East Side Cafe

[nyc_girl13]

Last night I went to East Side Cafe for dinner. The interior is darling; I felt like I was at somebody's charming, cozy, country cottage. We started with Ginger and Mushroom Dumplings, either steamed or fried, (we got them steamed), on top of a bed of lettuce. They were tasty, however the dumpling itself, (the dough), was gummy. They give you a basket of miniature cornbread muffins, plain and jalepeno cheddar. They were warm and moist. Then I had a cup of mushroom, artichoke, and chicken soup. I really liked it, it was creamy, and the flavors were very well balanced. For my entree I got the wild mushroom crepes. They were delicious! The texture, flavor, and presentation were all wonderful. The crepes were also perfectly done, a bit brown and crisp on the edges. There were shiitake mushrooms and a sauce on the top, and then a variety of mushrooms and cheese for the filling. On the side I had broccoli with lemon butter. The broccoli was very fresh and large. I forgot to mention that all of their vegetables and herbs are grown in their own little garden, on location. My friend ordered the meatloaf, which I think he enjoyed because he ate every bite:) For dessert we shared a piece of chocolate silk pie. The presentation was gorgeous! It was very rich, though. A few bites satisfied my chocolate needs, haha. Their store next door is very sweet. They sell organic soaps and gardening things and have free brownie samples! I was overall very impressed with East Side Cafe.

[AustinRocks]

The meatloaf there is awesome! It's great comfort food which is really good with all that is going on in the world these days!

[dc2austin]

I just have to say that this is one of the short list of places we take out of town clients--and they rave about it every time. Love the austin feel and fresh food. There is a gingerbread cake w/ vanilla ice cream that is to die for!

[taliesin15]

Best salad in Austin!

[Helind]

If you liked The East Side Cafe's dinner, you should check out their brunch. Don't miss the Huevos Mexicanos.

[nyc_girl13]

I will, thank you. We've tried brunch just about everywhere but East Side Cafe.

[nyc_girl13]

I went for brunch and had the French toast. It was the best French toast I've ever had, and that's saying a lot. I've had French toast all over Austin, the country, and from friends and family; this topped all of them. The bread was really fresh and wonderfully textured, not soggy or chewy like French toast can be, and had really fresh strawberries from their garden, garnished with a small orange edible flower, and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Maple syrup on the side, of course. There was nothing exotic or extravagant about it, it just completely hit the spot and put a smile on my face!

[tom in austin]

East Side Cafe continues, a decade into the game as far as my visits are concerned, to serve up the pound-for-pound best brunch in Austin. Thanks for the report, nyc_girl13.

Next time you're there, make sure you get some bacon. Almost always delicous.

[pankofish]

Keep in mind that if they grew all of their own vegetables and herbs, including strawberries, that they would run out of produce in about 1 day. They source some items from their garden, but the VAST majority of it is purchased from a foodservice.

[Helind]

I ate at the East Side last Sunday evening and the waitress was very upfront about which food came from their garden and which did not come from their garden. I had a mixed salad with goat cheese and the ravioli. Delicious.