Austin -- We are losing this place

[stc 1460]

i ate at zen somewhat frequently in college because it was cheap and relatively healthy. it was never very good but it was a break from cheeseburgers and taco cabana. never had the sushi, just the rice bowls. 

[YGIFS 19450]

1 hour ago, ftf82 said:

I got nothing to add to this except the first time my Mom came to visit me after I moved to Austin in the 80s and was living on Shoal Creek she thought the sign said "Panty Barn". So my wife and I have called it that for years.

So it literally like a Seinfeld scene “are those the panties your mother laid out for you” kinda situation?  I hope @Biff Tannen sees this.  

[HenryJames 66041]

59 minutes ago, stc said:

i ate at zen somewhat frequently in college because it was cheap and relatively healthy. it was never very good but it was a break from cheeseburgers and taco cabana. never had the sushi, just the rice bowls. 

It was good until they changed the concept to healthy.

[ztejas 43418]

2 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

I preferred Mother's,

[LCHorn 2616]

2 hours ago, stc said:

i ate at zen somewhat frequently in college because it was cheap and relatively healthy. it was never very good but it was a break from cheeseburgers and taco cabana. never had the sushi, just the rice bowls. 

I did after college-I finally stopped going after a menu change and because the staff, to a (wo)man, would ask “would you like to add a tip?” with such undisguised hostility that I was afraid to eat the food. 

[Mittens 8262]

On 4/19/2024 at 1:32 PM, MAUFRAIS said:

Just went to Breed’s. Across the street it looked like Junior’s closed.

 

On 4/23/2024 at 4:29 PM, Mittens said:

That may or may not be permanent.  New property owner is weighing options.

RIP Junior's.  Fridges have been sold and the owner is replacing about half of the building that was rotting away.  He'll use it as his shop until a good offer comes along, I suspect.

[4th&Five 41525]

 

[YGIFS 19450]

Ahhhhhhhhhh!  I fucking loved that place.  Hadn't been there in about a year, but was doing my part.  Best Charcuterie Board in Austin except for the time I ate one off my wife's ass.  Long story.  

Edited June 6 by YGIFS

[utee94 15811]

Yeah I really liked it as well.  Not an every week kind of place for us but we went as often as we could.

 

[jimmyjazz 45898]

1 hour ago, YGIFS said:

Best Charcuterie Board in Austin except for the time I ate one off my wife's ass.  

I'll be honest, I wasn't pleased with the $50 upcharge I had to pay to eat charcuterie off your wife's ass.

[LCHorn 2616]

I used to live back in the neighborhood behind it and always thought it was kind of bad location.  I bet they did about as well with it as one could do.  

[YGIFS 19450]

Just be glad it was only $50.  I'm out 1000x that amount for the privilege.  

Don't know where to post this as it was certainly not an Austin institution.  But that old Red Robin on Brodie in Sunset Valley.  I'm impressed with how fast they demo'd it and are building a Raising Cane's in its place from the ground-up.  I'm sure it'll do well as shopping families can grab something from the drive-thru.  But it's tiny.  It's almost finished (aside from interior), but the footprint is maybe 3,500ft2.  It's about 1/3rd of the Red Robin footprint on an even larger site.  That's a tough NNN nut to make each month slinging chicken fingers.  

Speaking of closures-was not a regular but when I was in the area, Cuvee Coffee in East Austin was always a great stop.  Not exactly a longtime stalwart on the scene but certainly had an old school Austin vibe to it.  closed last month apparently.  

[utee94 15811]

We'll know Old Austin is truly dead when the Chili's at 45th and Lamar closes.  At that point, just shut the city down.

[YGIFS 19450]

^

Ha.  All the great restaurants from 29th to way up Burnet Road, and that Chili's still frequently ranks in the Top 10 in gross revenue of metro pad stores in the whole chain.  Fucking amazing.  

But I think we are truly lost as a city when the South Austin Texas Roadhouse shutters.  I mean, Texas Roadhouse?  It just means more.  

[irishtexan 11518]

[jimmyjazz 45898]

I'm thinking Scholz Garten has to be the gold standard for Austin, right?  158 years?

