Besides being the capital city of the great state of Texas and the live music capital of the world, Austin is a city that serves up good food at top-notch restaurants. On a recent visit to Austin, I met some friends at a restaurant that I had never been to before. Moonshine Grill has two locations in the city: Avery Ranch on West Parmer, and its newest location on Red River Street in the downtown area.
Moonshine describes itself as serving classic American comfort food. I would say that it is classic American comfort food with a modern flare. Patrons will find a lot of interesting choices on the menu that make a decision hard. Order a beverage while you try to decide. Moonshine conducts happy hour from 3-00-6:00 p.m. at the Avery Ranch location and 4:00-600 p.m. at the Downtown location on weekdays. I recommend the Bourbon Slush which is a mix of bourbon, lemonade, sweet tea and orange juice frozen into a slushy consistency and served in a Moscow mule mug.
Many restaurants have nibbles at the table. Mexican establishments provide chips and salsa. Some other restaurants have peanuts in the shell. Moonshine has popcorn. It is nice to munch on something while reviewing all the unique and delicious choices on the menu. Order an appetizer while you are at it for some extra time to make a decision about the main part of the meal. We ordered a Cathead Biscuit with honey butter. and preserves. The biscuit was crispy, almost like puff pastry and coated with honey butter.
The staff was friendly and personable as they took the orders. We all ordered something different. My husband ordered the Chicken Fried Steak with the Chipotle Cream Gravy on the side. Mashed potatoes is the designated side dish, but they were willing to substitute the mashed potatoes for french fries.
I ordered the Green Chile Macaroni with Fried Chicken Tenders, corn bisque and bacon gratin.
One of the three friends we were with on this night ordered the Creole Shrimp and Grits with tasso ham and a baguette.
Another order was Jalapeno Hanger Steak with Yukon mashers and salsa verde.
Finally, the last order was Center Cut Pork Chop with Cranberry Apple Chutney, herb salad and Yukon mashers.
Room for dessert? Not on this day, but the choices included Banana Cream Pudding, Peanut Butter Mousse Pie, Bread Pudding, and a Chocolate Mason Jar with chocolate brownie, chocolate mousse and raspberry sauce. I will have to make another trip to Moonshine one day for dessert only, so I can try one of these desserts!
No one will leave disappointed or hungry at Moonshine! On your way out, don’t forget to spend some time under the live okas with your friends to make for a memorable night.
