(Catching up? Read Austin-Part I here and Austin-Part II here.)
What: Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill
Where: 303 Red River, Downtown
When: Brunch served Sunday 10am-2:30pm
Honey's Heart: Pigs in blanket, sweet potato casserole, cornflake fried chicken tenders
Moonshine serves its Southern comfort food for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday and hosts brunch and "Sunday dinner" on Sundays.
Brunch at Moonshine is served buffet style and costs $15.95 per person. Nick and I thought that was a darn good deal considering the variety and quality of the food offered.
There was green chile cheese grits, sweet potato casserole with molasses, cornflake fried chicken tenders, chicken fried steak tenders with chipotle cream gravy, biscuits, corned beef hash with peppers and onions...
... waffles, pancakes, french toast, bagels, muffins, cinnamon pinwheels, apple and peach turnovers, cappuccino bundt cake, and bread pudding...
... omelets and scrambles, roasted new potatoes, sausages, toads in a hole, pigs in a blanket, garden salads, pasta salads, fresh fruit and more.
Now, I know there are several different buffet strategies out there (check out The Sporkful's podcast on the matter), but Nick and I are of the multiple-plate persuasion. We prefer to fill up our plates moderately, then return to the buffet with fresh plates after we've finished each "course." That way we can try new items as well as return to our favorites from the course before. The couple next to us preferred the load-your-plate-with-as-much-food-as-possible-so-you-don't-have-to-stand-up-again strategy. Definitely not for us.
Here are Nick's first round picks:
He went back for more cornflake fried chicken tenders and pigs in a blanket. Good choice.
And mine:
I too had another pig in a blanket (or three?) during my subsequent rounds and more sweet potato casserole as well. Jealous of that waffle, sister?
To help wash it all down, we each had a mimosa ($3.50), which are also available by the carafe ($18).
By the time Nick and I left the buffet, we had each had three plates of food (actually, Nick might have had four) and were stuffed to the brim. Everything was so tasty and there were so many options that we just couldn't help but keep eating. But that's the sign of a great buffet, right? (Or maybe just a sign that Nick and I are fat kids. Hmm.)
One final note on Moonshine: be prepared for a long wait if you don't get there right when they open their doors at 9:30am- this place is definitely not what you'd call a well-kept secret.
After brunch, Nick and I booked it back to the hotel so we could check out and catch our Greyhound bus to San Antonio. I wasn't really ready to leave Austin, there seemed like so much more left to explore, but it did feel good to sit down for awhile following that enourmous meal...
Next up: San Antonio. Stay tuned!
