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We eat here about once a week and they know us...We take friends who come to visit to eat here. We saw it on Triple D and that is when we put it on our must eat list. The waitstaff is great, they remember us and how I like ranch dressing with my bbq (odd I know) and they always make sure we have full glasses of tea (I drink alot of tea and if they can keep my glass full, I am sold!)
I love the BBQ sauce! I love the fudge pecan pie! I love this place! If you love live music, there is always live music of some sort going on there.
Parking sucks but I'll live with the crappy parking for the food.
AWFUL
really, i eat ALOT of meat, ALOT of barbeque, and i have had chain store barbeque better than this!
the brisket was dry, overcooked and had a faint hint of smokiness. the sauce barely saved it.
the ribs we flavorless.
the fries are ok, but how can you mess up fries?
the sides were pathetic. the corn on cob was watery and bland and the greenbeans were limp and dull. nobody likes a limp greenbean, do they?
i knew it was going to be a bad experience when they brought my tea snowcone. it was a TON of crushed ice (i HATE crushed ice in anything but a mojito) and a little tea that was weak and a ripoff for 2 dollars. i really think this is a tourist trap or something. can't see why anyone would eat here...but i guess i am a barbeque snob...
Green Mesquite marks for my twenty-sixth restaurant that has been featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. For each restaurant that is on the show, the production company spends a considerable amount of time scouring the city and actually visiting dozens of different restaurants to see if they have the personality, cooking chops, and several popular dishes to warrant putting them on TV. With this in mind, I already knew that Green Mesquite was worth at least three stars just on food alone, and I wanted to see if they deserved more.
Like many BBQ places, the restaurant is a small shack and they have a large patio in the back. Green Mesquite appeared to have a little more personality than some other places by way of the large collection of pictures and posters on the walls. I was sitting over a framed picture of Hitler and Hogan's Heroes that was taken from TV Land. Maybe the owner really liked the show - I don't know.
While watching DDD I saw they offered more than traditional BBQ fare (hence the "& More" on the name) like chicken fried steak and jambalaya. I latched on to the jambalaya idea, thinking that it was a very good platform from which you could sample a large amount of barbecued meats in a package not like many other restaurants. I thought it was an idea better in concept than execution - it certainly tasted good, but the meats didn't stand out as well as I was hoping, and I found myself envious of my buddy who went with the meat plate. I snagged some of his pulled pork, and found it to be just as good as any other solid barbecue joint.
I ordered a side of fried okra for my meal. It shouldn't be that hard to fry things, but these were done perfectly, with a well-cooked inside and a perfectly crispy outside. I definitely recommend these as a side option.
Not feeling full by the time my jambalaya disappeared, I decided to finish the meal with some peach cobbler topped with a scoop of Amy's ice cream. The cobbler was great, featuring a hard upper crust and a softer, spongier bottom crust and peaches that were sweet but not overly so, as I have tasted in other cobblers. The slowly-melting ice cream was a nice element, too, though I had to shell out extra for that.
Green Mesquite is a good example of what happens when Austin gets ahold of a traditional barbecue joint - it doesn't necessarily improve upon the barbecue much (not that there's much that necessarily needs to be improved upon), but it adds a certain amount of personality and twists that let you know that it's as weird as anything else in this town.
We ate at Green Mesquite while on holiday in Austin from London, England. Saw a late night review on Diners, Dives and Drive Ins and decided to give it a go...and it really lived up to expectations.
I had a 2 meat plate with pulled pork and brisket - both meats were incredibly tender and you didn't need to use a knife at all. Yum. The coleslaw side was perfect - rough cut cabbage and light mayo. Not too heavy and greasy which I loved.
Also ordered a side of onion rings as they are a personal fav starter - hands down the best we've had in 2 weeks touring Texas and surrounds.
Service was great - laid back so you could enjoy the food, but always on hand whenever needed.
Pecan pie was a very tasty ending.
This isn't a flashy place by anyone's standards - it's a good, cheap, local BBQ joint where you can have great tasting food in a casual environment.
