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Featured Replies

On 3/25/2021 at 11:48 AM, Pescado_Rojo said:

My go-to when Mrs Rojo wants Chuy's is the steak burrito with Boom-Boom sauce. 

I'd bet I've eaten at Chuy's an easy 150x in the 25+ yrs I've been in Austin.  The number of times I've eaten something other than the steak burrito might be 2?

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Speaking of the fajita stuff, went to a party with Lupe Tortilla brought in. I thought it was damn good.

19 minutes ago, Tylerocks said:

Those tortillas look like they came from Randall's

ATX doesn't have better fajita options than Chuy's?

Sad

Made in house by little mamacitas

7 minutes ago, Mittens said:

I'd bet I've eaten at Chuy's an easy 150x in the 25+ yrs I've been in Austin.  The number of times I've eaten something other than the steak burrito might be 2?

That's like me and Guero's... maybe 2-3 items total for me other than alcohol.

18 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

I like to think that Brat ordered this big ass plate of fajitas with queso, rice, jalapeno ranch. Then his wife just said she would have the tortilla soup.

"Suit yourself."

Mrs. Brat used all the queso on the chips topped with my guac, pico & the salsa.

I ate two tortillas with chicken, pico, onions, & cheese… dipped in the creamy jalapeño.

Brought half the the chicken, onions & pico home with three tortillas and all the rice for dinner today. (Poured half the creamy j on the rice to ferment overnight)

That was an order of chicken fajitas for one and her soup was the cup size, not the bowl.

We are olds and do not eat that much.

Edited by Armybrat

46 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Speaking of the fajita stuff, went to a party with Lupe Tortilla brought in. I thought it was damn good.

Lupe Tortilla fajitas are indeed really, really good.  And really, really pricey for what you get.

Just now, Brisketexan said:

Lupe Tortilla fajitas are indeed really, really good.  And really, really pricey for what you get.

I've heard about the price. I was not paying. But I definitely ate.

1 minute ago, Brisketexan said:

Lupe Tortilla fajitas are indeed really, really good.  And really, really pricey for what you get.

Guess I have to try theirs.

never have been yet

Lupe Tortilla is good. Papasitos is good. Both pricey. Matt's has good fajitas.  

I'm sure there are other places.

2 hours ago, Armybrat said:

That’s one thing I like about them.

love you army brat, but them ain't fajitas.

10 minutes ago, El Tri said:

love you army brat, but them ain't fajitas.

AB likes to follow up his chicken fajitas with a sausage and cheese kolache and a vodka martini.

3 hours ago, texasdago said:

That's like me and Guero's... maybe 2-3 items total for me other than alcohol.

I find something I like and get that for life.

Thundercloud - roast beef & avocado
Jimmy John's - Gargantuan
Maudie's - Power Bowl or Straight Plate, depending on day/time/future plans

 

1 hour ago, Mittens said:

Maudie's - Power Bowl or Straight Plate, depending on day/time/future plans

Strait Plate is hard to top at Maudie's.

I found Maudie’s unimpressive. I kept hearing everyone on the old site hype it up. Besides enchiladas y más, I struggled to find good Tex Mex in Austin. So I tried Maudie’s. Not bad but nothing great. It perplexes me that Austin doesn’t have like 10 really solid Tex Mex options.

45 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

I found Maudie’s unimpressive. I kept hearing everyone on the old site hype it up. Besides enchiladas y más, I struggled to find good Tex Mex in Austin. So I tried Maudie’s. Not bad but nothing great. It perplexes me that Austin doesn’t have like 10 really solid Tex Mex options.

Maudie's has an enchilada plate called "Josie's" that is basically the same recipe as enchiladas con queso from Enchiladas y Mas.  Usually not as good, but close.  Otherwise, eh.  Maudie's table salsa can be decent, though.

2 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

I found Maudie’s unimpressive. I kept hearing everyone on the old site hype it up. Besides enchiladas y más, I struggled to find good Tex Mex in Austin. So I tried Maudie’s. Not bad but nothing great. It perplexes me that Austin doesn’t have like 10 really solid Tex Mex options.

You’re not wrong. Lupe Tortillas is easily the best Tex Mex in Austin. 

 

You’re not wrong. Lupe Tortillas is easily the best Tex Mex in Austin. 
 

Good fajitas, completely ridiculous price.

20 years ago Jovitas (yep, heroin jovitas) had a solid enchiladas verdes plate. I recall the salsa being good. But that was a long time ago and the obvious.

Maybe Valentina’s can carry the load in their shoulders.
Speaking of the fajita stuff, went to a party with Lupe Tortilla brought in. I thought it was damn good.

