Best restaurants in Austin... (Pflugerville, Lockhart: home, neighborhood, live)

[mm57553]

Originally Posted by LookingtoLeave

I'm a big fan of chinese food and some of the best I've ever had outside of Chinatown is at DragonGate in Davenport Village on 360.

I also like NY style pizza. A friend at work recommended Homeslice. Has anyone here had it, or know of a better place?

As a Northeast Transplant, I recommend Saccone's (Leander, 620@Anderson Mill, and Round Rock locations) or Tony C's (Hill Country Galleria)for pizza.

[mark311]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Trudy's, to me, is okay, but not really anything special.

I've never been to the South location, but I find the Trudy's on campus (near campus on 30th) to be much better than the Burnet location. The service is much better as well as long as you don't go there on a day when UT is having a major event.

[Zzyzx]

Originally Posted by LookingtoLeave

I also like NY style pizza. A friend at work recommended Homeslice. Has anyone here had it, or know of a better place?

I'm not versed whatsoever in pizza "styles", but I can tell you Homeslice is one of the best pizzas I have ever had. Here are a couple of reviews:
Home Slice Pizza - 78704 (South Austin) - Austin, TX

[ATX Homeboy]

Originally Posted by theloneranger

This really describes all Tex-Mex in Austin. It doesn't really hold a candle to Dallas and San Antonio in this regard.

Maybe you just haven't been to decent places to eat?

La Fuentes (off S. Congress @ E. Wm. Cannon) for breakfast.
El Gallo for Lunch.
Baby A's for dinner.

But, there are alot of other good places to eat. Mostly I go to the ones in South and East Austin: Mi Madres, Chilitos (for tacos), Nuevo Leon, El Mercado, Casa Moreno on Burleson next to Post Office, and Austin's own Serrano's.

Most over-rated = Guero's Why? Wait forever to get mediocre tacos.

Rule of thumb when going to a Tex-Mex/Mexican resturaunt: If you walk in and don't see anyone of Mexican decent eating there then it's probably not that good. Ie: Matt's El Rancho, Vivo, Pappasitos, and Trudy's. Way over priced for the quality of food too. Unless, of course, you don't like eating with Mexicanos.

Lastly, I know this place gets alot of positive plugs, Polvos, on S. 1st. And rightfully so, they have good food. But, last time I went there with my wife for breakfast there was a group of people eating outside with their dog and it was licking itself. Not an image for breakfast. Needless to say we left and haven't been back. I have a dog of my own and I love animals but I don't need/want to deal with that when I go out to eat.

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by ATX Homeboy

Lastly, I know this place gets alot of positive plugs, Polvos, on S. 1st. And rightfully so, they have good food. But, last time I went there with my wife for breakfast there was a group of people eating outside with their dog and it was licking itself. Not an image for breakfast. Needless to say we left and haven't been back. I have a dog of my own and I love animals but I don't need/want to deal with that when I go out to eat.

I usually plug Polvo's, but I agree with your post. Plus, the food has been hit or miss lately; some of their food, like the cerveza fajitas, almost tasted more asian than Tex-Mex.

So I'll say for now, Azul Tequila is tops on my list (The interior Mexican menu is an added plus), although Maudie's isn't bad for a cheap Tex-Mex meal.

Moonshine, Malaga, and Vespaio are few more of my favorites.

For NE-Style Italian, and it is basically impossible to find here, I'd suggest Reale's near Anderson Mill and 183.

[love roses]

Originally Posted by ATX Homeboy

Maybe you just haven't been to decent places to eat?

La Fuentes (off S. Congress @ E. Wm. Cannon) for breakfast.
El Gallo for Lunch.
Baby A's for dinner.

But, there are alot of other good places to eat. Mostly I go to the ones in South and East Austin: Mi Madres, Chilitos (for tacos), Nuevo Leon, El Mercado, Casa Moreno on Burleson next to Post Office, and Austin's own Serrano's.

Most over-rated = Guero's Why? Wait forever to get mediocre tacos.

Rule of thumb when going to a Tex-Mex/Mexican resturaunt: If you walk in and don't see anyone of Mexican decent eating there then it's probably not that good. Ie: Matt's El Rancho, Vivo, Pappasitos, and Trudy's. Way over priced for the quality of food too. Unless, of course, you don't like eating with Mexicanos.

Lastly, I know this place gets alot of positive plugs, Polvos, on S. 1st. And rightfully so, they have good food. But, last time I went there with my wife for breakfast there was a group of people eating outside with their dog and it was licking itself. Not an image for breakfast. Needless to say we left and haven't been back. I have a dog of my own and I love animals but I don't need/want to deal with that when I go out to eat.

I think I'll have to second this. Some of the best places I've been are full of Hispanic people not speaking English and the wait staff sometimes speaks broken English as well. There's a dirty little dive in Taylor near the DPS building but it's almost always packed and the food is very good. Like I say, dirty little dive..but food has never been off.

There's also a little carneceria near Rundburg (sp?) that sells really good fajita meat and another one in Taylor that sells the best fajita meat ever. They added a little snack bar/cafe to the store but haven't tried any of the food from it yet.

[newrrmom]

Taquerias Arandinas in Round Rock is also a great hole in the wall Mexican, also in same plaza... we love Teji's Indian and Hao Hao is very good also!

[mm57553]

As far as Tex-Mex goes, I think Juan in a Million is one of the best in town. And cheap.

[theloneranger]

Originally Posted by mm57553

As far as Tex-Mex goes, I think Juan in a Million is one of the best in town. And cheap.

This.

The Don Juan may be the single greatest food item available in Austin.

[theloneranger]

Originally Posted by ATX Homeboy

Maybe you just haven't been to decent places to eat?

La Fuentes (off S. Congress @ E. Wm. Cannon) for breakfast.
El Gallo for Lunch.
Baby A's for dinner.

But, there are alot of other good places to eat. Mostly I go to the ones in South and East Austin: Mi Madres, Chilitos (for tacos), Nuevo Leon, El Mercado, Casa Moreno on Burleson next to Post Office, and Austin's own Serrano's.

Most over-rated = Guero's Why? Wait forever to get mediocre tacos.

Rule of thumb when going to a Tex-Mex/Mexican resturaunt: If you walk in and don't see anyone of Mexican decent eating there then it's probably not that good. Ie: Matt's El Rancho, Vivo, Pappasitos, and Trudy's. Way over priced for the quality of food too. Unless, of course, you don't like eating with Mexicanos.

Lastly, I know this place gets alot of positive plugs, Polvos, on S. 1st. And rightfully so, they have good food. But, last time I went there with my wife for breakfast there was a group of people eating outside with their dog and it was licking itself. Not an image for breakfast. Needless to say we left and haven't been back. I have a dog of my own and I love animals but I don't need/want to deal with that when I go out to eat.

That comment is generally true, but Matt's is in my opinion the best Tex-Mex in Austin. It's run by Hispanics as well. I've seen plenty of Hispanics eating there. Trudy's is good but it's more of a fusion between Southern US and Tex-Mex, not purely Tex-Mex, so it's acceptable. Papasitos I will agree with.

But you really lost any credibility when you listed Baby A's as good. That place, other than the margaritas, is absolute crap. El Mercado, which you listed, is pretty good, but it is not as good as any number of Dallas places.

I've not been to Serrano's but I've heard from multiple people that it's pretty good; I will have to try it.

I really like El Arroyo but it's more of a place to chill and drink than to eat really good Tex-Mex.