“Second Helpings” offers tasty, bite-sized restaurant listings compiled from new and previous reviews, guides, and poll results. This week’s entries were updated by Erin Mosow. For quick, reliable information about Austin eateries, check here.

Artz Rib House

2330 S. Lamar, 442-8283

Monday-Saturday, 11am-10pm; Sunday, noon-9pm

Artz has been a feature of South Lamar longer than a coon’s age, and serves up mongo-sized portions of tantalizing grub for very reasonable prices. Wood floors, checkered tablecloths, a lush patio, and the sumptuous smell of barbecue surround you. The burgers are incredible, the country-style pork ribs massive and divine — great barbecue of all types, available as combos, plates, or sandwiches. Live music every night but Wednesday. Go there.

Curra’s Grill

614. E. Oltorf, 444-0012

Sunday-Thursday, 7am-10pm; Friday-Saturday, 7am-11pm

6801 Burnet Rd., 451-2560

Monday-Thursday, 11am-10pm; Friday-Saturday, 11am-11pm; Sunday, 9am-10pm

The brothers Garcia have been turning out some of the better interior Mexican food in Austin, based on their grandmother’s original recipes, for years. Watch the wizards whip up your handmade corn tortillas while you sip the excellent margaritas. Don’t miss the chile relleno with pecan cream sauce, the lamb cooked in cactus leaf, or, for breakfast, the huevos machacado (with dried, spiced beef) or Curra’s (with carne guisada). The menu is heavy on seafood and has many vegan choices. Always a crowd — well-deserved popularity.

Evita’s Botanitas

6400 S. First, 441-2424

Monday, Wednesday-Thursday, 9:30am-9:30pm;

Friday-Saturday, 9:30am-10pm; Sunday, 9:30am-8pm

Rueben Rodriguez is Austin’s grand master of the chile salsa — of all types. Botanitas is the home of the famous chip tower, surrounded by veggie escabeche and five different salsas. Many seafood items, excellent breakfast, great mole and homemade tamales, and some of the best enchiladas in town. The perfect plate? Smoked chicken enchiladas with chipotle sauce, lime-cilantro rice, borracho beans, and salad with jicama — yummm.

Iguana Grill

2900 N. RR 620, 266-8439

Sunday-Thursday, 11am-9pm; Friday-Saturday, 11am-10pm

Iguana is the home of “Lake Mex” cuisine, and site of perhaps the best sunset view overlooking Lake Travis. Great deck with umbrella-covered tables to block the sun on those toasty days, and chilly AC inside. Medium-priced menu featuring most of the standards, but the flautas and the sauces really stand out. Fabulous margaritas and beer selection to go with the killer view.

Ruby’s BBQ

512 W. 29th, 477-1651

Daily, 11am-midnight

Ruby’s, a fixture since 1988, is the only barbecue joint in town that serves hormone-free beef. Friendly, happy folks work there, dishing out most excellent barbecue, salads and sides, gumbo and jambalaya, and killer sandwiches. The ribs (pork and beef) rule, and the smoked chicken salad represents all that is good and pure. Where else can you get collard greens, Frito pie with real chili, and barbecued mutton?

Tres Amigos

7535 Hwy. 290 E., 926-4441

1801 Capital of TX Hwy. S., 327-1776

1206 W. 38th, 453-0026

1807 Slaughter Ln., 292-1001

Sunday-Thursday, 11am-10pm; Friday-Saturday, 11am-11pm

www.tresamigos.com

Tres Amigos has been a fave of Austin’s Tex-Mex fans for more than 20 years, and there wouldn’t be four of them scattered around town if they didn’t earn a lot of kudos. TA’s followers go absolutely nuts over the puffy tacos and the fajitas. Find all conceivable combos of menu items comprising the dinners, and specials such as chile relleno, chimichangas, fish Veracruz, and steak Tampiqueno. The menu is medium-priced, and the bar is complete.

Trudy’s Texas Star

409 W. 30th, 477-2935

Monday-Thursday, 7am-midnight; Friday, 7am-2am; Saturday, 8am-2am; Sunday, 8am-midnight

4141 Capital of TX Hwy. S., 326-9899

Monday-Thursday, 11am-midnight; Friday, 11am-2am; Saturday, 9am-2am; Sunday, 9am-midnight

8820 Burnet Rd., 454-1474

Monday-Thursday, 11am-midnight; Friday, 11am-2am; Saturday, 10am-2am; Sunday, 10am-11pm

www.trudys.com

Trudy’s offers a wide range of Tex-Mex with a slightly contemporary twist, and fans are crazy about the chipotle salsa and chips that precede the meals. The half-pound burgers are tasty and massive, and they also offer medium and huge chicken-fried steaks. There are many selections for the vegan crowd, and a wide assortment of side veggies available. A well-stocked bar rounds out the mix and keeps the UT students happy.

This article appears in August 23 • 2002.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US