Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill
Categories: Southern, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
Neighborhood: Downtown303 Red River St
Austin, TX 78701 (512) 236-9599
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Sun 10:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Sun 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
67 Reviews for Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill
Moonshine is great date place. Historical landmark along with great dining atmosphere. This 1800's house in the first neighborhood of Austin is tucked away behind the convention center. Restaurant is an old house and "Sunday House"(look up definition) converted to a unique restaurant, patio, bar and private dining experience. You have to try the corn dog shrimp appetizer to kick off the experience. Multiple bar areas so plan to be there for pre and post dinner experience as well.
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The location is extremely convenient as it's directly next to the Austin Convention Center.
I appreciated their cocktail selection. My choice worked pretty well for me!
I was joined by Anna B. (budding yelper), Leslie L. (Ms. May, Yelp 2008), and Christina R. (yelptastic woman of the evening) following the Yelp Elite shindig at the One-2-One bar.
We shared the corndog shrimp.
(It's an interesting concept. I think it worked well.)
I capped the evening with the pecan crusted catfish.
I worked at Emeril's Delmonico in my youth and ate almond crusted catfish every shift because the chef understood I was a starving college student. Yeah...Emeril's fish was about 65xs better.
This restaurant isn't a bad choice if you're near the convention center, want a great drink with some friends and you're hungry.
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I've been to Moonshine twice in the past month, and since both experiences were great I am awarding them a perfect score.
My 1st visit was a few weeks ago for one of their happy hours, and I was really impressed! I like the ambience and atmosphere there, inside it's like a saloon that's been upgraded and redecorated. The outside seating is nice but it's way too hot and humid, and the tent outside is really cool too if you can stand the heat. They had several appetizers for 1/2 off (or $4 each) and we btwn several of us we shared the fried brie (very good), roasted garlic (awesome), and fried calamari (excellent). I had a couple of drinks that were also HH specials, but since I'm not much of a drinker I don't have an opinion on those.
My 2nd visit was a couple of Sunday's ago for their Brunch - - which is supposedly one of the best in town - - and it certainly didn't disappoint! It can get quite crowded inside so I suggest getting there early or visiting a little later (after 1pm), and always expect people in lines for the great food.
They had an assortment of eggs, pastries, sandwiches, kolaches, fruit, comfort foods, waffles, potatoes, jalepeno sausage, muffins, and my favorite - - smoked salmon (which goes fast). It's hard not to try one of everything there - which I do not recommend - unless you're prepared to loosen your belt. The service was pretty good - my drink was filled, but the brunch was self service. Parking can be a drag during the busy hours since they don't have a private lot (street parking), but they do have valet (yeah, but that's 2 gallons of gas).
So if you're looking for a good place to eat brunch w/ a crowd, or some nice deals on happy hour appetizers, I highly recommend checking out Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill!
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This review almost took on a completely different track, but thanks to a member of their staff who displayed some business acumen, it will be a largely positive review.
I arrived at 6 and asked if they could accommodate a party of 8, as 7 of my colleagues were coming in shortly. No problem, the place was practically empty, she asked if I wanted to sit inside or out. "Let me know when all your party is here and we'll seat you." Sounds great, I go get a $2 Lonestar at the bar and wait.
Within 10 minutes all the other folks had arrived, so I go up to the hostess to tell her - then my cell rings. Its Steve B, he is going to join us for dinner, so I ask "What effect will it have to be 9 instead of 8?" No problem she says, but I can't seat you until he shows up.
What? 8 of 9 people are here and you won't seat us? "No exceptions." "But we'll sit down, order drinks and appetizers in the 10 more minutes it will take for him to arrive." "Sorry, its policy. And if you want to sit inside, it will be a 45 minute wait." I look around - the place is still empty. Confused, I tell her we'll eat outside and continue to wait.
I go to the bar, where the bartender had been so nice before, to ask for another Lonestar, and I asked her (politely) "What business sense does it make to have 8 of us sitting here filling up your waiting area, not ordering drinks nor appetizers while we wait for one more person?" She was flabbergasted and dismayed that the hostess was so clueless. She admitted it made no sense whatsoever, but I told her it was no big deal, just didn't make sense to me.
