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Austin Restaurants You Miss The Most

DoobieWah

By DoobieWah
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Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Holy shit, it's finally succumbing?  That place should have been razed 30 years ago.

I never knew how it survived that long.  It had no drive-thru either.  It was typically packed though with tradesmen and laborers from RE projects in the area.  I staggered in there years ago after a private event at Olive & June across the street, that didn't really serve any substantive food, but copious amounts of alcohol.  I drunk ordered a whopper while waiting on an Uber.  This was probably 8:30pm.  I was the only customer there.  It took about 20 solid minutes to get me a whopper and fries despite having no other orders.  /csb

I don't really miss it but it was a convenient weekday lunch meeting spot, but that Fresh Express was solid.  More importantly though---is anything ever gonna go in that spot?  Seems like a good real estate location, but it's just a graffiti eyesore now. 

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Grundy

Grundy 27

Posted
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3 hours ago, Deej said:

Sam's is still there, is it not?

The Omelettry is still in existence, though not in it's original location, unfortunately. 

My mistake re Sam’s just assumed it was a condo.  Haven’t gone a post bat BBQ run in a long time

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ftf82

ftf82 485

Posted
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7 hours ago, Grundy said:

 

Louie’s on the Lake

 

Where was Louie's on the Lake? I have a vague memory from 1989-1990 of taking a ferry from Oyster Landing (long before Hula Hut or anything else was there) over to a restaurant where Lake Austin Marina is now. I thought it was Jazz on the Lake.

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smwhorn

smwhorn 481

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5 minutes ago, ftf82 said:

Where was Louie's on the Lake? I have a vague memory from 1989-1990 of taking a ferry from Oyster Landing (long before Hula Hut or anything else was there) over to a restaurant where Lake Austin Marina is now. I thought it was Jazz on the Lake.

That was Louie's on the Lake.  I waited tables there in 1983 and 1984.  Great place to work.

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jimmyjazz

jimmyjazz 45630

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What was the place out by Lake Travis . . . See Island Grill?  Something like that?  They used those plastic cafeteria trays and plates, and you usually ate seated on patio furniture out on the lawn.  Chicken fried steak, things like that.  Not great, but good enough after a day on the lake.

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Guest Lobo

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Man, those names take me back.  Sfuzzi was part of the Mezzaluna restaurant group right?  Those guys really did kinda start this whole tidal wave of great dining that we're all enjoying 20+ years later.  

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DalTxHornFan

DalTxHornFan 3089

Posted
Posted (edited)
20 minutes ago, Lobo said:

Man, those names take me back.  Sfuzzi was part of the Mezzaluna restaurant group right?  Those guys really did kinda start this whole tidal wave of great dining that we're all enjoying 20+ years later.  

Sfuzzi's was a restaurant chain started out of Dallas by Robert Columbo.  His brother, Patrick Columbo also had a leadership role.  They were successful and expanded to NY, LA, lots of other places.  They later faltered, leaving many lawsuits from aggrieved investors in their wake.  Their last incarnation on McKinney in Uptown closed in 2013.

Reed Clemons was the guy behind Mezzaluna, the Granite Cafe, and others.

Edited by DalTxHornFan
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Guest Lobo

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I guess I was thinking of another restaurant in that area.  I can't remember the other Mezzaluna properties.  Was Gilligan's one of them?  

I was also trying to reimagine where Belgian Restaurant was on Bee Caves and couldn't picture it.  I think it was where Walgreen's is now?  Wife and I had one of our first ten dates there.  We haven't been together for a lifetime like some of y'all, but literally our first ten date spots...I think they're all gone now.  Bitter End, Carmelo's, Belgian Restaurant, Jean Pierre's Upstairs, Shady Grove, Cafe Josie, Iguana Grill, El Sol y La Luna, Threadgill's, and whatever that lodge-themed place on Lake Austin was before it turned into Abel's.  

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utee94

utee94 15751

Posted
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2 minutes ago, Lobo said:

I guess I was thinking of another restaurant in that area.  I can't remember the other Mezzaluna properties.  Was Gilligan's one of them?  

I was also trying to reimagine where Belgian Restaurant was on Bee Caves and couldn't picture it.  I think it was where Walgreen's is now?  Wife and I had one of our first ten dates there.  We haven't been together for a lifetime like some of y'all, but literally our first ten date spots...I think they're all gone now.  Bitter End, Carmelo's, Belgian Restaurant, Jean Pierre's Upstairs, Shady Grove, Cafe Josie, Iguana Grill, El Sol y La Luna, Threadgill's, and whatever that lodge-themed place on Lake Austin was before it turned into Abel's.  

