First Look: Darcy's Donkey

Editor's Note: CLOSED June 2019.  

Hi Sign Red Ale

A friend whose food tastes I trust visited Darcy's Donkey on Barton Springs Road (in the old Austin Java location) just after they opened in October and had some very mixed things to report. So I went for happy hour last week with an open mind but with some trepidation. Fortunately, we left stuffed and happy, but I wouldn't be me without mentioning some pros and cons encountered along the way.

First off, the name. I wouldn't know this place is an Irish pub just from it's name, and their website doesn't appear to offer clues as to its origin. But further digging found an article from the Austin American-Statesman explaining that the Irish owner is into a sport called donkey derby, and Darcy is a popular Irish name. Go figure on both.

When you walk inside the pub, the bar is straight in front of you, and there are like 5 steps to your right that go to the main dining area and the restrooms. There's no hand railing which may be a bit difficult for people of different abilities (or dare I say sobriety levels) to navigate.

The archway is where the stairs are. There is a handicap access door at the top of the stairs that leads to the ramp outside. Wooden stools are cute, but not comfortable.

There is bench seating that runs the length of two walls more or less, and small tables and short bars stools. And when I say short bar stools, I mean fit for an 8 year old, not an adult, and at 5'1" I know I am not much taller than many 8 year olds. I had been warned that the wooden stools were horribly uncomfortable, and yes, I can confirm that. And I only sat on one for about 15 seconds before my friend and I moved into the corner where the benches come together so we could each have a padded cushion. Much better.

Our young lad of a waiter was very sweet though we wondered if he was new. We ordered the entire happy hour food menu.

We also had the Cashel Blue Cheese Fondue (queso) which was incredible! Like, I am still dreaming about it! Sorry the photo isn't so great. Nice dense Irish soda bread, roasted head of garlic, chopped figs, and behind the fondue bowl were some pecans. The menu says candied pecans, though I don't recall if ours were in fact candied.

The prime rib sliders were also delicious, but a word of warning: the food is served on small metal trays and when placed on a highly varnished wooden tabletop, your food may end up partially in your lap if you try to cut said food. Fortunately no meat was lost and no clothing was harmed but the tray did almost go slip sliding away. Two sliders for $7 is a steal!

Waffle chips were tasty, but they are cut waaaay to thin and they practically shatter in your hand as you pick one up.  The boxty pizza wasn't bad, but it wasn't really to either of our liking. Maybe a bit too soggy?

I really wanted one of the shepard's pie, but I was really too full after cheese and meat to order one. So I must go back! There are also a multitude of pratai, or potato, dishes that look intriguing, and how can an Irish pub mess up potatoes, right? Who else has been to Darcy's and what did you eat?

Juliet

Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Well, Romeo's on Barton Springs Road bit the dust a long time ago, as did another ill-fated tenant, Umami Mia, but in their place, Juliet has risen off her deathbed. Will she have the stamina to survive?

On a recent Thursday night, I met four of my favorite food-loving friends for a girl's night. Only one of us had been to Juliet previously, and all being South Austinites, we were exited to try this newer establishment.  Walking in from the parking lot, I really loved how the landscaping and welcoming pathway worked together to lead you to the covered patio where one of our group was already seated. There's a bar and a large dining area, as you almost don't notice that you're right next to the street. Check out their Instagram account for some exterior shots.

It took us a while to figure out what we wanted to order, and our waitress was super-patient with us. One friend was excited to see a Negroni flight, and she and I decided to split them. These came out quickly, but the two sidecar cocktails took an exceptionally long time to come, and about 10 minutes apart at that. The bar area seemed busy, but not slammed, so I don't know what the hold up was and no explanation was offered.

We started with a couple of appetizers. The corn fritter (frittelle de mais) with goat cheese was delicious, very well fried, crunchy on the outside and soft inside. The ceci fritti, or fried garbanzos, had a nice pop of lemon and garlic that made them addictive. And we built our own salumi plate with soppressata and two cheeses, an aged buffalo milk (quadrello di bufala) and younger sheep milk (pecorino fondatore).

