OnAustin.com

Southwest Austin is blessed with the enchanting Y Bar and Grill, nestled just off HWY 71 West in Oak Hill. The restaurant backs up to Williamson Creek, which provides a nice ambiance if you prefer to dine out on the large, covered patio. Said patio features a full bar and live music.

For our latest anniversary, my wife and I had dinner at the Y Bar and Grill. My wife had the Seared Ahi Tuna with a mango mustard sauce and wasabi mashed potatoes ($19.00). I opted for the Grilled Duck Breast with a cilantro butter sauce and southern corn pudding ($13.75). Both entrees were served with vegetables de jour, which added a variety in both texture and color. I don’t think you can get a better meal for those prices.

Since it was our anniversary, we were treated to a complimentary tiramisu. Unfortunately that was the only negative to report from this outing. The dessert was dry and spongy.

What really makes a meal at the Y is the staff and the atmosphere. You can feel “rich” from the moment you walk through the front door - wearing a shirt and tie or shorts and flip flops. On the two occasions that I’ve eaten at this restaurant, the waitstaff have always been very attentive, non-intrusive and extremely helpful in wine and menu selections.

A great restaurant for those of us who live south and don’t have the time or energy to head downtown. The Y is one of my personal favorites in Austin and am looking forward to my next visit. I’m yet to try but am looking forward to eating here on a Tuesday for the wild game specials.
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Stubb’s Bar-B-Q is a mainstain of downtown Austin. The restaurant is set in an old building on Red River and 8th, just blocks from the start of Austin’s famous “Sixth Street”.

This soulful barbeque joint mixes old south sides with Texas barbeque and live music. The brisket is pretty good, as is the chicken, but the sides are fantastic. The sausage is very good and the pork is to die for. We’d recommend a plate of three meats so you can sample each of the meats in one sitting.

If you go to Stubb’s for lunch you shouldn’t have much of a problem getting a seat, and the wait for dinner isn’t too long either, unless Stubb’s has a live music show that night, at which point, you can forget about getting a seat quickly… but you’ll be able to enjoy some music while you wait.

There are two music stages at Stubb’s. One is inside near the bar and downstairs. It’s very intimate and quite a good venue to see a show at, if you enjoy intimate shows. The other is a large outdoor backyard stage, and while still intimate compared to outdoor amphitheatres, it’s not quite the same as seeing your favorite band up-close and personal in a bar setting. Either stage is great though, and the talent that Stubb’s attracts is truly amazing considering how small the venues are.

For $10 a plate you can’t beat the barbeque at Stubb’s anywhere else in downtown, and the closeness to Sixth Street is appealing. Make sure you take home a bottle of Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Sauce for your home at the end of your meal.

Oh, and if you enjoy brunch on Sundays, you have to check out Stubb’s Gospel Brunch on Sunday mornings. Call (512)480-8341, ext. 306 for a reservation to the brunch.
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Love this place!

The South Congress Cafe mixes upscale Southwestern cuisine with trendy space-age decor and South Austin culture, all for a very reasonable price.

The menu at this restaurant is truly amazing, including such greats as a fiery crusted pork tenderloin (my favorite), an amazing bread pudding desert, and quail eggs in the salads. The avacado salad dressing is a tempting treat, and the vennison meatloaf is wonderful.

The dishes can be a little spicy, so if you’re scared of spicy foods, ask your waiter or waitress how spicy it is before you order. And speaking of the waitstaff, we’ve never been disappointed by their appearance, knowledge or level of service.

The one draw back to the restaurant is that the open ceiling, hard angled surfaces, and large front windows contribute to a very loud eating experience when the place is full, but, the food more than makes up for it.

In our opinion, eating at the South Congress Cafe is like eating at Hudson’s on the Bend at 1/5th the price. One of the best lunches or dinners in Austin for $15-$20 per plate.
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This little dive of a restaurant is a great place to eat a quick and hearty meal if you’re out near the intersection of 620 and 2222. The Boat House Grill’s specialties are catfish and chili. And they’re both great.

We ate lunch here on an overcast day in late October. The restaurant has a few small tables inside, and a large area of outside picnic tables just out the front door. We opted to eat outside.

The decorum is pretty typical “dive” eatery decor, but you won’t notice it once you take a few bites of your “Grandma’s Immortal Chili”, frito pie, or chili. All three dishes are very good.

The prices aren’t outrageous, and almost always plenty of other people eating there, so eat your food quickly, and then bus your table, so the next group of people waiting to eat can get a seat.

The Boat House Grill also hosts live bands from the Austin area in the evenings from 6-9 on the weekends, so enjoy the music with your grub.

Oh, and if you’re planning a large meal, you should ask them for their “Carry-Out Only” Catfish Feast. $25 gets you 20 fillets of catfish and all the trimmings… great deal!
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Enjoy.