luke (@ljlom) on taste

lukeljlom

16 following167 reviews

luke reviewed Cockti Juicy Fried ChickenMar 27

2701 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd

●3.8

cockti has been on the hit list for a while. they have a 4.9 on google maps…. not sure if I just went on an off day or the fine folks at google maps are missing tastebuds but. I was not a huge fan. there was potential in the first bite; the outside crisp is pretty good. but the chicken itself was stringy and chewy. I wish I liked it more but I was left pretty disappointed. fries were also a disaster. bottom 10-15th percentile.

200

luke, Riley, and lily went to Thai Fresh

Bouldin Creek, Austin

lukeMar 27

●7.8

moseyed over here after hopping in a nearby pool that lily snuck us into. saw some peacocks and an abandoned a-frame on the way. I got some five-spice pork dish where I subbed the noodles. the pork was super flavorful and tasty. the noodles I subbed didn’t have sauce though and were stuck together too much? and they didn’t really have any house sauce so I had to improvise. I was content with the meal but a lil disappointed with the noodles. the pork was good tho so that saved it.

300

Luke, manny, and rohit went to Sapori Italian Roots

Downtown, Austin

lukeMar 27

●8.9

pasta here is undeniably elite. it’s in a weird location downtown but was packed (sxsw) and they sold out of pasta! service was a bit slow but understandably due to how busy it was. very friendly and better service and attention than I was expecting to be honest; I figured it would be more of a walk up type situation. they used to be a food truck but became a brick and mortar a few years ago. focaccia was solid; there were some pieces I had which were incredible and others that were pretty disappointing and overly dense. pasta I got was so so good. very obviously made in house and the noodles were perfectly chewy. sauce complemented it really well also. I would love to try some other flavors here and some other pasta shapes. I left very impressed and with a full stomach. I think for vibes and overall I would still recommend patrizi’s but this place clears it (and every other spot in atx i’ve had) in the pasta department for sure.

200

luke reviewed Fonda San MiguelMar 17

2330 W N Loop Blvd

●7.1

birthday dinner for rohit 🥳 fonda san miguel is an austin institution that has been around for a while (since 1975!) the decor here is top notch and it is one of the most beautiful restaurants in austin i’ve been to. it’s a mexican villa on the outside and inside is a colorful collection of rooms and art. the ambiance does most of the heavy lifting here; the food is good but about on par with what you get at chuy’s. I was expecting a bit more considering it gets name dropped a decent amount online. the yucatán style pork I got was tender and pretty good but portion sizes were on the smaller side. the plantains were a little sad and the rice was just okay. queso starter was top tier. I wish the tortilla chips they had were a little better though; seemed like they poured them straight outta a bag. I think if you are looking for a vibey date and don’t care about cost then check this place out. other than that, I don’t think it’s necessary to visit.

310

phonz & tungsten went to Parish Barbecue

MLK, Austin

lukeMar 16

●9.1

parish has been near the top of my hit list for a while! it opened within the past year or two, and instantly made waves in the atx food scene. it’s got a bib gourmand from michelin and is rated in the top 25 by infatuation. parish is cajun style bbq. they have all the classics of central texas bbq but there are some unique additions, sauces, and sides much like KG a few blocks over. with parish, manor road adds another notch to its belt as one of the best foodie roads in austin. me, manny and george had a great monday morning run and rewarded ourselves with an excellent spread of bbq. here’s the run down… pulled duck: a unique addition. I really enjoyed the flavor here. I wish it was slightly more tender but it hit the spot and I would definitely order again. ham: I was very tentative on us ordering this. i’m a ruthless ham hater and I think it’s very hard for me to enjoy it. however this blew me away. another non tradition meat; this is a must get. it was so tender and perfectly fatty. the bark on it had a really good char as well. blended great with the sauces. brisket: the staple. I liked it. would have liked it more if we had more fatty over lean but it was very serviceable. honestly if you are looking for brisket or visiting from out of town, I would prob recommend terry blacks or most other places over this. they did a fine job, but don’t come here for just the brisket. pork ribs: I wasn’t a big fan of these. I think I got a bad part because it wasn’t super tender and had too much bone. boudin: this was unique for sure. glad I tried it but it’s not really my cup of tea. the spices were too overwhelming and I feel like the rice didn’t add much. I don’t think it’s parish’s fault tho; I think I just don’t like this type of sausage. crawfish dressing: this was like a stuffing with crawfish inside. it seemed too unique to not try. I was thoroughly impressed. great flavor profile and they give a really healthy portion. fried roll: this was like a donut almost. they deep fry a bread roll and serve it was honey siracha butter. i’d recommend it. overall I was impressed with parish. they have a unique take on bbq which is much appreciated. they execute it well and I would definitely be down to return.