It was called The Lodge at Lakeview, it was the second iteration of the Lakeview Cafe which was adjacent and across the street and had a view of the lake but wasn't waterfront.  They wanted more space and got it when they moved across the street to Oyster Landing, but it came with a higher rent and so prices increased to the point that it was less accessible.  I liked it okay but preferred its original incarnation.

Best thing about the Lodge at Lakeview was $1 Celis bottles on Thursdays back in the mid 90s.  Including Celis Grand Cru.  Dangerous...

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Guest Lobo

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Granite Cafe was the other one I was thinking of, pos rep.  

Yeah his Grove empire is impressive.  I don't really like them but damn if I didn't find myself at the one in Lakeway or Bee Caves Road every three days for a work meeting.  His son ended up in my finance class at UT, I mentored him for a couple years---really nice kid and super smart.  His dad, from all accounts, turned into something of an asshole .  But I give 'em a pass.  

 I also miss Basil's when I drive on Lamar.  Somebody tried to recapture the magic of that place a few years back and attempt a mid-price pizza joint.  But I think it's gotten lumped in with the old used car lot adjacent and is about to be developed into a mid-rise multi-family.  

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Brisketexan

Brisketexan 104785

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My wife & I had our first date at Basil's, after tapas and drinks at . . . WTF was that place on 4th or some such?  Malaga?
I never "got" Granite Cafe.  Too fussy.  I guess I'm just not foodie enough for Austin.

I took my wife to granite cafe as we just started dating….along with the cute Theta I was also very interested in. To the same dinner. The three of us. For me to figure out which direction I wanted to go in. It was something of a dick move. Don’t remember how the food was.
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Grundy

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On 10/1/2021 at 4:30 PM, ftf82 said:

Where was Louie's on the Lake? I have a vague memory from 1989-1990 of taking a ferry from Oyster Landing (long before Hula Hut or anything else was there) over to a restaurant where Lake Austin Marina is now. I thought it was Jazz on the Lake.

That was it.  All you could eat seafood and it was quite tasty. The waitresses in the sailor outfits didn’t hurt either.  One of the Osmond brothers was a co-owner as I recall. 

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Guest Lobo

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Not that I know of.  I'm just surprised one of the brothers ended up here in Austin running a restaurant from Mormon Country.  

I know Don, Jr. lives here now.  But that restaurant was decades ago.  So many interesting backstories in Austin.  

 

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Hate

Hate 20104

Posted
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This guy made a pretty big impact on the restaurant scene in Austin -- Jeffrey's, Shoreline Grille, etc.  RIP.

Jeffrey Weinberger

   

Jeffrey Weinberger

Austin - Jeffrey Weinberger, founder of iconic Jeffrey's Restaurant and one of the most beloved and respected restaurateurs in Austin, passed away Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at the age of 74.

Jeff was born on March 25, 1947, the oldest of 4 children of Sarah and Julius Weinberger. As a youngster Jeff loved sports & excelled in music, winning scholarships as a nationally recognized young cellist. His life changed abruptly at age 13 when his mother was diagnosed with cancer. He got a hardship drivers license to shuttle her to chemo treatments until her death 3 years later, while also helping to raise his younger brothers and sister. After graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School, he enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin as a pre-med major and became an active member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. Always fascinated by science, he convinced a nurse to train him as a surgical tech and was eventually asked to work the trauma cases at Brackenridge Hospital.

His medical ambitions got sidelined when what began as a brief trip to England ignited his passion for food and ultimately led to a 3-year adventure in Europe studying old school culinary arts. Upon his return to Dallas, he opened his first restaurant, Blooms, a casual European fine dining establishment in a remodeled home in an underserved area of town. Next came his namesake restaurant in the Clarksville area of Austin: Jeffrey's Restaurant. At Jeffrey's, he established a culture of casual but fine dining without pretense and without a tuxedo-clad waiter hovering over one's shoulder. It would not be unusual to see diners at one table dressed in elegant cocktail attire while those at an adjoining table, eating the same menu in jeans and t-shirts. Jeff went on to found several more notable restaurants and bars in Austin, including Clarksville Café, Tortugas, Wiley's, Shoreline Grill, and Cipollina. A committed conservationist, he made Shoreline Grill one of the first restaurants in the region to follow sustainable seafood practices by adhering to the Monterrey Bay Seafood Watch.

Through his businesses, Jeff made a significant contribution to the development of Austin's culinary scene. Even more than his success as an entrepreneur in a challenging business, what set him apart was his way of treating others in the industry. Jeff was the individual who would always take care of others regardless of their background or position, whether that meant helping with medical bills, emotional support, housing, or gifts for their children. Any charity in the city could count on one of his restaurants to donate meals, certificates, or a helping hand, as when at Thanksgiving of every year, Shoreline Grill would cook 100 turkeys for the city's homeless. In 50 years of business, he acquired no enemies.

