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Takeout in the time of Coronavirus

Sbbruin

By Sbbruin
in Food and Travel

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AustinMT

AustinMT 952

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

For real. My neighbors picked it up. He's actually a Drafthouse corporate employee on furlough. 

That’s pretty disappointing.  Lots of restaurants offering real value for the prices.  I’d rather support those type of places, and tip well (which is what we have been doing).

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Brisketexan

Brisketexan 105095

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, AustinMT said:

That’s pretty disappointing.  Lots of restaurants offering real value for the prices.  I’d rather support those type of places, and tip well (which is what we have been doing).

This.  We've done takeout quite a few times, mostly local places (but even Red Lobster once -- the boy wanted it).  All provided real prepared food for a good price, and I've been tipping 20-25% at the very least.

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AustinMT

AustinMT 952

Posted
Posted (edited)
10 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

This.  We've done takeout quite a few times, mostly local places (but even Red Lobster once -- the boy wanted it).  All provided real prepared food for a good price, and I've been tipping 20-25% at the very least.

On local v. Non-local:  we’ve generally tried to support the locally-owned places, but have also done “non-local.”  One place in particular we’ve gone for years, know the servers, etc.  The people that work there are “local” regardless of where corporate HQ is.

Edited by AustinMT
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Whatever

Whatever 700

Posted
Posted
I've got spaghetti, I've got onions, I've got cheddar cheese, I've got hot sauce, and I've got oyster crackers. And I've got this:
cs_skyline_chili_15oz.jpg
I can make a 4-way without leaving the house. 

Says the guy who probably won’t get in.


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Whatever

Whatever 700

Posted
Posted
I've got spaghetti, I've got onions, I've got cheddar cheese, I've got hot sauce, and I've got oyster crackers. And I've got this:
cs_skyline_chili_15oz.jpg
I can make a 4-way without leaving the house. 

Says the guy who probably won’t get in.


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Whatever

Whatever 700

Posted
Posted
I've got spaghetti, I've got onions, I've got cheddar cheese, I've got hot sauce, and I've got oyster crackers. And I've got this:
cs_skyline_chili_15oz.jpg
I can make a 4-way without leaving the house. 

Says the guy who probably won’t get in. giphy.gif
giphy.gif


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Whatever

Whatever 700

Posted
Posted
I've got spaghetti, I've got onions, I've got cheddar cheese, I've got hot sauce, and I've got oyster crackers. And I've got this:
cs_skyline_chili_15oz.jpg
I can make a 4-way without leaving the house. 

Says the guy who probably won’t get in. giphy.gif
giphy.gif


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Tailgate

Tailgate 3021

Posted
Posted (edited)

Ok, buddy turned me on to the hook up in South Austin. (Besides South Austin’s mom).

Flores Mexican Restaurant. The portions they are handing out to go right now are basically double. At least for fajitas to margaritas.

Went there for some chips and queso and margaritas to give it a test. The queso was massive with a huge bag of chips and the frozen margs were in a large styrofoam cup....easily two or more margs worth in the cup alone...my guess was three.

They also have a nice setup outside where you just drive up, roll down your window and they hand you the order.

Not the premier Mexican in Austin. But very solid, especially during COVID and the margs were on point. I think my total was less than $20.

Edited by Tailgate
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CooterBrown

CooterBrown 18006

Posted
Posted (edited)

https://austin.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/04-30-20-wine-beer-cocktail-liquor-to-go-texas

Texas restaurants may sell beer, wine, and cocktails to-go 'forever,' says governor

 
Apr 30, 2020, 10:47 am
 
Gueros margarita cocktail kits to-go
Cocktails to-go could become permanent in Texas. Photo courtesy of Gueros Taco Bar

One of the few restaurant-related bright spots in the coronavirus pandemic may become a permanent part of dining in Texas: Gov. Greg Abbott recently tweeted his support for continuing to allow restaurants to sell alcohol to-go "forever."

