Austin's Late Night Restaurants

I've always been a night owl, so I've repeatedly experienced the challenge of finding a restaurant that's open late in Austin; most close @ 10pm on weekdays and @ 11pm on weekends. For being a college town, that seems pretty crazy (and not very smart business-wise). I compiled a list of late night restaurants, so if you're up with the late night munchies in the near future, check back. There's sure to be something here to satisfy your stomach:

Open until 11pm

P.F. Changs
This upscale Chinese restaurant is sure to please all palates, with a menu that features traditional Chinese-American favorites, as well as vegetarian and gluten-free options. My favorite late night treat is the chicken lettuce wraps.
Open Su-Th until 11pm; F-Sa until midnight; (512) 457-8300; 201 San Jacinto Blvd.

CheeseCake Factory
Cheesecake Factory's menu is like a book, featuring over 200 items, including my favorites Seared Tuna Tataki Salad and Chicken Madiera. Be sure to save room for dessert, as they offer over 50 varieties of cheesecake. Wash it all down with a refreshing drink from their full bar, and you've got a late night feast.
Open M-Th & Su until 11:00pm, F-Sa until 12:30am; (512) 241-0777; 10000 Research Blvd.

Homeslice Pizza
Kinda hipster, this SOCO pizza parlor serves N.Y. style pizza. You can either buy their thin-sliced pizza by the slice or by the pie, but either way, it's a fun place to hang and drink beer with friends.
Open M-Th & Su until 11pm; F-Sa until 3am; (512) 444-7437; 1421 S. Congress Ave.

Ruby's BBQ

Located near UT campus, this late night bbq restaurant has been an Austin tradition since 1988. Serving some of the best brisket and ribs in town, they're my favorite bbq restaurant next to Salt Lick.

Open Su-Th until 11:00pm; F-Sa until midnight; (512) 477-1651; 512 West 29th St.

Silhouette
This downtown sushi bar recently added a karaoke bar upstairs. Downstairs, you can find sushi chefs making yummy rolls and sashimi platters, a full bar serving interesting concoctions such as saketinis, and a big projection screen that shows Japanese movies.
Open Su-Th until 11:30am, Fr-Sa until 1:30am; (512) 478-8899; 718 Congress Ave.

888 Vietnamese

Open M-Sa until 2am, Su until 11:30pm; (512) 448-4722; 2400 East Oltorf St.

Open until Midnight or Later

Parkside
This downtown restaurant is frequented by chefs who get off their late-night shifts at restaurants that close earlier.  They are most famous for their oyster bar, but they have other delights such as raw fish, a wide assortment of appetizers and entrees and of course, yummy desserts.
Open Daily until 12:30am; (512) 474-9898; 301 E. 6th St.

G'Raj Mahal Cafe
Open Tu-Th & Su until midnight; F-Sa until 3am; (512) 480-2255; 91 Red River (in the backyard)

Phara's
This Greek restaurant doesn't compare to Athenian, Tito's or even El Greco. Located in North Austin next to a hookah lounge, Phara's boasts one of the best patios in town, sometimes transforming into a stage for belly dancers. Best yet, it's BYOB.
Open Tu-Su until midnight; (512) 632-7067; 111 E. North Loop

Bakehouse
Open Daily until midnight; (512) 443-5167; 5404 Manchaca Rd.

Swift's Attic

Open M-W until midnight, Fr-Sa until 1am; (512) 482-8842; 315 Congress Ave.

Plucker's
This campus original is not for the weak at heart. Pluckers's specialty is wings, and they do it right, offering over 16 flavors, including the infamous "Fire in the Hole". Don't forget to order tons of fried stuff, including pickles, macaroni and cheese and yes, even Twinkies!
Open Daily until 2am; (512) 443-WING; 3909 S. Lamar

Texas Chili Parlor
Open M-Sa until 2am, Su until 12am; (512) 472-2828; 1409 Lavaca Street


Thai Passion
Open Daily until 3am; (512) 472-1244; 620 Congress Ave. Suite #105


Open 24-hours

Star Seeds Cafe
Star Seeds Cafe is a hip little diner located near campus on I-35. It neighbors a hotel (incidentally the one that was used to film). Their coffee is nectar for night owls, and their entrees cover sandwiches, salads, vegetarian options and breakfast. Everything is made fresh

Open Daily 24 hours; (512) 478-7107; 3101 N. I-35

24 Diner
Open Daily 24 hours; (512) 472-5400; 600 N. Lamar

Magnolia
Open Daily 24 hours; (512) 445-0000; 1920 S. Congress Ave.

Kerbey Lane
Open Daily 24 hours; (512) 445-4451; 2700 S. Lamar Blvd.

