2004 S. First
441-5446
Pepper grinder rating: 0.
Men's room rating: 2. (Adequate, but how about patching up those holes in the
wall? Or maybe the exposed electrical box? And the handwritten scraps of paper
labeling the men's and women's restrooms taped to the doors are pretty cheesy.
Those signs cost a whole, what, $10 each at BT Office Products?)
The chicken fajitas were surprisingly good: they had a rather nice spice to them. The rest of Polvo's didn't do much for me.
Lawrence has his policies about tips and soft drinks: I have my own policy. Charging for chips and salsa with a meal order at a TexMex place is UNACCEPTABLE.
Our first impressions of Povlo's weren't encouraging. It took us a few minutes before we were noticed by the waitstaff, the music was too loud (a common South 1st TexMex joint problem), and what clientele was in evidence seemed to be tattooed white slackers rather than illegal aliens. However, once we started getting our food, our outlook improved considerably.
The fajita chicken we had on the nachos was well seasoned and very tasty. I was also pleased with my beef fajitas (though they could have provided a little more meat) and the Taco el Pastor I had. And while I'm not crazy about the "do-it-yourself salsa bar," some of the salsas were at least mildly interesting (I recommend mixing the orange and red sauces), it does make sure you never run out. After the initial wait, service proved quite satisfactory as well.
So far, South 1st Street seems to be living up to its billing as a TexMex Mecca.
1200-B W. 6th St
322-9226
Pepper grinder rating: 0.
Men's room rating: 2.5. (Too small, but there's
some nice topless babe art.)
This was a weird and disappointing conspiracy for a lot of reasons. Most of those reasons I won't discuss.
I will say, though:
I'm not sure I'd take friends and family here any longer. I'm not saying I wouldn't: I'd just have to think hard about it.
The food at Cafe Josie is still quite good, but there are many troubling changes since our last visit.
First, we were seated out on the patio, despite our reservations, despite our specific request to be seated inside, despite that there was quite literally no one inside when we first showed up, and despite the fact that drops of occasional drops of rain came down on us because they hadn't closed the plastic covering all the way, which was rather puzzling since, for once, it was cool enough not to need the breeze.
Second, the menu choice seems to have been cut in half. Gone are the delicious lobster rolls we enjoyed on our last visit. The blue crab quesadillas, the calamari, and the potstickers were all good (though the potstickers seemed a bit overpriced), but there used to be a lot more appetizer choices.
Also gone are nearly all of the non-seafood dishes (like the jerked pork) that were here last time. My salmon was good (as were the mashed potatoes that came with them), but the portions seemed less generous than that of the redfish I had here last year. Desserts were good as well, though the house salad was only adequate.
Finally, and most irritatingly, Cafe Josie has imposed a 20% gratuity for parties larger than 5. While the service was quite good, any mandated tip percentage above the traditional 15% is (repeat after me) AN UNACCEPTABLE POLICY. Because of that policy, Cafe Josie receives a mandatory ranking of NO STARS (a precipitous drop from their previous five-star status).
All of this is a crying shame, since Cafe Josie used to be one of our favorite restaurants. But with the imposition of unacceptable tipping policies, curtailed menu choices and downsized portions, Cafe Josie seems to be heading down the slippery slope toward overpriced, under-valued clip joints like Zoot.
13450 N. Hwy 183
335-5115
Pepper grinder rating: 0.
Men's room rating: 3. (When they expanded,
they enlarged the men's room. Good idea.)
I'm glad they expanded: it makes the chances for getting in that much better.
I'm even happier that the expansion hasn't hurt the quality of food or service any. The breadsticks are still among the best free bread in town (and served properly hot, too). Good desserts, too, and a real family feeling (the owner still comes around to the tables and greets customers): this is like eating with the Italian relatives I don't have.
Our favorite Italian. The good news: They've expanded since our last visit, so it's easier to get a table, and, happily, the smoking and non-smoking sections are now segregated. The even better news: The food is as delicious as ever.
For appetizers, the garlic cheese bread remains the best in town, and the calamari is quite good as well. The salad was adequate (though better than those served at our other Italian favorite, the now-closed (temporarily, we hope) Mama Mia's), and the breadsticks seemed more tasty than last time (though still not as addictive as those served at The Olive Garden). I quite enjoyed my veal picatta, as well as the fettucini alfredo I had on the side (which I recommend over the red sauce). I was too full for dessert.
The best Italian place in Austin, and (although we didn't have any this time around) one of the best pizza places as well.
See the logs for July of 2000.
See the logs for May of 2000.
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