On the weekends, we're always looking to find some nice, new restaurant that we've never been to before. We get lots of suggestions from our colleagues at work. We have yet to try the restaurant owned by Sandra Bullock (Bess Bistro), but we'll get around to it eventually.
One restaurant that seems to come up a lot, and seems to generate a lot of buzz on the internet, is a place called "Chuy's Hula Hut." It's situated on the banks of Lake Austin, and they specialize in what they call "Mexonesian" food. It's a mix of Mexican and Polynesian food, and the place is decorated like a Hawaiian restaurant.
From what I had read, it normally takes around 2 hours to get a table here, so we arrived at 3:30pm on Sunday, assuming we'd have to wait a while to get a seat. My first impression of the restaurant and the surrounding area (and I hate sounding like a disillusioned Californian)was "Meh. I guess this is the Austin version of Shoreline Village in Long Beach." Instead of various restaurants by the beach, you had 3 restaurants by the lake.
The restaurant was busy, and parking wasn't particularly easy either. Our wait was only about 20 minutes, though. They sat us outside, which was fine, since we wanted a view of the lake. Chips and salsa were self serve, which I liked, because Mexican restaurants always seem to give you too little salsa, and you always have to ask for more. The only problem, though, was that the salsa was sitting outside in a container under the direct sunlight. Who knows how long it had been sitting out. I had premonitions of being sick by the end of the day (which came to fruition, by the way.)
So, I ordered BBQ chicken tacos and Christy ordered shrimp quesadillas. Christy immediately disliked the taste of the shrimp, and told the waiter. The waiter pointed out that seafood in Texas isn't exactly fresh. So she changed her order to pulled pork tacos, which she liked. The BBQ chicken tacos that I had tasted okay, but once I got home I had serious stomach pain for the rest of the night. I assume it was probably the stagnant salsa.
I have to say, I just didn't see the allure of Hula Hut. Was it the view of the lake that everybody likes? Is that why people wait 2 hours for a seat? Personally, the best Mexican food I've had in Austin has been in our small little Manor suburb, at a place called "Ramos Restaurant." It has no scenery or ambiance whatsoever, but the food is good.
We probably won't go back to Hula Hut again. There are better places in Austin with less crowds. If we feel like good BBQ, we go to Rudy's. If we feel like good Chinese food, we go to Pei Wei. For Italian food, Buca di Beppo is pretty good, and they are always giving out $10 off coupons. And for Mexican food, we'll stick to Manor.
One restaurant that seems to come up a lot, and seems to generate a lot of buzz on the internet, is a place called "Chuy's Hula Hut." It's situated on the banks of Lake Austin, and they specialize in what they call "Mexonesian" food. It's a mix of Mexican and Polynesian food, and the place is decorated like a Hawaiian restaurant.
From what I had read, it normally takes around 2 hours to get a table here, so we arrived at 3:30pm on Sunday, assuming we'd have to wait a while to get a seat. My first impression of the restaurant and the surrounding area (and I hate sounding like a disillusioned Californian)was "Meh. I guess this is the Austin version of Shoreline Village in Long Beach." Instead of various restaurants by the beach, you had 3 restaurants by the lake.
The restaurant was busy, and parking wasn't particularly easy either. Our wait was only about 20 minutes, though. They sat us outside, which was fine, since we wanted a view of the lake. Chips and salsa were self serve, which I liked, because Mexican restaurants always seem to give you too little salsa, and you always have to ask for more. The only problem, though, was that the salsa was sitting outside in a container under the direct sunlight. Who knows how long it had been sitting out. I had premonitions of being sick by the end of the day (which came to fruition, by the way.)
So, I ordered BBQ chicken tacos and Christy ordered shrimp quesadillas. Christy immediately disliked the taste of the shrimp, and told the waiter. The waiter pointed out that seafood in Texas isn't exactly fresh. So she changed her order to pulled pork tacos, which she liked. The BBQ chicken tacos that I had tasted okay, but once I got home I had serious stomach pain for the rest of the night. I assume it was probably the stagnant salsa.
I have to say, I just didn't see the allure of Hula Hut. Was it the view of the lake that everybody likes? Is that why people wait 2 hours for a seat? Personally, the best Mexican food I've had in Austin has been in our small little Manor suburb, at a place called "Ramos Restaurant." It has no scenery or ambiance whatsoever, but the food is good.
We probably won't go back to Hula Hut again. There are better places in Austin with less crowds. If we feel like good BBQ, we go to Rudy's. If we feel like good Chinese food, we go to Pei Wei. For Italian food, Buca di Beppo is pretty good, and they are always giving out $10 off coupons. And for Mexican food, we'll stick to Manor.
I'm thinking the only really great place to get Mexican food is Southern California, in a good restaurant. You won't likely find really great Mexican food in the midwest. Well, we haven't yet.
ReplyDeleteBut interestingly, locals get used to certain tastes and haven't tasted better, so like what is available.
Chicken can go bad too. Salsa in the sun and open air, that should be illegal. Geesh.
Janet
Texas has a very large Mexican population, so I assume it should be pretty easy to find good Mexican food here. Like I had mentioned, the Mexican restaurant in our little town here is quite good. More often than not, it seems, the small, independently owned places are better than big chains.
ReplyDeleteSeafood, though, is another story. Texas is not the place for seafood.
Well, I don't know much about Texas. I used to like TexMex fixed in California.
ReplyDeleteThere was a large population, for the size of the town, of Mexicans in Emporia too, but the restaurants they opened were not good Mexican food.
Someone even came to Madison and opened a Mexican restaurant. The locals seemed to like it, but it was not good. Canned sauces, skimpy food. Might as well have eaten tv dinners.
I've found Mexican food and even moreso, South American food, fixed by Mexicans and south americans, to be pretty bland generally.
The best food in Kansas is at church pot luck dinners. That is great! Probably heart attack food, but really delicious.
Janet