Bon Appetit Names Franklin Best BBQ in Texas, if not America

In a recent article by Bon Appetit, they claim that the East Austin BBQ joint, Franklin is the best BBQ restaurant in Texas, if not America.  Funny how they follow that statement with "Let the debates begin."  I frankly (no pun intended) do not agree.  I have forever loved Salt Lick and Ruby's (NOT Rudy's) and in my opinion, Franklin has NOTHING on these two.  I agree that the brisket is glistening and melts in your mouth, but the flavor is just not all that good.  The espresso bbq sauce helps, but I want meat that can stand alone.  Their sides are pathetic.  No variety, and they are really bland.  And the worst part is waiting in their god-awful line.  No BBQ is good enough for me to stand in the Texas Heat for more than an hour.  Screw that, I'd rather drive the extra hour in the A/C to Salt Lick.  Plus, you run the potential of standing there for no reason (they run out by about 2pm or earlier).  So, anyway.  I know most people don't agree with me.  In fact if you asked my office, they would all disagree.  (Read Korn on the Koby's review of Franklin).

What do you think?

Vital Farms: The Blue Egg

Tanner and I went to the Barton Creek Farmers Market yesterday, and we found BLUE eggs. I was just mesmerized by the color, but the owner of Vital Farms informed us that the eggs were richer in flavor, and b/c they were pasture-eggs, they were higher in nutrients. We needed eggs anyway, so we picked up a dozen and couldn't wait to try them for breakfast the following morning.


Why are they blue?

Chicken eggs vary in color depending on the hen, typically ranging from bright white to shades of brown and even blue, green, and recently reported purple (found in South Asia)

Source: Wikipedia

The Verdict
The first thing I noticed when I cracked the beautiful blue shell was the dark yellow color of the yolk. According to Vital Farms, they raise their chickens in environments where they might eat wild flowers, herbs, onions and even garlic. This kind of diet causes the yolks to be more pronounced in color and more flavorful. The second thing I noticed was the lack of sulfur I usually smelled when cooking other eggs. I could get used to this. Now for the moment of truth - did they actually taste better? I stuck my fork in a piece of egg white and held it to my mouth. After chewing for a few seconds, I noticed the difference in taste. The lack of sulfur made the egg white taste so delicious (almost like custard). I wanted more. I scooped up the runny yolk and noticed how rich and flavorful it was. I got halfway through my plate, and realized I felt so full. This was unusual, as I was usually still hungry after my egg breakfasts on the weekdays. So, all in all, this was definitely a superior egg. After doing more research, I think that the blue color has nothing to do with the better taste, smell, higher nutrients and fuller feeling. I think all of that can be attributed to the way the chickens are raised (pasture eggs).

There is one catch (isn't there always). The price. At $6/dozen, these are NOT the most affordable eggs. They had regular brown eggs for $5/dozen, and as I said, through my research I don't think the color has any difference in taste. Still, Tanner and I go through 98 eggs (!) in one week, so this doesn't QUITE fit into our budget yet. :) (That would be $45 a week on eggs instead of $15). I'm not sure if they're THAT good. It's definitely a nice treat from time to time, though.

Central Market's Butcher Santa

There used to be a butcher that worked at Central Market. He looked exactly like Santa Claus, so Tanner and I called him 'Butcher Santa.' He constantly tried to convince us out of what we ordered, but it never worked. Silly Santa. Sometimes he walked around the store and handed out Reese's Klondike Bars to all the patrons. Straight. out. of. the. freezer. I have to admit, that's pretty bad ass. I can only assume when asked about the Klondike bars that his response would be, "I'm Santa, BITCH!"

Congress: An Absolute Delight

Congress opened less than three weeks ago, and I can safely say, they are already emerging as one of the best restaurants in the nation.

It doesn't hurt that they have an all-star cast: Chef David Bull and Chef Rebecca Meeker, both formerly of The Driskill Grill, Sommelier June Rodil from Uchi, and Bartender Adam Bryan, formerly of Eastside Showroom. This crew works together to make the most magical dining experience you will ever have.

The menu has a three- or seven-course meal, each with a wine pairing option. Our waitress informed us that the menu will change monthly, and if you're curious, it's published online. The restaurant itself is nice. It's located in The Austonian, the tallest residential building in Texas. The atmosphere is upscale, but not snooty.

We opted for the three-course meal. The waiter surprised us with an amuse bouche from the chef, which was a warm serving of parmesan custard with spinach foam on top. It was savory and delicious. The first courses came out. Tanner had bone marrow brulee, which was lined with cinammon sugar honey crisp apples and smoked almond crumble. It tasted like really rich butter. I had Hamachi Sashami, which was served playfully with soba noodles, hearts of palm and white miso. Mine was a very light dish, that was very refreshing.

For the second course, Tanner and I had the garlic and chive potato gnocchi served with a side of braised oxtail topped with a fried egg and parmesan crisp. Again, amazing.

For the third course, I had escolar wrapped in chicken skin. YUM. Tanner had the rack of lamb.

We ordered foie gras as our appetizer, and of course, since we were splurging, we couldn't forget dessert. We got the sweet potato beignets served with butter ice cream. OMG, these things just pop in your mouth in one bite. Totally addicting.

