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Best restaurant in Austin...

OnAComputer

By OnAComputer
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dieucla98

dieucla98 2942

Posted
Posted

Had a meal at Red Ash and it's pretty dynamite. Not best in Austin but since we're on an Italian kick in this thread, it definitely deserves mention as Best Italian in Austin.

I really don't even know where to start for best restaurant in Austin... 

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South Austin

South Austin 52454

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18 minutes ago, Bottlecap said:

Bonhomie is closing.

It was in Matthew Odam's Top 20, so probably a pretty significant shuttering. Mixed-use bottom-floor restaurants seem like a bad idea.

We went several months ago and thought it was good, but not enough that we were in a rush to get back. I’m not surprised it’s closing. I’d drive by it on some Friday evenings and it looked almost empty.

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OnAComputer

OnAComputer 1405

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Just now, South Austin said:

We went several months ago and thought it was good, but not enough that we were in a rush to get back. I’m not surprised it’s closing. I’d drive by it on some Friday evenings and it looked almost empty.

Classic Austin. So many good places to go that a place will be on fire one month and closing the next.

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Larry T. Spider

Larry T. Spider 1746

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Went last month for Saturday lunch and had to sit at the bar as there was a long wait for tables. Bar was slammed the whole time too. Like south austin said, it was a good every now and then spot but wasn’t rushing back. It would be one of the best restaurants in town in some places or Austin 20 years ago.

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Ollie Slatt

Ollie Slatt 289

Posted
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I liked Bonhomie.  It was a good french option if we didn't feel like going all the way to Justine's.  

I had a feeling it would fail when it opened though.  That is a terrible location and previous tenants failed.  Same with all of the restaurants in Lamar Union.  Having no parking in an area with little foot traffic seems like a problem.  

 

 

 

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CooterBrown

CooterBrown 18004

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2 hours ago, Larry T. Spider said:

It has/had free garage parking.

The problem with the mixed-used retail garage parking is the garage parking. For whatever reason, people are hesitant to park in the garages even though there's space for retail parking. i don't know if it's just a foreign concept or people just fucking hate garages.

 

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D_Goose

D_Goose 489

Posted
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3 hours ago, Ollie Slatt said:

I liked Bonhomie.  It was a good french option if we didn't feel like going all the way to Justine's.  

I had a feeling it would fail when it opened though.  That is a terrible location and previous tenants failed.  Same with all of the restaurants in Lamar Union.  Having no parking in an area with little foot traffic seems like a problem.  

 

 

 

Know what you mean but to be fair though, wasn't the only other tenant in that unit Dickie's BBQ?

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jimmyjazz

jimmyjazz 45889

Posted
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I drove by Bonhomie an hour or so ago and thought "wow, they're still open", and then saw this thread.

Went once, it was fine, kinda loud and not mind-blowing but perfectly edible.

I completely agree that it's a turnoff -- if you're driving on Burnet and manage to see the sign, by then the instinct is "well, where do I park?  I'll just keep driving".  

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Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

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I'm not so sure about the parking deal.  I mean, yeah...some hardcore foodies may skip a trip to Applebee's if the lot is full.  But think about some of the longtime Austin stalwarts in the high-end dining scene.  (admittedly, some of these are chains but they've been on the scene for decades, so have to give them some credit)...Vespaio, Austin Land & Cattle, Eddie V's, Ruth's Chris, Truluck's, Uchi, Driskill Grill, Jeffrey's, Wink Clark's, et. al.  

What do they all have in common?  None of them are particularly easy to park at for dinner.  Yet they remain vibrant and profitable.  Why is that?  

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BearCountry11

BearCountry11 1234

Posted
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On 5/16/2018 at 9:00 PM, dieucla98 said:

Had a meal at Red Ash and it's pretty dynamite. Not best in Austin but since we're on an Italian kick in this thread, it definitely deserves mention as Best Italian in Austin.

I really don't even know where to start for best restaurant in Austin... 

Giving this a try on Thursday.  Going to try and make it in time for happy hour.  

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Sbbruin

Sbbruin 21829

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4 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

The problem with the mixed-used retail garage parking is the garage parking. For whatever reason, people are hesitant to park in the garages even though there's space for retail parking. i don't know if it's just a foreign concept or people just fucking hate garages.

