Restaurant Poll - 2001 - Readers - The Austin Chronicle

2001 Readers Poll

Favorites

1. Castle Hill Cafe

2. Z'Tejas

3. Suzi's China Kitchen

4. Eastside Cafe

5. Fonda San Miguel

6. Chuy's

7. Trudy's

8. Curra's Grill

9. The Salt Lick

10. Cafe Spiazzo

11. Basil's

12. Jeffrey's

13. Bistrot Mirabelle

14. Saccone's Pizza & Subs

15. Vespaio

16. Shoreline Grill

17. Sullivan's Steakhouse

18. Pho Công Lý

19. Hudson's on the Bend

20. Hut's Hamburgers

21. Chez Nous

22. Saba Blue Water Cafe

23. Maudie's Tex-Mex

24. Maria's Taco Xpress

25. Kenichi

26. Iron Works BBQ

27. Gumbo's of Round Rock

28. Katz's Deli & Bar

29. Mother's Cafe & Garden

30. Romeo's

31. Ray's Steakhouse

32. Austin Land & Cattle

33. Ruth's Chris Steak House

34. Shady Grove

35. Carmelo's Ristorante

Best Appetizer

Saba Blue Water Cafe

Runners-up
Málaga, Vespaio, Z'Tejas

Honorable Mention

Cafe Spiazzo, Castle Hill Cafe, Hula Hut, Mother Egan's Irish Pub

Best Barbecue

The Salt Lick

Runners-up
Rudy's Country Store & Bar-B-Q, Ruby's BBQ, County Line, Stubb's

Honorable Mention

Artz Rib House, Green Mesquite BBQ, Iron Works BBQ, Sam's BBQ

Best Hamburger

TIE: Casino el Camino, Hut's Hamburgers, Dan's Hamburgers

Honorable Mention

EZ's, Dirty Martin's Place, Burger Tex II

Best Steak

TIE: Ruth's Chris Steak House, Jean-Luc's Bistro, Ray's Steakhouse, Austin Land & Cattle, Sullivan's Steakhouse

Honorable Mention

Outback Steakhouse, Bartlett's

Best Chicken-Fried Steak

Threadgill's Old No. 1

Runner-up
Hoover's Cooking

Honorable Mention

Mother Egan's Irish Pub, Hut's Hamburgers, CoCo's Cafe

Best Salad/Dressing

TIE: Castle Hill Cafe, Eastside Cafe, Lemongrass Asian Cuisine

Honorable Mention

Shady Grove, Bartlett's, Cafe Spiazzo

Best French Fries

TIE: Hyde Park Bar & Grill, Central Market North, McDonald's

Honorable Mention

Waterloo Ice House, Shady Grove, Wendy's

Best Seafood Dish

TIE: T&S Chinese Restaurant, Bistrot Mirabelle, Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, Gilligan's

Honorable Mention

Gumbo's of Round Rock, City Grill, Truluck's

Best Taco

TIE: Maria's Taco Xpress, Taco Shack, Maudie's Tex-Mex

Honorable Mention

Hula Hut, Changos Taqueria, Chuy's

Best Soup

TIE: Emilia's, Kaya Blue Cafe, La Madeleine, Eastside Cafe, Mother's Cafe & Garden

Honorable Mention

Bistrot Mirabelle, CoCo's Cafe

Best Sushi

TIE: Musashino Sushi Dokoro, Kyoto, Osaka Mansun

Runner-up
Kenichi

Honorable Mention

Ichiban, Umi Sushi Bar & Grill, Sushi Saké Japanese Cuisine

Best Bowl of Pho

Pho Công Lý

Runner-up
Kim Phung Chinese & Vietnamese Restaurant

Honorable Mention

Fortune Pho 75, Tan My

Best Original Recipe

TIE: Hudson's on the Bend, Castle Hill Cafe

Honorable Mention

Mother Egan's Irish Pub, Vespaio, CoCo's Cafe

Best Pub Grub

TIE: The Dog & Duck Pub, Fadó Irish Pub & Restaurant, Bitter End Bistro & Brewery, B.D. Riley's Irish Pub, Mother Egan's Irish Pub

Honorable Mention

Opal Divine's, The Tavern, Waterloo Brewing Co.

