Juan in a Million at 2300 East Caesar Chavez Street (East 1st) in East Austin

Who wants to be a Millonair? Yeah, me too. Too bad there is only Juan in a Million who succeed in the restaurant business to this extent. This place qualifies big time due to its namesake and constantly vigilant owner Juan Meza. If you can get past the front counter without a greeting and handshake watch out because Juan will find you before you leave his restaurant. Juan loves people and life making for an excellent attitude that he tries to spread to others. It works, believe me. I like this joint, although it can get mighty crowded on a Saturday morning. It is located East of I-35 on East Caesar Chavez (formerly 1st Street) in Austin Texas, just a short drive from Downtown. It might be a mile or so from the interstate, probably less. You can't miss it and they have a pretty good sized parking lot in the back. The food is cheap, plentiful and most importantly, good. They serve beer, Bloody Mary's and Margaritas. I recommend all three and they can be had at bargain basement prices compared to the rest of the rest of the near downtown areas. East Austin has finally caught on and it's about damn time.

Chuy's in South Austin Texas off of William Cannon Drive

I remember when there was only one Chuy's in the world and its patron saint was Elvis. My what a difference twenty five years makes. These days friggin' Chuy's are all over Austin, Houston and god knows where else. The amazing thing is they each do a great business and serve consistently good food. Every location is a little different but they all follow the same basic theme, shiny car parts, gaudy paint colors and the ever present spirit of the King. Check out the early part of the Happy Hour for cheap drinks and free grub in the bar. It's great while it lasts and it doesn't last long. To get there take MoPac South (Loop 1) and exit at William Cannon Drive. Cross William Cannon and stay on the feeder a little ways and it will appear on the right.

BJ's Brewhouse in Sunset Valley near Austin

A chain restaurant built with masonite printed to look like brick. They have decent beer and food with lots of parking. It's close to where I live, relatively inexpensive and my buddy claimed it was the best cheeseburger he has ever eaten. Of course that could be due to the two Mexican Martinis and the fact that I was paying. It beats the hell out of Applebee's on the other side of the highway but I'll probably reverse my opinion if I ever get around to adding them to my list of beerjoints, bars and watering holes.

Boomerz in Oak Hill Texas on the Austin City Limit fringes

Boomerz has been there in Oak Hill for a long time. I ignored it for at least a decade before I started stopping in very sporadically, but the first time told me it was a cool and very spacious place. About half of the area is devoted to pool and an air hockey table but there is lots of seating, a decent sized dance floor and stage plus a bar designed to seat about thirty patrons. The service has been quick and friendly every time I have ever been in there and this time the lady tending bar looked at me and said: I had that same T shirt in Black and White. I said really, from Tommy's Drum Shop? She said yeah and I had made a new friend. They have a large parking lot that is shared with some other business but most of them close early. This used to be any easy place to get to, all I had to say was take 290/71 towards Oak Hill. Now there are raised highways and the old highway is now an access road, so get on the access road as you leave Austin and say to hell with the super highway until just before the point where it ends and becomes 290/71 regular again. That's where you'll find Boomerz in the Oak City Shopping Center about a half a mile before 290 and William Cannon Drive. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN1sCW2ZD0w

Hole In The Wall on Guadalupe in Austin

The Hole in the Wall, on the Drag, across from the University of Texas in Austin has been my favorite dive bar in Austin for over twenty five years. I would have said twenty seven years but they closed down for a year or so a good while back. I have seen Rosie Flores and Emmy Lou Harris share the stage in there. I saw Doug Sahm with Jesse Guitar Taylor backing him up, may they rest in peace. They weren't booked to play, they just dropped in and joined the band onstage. I was once in the men's room, taking a leak, when a blind guy with a red tipped white cane came in and locked the door. He offered me a line of cocaine, which I politely refused, then he unlocked the door so I could leave and locked it again as soon as I left. It's the thought that counts. I have hours of sub par video tape of a band called the Nortons that I made in there over a period of many years. Someday I'm going to convert it to DVD. Yeah, someday when I'm not so lazy. About the only major changes to this place have been the removal of a severely smoke stained, scuzzy drop ceiling and worn out astro turf flooring plus the addition of a second bar in the back room. They have shuffleboard and pool tables plus lots of cool memorabilia behind the bar and the tip jar has survived three different owners and at least ten years. They just got some new solid bar stools and they seem to fit my butt better than the old ones did, so you know I'll be going back again soon. Heck, I'd be going back again soon even if they didn't have any bar stools. It's just that kind of place.

