Chuy’s North Lamar

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Chuy’s North Lamar
10520 N Lamar
Austin, TX 78753

Chuy’s is one of the restaurants that really is an Austin icon with the first one opening on Barton Springs Road in 1982. My friends and I hit the North Lamar location right at the peak of lunch time and thought we would be in for a long wait. Pleasantly surprised, we were seated in just a couple minutes and actually in and out in less than 45 minutes. The tacos were ideal except for one thing….the shell had been left in the warmer too long and while nice and crisp (and warm) they had a slight taste of ‘burnt’, otherwise, great tacos. No drippy run off, the meat had good flavor and lots of lettuce and cheese. The salsa was good, but could have been hotter. Our waitperson, while serving a number of full tables, was attentive and prompt. I’ll have to come back to Chuy’s one evening and relax and enjoy a beer (that’s the bad thing about lunch-time tacos…no beer, at least on weekdays).

Mesa Rosa 620

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Mesa Rosa 620
15515 FM 620
Austin, Texas 78717

This is the second of three Mesa Rosa restaurants I’ve reviewed (Click here for the the other Mesa Rosa). I would have thought everything would be the same, being the same family owned restaurant, but not quite. The taco shells were very crispy and had a real snap to them. The ground beef wasn’t just browned in a pan….it had a nice char flavor to it as if they grilled it with the fajita meat. The 620 Mesa Rosa has had several additions as it gained popularity, with different dining areas and a nice deck overlooking some of the few wooded areas remaining between Round Rock and Cedar Park. As early as 6:00pm they were busy, but still not much of a wait. Wait staff varied from high school kids to professionals, so service may be hit and miss. But overall, great tacos, and that's what counts! This Mesa Rosa is on my ‘regular’ list now and I’m looking forward to the third Mesa Rosa.

La Palapa Restautant & Cantina

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La Palapa Restaurant & Cantina
6640 East Highway 290
Austin TX 78723

La Palapa is a place everyone who as lived in Austin for a long time knows about….and what great tacos! Crispy shell, lots and cheese and veggies, and nicely favored ground beef…..that wasn’t all drippy. Unlike your regular very flat corn tortillas, these shells were super crispy with the little bubbles you get from bread raising. The only negative thing is it seemed all the extras have a price tag (most places do but it seemed like everything did here). When my dining companion asked for a little guaq the wait person quoted the price….a couple tortillas, price…..different side, price. Maybe we just didn’t want to hear it so much. The chips were as fresh and crispy as the shells, and free as were the refills (some places actually charge for chips!). The salsa has a mild heat to it, but a bit too much cumin for my liking. It nearly overwhelmed the other flavors. Alas, it was lunch time during the week, so not beer, but their selection looked inviting. With its cantina and live music nightly, I need to come back.

Serranos (Lakeline)

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Serranos Café & Cantina
Lakeline
11100 Pecan Park Blvd.
Cedar Park TX, 78613


Walking into Serranos reminded me of the Tony Roma’s rib house that used to occupy the space not that long ago, but it could have been Serranos’ mesquite fired grill adding to the aroma.

Regardless, their tacos were pretty decent. Two large tacos sitting in a bed of lettuce and tomato, stuffed with meat, hard to beat. The salsa was great; just the right amount of heat and chopped cilantro to add a fresh flavor.

The service was a bit on the slow side and since they weren’t very crowded, I would have expected better. The beer selection was typical, but they serve it with a small 4 ounce glass, which for some reason I find to be an enjoyable way to imbibe one’s beer.