 

[YGIFS 19450]

Yep, 1866.  I'm almost certain the German Texan Heritage Society a few blocks over, that building had a private drinking room in 1858...but Scholz's was the first truly "public eatery & bar", though it mostly just an isolated gathering place for German immigrants at the time.  

Since I am of German-Hispanic heritage, my daughter did a cool project (that I admittedly helped with) about how for a long time, German and Spanish were spoken far more broadly in Texas than English...particularly in Central to South (a bit of Czech, too).  And now, most "native" white Texans can barely speak English properly.  

We're all (plus City Council/Project Connect/et. al.) to blame when an old Austin institution goes away.  But bloody hell, if Scholz's ever goes........I'm gonna cut a bitch.  

[ztejas 43418]

16 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

Since I am of German-Hispanic heritage

Wow that's actually really cool. I think there's only like 16 million of you in Texas and Mexico.

(jk)

[thrillhammer 683]

2 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'll be honest, I wasn't pleased with the $50 upcharge I had to pay to eat charcuterie off your wife's ass.

has everybody in town eaten a charcuterie board off his wife's ass?

[YGIFS 19450]

well, not the vegans.  

[MAUFRAIS 6623]

I had leftover lasagna

[thrillhammer 683]

lets not lament one chain restaurant closing and being replaced with another chain restaurant.   

[YGIFS 19450]

That's just what 'the Cheesecake Factory' said you would say.  Are you a bot?!?!?!

[Mack Tripper 696]

3 hours ago, thrillhammer said:

lets not lament one chain restaurant closing and being replaced with another chain restaurant.   

RIP California Pizza Kitchen at Barton Creek Mall. 

[ftf82 485]

Article in the ABJ today about Esther's Follies which has now been around for 47 years. Haven't been since mid-2010s, but definitely need to get back. Shannon Sedwick and the rest of the cast are insanely talented and Austin is fortunate to have had them around for so long.

[DalTxHornFan 3101]

https://www.yourbasin.com/business/ap-darden-restaurants-buys-tex-mex-chain-chuys-for-605-million/amp/

Nothing more exciting than having Olive Garden and Chuy's under common ownership and management!

 

Edited July 18 by DalTxHornFan

[LCHorn 2616]

I don’t know if you’ve been to Chuy’s post Covid but Olive Garden quality would be something of an upgrade*
 

*note I’ve not actually been to an Olive Garden since the ‘90’s.  

[YGIFS 19450]

Unlimited breadsticks & salsa?  

Unlimited chips & salad?  

BUT WHY?

Uh, corporate had some excess inventory and decided to find new ways to off-load it.  

[jimmyjazz 45898]

While it's not particularly good, I have a soft spot in my heart for Chuy's.  I doubt we go there more than 1-2 times per year now, though, so it's kind of immaterial, but still a bit of a bummer.

[Mittens 8262]

Meh.  I've ordered the same thing 99% of the times I've been to Chuy's the last 30 years and it's been crap maybe twice.  Their service has absolutely gone in the shitter, but that's pretty much everywhere.

[YGIFS 19450]

Soft spot is a good way to put it.  It went to crap a long time ago.  Although I will say, the staff has actually improved post-Covid.  

But we have fond memories of biking down there and attacking that HH queso bar and a cold one or three.  Never liked their chips, but their salsa fresca and queso were always solid.  There's still a few above-average items on the menu if you know what you're doing.  

When they first got bought out, it was one thing.  But the fact that it's now the people that brought us Longhorn Steakhouse is a bit of salt in the wound.  I forget Darden owns Bahama Breeze.  I remember when that place and Sam's Boat in "the Gateway District" or whatever the fuck douchey North Austin was called about 20-25 years ago.  They were all the rage for about 18 months.  But we were young, horny, and didn't care we might get towed from a Burger King parking lot to find Sam's Boat.  

After all these years, Chuy's can still deliver on a few things besides nostalgia.  That's not nothing.  

[MAUFRAIS 6623]

I guess this is why they sold off hula hut a few months ago?