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11th Street Station
Categories: Restaurants Southern Restaurants Soul Food Southern, Soul Food [Edit]
1050 E 11th StSte 100
Austin, TX 78702
Neighborhood: East Austin
(512) 391-2331
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
33 reviews for 11th Street Station
Review Highlights
-
"OH - the peach cobbler - oh yeah." In 3 reviews -
"I had the chicken and waffles, fried okra, red beans and..." In 6 reviews -
"I had blacked catfish with fried okra and cucumbers and..." In 5 reviews
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33 reviews in English
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Review from Roger B.
Austin, TX
2/25/2012
Went for lunch a few months ago, and writing this because it was better than the reviews here indicate.
Nice modern and clean place, good service, reasonable prices, and real southern food! -
Review from Robert J.
Austin, TX
4/18/2012
By far I think this place has the best catfish in town! I've eaten here a few times and never disappointed by the food. The only thing I can say that probably needs a little work is the service as the timing of getting your food. I can tell management takes pride in preparing the food, but think the food should arrived a little faster to your table. With that being said, I still recommend people to go there, and I'll be returning soon!!! The food is great!!
-
Review from Keith M.
San Antonio, TX
3/1/2012
Just went there for lunch and had possibly the best Blackened Tilapia Ever!! The Macaroni and cheese was also outstanding as are the red beans and rice. The menu is very affordable and the place has a great mixture of cajun and soul food. They also have very good Po Boys. They have high demand for their smothered pork chops and catfish. Next trip will be for some Chicken and Waffles!!!
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Review from Brian F.
Austin, TX
8/26/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I am from Houston so I enjoy having soul food or something very close. For being hundreds of miles away I am somewhat fulfilled with this restaurant. I visit this restaurant almost every Sunday after church.
The food choices are great, and their food has the southern taste and comfort I am looking for. They have a nice selection of food, from gumbo, to smothered pork chops, catfish, and other dishes. Their cornbread muffins are to die for! I love them. I enjoy their buffet they have on Sundays because the portions are very large that they give for food.
The establishment is never really crowded. I have never seen it packed. The waiters can sometimes be a bit ditsy but for the most part they are very attentive. The owner of the shop can be seen walking around and will be very attentive to what you need as well.
I would recommend people to try this restaurant out if you are looking for a southern comfort food. -
Review from Dawn C.
7/29/2011
Grabbed a plate of chicken and waffels complete with 2 sides here today and wishing I would have ate up the street at Blue Dahlia's instead! The sevice was friendly enough, Stacy our waitress was very nice but the food she served us was sad.
I have posted pics to show you their version of Macaroni with NO cheese. Ok, ok I added the NO part but its true there was next to no cheese. It was clumped up and looked old, very old.
The waffle was ok but it wasn't very warm, they served it with cold syrup and bricks of butter that didne even come close to melting when placed on the waffle.
The chicken consisted of skimpy wings and tiny drumsticks. They charge 11.99 for one waffle and 4 little wings and 2 small drumsticks. Also had a side of brocoli salad that was equally ick!
I don't think they will be around for the long haul, no pride in what they serve people and it shows. Our waitress was the best thing about this place! -
Review from Noreen R.
Austin, TX
8/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
From a service standpoint, my experience was awful. It took several minutes for us to be seated and there was only ONE full table in the restaurant during lunch. We were just ignored for awhile. Then once we were seated, it took another ten minutes for the waiter to take our drink and food orders. Again, there was only one other group of patrons. Seriously? So right off the bat, I was not happy.
Most of the menu items are fried. None of the proteins were speaking to me, so I got what I always order at any restaurant with Southern cooking: fried okra, hush puppies, mac & cheese. And a salad, to compensate for all the fried crap. I asked our spacey waiter what kinds of dressings they had, and HE DIDN'T KNOW. Like, completely clueless. His response was, "All the usual ones." Umm, so do you have a vinaigrette? "I think so." He was not inspiring much confidence. What he brought with my salad was a thick, opaque pink substance that bore no resemblance to any vinaigrette I've ever had. The okra was fine and the hush puppies were tube-shaped and a little on the dry side. The mac and cheese was pretty typical but not stellar. MEH is all the enthusiasm I can muster for this place. -
Review from Brian L.
Austin, TX
5/14/2011
It seems like a lot of people have been jumping on the Chicken and Waffles bandwagon. A friend told me about this place and I had to give it a try.
