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(January 21, 2005)
Hey there restaurant fans, and welcome to Tin Star. Located at 1000 E.
41st, in Hancock Center, this place, at first glance, appears to be a
good example of the hottest, new trend in dining: fast casual. You walk
in, place your order at the counter, and then your food is brought to
you.The mood is southwestern with a slight nod to Tex Mex. But on a closer
examination, Tin Star, while you may get your order muy rapido, is anything
but casual.
Tin Star is the Austin franchise of a small chain out of Dallas, but there
is a uniqueness and sense of custimization to the menu offerings. This
is clearly a place worth getting to know.
Start with their homemade, smoky fire-soasted salsas. You want to talk
fresh? I visited the kitchen on my trip and watched the tray of tomatoes
getting fire-roasted. The result is a very engaging salsa served with
their cholesterol free chips. Nice way to begin.
The appetizers also reflect the uniqueness of the menu choices. The Boneless
Buffalo wings, tossed in a spicy sauce, are quite tasty. The Guacamole,
utilizing fresh avocados, onions, tomato, cilanto and lime is very good.
Nothing chain-like about it at all. They also offer a queso here that
you'll want to try. It's got a smoky flavor, and comes with grilled tomatoes.
It's the perfect consistency for dipping.
You would expect a southwestern style restaurant to have quesadillas,
and Tin Star has a particularly good Barbeque Chicken Quesdilla. This
one is a blast. It features gilled chicken and onions, jack cheese, potatoes
done in a demi-glaze and of course, a smoky barbeque sauce. Continuing
in the southwest mode, you've gotta try the Philly Cheesesteak Fajitas.
These are as unique spin on the East Coast favorite You can get it with
grilled steak or chicken but hey, the name is Philly Cheesesteak, right?
So get the steak. And it's sizzled with bell peppers, onions, mushrooms,
jack cheese and a nifty avocado ranch sauce.
I love southwest style pasta dishes and Tin Star has several good ones.
The Shrimp and Chicken Pasta, done in a very tasty lemon dill sauce is
one that goes down quite easily. But I am even more partial to the Spicy
Chicken Pasta. The chicken is tender and smoky, of course, but the creamy
chipotle alfredo sauce, over penne pasta, is the bomb. Try this one. And
the country-fried steak will make every Bubba, or even faux Bubbas, happy.
Served with a savory cream gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet corn and garlic
toast, it's got a zesty backbeat but it's still very comforting.
But the real star of the show atTin Star, in my humble opinion, are the
tacos. When's the last time you had a Bacon Cheeseburger taco? How about
the burger, bacon, cheddar chese, chipotle and barbeque sauces and lettuce
and tomate all in a warm tortilla? Now that's original. And another stellar
choice is the Mushroom-Swiss Burger with swiss cheese, mushrooms, mayo,
and lettuce and tomatoes. And again, the warm tortilla. Works for me.
The Roast Pork taco is also very tasty. I'm a pork lover and this one
doesn't disspoint. Blended with roasted onions and jalapenos, jack cheese,
raddishes and cilanto, this is literally mouth watering. And the Tempura
Shrimp Taco offers an entirely different taste sensation. The mix of tempura
shrimp, pico, bacon, carribean sauce, and cilantro works a subtle magic
on the taste centers en tu boca.
And then finish it off with a thick, creamy, luxurious strawberry milkshake.
This is an appropriate end to our feast. Again, TIn Star is at the Hancock
Center, and opens Monday-Friday at 10:30 Am to 11PM. Also open at 8AM
on the weekends. And did I mention they do breakfast tacos as well? Now,
all that's left in this equation is YOU. |
