Overrated Austin restaurants?

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

6 hours ago, LebongJames said:

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Enchiladas are really good, it is not a regular spot but if I end up there this is the only thing I order. But I agree feeling like shit afterwards. Probably has something to do with the salt and the creamy jalapeño sauce being like 500 calories for a small bowl. That meal has to be 3000 calories.

My go-to when Mrs Rojo wants Chuy's is the steak burrito with Boom-Boom sauce. 

[tx 3 putt 76874]

4 hours ago, South Austin said:

You should try the shrimp fajitas. Or the vegetable fajitas.

Awesome blossom app 

[South Austin 52457]

2 minutes ago, Eskimohorn said:

Jovita’s lasted awhile with mediocre TexMex and Black Heroin. Incidentally, wasn’t Black Heroine your mom’s nickname?

My mom is white folk.  You have her confused with another Surly's whore mom.

[Zepol87 9185]

15 minutes ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

My go-to when Mrs Rojo wants Chuy's is the steak burrito with Boom-Boom sauce. 

Yep. That is my only move at Chuy's. I love that thing

[gsoda3 3251]

Lin.  that place is way overpriced for what it is.  

[wood 11225]

On 5/14/2019 at 11:20 PM, gsoda3 said:

Lupe is better than Matt's

LOL. The fuck it is. Lupe is a huge pile of overpriced steaming excrement.

[ChickenSandwich 9829]

For fajitas it most certainly is, and y mas has better enchiladas. 
 

Great nostalgia and sherbet though. 

[gsoda3 3251]

35 minutes ago, wood said:

LOL. The fuck it is. Lupe is a huge pile of overpriced steaming excrement.

matt's has really fallen off.  first noticed it 10 years ago.  lupe is more expensive but the food is much better than matt's.

[wood 11225]

6 minutes ago, gsoda3 said:

matt's has really fallen off.  first noticed it 10 years ago.  lupe is more expensive but the food is much better than matt's.

I disagree, homeboy. [/hollywoodshuffle]

Matt's is good but not incredible, but Lupe is dogshit. No flavor. Bland as fuck. How they charge that much for that food with a straight face is an absolute mystery to me.

 

Edited March 25, 2021 by wood

[4th&Five 41519]

Just now, gsoda3 said:

matt's has really fallen off.  first noticed it 10 years ago.  lupe is more expensive but the food is much better than matt's.

I loved Matt's growing up.  My mom, brother and I went every Thursday.  Wife got food poisoning there 15 years ago so it dropped out of our rotation for a long time.  We've gotten take out there twice during covid and holy shit was it awful.  The last time they left me waiting 30 minutes and then when I got it home everything was cold.  Not drive home 15 minutes cold, like sitting for 45 minutes and they forgot about it cold.  

[elfenix 34227]

My go-to when Mrs Rojo wants Chuy's is the steak burrito with Boom-Boom sauce. 

Also my go to but not quite as good as the Hula Hut version iirc. Every once in a while I'll get the Elvis Fried Chicken - how can you not like chicken battered in potato chips?

[gmr548 16576]

My mom is white folk.  You have her confused with another Surly's whore mom.

Pretty sure she’s got plenty of Mexican in her

[gsoda3 3251]

5 minutes ago, elfenix said:

2 hours ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

My go-to when Mrs Rojo wants Chuy's is the steak burrito with Boom-Boom sauce. 

Also my go to but not quite as good as the Hula Hut version iirc. Every once in a while I'll get the Elvis Fried Chicken - how can you not like chicken battered in potato chips?

wait, is hula hut putting out good food now?  we stopped going a while back.

[elfenix 34227]

11 minutes ago, gsoda3 said:

wait, is hula hut putting out good food now?  we stopped going a while back.

i haven't been in 20 years.

[Guest Lobo]

25 minutes ago, gsoda3 said:

wait, is hula hut putting out good food now?  we stopped going a while back.

It's about the same.  At least it hasn't trailed off anyway.  I like the salsa (chips need work).  Went a couple of times during pandemic because their patio was so spaced out.  Would not eat inside there right now if you paid me, no way is it worth the risk.  But it hits some nostalgia touchpoints as everything is pretty much the same as its always been (slightly above average).  