Poodie's Hilltop Roadhouse on Hwy 71 in Spicewood. RIP man, we'll all miss you until it is our time.

Poodie's is a country bar just a short trip from the city. It's out there near where Willie lives. It's very much a redneck hippie sort of joint that has live music most nights and they serve food. When I asked the guy behind the bar a the Hole in the Wall if Brooks Brannon was still tending bar he told me yeah: "at Poodie's." I remember Poodie coming into the Hole during Happy Hour on several different occasions. Everybody seemed to know him and I felt that way myself by the third time I sat at the bar with him. It used to be that you could pull into Poodie's parking lot from the top of the hill right before the bar. Now you have to go down the hill a little bit past the bar, make a hard right and go back up the hill on a skinny little driveway. At least there is a string of globe lights down by the road to catch your eye. Of course, in the daytime that's not a problem just be sure to brake in time. Doing a U turn on 71W could end up being mighty tricky if you miss it. It's on the right just past a store that sells Texas themed yard ornaments and metal tables, chairs and pottery from Mexico. If you've never been to Poodie's go check out the stuff at that store then drive down the hill and have cold one while playing some pool or shuffleboard. I don't do reviews but I don't mind saying that I have liked this place just fine, every time I have dropped in. Watch the video and click on their website for more details.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXpzbG6iMYo http://www.poodies.info/

Detour in Oak Hill near Austin at William Cannon and 290/71

The location of this bar used to be the front checkout area for Walgreen's Drug Store. Goodwill took over the rest of the space. There is a liquor store within steps and you can drop off your dry cleaning and laundry at the cheap laundry place. There's a Subway and a Coffeeshop in the same Shopping Center at the corner of William Cannon Drive and Hwy 290/71, before you reach the Y in the road in Oak Hill, Texas.The parking lot is plenty big and sometimes you would think the bar is really crowded when it is actually the Goodwill Store that is full of customers. I like this place because it has a big oval bar that goes all the way around, they have a good selection of decent beers, I had a Newcastle Ale, and they make free popcorn for anyone who wants it, as much as you want, serve yourself. From my house it is halfway to The Natural Gardener where John Dromgroole has a magnificent garden disguised as a garden store. My wife sends me over there often for Mulch and Dirt. The way I look at it is, one hand washes the other and now a trip to the Natural Garden means a detour into Detour's on the way home. I once was in there when a Budweiser guy came in and gave everybody a free weird Dry test beer, and a ball cap. I put the hat on and drank the beer. It's the last time I had a Bud, now that I think of it. http://youtube.com/watch?v=atxU45GdDU0

Sago at the Triangle on North Lamar near Guadalupe in Austin

I wanted to show my wife the new bar called Flying Saucer that is in the Triangle, a sort of self contained residential and shopping village in the heart of Austin. Since we were already there it seemed like a good time for lunch and so we decided to check out Sago, featuring Modern Mexican Cuisine. At first I didn't recognize the significance of the name but before long the Sago Palm trees on the patio caught my attention and it all made sense. The parking is hit and miss at the Triangle but they do have a parking garage if surface parking is overly troublesome. On this particular day it wasn't too problematic and only took one circle around the lot before someone pulled out and we grabbed the spot. Sago is clean, sleek, open and modern. It's also very new but quite comfortable. The dress code in Austin is pretty much non-existent outside of some of the pretension that downtown generates, and T-shirts were pretty common. The food was reasonably priced as were the drinks. The service was quick and friendly and the chips and salsa were some of the best I have ever had, anywhere. The nasty looking picture of my greasy fingers and blackened shrimp still makes my mouth water three weeks later. Mmmm cholesterol. You could see the kitchen from the main dining area but there were several spaces that provided more privacy if that is what suits you. Considering how many different Mexican Restaurants there are in Austin it says a lot that I wouldn't hesitate to return here whenever I'm in the neighborhood. Of course, being just a few short strides from The Flying Saucer doesn't hurt either. http://youtube.com/watch?v=1-v3jP4vzhg

