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Austin Cantina & Mexicali Blues - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Tex-Mex Tex-Mex [Edit]
5809 24th Ave NW(between 58th St & 59th St)
Seattle, WA 98107
Neighborhood: Ballard
(206) 789-1277
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
37 reviews for Austin Cantina & Mexicali Blues
Review Highlights
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"Chicken Fried Steak with Migas is my favorite." In 8 reviews -
"I also love the variety of hot sauces." In 5 reviews -
"Close enough, and they have breakfast tacos." In 4 reviews
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37 reviews in English
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Review from AJ E.
Seattle, WA
12/6/2008
Popped in for a bit here tonight and enjoyed myself immensely. Shiner Bock and some well presented chips and salsa started the night, pretty laid back Austin style music playing on the speakers (some mainstream pop country snuck in from time to time, though-- SRV scoffs, I'm sure) and relaxed service.
I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak and was expecting less-than but got way more than I expected. Cooked just right, served with some pretty filling 'taters and a bit of veggies. A little bit better than the Gristmill in Gruene, Texas.
Being the South Texan that I am, I ended the night with an improbably sweet treat, the banana pudding and nilla wafers.
The main draw for me was the very friendly owner, the laid back staff and the generally welcoming atmosphere, because, really, when you go to a place to eat in South Texas, it's 1% the food and 99% the experience. Since well-prepared Tex-Mex is good 99% of the time, you just gotta cross your fingers that you don't get that one server who can't wait for a chance to harass you, but you won't find that here. -
Review from Bounce B.
Seattle, WA
9/10/2007
Don't call yourself a longhorn if you prance like a caribou. You'll just annoy the bulls.
The cooks at the Cantina have sadly been smut by that thing what happens to Texan chefs when they cross the Cascades. That thing where some airborne chemical fries their cumin receptors and causes cobbler Alzheimer's. And though we did not hear it (because there wasn't a pea-can on the premises), I suspect management as a whole say "puhcAHn."
Why the derision? Well, let's talk about that sad half a corn cob, like the kind you get in TV dinners or frozen in baggies. Let's discuss the sweet enchiladas, spineless chili, watery mashed potatoes, and underbattered calamari. And how 'bout that cobbler that...um..that...well, there is no damned cobbler. Not even a sopapilla. Dangit, we didn't even get corn chips.
Now, there were a couple of makegoods that stood out from the fracas. First: The ambiance isn't bad: small, bright, stars and chili peppers. Second: the margaritas are sublime: pure slap-my-ass-and-call-me-Patsy genius. The chicken-fried steak is good enough, and we had a fine chipotle mayo.
But for the rest, a field trip back to the barrio and a significant bump in the spice budget are seriously in order.
Bottom line: what you've got here is another case of tempered, tepid Seattle fare with Tejano flair--good enough to qualify as a cultural outing for the Ballard lutefisk set , but cryin' time again for the true Texan palate.
To the owners: Sorry to sound harsh, guys, but you oughta hear it now, while the day is still young. Plus, I figure (somewhat bitterly) that you know already. I mean, someone made that unfortunate corn-cob decision. -
Review from Carrie H.
Seattle, WA
10/1/2007
Not enough of anything.
I get it. You want to make the things on your menu sparkle so you make the menu small.
However when the food is, "eh," I need something else I can go to.
Margaritas were decent, if you like it on the sweeter side (I'm assuming this is a Texan thing).
The servers were great, and the guy with the giant mutton chops did not get any of his beard hair into my food.
Is it really a great thing that all you can remember is that there wasn't any mutton chop hair in your food??
PS: You can read about how they started the business (and currently the trends of the restaurant, which I would think you would not want to make public, IMO) here: http://austincantina.t...Listed in: Ballard rocks.
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Review from Andrew F.
Seattle, WA
10/27/2008
There is nothing that I like more than a liberal Texan. They have the same values that I do, and they are loud and boisterous about it, not passive aggressive and moody. Because Austin is the liberal oasis in Texas (or so my GF and countless other UT grads have told me), I had to support the Austin Cantina. For the most part, I was pretty impressed. The food was spicy, and good and the owner was super nice. I love Tex Mex (almost as much as I love liberal Texans) and this joint hit the spot. I am going to Austin for the first time this Christmas, so maybe my opinion will change after I've had the "real thing." Until then, Austin Cantina will do just fine.
