Updated: 17 April, 2008

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Dining guide bySara Felix:

I work in the Omni on the business side of the building. When I get to the first floor and am trying to decide where to go to lunch, the first question is always what kind of food would we like to eat. When we can’t figure that out, which happens way more than I care to admit, the second question is which exit should we go out. Most of the time, that is what decides the restaurant we will be eating at for lunch. This is a short list of places in the area, there are many more downtown to choose from, but these are the regular haunts for the people that I tend to eat lunch with during the week. Next to the name of the restaurant I have listed the direction to go to get to all these different places to eat. I did list a few places that were not open I know but I just wanted to throw those in there.

6th Street:

Habana Calle: 6 SE go to 6th and go left.: A Cuban restaurant which is known more for their drinks (their Mojitos) than their food. People have very mixed reviews of the place, generally I have been there for their appetizers and enjoyed the Papa Rellanas, a ball of potatoes with beef inside. They have a wonderful patio out back. Just recently at SXSW Elijah Wood was the DJ for a cool craft party, but that has nothing to do with the food….

Casino El Camino: SE go to 6th and go left This is a great dive bar on the famous 6th street, and has really great hamburgers. However they are not open for lunch and the wait for a burger is 20 minutes to an hour and a half, and after an hour and a half wait probably a bad hamburger would taste good.

Torchys: SE go to 6th and go left: A small taco stand, there is a small bar to sit at inside. I blush thinking about the names of some of the tacos they serve, but they are definitely worth it. The trailer trash taco and green chili tacos are excellent.

Daddy’s: SE go to 6th and go left: If there are sports on, this is the place to go. General bar fare, there is a lot of fried food available on the menu. Eh.

Roux: SE go to 6th and go left: The restaurant has a tagline of “Cajun Con-fusion”, and while I don’t know what that means, it is a good lunch place. The sammich’s are pretty tasty.

Mekong River: SW go to 6th and go left Vietnamese restaurant, right next to where the duck tours begin. Sometimes the service is slow, and there is nothing that really stands out about this place to me. If you would like some noodles it is the place to go in the area.

B.D. Riley’s: SW go to 6th and go left: Another bar on 6th street, the fish and chips are pretty tasty. On the weekdays they have live music at lunch.

Marisco Grill: SW go to 6th and go left A little tex mex restaurant on sixth, there is friendly waitstaff. It is the closest Mexican place from the Omni, and it can really be hit or miss. While there will be people who disagree, I do like their salsa and the nachos, which is enough for a meal.

Jimmy Johns: SW go to 6th and go right: A chain sandwich place that is fast and easy.

Congress:

Starbucks at 9th: NW go to Congress and go right: I don’t have to explain this one do I?

Marakesh: NW go to Congress and go right: A charming little middle eastern restaurant on Congress, only open on Saturday for lunch. I enjoy their falafels, but they have over 20 different sandwiches at lunchtime and usually the service is pretty fast.

Little City: NW go to Congress and go right I have not eaten at Little City, but when I mentioned to my coworkers that I was listing places to eat, many of them said Little City had to be on the list. A coffee shop, at lunch they have sandwiches on the menu. With their organic greens in the sandwiches and the salads, the menu is fresh and light.

Hickory Street: NW on the corner at Congress The salad bar is what drives me to Hickory Street for lunch…. as well as the outside patio. A nice place to sit and relax and people watch the Congress Avenue foot traffic.

Subway: NW go to Congress and go right A chain, you need a quick sandwich, and it is there.

Roaring Fork: SW on the corner at Congress No lunch on the weekends. In the bar they have really good guacamole though.

Silhouette: SW go to Congress and turn left Another place that has mixed reviews. Monday is all day sushi happy hour, and I can be seen there pretty much every week unfortunately it does not have a weekend lunch.

Pita Pit: SW on the corner at Congress Another fast cheap lunch alternative to traditional sandwiches.

Hideout: SW go to Congress and turn left Frankly I go to the Hideout for the breakfast tacos, they are delivered from other eateries in town. They do however have sandwiches and occasionally soups on the menu.

Wiki Wiki Teriyaki: SW go to Congress and turn left A fast place to get an edible chicken teriyaki or bowl of meat and rice.

Jamba Juice: SW go to Congress and turn left Chain. Smoothies and snacks like soft pretzels, chips, and Pirate Booty.

Starbucks at 6th: S SW go to Congress and turn left Yes, two Starbucks on Congress in walking distance… surprise, surprise.

Manuels: SW go to Congress and turn left Interior Mexican food, there are a few things I really enjoy at Manuels. One of which is the Chile Poblano soup. It is quite spicy, but it has a lot of flavor. Manuel’s has won a number of “best of” awards for the Austin Chronicle.

La Traviata: SW go to Congress and turn left La Traviata is not open for lunch on the weekends. I have been there a number of times, and the restaurant is quite small but the specials are always worth it. The chicken picata has been a favorite with many of the co-workers.

Kyoto: SW go to Congress and turn left No lunch on weekends, great lunch menu on weekdays.

Las Manitas: SW go to Congress and turn left Every time I hear about Las Manitas, there is something new happening. An important landmark on Congress, they are talking about knocking this place down. Probably the longest walk of all the restaurants listed, this place serves a wonderful breakfast, and is always full at lunch time and weekend breakfast.

7th Street:

1886: SW enter through the Driskill Within the Driskill, the 1886 is a nice little restaurant with a nice patio that is also nice for people watching when the weather is right. I love their HUGE Crispy Chicken Cobb Salad and their Mama’s meatloaf. In a hotel, the food is a little pricy.

Thai Passion: SW past Congress on the left A great Thai place downtown that is easy to get to from the Omni. There hasn’t been anything I have ordered that I haven’t liked.

Koriente: SE go left on 7th A healthy Korean food restaurant, not open for lunch on the weekends.

8th street:

Amsterdam Café: Pizza and sandwiches (and alcoholic beverages).

Gumbo’s: No lunch on weekends. Pretty pricey for dinner.

Red River:

Jamie’s Spanish Village: NE go to Red River and make a left A true Tex Mex experience. You walk up to Jamie’s and the first thing you notice is the glass on the top of the wall. It is a strange building with short ceilings, but if you want smothered chile con carne enchiladas/tamales you have come to the right place.

Stubb’s: NE go to Red River and make a left A great place for listening to music, Stubbs is a barbeque place as well and good for a quick bbq meal in walking distance. I like their chopped beef brisket sandwiches.

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