Within 5 minutes the OTHER hostess came up to me and said "We can seat you now, and we have an inside table for you." I said "But we're still waiting on one more person." and she said it was no problem.
I found out later that the bartender went to the manager and told him what was going on and he was not happy with his hostess' apparent complete lack of business sense. Hey, if only 2 of 8 are here, sure, make 'em wait. If 8 of 9 are there, sit 'em down and get them drinks and appetizers asap.
The clueless hostess was obviously pissed at this turn of events, apparently her power had been usurped by these dickheads who actually wished to sit down and eat and drink at the place. Oh well, except for her the staff at Moonshine was top notch.
Our server was great, professional and timely. He made good recommendations for appetizers and entrees, and everyone liked their food.
We had a colleague with us from Germany making his first trip to the US, and the server had some connections with Germany so he chatted a bit with him and it was obvious that our colleague felt welcome.
I had the bison meatloaf (very good) with baked macaroni on the side (excellent). As far as the appetizers, I tried the calamari (very good, not greasy or rubbery at all but the sauce was bland), the corn dog shrimp (excellent) and the Spinach Artichoke Fondue (again, very good). Food came out quickly and hot, and the server was "johnny on the spot" for drinks/water, etc. without being intrusive.
Dinner, drinks, and apps for 9 was roughly $240, which is not too bad considering the food quality and professional service.
I thanked the bartender on our way out, and she apologized again (unnecessary I told her) and hoped we would come again. Of course we will, the food rocks, the place is cool inside, and there is actually a chance of free parking in that area depending on what time you come.
So Moonshine, great job, and give that bartender a raise, because she has obvious business sense and rescued our evening.
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I had dinner at Moonshine a few moons ago, and it was okay. Pretty good, not great. I ordered what is reputedly Dubya's favorite dish, the flatiron steak. It was tough and disappointing. Much like Dubya's presidency. But I digress.
My second visit was to last Sunday's brunch.
This brunch buffet was a little like heaven. The selection was IMMENSE. So immense, that I took it as a personal challenge to try each and every item. I did not fail. Nay, I owned this buffet.
And while I'm not in the business of giving unsolicited advice - I feel that my total mastery of this buffet on my very first attempt not only qualifies me, but actually charges me, with the responsibility of passing on my knowledge to you fine people.
So, let me start with lesson one, and just share a brief word of caution about portion control. Take a small portion of everything the first time through. I know, I know. Just trust.
If you hit it too hard, you won't make it through. Nor will you possess the will to go back for seconds of the stuff that really blew your taste buds. Keep some room in the tank for later.
Okay, that's it for the don'ts. Easy enough. Here are the do's:
Do get a helping of white chocolate bread pudding, every time you leave the table - no exceptions.
Do buy a cup of coffee - it's quite pleasant. Do grab a couple turkey pesto croissants.
Do hit the chicken fried steak and chicken strips, with gravy, and - hell - throw a mini-biscuit under there while you're at it.
Cinnamon roll.
Morning glory muffin - I didn't even know what the hell it was - it was awesome: do it.
Blueberry muffin.
Banana walnut bread.
Some other kind of bread I can't remember.
Basically, everything on the dessert table (waffles optional) - do it.
And...might as well reload the bread pudding again while you're there. Mmmkay?
One other valuable tip for you guys - eat dessert early. Go ahead and load a small plate right after you've filled your main plate, on your way to the table for round 1. Then you can hit the second half of the buffet for round 2, finish that, then go back for seconds for round 3, and hit another mini-dessert plate at the end. Now, I'm not a nutritionist, but here's the way I figure it: you're body's going to be a bit overloaded by the task of digesting all this food. Just being realistic here. So you're going to be pretty wasted here in about 30-40 minutes, and believe me, it's just going to get worse. What you'll need is energy, my friend.
