25 casual destinations

Extraordinary food doesn't always come with white linen. Here are 25 casual spots that pile on flavor:

Artz Rib House
2330 S. Lamar Blvd., 442-8283

There isn't a better barbecue joint in town for baby back ribs. Those small pork ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender, with a crisp, caramelized exterior. Plus there's frequently live music to augment the great 'cue.

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Blue Bonnet Cafe
211 U.S. 281 South, Marble Falls; (830) 693-2344

The extensive, home-style menu at this classic Texas cafe will satisfy any hankering. The chicken fried steak and pot roast are outstanding, and the pies feature tall mounds of meringue over cream fillings.

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Brick Oven
1209 Red River St., 477-7006

The 100-year-old wood-fired oven is the critical element in this popular spot. From a basic cheese pie to the most intricate specialty one, all of Brick Oven's pizzas have the same charred, crisp, tantalizing crust.

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Cypress Creek Cafe
320 Wimberley Square, Wimberley; (512) 847-2515

Cypress Creek might be an old-fashioned Texas cafe in some ways, but it's not limited to traditional cafe cuisine. Whether it's "home-style" fried steak with gravy or chicken scampi over pasta, both are equally good.

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Dario's Restaurant
1800 E. Sixth St., 479-8105

With a warm, welcoming feel every time you step through the door, this East Side restaurant has more than friendly charm. It offers tasty Tex-Mex fare, such as green enchiladas and chiles rellenos.

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Dog Almighty
6701 Burnet Road, 385-3647

Photo by Ricardo B. Brazziell/AA-S 2004 Mirna Lemus and her mother, Elsi Padilla, came up with a spicy avocado sauce to cover flautas, turning them into Elsi's tacos ahogados.

Here, it's all about simple foods made perfectly, from the classic Frito pie with its delicious chili to the all-beef hot dogs grilled over an open flame and served with toppings such as homemade sauerkraut.

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Elsi's Restaurant
6601 Burnet Road, 454-0747

Salvadoran and Tex-Mex cuisine get joint billing on Elsi's menu. A can't-miss dish is the tacos ahogados, which are fried flautas filled with chicken and topped with cabbage, tomato, avocado sauce and cheese.

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The Frisco Shop
5819 Burnet Road, 459-6279

After more than a half-century in business, the Frisco still has appeal with lunch specials such as chicken and dumplings, its now-famous Frisco burger with a special sauce and relish and its old-fashioned pies.

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Garibaldi's
4201 S. Congress Ave., 326-9788

There are many delightful interior Mexican dishes at this small cafe: cochinita pibil (a Yucatan-style pork), enchiladas in mole sauce and alambres (marinated beef grilled with onions, peppers and pineapple).

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Giss's Café
6001 W. William Cannon Drive, Suite 301; 301-7771

Photo by Deborah Cannon/AA-S 2004 Choose chicken-based 'white' chili or a bowl of red with pinto beans at Giss's Café.

Everything is made from scratch at this home-cooking enclave. Get off to a good start with one of Giss's two outstanding chilis: a "white" version with chicken or a ground beef one with pinto beans.

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Hoover's Cooking
2002 Manor Road, 479-5006

Hoover's restores attitude and inspires soul with some of the best comfort food in Central Texas, including meat loaf, jerk chicken, jalapeño creamed spinach and homemade pies and cobbler.

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Hut's Hamburgers
807 W. Sixth St., 472-0693

Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly perform here — on the menu. They're two of 20 named specialty burgers, which beg to be eaten with the black pepper onion rings that are among the best in Texas.

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Hyde Park Bar & Grill
4206 Duval St., 458-3168

The menu might be full of tasty items, but it's tough to get past the tender chicken fried steak and the best French fries I've ever had: hand-cut potatoes dipped in buttermilk, rolled in seasoned flour and fried in peanut oil to produce lightly textured, crisp morsels.

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Kreuz Market
619 N. Colorado St., Lockhart; (512) 398-2361

Photo by Kelly West/AA-S 2004 Scents of anise, basil and mushroom mingle in Pao's three-cup chicken in Lakeway.

Kreuz might have caved in to the consumer demand of the 21st century to offer a couple of sides. But at this premier barbecue joint, it's still all about well-seasoned meat and the smoky goodness a wood fire imparts.

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Las Palmas
1209 E. Seventh St., 457-4944

It's a rotational kind of thing. I rotate through three outstanding enchilada plates here: chicken entomatadas (with fresh tomato sauce), chicken with avocado sauce and the vegetarian spinach offering.

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Louis Mueller Barbeque
206 W. Second St., Taylor; (512) 352-6206

One of the best barbecue joints in Texas and far beyond, Mueller's turns out beef ribs that are thick, juicy and tender — a steak on a bone. But go early; they often don't last until mid-afternoon.

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Madame Mam's Noodles and More
2514 Guadalupe St., 472-8306

The Thai penchant for spice is strong at this spot adjacent to the University of Texas campus. You can find it in moderate form in the chicken pad Thai or in a soup that is so zesty it will make the top of your head sweat.

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Monument Cafe
1953 S. Austin St., Georgetown; (512) 930-9586

You know the food is good when a dinner special such as chicken and dumplings sells out within a couple of hours. At least you won't have to worry at breakfast; they can keep on making pancakes until it's over.

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Pao's Mandarin House
2300 Lohmans Spur, No. 134, 263-8869

One of my favorite aromatic dishes in all of Central Texas is at this Chinese restaurant in Lakeway, where the three-cup chicken with basil and mushrooms is filled with the tantalizing perfume of anise.

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Saccone's Pizza
13812 Research Blvd., 257-1200

Photo by Ha Lam for AA-S 2004 A fresh start to the day: Strawberries and blueberries pile atop French toast at Monument Cafe in Georgetown.

To the proprietor, it's New Jersey-style. To me, it's New York. Either way, it's some of the best pizza in the area, with a medium, chewy crust, good amount of sauce and a full but thin layer of cheese.

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Seoul Restaurant and Sushi Bar
6400 S. First St., 326-5807

Don't let the sushi cam or karaoke performances convince you this restaurant is all about gimmicks. Restaurateur D.K. Lee is simply marketing fun along with his sushi and Korean and Japanese fare.

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T&S Chinese Seafood
10014 N. Lamar Blvd., 339-8434

Where do many chefs head when they get off work late at night? To T&S, where several love to dine on the salt-and-pepper shrimp that features deep-fried, unpeeled shellfish topped with sliced serranos.

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Taco X-press
2529 S. Lamar Blvd., 444-0261

No one makes better tacos than Maria Corbalan's kitschy joint in South Austin. My faves: the al pastor (marinated in chile, pineapple and orange juice) and the verde, which includes eggplant, green beans and zucchini.

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Threadgill's
6416 N. Lamar Blvd., 451-5440
301 W. Riverside Drive, 472-9304

One of the city's oldest music venues, this legendary spot offers an extensive menu of Southern-style comfort foods such as meat loaf and chicken fried steak, plus a mind-boggling array of vegetables.

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Vivo Cocina Mexicana
2015 Manor Road, 482-0300

This trendy Mexican restaurant has a great patio and food to match, especially the puffed tacos, the beef enchiladas and the salsa with its smoked serranos and garlic.