Quick lunch stop with coworkers before a flight, and Hattie B's Austin came through…read more The fryers were down because of the storm the night before, which normally would have been a letdown, especially since my coworkers had never been to the original Nashville hot chicken spot before. But the staff handled it really well. They were fast, apologetic, and refreshingly colloquial, not stiff or robotic, just real people taking care of customers and keeping things moving. Since fried chicken was off the table, I went with the grilled chicken, and honestly it was excellent. Juicy, perfectly seasoned, and flavorful enough that it did not feel like a consolation prize. Maybe this was the universe giving my cholesterol a temporary reprieve. The collards were just okay and not the strongest part of the meal, but everything else made up for it. The restaurant itself was super clean, and you could tell this newer location is well cared for. At about two years old, it still felt sharp, polished, and well run. I've been to several Hattie B's locations over the years, including the original in Nashville, Franklin, and Atlanta, where I once saw a woman riding a horse down the street in front of the store, which remains one of the more unforgettable restaurant-adjacent moments of my life. Austin compared well with all of them. Bonus points, there was no line, so we had a quick lunch with coworkers and still made it to the airport early. Not the exact Hattie B's experience we expected, but still a very good one, and a place I'd absolutely come back to.

I have to say I've become a Hattie B's fan. They do chicken very well!…read more The flavor and quality of meat are both quite good. The team is nice and efficient. The cost is reasonable compared to other places nearby. If you're on the lookout for a tasty takeout option with prices that are tough to beat, give them a try!

The food was ok. Fries were not super hot. The chicken strips were good. The ordering system is two…read morekiosks which was difficult for a line of people to figure out. The staff were not super helpful. You are limited in ABIA so like I said was ok. The seating area is only a few tables which were all full so eating while standing or walking was choice. Not awesome. Overall I expected better.

I am highly annoyed with this establishment. Even though their hours don't say, they are open, they…read morehave warm food, cold drinks, but a kiosk that would gladly take your money. That money accepting kiosk is certainly open. After having paid over four dollars for a cup of coffee, there are no cups. An employee was seen behind the counter scurrying around. When asked, they explained that they do not work there. Please send me four dollars.

A sweet little food truck serving authentic Pakistani flavors…read more We tried the beef samosas, shami kabab roll, chicken tikka roll, and mango lassi. The beef samosas were absolutely excellent crispy, flavorful, and definitely the highlight of our meal. Between the rolls, I preferred the shami kabab roll over the chicken tikka roll, though both were enjoyable. The mango lassi was decent, but not particularly memorable. The sweet lady behind the counter was incredibly kind, and it's clear that the people running this place are hardworking and passionate about what they do. We were visiting from Houston and took the food back to our hotel room for a late-night snack. We're so glad we decided to stop by! Highly recommended if you're craving authentic Pakistani street food!

It's a joy to learn another culture through story & food; Mona's Samosas is a fantastic Pakistani…read morefood truck that shares its soul with each bite, drunken or otherwise. Mona's (a portmanteau of the parents names' first syllables) has a small menu of traditional offerings, from samosas, patties, parata rolls, and chutneys. The truck is helmed by Momma Mona but her twin sons run the operations and have crafted the recipes. I tried several items and it is absolutely ridiculous how delicious everything was. The samasos of potato (papa) were expertly crafted and reminded me of flautas de papa when they are done right. Crispy, flavorful, and "light" ... just perfect. The parata rolls, made from an egg based recipe, was expertly crafted; the shami kabab was filled with beef. Paired with the mint chutney, it was a great balance. The sauces were on point and varied in heat level, but nothing excessive. Sameer (sp?) explained that the sauces are a bit on the milder side to accomodate the taste palate but the spiciest version had some punch. Last but not least was the beef patty which was a stellar, absolutely phenomenal flaky pastry with their signature shredded spicy chicken. It rivaled some of the best bakery offerings I've had, the flakiness left me laughing out loud from the quality. Whenever I venture into another culture's cuisine, I can certainly tell if I like it or not, but not how rooted the dishes are. I appreciated Sameer's discussion of his families food; his mom has been in the industry for years and finally decided to venture out with her twin sons. I'm glad they did. The craziest realization was that there was likely so many drunk patrons who stumble out of Shangrila at 2:10AM likely have no idea they had some of the best Pakistani food you can find. *Shout out to Joe from Taano Beverages for the rec; he's neighbors with Mona's. Always lovely to see small business genuinely support other small businesses.