As Anne Richards might have said: "Suck it George!" -
Review from Tammy W.
4/4/2008
I would love to try Austin Cantina. Truly I would. Even with the so-so reviews here, my friend and I were willing to give it a try. But with unpredictable business hours and uninviting staff, it just doesn't seem to be in the cards.
You see, the first time we tried to go to Austin Cantina, they were having a private party. Okay, fair enough. Great to see that business is good enough to book a private function.
But, the second time, on a Friday night, when all other bars and restaurants in Ballard were packed with after-work revelers, my friend and I arrived at 5:25, only to be told that the restaurant did not open until 5:30.
5:30 ... on a Friday night? Austin is apparently a faraway land with no concept of la hora de feliz.
So, Austin Cantina, put away your sandwich board out front, touting your margaritas, when you are not even fucking open! Or, in the alternative, when customers arrive five freaking minutes before opening time, and your door in unlocked, graciously invite them in to take a seat. Better yet, offer a glass of water or some chips to while away the five minutes. I'll bet your Austin primos would do the same.
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UPDATE: An email from Jefe B., owner? proprietor? chef? manager? of Austin Cantina, received here on Yelp.
"It hardly seems fair or reasonable to write a negative review of a restaurant that you haven't eaten at, and to criticize for not serving you when the place isn't open.
You wrote; "But with unpredictable business hours and uninviting staff, it just doesn't seem to be in the cards."
There is nothing "unpredictable" about the business hours, they are consistent, week to week, printed on both the outside of the menu and on the website.
I'm sorry that being asked to wait 5 minutes until the staff and the room were set up made you feel uninvited, there is a lot of last minute activity necessary to be ready.
Most of the staff are nice people, doing their best to serve food that they enjoy to their neighbors, most of the staff live within 1/3 of a mile of the restaurant.
Please come in when we're actually open, I suspect that you'll find very warm, inviting people, reasonably tasty food, and a welcoming environment, IF you can put aside your existing predjudices [sic]."
__________________________________________________ _
Wow, thanks, Jefe. Your defensiveness and tone really encourage me to beat a path to your door.Listed in: RIP
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Review from b b.
Austin, TX
3/9/2008
Y'all, I closed my eyes and returned to a strange, wind swept, possibly future version of A-Town where the salsa has cactus and the beans are served whole.
Migas, fresh and spicy enough to make a cow-poke misty.
Coffee, strong enough for the meanest hombre, and refills on sly.
Home fries, seasoned like the bottom of mi madres iron skillet.
Is it Mexican? Close enough, and they have breakfast tacos. So its better than every other so called Mexican, Tex-Mex, Southwestern offering, and the service was great too. -
Review from Sandra S.
Seattle, WA
12/10/2007
I did not see stars... but I can't really subtract them either.
As we were contemplating eating here, I had summed up the "vibe" of the other yelp reviews for my boyfriend as "bland, veggie-item lacking, but not bad, and good margaritas".
Well, it was mostly accurate, except for my margarita did not leave me with even the slightest hint of a buzz, which is a sad day for anyone.
We ordered the chicken fried steak and the chicken mole enchiladas... and they were eh. Chicken mole had only a kiss of mole flavor... and mashed chipotle potatoes were BLAND. We were really at a loss to describe the feel of the restaurant... I can see how they might want to be a casual neighborhood place, with the vinyl cowboy hat and chili pepper tablecloths and waitstaff in t-shirts and ratty jeans. I'm just not so sure that is going to work quite as well in Ballard. I think the Wing place next door might have the monopoly on that market. Put some colored linens down on the table and make it look a little classy-fied... and add some mo' flava to the food!
The food was not gross, it was actually reminiscent of home-cooking. My mom's cooking, to be exact - when she would forget to put salt and/or pepper in the potatoes. Add a little more spice, people! Okay, A LOT more!! I like the fact that they have a wide selection of bottled hot sauces that you can sample, but at the same time, your food should not require the addition of these sauces. I can do that when I'm at home!
I really want this place to do well and I hope that they just put a little more into the food... please make it work! -
Review from Jennifer S.