I like the chopped beef sandwiches. I like them a lot.
The potato salad, corn on the cob, and fried okra were bland.
But the chopped beef sandwiches are yummy.
Genuine Texas beef brisket. Their sauce is just right and the meat was oh-so-perfectly-tender. Had hush puppies for an app, fried okra and potato salad on the side. Hot august night with the beer flowing and live music? Can't ask for much more.
To note: Service was decent but a bit spotty. Needed to flag people down more than once but it really wasn't a problem. Just try to get all your requests in at the beginning.
Yep, just another hole in the wall with lots of meat, meat, and more meat. Another BBQ restaurant to gorge yourself when you are hungry.
Well as others have said, we saw this place on Dinners, Drive Ins' & Dives with Guy Fieri but decided to wait a while in case there was a rush on the restaurant. My wife and I and a friend went to Green Mesquite BBQ a few weeks ago late on a week night. There was a free table near the door when we entered so we grabbed it. While we were there we looked at all the pictures under the glass on the tables and on the on the walls we recognized some of the people but not all of them, kind of neat how they have local pictures and things under the glass at the table and on the wall. The guy behind the counter next to our table waited on us. He was nice and kind of funny in a friendly way. The service was great and the restaurant was clean and kind of weird just right for Austin's keep Austin weird persona. I forgot to look outside in the back so I did not see the outdoor patio. Bummer for me!
Ah, the BBQ, I ordered the 3 meat plate, my wife ordered the chicken fried steak and our friend ordered the 1/2 chicken plate, we all had various sides. I had brisket, pork ribs and sausage with slaw and potato salad as sides, my wife had fries and fried okra. Our friend had green beans and corn on the cob. So I am guessing you now want to know what we thought. Right, Right? Well my wife liked the chicken fried steak and okra but not the fries. I tasted her items and felt the same except for the okra I don't like okra anywhere okra can be found. Our friend liked all his items. As for mine the brisket was a little dry the ribs were fine and the sausage was good. My sides were fine as well. They had yellow mustard so that was good since I like to add mustard to my sausage.
Hold, I forgot about the desert. I ordered the baby cobbler. No, no not real babies but a small serving of peach cobbler with ice cream, Yummy, yummy, yummy!
Over all we liked this restaurant but it is a little far for us to go so if we want BBQ we most likely will stay in Round Rock for good BBQ.
Well I (we) go back? Yes maybe some time but not sure when.
Unlike many TX BBQ joints, they have BBQ sauce on the table. Which is good, because you'll need it.
My wife and I ordered the four meat plate with onion rings and a side of hush puppies. The meats were sausage, brisket, ribs and chicken.
The Brisket:
Sad, very sad. I will give them credit for having an actual smoke ring. But, the two slices that came with the plate were extremely lean and dry. More akin to pot roast than typical TX brisket. Very over cooked. 3 out of 10.
The Sausage:
We got one small link, not sliced. It was actually pretty good. Typical Hill Country sausage in that it was red, smoked well and spicy. 7 out of 10.
The Rib:
This was a pork spare rib and one only got one. It was large, but still. The rub was bland, the bark was pretty good and it was well cooked. Just too bland for my tastes. 6 out of 10.
The BBQ Chicken:
It was a full 1/4 chicken, but it was more like a Cornish game hen than a full-grown chicken. The rub was pretty good as was the smoke. It was just dry as a bone and you needed lots of sauce to get the meat down. Had it been juicer, I would have really liked it. As it was, 5 out of 10.
Onion Rings:
My wife loved them and they were good. The best part of the meal. 8 out of 10. But really, how tough is it to make good rings?
Slaw:
Very rough chop with a light mayo based dressing. Actually pretty good. I give it a 7 out of 10.
Hush Puppies:
Meh. Way over cooked, and hard as a rock. My wife commented that Long John Silvers are better. 2 out of 10.
Over all, I would not go back. I'm starting to think that Guy from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives has no clue what good BBQ tastes like.
The wait staff was good and friendly and the food was promptly served shortly after we got there at 3PM on a Sunday.