Romeo's on Barton Springs Road in Austin

I guess I should have made this clear earlier but the dates of my blog posts have nothing to do with when I actually went to a bar. The dates on my videos are slightly more accurate, only because I usually post them soon after taking them. Romeo's is cool. I ate there once with my wife and don't remember it being anything at all like it is. The ambiance is dark red and black and shiny. It made me want to drink a five dollar bottle of high potency micro brewed beer so I did, and it was good, but they only charged me three dollars because it was happy hour. Now, the moral of that story was: go during happy hour. The guys and gals at the bar were what I would call Austin inside people, I'm kinda one of them myself. The people outside were the type who love cell phones, blue tooth ear pieces, lap top computers and dirty martinis. They will send a dirty martini back if it isn't dirty enough and the bartender will make it so damn dirty you'll gag drinking it, but they'll drink it and act like it is just what they wanted. Who knows, maybe it was. This would be my number one destination for a cheap date if I wasn't too old to find one. I could bring my wife and her buddies but it would be anything but cheap, happy hour or not. Romeo's for some drinky winkies, The Green Mesquite for some meat and beans then it's home for some of that good old hanky mixed with an equal amount of panky. That's the way it used to work anyway. Hahaha, check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfmjZlP40ME

Angel's Icehouse on Hwy 71 in Spicewood Texas near Austin

This is an Austin Area Hill Country Bar out on 71W about eight miles past 620 and the Arboretum at Bee Caves. It is on a hilltop on the left, just look for the towering red sign that says Angel's. It is an open air Ice House with a full bar and lots of seating inside and out. I would guess they can handle three to four hundred people, or more, at once. There is a great breeze out there in the wide open, and it is a bit of a country bar, but it is no further than driving from South Austin to Round Rock, only without the traffic. They have wi fi, hand formed burgers, cold beer, a plasma screen TV and lots of room. The waitress was friendly and is the only person I have ever heard, beside myself, call my wife baby. They never do that in Austin. I'm lucky to get a sweetie here and that's only after a big tip. Hahaha. It's a fun place and the menu is decidedly bar food but who cares? Splurge on the calories contained within deep fried battered macaroni and cheese triangles. They go great with the mini corn dogs. Check out their website for live music listings and precise directions. Just remember, it is about a mile or so before you get to Poodie's Hilltop Roadhouse, if you know where that is, and it is on the left. You can see the sign from a long way off, so don't overshoot the drive. But if you do, go check out Poodie's and stop here on the way back. If you overshoot Poodie's too, you're wasted, just go home. http://www.angelsicehouse.com/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2P24lEE7-s

Texas Land and Cattle Company I-35 at Clayton Lane in Austin

I've fallen woefully behind on my 365 day quest and I can make all kinds of excuses and rationalizations as to why, but my brother nailed it most truthfully when he admonished me for getting bored and being lazy. I'm sad to say that he knows me as well as I know myself and therefore I have no rebuttal to his painfully blunt assessment of the situation. So how can I remedy the unfortunate condition of being a slacking slug? I can't, but I can throw him a bone every day or two and it will look as if I am getting my act together. I'm not, of course, but appearances are everthing. So here goes: Texas Land and Cattle Company has two things that all of the men in my family crave constantly, beer and meat. Now, I could stop writing right here if they were my only readers. To continue would provide needlessly superfluous information to Tom and Sam but Ray is one of those intellectual types, who reads, so I'll go on. This joint was a lot cooler, albeit messier, when they had that big barrel full of free peanuts by the front door. I'd just rip them open and throw the shells on the floor, so did everyone else, and we liked it that way. My guess is either peanuts went up or someone slipped on a shell and busted their ass, so the peanuts are no more. It's still a pretty cool place that looks like Ben, Hoss and Little Joe might have lived there once upon a time, at least for an episode or two, and they have a full bar and a large parking lot. The food was o.k. but medium rare isn't the same thing as rare and the cook didn't know that. He also thought medium well was the same as well. They are not and it could easily be chalked up as a slightly off night even though they weren't that busy. I've gone before and I'll go again but I feel like if they are going to serve meat almost raw I shouldn't have to ask for some horseradish, they should just bring it to me as a show of empathy. However, the lobster was great and the tortilla soup made me do a little hat dance and say oo la la. So, watch the video and see what I mean. Even though I don't know what I mean. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF7IWIOfM-E

Garrison Park Harbor at the Corner of South First and Stassney where Ginos Italian Grill used to be in South Austin