Seattle, WA
3/25/2008
I love Tex-Mex brunch!!!
I had pan-fried cornbread served with maple syrup, WOW!!! I never thought of doing this, but it tastes awesome. What I really liked about Austin Cantina was their vast selection of hot sauces, you can make every visit different with a dab, its great for me because I love hot sauce!
I did have a chance to test out one of their Hill Country Banana Puddings and I noticed that my spoon hit the bottom of the bowl to fast, because I simply devoured it in a second and I don't even typically like bananas so it really shocked me, because I've been craving it ever since.
I wonder if you can eat a Hill Country Banana Pudding for breakfast? Guys?
ERRR STOP UPDATE!!!
Wow! Thank you owner, Jefe! I had recently cut out most meat besides seafood out of my diet... yes, pescatarian!
Jefe gave me his lunch menu and I was a bit worried as most items featured a component of meat, but I had seen pictures on his web site that featured seafood items. I asked if there was any possibility of creating a sandwich with prawns instead of red meat.
I sat at the counter and conversed with him as he created an amazing sandwich which boarded on the creole and tex mex fashion, there was some green hot sauce next to me that I dipped the sandwich to bring up the heat (NOTE: my taste buds can handle too much heat! Most people couldn't put additional hot sauce on this puppy as it was already hot) I love the heat! But this sandwich was a taunting sort as I was full after the first half of it... the second piece was mocking me on the plate... I knew I could take it on as there was more hot sauce on my plate waiting to be used.
I did... I overcame!
Thank you Jefe for making such a great sandwich and for accommodating my new dietary decision, its a hard one now in a town with so much good meat, but with prawn sandwiches on the horizon and lots of spice, I think I'll be able to manage! -
Review from Jennifer L.
Seattle, WA
9/16/2008
Only been here for Sunday breakfast but looking forward to trying dinner.
Chicken Fried Steak with Migas is my favorite! And the fried corn bread is AWESOME!
As my boyfriend says "Nice people, good food, good prices" Go here! -
Review from Lor G.
Seattle, WA
10/21/2007
When the boyfriend and I first walked into the Austin Cantina, I was heartened - I'd read good things about the many vegetarian options of "authentic" Tex-Mex cuisine that awaited me at the new joint in my 'hood, and I was all ready and willing to eat my weight in queso and refries and whatever else they had to suit my fancy.
Well... lemme tell ya... ready and willing notwithstanding, I was completely unable. I went home hungry and angry. Hangry.
First of all, the menu wasn't entirely veggie-friendly. The only things I remember offhand were some veggie enchiladas and a veggie chili, which were just some meaty dishes served up without the meat in 'em. I'll get to that later.
After ordering up a Shiner Bock, I asked our waitress if the queso was available in a meatless version. She went back into the kitchen to inquire, and a few moments later, someone stepped out of the kitchen, looked at our table, and snapped, "Never!" Seriously uncool. And let me tell you, I was just in Austin, the real Austin, never had any trouble getting veggie queso. Every single restaurant I went to had at least one veggie version on the menu, often two or three varieties, and I never got any guff or even an askance glance when asking about vegetarian options. Strike one.
Appetizerless, we sallied forth onto the entrees. I had the vegetarian enchiladas, and the boydude had chicken. Both were disappointing.
Simply not adding meat and meaty byproducts to an item does leave it veggie-friendly, but also leaves it sorely lacking. Meat is an ingredient that, when used properly, blends in flavor and texture with the rest of the dish, supporting and highlighting all flavors, colors, and textures. My enchiladas were missing that certain special something - the inclusion of a tender, somewhat fatty texture like avocado chunks would have helped, or a hearty helping of seasoned potatoes, refried beans, or grilled tofu would have absolutely rocked. But nope, my soggy tortillas were barely graced with diced zucchini, a little onion, and a sprinkle of cheese. Lame. And also strike two.
The grilled chicken, I hear, was fabulous - the part that was cooked, that is. The staff replaced the uncooked chicken with a mole dish, which smelled wonderful and which the boy ate with no complaint, so I'm guessing it was good. But still, there's no excuse for serving food that's simply not prepared correctly. Strike three.
We did not stay for dessert. -
Review from Brian S.