Average at best.
The ribs and ham are amazing, the sides are good and the servers are nice. The only flaw? The brisket has been pretty meh when I've been here.
Oh, and all you can eat for under $20. I love it.
The drunkest I have ever been in my entire life was during my vaguely remembered visit to Green Mesquite BBQ. It started with free drinks in the 2nd street district for some celebration. The drinking culminated in straight vodka "martinis" when we went into a store that apologetically ran out of mixers. It got better when I also threw down SO's martini when he said it was too strong. SO was hungry afterwards, and we ended up at Green Mesquite.
When the food came out, I was super excited to try the fries, and made the waiter well-aware of this. Some of you may identify with this level of inebriation: I was seeing everything through a camera attached to my forehead that zoomed in and out very unexpertly. I grabbed for the french fries with a wide-open hand that would auto-clench into a fist, somehow grabbing only two fries on the edge of the basket. I dunked them into the table, and eventually into some ketchup, and aimed for my cheek. After a few attempts, they made it to my mouth. They were very good. The place seemed clean and the waiter was sympathetic (maybe more so towards SO). Picky-eater SO ate all his brisket sandwich, and that says something.
Overall, the place smelled like good bbq, but I should probably go back to investigate in the near future.
This place is truly hit or miss. The service is also truly hit or miss. We made the biggest mistake the other night of eating at the booth in the corner by the broken jukebox....DON'T do it!!
Unless, that is, you like flies ALL UP IN YOUR BUSINESS!! I mean, it was just gross. The chicken was okay...the corn on the cob has no flavor at all!! NONE.
The ribs are always fine.....the turkey can be great!! The blueberry pie is awesome, but it is almost a bit too laid back when the flies are muliplying in front of your eyes....do not look at the floor either because there is some serious filth going on off in there....I just wanted to take some clorox wipes and a bug zapper in there with me.....
The food can be okay but please go elsewhere if you can stomach it....On Monday and Tuesdays, there is all you can eat for $10.99 but please watch for the flies...
YUM!!! I am from Texas but live in LA. I recently visited Austin and made a stop here during lunch time. Their lunch specials are AWESOME. The prices are so cheap and the portions you get are great.
The service was very nice - they seemed a little understaffed but didn't leave us hanging.
I really enjoyed the brisket, bbq chicken and sausage. I'll definitely visit this place again if I'm in the area.
So far, Triple D hasn't steered me wrong. When we were in Austin for South By, I knew we had to go to Green Mesquite. Everything they made on the episode looked amazing and one can't leave Texas without getting some barbecue.
We decided to sit in the outside area. Although I normally hate picnic seating, it wasn't too crowded and we ended up sitting next to a couple with 2 cute kids. To pass the time we read the history of Green Mesquite on the menu. It was pretty fascinating. This place has been around for seemingly hundreds of years under different names and they've been using the same system for smoking meats since it's inception. I believe it all started with some German guy living in Texas who had learned the technique from his father who learned it from his father but I could be mistaken. They also served black customers long before it was legally required.
There was a 5 piece folk band playing on the stage. They had a fiddle player, a string bass player, two guitar players, and everybody sang. Certainly not the highest calibre of music I've ever seen but the group was fun and really set the mood for the place. After a break, the cute 9 year old girl sitting at our table walked up on the stage and joined the band for a soulful rendition of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
"They play here twice a month and every time we come here they let her sing," the mother told us and we subsequently had a nice chat with the couple about music and barbecue.
When it was time to order, I decided on the 3 meat plate with bbq pork, brisket and smoked chicken. For sides I had corn on the cob and cole slaw. The meats were out of this world. I love the rub they use here. The corn was incredibly juicy and the slaw was rich and creamy. My girl got the pulled pork sandwich with green beans and hush puppies. Every single thing on her plate was delicious. There's nothin' in the world like really good hushpuppies and these were exceptionally good. Service was a bit slow but the food was well worth it. Green Mesquite is definitely worth checking out if you happen to be in Austin for a minute.