Sooo, how my little technique works - obviously - is to hit a generous portion of simple dessert carbs at the start of the meal to deliver a quick energy spike to help you digest all the tasty fats and proteins you're about to knock down. Then, after you've digested all of that, you're definitely going to crash - and hard. That's where the post-meal carbs come in. A little time-released pick-me-up, you dig? And for a little extra kick, wash it down with some of that tasty coffee. They are good about refilling that coffee, God bless 'em. Now this is not to say that you won't experience a crash and/or food coma - you will. This little trick will make sure you make it into work Monday morning, though.
I suggest you bring your eating pants, and don't expect to go anywhere or do anything - or even move much - for the rest of the day. Just lower those expectations right now. If you have errands to run, things to do - well, honestly you should have planned ahead and gotten it done on Saturday - it's not getting done today. You may want to shower beforehand, if you plan to at all, because that's certainly not going to happen afterward. And, though I personally feel I was safe to drive home from Moonshine brunch - you may want to go ahead a call a taxi to be on the safe side. Just looking out.
Now, as to housekeeping matters, I see some different info here in the Yelp reviews. The buffet is $15.99 as of my visit May 2008, but honestly, most of you probably won't eat again for 24-36 hours afterward, so it's cheaper than McDonald's if you average it out. If you enjoy morning cocktails, the mimosas and bloody marys were just $3 according to my wife. I really wasn't paying attention. To me it's a bit foolish to distract oneself from the task of eating by sipping cocktails, but if it works for you, by all means.
10am is gametime. Get out there, get in line, and get your gamefaces on, or you'll be eating my scraps. See you at the Moonshine!
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If you need a place for brunch, look no further. Jonathan W. and I went to Moonshine at 10am for Sunday brunch and found it spectacular. When we arrived, a crowd was milling around outside the doors, but right after 10am, the hostesses started calling names and seating people, and everybody got in fairly quickly. (You do need to tell the hostess your name when you arrive.) When we left, the wait looked like 30-40 minutes, so I recommend getting here right when they open.
Moonshine offers a variety of seating options, some outdoors, some indoors. Outdoors is probably better as you don't have to hear the bustling crowd in the buffet lines. Actually, that might apply all the time because I ate dinner indoors back in August and found the restaurant unpleasantly loud, maybe a result of the hard floors and stone walls. Air conditioners are set up outside, and there's plenty of shade, so the patio probably remains comfortable year round. I noticed another building just north of the main restaurant. It seemed to be filled with brunch eaters, but looked like something you might be able to reserve for special occasions. This would make a nice venue for a special event, as it is a historic building made of attractive cedar and limestone.
The brunch buffet ($15.95/person) consisted of a wide variety of delectable options: sausage, roasted new potatoes, migas, scrambled eggs with sausage, scrambled "green eggs" with pesto, "steak and eggs" omelette, biscuits and gravy, quiche, chile cheese grits, mini bagels with cream cheese, salmon, mini turkey pesto croissants, king ranch casserole, steak fingers, chicken tenders, broccoli casserole, salad, fresh fruit, muffins, waffles, bread pudding, cinnamon rolls, and more! Coffee is available for $1.95, and I recommend it. The coffee is a flavorful, dark roast, and the servers do a good job of keeping the cups full.
Dinner at Moonshine is also a special treat. My parents took us here to celebrate my birthday in 2007. I enjoyed the pork tenderloin ($15), which had an interesting sweet, spicy sauce with it. My dad didn't leave a bite of his buffalo meatloaf ($15), and my mom raved about almond encrusted chicken with artichoke sauce ($12). I tried a bite, and even though I don't like artichoke, that dish tasted awesome. Jonathan W. had the flat-iron steak ($20), the least impressive of the items we ordered. It just didn't have a great texture, kind of tough, really. Each item came with vegetables and your choice of side. Even with no salad or dessert, we all left VERY full and satisfied.
Moonshine earns my highest recommendation anytime, but especially for brunch. Their creative menu, good service, and neat atmosphere make them one of my favorite restaurants in Austin.
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I loved the food and the atmosphere here!
I was in lovely Austin, Texas for training at Dell. I met a local to have dinner which was incredible, especially after being stuck in Round Rock which is nice but completely full of chains.