Seattle, WA
1/15/2008
Looking for some hangover cure after celebrating a friend's birthday the night before, several of us were disappointed to see Cafe Besalu still closed for the post-holidays... So we moseyed on down to this tex-mex place occupying the former Dandelion and decided to give their brunch a shot.
I'm not a coffee drinker, but it was a little weird for my brunch buddies to only be able to get a black coffee because of a non-compete clause in the lease, sending coffee fans up to Java Bean for some real brew, but they don't care if you bring in a cup from outside so no biggie if you plan ahead. The food we had was pretty good, Migas and Huevos Rancheros... flavorful with a kick, but not very spicy. The grits however were waaaay too salty. Service was ok. Not terrible but not outstanding... I might go back to try the Pulled Pork Sandwich. -
Review from Genevieve J.
Seattle, WA
6/17/2008
I am surprised by the negative reviews - we've had great service here. Sometimes it's been slow at Sunday brunch if they're slammed, but everyone has always been super friendly (especially the owner, or at least that really nice tall guy with glasses that we assume is the owner).
Though I am not a Tex Mex expert (I'd love to be schooled), I think the food here is really tasty.
For a couple of months, we came in for brunch almost every weekend (and I admit, after a couple of months, I was burnt out on this place, but I gave it a rest and started to crave specific things on the menu again).
Cornbread with maple syrup is heavenly (though a little bit pricey for the portion sizes). The biscuits and gravy with chicken fried steak is my favorite brunch item. I'm not a huge fan of the cactus salsa, but it has a unique and piquant flavor. I wish guacamole came standard with the brunch items - sometimes the dishes need a little more creaminess to counterbalance the spice/flavor (especially the breakfast tacos and heuvos rancheros - give me more avocado!). If you get the breakfast tacos, I think the best filling is the chorizo. I also love the variety of hot sauces.
Vegans, I don't think this is your brunch place - a lot (most? all?) of the brunch items revolve around meat or cheese/eggs. But my dairy eating vegetarian friends who eat here are always satisfied.
I think I prefer dinner here just for the wider variety of food options, even though we tend to order the same things over and over again. My standard entree is the tacos (I've tried the chicken in mole sauce and the pork - think I prefer the pork). I wish the tortillas were homemade or a little more exciting, but they suffice. My husband usually orders the pecan crusted chicken, and I steal as many bites as possible. Portions are usually generous - I never leave this place hungry.
Reflecting on the quality of food, I guess it's not above-and-beyond awesome, so why do we frequent this place so much? I think it's because the food is consistently good (even if it's not awesome), and the service is always friendly - and the place just has a great, cozy, down-home atmosphere. It's a favorite neighborhood standby. -
Review from JC R.
Portland, OR
12/9/2007
I went on a Friday evening, so I wasn't too surprised there was a wait. Actually I took it as a good sign, that so many others wanted to eat there.
My friends and I got on the list, and conviently there is a bar next door, so we got a drink. (Note - the bar next door has a pretty extensive chicken wings menu - but alas I'm vegetarian). So being able to hang out there and wait for a table was nice as it was raining and there is no where to wait at Austin Cantina.
The service was good, our waitress friendly and attentive. The kitchen was somewhat slow bringing out our dishes, but not excruciating.
But really all that stuff doesn't matter too much - cause really you go for the food, right?!
The food was terrible overall. The salsa had nopales(cactus) in it which would have been nice had the salsa had any flavor AT ALL. No spice, no lime, nothing! I'm ok if the salsa had been mild, not everyone likes spicy but seriously NO FLAVOR.
The quesadillas were so super tiny as not to make up for their large price. The enchildas from what I heard were kinda gross. The margarita's were so-so, seemed like they came from a margarita mix. Actually a few things seemed not to be made on site. Those were the only decent things we ate! The next two descriptions are the items that were suspiciously store bought. Empanada's were pretty ok, but can't go wrong with hot oozy cheese. Chocolate cake was ok too.
Maybe we ordered the wrong things, but I won't be going back!
1 star for service/ambiance
1 star for store bought empanda's -
Review from Laura G.
Seattle, WA
10/15/2007
A friend and I checked out Austin Cantina last night. I was eager to hear what my friend, a Texas native, thought about the authenticity of Ballard's new TexMex establishment. Her assessment: the black beans were pretty much spot-on; the rest of the food could use some work.
