1401 Rosewood, 474-8185
Mon-Thu, 10:30am-10:30pm; Fri-Sat `til 1am; Sun, 2-10:30pm
For some reason, most Austinites will opt to eat meals outside when given the
choice. They’ll routinely pass up a climate-controlled dining room for bulbous
plastic lawn furniture, even during the blast furnace days of summer. At
Sallie’s Home Cookin’ on the east side, you don’t get the choice of venue, but
you do get huge helpings of great home cooking. Sallie runs a tiny cinderblock
kitchen with a one-table patio, but lack of seating doesn’t seem to hamper
business much. Even on the hottest days, dedicated customers wait inside their
cars for food — AC blasting all the while.
Our first tip on Sallie’s came from a reliable source who only looked up from
her styrofoam to-go plate long enough to comment “It’s the best chicken in
town.” After tasting other selections from the menu, the same could be said for
their catfish and smothered pork chops. The fish and chicken were fried
perfectly, with tasty brown crust that crunches for days (though the chicken
had a bit of a fishy taste from the shared fryer). A full order gets you half a
fried chicken (four pieces) along with two vegetables and a roll, so be
prepared for a serious meal or equally serious leftovers. The savory pork chops
came in similar quantities — two big chops swamped in gravy and onions. If you
know a lumberjack that’s feeling homesick for logging camp portions, send them
to Sallie.
Elsewhere on the menu, you’ll find a variety of burgers, fried seafood, and
the usual soul food suspects, including pig’s feet, chitlins, and fourteen
different vegetables. Deep Southerners who grew up on “sweet tea” will want to
try Sallie’s Special Blend Iced Tea, which is thick with sugar. Three sips are
guaranteed to trigger severe bouts of sugar shock — this stuff makes Big Red
taste like beef stock.
A sign on Sallie’s order window flatly announces that “Your food is cooked
when you order. It takes time to cook.” — which amounts to fair warning during
the swelter season. Until it cools down a bit, call ahead (474-8186) or be
prepared to wait a while. The chicken takes about 20 minutes to fry, so unless
you have unwavering faith in your car’s freon supply, use the phone beforehand.
— Pableaux Johnson
This article appears in June 21 • 1996 and June 21 • 1996 (Cover).