Mini Caprese Burgers at 219 West Credit: Photo By John Anderson

Saba Blue Water Cafe

208-D W. Fourth, 478-7222
Monday-Wednesday, 4pm-12mid; Thursday-Friday, 4pm-2am; Saturday, 5pm-2am

Saba Blue Water Cafe offers what they call “shareable plates.” What that means is they bring you a couple of small plates to go along with the dish you order. Don’t get the idea these are small servings. On our last visit, two of us ordered five items and left sated without eating half of what was on our plates. We started off with Masa Fried Oyster Tostadas ($7), a plate of delicious, crispy oysters sitting on a crunchy yuca chip with cilantro cream and salsa, which arrived hot and fresh. We also ordered their Crispy Vegetable Spring Rolls ($6), which were a little less inspired, but still good. They were crisp, as advertised, but a little greasy, and the dipping sauce was unexceptional.

We moved up to the Mu Shu Pork ($7), a nice, small serving of pulled pork with some barely sweet crepes and what they called “Asian BBQ sauce.” Whatever the recipe, the sauce was nice, and we enjoyed the fresh veggies that accompanied it. The Fish Tacos ($9) use fresh, tender mahimahi and finish with an aioli that was redolent with smoky chipotle flavor – in fact, almost too much so. We finished with Steak Churrasco ($8), which came with a chimichurri sauce. Again, it was nicely grilled, and this time the sauce was perfect.

Chronicle readers love the drinks at Saba – it tied with the Brown Bar for Best Cocktails in this year’s “Best of Austin” Readers Poll. They sell tons of drinks, none more than their Mojitos ($6), but they also carry a nice selection of wines by the glass and give you a generous pour. White wine lovers should try the Villa Frattina Pinot Grigio ($6.50) or Goldwater Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc ($9.50). If you’re in the mood for a red, try either the Fife Whaler Zinfandel ($7.50) or the Guigal Cotes du Rhone ($7).

My only complaint with Saba is a minor one – something that other patrons might not mind or could even prefer: It is busy, loud, and aimed more at the bar crowd than the food crowd. If you happen to be thirsty and want a snack while you’re waiting for dinner, Saba fits the bill nicely; it’s a great place for a drink, and the food is good.

This article appears in Iraqi Day of the Dead.

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Wes Marshall is the author of What's a Wine Lover To Do? (Artisan) and The Wine Roads of Texas (Maverick), as well as the Executive Producer of the PBS television series of the same name. Wes has written for The Austin Chronicle since 1999, covering wine, cocktails, food, and travel.