I tried out the mole chicken enchiladas. They were good but not great. The rice was ok - it tasted like it had been made many hours before. I know that reviewer Jeff wrote that it's made fresh several times each service; it just didn't taste that way to me. The chips and salsa were pretty good. I think the salsa had prickly pear cactus in it, which was unique.
I do agree that the prices are fairly reasonable here. There was a good amount of spice in the food - enough so that I noticed (and enjoyed) it but not so much that I couldn't taste the food. The decor is fun - I like all the little cacti in the window sills.
On the whole, a decent meal. As this place is just a couple of blocks from my house, I'll likely go here again some time... but I probably won't go out of my way to plan a night out here. -
Review from Derek B.
Seattle, WA
1/14/2008
After nearly endless indecision about where to eat Sunday night, my friends and I decided on Austin. It suited me just fine because I was already in Ballard and I'd heard good things about the Tex-Mex here.
We had blue corn chips with nopalito salsa & guacamole, which were good but not great, and I had the camarones mojo de ajo, which was delicious, and I loved the chipotle mashed potatoes. My friends had the cowboy skirt steak and the pollo en mole. The only comment I really heard about them was that the pollo lacked any mole,
We all had margaritas -- my friends the classico and myself the jefe. Absolutely loved the jefe, it was perfectly made.
All in all, it wasn't great, but I'll go back for brunch because I've heard good things.
And the waitress was cute. -
Review from Ry J.
Kirkland, WA
11/18/2007
I've been a couple times. The portions are dainty and under seasoned; the saving grace is the attentive service and warm atmosphere. The chili is proper (no beans); sadly, you have to add a lot of salt to turn it from inedible meat paste into chili. Once you do, you'll be rewarded. I don't understand the people bagging on the desserts; they aren't the same thing you see everywhere else, and I think that's a good thing. The only reason I don't go there more often is that it's way out in the boonies.
The margaritas are made from quality ingredients, and it shows. The owner blogs, which is another plus. -
Review from M D.
Seattle, WA
11/20/2007
I like that this is a locally owned small restaurant, but I haven't been impressed with our two trips there. Granted, the first time was opening night, so we expected there to be kinks that weren't yet worked out.
We tried breakfast this past weekend, and I ordered huevos rancheros, which is listed on the menu as coming with sliced avocado. Mine did not have any avocado. I heard the server ask the cook something after bringing our plates to the table, and the cook said something about "I could give them a side of guacamole", but I didn't realize until afterward that she was talking about us. When she picked up our plates, I asked the server if the dish was supposed to have avocado, and she said yes but it was very hard so they couldn't use it. No mention of the possibility of guac to replace it, or discount in price (aren't avocados one of the more expensive ingredients?).
Someone else at the table ordered breakfast tacos with egg & potato, but was brought migas tacos instead. When that was pointed out, the plate was taken away and brought back with potatoes added to the migas.
The food tasted good, but it probably won't be our first choice for breakfast next time. -
Review from Marian M.
Seattle, WA
Updated - 11/18/2008
Oh, Austin Cantina... you make me sad.
Maybe it's because your beans were underdone and BBQ-saucey when I came for Sunday Brunch.
Maybe it's because your prep cook had a bandage (and no glove) on his index finger, which made him chop really slow.
Maybe it's because he invited 3 of his friends to sit at the counter so they could chat instead of chop vegetables.
Maybe it's because it took 30 minutes to get our food to us when there were a total of 3 tables occupied.
Or maybe it's because you blog about your financials and I felt sorry for you. And that's never a good enough reason to choose a restaurant.
I'll give you one more chance. Please blow me away this time.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/17/2008
What an odd little place this is. A friend and I accidentally stumbled upon the Gospel Brunch a few… Read more »
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Review from Shannon G.
Austin, TX
1/7/2008
I was excited to finally have the chance to go eat at Austin Cantina seeing as my hometown is Austin and anytime I could come close to getting my hands on Tex Mex in Seattle, I am there...
The atmosphere was great for a late Sunday brunch, not too crowded and pretty laid back.
I have to say the menu was a little disappointing because it was not traditional Tex Mex. It was more like Mexican food mixed with Texas bbq. Everything really sounded good, but was not the authentic Tex Mex I love and miss.