The beet salad was a nice mix of thinly sliced beets and cubed one, with pomegranate seeds adding a nice light tartness and burrata for a creamy balance to the earthy flavors.

One in our group had the goat cheese agnolotti, ravioli-like pasta pillows filled with goat cheese. The pasta was the perfect texture and had the right amount of pungency from the goat; fresh corn, chives, and tomatoes also added nice flavor.

Another person had a pizza, which I didn't try, but she seemed to enjoy it.

The main miss for the evening was the carbonara, which three of us ordered. I am a carbonara freak (pig, hello!), so it's the dish I frequently order when trying out a new Italian restaurant. This lacked in flavor and creaminess, and erred on the side of being a bit grainy, and the spaghetti seemed to be on the border of being overcooked. Juliet's is prepared with guanciale which didn't really seem to add a tremendous amount to the dish, and a Parmesan crisp, which was tasty, but not quite satisfying with the dish.

For dessert, we split the pine nut tart (crostata di pignoli) and the torta di ricotta. I really liked the pine nut one, though one person felt the toasted pine nuts were too bitter. I really disliked the ricotta one, and consensus at the table was that it was off. I know that ricotta is granular, but this seemed exceptionally so, not to mention a mushy ginger crust.

The patio lends to a comfortable atmosphere both inside and out. While the outdoors is very light and airy, Juliet's interior is darker, but without being heavy or somber. Our primary server was very good (chatty and knowledgeable), but there seems to be a breakdown of service between the main servers and the runners/waiters in training. I could see the runners going around to other tables with fresh grated Parmesan, but they never approached our table after our main courses came, and I had to flag one down. Also, our water glasses went unfilled/unrefreshed for long periods....like most of the evening.

So I want to swoon with love for Juliet, but I am just not quite there yet. The potential is there, but some of the food and service still need some polishing. I still have hopes though for Juliet to rise.

Guide to South Austin Food Trailers

Click here to go to the entire 2015 AFBA City Guide!

Welcome to the South Austin Trailer Guide, part of the Austin Food Blogger Alliance's 2015 City Guide! This post is a roundup of food trailers/trucks in South Austin with permanent locations; I am (mostly) focusing on the area bordered to the north/south by Town Lake to William Cannon and east/west by IH-35 to Mopac.

Please remember with trailers, they can move! They might be at a weekend event, and then back in their regular spot during the week. Some are amazing at keeping up with their social media, and kudos to them! Many are weather-dependent, and even personnel dependent, e.g. only one person can run the food line, so if that person is sick or injured, the trailer may not be open. Hours can vary so check their social media or website.  

They are all small, local businesses, so please show them your love! Trailers listed by geographical area. Apologizes for those who I have inadvertently overlooked; please add in the comments section below.


Along South Congress (from the river heading south)

• Mrs. P's Electric Cock @1101 S. Congress -- fried chicken 
• Burro Cheese Kitchen @ 1221 S.Congress  -- grilled cheese sandwiches 
• Juice Austin @ 1221 S. Congress -- fresh juice + smoothies
• Fat Cactus @1318 S. Congress -- delicious sweet and savory Navajo fry breads
  
• Gemma Love Jamaican Cuisine @1318 S. Congress -- Jamaican
• Crepes Mille @1318 S. Congress -- crepes
• SoCo Burgers @ 2400 S. Congress (in the HEB parking lot) -- burgers
• Hoek's Death Metal Pizza @ 3808 S. Congress -- pizza

Along South Lamar

• Luke's Inside Out @ Gibson Bar, 1109 South Lamar -- sandwiches
• Texas Cuban, 1700 South Lamar -- Cuban sandwiches, like the El Cubano
  