 

That's the case in most places.  We developed a mixed use project (ground floor retail below apartments) next to an existing office building.  We require all office and apartment residents to park in the subterranean garage and leave the surface parking strictly for retail and office visitors.  

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Gourmand

Gourmand 7774

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5 hours ago, Ollie Slatt said:

I think there was a short-lived sushi place there between Dickie's and Bonhomie . . . not sure about that though. 

 

Actually Bonhomie took over both spaces and knocked out the wall that separated Dickie's and Roll On Sushi. They did a good job with the space.

I was definitely a fan of Bonhomie when it first opened and went a few times in those first few months, but when they changed their hours I knew they were probably fighting an uphill battle. Too many restaurants imo make the mistake of not being open enough. The overhead on a Monday or Tuesday is not so prohibitive as to warrant being closed entirely. When ownership does that, it guarantees lost revenue stream at least one or two days a week and the opportunity cost of a potential repeat first-time customer. Likewise, when you actually do have staff in house during lunch hours working on prep and you aren't open for lunch, you are definitely losing money. It makes so little sense to me and whenever  places start curtailing their hours you can bet they are probably not doing that great on their P&Ls. 

That said, I'm definitely surprised by the timing because they just installed a new sign built and designed by neon artist Evan Voyles. His work does not come cheap. Given that expenditure and the steady stream of positive press they've generated, I didn't think they'd be closing a month later. Maybe the money guys forced Philip's hand and he opted to cut his losses and focus on his next venture in downtown Austin. I'm sure that will be a financial success.

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drewcifer

drewcifer 33

Posted
Posted
20 hours ago, BearCountry11 said:

This will happen.  Will probably order every small plate...you know...for science...

I would do this but I keep going for the Pappardelle w/ Wild Boar Bolognese. The wife has done both the Capelletti and the Gnocchi. The bread is a definite must, and the meat/cheese trays look incredible. The only thing I haven't cared for much were the meatballs because I'm not wild about the abundance of polenta they use. I would say it's probably our favorite restaurant in Austin right now.

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Paco

Paco 1934

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Are you in middle school?

lol at bonhomie already closing. 
 
when they opened, the chef had been trying to get in my girlfriend's pants at the time, failed over and over again on that front, so I'm not surprised that he failed with this endeavor. 
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staboner

staboner 4969

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i find some of the comments on Bonhomie strange

- every time I went it was crowded. Been maybe 5 times. wife and girlfriends go weekly, always crowded. 

- Never had a problem parking

- food is outstanding and great lunch/brunch action. 

- biggest flaws to me where the noise (it was really fucking loud in there) and the cocktails tended to get too creative not taste like booze

color me shocked its closing. i was thinking some kind of owner/management dispute myself. 

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Homercles

Homercles 10205

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Uchi will always serve as our standard for ‘best’ but Emmer and Rye has consistently been in the Tier 1A region (along with Barley Swine and a few others)...and pending a few more visits to validate consistency, may add Launderette there soon.

The crudo, Brussels Sprouts, and whole fish was fantastic and the prices were reasonable...$200 all in for a couple, including tip, 2 cocktails, 2 Duets and a bottle of nice white. Honestly enjoyed the change of pace, no pretension there and no constant stream of people refilling water, pouring our wine, etc but whenever we actually needed something from the bar/food, got it quickly.

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Bottlecap

Bottlecap 1523

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Pitchfork Pretty deserves to be mentioned in the top 10 or 12 restaurants in Austin. Got dam, the fried chicken caldo i had from there today was one of the best things i've had eating out in ages. The texture is like if it was tempura fried. I dunno, but it was friggin good.

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hornbri

hornbri 1396

Posted
Posted
On 5/1/2018 at 5:21 PM, Horn21 said:

barley swine is the best restaurant in austin.

you guys have mentioned some nice runners-up, though.

Went last night and sat at the chef counter, had the tasting menu. It has to still be up at the top of best in Austin, so good. 