I had the Baked Brie with Ancho Pear Chutney & Toast Points for starters and then the Cesar salad. I polished it off with some yummy Mojito's.
I love this place, should I have to visit Dell again I will certainly be eating here again.
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The horseradish salmon was excellent. I almost never like salmon in restaurants as much as I like my own home cooked salmon. But it was moist and totally delicious! Oh and the roasted sweet potatoes were divine. Everything was great except I am pretty sure I asked for an inside table when I made reservations and then was seated outside - a small problem for my allergic guests. The huge portions allow for lunch the next day if you have the willpower to save enough for the "to go" box.
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I heard the hype and wanted to give the Sunday brunch a try. the pink haired hostess was horribly rude. Put me in a bad frame of mind before we were ever seated. The brunch traffic was poorly laid out, mass confusion. In the end $45 for breakfast for two was way too much for the mediocre buffet.
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As an impressionable New Yorker, this restaurant made me feel like I was living the lyrics of an Old 97s song or something. The food was great and the cocktails were delicious. There really isn't much more I can say, except that the usual always applies with Southern dining: vegetarians may be disappointed and dieters need not apply.
Yum.
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Ever watch Paula Deen on Food Network and decide that your cholesterol is too low? Then look no futher. This is one of my favorite places in Austin. I love the mac and cheese and chicken almondine. I should correct that-I love everything that I have ever eaten here. This is a great place to go on a date or with a group of buddies.
Valet parking is available, but you can usually find meter parking on the street around the convention center (and some entertaining characters). The patio does get a little humid when it rains and they zip you in, but the food is definitely worth it.
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The food is very good.... quite 4 star... I want to give this place 5, especially given the ambience and property, but given it's caliber, I can't give it a 5. But don't let that dissuade anyone from hittin' up Moonshine. I come in from out of town, and have been here a couple times, and ALWAYS look forward.
YUM YUM YUM! I have been here three times and I am ALWAYS impressed. This is my favorite restaurant to go to when I just want some comfort food. In addition, the service is amazing!
The atmosphere is great - I really enjoy sitting out on the lit patio. It is just very peaceful and serene. This is a great date spot.
I have tried several entrees here (salmon, red snapper, chicken) my husband swears by the jalepeno hangar steak. My favorite is the lemon and artichoke chicken. Oh and don't forget to get a side of ther mac & cheese. It is awesome.
Their desserts are also great - but in huge helpings - make sure to share (esp if you get the apple pie - it will feed an army)! :)
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MAC N' CHEESE!
That is usually enough to make me jump up and down and demand that my group of dining companions join me at a certain restaurant, but this place also has an outdoor fireplace and quite a few good beers on offer.
Moonshine makes everything so easy.
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If I lived in Austin, I would eat here EVERY Sunday for brunch. And if my friends started worrying about me and demanded I stop indulging myself every weekend, I would stop eating for the other six days of the week just so I wouldn't getting any flak about eating here Sunday morning. This place is TRULY a brunch/comfort food lover's paradise. The wait can get crazy, but oh man oh man is it worth it . . .
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Been there for Sunday brunch twice - both for baby showers.
Both times we were seated in the big outdoor patio area. The first time it was about 90 degrees outside and all I could think of was how hot is was on the patio. The second time, it was pouring rain and the patio was draped with a tent-shaped plastic which required you to walk thru a zipper door to get to the main restaurant.
Aside from the conditions, the food was good. They had baby pancakes which were really great. And several dishes to drool over.
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My favorite restaurant in Austin!
I always order the Broiled Rainbow Trout and I've never been disappointed.
Great service, great atmosphere, great food!
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This is one of my favorite places in Austin! I make it a point to bring all of my out of town guests here for brunch, lunch or dinner for some southern cookin'. The first time I heard of Moonshine was when Jenna Bush had her UT graduation dinner there and the whole street closed down. Now I know some of you yelpers are Bush haters, but I knew if it was good enough for the President it was good enough for me. haha.
