March 30, 2007
Austin Chronicle Rolls Out 2007 Restaurant Poll
The Austin Chronicle kicked off its 19th Annual Restaurant Poll yesterday with a ballot deadline of April 23. Each year the Chronicle covers all the bases from best comfort food to best bathrooms to best wine list. The results will be featured in the May 18 issue of the Chronicle.
Here's who we're voting for:
FAVORITE RESTAURANT
One: El Gringo
Two: Vespaio Enoteca
Three: Uchi
BEST DISHES
Appetizers:
The Bar at the Roaring Fork
Barbecue:
TIE: The Green Mesquite/Salt Lick/Cooper's
Hamburger:
P. Terry's Burger Stand
Steak:
Sullivan's Steakhouse
Comfort Food:
TIE: Hoover's/Woodland Restaurant
Chicken-Fried Steak:
Hill's Cafe
Chile Pepper Dish:
El Chile
French Fries:
Alamo Drafthouse
Hot Dog:
Dog Almighty
Chips and Hot Sauce:
El Chile
Taco:
Maria's Taco XPress
Soup:
The Soup Peddler
Salad/Dressing:
Baby Greens
Seafood Dish:
Eddie V's
Pub Grub:
Go-Bites
Bagels:
Katz's Deli
Sushi:
Uchi
Tofu Dish:
Veggie Heaven
Dim Sum:
Satay
Bowl of Pho:
Sea Dragon
American Breakfast:
Kerbey Lane Cafe
Mexican Breakfast:
Las Manitas
Sandwich:
P&K Market
Dessert:
Mandola's Italian Market
Bread:
Texas French Bread
Ice Cream:
Amy's Ice Cream
Gelato:
Paciugo
Coffee:
TIE: Caffe Medici/Jo's Hot Coffee
Pizza:
East Side Pies
Enchiladas:
Enchiladas y Mas
Vegetables:
Whole Foods Market
Chicken Dish:
Clay Pit
Wild-Game Dish:
Hudson's on the Bend
Bargain Dish:
Kim Phung
Veggie Burger:
Hyde Park Bar & Grille
Vegetarian Dish:
Cosmic Cafe
BEST ETHNIC OR SPECIALTY RESTAURANT
Mexican(non-Tex-Mex):
El Chile
Tex-Mex:
Chuy's
Taqueria:
El Chilito
Italian:
Enoteca Vespaio
Cajun/Creole:
Ms. B's
Middle Eastern:
Marakesh
Indian:
Clay Pit
Chinese:
TIE: Asia Cafe/Din Ho
Japanese:
Uchi
Korean:
TIE: Ichiban/Korea House
Thai:
Satay
Vietnamese:
Sea Dragon
Other Oriental/Asian:
Little Thailand
American:
TIE: Hyde Park Bar & Grille/Shady Grove
Vegetarian/Natural Food:
Mister Natural
French:
Chez Nous
Other Ethnic:
Elsi's
OTHER STUFF
New Restaurant Opened in 2006-2007:
El Gringo
Chef:
Brenton Schumacher, Go-Bites and Pink Avocado Catering
Service/Waitstaff:
Zoot
Full-Service Bakery:
Sweetish Hill
Pastry Shop:
La Mexicana
Grocery Store:
Whole Foods Market
Ethnic Market:
Phoenicia Bakery and Deli
Patio/Beer Garden:
Shady Grove
Decor:
The Red House Lounge
Romantic Dinner Spot:
Wink Wine Bar
Sunday Brunch:
Fonda San Miguel
Fast Food:
TIE: Chango's/Baby Greens
Takeout:
Whole Foods Market
Delivery:
Austin's Pizza
Wine List:
219 West
Smokers Restaurant:
Trudy's
Beer Selection:
TIE: Ginger Man/Draught House
Buffet:
Madras Pavilion
Late Night/All Night:
Magnolia South Congress
Restaurant Bathroom:
Kenichi
Place to Take Kids:
Central Market
Place to Take Parents:
34th Street Cafe
Restaurant Within 60 Miles of Austin:
Monument Cafe, Georgetown
Place We Wish Were Still Open:
Les Amis (in perpetuity)
Any Other Restaurant Worth Noting:
Ventana Restaurant at Texas Culinary Academy
Food Event:
Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival
photo by altemark on flickr
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I heard there's a boycott against p. terry's..
Why?
El Gringo? Are you serious? That is not only the worst restaurant of the three owned by the folks who own El Chile and El Chilito, it's one of the least impressive in town. Seriously. If you had guests from out of town would El Gringo be your first choice of a restaurant? Give me a break.