Their grilled meats are excellent, at least at the Ft worth location. The Tex Mex standards are merely average though.

Maudie’s is very dependent on the location. The quality various widely. I haven’t been in a few years so I can’t comment on the current status.

Casa Garcia was very good across the board but I haven’t lived south in years so I haven’t been in over a decade.

Nuevo Mexico is very good Tex Mex.

A few dishes at La Mancha are top notch but the whiteness comes through too often.

Los Comales is solid.

I still really enjoy Juan’s, Angie’s, and Amaya’s for specific dishes.

32 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

Maudie’s is very dependent on the location. The quality various widely. I haven’t been in a few years so I can’t comment on the current status.

Yup. LA and S. Lamar are the best and most consistent, imo. Bee Cave and Milagro are the worst. 

42 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

A few dishes at La Mancha are top notch but the whiteness comes through too often.

Very fair and accurate.  We go there a lot because it's so close and requires little thought on a Friday night when I ask the kids, "Where do you want to grab some dinner?"

8 hours ago, South Austin said:

Very fair and accurate.  We go there a lot because it's so close and requires little thought on a Friday night when I ask the kids, "Where do you want to grab some dinner?"

Went last night. The truck stop enchiladas are legit. 

I'd say La Mancha consistently tops Chuy's in the enchilada department.  I'm not real fond of the tacos at either place.  I like La Mancha mostly for a mid-afternoon day-drinking chips-and-salsa-eating break on the patio.

I don't care if it's been mentioned 50 times but Torchy's needs to be mentioned a 51st. 

5 minutes ago, Wally Pryor said:

I don't care if it's been mentioned 50 times but Torchy's needs to be mentioned a 51st. 

I ate there recently. It wasn't good.

I do like their queso.

Edited by ztejas

14 hours ago, ztejas said:

I ate there recently. It wasn't good.

I do like their queso.

Yup, the queso is really good.  

That's it. 

I find La Mancha ridiculously priced. I've heard the "Torchy's has gone downhill" for at least five years. I still think it's pretty good. 

I made the same mistake because my daughter wanted Torchy’s. And I fucking know better, so that’s on me I guess. The taco of the month came in the usual shitty tortilla but with added rubbery frozen shrimp cooked with what appeared to be no seasoning.

Next time I am skipping all tacos and just getting a bucket of queso.

A coworker recently moved to Denver. I was presented with the question: bellagreen or Torchy's for his sendoff? 

I was stunned by the question. Torchy's sucks so very hard, why would anyone want to have a last lunch there? 

I responded bellagreen of course. Everybody in the party bitched incessantly along the way about how they wanted to go to Torchy's. 

We get to bellagreen, everybody sits down and eats. No more bitching. I think many like what's familiar than what is actually good. This is my only explanation for why people literally line up in Rice Village to eat at Torchy's. 

Man, co-sign on La Mancha. My wife (gringa) LOVES the place. She’s managed to persuade the kids the same. So much so, that the day they get back from being overseas and want Mexican, that’s where we went. My Mexican dad (their only local grandparent) joined us. As he examined the menu, he effectively asked “what is this gringo shit?”
Still, he ended up liking his truck stop enchilada, and when we ordered the queso all the way, he said “oh…this is like that Bob Armstrong stuff at Matt’s [local friends like to meet there for drinks]. That’s good.”
And those are the go-tos at La Mancha.
I much prefer EYM, but for some reason, my wife doesn’t like it (I think she doesn’t like the run-down look of the place, whereas La Mancha is all glitzy and pretty).
El Nuevo Mexico is actually kind of a secret treasure, glad to see it get a mention. And, the wife likes it, so that’s a win.
Oh, also…all this Torchy’s hate makes me feel warm and fuzzy. Their queso is the only thing worth a shit.

33 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

A coworker recently moved to Denver. I was presented with the question: bellagreen or Torchy's for his sendoff? 

I was stunned by the question. Torchy's sucks so very hard, why would anyone want to have a last lunch there? 

I responded bellagreen of course. Everybody in the party bitched incessantly along the way about how they wanted to go to Torchy's. 

We get to bellagreen, everybody sits down and eats. No more bitching. I think many like what's familiar than what is actually good. This is my only explanation for why people literally line up in Rice Village to eat at Torchy's. 

They have Torchy's in Denver too.

17 minutes ago, 4th&Five said:

They have Torchy's in Denver too.

Was about to say, there's multiple Denver area locations. What a strange choice for last Austin meal.

Maybe he just wanted a final reminder of how shitty Austin has become?