When there is a wait for a table, head to the patio to drink cocktails (moonlight cosmos, lemonade, a jug of moonshine) in the outside bar. It reminds me of an Old South spot covered with trees and dipped in mahogany wood. As for the food, all I can say is gourmet southern food - mac'n cheese, corn flake fried chicken, biscuits and gravy - but also great fish dishes such as trout and salmon. Man - it is so good I want to go now!
As for big parties, Moonshine has always been amenable to helping us get a table for either my whole office or a group of friends. The wait staff and hostesses, although likely overwhelemd, always meet us with a peaceful calm so my big parties have a great time.
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I love Moonshine! This is my favorite restaurant in Austin!
The Sunday brunch is surprisingly laid-back with a great selection of sweet, savory, and yummy foods! Everything on the menu was so good, it would take too much space to list the good stuff!
For dinner, my favorite is the Texas Flat Iron Steak with Blue Cheese Butter & Port Wine Sauce. And I love, love, LOVE their mac n' cheese!! The red velvet cake - YUM!!
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I thank my GPS for finding this place. I moved to Austin on a Friday and bought a GPS Saturday morning because I knew I would get utterly lost without one. Sunday morning I met up with a friend who happened to be here on business and we wanted to go Magnolia Cafe on South Congress after being recommended to do just that. The wait would be up towards an hour there, so with growling bellies, we sat in the car. I said "I could do...steak", hit up the Points Of Interest function and picked out the American Steakhouse category.
"Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill, huh? Well, all right."
Nearing the place, we realized we'd made a good choice - the banner promoted brunch and in we went. I only wish I had been more hungry to try everything out. This was hands down one of the most valuable brunches I've ever had considering what you got for your money. We sat outside on the covered patio with a huge Christmas tree and I enjoyed the fact that the coffee was drinkable. In America. Who knew?
I decided to come back for dinner and did so no other day than New Year's Eve with a couple of friends and my girlfriend. We ordered our not-too-expensive and actually quite potent signature drinks (can't remember the name, but they had some variations of Cosmos and some variations of Long Islands) at the bar before being promptly seated (reservations were a must).
Pro Tip: If you're hungry and want a starter, go for the Moonshine "corn dog" shrimp with Honey Mustard & Blueberry Swirl. Just do it.
The food was good but nothing amazing. The prices are not very high for the size of the portions. This is not haute cuisine, it's comfort food that'll get you full and happy. And the drinks will most likely get you drunk, if you let them.
The decor is awesome (I love exposed brick), the water jars are funny, our waiter was nice and helpful but not overly intrusive and it didn't put a huge dent in my wallet. The fact that it's walking distance from the Austin downtown party neighborhoods makes it a great place to start your evening on a Saturday night...or a great place to go back to when you wake up in the gutter on a Sunday morning and crave some "home cooked" food.
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I like the concept! Upscale comfort food, jars of water...exposed brick...MONDO portions.
We waited about an hour for our table on a Saturday night, just the right time to enjoy a few drinks at the outdoor patio bar and relax. We scored a cozy booth once we were seated, good lighting, not too loud...actually got to enjoy the company of my dining companions, woo hoo!
The food: mmmm, I am still looking back on it fondly. Corn dog shrimp and fried asparagus for appetizers, lovely. I had a huge cobb salad for dinner, my date a pork tenderloin that was succulent. All of the food was well prepared and presented.
And if the large portions weren't enough, our table ordered the stout brownie and orea/peanut butter mousse pie. Trust me on this one...4 people can easily and happily split a dessert. It pained me to watch half of the dessert leave the table uneaten, but not as much as the amount of pain that would've been endured had I tried to eat the rest of it myself. I obviously had left my competitive eating shoes at home...
I recommend the Ruby Slipper martini...mmmm.
Great food, excellent ambience...and kudos to my Austin tour guides for picking sucha a great spot :)
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The best chicken-fried steak I've ever had, made better by perfect mashed potatoes, nicely cooked veggies, an ice-cold Shiner Bock, and very friendly staff. The fresh-popped popcorn they gave me at the bar was also a nice touch. The building is beautiful, and I'd love to check out the patio area (including a bar) next time I'm in town.