"Chicken-Fried Steak:
Hill's Cafe"
No, no, no. A thousand times no. My elementary school cafeteria served CFS about on par with Hill's.
What? Not sure. We've actually never been to El Gringo, we just heard it was good.
Why re: boycott?
I'm with Tony on this one. El Gringo has to be some of THEE WORST food I have had in Austin. Plus, the cinderblock and wood paneling decor is just as dull and thoughtless as the food. In fact, my date's steak tasted very much like wood paneling.
You can find much better quality and atmosphere for the same price all over town.
DSK, you must have had a pretty good cafeteria lady. Sursly though, what's your vote?
I think the boycott against P. Terry's might have something to do with the Sno Beach move. That's understandable, I guess -- kicking out Sno Beach to launch your own stand is pretty sleazy, given what a local icon SB is -- but I'm not sure a boycott is the way to go. I'd sooner just send some letters/e-mails/calls or whatever and make it clear to the owner and to management that that shit ain't cool.
Besides, I don't know if I could give up P. Terry's. It's so, so good, and so, so cheap.
P. Terry's burgers are made from 100% Hormone Free Angus Baby.
Wasn't SnoBeach just a trailer parked on an abandoned lot? That's just silly. I don't hear anyone boycotting the Barton Springs Saloon because they ran off that guy who sold the really ugly rugs. If SnoBeach was smart they would have rented some space in the parking lot of Peter Pan Golf. That would have been a win for everyone.
The rug guy's now at the Hobby Lobby and Wm. Cannon and Manchaca if anyone was missing him, btw.
Which McDonald's wins for Best McDonald's?
The best MacDonald's in Austin is in Atlanta.
P.Terrys f'in rules bro
Oh, isn't EastSide Pies divine?!? I order it at least once a week for my staff meetings and it never disappoints.
The Marge, the Buscemi (no onions, please...)I really really hope they decide to open another location on the North Side (oops! did I say that out loud?)
sno beach asked to move onto p. terry's lot--they refused.
sno beach then moved to barton springs saloon in return for sno beach paying for a new lighting system for the saloon (something around $4,000)--which was not paid for since they got kicked off.
but they have a bad parking situation and told sno beach that their customers can't park in their lot--so there was overflow. and since they have insufficient parking spots, they borrow spots from p. terry's. sno beach customers then park in p. terry's lot.
p. terry just launched 'molly's sno cups', a self-service, sans hot chicks probably, a snow cone stand that is obviously trying to full unsuspecting people.
word is that p. terry went to barton springs saloon and threatened to take away the spots unless they kicked out sno beach--partly because of his parking spots being taken up and partly because he doesn't want the competition...
but, could be just a rumor.
1) Satay doesn't serve Dim Sum, try Marco Polo instead.
2) It's chips and HOT sauce, not chips and tomato sauce, try Evita's Bontanita's on deep South First.
3) Maria's Taco XPress is a good choice for tacos, but I like Amaya'a Taco Village better.
Best of the Rest:
Comfort Food - Arkie's Grill, Chicken Fried Steak - Threadgill's, Chicken Dish - El Regio, Thai - Satay can't compete with Madame Mam's, Indian - Shalimar, Vietnamese - Tam or Ba Le, both on N. Lamar, Interior Mexican - Oaxacan Tamaleos, Bargain - Tie - Las Cazuelas (on the East Side) / Com Chi food to go (in Chinatown Center), Other Ethnic - Mi Columbia, French - Flip Happy Crepes, Best New Restaraunt - First Chinese Barbeque.
Downtowneast -
Thanks for the recommendations/suggestions! In my world, dim sum would be small bites, mid-day-ish, and I agree, Marco Polo is a great restaurant.
Concession - El Chile's salsa, as delicious as it is, is certainly not hot. I'm still voting for it.
Mmmm. Amaya's.
First Chinese BBQ? Tell us more...
El Gringo....Give me a break! I find it interesting that the three restaurants owned by the same people happened to be favorites in each category?
El Gringo
El Chile
El Chilito
I love El Chile and El Chilito.....El Gringo not so much. With so many places to eat how in the world did all of their restaurants get first place? I think someone is stuffing the ballot box over there at the El compound!
Best sno cones for me are at the Casey's New Orleans.
Chicken fried steak is always best homemade.
I have no idea what Green Mesquite is doing up there with the Salt Lick... even though the Salt Lick is in Driftwood.
I could go on like this all day.