• Brown's BBQ @ Corner Bar, 1901 South Lamar-- barbecue; really loved the chicken thighs
  
  
• Taco Baby @ Bluebonnet Flea, 2323 South Lamar -- tacos
• Wasota @ Bluebonnet Flea, 2323 South Lamar -- African cuisine

The Picnic -- 1720 Barton Springs Road

• Chi'Lantro -- Korean/Mexican fusion; just opened a brick and mortar on South Lamar and have a couple of roving trucks
• Hey Cupcake -- cupcakes
• Hey You Gonna Eat -- sandwiches
• Kebabalicious -- Turkish meat wraps; the picture doesn't do this beef and lamb kebab justice; they have other locations too, including brick and mortar on E. 7th
  
  
• Mighty Cone -- food in a cone
• Skinny Limits -- juice + smoothies
• Tapas Bravas -- Spanish, tapas
• Turf n Surf -- po'boys

South Austin Social -- 415 Jessie Street

• Beirut Austin -- Middle Eastern foods
• Boca Foods -- Spanish, tapas
• Brunch Haus -- Southern-inspired brunch items
• Unity Vegan -- vegan 

Bouldin Creek Food Court -- 1207 S. 1st Street

• Bombay Dhaba -- Indian
• Little Thai Food -- Thai
• Pitalicious -- Middle Eastern

Torchy's Trailer Park -- 1311 S. 1st Street

• Conscious Cravings -- wraps, salads, smoothies
• Holy Cacao -- cake balls and desserts
• Torchy's -- *damn good tacos*

Next to Elizabeth Street Cafe -- 1503 S. 1st Street

• Dock 'n Roll -- lobster rolls
• Gourdough's -- *big fat donuts*
• Mellizoz Tacos -- tacos
• Shwarma Point --  Middle Eastern

Across from Elizabeth Street Cafe -- 1502 S. 1st Street

• 40 North -- Great Neapolitan-style pizza! This was a special with butternut squash + caramelized onions.
  
• Regal Ravioli -- They are one of my favorite trailers; here's the roasted beet ravioli with pecan pesto; I also LOVE the sweet potato gnocchi with bolognese sauce.
  

Next to La Mexicana -- 1906 S. 1st Street

• The Pizza Shop -- pizza

South First Food Court (at Live Oak) -- 603 W. Live Oak

• Bananarchy -- frozen banana desserts (they're seasonal though, roughly March thru November)
• Crepe Up Delicious -- sweet and savory crepes
• Gravy-- biscuits and gravy (almost as good as my own biscuits!)
  
  
• Mama Mal's -- Italian 
• Snolabs -- shaved snow desserts (also seasonal)
• Tommy Want Wingy -- chicken lollipops (wings) with choice of sauce
  
  
• El Primo -- directly across S. 1st @  2101 South 1st. -- tacos

South First and Oltorf  -- 504 W. Oltorf Street

• Cheke's Takos -- tacos
• Pie Plante -- pies; I've only had their coconut cream pie, but it was heaven!
• The Flying Carpet -- Moroccan souk food; the owners have become friends of mine, and their food is delicious and unique. They also have indoor space where you can eat, and it's available as a rental for private events (they've got a great catering menu!). Pictured below is the Moroccan: beef kefta with scrambled egg, and a savory tomato sauce. Don't forget the L'afrique sauce for your wrap or fries!
  
