The Hideout

 The Hideout caters to and has a focus upon performers; comedians, actors, vaudeville, and burlesque.  It is one of those businesses that "gets" what it is to be a part of Austin.  

 I love this place.

 The first time I visited, it was to catch a burlesque show.  The place was packed, but the folks behind the counter were jazzed about the crowd; happy, friendly, and quick-to-serve.  You could tell that the people were not just employees... they recognized that they were a part of something special, something that goes beyond serving coffee, beer, and sandwiches.  

 The coffeeshop rocks.  They have relatively the same drinks you would expect from the big corporate machine; frappes, cappuccinos, espresso drinks, etc.  The prices are competitive with those other places as well.  What you don't get at those other places is the atmosphere... the vibe.  Hanging on the walls of this place is a rotating display of art by local artists; whimsical, political, realistic, child-like... As an artist, I can tell you what a boon it is to have a place like The Hideout who will display your art.  Try walking into your local Starbuck's and getting your work displayed.  Yeah, not without going through and getting approved by the corporate office, and only if your work meets whatever standard they are trying to maintain as per their brand.  

 The food is drawn from other local businesses.  This morning I went in and had an espresso-shake made with Amy's Icecream, a croissant sandwich by a local vendor, and my wife had breakfast tacos from Torchy's Tacos.  Even with the food and drinks offered, The Hideout is a hub for many things that are "Austin".

 The seating offers a variety of options, from over looking the street to sitting in a private corner in the back.  You can come in here on your own or with a large party, and not only find adequate seating, but you can usually be as open or private as you want.  My kids and I like to sit at the table that is on the stage (for when they have local musicians perform) and watch the early morning activity on Congress.  

 Even the music playing caters to the uniqueness and community conscious vibe of the place.  It's not piped in from some corporate-approved digital soundtrack, and is not your top-forty drivel.  Most mornings you will either hear from a local musician or they are pulling music from around the world.  It is always something different and always helps complete the mood.  The Hideout is the kind of coffeeshop where you can relax with your friends, sit on your computer and work on a book or artwork, or just get your thoughts in order.

The Coffeeshop supports the improv theater, which is the heart-and-soul of The Hideout.  These folks are students of just about every style of improv you can imagine; short form, long form, Chicago-Style, NY-Style, CA-Style, Austin-Style... especially Austin-Style.  They teach improv to those who are interested, even offering a free introductory class for the curious.  They are dedicated to their craft and keeping the art-form alive-and-well.  They offer classes for adults and children. 

 The Theater has something for everyone.  Comedy is their main billing; offering not only a venue for local, amateur, and professional comedians, both Stand-up and improv, but also a stage for a variety of performers.  You get the feeling that everyone involved feels like they are a part of a family, and that they are keeping something of the essential showman experience alive from the days of vaudeville. There are several shows each week, and every show is unique.  For those who are looking for something "Austin" to do, The Hideout is one of the best tickets in town. 

 I cannot recommend this place more highly.  Check out The Hideout for coffee in the morning, for information about what is going on with the creative community, and for an entertaining evening.  

 The Hideout Theater and Coffeeshop

 617 Congress Ave  

 Austin, TX 78701

(512) 443-3688 (H-I-D-E-O-U-T)

The Cedar Door

 The Cedar Door on 2nd (Willie Nelson Blvd) and Brazos has been an Austin Original since 1975.  What drew our attention is its claim as the "Home of the Original Mexican Martini".  In my review of Chuy's, I point to their Mexican Martini as one of the best in Austin, so it only made sense that I needed to try the original.

 Recently remodeled, the Cedar Door has an impressive outdoor seating section overlooking Brazos, banquet rooms, and glass garage doors facing 2nd St.  The interior was spacious, with large flat-screen television within easy viewing distance in any direction you looked but also not everywhere you turned you head.  You could watch the televisions or focus on the conversation at the table with equal ease.  

 The staff was friendly, and it seemed like the servers make a point of letting you enjoy your food and the atmosphere while themselves not getting in the way.  Our waitress did not hover around our table or her section of the restaurant, but kept our drinks filled.  The check came a little more slowly than I would have liked, but then it is the kind of place that encourages you to sit and relax.

 The menu, which also recently changed, included what I would consider common sports-bar fare.  For example, we ordered fried mushrooms as an appetizer and I had the chicken-friend chicken.  The fried mushrooms were similar to those you get at Cheddar's, and the chicken-friend chicken was a step below Applebee's.  Price-wise, though, these same items were slightly less expensive than from the two places I mentioned.  We went with the top-shelf Mexican Martini, and we didn't like it as much as its counterpart of Chuy's.  It was good, maybe even a little smoother than Chuy's Mexican Martini, but it lacked the same spicy-kick.  

 If you are not a fan of spicy food, then you would probably favor the Cedar Door's drink over Chuy's. 

 Over all, it was a cool place to eat; just a couple of blocks from 6th St, good food, great atmosphere, and a competitive price.  If you are looking for a place that everyone can afford to hang-out at before hitting the bars on 6th St, then check out the Cedar Door.

 The Cedar Door

 2nd and Brazos

 Austin, TX

 512-473-3712

Five Guys Burger and Fries

 My 11 year old, Gabrielle, raves about Five Guys Burgers and Fries.  She must have had it somewhere in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.  When we passed the location on Guadalupe in Austin, she was very excited, and said that we had to try it.  Personally, I couldn't imagine what her fuss was about, I mean, it is just another burger-joint.  Still, the next opportunity we had to go out and didn't know what we wanted, we opted to check out Five Guys Burgers and Fries. 