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I really like Moonshine. Not so much the viscous lighter fluid type shot that I took in the mountains of Mexico, more so the downtown bar and grill that's perfect for lunch, happy hour, and Sunday brunch.
Happy Hour (3 - 6:30 p.m. weekdays) at Moonshine is my favorite. Get some friends together in their back bar, order a few drinks and a handful of half priced appetizers, roasted garlic bulbs with goat cheese, baked brie, beer battered asparagus, fried calamari or spinach and artichoke fondue...it's pretty much the perfect way to end a workday.
Their Sunday brunch is a great way to start a week. For $15 you can get everything from sweets (waffles, cinnamon rolls and muffins) to country cooking (sweet potato casserole, king ranch casserole) to general breakfast fare (eggs, quiche, salmon with mini bagels and cream cheese). I've had better brunch elsewhere but I've also had worse and their brunch seems like it's a perfect place for a group of people to meet up and break bread together (they can accommodate large parties in the backroom).
It might be awhile before I go back for brunch but I'll hit up their lunch and happy hour whenever you're ready!
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I've only been for brunch, but I've been several times now and it's certainly a decent place to go. A fair selection of fried and baked and stewed and confectioned items to choose from, along with fruit, the general breakfast beverages. The food is good. The service is decent, it's a buffet brunch.
My only complaint is that it's not changed the menu to any noticeable degree in the few times I've been. Maybe rotate two new things a quarter?
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not the most imaginative selections or preparations, but solid comfort food choices, large portions, and great service. They should have specials to mix things up a bit, otherwise the menu choices could get stale.
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Yum. Yum. Yum. I stumbled upon Moonshine after many hours on a 5:00am flight. Needless to say, I was tired, grouchy and looking for comfort food. Thankfully, Moonshine had a lovely seat waiting for me at the bar. The Sunday Brunch was decadent. And, well worth the price. The service was friendly but not intrusive or annoying. I'll say it again: Yum. Yum. Yum.
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I wanted to take my wife out somewhere special, that we had never been before. Moonshine beat out Ranch 616 and Koriente from the menu and yelp reviews. Plus I hoped we might run into Jenna Bush, or even better the young Barbara. She just does it for me, I dunno why.
I heard they hang out there when in town.
Anyways, we arrived early on a Saturday night just before the crowds hit. Our waitress whole heartily recommended the Molasses & Chile Cured Pork Chop with Bourbon Apple Sauce ($17.95). I was headed toward the Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Charred Pineapple and Green Chile Salsa($14.95) But her recommendation seemed so genuine I changed my mind.
After-wards, I heard her make the same recommendation verbatim to about 10 other tables. Not that I should get an exclusive recommendation or anything, it is just it seemed a little practiced after I heard it 10 times.
Lulu (my wife) was thinking about the Eggplant Parmesan, but decided on the Crunchy Coated Snapper with Mango Relish, Crab Mat & Basil Pesto. ($19.95)
For drinks she had a glass of Malbec, ($7.00) which is the new Shiraz for those of you who aren't in the "know." I had a a Whiskey Sour. We ordered the Moonshine "Corn Dog" Shrimp with Honey Mustard and Blueberry Swirl ($8.95) for an appetizer.
We had heard the Corn Dog shrimp was great, and also I had heard they mix a nice cocktail. Both of these rumors were true. Best whiskey sour I've had in a long time, and the Corn Dog shrimp were great. The batter was just perfect. Lulu loved 'em, I thought it would have been better if there was a little hot dog in there instead of shrimp. But hey, that is just me.
Unfortunately, after the cocktail and the appetizer the meal....well it didn't really go downhill, it just never went uphill. Pretty much the appetizer and the cocktail were the highlight of the meal.
When you order a dinner entree at Moonshine you get a choice of a side, and seasonal vegetables. Our seasonal vegetables were a huge disappointment. They were red cabbage and carrots. A fine selection for me, but the cabbage was swimming in grease, wholly inedible and the carrots were way over done. Not inedible, but not good either. How a chef put either of those on a plate and served it is beyond me.
