Austin Restaurants That Emphasize Safety and Maintain Quality
Amidst the highs and lows of dining in Austin over the past four months, a number of clear consumer concerns have emerged. Most restaurant patrons are very concerned about safety. But they also want to enjoy a good meal. However, as restaurants have reopened, the two concerns have not always coincided. Some restaurants suffered because while concentrating on safety their food slipped a bit. So here’s a quick list of restaurants we’ve been to that have accomplished both.
III FORKS
This downtown steakhouse was one of the first restaurants that went all out to offer a safe environment for customers and staff. Gloves, masks, sanitizing tables along with all doorknobs and handles, spacing tables to ensure safe distance, taking employees’ temperatures when they report to work, and much more.
Yet through it all Chef Eric Nixon kept the kitchen humming and the food now is as good as it’s ever been! (Witness a recent terrific Wagyu bone-in ribeye along with killer creamed corn and spinach coupled with some of the best mashers in town.) Hats off to GM Brian Kelley, AGM Ernest Hernandez, Curtis Osmond, and a great group of servers along with an award winning sommelier who has curated one of the best wine collections around.
HYDE PARK BAR & GRILL
Bick Brown and his long time crew have kept both restaurants uber clean and followed all the safety protocols. And the famous Hyde Park fries are still the best in Austin. Ditto for the corn tamales. And let’s not forget the steamed dumplings and the bacon glazed meatloaf.
CHINATOWN WESTLAKE
Although the 5th St location has closed, Ronald Cheng has the Mopac and Westlake store locations that are operating safely and are still delicious. I had some fried vegetable dumplings along with the incredible honey pepper bBeef the other night. Masks were everywhere and table spacing was in place. I’d go back without hesitation!
RUDY’S COUNTRY STORE & BAR-B-Q
The folks at Rudy’s always know how to get things done, be it creating an extremely safe dining environment or making the best moist brisket and St. Louis style ribs around. The pork loin and sausage are still terrific as well.
In a place that can be crowded, social distancing is strictly enforced and masks and gloves at and behind the counters are evident. Still the lines move and folks come out happy.
THE PIZZA CAVE
This neighborhood pizza spot on Highway 290 West has ample room both inside and out and constantly sanitizes surfaces. The tables are adequately spaced for social distancing, and customer and employee safety is paramount.
The food is still spot-on in and Joe and Sue Cave haven’t missed a beat. The Creamy Pepper Piggy Chowder still rocks and the delicious Spelunker Pizza remains my favorite. The Margherita Pizza is a must try. Very tasty pasta dishes as well.
So to reiterate, you want safe and sumptuous dining in the Dripping Springs radius? Head to The Pizza Cave!
BARTLETT’S
One of my North Burnet area favorites, a quick stop at Bartlett’s the other night showed that safety protocols were solidly in place. A sampling of the roasted chicken and quinoa along with the prime rib and the sashimi tuna salad revealed that all was well on the food front.
MOZART’S
There’s probably no restaurant in Austin that works more diligently on customer safely than Mozart’s on Lake Austin Blvd.
I know the pride that the management and staff take in doing the very best they can to make customers feel comfortable and at ease. Likewise, their well-known coffees (like the popular mocha and the latte) still resonate with flavor. I have also recently enjoyed the quiche and particularly the empanadas. No sign whatsoever that safety was intruding on quality.
So there you have it. This list is hardly all-inclusive but it’s a good sign that many of our restaurants are successfully balancing the challenging aspects of blending safety and quality.
