Austin in a city of many great restaurants. However, going out to eat can be a bit pricey these days. Some longtime residents still remember one dollar chicken fried steaks at the old Stallion Restaurant and may well wonder what happened to the deals of days gone by. We did, too. It takes a bit of hunting, but you can still find hearty, sit-down meals, not just burgers or fast food, for under five bucks in Austin.
1Fish Taco and Chips ($3.95) at Magnolia Cafe, 2304 Lake Austin Blvd. The fish taco, a trendy treat - that originated in, where else, California - made its Austin debut a few years back. After the opening of the ballyhooed Ballyhoos, an establishment on 5th that specialized in the dish, we thought it might be here to stay. But alas, Ballyhoos bellied-up. Magnolia Cafe still offers the tasty treat: marinated grilled catfish topped with lots of raw grated carrots, red onions, cabbage and cilantro in a soft flour tortilla. Although it's served with hot sauce, save it for the tortilla chips that come with it. Instead, top this catfish creation with Magnolia's Southwestern tartar sauce, a tangy combination of cilantro, buttermilk, garlic and other spices. This plate makes for a refreshing change of pace for lunch and isn't so heavy as to leave one ready for a siesta.
27" Margherita pizza ($4.25) at E-Zs, 3918 N. Lamar E-Zs features upscale food in a bright, cheery atmosphere. While we wouldn't recomend a 7" pizza if you are really hungry, the Margherita is a pleasant, if light, gourmet experience. (Relax, despite it's name, there is no salt on the rim.) Topped with lots of mozzarella, roma tomatoes and fresh basil, the experience is one of buttery nirvana with a hint of spice, head and shoulders above the national pizza chains. Or, try the award-winning Ceasar salad ($3.99) gererously covered in grated parmesean, chopped hard-boiled egg and croutons. This is among the city's best Ceasars; the dressing never overpowering you with anchovies. Of course, the real star here is the Oven-roasted Rosemary Chicken, but at $5.50 was a bit overbudget for this article. But split an order (it's half of a chicken) and a small Ceasar ($2.50) with a friend and by my calculations you can both have an ample meal for about four bucks each.
3Enchiladas ($3.99 at lunch only, slightly higher at dinner) at The Roadhouse Cafe, 1000 South First Street If you're really hungry, this may be your best bet. Enjoy some light and crispy tortilla chips with the Roadhouse's medium hot sauce while you pour over the menu. Then dive into either beef or cheese enchiladas, served with smokey, smooth refried beans and Spanish rice. Although you can get verde or rojo sauce on your enchiladas, we suggest the Roadhouse beef sauce, what we used to call chili gravy. While the spanish rice is pedestrian, the beans are truly outstanding, especially slathered on the fresh, soft flour tortillas that come with the meal in abundance. Surrounded by photos of the local music scene and lots of Guy Juke artwork, this is a serious, down-home, gut
fillin', Tex-mex experience, Austin-style. Take home your leftovers for a perfect midnight snack after club-hopping.
4Nachos ($4.95) at Kerbey Lane Cafe, 2700 South Lamar
Folks always look puzzled when we brag on the Mexican food at Kerbey. But just give a plate of nachos a try - crisp tortilla chips covered in smokey black beans, tomatoes, green onions, smoked chicken and heaped high with real melted cheddar and jack and we may make a believer out of you. Also tasty are the soft tacos, overstuffed with
similar ingredients. Covering half the plate, they're a bargain at $2.60. Like many of our friends, we have always favored a full stack of light, fluffy, gingerbread pancakes ($3.95) at Kerbey as the ultimate in late night dining or Sunday brunch experience. Unfortunately, on our last visit they were dry and chewy. We were hoping it was just a bad day for the cook, but we decided we'd stick with the nachos next time.
5Bun Thit Nuong ($4.25 at lunch, $4.50 at dinner) at Hao-Hao Restaurant, William Cannon Dr. #115
Yeah, yeah, I know what your saying. You know, you just can't find decent Bun Thit Nuong around Austin anymore. You just get those Bun Thit cravings and there's no place to go. Okay. Maybe not. Maybe you're saying " bun what huh?" Bun Thit Nuong (#1 under the vermicelli heading on the menu) is actually a Vietnamese dish comprised of thin vermicelli noodle threads with barbeque pork, served over shredded lettuce, carrots and cucumbers and topped with chopped peanuts and cilantro. At first glance, you may think that someone accidently turned over a full pasta strainer into the salad bowl and dropped in a pig. But the intentional combination is an excitingly different experience. The key is to dress your Bun Thit Nuong properly. First and foremost, add some nuoc mam (fish sauce) to the vermicelli for a subtle, slightly sweet, and faintly fishy nuance. (The staff assures us the sauce has been diluted somewhat for American tastes. Full strength nuoc mam would be akin to swallowing an entire school of mackerel.) If the flavor is still not intense enough, try adding some hoisin sauce, a flavor distantly reminiscent of a thickened teriyaki sauce. Finally, for those with courageous taste buds, some tangy and sweet Sri Racha hot sauce might be in order. Blend them bland or blend them hot, but come hungry. Bun Thit Nuong is served in a bowl the size Mom used to put out mashed potatoes in. There has got to be no less than four cups of food in this bowl and it's good to the last rice thread.
Got a favorite meal for under 5 bucks that you'd like to see featured in a future article?
Write Greg Merlyn c/o Capitol City Magazine, 13942 Research Blvd., Ste. 120-143, Austin, Tx. 78750-2254 or email: staff@capitol-city.com