Manuel's

If you ask me about my favorite Tex-Mex food in Austin, I'll say "Manuel's" without batting an eyelid! I eat at the downtown location atleast once every 2 weeks and thankfully the quality of food has only gone up in the last 6 months! (They have 2 or more locations in Austin).

The first time I went to the downtown location and was seated at a booth, I plonked myself down on the cushy looking black leather sofa only to be rewarded with a hard thwack. Ever since then, I warn first-timers to seat themselves gently or be punished! The complimentary chips are fresh and the salsa is thick and spicy - I suspect there is the slightest dash of cream in the salsa but I could be wrong!

My favorite appetizer was the Chile Con Queso (not like any queso you've ever imagined)... this one is spicy, cheesy and meant to be stuffed on a warm, fresh tortilla, rolled up and eaten hot! It's stringy and filled with tomatoes and jalapenoes as well - I introduce it as "the queso with a twist" to any first timer (and trust me I take plenty such people there from work)!

And then a friend introduced me to another delicious appetizer that I fantasize about on rainy days :)- the corn Gordita! The gordita is a grilled set of 3-4 potato and corn cakes that are served with the yummiest cilantro, garlic and tomatillo salsa and some pico-de-gallo. The ingredients are fresh so it adds to the flavors beautifully. The gordita does take a while to prepare but the servers usually inform you of the "extra prep" time upfront.

If I don't make a meal out of the above two, I go in for the bean and cheese flauta entree (with no sour cream and with salsa verde) instead. Two fresh flautas are served with guacamole and rice. At one time they made the rice with chicken stock, but then I remember they had changed it, but not sure what it is made of now, and I ususally just avoid eating it anyway.

As for the mole sauce, I was told it's the best in Austin, but a Mexican friend didn't think so. I wouldn't eat it anyway because apparently that's not vegetarian either. They also say Polvo's has the best mole sauce in Austin but after the owner got drunk and behaved like a jerk with us girls there one time, I think Polvo's has a horrible atmosphere and service and would choose Manuel's any day! Of course I've eaten at Polvo's and like the food there, but nasty incidents can unfortunately mar one's memories of a place. But I digress. Back to Manuel's...

At the downtown location, there's plenty of seating space and the bar is usually crowded on a weekend night. At lunch time I would recommend getting to the restaurant closer to 11:30-11:45 am to avoid the inevitable lunch rush and get done on time. (And by now, Monica, one of the main Maitre D's even knows my name!)