My pork chop had wonderful flavor, but it was a really tough cut of meat. It was sort of like very well flavored pork jerky. Once I learned to cut it in very thin strips and soak it in the sauce it was still pretty damn good. I had the baked Macaroni as a side. It was good, but nothing too special. Just good.
Lulu said the Crunchy Coated Snapper had great flavor but it was a little over done, and the basil pesto didn't really go with the Mango relish or the Sesame based breading. She had the Griddled Polenta as a side. The polenta was good, but the marinara sauce over the top didn't add much to it.
Admittedly, when I walked in and the Bush twins were not dancing half naked on the bar-top I was already disappointed. But after shelling out $84.00 with tip I was a little let down. The meal was good, not great. Maybe the problem with going out and getting southern comfort food for me is that ,in general my wife makes it better.
We really like the service, and ambiance of Moonshine, I adored the front porch. I don't think we will go back for a dinner, but we might try the brunch sometime. That way we aren't committed to one dish, but can find what we like.
We were glad we tried something new, and it wasn't horrible, it just wasn't fabulous.
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YUM. Everything I've had here, from appetizers to entrees to sides to desserts have all been spectacular. (I'm not a big pork eater, but trust me-- try the pork chop.) The place is just so darn cute, too, and soooo cozy. I've been here for dates, parties, and dinners with friends. All were enjoyable. The Moonshine punch or whatever it was rocked. That carriage house in the back...I could spend hours there. As a matter of fact, I did once--we waited 2 hours for a table and happily munched our popcorn by the fireplace, cozied up on the couch, sipping our moonshine. That's the only bad thing...waiting. BUT, it's worth it, and the location is great.
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3 Great Vampire Repellants & One Yummy Appetizer
1 - Sunlight:
Theory: Takes advantage of magnesium's potential for spontaneous combustion. Recent forensic evidence suggests that vampire perspiration contains magnesium-based substances which are liable to combustion in certain conditions, including high air temperature (greater than 42oC) and specific light wavelengths 560-580nm; when illumination is above 5cd/m2 (solar intensity above approximately 500W/m2).
Application: Artificial light can be used to destroy vampires, but the correct frequency is vital, and the required brightness would be difficult to achieve other than in a fairly small enclosed space. The risk lies in the methods used to force the vampire into daylight.
Critical weakness: Not so helpful when you're stuck downtown at 10 p.m. on a weekday with only the moonlight.
2 - Holy water
Theory: God + dangerous venture = Assured success. See: Crusades; Parting of Red Sea; Popemobile. Allegedly used the power of the Almighty Creator to causes fleshy burns and extreme pain when cast upon vampire skin.
Application: Great everyday vampire weapon. Safe for kids and animals, gluten free, cholesterol free, no trans fats, balances the budget, stops global warming, etc.
Critical weakness: Hard to seal the deal with just a few squirts; requires almost total submersion, and convincing vampires to do a reverse 1.5 somersault with 3.5 twists into a pool of holy water just isnt' as easy as it used to be. Effing interwebs are educating everyone these days.
3 - Moonshine's Roasted Garlic Bulbs with goat cheese, roasted bell peppers, and toast points
Theory: It has garlic in it. Vampires no like garlic. You have garlic, vampires no like you. Perhaps it's just that, with the whole fancy tux and cape thing, it would just be uncouth for a vampire to roll into his next fanged party with nasty breath. As long as they don't discover Orbit gum, this one should retain effectiveness.
Application: Hanging it around your neck or waving it around in a silly manner is ok, but I would suggest the following:
Go to Moonshine and order the roasted garlic bulbs with goat cheese, roasted bell peppers, and toast points. Mix and match as you like - cheese alone, peppers and garlic, all three on toast, etc. The flavors balance quite well, and the garlic still in the roasted husk makes for a nice presentation. The appetizer portion comes with enough for three people, so feel free to wave around a piece or two for the sometimes winged coffin dwelling fellows. Otherwise just eat it, becuase it's really good. If the vamp is just there for a drink, offer him the planters punch, it's tasty, too.
