Adventures of a Foodie- Austin, Texas

Dear Maire,

CAUTION ALL VEGETARIANS: Leave now. Just leave while you can.

This year, USAT National Championships was held in Austin, Texas. Of course, being the foodie I am, I was buzzing with excitement to try the best BBQ place I could find. All I can say is holy smokes (no pun intended). The next day, I was more than thrilled to find an authentic churrascaria. I ate at two totally different but amazing restaurants in Austin: The Green Mesquite BBQ, and Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse.

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1. The Green Mesquite BBQ.

Horrifying Vegetarians since 1988

An energetic diner with live music, this place gets points for the “cozy family run” aesthetic. As far as price goes, I’d say a four meat BBQ plate with two sides for a little over $14 is a good deal. However, the meat came out cold, which was a bit of a disappointment when you can see cooks smoking the meat in front of you. Knowing me, Maire, you know I wasn’t afraid to send it back until I saw steam coming from the meat. There goes the first impression. But. It. Was. SO. Good.

On my plate, I got chicken, brisket, pulled pork, and pork ribs with a side of fried okra and corn on the cob. Chicken: good, maybe at the same level as Costco rotisserie? Brisket: Chewy, but not too chewy. It was juicy and tender. Then there was the pulled pork, which was simply divine.The pork ribs also were delectable, and I promise you there was no meat left on the bone. As far as sides go, the corn was less than fresh, if you could go that far. However, the fried okra was one of my favorite sides. Have you ever had fried okra, Maire? It’s spectacular. I’m not going to describe it because it needs to be a surprise. Quick last thought on main meal: I was surprised that there was only one BBQ sauce, but it still was good.

Onto dessert: pecan pie. Maire, I had never had pecan pie before going to Green Mesquite, but I certainly believe this was a wonderful first slice. Fresh out of the oven, the cinnamon sugar filling was piping hot, and the pecans were the perfect texture. Oh, and it was topped with ice cream. Now, sometimes I have the dilemma where there is nowhere near enough ice cream for the slice of pie and you have to delegate a sliver of ice cream per spoonful of pie. This was the complete opposite. Stacked with ice cream, the pie was almost drowned out. Taking the second slice without ice cream (yes I had a second slice don’t judge me), the taste seemed much more pronounced.

Overall: OK experience, good food. Rating: 3.25/5

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2. Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse

Extremely different feel from Green Mesquite with a very formal dining room. First, let me give some background as to how food is served at a churrascaria. There is a large salad/ fruit/ hot appetizer bar with everything from tabbouleh to fresh mozzarella, papaya, rice and beans, and more. Then, once you return to your table, you are provided with bolinhos (basically Brazilian cheese puffs),fried bananas, and other sides to go with your meat. When you are ready to eat, you flip your card from red to green, and the hunger games begin. Servers start coming at you, one after the other, with all types of succulent, mouth-watering meats from filet mignon to bacon wrapped chicken and leg of lamb.

Always serving from the left, these professionals will ask you what cut you would like, cut it off from the stick, and have you grab it with the tongs provided. If you would like a foodgasm, please check out Fogo de Chao’s website. An all-you-can-eat meal with more than 20 meats can get pricey, so Fogo’s $30 per person in Austin seemed reasonable. Every bite was worth every penny.

The whole experience (yes, experience) should take at least two hours. However, thanks to USAT’s “tentative” report times, I had a little under 35 minutes. I rushed what I should have savored, and for that I am ashamed. On the other hand, IT WAS SO GOOD. I cannot tell you exactly what I had, but I can tell you that lamb goes well with papaya, as does beef with bananas and pineapple. Try it sometime, Maire. I managed to try most of the beef, pork, and lamb offered in my half hour, and do not regret a single bite. Every piece of meat was hot, juicy, tender, and fell apart in my mouth.

Overall: limited time, perfect food. Rating: 4.75/5

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Your fellow foodie,

Adi