In March, the governor signed a waiver allowing restaurants to sell beer, wine, and mixed drinks for both to-go and delivery — providing that the drinks are served with food and the alcoholic beverages remained in their original packaging.

Restaurants had already been permitted to sell alcoholic beverages through a delivery service. Abbott's waiver allowed consumers to pick up their drinks without utilizing a third party, and expanded which establishments could offer them. 

Waiver in place, bars (that serve food) and restaurants across the state started selling cocktails to go. The offerings have been a hit, providing not only a little comfort to customers but also financial relief to establishments reeling from lost revenues.

Of course, if Abbott really wanted to be a hero to Texas tipplers, he’d allow bars and restaurants to sell pre-mixed cocktails. If that situation did come to pass, diners could purchase properly portioned, mixed, and diluted drinks rather than being given a bunch of ingredients and told to figure it out on their own.

In addition, all of those restaurants selling frozen cocktails in sealed plastic jugs would suddenly be in compliance with the law instead of risking a fine to earn some much needed dollars.

Alas, making those changes would likely require action by the legislature, and it won’t meet again until 2021.

Edited by CooterBrown
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AustinMT

AustinMT 952

Posted
Posted

ATX Cocina has their to go setup done finally.  Got it last night.  Menu is slimmed down, but the food was great.  Margarita kit was excellent — $40, makes 6 margaritas (and before you say it, I know I could get that for less at a liquor store, but the point is supporting the restaurants).  Also have free margaritas outside when you stop to get the food

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Ghost of LL

Ghost of LL 15531

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, AustinMT said:

ATX Cocina has their to go setup done finally.  Got it last night.  Menu is slimmed down, but the food was great.  Margarita kit was excellent — $40, makes 6 margaritas (and before you say it, I know I could get that for less at a liquor store, but the point is supporting the restaurants).  Also have free margaritas outside when you stop to get the food

So it seems like a lot of the places have really adapted to doing curbside.  I did Kome last night and it was a fine-tuned machine.  Call in the order, pull into a parking space that is marked by a barstool sitting in front of the parking space, text them what spot you're in, and they come out and put a bag of food on the barstool.  Super easy.

I really wonder with places that are opening to dine-in if it is going to be equally easy.  Because I'm really skeptical.

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utee94

utee94 15811

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Posted
1 hour ago, Ghost of LL said:

So it seems like a lot of the places have really adapted to doing curbside.  I did Kome last night and it was a fine-tuned machine.  Call in the order, pull into a parking space that is marked by a barstool sitting in front of the parking space, text them what spot you're in, and they come out and put a bag of food on the barstool.  Super easy.

I really wonder with places that are opening to dine-in if it is going to be equally easy.  Because I'm really skeptical.

The curbside places have had a month to dial it in.  I'm sure there will be challenges adjusting to reduced-capacity dine-in, but I also believe restaurants will figure that out, as well.  Not on Day 1 or even week 1, but they'll adapt.  They must.

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Ghost of LL

Ghost of LL 15531

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Posted
3 minutes ago, utee94 said:

The curbside places have had a month to dial it in.  I'm sure there will be challenges adjusting to reduced-capacity dine-in, but I also believe restaurants will figure that out, as well.  Not on Day 1 or even week 1, but they'll adapt.  They must.

Yeah, but it's going to be a shitshow for awhile.

It's a good reason why for Tex-Mex tonight I'm ordering from Texican Cafe (which is still doing curbside only) rather than Maudie's (which is doing dine-in).

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utee94

utee94 15811

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

Yeah, but it's going to be a shitshow for awhile.

It's a good reason why for Tex-Mex tonight I'm ordering from Texican Cafe (which is still doing curbside only) rather than Maudie's (which is doing dine-in).

Might or might not be a shitshow.  Rudy's/Mighty Fine are opening.  They're operational wizards anyway, but their single-line process lends itself to social distancing in the same way it's being done in grocery store lines.  As long as people stand on the proper red X or whatever, there's no reason why it won't work for them.