 On the plus side, they keep burgers simple.  There is nothing overly pretentious about the place.  Steak-and-Shake is what I would call an overly pretentious burger-joint... I mean, it is a burger.  Calling ground beef "ground steak" is just assuming that your customers are idiots.  "Burger-and-Shakes" lacks the same ring to it, but that is as far as I would go with the whole "steak" thing.  Five Guys Burgers and Fries has a simple storefront, a simple menu, and is a fairly straight-forward operation.

 I think this is coincidence, but there happened to be five guys working the shift we paid a visit.

 At the front of the store, guiding you to the order-counter, was a walk-way lined with giant bags of what I think were peanuts.  They might have been potatoes, and that seemed to be the impression I had that day, but that would mean that they go through a ridiculous amount of potatoes.  Everything is made fresh.  The place has no freezers, so maybe they were potatoes.  Anyway, I thought it was a nice touch.

 The menu, like I said, is simple.  A burger is 2 patties with whatever toppings.  A little-burger is 1 patty.  You also have hot dogs and (of course) fries, regular of "Cajun".  The variety of toppings allows for 250,000 variations on how you get your burger.  They only do "well-done".  I had a burger with bacon, cheese, and barbecue sauce.

 The burger wasn't too bad.  It wasn't too greasy (not necessarily a "plus" in my book), had only a hint of seasoning, and definitely was better than a once-frozen patty somewhere else.  The fries were good, and they have malted-vinegar on hand for those who like that.

 However, there was nothing outstanding about the burger, nothing worth the hype, anyway.  I am confident that most people could make the same burger at home in a frying-pan on their stove top.  The fries, also, weren't amazing.  My kid was actually a little disappointed.  Apparently, the Ft. Wayne store over-flowed the bag with fries.  Our fries just filled the container.

 Oh, that was the other cool thing.  No trays or anything.  They hand you your food in brown-paper bags, even if you are eating in.

 The food was not bad, but not amazing.  The amazing thing was the price.  My burger, which in size I would compare to a Whopper at Burger King, was $6.99!  That is not with fries and a drink.  My cup-of-soda was another 2 bucks.  To feed the four of us, I spent more than $40.  That is the price I expect to spend at Applebee's, or maybe a local burger-joint like Dirty Martin's where the burger is massive, not a franchise burger-joint.

 So, Five Guys Burgers and Fries was not bad, but was over-priced.  Either make the same burger at home or go somewhere that you get more bang for your buck.

 Five Guys Burgers and Fries

 3208 B Guadalupe St

 Austin, TX 78703

 Tel: 512-452-4300

Ken's Donuts

  My uncle owned or managed several donut shops, and some of my fondest childhood memories involved being at one of his shops early (like 1 or 2 am) on Christmas or New Year's night and having donuts freshly made.  My dad, during the really hard economy in the 1980's, used to work for my uncle at the shop and bring home donuts literally by the garbage-bag full.  You could say I know donuts.  The mockery of pastries that Krispy Kremes tries to pass-off as a donut just does not cut it.  How they can legally call them donuts is beyond me.  Ken's Donuts makes donuts... and as close to the donuts my uncle used to make that I have had in a while.  Best of all, Ken's Donuts is open 24 hours a day and is right off the Drag.

 The down-side is that Ken's Donuts is not exactly the most inviting donut shop to sit-down and enjoy a pastry in.  I am certain the place is clean enough, but the word that comes to mind to describe the look of the place is "grimy".  It is almost like the idea of people actually sitting down for some donuts and coffee in the place was an after-thought.

 I have to admit that this is the only donut-shop I have visited since being in Austin, and being diabetic means that I probably will not have the occasion to visit too many others.  While I am sure that some of the other donut shops may be better than Ken's, this place is conveniently located and open 24 hours a day.  That alone rocks.

 I might get the kids up at 2am and make a donut run.

 Ken's Donuts

 2820 Guadalupe St

 Austin, TX 78705

 512 320-8484

Fran's Burgers

  Fran's Hamburgers has been an Austin Institution and a part of the South Congress scene since 1973.  It is a purely American Diner, not a sports-bar and not big on kitch.  At Fran's, it is all about the food.  The prices are comparative to other burger-joints (not to be confused with fast-food-joints) as is the menu.  They make a fair milk-shake and offer-up a huge, 100% real beef hamburger.  The locals often rave about Fran's, and the place is always busy.  Service is fast and friendly, and the portions are well-worth the price.

 However, the one thing they are known for, their burgers, did not really impress me.  I don't know if it was the cook that day or what, but my burger was almost over-seasoned, like I wasn't tasting the beef anymore.  The onion-rings are a must, probably some of the best in town.  While I understand that the place is considered a part of the fabric of Austin, nothing struck me as peculiar to Austin in anyway.  Fran's could be any burger-place anywhere; a truck-stop diner that had the good-fortune to be located in close proximity to one of the city's tourist attractions.

 Honestly, with nothing really outstanding going for it, my money is better spent at the McDonald's a few blocks down the road on Oltorf. 

 Fran's is another Austin venue that is out of business.  Missed for the nostalgia, but probably not for the food.

 6214 Cameron Rd

 Austin, TX 78723

 512 458 6007