You may have read about the bullshit with calling this bar South by South First. Ignore it, it is over and they are finally, finally open for business. I almost cried in January when I realized Gino's Italian Grill was gone forever. I blogged about my sadness back then and made a video from good music that I recorded in the dark, last year. Gino's never did get hip to stage lighting. I have a feeling it will be a different story with the Garrrison Park Harbor over looking the Sea of Asphalta. They've done a good job transforming this place and are about twice as large inside and a half again outside where they have sculpted a shaded and comfortable atmosphere with a water feature and plenty of seating. Just think of the relaxing sounds of a beachfront marina and you are there, but you don't have to drive very far to get back home if you live where I do. I could probably walk and I hope they excel. I want to be their favorite customer but how can I compete with all of you out there who will become their favorite customers before I get a chance? I am a sporadic customer at best. Poor Gino's would still be there if I had just dropped in twice as often. I know it, and it breaks my heart. If the Garrison Park Harbor has good food, they cannot fail. Good food guys, focus on good Seafood, Steaks and Music. South Austin needs it badly, and no other place I know of has as large of a parking lot. Do not worry about parking, it is the Garrison Park Harbor on the Sea of Asphalta at South by South First in Austin, Texas. Note: The actual date I visited the Garrison Park Harbor was Sunday June 1st. They opened for business the Thursday prior, stop in and make a new friend. If they have good Seafood and Steaks plus decent Happy Hour Specials they should thrive. The music takes care of itself in this town. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RNpdvhZ7Lw

Nomad on Corona off Cameron Road in Austin

Nomad is a newcomer to the bar scene in Austin, or at least my bar scene. It's within stumbling distance to the Carousel Lounge and located behind the Conoco Gas Station on Cameron Rd. It's in a little strip Shopping Center of the nondescript nature that is similar to anywhere in America. That certainly doesn't describe Nomad, however. This is the friendly neighborhood bar of my youth, only way classier. I wouldn't mind having some of the furniture and art work for my home and the patio furniture would look good in my backyard. Now, don't go getting any ideas of robbing the joint and trying to pin it on me because I'm just fantasizing. If I want to make it a reality I'll have to go buy my own, and I would but I probably won't. Great review so far, huh? The patio has plenty of shade but shade means little once the mercury tops ninety degrees. So, if you plan on hanging out during the heat of the day just be ready to sweat. It's not a crime or anything to be ashamed of and I do it all the time, often profusely. On the day I went they had a Texas Music DJ, the only one that I am aware of in the world. There are probably a bunch of other ones, but I don't know them. Google Nomad for more coherent reviews and check out the DJ's MySpace. It's a really good one.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qQuZr7oWm8 http://www.myspace.com/globetwo

The Parlor on North Loop in Austin (53rd and Avenue F)

If you are a regular reader of my blog, and I know there are a few, it has become painfully obvious that I have lost my muse. I haven't even been hitting beerjoints lately let alone making videos, taking pictures or blogging about my exploits and adventures. My mind has been wrapped around retirement and the pros and cons that go with it. But, enough of the personal bullshit and on with the show. The Parlor is a beerjoint, pizzeria and loud as hell head banging music venue. It's also pretty small, think large hallway and you have just about nailed it. That is not a derogatory assessment however because they seem to make good use of the space that they do have and on a busy night you get to rub up against other bodies without getting your face slapped. The pizza is decent too, not the best I've ever had but way up there on the sliding scale. Parking is limited and the location is obscure if you are not familiar with the territory. Still, I feel the effort is worthwhile if you want to absorb some atmosphere that is truly unique to Austin. Check out the pictures, watch the video and then go see for yourself. Now, if you are a Mr. Gatti's or Domino's person you will want to avoid this place at all costs. Of course, I'm trusting that my readers have more class than that, or most of them anyway. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7wtgei-ogw http://www.myspace.com/theparlor Click their myspace link. It's an excellent page with their music schedule.