Worst list ever. El Gringo? LMAO. Best steak? Sullivan's? LMAO even harder. C'mon ppl, other people than the owners of these places need to submit their votes.
Seriously. I'm just glad all the places that are actually good are not on this list. Y'all keep going to eat mediocre food.
Thanks for not nominating Ironworks for BBQ. That place is seriously overrated. But I'm not sure Salt Lick deserves to be up there either. Apart from their brisket it's pretty bland.
I'd go with Sam's or Pok-E-Joes.
When it comes to the ol' BBQ, I'm a big fan of Rudy's out in Spicewood. Far away, but it's worth the trip.
Is there even another place to compete with Amy's for best ice cream? Seriously, are there any good local ice cream shops around anymore or has pretty much everybody given up completely?
Rudy's, Jesus Christ, that's not what I meant to say. Love Rudy's, but it's Opie's I was talking about. Oops.
Seriously, we racked our brains thinking about alternatives to the Amy's Ice Cream empire. There's no NKOTB.
Sullivan's for a steak? Sullivan's doesn't even serve Prime grade meat which is the hallmark of every great steakhouse. Ruth's Chris or III Forks serve Prime and are clearly better choices than Sullivan's.
Hill's for Chicken Fry? Hill's serves a chicken fry that is on par with a frozen cafeteria chicken fry. Hill's did indeed have a good chicken fry a couple of years ago but not anymore. They changed something.
How long have you lived in Austin? When compiling a "Best of" List it might be a good idea to have ACTUALLY eaten at the restaurant.
p. terry's? really?
the buffalo burger at casino has no match. it is a beefy champion.
If i see a restaurant poll, i go straight to the burgers. because i love burgers. "please no Hut's or P. Terry's Chronicle sweetheart BS" I thought.
P.Terry's..even though the place has my last name. no no no and no sir.
Heres your burger list:
1. Casino El Camino - If you dont mind getting yelled and scowled at, best in town. Plus they have Boodles gin at the bar. Mabey they make the reviewers cry like babies so they never are in the lists.
2. Phil's Ice house. topping selection, and sweet potato fries. Plus Amys ice cream right next door.
3. The Tavern - the buns are the best, more like sweetbread. Really makes the burger.
Phil's Ice House has pretty good veggie burger too, if I remember correctly. Love that bun! Sammy, people sure are passionate about food and food choices.
I like Brentwood Tavern's burgers. Their veggies are very fresh and the buns somehow don't get soggy like they do at Phils. I haven't eaten at The Tavern in about 10 years because I always found everything I ate there to be overpriced and underseasoned but I guess I'll have to go try their burgers.
As far as I know, PTerry's planned on opening a sno cone stand once they found out that Sno Beach was closing.
That was the original intent, and I know Sno Beach stayed open longer than they had originally planned, so I'm not sure what happened afterwards.
I'm positive there was no ill intent on Pat's part, he knew that Sno Beach was an Austin icon, and he didn't want to tread on any toes opening a new sno cone stand. He simply knew that it was closing, and saw an opening and took advantage of it. He didn't force out Sno Beach by any stretch of the imagination.
He may not have forced them out, but he didn't take them up on their offer to relocate to his parking lot.
The funniest part about this now is that Sno Beach is open at Robert E. Lee and Barton Springs. Much closer for the clients that make up most of the Sno Cone business. That's karma for ya.
But, that won't last long--a condo development is planned for that area, Sno Beach (at that location) will be gone within a year. Plus, the owners of Sno Beach are hinting at retirement in the not too distant future...
Don and Connie of Sno Beach are the best! Just fyi, there is also a Sno Beach at the Fiesta on I-35 and in the pawn shop parking lot at the corner of guadalupe and 34th street. They are all sno good!
i am ashamed of that last line. i apologize.
Do you guys live in Austin?
P Terry's? Really? Have you guys been to these places? P Terry's hamburgers are comparable to McDonalds. Same size beef patties.
Hill's Cafe CFS is frozen box variety. It's not even made on site. I don't know who has the best in town, I eat it at Blue Bonnet Cafe in marble falls.
Sno Beach is great, but the owner is a jerk. We rolled up about 5 minutes before closing and he smalled the door shut in our face and said "Closed". I said it's 5 minutes till and he just said "Closed" and walked away.
You did get East Side Pies right. Though if you haven't been to Saccone's you need to try that.
You should go to the new Ms B's and try the bartenders Mojito Crush: fresh basil and blackberries with Tito's Vodka...it's out of this world. You know how us austinites dont like our mojitos too sweet.