I, like some people on here, have fond memories of this place from when I was in college, about 15 years ago. Sadly, they're just that: memories.
Today's Green Mesquite is like a memory: faded. The flavor is nowhere to be found.
My standard test of any barbecue place is brisket and sausage. The brisket I was practically drooling for came out absolutely without flavor; it took several applications of sauce for me to finish it. The sausage was a spicy one, but even it took sauce to distinguish it from something I would buy at the grocery store and microwave.
I don't want to be snarky here; I want to love the Green Mesquite, because I have fond memories of nothing but smoky goodness coming from this place. Apparently those are left back in 1996. I am left with sadness and a lingering craving for REAL barbecue -- the tasty kind. Next time, I'll head for The Salt Lick, Artz Rib House, or in a pinch, IronWorks.
Pretty good BBQ- way better that Uncle Billy's down the street. Not the best, but definitely not the worst.
Great deals though- the BBQ for 4 is HUGE and only 30 bucks. Very good way to feed a family.
I reccommed this place for big groups- I had a thirty person party scheduled here- we got five of the platter BBQ and had tons of leftovers.
Also great vibe outside. Very down home.
I've driven by the Green Mesquite for the past 9 or so years but never stopped in. I was full of excuses: the parking lot is packed or too small, traffic is bad on Barton Springs, or let's head to Austin Java / Shady Grove instead. Then I watched Food Channel's "Diner's, Drive-In's, and Dives" and saw the episode that featured the Green Mesquite - and from there on it became a priority of mine to check this BBQ shack out.
Now for the experience: I tried 3 meats: ribs, brisket, and sausage. The brisket was pretty good, fresh, juicy, and had that smokey flavor. It's not the best I've ever had but it's very good. The ribs were great as well - large, beefy, and smokey. The sausage was above average, I'd say slightly better than Sam's, better than Rudy's, and a slight notch below Salt Lick.
The side dishes were excellent - better than any other bbq place I've been to and there's lots of choices. The cajun rice was awesome - spicy, fluffy, w/ a hint of jalapeno. The potato salad is your typical yellow mustard style - good, but nothing to write home to mom about (her's is better). But I just LOVED the cole slaw. Nice large chunks of quality cabbage mixed with a little mayo/ranch-like dressing which tasted great! I just added pepper and was in bliss - just couldn't get enough. I noticed the fries were fresh too - thick cuts and looked appetizing.
The atmosphere is here is eclectic and typical Austin all the way. The service was pretty good - my waitress was very nice, not too speedy, but that cole slaw made up for it. They have various specials throughout the week, including all-you-can-eat on Mondays and Tuesdays (2-9pm) for $10.99 - which I think is a deal since you can try any meat or side as much as you want (Salt Lick is $19.99 w/ 3 meats and limited sides). If you haven't been to the Green Mesquite yet - put it on your list, 4 star bbq w/ 5 star cajun rice and cole slaw!
This place is OK, not a stand-out. I agree with others here: If I can go to Iron Works, Rudy's or Salt Lick, there's no reason to go to this joint.
I didn't know this place was on D-D-D, but I wish I saw the episode to see what Guy ate.
I got the 2 meat plate, pork ribs and brisket, side of cole slaw and beans. When it arrived, it was missing the brisket and had a wrong side.. they took care of it of course.
The pork ribs were the fattiest ribs I've ever had. Flavor was good (not outstanding), but I had to wade through so much blubber. Brisket was bland and didn't seem to be sliced properly. Was dry and crumbly, so I had to soak it in the BBQ sauce.
I did like the sauce, it was vinegary with some tanginess. Not your usual Bulls Eye, I liked the lighter aspect. And like another reviewer said, you need to douse yer meat in it to get any moisture.
Speaking of moisture, the ribs were *really* moist. Like too moist. I don't know if it was from the fat or in the way they prepare it. Didn't seem like a long, slow smoked rib, which should be dryer. More like they boiled the rib first. I dunno! Still I had to soak them in Q-sauce to get a good flavor experience.