Cuatros in West Austin on 24th near UT and Lamar

I liked this place mainly because it was a new place in an area that is ever changing and expanding in Austin. They have remodeled and transformed Bongo's into a Eat and Drink Haven although I don't recommend you do either, too much. A Coffee Shop should soon follow in the Historical Building that housed the first two black newspapers in Austin in the Wheatsville Neighborhood. Long live Austin History and check out the additional parking gained by obtaining the building next door. At least stop by during a slow period and get a beer. Tell them I sent you. I met one of the managers when I stopped in here and he seemed like a very decent guy. I wish there were more very decent guys and gals in the world because I'm one of them and we are few, although I know many. http://youtube.com/watch?v=EiWB2DhZCgA

Pluckers on South Lamar by Pep Boys in Austin

I think I hate wings. I grew up in the Buffalo area so I ate about a million of them in my lifetime and now I hate them. Luckily Pluckers sells other stuff as well. I like beer and margaritas and I like grilled chicken and salad and good service. Maybe I got lucky or maybe it was the way my son was flirting with the waitress but we had great service. On this particular occasion it was 50 cent wing night. Just twenty years ago I ate 50 wings on 10 cent wing night in West Batavia, New York. Man, how times have changed. This place used to be the location of the Black Eyed Pea and I ate there once. If I had eaten there fifty times The Black Eyed Pea would probably still be there. I know I won't eat at Pluckers fifty times in my life but I might have if I had started sooner and there is a good chance that at least one of my kids still will. Mmmmm Chicken Skin. Happy hour seemed very reasonable on drinks and so I had a couple. You would have too. Check it out at least once.

El Greco Greek Taverna off Guadalupe across from Wheatsville Co-op in Austin

This whole block on one side of Guadalupe is brand new and the corner that is across the street from the Wheatsville Co-op Grocery Store houses a Manga Pizza that I will visit later and then El Greco Greek Taverna right next door. Now, I don't know anything about the Greek language but I thought it was a pretty safe bet that Taverna means beer and I was right. They had beer and wine plus a full menu that looked pretty good to me. If they have parking I didn't find it but it is so close to UT that most of their business is probably walk in, still I had no problem parking on the street nearby. It's clean, classy and brand new right now. If they are still there in ten years it won't be as clean and classy but it will prove that they sell good food and know how to run a business. Only time will tell but I'm impressed at the moment and I wish them good luck. I'm going to check out the grub myself pretty soon. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84PbqCLwA6g

Changos on Guadalupe near Wheatsville Co-op in Austin

Chango's is a Mexican Restaurant where you walk up and order at the counter. They have a big bin of iced beer right there so I am including them as a place to buy a beer for on site consumption in the Austin, Texas area. That's what I did and then I made a short video and took a bunch of pictures as well. They have a parking lot, right in front of the business, and plenty of indoor/outdoor seating. They are located within walking distance of the University of Texas and they're right next door to Wheatsville Co-op, the hippie grocery store. Since I didn't have any food I can't comment but they did have large crates of fresh vegetables in view, so that's a plus. My friend Leon tipped me to the fact that they sell beer because I get frustrated when I stop at a place on a hunch and I'm wrong. It makes me look bad to go in and say do you serve beer only to turn around and walk out when they say no. That's how I found out Schlotzky's on South Lamar no longer sells beer. They said they stopped three years ago. I guess I don't go in there very often, do I?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJXD_XiiE8Q

Brick Oven Pizza on Red River in Downtown Austin

This Brick Oven Pizza was the first of its kind that I am aware of in Austin. They have been making Brick Oven Pizza and serving Italian food across the street from Waterloo Park in Austin Texas for well over twenty five years. There are several other locations in Austin now but this is the only one I have ever been to and I've been here many times over the years. They have enough parking most of the time and meters line the park side of the street for a half a mile. They have a full bar and lots of customers on a Saturday night. People would come in in groups of fifteen to twenty and leave the same way. A whole woman's soccer team came in while I watched in amazement. The ovens are amazing to look at and they serve pitchers of beer. Now for the bad news. The pizza was ordered with pepperoni onions and jalapeno peppers. What I got was a pepperoni pizza where they thew the onions on for the last 15 seconds and forgot about the Jalapenos altogether. I didn't really care, I never do but the diners with me said: look these onions are raw and couldn't believe that they gave us a little cup of cold canned Jalapeno slices like you get for free at Taco Cabana. It was just a small slip up on a very busy night but it soured two people from wanted to come back. My personal feeling is that I would rather have the cold raw ingredients than to have had the cook leave the pizza in too long and burn the crust. I'm sure I'll go back again because, as I've said before, most of the time I don't care. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8RhxCA9g80