The chefs surprised us one more time with a dessert amuse bouche. It was a frozen version of the first amuse bouche. So clever. And so tasty.

When it was all said and done, our meal was a couple bills and over 3 hours long. Quite the experience. I definitely felt like I was on an episode of Top Chef, being served the finest food by these amazing chefs and they just kept delivering and delivering. The best part of the meal was telling our waitress we were ready to leave, and she hands us our car keys and says your car is waiting outside. The valet had signaled the car when they saw us paying the bill, so that it was ready as soon as we left. Very cool.

If you are looking for an awesome restaurant for a special occasion or just because you feel like splurging, I definitely recommend treating yourself to Congress.

Austin, TX Cheap Eats

For those who don't know my Dad, he is, ahem, how do you say it? .....a cheapskate. I love him to death, but he is. A couple of years ago, he stayed with my Grandma in Atlanta, GA. One morning, I guess she didn't have any breakfast in the house. My Dad got the brilliant idea to drive to La Quinta, and pose as a guest so that he could get a free continental breakfast. He is also the same person that went to our H.S. on sports banquet nights, and pretended to be a parent of one of the athletes so that he could sneak in and get a free fancy dinner. I tell you this, because this blog post is for people like my Dad. (and for those who are crunching at then end of the pay periods).

FrugalFeaster.com: a comprehensive list of all the restaurant specials around Austin.

Franklin Barbecue: Come Early, Leave Full

Posted by Guest Blogger: Korn on the Koby

I must’ve driven past this place a hundred times during college and never even knew it existed. My co-worker, Jen, so gratefully told me about Franklin BBQ, and I knew I had to try it. After reading the Franklin Barbecue reviews on Yelp, I began foaming at the mouth. Espresso barbecue sauce? Check. Inexpensive? Check. Accepts credit cards? Check mate. I planned to go with my friend Nick, but he felt under the weather leaving me in quite the predicament: I could go by myself or I could wait another day to go. After envisioning how the brisket and pork ribs would taste, the decision was easy. I would go by myself…and go the following day, too.

Come Early

Franklin BBQ is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm. But make sure you go early! All of the reviews on Yelp said to, and I’m saying to as well. The line forms fast and is by no means quick. I arrived at 10:55 am on a gloomy day and was luckily the first person in line. However, by the time I had left, the line was already 12 people deep.

Leave Full

Come with a large appetite and prepare to leave full – this plate will fill you up. I got the 2 meat plate: fatty brisket and pork ribs. You could see the brisket glistening – it was a glorious sight. Both the brisket and pork ribs were downright tasty. I tried a sample pork rib while I was waiting to pay, and right then and there I knew I had made an awesome decision. And their espresso barbecue sauce complemented the meat oh so perfectly. The plate also came with my choice of 2 sides. Compared to the barbecue, the sides were just okay. I got the potato salad and cole slaw, but they also have beans as an option. I was completely full when I finished my plate. Any more food would’ve been too much.

2nd Round

My second experience with Franklin Barbecue was just as tasty as the first. However, Franklin won the battle the second time, and I had to throw in the towel and take home leftovers. :)

Local Taco Stand Proves There Actually Is Some Use For Twitter

Posted by Guest Blogger: Brett Wurst

Taco fans & foodies alike will both find what they are looking for at the newest of the ever-growing population of food trucks. This haven I speak of is called Chi’Lantro. The name is a play on the Korean word Kimchi and the herb your previous favorite Mexican taco truck used to pile on your pastor, cilantro. First thing you’ll notice is that there are only about 5 things on the menu and all of them basically involve combining the same 4 or 5 ingredients into different packages. Basically you have tacos, burritos, burgers, and quesadillas. Stick to the tacos. The rest are good, but you’ve had them before from some other gimmicky place after ordering through a speakerbox, driving up to your second window and digging your toy out of a greasy bag. Everything on the menu can be filled with beef, pork, chicken or tofu but what really stands out is the sauce that all of their options are covered with. This Korean Chili Soy Vinaigrette is tangy with a bit of a kick and has a strong thai chili after-taste. If you’re looking to kick your order up a bit you can order a side of hot fries which are not for the weak of heart. I only recommend eating these fries at about 2am after you’ve already showed you body who’s boss downtown. They sell out often and move daily so be sure to check their twitter to see where they will be located next.

Recommended item: 3 spicy chicken tacos with lime wedges

Moo Moo's Moooooved

So, I went to go eat at Moo Moo's again last week, and it took me a couple of drives back and forth on Lamar to realize that their trailer had disappeared. My boyfriend and I were pretty bummed out, and since I only had an hour lunch break, we were also feeling pressured to find another place to eat quick. We turned on Barton Springs Road, and to our surprise we saw the old familiar cow painted trailer parked at Jack & Adams Bicycle shop. Ahhh, sweet. I could still savor those sliders once more. Unfortunately, they were still in the process of moving locations, so they weren't open :( But, at least Moo Moo's just Mooooved and didn't die.