Sides were OK, slaw was OK (rough cut) , beans were a little better than OK.
Wife had the grilled chicken sandwich. Meat was tasty, condiments were fresh, bun OK, overall a success. Sides were potato salad and fried okra. Salad was OK, okra was too gooey for my tastes and batter was nothing special, but she liked it.
Price was very reasonable, $22 out the door including beer and soda.
The appetizer of Mesquite Smoked wings was really good.
Ordered the three meat combo platter of smoked chicken, pork ribs, and pulled pork with two sides: beans and fries.
The food came out at room temperature. Normally that would be enough for me to send it back but I was really hungry so I ate.
The pulled pork was fine. I should have requested the bark (the burnt outerlayers) as that part is my favorite but alas I did not. The pork was moist enough but had no real flavor of itself.
The chicken was perfectly cooked and moist and was quite a large portion for a combo plate. It had considerably more flavor than the pulled pork.
The pork ribs were solid. Fall of the bone tender and juicy.
My overall complaint with Green Mesquite is that it lacked flavor. When I think BBQ I start to salivate immediately from the smoky, rich, sweet, spicy, meat that I expect to come. I didn't get that so much here. Without the sauce the meat was fine or good. And the sauce didn't bowl me over.
If you're in the Austin area and you want BBQ check out Rudy's, "Best BBQ you can get at a gas station (attribution of that line to Freddy)" or The One, The Only, The Salt Lick.
My Dad was in town and wanted to try some barbeque. He saw a recent episode of Diners, Drive-in's, and Dives that featured the Green Mesquite and wanted to check it out.
Nice location off of Barton Springs Road, along "restaurant row." The restaurant had a diner-type feel to it, with menus stuck under the table top. I tried the brisket and smoked turkey while my dad ordered brisket and ribs. I wasn't impressed with the brisket at all. It was cut very thick, and I like it cut thinner, and tasted more like pot roast than brisket. It was also tough- I like brisket that I can cut with a fork, but I needed to saw off pieces with my knife. The turkey was the same- not very moist, tough, and neither had a smokey flavor at all. The ribs were huge, but not my dad's favorite.
I wish I would have read some reviews before going because it sounds like other Yelper's haven't been too impressed, either (what was I thinking??? =). When in Austin, Salt Lick or Stubb's is much better.
They've got a great location on Barton Springs and S. Lamar and actually manage to have enough parking, provided you don't go when they're really busy. It's locally/family owned, and the whole staff is really down to Earth and friendly. There's something of a charm surrounding the place, too.
The meat plates are a bit pricey, starting at $9 w/ your choice of two sides. A lot of the other entrées are pretty inexpensive though, such as their $3.99 pulled pork sandwhich (for $2 extra you can pick two sides, too). They also have a basket of hand cut fries for $2.49. The sauce is pretty good, and for the most part so is the food. It's nothing special, though. I like that it's more homestyle. Less fancy, more comfy. Their blueberry pie is pretty tasty, especially donned with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
They have a stage and large patio in back. You seat yourself, but there's table service. Lots of old photos up around the place to give you a bit of history of the owners/regulars. My only real complaints are that the bathrooms always seem to be busy and the last pulled pork sandwich I ordered was hardly lukewarm.
Conclusion: Go when you're hungry for an overly casual meal like you'd get at home. Don't go when you're hungry for delicately prepped new American or when you're trying to impress a date.
Free Peach Cobbler Mondays!
Nuff Said!
Every time I've come here, I've had a good experience, with either the food or the service. We always sit outside and enjoy the good BBQ on a cool summer day. My friend likes the brisket so much, he always orders the 3 meat plate with nothing but brisket. Oh yeah, and he's a vegetarian. I get the 2 meat plate with brisket and ribs. Im not a big fan of ribs but these are mighty good. BBQ sauce could be a little bit spicier, but still its good. With a big glass of Shiner, I'm in heaven!