So I was a little skeptical when I ordered the breakfast tacos. However, to our surprise they were really good, full of flavor. We got three tacos for $6.50 so the price wasn't too bad either. And the guacamole was some of the best I have ever had! We were full and satisfied when we left.
I will probably go back but I will still miss my Tex Mex.... -
Review from Virginia D.
Seattle, WA
7/13/2008
I don't understand why it's so hard to make good Tex-Mex and make it friendly to vegetarians. It's actually quite easy to do but finding a place around these parts is like searching for the Rubber Rose Ranch and its feisty cowgirls.
The service was great but the food was expensive and not that tasty. Perhaps the fleshy menu items taste better. I won't be going back.
They also have a policy of catering to families with screaming children. Be aware! -
Review from Charlie D.
Chicago, IL
12/1/2008
Do you like chicken fried steak(CFS)? Do you like green chiles? And do you also like chipotle mashed potatoes? Well if you answered yes to all three questions then you're going to love the CFS covered w/green chiles and served with chipotle mashed potatoes at the Austin Cantina!! Because that plate was phenomenal!! The CFS was fried to perfection and was perfectly cooked. And the chipotle mashed potatoes were spicy enough even for me. So those two combination's made that the BEST CFS I have ever had in the Pacific Northwest. Yes those are some big words but I am a total fan of their CFS from this point on!!!
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Review from Denise E.
11/11/2008
The service started out slow but once our server acknowledged us, she was "appropriately" attentive. The Jefe margaritas were great! We started out with the fundito and it was good. Then had catfish and meatloaf. Both were abundant, a bit dry; but prepared and presented differently than I had ever had before. I had hoped for a something with a little more kick. I like spicy food! What I liked most about this place was the "mom and pop" feel to it. I prefer to support a family business (I guess Schwartz bros. are family--oops), then a chain or corporation. With this in mind I will go back, but not for the food alone; there are other places I like better. I will try brunch next. Brunch is an area that is lacking in Seattle, so I'm excited to try theirs!
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Review from Atlee G.
Oakland, CA
7/8/2008
While the decor is nice, the food is boring. If you're not a big fan of Tex-Mex this place will not convert you, instead it will remind you of all the things you never liked. I do, however, recommend the Hales Cantina IPA which they have on tap.
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Review from Stephanie P.
Seattle, WA
6/16/2008
I think this is a solid attempt at Tex-mex in the Northwest. Is it the best I've had? No, but it is also not the worst. I had the enchiladas with chicken mole and the mole was one of the better ones I've had, not too chocolatey and a great kick to it. Service was decent (actually lots of smiles) and the pomegranite margaritas were mighty tasty. I like that we were able to walk in on Saturday night at 7 and get a table although I did see a bit of a lineup as we left. Get the guacamole if you go...it was good!
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Review from Egregore I.
Seattle, WA
5/6/2008
The service at Austin Cantina was awesome. Our waitress was hugely accommodating to our "dining with toddler" needs and even brought us a basket full of Mr Potato Head and his parts to keep our little one busy. Genius.
The food, unfortunately, not so much.
I ordered the pecan crusted chicken and it was the smallest serving of chicken I've ever been served. There weren't more than three bites of meat on that overcrusted wing. Despite the hefty price tag, I still had to eat dinner when we got home.
My husband ordered two types of enchiladas. The chicken mole which he said lacked mole and the pork which he was sure had long past it's prime. This was accompainied by the driest rice this side of the border.
My kid got the quesadilla which he refused to eat. I tasted it and didn't even try to make him. He had dinner with me at home.
We did love the beanless chili we shared as an appetizer and my husband says he'd return just for that.
It's a shame. We liked the place we just don't want to eat there. -
Review from Frank F.
Seattle, WA
7/5/2008
I agree with most of the 2 star and less reviews here...we ate there on Friday night and the service and people were very friendly, but the food just wasn't what it was advertised to be. My wife and I are recent transplants from Texas and the food just didn't measure up. My bottom line, if you've never had real Tex-Mex you should give it a try b/c the staff is really friendly. If you've visited or moved from Texas and are looking for food to remind you of "home", I can't suggest eating there.
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Review from Dylan P.