[irishtexan 11515]

The asadero tacos at Matt's are pretty goddamn good. The rest of the menu is just average. The popularity of the place far exceeds the quality of the food. I'll also fuck up some Bob Armstrong. 

[lonestar3 274]

3 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

The asadero tacos at Matt's are pretty goddamn good. The rest of the menu is just average. The popularity of the place far exceeds the quality of the food. I'll also fuck up some Bob Armstrong. 

 You'll be pumped to know that I've been doing some menu exploring over there and we've come to the conclusion that the pinnacle of the menu is the chicken flauta dish w/ green sauce; sub charro instead of refried. Doing a half order and adding a couple of open-faced beef tacos is just showing off. 

Also, house margarita en-fuego style is a solid upgrade. 

[justhookit 4191]

46 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

The asadero tacos at Matt's are pretty goddamn good. The rest of the menu is just average. The popularity of the place far exceeds the quality of the food. I'll also fuck up some Bob Armstrong. 

This. Add a side of Matt Jr. potatoes for a perfect meal there. Their seafood is also pretty good.

[hornbri 1396]

5 hours ago, wood said:

Matt's is good but not incredible, but Lupe is dogshit. No flavor. Bland as fuck. How they charge that much for that food with a straight face is an absolute mystery to me.

The fajitas at Lupe are very good and very very overpriced the rest of the menu is not that great. Matt's is also not that great and not worth the volume of business they get, it might easily be the most overrated place in Austin. If you were near Matt's in Austin and that is the place you go I don't know what to tell you. There are several smaller mom and pop type places near there that are much better. 

[Dbeasy 15042]

8 hours ago, MoJames said:

Might've been mentioned but back in my day El Patio was consistently the drunk Mexican food place. Was and likely is still awful. 

I’m sorry but this is just wrong. If you would just have extraordinarily low expectations for El Patio, then you would revel in the greatness of it. Full disclosure - a guy I knew from growing up owns(ed) it. 

[crainiac 37]

matt's has really fallen off.  first noticed it 10 years ago.  lupe is more expensive but the food is much better than matt's.

I haven’t been to Matt’s in 20 years and it was terrible then.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jimmyjazz 45893]

To me, Matt's has always been like the Salt Lick for BBQ.  It's not very good, but it's an experience, and out-of-town guests love it, because it meets expectations.  Think "Epcot".

Most of my guests have appreciated Louie Mueller's in Taylor.  I'm not sure what the equivalent would be in TexMex.  I'm thinking something more like Mi Tierra in San Antonio -- does that exist in Austin?  Not Fonda San Miguel, that's a couple of levels up.  Maybe El Dorado, if they ever open back up, or Las Palomas.

[dcbc 14465]

After all of this, I ended up at Chuy's for a last minute decision of wanting TexMex, not wanting to drive more than a block, and wanting to sit outside.

Creamy green sauce still is crack.  Menu was limited.  Enchiladas chicka boom-boom were fine, but not mind blowing.  It was fine and I took it easy on the chips and don't feel much more than 65% ass right now.

Edited March 26, 2021 by dcbc

[texasdago 7569]

Torchy's and Hopdoddy are good. They hit the spot.  They're not the best in town but they work.  Torchy's is the closest restaurant to our house so we hit it up on a regular basis because its close and the kids eat it without complaining.  Orders are wrong 25% of the time but their margaritas make me forget the issues.  Would I stand in line at Hopdoddy or Torchy's.  Noooooooooooooooooo no.  

[wood 11225]

3 hours ago, hornbri said:

The fajitas at Lupe are very good and very very overpriced the rest of the menu is not that great. Matt's is also not that great and not worth the volume of business they get, it might easily be the most overrated place in Austin. If you were near Matt's in Austin and that is the place you go I don't know what to tell you. There are several smaller mom and pop type places near there that are much better. 

Yeah there are several pretty decent places in South Austin. We hardly ever go to Matt's, and usually then only because someone else wants to meet there, but if we sadly had to pick between only Matt's and Lupe, Matt's would win easily. Hell, I'd take Chuy's over Lupe. That's how shitty & overpriced Lupe is.

Lupe is the Johnny Carino's of Mexican places.