  

Along Barton Springs Road

• Nuha's Sinful Sweets -- cookies (by Terry Blacks BBQ @ 1017 Barton Springs)
• Short Bus -- subs/sandwiches (by Austin Energy @ 801 Barton Springs)
• SnoBeach -- snow cones (@ 801)

The Barn -- 6218 Brodie Lane

• Fishey Bizness  -- fish and chips (huge portions!) and po'boys
  
• Hey Cupcake -- cupcakes!
• Nutter Buster BBQ + Comfort Foods -- pulled pork and brisket sandwiches

The Midway Food Park -- 1905 S. Capital of Texas Hwy (360)

• The Celia Jacobs Cheesecake Experience -- cheesecake
• Coolhaus -- ice cream sandwiches
• Dock 'n Roll -- lobster rolls
• Gregorio's -- Italian
• One Taco -- breakfast tacos (not just for breakfast)
• Royal Roots Juices -- fresh juice and organic salads/wraps
• Thai Kitchen Express Food Truck (aka Eat Thai or Die) -- a fairly new Thai trailer; these are Phuket pork buns, which were really nice.
  
  
• Widespread Daves -- "the best of what's around"

Manchaca Road

• Veracruz All Natural @ Radio, 4208 Manchaca -- tacos, tortas, juices

Casa de Luz

Yes, I am a carnivore, but I do enjoy vegetarian food in many forms.  I am not so sure about macrobiotic foods though. For those not familiar, macrobiotic foods are a plant and grain-based, vegan diet that are believed to nourish the whole body. From Wikipedia: "Followers of the traditional macrobiotic approach believe that food and food quality powerfully affect health, well-being, and happiness, and that a traditional locally based macrobiotic diet has more beneficial effects than others. The modern macrobiotic approach suggests choosing food that is less processed."

Casa de Luz, on Toomey Road, just north of Barton Springs Road is the first place I was ever introduced to the concept of macrobiotic. I ate there once or twice at least a dozen years ago, with a friend who really enjoyed the cuisine; I recall the food being several shades of beige and brown, and not overly flavorful. Now as a "foodie," I am always looking for new food experiences, and it was high time to try it again. I enlisted the companionship of a friend, and she had been to Casa de Luz within the past couple years. They are open B, L and D, and it's a fixed price per meal, all you can eat.

It's in a beautiful setting, sort of a holistic compound, though you kind of have to know where you are going to get to the actual restaurant. So from the street, enter through this gate and follow the stone path all the way to the end. When you enter the building, there's a counter to your right, where you pay for your meal before eating. I was really glad I had my friend with me, because the young woman at the counter wasn't exactly overly friendly. We walked in, and I said there were two of us for lunch. She said it was $24 for both, I said, Oh, do we pay now, I haven't been here in a number of years. She said yes, you pay now, was this together or separate? She took our payments and walked off. No "thanks," no "have a seat wherever," no "do you know what to do from here?" It didn't bother me at the time though I know she heard me say that I hadn't been there in a long time, but now it really irks me! Fortunately, my friend knew what to do! In the picture below, the main door and register are on the back left, opposite from where this was taken.

At the counter, they also have the menu posted. You get your beverages, soup, and salad at the counter behind where the woman with the bandanna is standing. It's open, communal seating. We actually opted for one of the small tables for two, as we wanted to catch up with one another.

The soup was minestrone, filled with beans (azuki beans? red like kidneys, but they didn't have the consistency) and root vegetables. It was lightly sweet, but lacking in a lot of flavor; it was pretty dense though, and would be easy to fill up on. The salad was described as having fresh basil and dill, though I didn't taste any; unfortunately, I did come across several pieces of lettuce that were past their prime. They do use all organic ingredients in their cooking.

The kitchen staff brings you your main plate of food, and it's a beautifully vibrant-looking assortment! Eat the rainbow, indeed! Starting at the 7 o'clock position, we have rice with a tamari (like soy sauce), mushroom, and onion gravy that was delicious! The lentils to the back were meh. They really needed some form of seasoning, and while I prepare my beluga lentils with pancetta and leafy greens, some sort of spice -- cumin, chile, garam masala -- would have added loads to the lentils. The perfectly blanched greens at high noon were kale and I think collards, and while the almond-basil sauce on top of them looked suspect, it was amazing. So full of flavor! The shock of pink is sauerkraut that was very vinegary. The sauteed veggies on the right were said to have curry powder and garlic on them; I could see tinges of yellow, probably from the turmeric in the curry powder, but the taste did not come through. And you're expected to bus your own table at the end of your meal.