Arlington, WA
2/10/2008
I'm from Austin and have been looking for some culinary relief that helped cure homesickness that creeps up from time to time. I was afraid that the restaurant would be over an over the top themed place that was too cliche and corny. But they did a good job and I could kind of picture the place in Austin. The migas were good and the service friendly. I'll definitely be going back. The only negative I could come up with is that I found the portions just a little small, but I eat alot.
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Review from Erik C.
Seattle, WA
10/8/2008
Ok so here's the deal, Austin Cantina is not a bar. I saw cantina in the name and thought of a dimly lit bar serving whiskey and tequila, and maybe some food...nope. They do have drinks but it seems the food is the focus here. The food was pretty good, but I felt a little uncomfortable in there. The lighting is bright, music was low and our server was also the chef... maybe the owner too? I give three stars instead of four because of price. Chips and salsa, two enchilada plates, and two drinks was $51.00. Maybe I'm cheap, but it seemed very high.
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Review from Dale L.
San Francisco, CA
9/10/2007
A delightfully authentic Tex-Mex experience from the decor to the menu, except that here a vegetarian can enjoy many selections as much as the meat eaters will relish the pulled pork, grilled chicken and chicken fried steak. Though I love spicy food, I found my dishes among the most flavorful I've ever tasted at the same time the heat was mild (a wide variety of hot sauces are available to increase the heat). Chef Jefe Birkner has put attention into every detail, from pairing cinnamon whipped cream with a delicate flan, right down to selecting playlists of hundreds of songs
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Review from mary c.
Seattle, WA
11/17/2007
I'm going to have to say that I think the food here is awesome.
The portion sizes (while still large) are not massive and that's a practice I think more restaurants should adopt.
Regarding flavor/spiciness... the food is really good and, though it might not fry your taste buds (there are sauces to help with that), it's got some excellent subtle flavors. I had the shrimp (what a GENEROUS portion!) and the chipotle mash. The spice was subtle and grew throughout the meal and that's just not something I've experienced at a sub-50-dollar-and-entree establishment.
My partner was a bit underwhelmed because he wanted spicier beans and he thought the rice was a bit dry (hence the 4 stars) but I didn't have either so I can't comment.
I really did think that everything I had was very good and we both agreed that the homemade chocolate chipotle (flourless?) cake was outstanding.
I'm going to keep coming back. I think that the chef at this place has some serious skill and I really want to see how things evolve.
Oh, and the service was awesome. Seriously, the whole neighborhood could learn from the Austin Cantina. -
Review from Adam S.
Seattle, WA
1/20/2008
So I was excited to try this place, but left unhappy.
The place is tiny and the tables are right on top of eachother, but that isn't always a bad thing I do enjoy dining with other people. By the name I thought this was going to have a bar - cantina. However the bar was about 4 feet long and only offered two bar stools.
The drink list is weak. 2 kinds of tequlia at INSANE prices and like a few beers at SUPER HIGH PRICES 5 bucks for a can of tecate? Come on man.
The Texas Caviar which is basically some corn, black eyed peas and salsa came and was okay, the beans weren't completely cooked all the way through, but it was still edible. Next came the pork tacos and fried chicken. The pork taco's plate was small, not much food here. A small scoop of beans and a little meat with small tortillas.
The fried chicken was served with the pepper mashed potatoes. The potatoes were completely tasteless. They needed something, spices, more salt something. They were terribly bland. The friend chicken however was amazing. The chef must know how to use a frier because it was flat out delicous. Almost enough to save the evening, but not quite.
Still hungry after the small portions we ordered dessert. It was a flourless tort style cake with peppers, however there was absolutely no peppery taste. Not bad, but not too memorable.
The place was packed and had lots of kids running around screaming. Not my scene but I guess some would like it.
Our service was great, our waitress was very attentive and was around when we needed her to be.
I don't think we will be back, with a final price tag of 75.00 for a beer, margarita, appitizer, two entrees and a small dessert we would rather eat at a much nicer place or at least get full and 1/2 drunk.
Update:
So I am not one to just try a place once and rip it apart so my wife and I tried this place again.
However this time around was worse than before!
Here were the main problems: The owner (nice guy) needs to wash his pants and NOT wear a sleevelss t-shirt. The body oder was terrible and the grim on the pants was weeks old, not just that day dirty.
