Shady Grove Restaurant munchies review

by Chris   ⋅   July 17, 2007   ⋅   Comment now   ⋅    RSS

Okay, so I don’t usually handle the restaurant reviews on this site, and I’m no culinary expert, but I did promise, and I know what food I like. Straight up, Shady Grove is one of my favorite spots in Austin, TX. I’ve never actually sat indoors, but that’s because the outdoor seating is so darn cool. There’s an outdoor bar, an outdoor stage, an outdoor screen which, at night time, has old cartoons projected on it (though the old reel-to reel projector has been replaced with a digital one), and bathrooms located inside an old Airstream trailer. How cool is that? There are loads of trees, so the place definitely lives up to its name, and provides a relatively comfortable climate even in the summertime heat.

But you’re probably wondering about the food. Well, I order two things when I go to Shady Grove: the onion rings and the hippie sandwich. Hands down, these are the absolute best onion rings in the nation. Kris and I have been on a lot of “onion rings and pie” quests but none have compared to the hand battered goodness of these onion rings. I don’t know what all they put in the batter, but they’re light and crumbly, unlike practically every other onion ring you’ve ever encountered. There’s a bit of pepper in the batter which adds a very slight punch. So good.

The Hippie Sandwich is a grilled-eggplant sandwich served, on some kind of seeded roll, which Shady Grove calls “Hippie Bread”. I’m not familiar with the types of seeds, but they were black and not poppy seeds. The sandwich also has bell-peppers, mushrooms, tomato, arugula, mozarella, and zucchinni. Anyways, the sandwich is quite tasty as well, and definitely fills you up, but still pales in comparison to those awesome onion rings.

So, I guess that’s about it. If you’re ever in Austin, TX, hit up Shady Grove. Seriously. Best onion rings in the nation.

Check out Shady Grove’s website, here.

About the Author:

Chris Nelson digs chocolate and cheetos, sushi and citrus soda. Although a vegetarian, he is willing to try strange and wonderful new foods. This is his second food review.