Edited March 26, 2021 by wood

[ftf82 485]

12 hours ago, MoJames said:

Might've been mentioned but back in my day El Patio was consistently the drunk Mexican food place. Was and likely is still awful. 

The old school nachos are worth the trip. And folks complaining about Maudies enchiladas (i.e., @jimmyjazz) better not ever complain about the demise of Dart Bowl and (almost) Enchiladas y Mas!  hehe

[ztejas 43414]

8 hours ago, irishtexan said:

The asadero tacos at Matt's are pretty goddamn good. The rest of the menu is just average. The popularity of the place far exceeds the quality of the food. I'll also fuck up some Bob Armstrong. 

Haha. I was going to make the comment that I've never ate at Lupe Tortilla but I can probably guarantee that the Asadero tacos at Matt's with charro beans are better than anything on Lupe's menu. Tacos al carbon are great. They do good rellenos. Matt's is fine. If you can't find something on their menu you like then you might be the problem. 

[South Austin 52457]

Matt’s has been terrible since I graduated from college and developed a palate. But the way you all talk about Lupe (never been) leaves me to believe they serve dog food there.

[BurntOrange&White 39930]

10 hours ago, texasdago said:

Torchy's and Hopdoddy are good. They hit the spot.  They're not the best in town but they work.  Torchy's is the closest restaurant to our house so we hit it up on a regular basis because its close and the kids eat it without complaining.  Orders are wrong 25% of the time but their margaritas make me forget the issues.  Would I stand in line at Hopdoddy or Torchy's.  Noooooooooooooooooo no.  

After having Velvet Taco for the first time a few weeks back, I feel like Velvet Taco > Torchy's.

[BurntOrange&White 39930]

8 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Matt’s has been terrible since I graduated from college and developed a palate. But the way you all talk about Lupe (never been) leaves me to believe they serve dog food there.

Lupe is overpriced as hell.

[Steamboat1874 4051]

Had Lupe's twice.

The first time I wanted to try the basic number 2 dinner, cheese enchiladas, tacos, rice and beans. Not that good at all.

Got there fajitas to go on the second trip, beef, chicken and shrimp combo. They were damn good, especially the beef.

El Patio had some of the best cheese enchiladas on the planet back in the mid 70's. Have not been since then however. 

[Brisketexan 105082]

13 minutes ago, Steamboat1874 said:

Had Lupe's twice.

The first time I wanted to try the basic number 2 dinner, cheese enchiladas, tacos, rice and beans. Not that good at all.

Got there fajitas to go on the second trip, beef, chicken and shrimp combo. They were damn good, especially the beef.

El Patio had some of the best cheese enchiladas on the planet back in the mid 70's. Have not been since then however. 

Lupe's fajitas are really good.  Delicious, actually.  And WAY overpriced.  If you're willing to spend the bucks on them, it's a tasty meal.  But the price is ridiculous.

I haven't been to El Patio in 25 years.  And I've always thought Matt's was overrated -- it's good, there are plenty of things on the menu that are good -- but I've never understood the "Matt's is the greatest!" movement.

[TexasBeta 1261]

5 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Lupe's fajitas are really good.  Delicious, actually.  And WAY overpriced.  If you're willing to spend the bucks on them, it's a tasty meal.  But the price is ridiculous.

I haven't been to El Patio in 25 years.  And I've always thought Matt's was overrated -- it's good, there are plenty of things on the menu that are good -- but I've never understood the "Matt's is the greatest!" movement.

I go to El Patio at least every month... Been going since mid 80's - still the same and that's ok by me. Matt's is gross and blows. It was my FIL's favorite and I dreaded going there. I do miss Flores' (I think that was it) on Anderson lane next to the old Fudruckers. The chile relleno was excellent. 

 

Edited March 26, 2021 by TexasBeta

[conVINCEd 21469]

11 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Lupe's fajitas are really good.  Delicious, actually.  And WAY overpriced.  If you're willing to spend the bucks on them, it's a tasty meal.  But the price is ridiculous.

I haven't been to El Patio in 25 years.  And I've always thought Matt's was overrated -- it's good, there are plenty of things on the menu that are good -- but I've never understood the "Matt's is the greatest!" movement.