I went on a weekday for lunch. Not too crowded, as my friend and I were seated promptly. We both ordered the Chicken and Waffles. NIce crisp (notice not crispy - just crisp) skin and a good size of meat on the 6 pieces of chicken. I'd rate the waffle and syrup as par with what someone could make at home.
The most interesting thing that stood out to me was the fact that you could order gumbo as a side. It was so rich, I felt like I was having a good spicy gravy with some gumbo mixed in.
Service was pretty poor - we basically had to flag down our waiter for all the times we needed him - ordering, refill water, check, etc. Instead of being attentive, the two male waiters kind of tried to hide themselves around the corner as they chatted with each other. This other female waitress basically came around doing their work.
The other disturbing part was the butter. Sure we got some cornbread to chew on while we waited, but the butter was severed in individual "-pre-packed" Country Crock packets. The real problem was they seemed like they were all slightly open or cut around the bottom. This was not just one of them, but 6 of the individual packets. I wished that the waiter would have noticed. - not exactly sanitary.
I've worked in the food industry over 6 years, and that isn't something that really flies with the health department.
So overall - food was decent. Service . . . well, the owner could probably do with out the waiter I had. -
Review from Catherine T.
Austin, TX
12/19/2010 18 Check-ins Here
What dat? Dat duh BEST shrimp po' boy outside-a N'awlins I eva ate!
I'd driven by this place every other Sunday for a few months as I would head to Longbranch Inn to spin records. Upon learning they serve shrimp po' boys, I was determined to try one. I can't believe it took me until Friday to do so.
Stopped by on my way home from ACC Eastview, and I was the first customer. I got a LOT of attention. Sat at the bar, and the bartender was quick to bring me iced tea and a menu. Ordered my po' boy with lettuce and mayo only (I didn't hear tartar sauce as being an option, unfortunately), and I was brought a cornbread muffin with butter. And I'm talking about REAL butter, not some 99-cent unimpressive margarine. 11th Street Station is all about southern food. They're not afraid of fat here, folks. The only problem I had with the butter is that it came straight from the fridge, making it completely unspreadable. But the muffin was good.
And then my po' boy arrived. Six HUGE-ASS fried shrimp lay there, waiting to be masticated. The lettuce and mayo came on the side, so I was able to slop as much of that shit on my sammich as I wanted, and boy did I. And then I took a bite, and the world spun out of its orbital placement and into a completely different galaxy of fantasmic food.
The breading was the crunchiest I've ever eaten. I couldn't get enough. The bread was super fresh. And that shrimp made me wanna marry it. Mr and Mrs Shrimp Poboy, but I'm not inviting you to the wedding. Why should I? I'll end up pulling the ol' black-widow ploy of eating my mate once the wedding's over. Would you really want to see that?
The shrimp was so fresh that I suspect it swam to Galveston from the Gulf, hiked a ride through some pipes, jumped out of 11th Street Station's kitchen sink, and landed directly in the frying pan. Good golly, was that shrimp ORGASMIC! **FOODGASMIC**! Who needs a man when you have THIS?!
Gotta give 'em props for their iced tea. That was some good southern iced tea (unsweet). I got FOUR refills. They do offer sweet tea, for you pansies who actually want it.
The french fries it came with were decent, but I only ate one. I'm not much of a french-fry person, so take what I say here with a grain of salt (heh). They have a really good, crunchy breading on them, but not much flavor. S'okay, though, as I was more than happy (and full) with Mr Poboy.
Service was unbeatable. I was checked on often by THREE different people, all offering me Jupiter's sixty-three moons, as if I were some sort of intergalactic princess. I liked it. I suspect they would've massaged my feet with nary an attitude, had I asked.
And while Mr Shrimp Poboy may be eaten during the wedding reception instead of the catered prime rib, that doesn't mean I can't spend my honeymoon at 11th Street Station. And pull a Liz Taylor and marry seven or eight other shrimps, and spend those honeymoons at 11th Street Station. And have my vows renewed there. And be buried there...Listed in: Oh boy, Po' Boys!, Slidin' Down East 11th Street
-
Review from Heather W.
Austin, TX
2/16/2011
Chicken n' Waffles. Need I say more?
Ok, well I guess I will since this is a review. I went to 11th Street Station about a week ago with a few friends with the intention of getting chicken and waffles. We arrived at the restaurant and were immediately seated. Our waiter brought us cornbread to eat while we waited for our food. I ordered chicken and waffles (naturally), collard greens, and fried okra.