The sides are ok. If you're looking for good vegetables in a place that specializes in BBQ, you might be dissapointed. You also kinda dumb, if ya want veggies, go to Mother's or one of those hippie tree-huggin places and get some granola burgers. Fired okra is well, fried. Onion rings are good, for onion rings. Corn on the cob is, well corny. In my opinion, I'm there for BBQ and Beer, veggies can take a side (no pun intended). If ya really want a good side, get the hush puppies.
Service isn't the best in town, I must admit, but as long as they get me my beer in a timely fashion I wont comlplain. I was gonna knock them down to a 3 star, till I remember what one waiter's tshirt said one time: Green Mesquite, offending vegetarians 7 days a week.
We passed Green Mesquite BBQ on the way to Austin Java for lunch and my Bro in law said "Oh, this smells so good lets eat here instead" my sister said "no" - there is no messing with a pregnant woman in my family:)
After a long day of hiking the greenbelt and shopping on S Congress I told my sister "Green Mesquite does have an amazing pecan pie and they are dog friendly - so, we can hang out with Chad while he gets his BBQ fix" - to our surprise my Sis said "BBQ sounds good - I am starving"....
We started with a basket of Fried Okra that was perfectly crispy and seasoned.
I had a Sliced Beef Sandwich that was topped with pickles and onions and sauce - I always forget to ask but I DO NOT like pickles and onions on my Sliced Beef Sandwich but they were easy enough to pick off... My Sister had the Fried Catfish because "the smell of smoked meat is making my baby do somersaults". The bro in-law had a combo plate of brisket and ribs with sides of potato salad and beans. We were all happy with our food and service - they even brought our dogs a water bowl and checked in several times for refills!
Good food, good service and good live music!
My review is slightly askew as I have only had one thing from the menu...
Don't get me wrong I have been here countless times and even swore up and down as I was walking in the door that I was going to order something different but I cannot deviate from greatness.
My meal of preference is the Stuffed Baked Potato with Shredded BBQ! This thing is amazing I cannot stop eating it. It is always perfect, I have never left this place and not been full and 100% satisfied. If you have been here and you have not tried the Stuffed Tater give it a shot next time you are there.
Great food, geat spot!! The green Mesquite wood really does impart a different flavor to the meat. I've only made one trip but want more!
They have Baby Cobbler on the menu. It's made with 5 babies fresh from Ohio. What more do you need to know? Go now! (the smoked meats were pretty mild, so just have the Baby Cobbler)
I've eaten at a couple of BBQ places in Austin, in search for the tastiest BBQ for me. I have to say, the Green Mesquite is so far the best BBQ I've had in Austin. It's got very good food, great prices, and a welcoming atmosphere. I'm tempted to give this place a 5 star rating, but deep down I know I will be wow'd by an even better BBQ joint in the future. I can almost smell the lot of smoked ribs, sausages, brisket, chicken, etc. in my future.
For lunch, I had ordered their equivalent of a sampler, complete with brisket, ribs, and sausage. The sides were also generous and tasty. It was a warm day in Texas, and washing this meal down with a nice lemonade really did it for me. Initially I did ask for Sweet Tea, and was surprised to hear from the waitress that they didn't have it. I had a strange urge to ask the waitress to marry me! If only she had sweet tea...
Definitely looking forward to hitting this place up the next time I'm in Austin!
I went to this location twice on suggestion of some friends that also live in Austin. The first time I was there I ordered their Jambalaya which was quite bland. I am a true Texas girl and like things spicy. The second time I went I got the two meat plate with ribs and sausage. The ribs were very tough and the sausage was quite mild. My potato salad tasted like it was straight from Walmart and the fries were okay if dipped in BBQ sauce. Thankfully my dog enjoyed the bones from the ribs.
This place was comfortable- it has a nice 'lived-in' feeling, not plastic like Chuy's and not 'too-cute-for-its-own-good' like Shady Grove.
The sides weren't anything to write home about, and the BBQ plates didn't come with bread, which I thought was odd. The onion and pickles were there, though.
The brisket had a nice smoke ring, but it was a little dry, the sauce helped it out quite a bit. I'm not sure where they get their sausage, but it was really flavorful and moist.