There was another staff member who had blonde hair and was rolling napkins who was soooo filthy that we lost our appitite. Her white pants were so long they dragged on the floor and were so black with grim and dirt it was appaling. I mean it, it was absolutely disgusting.
Our server was great, nice girl that was peppy and attentive and the only part of the evening that wasn't bad.
The food was okay, very bland and over-priced. The texas black eyed peas were very undercooked and crunchy hard. My chicken fried steak was marginal, I opted for the 3 dollar spicey gravey and was let down. There was maybe a teaspoon of the gravey on the plate and had zero flavor.
Sorry about the harsh review but the staff needs to be groomed and cleaned. It was flat out gross. How can you expect the staff to be clean when the owner is that offensive. try deodorant and put on a shirt that has some sleeves. -
Review from LaLa R.
Seattle, WA
10/5/2007
Probably won't go back. It was okay, but not where I'll choose to spend my dining dollars in the future. The margarita was tasty and the Queso Fundido was my favorite dish of the evening.
The Enchiladas with Pulled Pork were dry. The apple chutney didn't work for me. Too sweet. Half way through the meal I couldn't taste anything because it was too spicy. I am a bit of a spice wimp, but I hate when you can't taste any other flavors because of the spice.
The servers were very pleasant, but something about the atmosphere felt off. It didn't feel very welcoming and homey.
I really want Ballard businesses to suceed, but I don't think I'll be rushing back here. -
Review from Meinhard G.
Grayslake, IL
11/18/2007
Reasonable priced, small cantina. Kitchen right in the room - fun. Friendly service great food - not too spicy if thats what you are looking for, but very interesting items on the menu. We had the steak, grass fed - tasted great - how different from other beef. Will be back, absolutely, even we are just visiting Ballard for 3 weeks.
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Review from Andrew O.
Seattle, WA
7/15/2008
This is just senseless. Tex-Mex is not a complex cuisine. It's based on using basic ingredients and plenty of spice. I lived in Austin for many years, so maybe my expectations are too high, but Austin Cantina was disappointing.
Seattle seems to be incapable of producing spicy food in general, but I still don't quite understand how Austin Cantina managed to make theirs so bland. Boring salsa, flavorless tortillas, and meat that seemed unmarinated. The decor was ok, and it was nice to see Shiner Bock available, but they missed nearly every other basic.
Avoid this place. -
Review from Van R.
Seattle, WA
12/22/2007
First let me say service was great and they had Mr Potato heads for our son. Past that not much I can reccomend. We were looking forward to some good tex mex on a Friday night and were sadly disappointed. The chips were $3.50 and were out of a bag. The quesadilla was $5.50 for a cheese quesadilla and was so tiny our son ended up eating all the chips and eating more when he got home. The empanadas which sounded great were fairly tasteless and the chicken mole enchiladas were certainly like no mole dish (of which I've had many) I had before more like a rub with no flavor. When we asked for more mole sauce (as there was none on the enchilada) they cooked something up and when I put it on the enchilada and tasted it it had a taste of gas or kerosene I had to scrape it off and ate the rest simply because I was so hungry... my wife passed.
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Review from Tracy B.
Seattle, WA
1/19/2008
Two of us went on a Friday night. I was really dissapointed with this place. The atmosphere is okay, but cramped. The waitress was nice. The food was TERRIBLE. Maybe I am just spoiled, because there is so much good food in Ballard. To start, we got the chips and salsa and margs. First of all, the salsa was tasteless. The margs were standard, nothing special. For dinner I had the pulled pork enchiladas. The enchiladas had no sauce, which I have never seen before. It was also tasteless, but extremely spicy. The apple chutney stuff didn't go with it at all. The rice wasn't cooked all the way. Neither of us could finish our food it was so bad. The prices were on the high side too, so it was insult to injury. Seriously, go down to La Carta de Oaxaca on Ballard Ave. You may have to wait a little bit, but at least you will leave satisfied AND with more money in your pocket.
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Review from Matthew G.
Falmouth, MA
9/9/2008
Bland food, not many fresh ingredients; lacked the zing of true tex-mex. Guacamole was good but couldn't carry the meal. Service couldn't carry much either.