The food was delicious. There wasn't a person at our table who was dissatisfied with the food (how are you going to hate fried okra?). The only drawback to eating at 11th Street Station was that it took a very long time to get our food and service was pretty slow, albeit very friendly. If I had been in a hurry I probably would have been very annoyed by how long it took to get our food. Luckily, I was with friends and had nowhere to be, but I wouldn't recommend eating here if you're on a schedule.
After dinner we walked over to the bar, had some drinks, and chatted with the bartender.
I will definitely be eating at 11th Street Station again. I will also be budgeting a few hours for the occasion. -
Review from Damon M.
Austin, TX
6/6/2011
On May 27, 2011, my wife and I took a friend to 11th Street Station. This was the second time we visited the restaurant. Prior to visiting for the first time, I read all of the reviews about the restaurant posted on Yelp. Perhaps because my expectations were lowered by the previous reviews, I walked away from my first visit thinking the restaurant was not that bad. Plus, we discovered that they serve some pretty good peach cobbler. So we went back a second time with a friend.
The first thing I noticed was the parking. If you are one of the few of people who can park right in front of the building, you will be satisfied with the parking. If you are not one of those people, then you should be prepared for a short walk.
I ordered blackened tilapia, gumbo, sweet tea, and peach cobbler. I cannot remember what the others ordered. I thought the food tasted good. The wife thought some of her items were a little salty. We both agreed that the peach cobbler was great.
-The Peach Cobbler Issue-
When we arrived, we asked whether they had any peach cobbler. The waiter said they had put some in the oven and that it would be ready in about thirty minutes. We ordered and ate our other food, assuming that the cobbler would be ready around the time that we finished eating dinner. We finished eating dinner around 30 minutes later. The cobbler was not ready. I decided to go outside and take a phone call from a client. The call lasted 37 minutes. When I returned, the cobbler still was not ready. After a wait that was so long that I stopped counting the minutes, the waiter showed up with the cobbler. By that time - more than one hour after we arrived - we were no longer hungry. So we took the cobbler home and ate it the next day.
-The Check Issue-
Our friend decided to pay for our meal. Somehow, the waiter managed to bring him $10 less change than he was supposed to bring. (Note: although the waiter managed to forget to bring one of the ten dollar bills, he did remember to provide ten $1 bills so that we could tip him.) Fortunately, our friend noticed the waiter's error and informed him of it. The waiter apologized.
-Final Thoughts-
We would go back for the cobbler. I would go back for the food as well. We could recommend the restaurant to others, but only if we warned them what they should expect. Finally, we wanted to give the restaurant three stars, but Yelp's rating system says that three stars equals "A-OK." I did not think I could say that it is "A-OK" to make someone wait an hour for desert and short someone ten dollars on his change. -
Review from T T.
Austin, TX
3/2/2012
Sooooooo this place used to be the spot for my girls and me after work for Happy Hour for the past year and a half. It's conveniently located close to Downtown and the easy accessibility allowed us to go our separate ways afterward (they all live up north and I'm in South Austin). However, our last HH experience has left us in a desperate search to find another location.
On our last trip, we were horribly disgusted and disappointed by the lack of knowledge of drinks, service time, and sanitation. We initially requested Amaretto and cranberry to drink, but were told that they were all out for the week (it was like Wednesday). My friend ordered a Cape Cod (vodka and cranberry) instead. The first drink was ok. She requested lime to go in it and 30 minutes later she got it. Mind you, we were sitting AT the bar and saw the limes. The bartender had to cut the limes (no problem), but didn't wash her hands or the knife she used prior to doing so. Fast forward to the next drink request (Cape Cod #2) and my friend complained of the taste. She thought that it tasted of gin and asked me to taste it. I know my liquors (especially my clears) and knew that they indeed used gin instead of vodka. Unfortunately the label was turned AWAY from us while the bartender poured, so we had another tender (male) test the drink. He smelled and tasted it and confirmed that gin had indeed been used. He replaced that drink with another one. Needless to say, Cape Cod #3 was the same as Cape Cod #2, no matter how much lime you put in it (I'm sorry, but gin and cranberry just aren't pleasant together)! The owner/manager came over to remedy the situation, but admitted that he was unfamiliar with the liquor necessary to make the drink as he does not drink alcohol. He ended up mixing up a random concoction that wasn't too shabby.
