Hey y'all! The Hungryman here with another mouth-watering restaurant feature. Continuing with our "Best New Austin Restaurants" series, we visit another brick and mortar rendition of a popular food truck - Garbo's.
Instagram can be quite evil when you're hungry. And for the past couple of months now, I've been tortured by ridiculously tasty images of lobster rolls. I know, I know... Lobster rolls? In Austin?? Apparently so.
With a simple menu of New England classics (although the dinner menu seems to be growing), Garbo's is another popular ATX food truck that took the plunge into the brick and mortar realm. And lucky for me and MJ, it's only a brisk drive away from us. I'd had my eye on them from the time that they were a single truck operation, but just never made it out. Sorry, Garbo's. This visit was long overdue...
First off, we loved the decor. The soft faded greys and the sailing/ocean-themed knick knacks hinted at coastal roots - a stark contrast to its actual location in a generic shopping strip. I was delighted to see the Maine Root soda dispenser, but was ultimately won over by the sweet tea from Austin's own Moonshine. It was only fitting as we received Mason jars as our beverage vessels. We started with the Smoked Fish Dip w/ Crackers. For me, it conjured up an image of the union between lox and a simple tuna salad...smoky, salty and smooth. I would've preferred a fresh veg like celery, but devoured every bite nonetheless.
At Garbo's you have 2 lobster roll options - 1) Maine: mayo, celery and lemon 2) Connecticut: warmed in lemon tarragon butter. To enjoy the fresh lobster in all of its rich glory, I opted for the CT style. With big chunks of claw meat overflowing from the toasted Sweetish Hill bun, I think I can honestly say that this was the best lobster roll I've ever had...
Granted I've only had one other lobster roll in my life, Garbo's was truly a thing of beauty. The accompanying red cabbage slaw really added a vibrant volley to the butter-coated meat. I appreciate Garbo's for keeping it local with their bread (and their tea and their beer), but I think I would've enjoyed the sandwich that much more if the bun had possessed a little more bite. Again, you didn't hear me complaining as I finished every last morsel of food.
I love Garbo's simplicity and their commitment to quality even if that means putting in a little more time to make it from scratch. Will we be back? I think they're serving a chowder with my name all over it!
Garbo's
14735 Bratton Lane, Austin TX 78728
************
With the food scene being so exciting in Austin right now, I've created a list of the newer restaurants that I have to try, a bucket list if you will. Over the next couple of months MJ and I are committed to checking out these establishments and sharing our experiences. It's gonna be fun so stay tuned!! Here they are in no particular order...
4) Garbo's
5) Olamaie
6) Dai Due
7) St. Philip
8) Dang Banh Mi
9) Noble Sandwich Co.
10) Sawyer and Co.
Leave a Reply