I don’t know if the Lupe in Austin is doing the same thing, but their Dallas location is currently doing half-price fajitas Mon-Wed.

[Steamboat1874 4051]

The best thing I ever ate at Matt's was a chicken fried steak with enchilada gravy and cheese. Awesome but i do not think they have it any more.

 

[Hook1997 5351]

4 hours ago, South Austin said:

Matt’s has been terrible since I graduated from college and developed a palate. But the way you all talk about Lupe (never been) leaves me to believe they serve dog food there.

Yea I don’t know about these people are that say Lupe is terrible, I mean it’s been a couple years but the beef fajitas melt in your mouth and are marinated a la pappasito’s and are really tasty.   They are over priced as hell for sure but not close to being terrible unless you just don’t have taste buds or just bitter when the bill came.

Edited March 26, 2021 by Hook1997

[TXLNGHRN10 341]

Lupe's was great when it was in the little old house in Addicks, now it's over prices and sucks, much like the rest of Austin
I was sooo excited when they opened here. 

[tx 3 putt 76874]

I’ll add Torchys to the over rated listed. It’s avg at best but as a Mexican I’ll say it’s over rated  

[RollLeft 5040]

2 hours ago, TexasBeta said:

I go to El Patio at least every month... Been going since mid 80's -...

 

I bet you post on the shart thread don't you?    

[TexasBeta 1261]

I bet you post on the shart thread don't you?    

And..... your point

[Stunns38 3460]

Lupe’s has good quality fajitas but too much damn lime in the marinade.

[CooterBrown 18004]

Lupe’s has good quality fajitas but too much damn lime in the marinade.

I like it but based on the texture I’m gonna guess it is actually low grade beef that’s been run through a mechanical tenderizer.

[HenryJames 66038]

There’s been a lot of low grade beef run through your mom’s tenderizer.

[MoJames 8244]

Where does El Arroyo fit in all of this. I seem to recall getting decent brisket stacked enchiladas with an egg on top.

[Eskimohorn 5630]

I like it but based on the texture I’m gonna guess it is actually low grade beef that’s been run through a mechanical tenderizer.

You mean they use a low grade beef like skirt steak in their fajitas? The fuck?!?

[utee94 15808]

Skirt steak is a tough cut, but technically you can buy skirt steak from a source that was graded as prime. 

[scottsins 1966]

2 hours ago, utee94 said:

Skirt steak is a tough cut, but technically you can buy skirt steak from a source that was graded as prime. 

Facts.

 

About a year ago, the Austin Pappasitos started serving USDA Prime beef for their fajitas.

[jimmyjazz 45893]

Sliced properly, I think skirt steak is tender enough, and it tastes fantastic.  Some places marinate the shit out of it, which just turns it into mealy, flavored mush.

Edited March 27, 2021 by jimmyjazz

[Guest Lobo]

3 hours ago, MoJames said:

Where does El Arroyo fit in all of this. I seem to recall getting decent brisket stacked enchiladas with an egg on top.

It's fun to be snooty about good Tex-Mex.  It's a good luxury to have in Austin.  Matt's, Lupe, Chuy's, El Patio, Torchy's, et. al.  All of them have numerous flaws, but all have something consistently good to offer.   

Having said that...El Arroyo is unmitigated garbage.  The only good thing about that place is the sign out front.  It's shit food, worse service, filthy inside, that "ditch patio" is about as fun to sit on as a park bench under Ben White.  Drinks are crap, overpriced, and parking is bullshit.  Last time I ate there was about 3-4 years ago and plan to never go back.  Other than that, it's very charming.  

[South Austin 52457]

10 hours ago, Lobo said:

Having said that...El Arroyo is unmitigated garbage.  The only good thing about that place is the sign out front.  It's shit food, worse service, filthy inside, that "ditch patio" is about as fun to sit on as a park bench under Ben White.  Drinks are crap, overpriced, and parking is bullshit.  Last time I ate there was about 3-4 years ago and plan to never go back.  Other than that, it's very charming.  

I dry heave when I think about El Arroyo. We wore the shit out of the Far West location when then kids were little.  It could be that we just got sick of the place, but I really think the once averagely decent food stated going waaaaay down hill during the last five or so years of its existence.