As we're sitting at the bar chatting, I notice the male bartender reach for the knife (used to cut the limes for the aforementioned drinks) and turn on one of the neon signs over the bar, then place it back on the counter next to the limes. That was strike #2 (#1 being the Cape Cods they tried to pass off with gin in them) without notifying someone that it had been used for other purposes (it should've been put in the sink). In the mean time my friends ordered food (I saw a baby roach on the wall the last time we were there while we were dining and chose not to eat this go around...I know they exist in restaurants/bars, but I don't want to see it while I stuff my face) that took about 30 minutes to come out (it was happy hour, but there was less than 10 people in there and most of them were simply drinking). One ordered the fried catfish and the other ordered the grilled chicken breast. Needless to say, both meals were over seasoned/salted and almost inedible.
Strike #3 was when the male bartender came out of the kitchen with a large 5 gallon bucket filled with an unidentified liquid. He sat the bucket on the floor, uncovered, right next to the kitchen door. He then proceeded to pour the contents into the margarita machine. My friends and I thought maybe it was a liquid to clean out the machine. We asked him what it was and it was the margarita mix...we were too done at that point, so we closed out and left. And yes, my friend ended up getting charged for the drinks that they messed up on.
It was great while it lasted, but it's time to move it around...btw, the male bartender placed the tip jar directly in front of us and the female bartender hovered around us until she saw us leave a tip as we were closing out. Not ok... -
Review from Kristin C.
Austin, TX
7/29/2010 1 photo
Let me start with the mac-n-cheese. It is DA BOMB! So creamy and cheesy...
We got some corn muffins as an appetizer and they were moist and tasty. The fried catfish I had was crispy and Mr. Picky liked his fried tilapia a lot. When I asked him how it was he said, "gooood..."
"And the corn fritters?"
"Goooood....."
"And the french fries?"
"Goooood...."
(He likes it! He really likes it!)
Service was friendly and prompt. Atmosphere is nice, however, I would suggest to them to skip the jazz music and play some Motown or something more casual and upbeat that compliments the home style southern cooking. Prices are very reasonable.
Oh, have I mentioned the mac-n-cheese? I can't explain how good that was. You just gotta go get some. -
Review from andrew s.
Austin, TX
11/9/2011
Best peach cobbler in Austin!
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Review from Thao V.
Austin, TX
9/17/2010
My boyfriend and I tried this place out one Saturday. It was not very crowded, but I believe there was some football going on...
I ordered the gumbo and hush puppies. I'm not an expert as far as gumbo goes, but it was alright. Spicy and good, but I would have liked to see okra (I think that is normal in gumbo?) in it. The hush puppies were great, but I'm not hard to please as far as fried things go.
My date ordered the tilapia with mac and cheese and beans and rice. His dishes seemed more engaging than my own. The tilapia was seasoned perfectly and a nice balance to all of the other fried soul-foods on the menu.
The service was excellent, we were greeted immediately and our server was consistent. His "my pleasure" 's took me back to the good old times of cashiering at Chick-fil-A.
I'm happy to see they addressed what seemed like bad customer service and I do want to go back when I am more prepared to have a rich meal followed up with their cobbler. -
Review from kayla d.
Austin, TX
10/14/2010
if you are watching your weight, vegetarian or are not in the mood for fried deliciousness...dont come here.
With that being said, this place is awesome.
Usually, any place that has chicken and waffles on the menu, i assume they know what's up.
And i am always right.
MMmm..they have these corn nuggets-they are like deep fried creamed corn-SO GOOD!
Anything on the menu can feed two. I left with food that lasted two more days!
Collard Greens- yum
Gumbo- yum
Cornbread- yes, thank you
Fried Chicken- never disappoints.
oh, and they make a nice vodka soda.
i slept well and left smiling. -
Review from Larisa V.
Round Rock, TX
8/19/2011
I went to 11th Street Station last night b/c of the Neo-Soul Lounge Open Mic Poetry and it was awesome. There was a nice crowd so seating was a bit hectic. Enjoyed the spoken word and the atmosphere of relaxed and energetic. I ordered the 6 piece catfish strips and fries. The fish was fluffy and tasty. The staff was friendly although rather slow but overall I enjoyed my visit. Thursday nights are Neo-Soul Lounge poetry night if you're interested. Plus, I won 2 Bilal tickets for this Sunday. Definitely will revisit!!
