Set inside the Farmer's Market on Brunet, The Stonehouse Grill does a pretty good job at what they do. My pork chop had a whisky cream glaze that ranks among the most delicious I've had in Austin. Service was also quite good, with the manager/owner coming out to check on us, and prices were very reasonable. The side fries and the banana Foster dessert were both tasty, while the house salad (as usual) was merely OK.
The only major drawback was the lack of appetizer choices, essentially three. The crawfish appetizer was good, but I would have liked to have a wider variety. Still, even with that drawback, this is a place I'm eager to try again.
Quite servicable barbecue. I liked the brisket and ribs well enough.
I don't think I'd drive to Round Rock just for the 'cue, but if I was already in the downtown area and craving barbecue, I'd sure stop in for a bite.
I wonder if we hit them on an off night. While we were quite taken with the original Cooper's in Llano, the site in Round Rock run by Gary Cooper, son of the Llano owner, is harder to evaluate. The place was essentially deserted for almost the entire time we were there, which is usually a bad sign (though they seemed to be setting up for a larger party later in the evening), and when we were there they served a far more limited menu than the Llano Cooper's (for example, there was no pork chop or sirloin steak on the menu when we went). As for the food, the ribs were quite good, though probably not good enough to crack my top five, while the brisket and sausage were firmly in the fair-to-middling range: passable, but not outstanding. Potato salad was pretty good.
All in all, the Round Rock Cooper's leaves me with no strong feelings. I wouldn't mind stopping in again if I were in the area, but thus far nothing is so compelling that I'd want to drive here from north Austin. And guys, charging 10 cents a slice for the white bread is just chintzy.If you want to try the best Cooper's BBQ available, I'd make the drive out to Llano.
I think we have a winner for Best Fine Dining in Austin. Both times I've visited Hudson's, they've been consistently excellent, living up to their well-earned reputation for exquisite game dishes.
For appetizers we started with the Hill Country Antipasto Plate, the Rattlesnake Cakes, and the Smoked Lobster and goat Cheese Quesadillas. The antipasto plate featured a variety of wild game: cured boar tenderloin, peppered antelope, smoked duck breast and "squaw candy" (a sort of cured, glazed salmon). All of it was very savory. The rattlesnake cakes were quite good, as usual. My only quibble was that the smoked lobster and goat cheese quesadillas were way too small (basically half of a very small tortilla) for the price ($9.50). I'd prefer crab quesadillas, especially if you could get more than a single bite each.
For my entree I had the Hudson's Mixed Grill, which provided another selection of game dishes: Venison, Rabbit, Smoked Quail, their excellent venison sausage, and buffalo. The rabbit was merely interesting, but the rest ranged from good (the quail) to heavenly (venison and buffalo).
For dessert I had two wedges of (I think) caramel and chocolate cheese cake. Though somewhat on the small side, it was one of the richest, most delicious desserts I've had in Austin (I wish I had written down what it's called, since it's not on their takeout menu). Service was excellent, attentive and unobtrusive.
Bottom Line: If Fine Dining prices (it's easy to drop $60+ a person), or that unacceptable automatic 20% gratuity for parties of 6 or more (since there were five of us, we flew in just under the radar), don't scare you away, Hudson's on the Bend offers some of the best dining in Austin.
(And a tip of the SDC's Hatlo hat to my parents, Murray and DeLois Person, for underwriting this excursion.)
Average generic TexMex. How could this place not be as good as the Maudie's Cafe on Lake Austin?
Hell, I'd almost rather eat at Chuy's.
A perfectly serviceable TexMex place, especially for north of 183, but little more. The nachos were good, but the quesadillas were too small for the price. (Why is it that Freebird's offers tasty 12" quesadillas for the same price that most places charge you for 6"?) My enchiladas were decent but not exceptional. Service was very attentive, but since there were only 2-3 other occupied tables the entire time were there, this isn't exactly a ringing endorsement.
In the same general area, I think Enchiladas Y Mas does a better job.
Christmas break.
See the logs for January of 2002.