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The dinner here is awesome. Most of their offerings derive from good old fashioned southern comfort food basics but with some kind of spin. You can get an upscale preparation of beer-can-chicken, for example. The menu is diverse enough that I never get "stuck in a rut" at this place. It's easy to try new stuff, and I'm always glad I did; I've never had anything I didn't like.
Their sunday brunch is very good, too. Lots of stuff to choose from, and most of it very tasty. I think Moonshine puts their best foot forward at dinnertime, though.
They have a large outdoor dining area. It's quite pleasant, even though the view is mostly of the back of the convention center.
The prices aren't out of line for the upscale dinner place that it is. It's not cheap, but it's not unreasonable. It is a bit "trendy", and usually very crowded with a non-trivial wait time for a table and no room to sit at the bar. Parking can be an issue, but there is good valet service. I'm pulling one star for a slightly higher-than-usual inconvenience factor. This is not very nice of me, because it's a downtown hot spot and my expectations of ANY convenience are surely unreasonable. Heh.
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i can see how people like the place - comfort food, large patio, laid back feel and beverages served in mason jars. however, i was disappointed. wait was unusually and annoyingly long...my angry growling stomach wasn't sated properly when i finally had a chance to eat. i think hype was largely to blame for my expectations.
i did like their mac and cheese and corn dog shrimp, but the rest of their fare looked and tasted like the sort of food you can get at TGI Friday's or Chili's. i've eaten at mom-and-pop-hole-in-the-wall-diner places and also at some of the best like joel robuchon...so i am down with anything and everything, but this place just failed to impress. i wanted to really like it like everyone else, but think it's simply overhyped.
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I was in Texas for 5 days and knew I needed at least one burger during my stay--Moonshine's burger DELIVERED. It was fantastic! However, I was terribly jealous of my table mate's platter--mac and cheese with all sorts of veggie goodies in it! After one bite I was ready to order a second entree, but alas my stomach is only so big and the burger goodness filled it up. I am going to try to recreate that mac and cheese at home---mmmmmmmmhhh.
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So I'm eating at their small bar in full view of the kitchen, watching the wait staff come in and out, watching the kitchen crew do their thing. And that's when I see it:
The place is slammed (which is why we were eating at the bar in the first place), so the wait staff starts helping with the preparation. Which included using their hands to toss food onto plates, and I'm not just talking the occasional dinner roll. They're picking up chicken pieces, they're grabbing handfuls of calamari, they're assembling burgers and slapping them on the plate. Of course, this is all with
-no gloves,
-after having cleared dirty dishes (and dumped them into the dish basket),
-using their hands to open & close the kitchen door,
-picking up and disposing of used napkins,
and probably one or two things I didn't see.
Lest anyone think this was an isolated incident...it was not. This was constant, and went on for the entire time we were there. I quit eating my meal, as did my wife. We called the health department the next day; their solution was a stupid one -- they showed up at lunch time (not at peak time) and announced their arrival. Wonder of wonders, they didn't find any violations! Of course not, you stupid wanks.
Suffice to say I will never eat at this restaurant again. Why not 1 star? Because the bartender was good and it's not his fault that the wait staff is engaged in e. coli roulette. Just remember this as you're eating here: you don't know where that food has been.
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I've been here a few times for weekend brunch, and it is definitely somewhere I would recommend to anyone. They have some of the best food and a most enjoyable outdoor atmosphere. The food has been amazing. Their green eggs...yes, like Dr. Seuss...are the best pesto eggs I have ever had. They also have the yummiest home made cinnamon rolls, but you've got to grab them while they're hot for them to be the best. I am an extremely picky eater, so for me to enjoy everything I tried (and I tried almost all of it) is quite an amazing feat. On top of the great food, the service has also been good each time I've been there. I really have no complaints. If I could eat brunch here every weekend I would.
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Food is OK and even couldn't remember too much, very American style. Outside patio doesn't have breeze. So couldn't enjoy outside in summer there.
I got sick from the drink or the food. I don't know which one. I had terrible headache after I got home. I'm not going back anymore..
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