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Review from Jeremy S.
Austin, TX
12/3/2010
I made my first trip to 11th Street Station yesterday for lunch. I'm watching my cholesterol, so I knew my choices would be limited, but I was told the blackened tilapia was a great option, and it proved to be so.
The location is great for downtown workers who need somewhere close. It's just a quick jaunt down 11th Street from the Capitol, with plenty of parking behind the restaurant.
I did go with the tilapia, with mac and cheese and okra on the side. The tilapia was what I expected, and in ample serving size, and the mac and cheese was a nice complement. And the okra... well, when is okra ever bad?
Overall I'd say my experience was very good. Johnathan served us with courtesy and even joined in on our conversations from time to time. He was a very nice guy who reflected well the service orientation of the restaurant.
And I didn't have the chicken and waffles, but I enjoyed watching my buddy wolf down his order. I have a feeling we'll be going back soon. -
Review from kristen t.
Austin, TX
8/12/2010
I had a bad day, was in a grumpy mood. Trey suggested we go out for dinner. So we did.
We had planned on going to a dinner destination just down the street from the 11th Street Station. Some jazz/dinner club. We walked into that place and it was totally vacant. Lights were on, music was playing, tables set. Not a soul in sight. So we left.
We walked down the street and into 11th Street Station. Had a look at the menu, saw that they had a bar and took a seat.
The host gave us a booth. Trey looked to me and said "It's cold in here- do you have a jacket? Is it in the car?" I agreed, informed him that my jacket was in my lap and suggested we eat outside. We moved to a nice outdoor table away from the bright lights- by the window to the bar.
I should mention that we were one of two couples in the place- we were having a very late dinner. So Juan, are very attentive server brought us waters and cornbread, my frozen margarita and Trey his beer.
The cornbread muffins were warm and soft and importantly - not too sweet. Trey seemed a bit disappointed that they didn't have draft beer. My margarita was possibly the coldest one I've ever had. I kept getting throat freeze. I let it melt a bit and it was perfect. A nice frozen margarita. Juan kept out water glasses filled without hovering.
I will concede that most of the menu is fried. I do wish they had a bit more variety with the entrees. However- the menu is really simple, basic and I like that. There is no pretension in the offerings.
Trey had the blacked talapia with fried okra and gumbo. I had blacked catfish with fried okra and cucumbers and tomatoes.
Our food was really very very good. The okra was hot and crisp and not oily and everything you want fried okra to be, and in generous portions.
Treys talipa was a little tough, but tasted wonderful. The gumbo is very good and could be a stand alone entree. My Catfish was AWESOME. Perfectly done. Not to salty, tender, not over cooked, just perfect. My tomatoes and cucumbers were just that- wedges of tomato and large chunks of cucumber with a little balsamic vinegar - Exactly what I wanted.
The only hiccup we had with the meal was a pan handler who wandered to our table and asked for bus fair. Juan promptly came out to inform the gentleman politely that he would need to come in to buy dinner he would need to leave. It was all very civil. He left and we finished out meal.
I would recommend the 11th Street Station. Go have dinner or lunch. I don't think you will be disappointed. -
Review from James W.
Round Rock, TX
8/31/2010
Loved it -- we brought a large group and we're immediately seated in a large room in the back. The service staff was very friendly and attentive. Great dialogue with the kids.
Now...the food...
Holy mother-of-soul-food...it was outstanding. I had the chicken and waffles, fried okra, red beans and rice and banana pudding. That was Sunday...this is Tuesday...I'm just NOW getting hungry.
Tasted a little bit of everything from everyone else (catfish, mac-n-cheese, etc.)...all good.
I can't wait to go back. -
Review from Monique R.
New York, NY
4/26/2011
Went for a friend's birthday on a Wednesday night... she'd heard they had one of the best mac n' cheese in Austin and really wanted to try it. It was a group of 13 people, so naturally the orders ranged widely.
First, the drinks literally took over 35 minutes to come, although the drinks were actually pretty good. The food took a good 50+ minutes from the time the orders were placed but the dishes did not come all together. First only 2 people got their dinner. Then another one, then 2 more, so on... by the time I got my food, the birthday girl and some of the people who got the first batch of orders were already done eating.