300

manny, Luke, and Jibraan went to Komé: Sushi Kitchen

North Loop, Austin

lukeMar 16

●6.5

I really wanted to enjoy kome more than I did… but I was kinda disappointed. to be fair, ambiance and service was pretty top notch. the karaage was very mediocre. chicken tasted a bit rubbery and it didn’t really taste fried. more roasted. on the sushi front: the rolls were okay. rice was kinda on par with an AYCE spot, maybe slightly better. fish was fresh but quantity was a bit lacking for the price. for me personally, I don’t see a need to return here unfortunately. while it is more affordable than the high end spots in austin, I don’t think it delivers anywhere near the quality that those places do. i’ll stick to the uchi’s for a top tier sushi meal. and i’ll stick to the ayce spots for all else.

300

luke reviewed Tumble 22 - Texas Chicken JointMar 16

2304 Lake Austin Blvd

●8.0

lowkey elite trip to tumble. needed a quick lunch since I didn’t gave groceries. service was so fast. collard greens hit (although a lil more broth that I would have liked) sandwich was banging. perfect blend with gochujang and slaw. crispy and tender. one of many spots that started as a local austin joint and has expanded. quality is maintained here. highly recommend for your chicken sandwich needs.

200

luke reviewed Nate's Baked Goods & CoffeeMar 16

401 Orchard St suite b

●8.5

one of the best breakfast sandwiches in austin. soft bun, thick cut bacon, avocado, and a very good and fluffy sausage and peppers quiche. also pimento cheese. feels like cheating to put all this tasty stuff in a sandwich. a lil on the pricey side; I normally never get breakfast out but was moving so didn’t have groceries yet.

300

phonz & tungsten went to Wingzup

Hancock, Austin

lukeMar 16

●6.8

best wings in america? 🤨 they’re pretty good but I would classify them marginally better than pluckers. the golden style that manny got were def the best; sauces were enjoyable and fries were standard. hit the spot after moving stuff all day. i’d say worth trying but not worth going out of the way for. hard to beat the value at plucks.

300

lily, manny, and luke went to Culver’s

Austin, Texas

lilyMar 13

●4.3

the cheese curd was very salty but they have good pickles so points for that. not something I’d feel the need to get again

mannyOct 10

●4.9

we curded out on tuesday at newly renovated culver’s! the curd burger did not reach expectations but was not a bad experience. probably won’t get it again but down to try more at culver’s

lukeOct 9

●8.4

post run club Culver’s trip. last week they were closed due to renovations, this week they welcomed us with open arms and a freshly decorated interior. main motive of the trip was to try the curd burger™️. I normally get a side of cheese curds but today I tried the onion rings (since the curd was already on the burger). also ordered a root beer float which was phenomenal. the curd burger itself only had one patty which was a lil disappointing. other than that it was very similar to the standard butter burger with the addition of a massive cheese curd on top. I wish the cheese curd was a lil more gooey. it was soft but no big cheese pull. I enjoyed it as a limited item but will be going back to my typical double burger order with a side of cheese curds. culver’s is def a top three fast food in my opinion; sides are great, burgers on point and the shakes/custards also are very consistent. 😊 last pic is of lily trying to claim she ate here even though she only stole a bite from someone 🤔

700