One thing that stuck in my mind was a waitress eating lunch on her break at the counter and talking with her coworkers; she had an infectious laugh that made my coworker and I start laughing, too.
Have to give this place 4 stars for the lean and tasty brisket. Some of the best ever. Place inside looks like a family diner.
Lot's of BBQ plates, and an all you can eat if you are really hungry. They do other Southern foods also, but BBQ is their specialty.
Sides are the usual and tasty, but not great. Drinks come in huge quart+ glasses. Iced tea was freshly brewed.
I am always hunting for the world's best BBQ, and this one is pretty high up there.
"Ow what was that that hit my eye?"
"Sorry, my corn on the cob is so juicy, it just exploded."
Ah... Green Mesquite, the big name has taunted me, and I finally made it around to give it a shot. And enjoy it I did. I was really glad that it maintained it's really laid back atmosphere and service despite being touched by the grave hand of Guy Fieri... anything that he touches turns into some commercially advertised "hot spot."
But, coming here knowing I was going to order the all-you-can-eat bbq, I was prepared to suffer from some mediocre BBQ, but what I received was not half bad. Brisket was unflavorful, but perfectly tender and juicy. Sausage was peppery and juicy, some of the best around. Better than name-sake Elgin, IMO! Pulled pork wasn't dry, though a bit stringy and bland. Ribs weren't really tender, but they were nice and pork-flavored...as they should be. Chicken was a tad dry, nothing special. Ham and Turkey were alright. The high point of the visit was the AYCE sides along with the BBQ. Perfect corn on the cob, not oily, but super juicy... my corn juice splattered onto my friend sitting across from me. Good pinto beans too. So, all in all, food was acceptable, but especially for the $16, which is some good value eatin if you can put down your fair share of meat.
Will definitely return for some of their music venues, and FYI, AYCE BBQ is only $11 on Mondays and Tuesdays! :) All about the atmosphere here, but the BBQ is not half bad.
After walking to Flip-Happy and discovering a 1 1/2 hour wait for food, my stomach directed me to Green Mesquite. I've eaten here plenty of times before, but it seems like the food is getting worse with each visit. Mind you, I've been discovering "good" bbq and the standard has been raised.
I ordered the pulled pork sandwich, coleslaw, and corn on the cob this time around. The pulled pork was ddddrrrryyyyy... so dry that a couple of bites felt like I was chewing charcoal. I poured on the bbq sauce but that didn't help it much, in fact, not at all.
The coleslaw was your standard, buy bulk at Sam's Club fare. Very mayonnaise-y with the bits chopped thin. I have a small confession, I like that kind of coleslaw so it worked for me, in fact, it's the only thing I finished on the plate.
The corn on the cob was soft and chewy. I know it's tough to make corn on the cob fresh, but this tasted like the freezer kind, no crispness, needed salt, pepper, and butter to add any kind of taste. After two bites it was back on the plate to stay for good.
The service was good, they approached right away and stayed on top of drinks with refills.
One reason I do like this place is that it's dog-friendly. I wish I brought him that time to give him my leftovers, he sure does love chewing on old dried up meat.
To my husband's (he's a fellow Texan from Dallas) dismay I hate BBQ. But when we're in Texas my husband always insists on some good BBQ and being the good wife that I am I agreed to some BBQ for our last meal in Austin. I drag him out to enough fancy restaurants to put up with some BBQ every once in a while. We did some research on Yelp and it looked like Green Mesquite was the place to go- thanks y'all for the recommendation.
We invited our friends who live in Austin and they were nice enough to join us even though they had recently decided to ban Green Mesquite. I should note that the ban had more to do with the service than the food. However, the service on this Sunday afternoon was pretty good and have to admit I enjoyed the food as well. While the BBQ loving hubby went straight for the sausage platter (ewwww in my opinion) I ordered the chicken tacos, which came with 2 sides (pinto beans and Cajun rice please). While chicken tacos aren't your typical BBQ fare I found them to be pretty tasty.