Best Bagels

Hot Jumbo Bagel

Runners-up
Einstein Bros. Bagels, The Bagelry

Honorable Mention

Central Market North

Best Ice Cream

TIE: Amy's Ice Creams, Marble Slab Creamery, Dolce Vita

Honorable Mention

Maggie Moo's, Dolce Vita

Best Desserts

TIE: Aquarelle, Amy's Ice Creams, Castle Hill Cafe, Chez Zee

Honorable Mention

CoCo's Cafe, Mother Egan's Irish Pub, Vespaio

Best Breakfast

Kerbey Lane Cafe

Runners-up
Magnolia Cafe, The Omelettry

Honorable Mention

Austin Java, Dan's Hamburgers, Trudy's

Best Migas

TIE: Trudy's, Kerbey Lane Cafe, Polvos

Honorable Mention

Maudie's Tex-Mex, Las Manitas Avenue Cafe, Magnolia Cafe

Best Sandwich

TIE: Marakesh Cafe & Grill, ThunderCloud Subs, Portabla on Sixth

Honorable Mention

Jason's Deli, The Kitchen Door, Delaware Sub Shop

Best Enchiladas

TIE: Trudy's, Chuy's, Maudie's Tex-Mex, Amaya's Taco Village, Curra's Grill

Honorable Mention

Manuel's

Best Finger Food

TIE: Málaga, Sagiang Restaurant, Saba Blue Water Cafe, Mother Egan's Irish Pub, Málaga

Honorable Mention

Pluckers Wing Bar, Z'Tejas, Hooters

Best Vegetables

TIE: Veggie Heaven, Eastside Cafe, Hoover's Cooking, Threadgill's Old No. 1

Honorable Mention

Mother's Cafe & Garden, Hoover's Cooking, Central Market North

Best Pizza

TIE: Saccone's Pizza & Subs, Frank & Angie's Pizzeria, Austin's Pizza, Reale's Pizza & Cafe, Cipollina, Mangia Chicago Stuffed Pizza

Honorable Mention

Brick Oven Restaurant, Pizza Nizza, Conans Pizza, Milto's

Best Bargain Dish

Austin's Pizza

Runners-up
Tamale House, Pho Công Lý

Honorable Mention

Maudie's Tex-Mex, Hut's Hamburgers

Best Veggie Burger

TIE: Hut's Hamburgers, Hyde Park Bar & Grill, Mother's Cafe & Garden

Honorable Mention

Shady Grove, Waterloo Ice House, Crown & Anchor Pub

Best Chicken Dish

Clay Pit

Runners-up
Asti, Castle Hill Cafe

Honorable Mention

Hoover's Cooking, Threadgill's Old No. 1, Z'Tejas

Best Wild-Game Dish

TIE: Hudson's on the Bend, Emilia's, Bistrot Mirabelle, Girasole

Honorable Mention

Siena, Jeffrey's, Brio Vista

Best Italian

TIE: Vespaio, Romeo's

Honorable Mention

Zio's, Reale's Pizza & Cafe, Mezzaluna, Carmelo's Ristorante

Best Coffee

TIE: Little City, Pacha, Tweedy's, Starbucks Coffee

Honorable Mention

CC's Coffee House North, Flipnotics

Best Tofu Dish

TIE: Whole Foods Market, Mother's Cafe & Garden, West Lynn Cafe, Veggie Heaven, Satay, Hunan

Honorable Mention

Thai Kitchen, Veggie Heaven

Best Mexican (Not Tex-Mex)

TIE: Fonda San Miguel, Curra's Grill, Manuel's

Honorable Mention

Maudie's Tex-Mex, Las Manitas Avenue Cafe, Ninfa's

Best Tex-Mex

TIE: Guero's Taco Bar, Chuy's, Trudy's, Amaya's Taco Village, Nuevo León

Honorable Mention

Baby Acapulco and Maudie's Cafe

Best Taqueria

Taco XPress and Taqueria Arandas

Honorable Mention

Changos Taqueria, Taco Shack

Best Vietnamese

TIE: Sunflower Restaurant, Kim Phung Chinese & Vietnamese Restaurant, Pho Công Lý, Lemongrass Asian Cuisine