1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

El Nuevo Mexico is actually kind of a secret treasure

For some reason, I never think of that place on "Mexican food night", nor can I even remember its name.  We go there a few times a year and I always say to myself "man, I need to put this into heavier rotation", and then my lack of remaining useful brain cells kicks in and I forget about it for a couple of months.

We go to Nuevo Mexico once a week for lunch. It’s a great deal for like $10. I always get the stuffed jalapeños instead of rice as a side. It’s one of the few places in town with homemade tortillas.

Jacalitos on Oltorf was pretty good. Is it still around?

Has Trudy's been mentioned? It needs to be mentioned. My friend's wife loves that place, so I'm forced to go a couple times a year. I'd rather eat Taco Bell.

31 minutes ago, tchookem said:

Has Trudy's been mentioned? It needs to be mentioned. My friend's wife loves that place, so I'm forced to go a couple times a year. I'd rather eat Taco Bell.

Does your buddy have any idea about you and his wife?

2 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

We go to Nuevo Mexico once a week for lunch. It’s a great deal for like $10. I always get the stuffed jalapeños instead of rice as a side. It’s one of the few places in town with homemade tortillas.

Also you can get the breakfast enchilada plate anytime.  2 cheese enchiladas topped with 2 fried eggs, refried beans and fried potatoes instead of rice.

Also you can get the breakfast enchilada plate anytime.  2 cheese enchiladas topped with 2 fried eggs, refried beans and fried potatoes instead of rice.

I did not know this.
Also you can get the breakfast enchilada plate anytime.  2 cheese enchiladas topped with 2 fried eggs, refried beans and fried potatoes instead of rice.

I said gotdamn.
1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:


I said gotdamn.

Last time I was there, about a year ago, that’s what I had.  I think they charge a buck extra for it after 11, but I didn’t care.  

  • 4 months later...
On 12/23/2022 at 10:52 AM, Brisketexan said:

Man, co-sign on La Mancha. My wife (gringa) LOVES the place. She’s managed to persuade the kids the same. So much so, that the day they get back from being overseas and want Mexican, that’s where we went. My Mexican dad (their only local grandparent) joined us. As he examined the menu, he effectively asked “what is this gringo shit?”
Still, he ended up liking his truck stop enchilada, and when we ordered the queso all the way, he said “oh…this is like that Bob Armstrong stuff at Matt’s [local friends like to meet there for drinks]. That’s good.”
And those are the go-tos at La Mancha.
I much prefer EYM, but for some reason, my wife doesn’t like it (I think she doesn’t like the run-down look of the place, whereas La Mancha is all glitzy and pretty).

I just had the truck stop enchilada plate - pretty darn good and much better than the regular gringo beef enchiladas. 
Double rice as usual. Mexican martini went down well - pretty strong.

 

FB84C921-7A88-4A19-B043-199ECAE9B025.jpeg

13A7F509-4C8C-42F4-BD93-D0FEC7578F48.jpeg

Haven’t had a ton there outside of the chorizo migas but, 

Salsa Limon on the drag has pretty good chorizo migas. Wife (no pics) had a couple of their tacos and said they were good as well. 
Portions are legit “two mealers” in terms of size. 

Edited by BrazilHorn

OK, I looked up "Pasta|Bar Austin" and I see it's a new joint in the old Castle Hill / Corazon building, which has been vacant for way too long.  Reservations are $195 per person, which to me seems insane, but a long way from nearly $600 per person.  What's the catch?  A couple of bottles of super expensive wine?

2 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

OK, I looked up "Pasta|Bar Austin" and I see it's a new joint in the old Castle Hill / Corazon building, which has been vacant for way too long.  Reservations are $195 per person, which to me seems insane, but a long way from nearly $600 per person.  What's the catch?  A couple of bottles of super expensive wine?

I went last week. That is the correct price, but you can add in wine parings and get it up there pretty quick. 

BTW - I thought it was worth the price. 

They don’t spend that money on the menu presentation. Looks like my sixth grader created that.

On 12/23/2022 at 3:07 PM, tchookem said:

Has Trudy's been mentioned? It needs to be mentioned. My friend's wife loves that place, so I'm forced to go a couple times a year. I'd rather eat Taco Bell.

I went there in 95 for the first time. I was fresh out of high school and thought it was awesome. If you are a native it probably is terrible or overrated but when you bring nostalgia into the equation,  rational brains tend to warp your view of things. 

I have never been to Trudy's though. 

Good to see that everyone recognizes the dominance of Lupe Tortilla. The only thing better than their fajitas is the mildly racist restaurant decor. Add in a filthy playground full of feral children and you’ve got the best restaurant in town. 

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