I ordered the fried tilapia with collard greens and mac n cheese. The tilapia was not seasoned very well but extremely salty and over peppered. It came with 2 fried fillets, I couldn't finish not even one of the fillets. The mac n' cheese was bland, I've had better, and the collard greens were just too watery. It was more like collard greens soup. With that said, I had no desire to finish my food and did not care to ask for a to go box. Overall everyone at the table said their food was salty (the gumbo, the catfish, fried and broiled, literally everyone complained about the extra salt). The only person who was happy was one of the guests who ordered the spinach salad with shrimp.
On the upside, the catfish nuggets with fries, which we ordered as appetizers, were very good. And the staff was kind enough to not rush us out of the restaurant. We left at 10:30PM but when I asked what time they closed on that night the waiter said, 9PM. So overall, friendly staff, super slow service, OK drinks, not so good food. Probably won't be going back. -
Review from Veronica M.
Austin, TX
10/2/2010
Finally... a place has inspired me to write my first Yelp review!! It's something I've been meaning to do for... well, years now. See, I'm a frequent Yelper of sorts... but more of a Yelp spy... just scoping out other people's reviews. Which is just kind of lame, I know.
Now...I don't plan on writing all negative Yelp reviews... and it wasn't the food that inspired this review, but the bad service and proceeding circumstance we experienced.
After several drinks during bingo (at Lucky Lady, just around the corner), we decided to stop at one of the new places on 11th street for a couple appetizers since it seemed we hadn't gotten around to dinner before drinks.. :)
We walked into 11th Street Station... and we were met by some puzzled looks. A waitress offered for us to sit 'at the bar or on the pato' and we chose patio, as there was a raucous group at the bar and the a/c was a-blasting. She seated us and began to walk away, then returned and asked if we wanted something to drink. The options she gave: "We have iced tea... lemonade.... oh and a full bar." Seeing as we weren't there for 10pm iced teas, we asked for a bar menu. She returned with one and said (and I quote).. "All we have is this happy hour menu and happy hour ends at 7pm for some reason...? But I mean we have lots of beer and we can make a margarita.. or a mixed drink." Personally, my mind goes blank-o without a list of drinks or at least beer choices to look at! My fiancee asked what type of beer they had and she couldn't tell us... so we both ordered Lone Stars.... safe choice.
I also asked about something on the menu which read "shrimp/oysters only." Did that mean they had oysters? Her reply was "That's a VERY good question and one that I have pondered myself for a long time..." !!! Are ya kidding me? I asked if she could let me know after she found out and she said "Sure, though I doubt they have any at this time of night.." then vanished to supposedly get our drinks.
C and I exchanged looks. Were they about to close or something? Why didn't they tell us that if that were the case? And it was clearly our waitress' first night EVER waiting tables...right?
The menu looked like almost all fried food and there were really no "appetizers" to choose from, such sides... we began to ponder the idea of just having a Lone Star and leaving..
We sat there for about 15 more minutes and never saw a glass or water nor a Lone Star. It was pretty ridiculous. I suggested we just leave and we decided this was the best idea. I took it to perhaps not THE most mature level.... and in one "truth or dare"-esque leap, hopped the gate enclosing the patio. C, on the other hand, walked slowly across the patio, looking for our waitress to actually tell her we were leaving. Considerate! However, she was nowhere to be seen! So we walked next door to Zandunga, the other new place on E 11th.
Get this-- a waiter (not our scatterbrained one) and a bartender FOLLOWED US and confronted us as we sat on the patio at Zandunga!! C apologized and offered to pay for the beers that they alleged they would now have to "spill" and they wouldn't take his money but kept saying it was "not cool, man".. he also pointed out that he'd tried to find our waitress but she was nowhere around and we'd been waiting for a long time.
One of the owners of Zandunga came over to ask us what happened and she and several of the managers there were flabbergasted by the story. They couldn't believe how unprofessional the whole thing was, especially how they stalked us down the street! (which they were very quick to do-- why they couldn't be that quick with their service is beyond me). The owner even walked next door to talk to the owner of 11th Street because apparently they've known each other for quite some time.
Very interesting. Oh, and Zandunga was very good, service was excellent, and they bought us our first round. :) I think I owe them a Yelp review of a different sort... -
Review from yung d.
Austin, TX
3/5/2011
The five stars is definitely for the live DJ experience on fridays! If you like a variety of soul and R&B, you will LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Friday's happy hour! I always get the frozen margarita and it is okay, may need an additional shot to really make it kick. I enjoyed the boudin links, the chicken wings and the corn nuggets. OH - the peach cobbler - oh yeah!!!! Rock on DJ Jamal!!!!
