There’s another new restaurant on South Congress which means we had to try it out.
We’ve been looking forward to Joann’s Fine Foods opening for a while. We’ve been frequenting that spot for years, even when it was the classic El Sol y La Luna and later as Snack Bar. When we heard Liz Lambert’s group was taking over the Austin Motel we were sure there would be something new and exciting going in.
Not long after, we heard McGuire Moorman Hospitality was partnering up to open a new Tex-Mex restaurant. You can never have enough Tex-Mex so we waited with anticipation as construction progressed.
Now that Joann’s is open I would have to call it Tex-Mex inspired. You’ll find chicken fried steak and turkey clubs right next to green chicken enchiladas and chile rellenos. I would argue that it’s also more Cali-Mex than Tex-Mex. None of this is bad. I love good Cali-Mex food and sometimes you just need a pork chop. Just keep it in mind when you stop in.
Having said all of that, there’s a lot to love here. These green enchiladas are great. I love the pickled onions and while I traditionally avoid sour cream, it really makes the dish. I highly recommend getting a bit in every bite.
Be warned that the enchiladas don’t come with rice and beans. That feels a little sacrilegious to me, but you can order it on the side for some extra cash. And if there’s any doubt, you should definitely order it.
This isn’t the Spanish rice you would expect, but it’s amazing. I was surrounded by the small of garlic as soon as it landed on the table. If you don’t like garlic maybe that doesn’t entice you. Then again who doesn’t like garlic? I may be biased though because I’m also the guy that eats whole garlic cloves when I get escabeche. Regardless of your feelings about garlic, it’s full of flavor and something I could eat a lot of.
We’ll definitely be back to Joann’s, especially since they’re so close to our house. There are few things as nice as taking advantage of that small window of time in Austin where we can walk to a restaurant from the house. It’s also nice to have a counterpoint to the heavier Tex-Mex that surrounds us.
Welcome to the neighborhood!
P.S.
I feel like we need to have a talk about your horchata.
Photo taken at: Joann’s Fine Foods