Honorable Mention

Triumph Cafe, Saigon Kitchen

Best Indian

TIE: Clay Pit, Sarovar Indian Cuisine, Star of India

Honorable Mention

Taj Palace, Madras Pavilion

Best Chinese

TIE: Din Ho Chinese BBQ, Formosa, Suzi's China Kitchen, Sea Dragon, Wanfu

Honorable Mention

Buffet Palace, Chinatown, Pao's Mandarin House

Best Thai

TIE: Thai Kitchen, Thai Passion CLOSED, Thai Noodle House, Lemongrass Asian Cuisine

Honorable Mention

Lemongrass Asian Cuisine, Satay, Bangkok Cuisine

Best Vegetarian Buffet

Madras Pavillion

Best American

TIE: Hoover's Cooking, Threadgill's Old No. 1

Honorable Mention

Hut's Hamburgers, Hyde Park Bar & Grill, Ruth's Chris Steak House

Best Vegetarian

TIE: Madras Pavilion, Veggie Heaven, West Lynn Cafe, Mother's Cafe & Garden

Honorable Mention

Casa de Luz, Eastside Cafe

Best Natural Food

TIE: Casa de Luz, Mother's Cafe & Garden, Mr. Natural

Honorable Mention

Whole Earth Provision Co., Eastside Cafe

Best French

TIE: Jean-Luc's Bistro, Chez Nous

Honorable Mention

Sardine Rouge, Si Bon, Aquarelle

Best Other Ethnic

TIE: Calabash Caribbean Restaurant, Ararat, Taco Arriba/Chelo Kabob, The Belgian Restaurant, Bismillah Restaurant

Honorable Mention

Marakesh Cafe & Grill, Mother Egan's Irish Pub

Best New Restaurant

TIE: Emilia's, Eddie V's Edgewater Grille, Asti, CoCo's Cafe, Mother Egan's Irish Pub

Honorable Mention

Solera, Razzoo's, Kenichi, Truluck's

Best Service/Waitstaff

TIE: Trudy's, Bistrot Mirabelle, Castle Hill Cafe, Jeffrey's

Honorable Mention

Carmelo's Ristorante, Kenichi, Jeffrey's, Basil's, CoCo's Cafe, Trudy's

Best Bakery

Sweetish Hill Bakery & Cafe

Runners-up
Central Market North, Upper Crust Bakery

Honorable Mention

Quack's, Phoenicia Bakery & Deli, Texas French Bread

Best Patio/Beer Garden

TIE: Shady Grove, Tree House Italian Grill, Posse East Bar & Grill

Honorable Mention

Waterloo Brewing Co., Hula Hut, The Ginger Man

Best Romantic

TIE: Basil's, Jeffrey's, Bistrot Mirabelle

Honorable Mention

Mars Restaurant and Bar, Castle Hill Cafe, Hudson's on the Bend, Carmelo's Ristorante

Best Decor

TIE: Fonda San Miguel, Mars Restaurant and Bar, Kaya Blue Cafe

Honorable Mention

Kenichi, Castle Hill Cafe, Chuy's

Best Sunday Brunch

TIE: TRIO at the Four Seasons, Fonda San Miguel, Green Pastures Restaurant

Honorable Mention

Eastside Cafe, Trudy's, Eastside Cafe

Best Fast Food

TIE: Schlotzsky's, ThunderCloud Subs, Sonic, Tâm Deli & Cafe, Taco Cabana

Honorable Mention

Freebirds World Burrito, Wendy's, Culver's Frozen Custard, Chick-Fil-A

Best Takeout

TIE: Central Market North, Cipollina, Austin's Pizza, Mangia Chicago Stuffed Pizza