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Review from Rene D.
Austin, TX
5/4/2011
Very good catfish, very good service.
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Review from Alice May B.
Austin, TX
3/19/2011
I went here for a friend's birthday celebration on a Monday night so it's understandable that business was rather slow and one would think that since there are fewer patrons in the restaurant, that the service would have been top notch because most of the focus would have been on our table. Not completely the case.
First of all there wasn't any music playing, so there was dead silence. Awkward. Secondly, our server really seemed out of his element. To give him the benefit of the doubt, we had a party of about 10 people who were all doing split checks and continuously ordering drinks, so as a previous server I know how confusing that can get. BUT for his sake, we did tell him ahead of time that we were going to be doing split checks. He did get our food orders right, but I had to ask him several times for my drink-- all in about a 30 minute span of time. When he was taking the food orders, he went person by person taking careful notes, so it seemed as though he was being organized to keep everything straight. However, when it came to getting our bill, it was a complete nightmare! All of the beer was put on one person's tab, when it needed to split up in the first place. When we kindly told him about the mishap, he was very apologetic, but then he put all of the beers on ANOTHER persons tab. On top of that, entrees and appetizers were being mismatched on others' tickets. Even after he went around the table again to make double check his notes, the bill never did end up coming out right. One person ended up paying $60 more because he was not able to correctly split up the drinks and we were just ready to get out of there. I was very surprised that he never got a manager to come to our table and smooth things over. We were dealing with the bill issue for a good 45 minutes. I am usually very sensitive about the hard work that servers do because I have done it before. However, this was just a little too much to handle.
On the upside, the food was pretty tasty. I'd like to come back on another day to see if I can have an amazing experience here like other Yelpers have had! -
Review from Angus B.
Austin, TX
8/3/2010
I'm going to give 11th St. Station two stars based on the fact that their heart seems to be in the right place. The actual experience was pretty bad. Their menu is a whole mess of fried food, but almost the whole thing is devoted to four items: shrimp, tilapia, catfish, and chicken wings, available in various combinations, with some items available fried or blackened. For chicken, wings is the only option--their chicken and waffles consists of one waffle and some "wing dings". The only entree items they offered other than those four is a fried pork chop and another item I can't recall at the moment. The catfish was good, hand-breaded and fresh, but the oysters were awful--on the way to rotten, I'd say. The fried okra tasted like it was straight out of a Sysco freezer bag, pre-breaded and bland. Fried corn nuggets were sweet and gooey. The hush puppies were leaden. The service was laughably bad. The server who was so nervous he was shaking. When asked what type of draft beers they had, he said they hadn't given him a beer menu to study, but he could go ask if we wanted. Um, yeah, we did want. He returned to inform us they don't have any draft beers. The music was a mix of crappy light instrumental jazz* and a continuously/repeatedly skipping Etta James CD (this is part of that whole heart-in-the-right-place thing). The soda was flat. I can make some allowances for being so new, but overall, it was only a half step above a complete bomb.
* I'm talking some REALLY SHITTY jazz here. -
Review from Brian W.
Austin, TX
8/5/2010
Bottom line: Get it together, 11th Street Station! You've got good food, but your service sucks!
I heard about this place from a friend who normally gives great suggestions on new local restaurants. Thus, I walked in with high hopes of some good comfort food and hopefully a new place on the East side to call my own.
Our experience began by being met by a hostess who looked confused as to why we had walked into the restaurant. I am not sure why she was looking at us so curiously - in my experience in the service industry, I always found the tasks assigned to me to be quite straightforward. Examples, for those who have not had the pleasure of serving, are listed below:
Busser - clean tables, drop dishes in kitchen, repeat
Host - seat people as they come in, repeat.
Bartender - pour beer, make mixed drink, repeat
Waiter - Take the order, get the food out on time, repeat
Now that we have everyone up to speed, we can begin. The hostess started the evening by seating us at a table that did not have enough seats for our party. Next, she gave us less menus than there were seats. Finally, she wandered off when I asked about getting another chair for the table. This is the point where my concern about our choice in restaurants began.