I don't know if I'd adequately explained what macrobiotic is all about. This food experience was much more positive than what I recall from years past, and while I may not flock to Casa de Luz, I won't wait another dozen years to try it again. They do have homemade tortillas on their breakfast menu, which might just be something to go back for!

El Alma Cafe

El Alma Cafe is the latest reincarnation of the corner spot at Dawson (South 5th) and Barton Springs Road. I've stopped counting how many different restaurants have opened in this spot, and I thought we finally had a winner with El Chile. Then, in summer 2011, it seemed somewhat abruptly El Chile announced they were turning the kitchen and hence menu over to Chef Alma Alcocer-Thomas, a veteran of places such as Jeffrey's and Fonda San Miguel. So El Chile morphed into El Alma. I was invited to an opening tasting, and I had drinks and apps last summer, but not a full meal.

It was a warmer February night so we took advantage of their great rooftop patio. El Alma has generous happy hours, from 3 - 7 pm on weeknights, and 3 - 6 pm on weekends; there are some drink specials, and the regular appetizers are half price. And while the pricing of the sangria and house margarita was good, neither were exceptional drinks; the sangria really didn't have any kick to it, and the margarita had too much -- all sweet and sour mix. (My sangria from last summer was certainly better!) Our friendly waitress told us of some evening specials, which turned out to be quite delicious!

There was a creamy mushroom soup special, with cauliflower and scallops, which we all thought was pretty killer! Great deep flavor from all those umami mushrooms, and just super creamy. Not sure what else was in it (almonds?), but all three of us agreed we'd eat it again in a heartbeat. 

The shrimp chelada from the regular menu was less successful, as the shrimp were "overcooked" by the lime juice (it's ceviche-style), and were tough and very salty.

The other appetizer special was gorditas with chorizo, potato, crema Mexicana, and topped with chicarrones. The flavors were really good, as the chorizo did not overpower the other items. The gordita shells were crispier than I have had them before, but it was a nice texture contrast with the other ingredients. They kind of filled me up for the time being though, and I knew I wanted to try more of their food.

I ended up ordering the Duck Enmoladas to go -- duck enchiladas with their mole sauce. Yes, I am on the quest to find the best mole in town! El Alma's was quite good, but I am still searching! ;) Theirs is made from pasilla chiles, almonds, and the waitress said they use ground animal crackers as the thickener! It had a nice sweetness, some chocolately notes, and some heat to it! I also loved the pickled onions that were on here as well as the shrimp chelad, and at $15, a reasonable price, given that it is duck.

The upstairs patio practically doubles their seating space, and I know from past experience it can get a bit loud in the main room. The colorful artwork gives a nice visual pop to the interior stonework. It's also a good spot if you're coming to an event at the Long Center or Palmer Auditorium, as they are right across the street. Go sit upstairs while the weather is nice and enjoy the views of downtown. And pay attention to the dishes on the daily specials, or you might just miss something quite tasty! It's nice to have a semi-upscale interior Mexican spot in the neighborhood.

Chuy's

Like many things, it seems that Austinites either like Chuy's or they don't. I fall into the latter category. I've lived in Austin since 1994, and I probably haven't been inside a Chuy's (and there are now several, even outside of Texas!) one since 1997. I just never thought it was all that great, and life's too short to eat bad food! So imagine my conundrum, when an old colleague is visiting town, several of us are slated to get together for a reunion, and all he wants is a Chuy's strawberry margarita. After all, they can't get good Tex Mex in Minnesota! (Sorry, John!) What's a highly opinionated food *reviewer* to do? Go in with an open mind. Yes, even me. And you know what? It really wasn't bad.