Honorable Mention

Suzi's China Kitchen, Sea Dragon, Changos Taqueria

Best Delivery

TIE: Rockets, Austin's Pizza, Mangia Chicago Stuffed Pizza

Honorable Mention

Pizza Hut, Papa John's Pizza, Domino's Pizza

Best Chef

Elmar Prambs (Cafe at the Four Seasons)

Runners-up
David Dailey (Castle Hill Cafe), Charles Mayes (Cafe Josie)

Honorable Mention

David Garrido (Jeffrey's), Raymond Tatum (Jean-Pierre's Upstairs)

Best Wine List

TIE: Bistrot Mirabelle, Castle Hill Cafe, Louie's 106

Honorable Mention

Truluck's, Vespaio, Emilia's, Jeffrey's

Best Other Asian

TIE: Java Noodles, CoCo's Cafe, Korea House

Honorable Mention

Pho Công Lý, Koreana Grill & Sushi Bar

Best Dim Sum

TIE: T&S Chinese Restaurant, Tien Hong

Honorable Mention

Kenichi, Hoa-Hoa Restaurant, Bangkok Cuisine

Best Happy Hour/Free or Cheap Deal

TIE: Austin Pizza Garden, Chuy's, Trudy's, Manuel's, Jean-Luc's Bistro

Honorable Mention

Opal Divine's, Kim Phung Chinese & Vietnamese Restaurant, Z'Tejas

Best Smokers Restaurant

TIE: Star Seeds Cafe, Magnolia Cafe, Trudy's

Honorable Mention

Eddie V's Prime Seafood, G/M Steakhouse, Sullivan's Steakhouse

Best Buffet

Fonda San Miguel

Runner-up
Buffet Palace

Honorable Mention

TRIO at the Four Seasons, China Star, Golden Corral, Shanghai River

Best Beer Selection

Waterloo Brewing Co.

Runners-up
Crown & Anchor Pub, Waterloo Brewing Co.

Honorable Mention

B.B. Rover's Cafe & Pub, Mother Egan's Irish Pub

Best Upscale

TIE: Jeffrey's, Castle Hill Cafe, Hudson's on the Bend, TRIO at the Four Seasons

Honorable Mention

Sullivan's Steakhouse, Truluck's, Louie's 106

Best Restaurant Within 60 Miles

TIE: The Salt Lick, Hudson's on the Bend, Kreuz Market, Storm's Drive-In

Honorable Mention

Cypress Creek Cafe, Bluebonnet Cafe, Saccone's Pizza & Subs, Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar

Best Comfort Food

TIE: Dot's Place, Hoover's Cooking, Threadgill's Old No. 1, The Frisco

Honorable Mention

Roy Henry's Famous Waffles & Chicken, Krispy Kreme, Hyde Park Bar & Grill

Best Late Night/All Night

TIE: Katz's Deli & Bar, Star Seeds Cafe, Si Bon

Honorable Mention

Taco Cabana, Magnolia Cafe

Best Place to Take Kids

TIE: Central Market North, Gatti's Pizza, Hang Town Grill, Granite Cafe

Honorable Mention

Chuck E. Cheese's, Peter Piper Pizza, Texas Land & Cattle

Best Place to Take Parents

TIE: Jean-Pierre's Upstairs, Eastside Cafe, County Line, The Salt Lick, Castle Hill Cafe

Honorable Mention

Chuy's, Luby's Cafeteria, Fonda San Miguel, The Oasis

Best Other Restaurant Worth Noting

TIE: Lucky Dog, Quality Seafood Market, Saigon Deli & Market, Vespaio, Mother Egan's Irish Pub, CoCo's Cafe

Honorable Mention

Juan in a Million

Best Chile-Pepper Dish

TIE: Chuy's, Evita's Botanitas, Polvos, Z'Tejas

Honorable Mention

Castle Hill Cafe, Shady Grove

Best Chips and Hot Sauce

TIE: Chuy's, Evita's Botanitas, Maudie's Tex-Mex, Serranos, Trudy's

Honorable Mention

Polvo's

Best Place We Wish Were Still Open

TIE: Pao's Mandarin House, Tocai, Little Bombay, Good Eats, Mad Dog & Beans, 22

Honorable Mention

Les Amis, Midnight Tacos

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