As we waited with our few chairs and even less menus, we began to wonder exactly how long it would take to get water to our table. That's water, H20, the life-sustaining liquid that can be obtained by, for instance, turning on ANY faucet or sink in the building. This conspicuous lack of water was of particular concern to the pregnant lady at the our table. Water did not make its first appearance until almost 15 minutes after we had sat down. When you get water here - drink slowly. You don't know when they'll be back with more. Sadly, the water situation was a barometer for the rest of our evening.
Moving on to actually ordering - we had to chase down a waiter to get him to show up at our table. He seemed like he understood what we wanted, so that was good. Now you're thinking "well, the order is in. How long could it possibly take to make the food?" Excellent question - let's get into that next.
The following is a list of things that you can do while waiting for your order at 11th St. Station:
1. Grow a Beard
2. Paint a still life (I suggest the waiter - he doesn't move much so he makes a great model)
3. Learn to knit while blindfolded
4. Make your own meal while at your table with ingredients you bring from home
5. Brew your own beer (alcohol comes no more quickly than your meal)
6. Write the great American novel
7. Learn a new language (the harder the better)
8. Get your black belt
9. Learn to unicycle
I guess what I'm saying is that the food took a long time to come out. To quote Andre 3000, it took forever-ever. Forever-ever? FOREVER-EVER!
So the food finally arrives - time to eat! This is a part of the review that I can enjoy writing. The food here is pretty darn good. While some in our party were not impressed, I enjoyed the food quite a bit. Sorry, 11th street, this doesn't get you another star from me. By the time I got my food you could have served me blanched garlic camel and I would have eaten it with a smile. Seriously though, food-deprivation aside, I think that the food here is pretty good.
After we finished our meal, we sat there full and waited....and waited....and waited...for our waiter to come back and clear the plates and bring a check. Luckily, our hostess had become yet again confused as to her job and came back to ask us if we needed anything. Yes, we responded - the check! Our waiter came by finally and took the check and we were free at last!
I do not give the one star often, but I'm sorry to say - you folks earned it. -
Review from Susan B.
Austin, TX
8/3/2010
If I could give no stars I would. Began when I asked for wine; they had no drink menu and the waiter had no idea. I went to the bar where they had 3 bottles( not 3 kinds, 3 bottles!) the whole menu is fried food. Ordered a shrimp poor boy which I was told had a sauce. I got a dry bun with what looked like shrimp nuggets, a side of mayonnaise, pickles and a plate with tomatoes, a leaf of lettuce, and American cheese! Cheese?? On shrimp and American cheese no less!! I asked for red sauce and lemons. 3 of us at $ 60 for horrible food.
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Review from K W.
Austin, TX
8/24/2010
The homemade Peach Cobbler was the best thing on the menu! Wouldn't recommend the veggies or the fried entrees.
Well, there's a lot of room for improvement and hopefully that happens. -
Review from K G.
Austin, TX
7/29/2010
Tried out 11th Street Station for dinner. I ordered the catfish, okra, and fried sweet corn. YUM! Okra was perfection. A lot of restaurants tend to make it soggy or burnt. 11th street was spot on. Fried sweet corn was also fried to perfection and delicious. My catfish was seasoned perfectly (not overseasoned and not bland at all). I tasted a bite of the pork chop. Cooked and seasoned perfectly, as well. I think I'm going to order a pork chop of my own next time.
And to top it all off, the prices are awesome! Left there feeling full, satisfied, and not broke!
Go check it out! -
Review from Janice F.
Austin, TX
9/26/2010
Feels like home. Good food, good prices. I have been there three times and tried different things. They were all good.
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Review from Reginald S.
Austin, TX
Updated - 1/23/2011
11th Street Station is a great place to catch the game on the flat screen at the bar. The menu is large enough to fit all budgets. I definitely would recommend everyone in the area stop in and check out 11th Street Station
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/18/2010
11th Street Station is an excellent restaurant...the food is declious with a large menu to fit your… Read more »
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Review from April B.
Austin, TX
8/3/2010
Great prices for the entrees here...I had the chicken, catfish, mac n'cheese and broccoli salad. All of it was amazing ... definitely Southern home cooking at its best. I hope this place will stick around!
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Review from jeff k.
Austin, TX
8/14/2010
I wanted this place to be great. As someone who spends a lot of time in New Orleans, the concept of this place seemed great. It wasnt. The service was amateur and awkward, and the food was...well, gross. Everything was overfried to the point that the actual fish and shrimp were tasteless, lifeless mush. The gumbo was not good. The collard greens were passable. Unless it changes severely, none of us will be returning.