The good news is that my husband has decided that the BBQ in Chicago is awful so I'm off the hook for BBQ until our next trip to Texas.
Since I was with a group of vegetarians, and I wasn't too hungry at the time, I opted for the 4-veggie plate, on which you get a choice of there vegetables.
My selection included the fried okra, green beans, and pinto beans. They were pretty good and not too over-cooked.
Then again, it's hard to screw up vegetables. If you're a vegetarian, it's good to know that you have options.
BBQ=3 stars
Catfish=5 stars
So, I split the difference.
When we head over to Taurus on South Lamar to pick up our dog from daycare (yeah, I know...daycare for a dog... but she loves it) we have started going over to Green Mesquite before we pick her up because its around the corner.
I've eaten several things on the menu at this point, and the catfish is probably the best I've eaten in the city. Seriously. And I'm picky.
I was not at all impressed by the BBQ or the Country Fried Steak.
However, I've gotten the catfish several times now and I occasionally fantasize about using my fork as a weapon when my husband inevitably snitches a piece off my plate. It's really that good.
As a word of advice, I always get my fries well done. They cut them in house, and I think they only cook them once (as opposed to twice). I like my fries crispy so you have to ask them to cook them well done to get that nice crispiness. If you don't, they are a bit limp imho.
They certainly do it big in Texas. The glass of water looked like a 7up Big Gulp. The plates of deliciously smoked BBQ that kept pouring from the kitchen were piled high with food, all of which seemed to be topped with Wonder bread. The menu included fried okra, tons of smoked meats, and Frito pie....yeah, you heard me Frito pie. I learned it's Frito's, chili, and cheese. Artery-clogging insanity.
I had the pulled pork sammy. It wasn't saucy like other places I've had them, but they give you sauce to slather on. It was pretty cheap and a large portion.
For me, the best part was the atmosphere. A mixture of causal and business, all with the same goal--chowing down. The restaurant is shack-like, which, for me, gave it great Southern charm.
Imagining this place at night with a band playing fills up that 3rd star bubble for me.
Went down to Austin (go there if you haven't been) a couple weeks ago to visit a good friend and his wife. He picked me up at the airport and we hit this place on the way back to town.
Lunch specials were very reasonable (7 bones), we both got the ribs deal which came with 2 sides, and a pitcher of Austin's answer to Harpoon (forget what it was called) for another 7 spot. What a deal. The food itself was good, not great. Ribs were tender, came with no sauce or rub on them; which is fine, gives you the option to sauce 'em up or leave 'em, but a little rub would be nice. Sides were alright, nothing I can remember so they must not have blown mah mind.
Sat outside, of course, and the warm dry air sang to my sinuses like a siren on high, trumpeting the flavors of acquiescence to unlabored respiration...
Bar area inside looked cool, friendly waitress, good service.
Some of the food here is so-so, but there are certain items on the menu that are DELICIOUS. The green beans are so-so, and the onion rings are good, but what you really want are the ribs, brisket, and slaw. Seriously. I love slaw, and this is good slaw.
The music on the patio is great too. Nice touch.
Mediocre food. Slow-as-Christmas service. Good location. Funky "old Austin" ambiance.
There are people who swear by this place. I went with a friend who had gone before and we talked about what was good. I usually like to order the special of the day at home-cooking style restaurants. That was not a successful decision. My beef ribs arrived. I had two charred beyond eating end pieces and one with more grissle than meat. I picked at the sides, which were below average. My friend liked her burger. Our server came over soon after our food had arrived, and I told him I was done. He didn't ask why all my food was still on my plate. He just picked it up and walked away. I had planned to say why I didn't want to finish it, but he left so quickly. Honestly, someone in the kitchen put those two ribs on my plate thinking they could be eaten. Ribs that were hard as rocks. I just didn't trust it would be better.
Austin, TX
Category: Barbeque
Neighborhood: 78704 (South Austin)
Category: Barbeque
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Barbeque
Austin, TX
Category: Barbeque
Neighborhood: Wells Branch
Category: Barbeque
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