There's a lot of food trucks in Austin. There are a few that I consider above the rest and Spicy…read moreBoys is one of those joints. Spicy Boys has four locations in the Austin area, with probably their most popular at Zilker Brewing. They are a spicy chicken establishment and their spicy chicken comes in different shapes and sizes from bone-in fried chicken, chicken sandwiches, and nuggets. I have only ever ordered their fried chicken sandwich and every time, I have been a fan. I always get their middle option in heat, the Hot Gai, which is sandwiched between the OG and the Tingly Gai. It hits every time. The mayonnaise, the pickles, the perfectly crisp chicken: you can't miss it. As a side, I ALWAYS without fail get their Tater Tots. They are consistently crispy while remaining soft on the inside. Sometimes I will get it seasoned with their Tingly Sichuan, but the heat is sometimes too much. I cannot recommend the tots enough. Spicy Boys is one of those places that is always there for you. They are consistently open and the people making the orders are putting a ton of dedication into making them smack every time. The sandwich alone comes at $9.50 with the tots at $3.50, which seems on par or slightly lower than a typical food truck if my memory serves me right. I recommend giving them a shot whether you are at Spokesman in Pflugerville, St. Elmo Brewing, or Zilker off 6th Street. It's in the upper echelon of food trucks. RIYL: peak chicken sammys

Spicy Boys is one of two food trucks at the Zilker brewery…read more The other truck is a burger truck. Everyone else tells me this is spicy zingy chicken. It just seemed like chicken chicken to me. No big deal. But then I had been drinking Zilker Brewery's own beer. Out of self protection - my body may have turned off its sense of taste To protect me from the worse than mediocre Zilker beer. If the price of protection from Zilker beer was not being able to taste a chicken sandwich, I was definitely ahead of the game.

Great for takeout! They're so quick and everything tastes exactly how an American eats Chinese…read morefood. The pad Thai is wonderful and the crab rangoons have plenty of filling. I like this place for easy lunches and dinners.

UPDATE: I changed this review from 3 stars to 4 stars... I had contacted the Tso's comments page…read moreand relayed the issues. I promptly received an email acknowledging the issues, with promise to communicate that forward. I also received a credit. The timeliness of the response made it clear to me that there is an eye to quality control and that there's earnestness in making things better. I'll raise my "C-" to a "B-" and will give them another chance. ------------- Delivery: It took 1hr 25min for an order of soup, spring rolls, and lettuce wraps to be delivered... on a Monday... after lunch rush... when the restaurant location is less than 2 miles away. Online order: 1:03p; food in hand: 2:27p. That was a bummer. It's normally 30-40 minutes. Food: The small container of the dipping sauce (packed in the spring roll container) had a warped, melted lid... it was packed at the top of my complete order bag, and I suspect that it sat under a heat lamp for about 40 minutes. The spring rolls were soft and pithy and soaked in in the sauce. Kinda yucky. No crunch left. Food: I ordered chicken lettuce wraps. That came in a bi-partition container; lettuce on one side and chicken on the other. The lettuce was totally limp. The lettuce was dark green and looked like it was the nasty stuff you might peel off of a head of lettuce that sat too long in your refrigerator drawer. I'm sure it started out fresh when the meal was packed, but putting it in a container with hot food, and then next to a container of soup, and then letting it all sit under a heat lamp for 40 minutes did it no good. I did contact Tso's online and suggested that they pack lettuce separately for their lettuce wraps. Food: The chicken, the hot & sour soup, and the spring rolls were all a bit salty... saltier than usual, IMHO. Tso's is usually a solid "B", but this meal barely met a "C-".

Delicious Chinese food! The food comes with a spicy chili oil. I've had generals chicken and…read moreMongolian beef here. The generals chicken was so tasty, the sauce thick and syrupy. The Mongolian beef is tender beef with perfectly cooked al dente veggies. My new favorite spot. They do take cash or Zelle only.

I can't believe I'm saying this. I got scared when I walked up to a Chinese food truck owned by…read moreMexicans. When I asked in English if they included utensils they answered in Spanish. But the food was surprisingly good! Gilberto only accepts cash or zelle. I paid $14 cash including tax for the beef and broccoli with fried rice. There's no tip jar so you don't have to tip. It definitely tasted better than Panda Express. The beef was good quality and tender. My toddler loved it. The broccoli and carrots were cooked perfectly. The food was perfectly seasoned with oyster sauce and a touch of sugar. The fried rice was moist and not too salty. I would not be surprised if Gilberto used to cook at a Chinese restaurant. I would definitely come back again.

The food was excellent. Both the steak and shrimp were cooked perfectly. We started with the Sake…read moreMac and Cheese, then had the Surf and Turf and the Shrimp Symphony, and everything was delicious. The owner even opened a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc so I could enjoy a glass which I really appreciated because it's not offered by the glass. I did try to make a reservation online but ended up calling instead. It was a bit amusing since the restaurant was nearly empty when we arrived, aside from one table and only one other couple came in by the time we finished our meal.

Once again, I wish I'd taken a picture of what I ordered, ...but when it's really good, I have a…read moretendency to forget. This food was REALLY good. I ordered the Cajun surf and turf (shrimp) on a bed of garlic noodles. Everything was cooked perfectly. The steak was crazy tender and well seasoned, the shrimp had a nice pop, and I could have JUST had a plate of noodles; they were that good. The Cajun sauce complemented everything well. Even the smattering of green beans, which were probably there to add color, were outstanding. The restaurant itself was comfortable ...which is a compliment. The parking was easy. The service was outstanding. The prices were ...lower than they should have been given how delicious the food was. I will definitely recommend CK Kitchen and Bar to my friends. We came here for a birthday dinner, but with Mother's Day and graduation around the corner, I can't think of a better spot. Well done, CK.