It's funny you mention Texican, for some reason I was just thinking about how I'd process flow their operation, and I'd probably make you enter through the normal front door at the hostess stand, but exit off the patio.  I'd also close that entire left-hand side of the dining room, so you don't have people moving back and forth past the front entrance.  I'd force people to the right and space out all the tables in the main dining room and patio.  The doors to the patio are a pinch point and probably need someone just watching it to ensure distancing.  

Anyway, we're not dining out tonight either, we're probably grabbing to-go from Jardin Corona or Mesa Rosa.  Or maybe I'll see you from a distance in the parking lot at Texican. :)

 

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AustinMT

AustinMT 952

Posted
Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, Firemans4Horn said:

Just a reminder to order direct from the restaurant. Grubhub/favor are all fucking vampires. 
 

 

Holy crap!!! I had no idea they took that much

All of my corona takeout has been direct-order

Edited by AustinMT
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HornOnTheBayou

HornOnTheBayou 8921

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, utee94 said:

Might or might not be a shitshow.  Rudy's/Mighty Fine are opening.  They're operational wizards anyway, but their single-line process lends itself to social distancing in the same way it's being done in grocery store lines.  As long as people stand on the proper red X or whatever, there's no reason why it won't work for them.

It's funny you mention Texican, for some reason I was just thinking about how I'd process flow their operation, and I'd probably make you enter through the normal front door at the hostess stand, but exit off the patio.  I'd also close that entire left-hand side of the dining room, so you don't have people moving back and forth past the front entrance.  I'd force people to the right and space out all the tables in the main dining room and patio.  The doors to the patio are a pinch point and probably need someone just watching it to ensure distancing.  

Anyway, we're not dining out tonight either, we're probably grabbing to-go from Jardin Corona or Mesa Rosa.  Or maybe I'll see you from a distance in the parking lot at Texican. :)

 

Is Jardin Corona doing take-out margaritas?

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Firemans4Horn

Firemans4Horn 18046

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Posted
12 hours ago, Firemans4Horn said:

Just a reminder to order direct from the restaurant. Grubhub/favor are all fucking vampires. 
 

 

 

8 hours ago, AustinMT said:

Holy crap!!! I had no idea they took that much

All of my corona takeout has been direct-order


Yeah. I’ve learned a lot about these ghouls today. This is fucking insane:

Yelp is Screwing Over Restaurants By Quietly Replacing Their Phone Numbers

The phone numbers add tracking before connecting to a restaurant so that Grubhub can bill for a marketing fee.

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/wjwebw/yelp-is-sneakily-replacing-restaurants-phone-numbers-so-grubhub-can-take-a-cut

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Jack Straw

Jack Straw 2954

Posted
Posted (edited)

did Sway take out this week - pretty limited menu but they do have a couple of our favorites are on the take out menu.  we added on one of the whole cured and roasted chickens from the market section and had that the second night.  it was the best item of the order by far (and the rest was great) and for $12, pretty good bang for the buck.

Edited by Jack Straw
grrr
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Iceman

Iceman 2699

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Posted

We have been ordering from 2 of my favorite mom-pop shops every week.  Tyler's BBQ is always 1/2# of brisket and 6 ribs.  I sweatergawd they put a full pound of brisket in there every time.  I love them.

Another place that I don't want to name because they are great when everything is normal and I understand take-out for some foods is just gonna be challenging as fuck; but they make a double meat bacon cheeseburger that is one of my very favorite things to get, anywhere.  Two times I have ordered it during the plague and I open it up...dried out patties, smaller than the bun.  Wife orders a margarita pizza that has smoked tomatoes and is so good.  We get it home and it's regular diced tomatoes...WTF?  I understand supply chain; but say something...

I want both of these places to make it, for sure.  Our experiences have been vastly different.

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