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Sbbruin

Sbbruin 21829

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OK, wife and son are in Austin, as the boy, for some godforsaken reason, is looking at UT.  From what I’ve gathered, most of their alums are lowlife degenerates.  I’ve been to Austin twice in the last 11 years, and neither of them have been, so I stayed behind with the daughter and puppy.  I may have mentioned the first time I went.   The weekend of September 25, 2010.  It was a particularly enjoyable trip.  Touring tomorrow.  At Lamberts tonight.  Any recs for a really good “this is what Austin is all about” place for tomorrow?  One that doesn’t include a 2 hour wait in line like Franklins?  
 

 

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DalTxHornFan

DalTxHornFan 3097

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19 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

Any recs for a really good “this is what Austin is all about” place for tomorrow?  One that doesn’t include a 2 hour wait in line like Franklins?  
 

Texas Chili Parlor, Scholz's, Dirty Martins, El Patio, Matt's, Terry Black's, Juan in a Million -- I'm old school.

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utee94

utee94 15807

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1 hour ago, CooterBrown said:

The only answer is the Chili’s at 45th and Lamar.

Gotta say I can't agree.  The Chilis at 183/Burnet is a far more authentic Austin experience.  Chilis at 45th and Lamar sold out  and became way too corporate years ago.

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conVINCEd

conVINCEd 21469

Posted
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2 hours ago, Sbbruin said:

OK, wife and son are in Austin, as the boy, for some godforsaken reason, is looking at UT.  From what I’ve gathered, most of their alums are lowlife degenerates.  I’ve been to Austin twice in the last 11 years, and neither of them have been, so I stayed behind with the daughter and puppy.  I may have mentioned the first time I went.   The weekend of September 25, 2010.  It was a particularly enjoyable trip.  Touring tomorrow.  At Lamberts tonight.  Any recs for a really good “this is what Austin is all about” place for tomorrow?  One that doesn’t include a 2 hour wait in line like Franklins?  
 

 

A serious answer would be Maudie’s.

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Jerry Callo

Jerry Callo 8698

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10 hours ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Jersey Mike’s for an Authentic Austin sandwich. …


Valentinas 

Hula Hut.. lake views, Tex Mex

Crown and Anchor - burger and fries, on campus 

Casino El Camino - legend 

Gueros 

Shady Grove

Shady Grove is permanently closed.

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Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

Posted
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10 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

The only answer is the Chili’s at 45th and Lamar.

I mentioned this a few years ago when I saw the report, could obviously be a very different environment these days.  But that store at 45th & Lamar, that was one of the Top 10 Chili's in all of North America in terms of gross receipts.  Meaning, not only were people skipping over dozens of great restaurants within a few miles radius of that place, but when they went in.....they were spending serious money.  That just blows my mind.  To pick Chili's and then spend $50/person.  Having said that, I've spent $50 at airport Chili's.  The myth that paces like Chili's and Applebee's are affordable spots for working class families is just ridiculous.  

As for best Austin restaurant, it's not possible to name.  We are fortunate to have so many superlative restaurants covering almost every cuisine and type and taste.  We've also lost a number of great restaurants over the last 5 years or so.  But based on crowd size/wait time---Olive Garden on South Lamar still reigns supreme. 

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DalTxHornFan

DalTxHornFan 3097

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7 minutes ago, Lobo said:

I mentioned this a few years ago when I saw the report, could obviously be a very different environment these days.  But that store at 45th & Lamar, that was one of the Top 10 Chili's in all of North America in terms of gross receipts.  Meaning, not only were people skipping over dozens of great restaurants within a few miles radius of that place, but when they went in.....they were spending serious money.  That just blows my mind.  To pick Chili's and then spend $50/person.  Having said that, I've spent $50 at airport Chili's.  The myth that paces like Chili's and Applebee's are affordable spots for working class families is just ridiculous.  

As for best Austin restaurant, it's not possible to name.  We are fortunate to have so many superlative restaurants covering almost every cuisine and type and taste.  We've also lost a number of great restaurants over the last 5 years or so.  But based on crowd size/wait time---Olive Garden on South Lamar still reigns supreme. 

An authentic Austin vibe:

https://austin.towers.net/manslaughter-district-development-bringing-authentic-austin-experience-to-south-austin/?pro=caitlyn@towers.net

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