more than a little dry: a lamentable lapse in quality.
I'd also like to note that Mama Mia's (at both locations) marks various menu items as "low-fat" (for example, the excellent chicken with potato and rosemary): I applaud both the idea, and the wide range of offerings.
Lawrence's comments:
I'm happy to say that the Mama Mia's up on North 183 maintains the same high quality set by the Shoal Creek location. My Roughy Picatta (grilled orange roughy in a white wine sauce with capers) was quite delicious and came in generous portions (though I think the sauce could have been a touch richer). I didn't hear any complaints from fellow diners about their meals, and the service was courteous and efficient. I only regret that I was too full to select something from their ample dessert tray.
However, a couple of minor caveats: The dressing they use on their Caesar salad is too thin, and there are too few (five) mussels to a plate, especially compared with the huge portions served up at Carrabba's. I'd advise trying the calamari instead. Despite those few nits, the 183 Mama Mia's is a worthy dining entry. And with Reale's less than a quarter mile up the road, this stretch of 183 now has to rank as one of the best locales for Italian food in Austin.
5405 N. IH-35 (in Capitol Plaza)
458-2531
Dwight's comments:
I wasn't impressed at all with Amaya's on my first visit: the second time around, it grew a little on me.
The atmosphere at Amaya's can best be described as "functional", but the service is acceptable: our waitress did a pretty reasonable job with our large party.
How's the food? My chicken breast with a ranchero sauce was a bit bland and dry: on the other hand, I sampled some of the roast chicken from the combination plate and was favorably impressed. I wish I could have sampled some more of that.
If you like grilled or roasted beef, Amaya's combination plate offers huge portions at a better price than Papasito's.
If you're in a party of two or more and want lots of meat, cheap, Amaya's is worth trying.
Lawrence's comments:
Amaya's is widely praised for its tacos, and it's easy to see why. They come in a tasty, deep-fried, puffy corn tortilla that puts them several cuts above the likes of Taco Bell. Likewise, the fajitas that Andrew "Satan is My Co-Pilot" Wimsatt and I split were reasonably tasty (though not the best I've had this year). However, looking at the huge heap of food that our dining companions split leads me to believe that the Combination Plate is the best value for the buck spent, as a plate for two looked like easily enough to feed four. After a slow start, the service was quite attentive.
Definitely worth a try if you're in the area, or want a big meal on a small budget.
2408 W. Anderson Ln. (at the corner of Burnet & Anderson)
451-7333
Men's room rating: 3.5.
Dwight's comments:
Atmosphere out the wazoo, and prices to match. (At $16 for a pork chop (with salad extra, that pork chop had darn well better be "the best pork chop in Austin".)
Once you get past the sticker shock ($7 for a burger?), you'll find excellent service and more than tolerable food. My fish of the day (Atlantic salmon) was moist and tender: it could, however, have used some additional seasoning, or perhaps a marinade before cooking. (It is usually served with drawn butter: I didn't try that.)
The baked potato, on the other hand, was the best I've had in a long while: Houston's clearly knows what potatoes to buy and how to cook them. And Lawrence's ribs (with the nicely done shoestring fries) almost tempted me off of my "if it tastes good, spit it out" diet.
I think Houston's offers a generally superior dining experience to the nearby Steak and Ale: consider going here for quiet conversation in a clean, well-lighted place.
Lawrence's comments:
Though situated somewhere between Bennigen's and Steak & Ale on the chain restaurant evolutionary scale, Houston's was actually a pleasant surprise.
The service was hyper-attentive, the salads were both tasty and large, and my BBQ-ed ribs were grilled with a delicious sweet sauce and were fall-off-the-bone tender. I especially liked the French fries, which were regular fries cut shoestring thin.
The only drawbacks are the prices (a bit on the expensive side), and the lack of more varied appetizers. (And though I didn't have it, I note with firm disapproval their policy of putting beans in (wimpy, non-spicy) chili. Heretics!)
Worth a visit.
Dwight's comments:
We were in San Antonio this weekend, for the World Science Fiction Convention.
At some point, I plan to do a somewhat more comprehensive list of places we ate and comments, but:
Perhaps the most impressive meal of the weekend was Friday night at the Bayou, a seafood place on the Riverwalk.
Good service, nice atmosphere, and excellent food.
I decided to try one of the specials that night: kangaroo. Yes, as in hoppity hoppity hoppity hop.
I have to admit: I'm glad I tried it once but it's not the sort of thing I'd make a regular diet of. It was a bit tough and gamey for my taste.
Also worth noting: avoid Dick's Last Resort. What kind of brain-damaged morons won't serve burgers and fries between 7 and 10 PM?
Send e-mail to Dwight Brown (stainles@bga.com).
Return to the main Saturday Dining Conspiracy page.
See the logs for September of 1997.
See the logs for July of 1997.