There were going to be seven of us, meeting at 6:30 on Sunday. I met the first couple of people in the bar/waiting area, and they already had a round of chips, salsa, and queso going. The tortilla chips are your standard thin, crispy chips, the salsa is also fairly staid, as is the queso. Once our whole group was there, we got moved to a round table in one of the dining rooms. The only downside is that it's LOUD. The decor is a bit garish, with faux car parts and parrots on the walls and ceiling. Our waiter came and got our drink order; they had just run out of Negro Modelo beer, which was the only beer on the list that really interested me, so I opted for sangria.

I thought a combo plate would be the best way to try a couple of dishes, so I went with the #4, a chicken enchilada with queso, and a ground sirloin-stuffed chile relleno with ranchero sauce. Basically, you get your choices of enchilada and relleno. I asked our server for his opinion on which sauce to get on the enchilada, and he patiently walked me through the options (the menu also has good explanations). When we got the check, I learned his name was Clayton, and he was great. More on that in a sec.

The chile relleno was really good! The beef was seasoned well, it was a nice layer of fried-crispiness that was NOT a bit greasy, and the ranchero sauce, while mild (as advertised) complimented it all very well. I would eat this again. Now the chicken inside the enchilada was nice large pieces of white meat. The queso however, was kind of dried and rubbery. I think this plate sat under the lights for a few minutes, because the refried beans too, had a bit of a skin on them. In retrospect, I should have ordered the enchilada with one of the green chile sauces on it; they claim on their menu to be fairly spicy though, and I still wanted to taste my food, so I went with the processed cheese queso. No bueno.

Other people's food looked pretty tasty too. I believe this plate is the #2, Elvis Presley Memorial Combo, with three different types of enchiladas, and covered in the boom-boom sauce, which I believe is a creamy version of the green chile. Other dishes at our table included the Elvis Green Chile Fried Chicken, with a batter made from potato chips and the Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom, which are chicken enchiladas with the boom-boom sauce.

For the place being fairly packed on a Sunday evening, our food came out relatively quickly. Our waiter would swing by every now and then, checking on drinks, clearing the chip baskets to help make more room on the table, and was just really a friendly, patient, guy. The kicker for me was he automatically split our checks without us even asking. Good call, Clayton! So now when one of my close friend's craves Chuy's tortilla soup (which apparently many people rave about), I won't be so quick to shoot it down. This meal had some pros and cons, but probably the best pro was it opened my mind! :)

El Alma

The corner of Dawson (South 5th) and Barton Springs has been a revolving door for restaurants for a number of years. Most recently, it was an outpost of El Chile, and it appeared to be doing well. Then, it seemed without warning, El Chile closed last June, but rebranded itself with a new executive chef, Alma Alcocer, formerly of Jeffrey's.  I attended a tasting they hosted, but haven't been able to get back for a full meal. This time, happy hour, and their half-price antojitos (appetizers) beckoned, so I still need to go for a main meal!

During daily happy hour, they've got specials on margaritas, sangria, and Lone Star beers. I was more than happy to sip on a sangria while waiting for my friend to arrive! The corn tortilla chips were nice and light, and the green sauce with tomatillo, avocado and lime was particularly tasty!

To snack on, I picked the emapanadas and the queso blanco y rojo. The corn masa empanandas are filled with mushrooms and cheese, and must have achiote paste in the masa to give them their orange color. The salsa was called picosa (different than the one that was with the chips), and it had a nice light, roasted flavor. The queso was really good! Great consistency (no crappy cheese by-products!), and nice bits of rajas (sauteed poblano pepper strips) and onions. It's served with tostados, or, yesterdays flour tortillas that are cut and fried. I love how thick they are, but several were very greasy. 

My friend had the ceviche clasico, prepared with black drum. She offered me a bite, which for some reason I turned down at the time. She loved it, and I missed out!

I have heard the duck rellenos are delicious, but they will have to wait until another time! Hopefully, El Alma has the right recipe for success at this corner spot.