75 casual restaurants: A sampler

The ratings in parentheses were awarded after full reviews. Limited visits and single-dish reviews don't carry ratings. The 10-point scale for casual dining is an average of weighted scores for food, service, atmosphere and value, 10 being the best.

- Mike Sutter

Amaya's Taco Village. Behold the Village Taco. The soul of a puffy corn tortilla fresh off the press with the backbone of a crunchy shell right out of the oil. The best of Tex, the best of Mex. Filled with beef, tomatoes, lettuce and cheese. 5405 N. Interstate 35, in Capital Plaza. 458-2531, amayastacovillage.com .

Arkie's Grill. White work trucks line up outside the low-ceilinged shotgun diner for fried chicken, steaks and chicken and dumplings. 4827 E. Cesar Chavez St. 385-2986, www.arkiesgrill.com .

Baguette et Chocolat. Croissants, chouquettes, eclairs and other indulgences from French baker Chi-Minh Pham-Dinh. The line sometimes snakes out the door, and the bakery case clears out quickly on the weekends. 12101 RM 2244, Building 6, Bee Cave. 263-8388, www.baguetteetchocolat.com . (Reviewed 7/10: 6.2 out of 10)

Black Sheep Lodge. Good burgers, especially the Black Buffalo with sweet-potato fries, and a wide selection of beer. 2108 S. Lamar Blvd. 707-2744, www.blacksheeplodge.com . (Reviewed 10/09: 5.8 out of 10)

Blue Dahlia. Salads, cheeses, light fish and meat dishes, plus open-face sandwiches called tartines on good bread. Fun, inexpensive wines and beers. 1115 E. 11th St. 542-9542, www.bluedahliabistro.com . (Reviewed 6/09: 7.6 out of 10)

Casa Colombia. A homey, inexpensive place serving good arroz con pollo, corn cakes called arepas, empanadas, grilled steak with fried plantains and other Latin American dishes. 1614 E. Seventh St. 495-9425, www.casa-colombia.com . (Reviewed 8/09: 7.4 out of 10)

Chen's Noodle House. Zhao Chen makes noodles by carving them from a living loaf of dough into boiling water with lightning speed, and no two are alike. The combination soup brings together pork, tofu, egg, mushrooms and veggies in an aromatic beef broth. 8650 Spicewood Springs Road. 336-8888.

Chuy's. The homegrown Tex-Mex chain stays steady in the face of expansion, with crisp rellenos, shrimp enchiladas with tomatillo sauce and a well-done kids' menu. 11680 Research Blvd., 342-0011. More locations at www.chuys.com .

Counter Cafe. Crispy oysters, a good burger on a sweet bun, pancakes and other solid diner dishes from a place the size of a two-car garage. 626 N. Lamar Blvd. 708-8800, www.thecountercafe.com . (Reviewed 6/09: 7.6 out of 10)

County Line on the Hill. This barbecue standby and I were on a long break until a Cadillac Platter turned my head around with brisket, pork ribs, beef ribs, chicken and sausage all in perfect form. 6500 Bee Cave Road. 327-1742. Also at County Line on the Lake. 5204 RM 2222. 346-3664, www.countyline.com .

Cuatro's. Watermelon aguas frescas and seared ahi tuna tacos at a sports bar? Yes. But that doesn't change the sports-bar vibe, which is great on a Longhorn game day or when European soccer's on the big screen. Bring your dog. 1004 W. 24th St. 243-6361, www.cuatrosaustin.com . (Reviewed 11/09: 5.3 out of 10)

Cypress Grill. Cajun with a tightly packed four-page menu that reels from crawfish eggrolls to crawfish enchiladas to fried crawfish platters to desserts with no crawfish in them at all. 4404 W. William Cannon Drive. 358-7474, www.cypressgrill.net .

Dog Almighty. Nobody takes things too seriously at this lived-in storefront with walls covered by kids' crayoned hot-dog pictures. The Broken Spoke dog with barbecue sauce and caramelized onions is as serious as you need to get. 3005 S. Lamar Blvd. 912-1105, www.hotdogalmighty.com .