In his 43rd year, he met the love of his life: a graduate student at The University of Texas and a witty force of nature named Tina Rauch. Tina has been his constant companion for the last 31 years, and they went on to have two fine sons to whom Jeff was endlessly devoted: Sam, a U.T. graduate who works in digital marketing, and Steve, a recent graduate of The University of Texas School of Law.

Jeff Weinberger was a person of enormous decency and kindness, a gentle soul with an intense intellectual curiosity who treated every person he met with warmth, interest, and respect. He searched with all his heart for the good in others and manifested authenticity and integrity every day of his life. So many people carry Jeff in their heart, in no small part because we knew he also carried us in his. He reached out with the whole of his spirit, and we will try to hold onto his warmth. To pass along what he taught and what he lived through his walk. To remember Jeff Weinberger's life as a testament to all that is good on this earth.

After a long illness fought with tremendous grit, Jeff passed away peacefully on the afternoon of September 22nd, 2021. He was laid to rest at a small private ceremony two days later.

There will be a larger celebration of life in the spring. In addition to his wife and sons, Jeff is survived by his brother Allan Weinberger, sister Tina and her husband Michael Heffernan, nephews Scott Heffernan and Isaac Weinberger, and dear family Annie, Nic, and Madison.

Donations in Jeff's memory may be made to National Liver Foundation, Magen David Adom or Community Assistance for Refugees - Austin (CARE-Austin)

Condolences and fond memories are welcome on Jeff's tribute page at AustinNaturalFunerals.com

https://www.statesman.com/obituaries/p0149458

We loved Shoreline Grill. My wife and I got married there. It was a fantastic and intimate venue for a wedding.
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Guest Lobo

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Yes.  I know Musashino took over the space several years ago.  Arguably Austin's most underrated sushi place (in its various locations).  Not sure if it survived pandemic though.  For being in such a high traffic area, that restaurant space always suffered from shitty visibility.  

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DalTxHornFan

DalTxHornFan 3089

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5 minutes ago, Lobo said:

Yes.  I know Musashino took over the space several years ago.  Arguably Austin's most underrated sushi place (in its various locations).  Not sure if it survived pandemic though.  For being in such a high traffic area, that restaurant space always suffered from shitty visibility.  

Yeah.  You really have to be planning to go there.  We hosted some fun dinners there back when it was Granite.

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Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

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^Yep.

Going way back to Granite Cafe, we'd think out where we were gonna do dinner before a performing arts event at UT or even a basketball game.  And I don't know what it was, but coming up from South Mopac or South Lamar, you just didn't visualize that place even though it's just 3-5 minutes north of campus.  I should probably include whatever is there now in my rotation of lunch retreats from campus, but shit---I didn't even think of it until these last few posts.  And as per usual, I'll forget about it in a few days.  

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Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

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Good call.  Only could afford that place a couple times in my 20's.  But a really, really good greek salad is hard to find in Texas.  

I tried that Greek place at 6th & Congress (behind the skyscraper) when I worked a couple blocks away.  Really disappointing.  There's some new Greek joint downtown somewhere people keep raving about, need to figure it out. 

I miss El Sol y La Luna's breakfasts lately.  The huevos motelenos in particular.  Not that shitty location downtownn, but the one on South Congress.  I know it's been gone a decade or more...but.

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Deej

Deej 76641

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47 minutes ago, mchookem said:

Milto's on Guadalupe. went there from college up to retirement. they had some of the best dolmas anywhere. lunch special was great price and tasty and the greek salad was fantastic. 

I was the reason they put lattice work on the patio. We probably shouldn't have been throwing plates on to Guadalupe like Frisbees late at night.

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Brisketexan

Brisketexan 104785

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Yeah.  You really have to be planning to go there.  We hosted some fun dinners there back when it was Granite.

Back when I started dating my now wife, I took her out to dinner there….along with another girl I’d been interested in for some time. I wanted to see what they thought of each other, to see who was more interested in me.

I was an undeservedly arrogant, not-very-smart, young man. How I ended up in a relationship with EITHER of them was surely a miracle.
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DalTxHornFan

DalTxHornFan 3089

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57 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:


Back when I started dating my now wife, I took her out to dinner there….along with another girl I’d been interested in for some time. I wanted to see what they thought of each other, to see who was more interested in me.

I was an undeservedly arrogant, not-very-smart, young man. How I ended up in a relationship with EITHER of them was surely a miracle.

High-risk scene, for sure.  Glad that it worked out for you -- and her!

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brownboy

brownboy 45

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glad to see others remember Malaga on 4th.  It was one of the first nicer restaurants I went to after graduating.  think he moved to New York but has sadly passed away. The Malaga on 2nd didn't have the same charm

Reed complained that the incentives given to the Domain killed Reed's Jazz and Supper Club and the rest of the Arboretum.  He wasn't wrong.

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