The Goodnight is open!

[amysuehere]

Okay. I've learned my lesson (times how many times?) on being the "first" to review in the land of the bland. I'm going to give this place at least a month before going, but I'm dying of curiosity. Please let this place be flavor-licious.

[amykragan]

No menu of any kind of the website, not even a type of food. Anyone have an idea.

Optimista..did you see a menu?

Places that refuse to post their menus online also make me raise an eyebrow that they aren't committed to quality food or at least their genre.

[willtryanythingonce]

http://thegoodnightaustin.com/menu-3/

[ieathereforeiam]

when i went last week the kitchen wasn't open yet.

[amykragan]

I sent an email to them yesterday and they said they would add it and they sure did!
I tried the duck lollipops and the calamari yesterday. The place is deifinitely loud (tile floors) and no sound barriers. Meant to be a hipster bowling alley/pub/ type place (think Highball).
The duck lollipops were ground duck meat rolled into a ball with panko flakes and deep fried. They were on the dry side but served with a tangy/spicy/ orange sauce streaked on the plate. 3 to an order but we only ate 2. The calamari was lightly battered and topped with fried garlic shakes. We enjoyed this but skipped the aioli as it was too much mayo base and not enough flavor. Marinara would have worked better! Several interesting choices on the dinner menu but not sure the volume level would allow for dinner conversation.

[dinaofdoom]

i'm hoping they have some good HH offerings, as my coworkers are eager to try this place out as an after-work hang.

[amykragan]

I think it was $2 off drinks. No specials on the food which I think is a mistake. Too many places offer 1/2 off to not compete.

[NWLarry]

That's my rule for every place. Let somebody else be the guinea pig!

[Optimista]

I walked in there to snoop around yesterday, but didn't eat or drink. It was FREAKING LOUD AS HELL. Looks like it would be a fun place to bowl or shoot pool, but definitely not a good place to have any kind of conversation unless you enjoy screaming at the top of your lungs. Also, I'm pretty sure I am old enough to be the mother of every single person who was in there...

[ieathereforeiam]

there is a ton of good food in that square block. i'm not sure why so negative. tarka, phonatic, verts, dos batos, bartletts, cover 3 and chen z all come to mind. some better than others but they all have some good stuff.

Frankly, I think this place is the least likely to impress.

[amysuehere]

Not negative, just truthful. Chen Z and Tarka were bland, bland, bland. Went to both before there were any reviews here.

Positive - love Cover 3 and Phonatic (actually, it's become a weekly ritual).

I think Bartlett's it to expensive for what it is and I haven't had a chance to try Verts yet.

I like Dos Batos,but have only been a couple of times because if I'm in the mood for that kind of thing, I'm going to Arrandas or making the trek to Pinos for the real thing.

Don't get me started on Hopdoddy's....

[Ashforth]

What did you try at Tarka? I'm curious, because I think Tarka's food is really flavorful - so much better than its parent Clay Pit (now there is some bland food). Maybe the Tarka location you went to is an aberration (the Sunset Valley store rocks).

[ebloom]

Tarka bland? Maybe we have just ordered well, but I have always enjoyed my meals at Tarka.

That being said, if we venture into that area for a meal, my vote always goes to Korea House.

[amysuehere]

I like KH. Although, sometimes the bi-bim-bap is a bit on the greasy side, it's always flavorful. I also like the sexy girl and music box sushi. The veggie version of chap-che is nice, too.

[heyzeus212]

Tarka's korma is really, really delicious.

[amysuehere]

I tried the chicken curry wrap. I'll give them another try. My trepidation comes from spending about the same amount there on one dish when I know I'll love the buffet at Taj on MF.

[ieathereforeiam]

i'd stick to the stuff that comes in bowls

[amysuehere]

Alas, I ended up going for lunch and you're right, ieatthereforeiam, blech. WAAAAAY too expensive (seriously, $20pp for BURGERS?!).

We were practically the only ones in there and the hostess couldn't figure out how to put two tables together (largest in the place seated 4) and seemed reluctant to do so after we suggested.

Waiter was a total Eeyore. I ordered the beef tenderloin panini with the spicy o-rings. Husband ordered the fried chicken special, and friends ordered the pizza and the hamburger.

My panini was bland-bland-bland and the chimichurri sauce was just green oil. The cream cheese was missing entirely. The "spicy" o-rings were just flour, egg and oil (shoestring style) and if not for the katsup would be completely devoid of flavor.

My friend's hamburger was ordered medium and came out burt to a crisp - bun was black, meat looked like a hocky puck. He would have sent it back, but it took forever to get our food in the first place. We spent an hour and 45 minutes there and felt completely fleeced.

sigh....