Welp, like most others I have found a lot of extra time on my hands recently. I am writing this in the midst of Covid-19 and Austin’s shelter-in-place order. So while I am lucky enough to still have a job to go to, and am finishing up my online classes I thought I should also finish up some posts about some safe Austin eats. Especially since with every passing day I am one day closer to moving out of the big ‘ol state of Texas.
So Maudie’s. It is kind of funny, because I have seen Maudie’s so many times in passing. The one closest to my house is next to the Galaxy Cafe which I have eaten at plenty of times. But there is also just some great Mexican and Tex-Mex food here that I just never ended up at Maudie’s until recently. So here are my thoughts…
Environment
Maudie’s is a family-friendly sit down restaurant in Austin, Texas. They have multiple locations throughout the city and a rich history as well.
A month or so ago I visited the location in South Austin on Slaughter Lane. The location was very nice. It was a bit smaller than I would have thought, which meant some tables were relatively close together. This would not have been a problem, but I took one of the kids I was out to dinner with to the bathroom and he decided to swerve in between tables on the way back to our table. Had we taken a different path I assume I would not have noticed this at all.
At the back of the restaurant they have a full bar with some bar stools there as well. From what I remember the decor inside this location was more Tex than Mex in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, it was nice, just different than expected. I was pretty invested in my conversations and did not take too many notes on the environment, but it was clean. We got seated right away and had amazing service while we were dining.
Food
First off I want to say I was very impressed with the servers knowledge of gluten-free options on their menu. I went in not having looked at the menu, because honestly at this point unless it is like an Italian restaurant or pizza place I usually don’t call ahead or look online. Do know that one day you could be in this place as well. I have navigated eating out gluten-free for over seven years now, and was exposed to it even before that. If you haven’t read it I talk more about how I put off going gluten-free while my dad and sister were already gluten-free here. So if you are not here yet, if you still feel most comfortable looking at menus and reviews beforehand please do that. I don’t want you to feel ashamed of wherever you are on your gluten-free journey.
So we are seated and the kids I live with are with us and the waiter brings a basket of chips. So I asked the waiter about the chips because I was going to ask for a second basket anyways. The kids I live with eat gluten regularly and we talk about gluten-hands a lot, so I obviously have to look out for myself when we all eat together. The waiter told me that the chips in the basket are fried with gluten-containing menu items. He then went on to offer me gluten-free chips, which are advertised on the menu too. They have a supply of pre-packaged celiac-safe chips that they offer to their customers that need them. I thought this was awesome. Mostly because he knew it was an option, and that they even cared enough to do this. So he brought me my own basket with an unopened bag of tortilla chips and a small bowl of salsa for myself.
For my meal I ordered the power bowl. It is similar to like a Chipotle bowl. It has rice and beans with meat and some veggies. At the time it was what sounded best and oh was it good. This menu item also needed no modifications to be gluten-free. Picking menu items you do not have to modify to make gluten-free is one way in which to limit the chances of cross-contact. I very much enjoyed my dinner and was not glutened from it.
Lastly I got a dessert to-go. Depending on the restaurant and who I am with really are some big determining factors if I get dessert. When I had looked over the menu before ordering I knew I wanted the gluten-free dessert option. I ordered it secretly to-go though because the kids were with us and the plan was that they were not going to get dessert. The gluten-free option is a flourless cake with raspberry sauce. It was just scrumptious. The cake was fudge-like and delicious. But to be truthful the raspberry sauce was the best part. I drowned my cake in it and tried to find ways to use the extra too. I definitely suggest this dessert and can’t wait to enjoy it again!
Overall
I was thoroughly impressed with Maudie’s Tex-Mex. There are a lot of great options for Tex-Mex here in Austin and therefore it took me awhile to visit Maudie’s. And that was a mistake, because they took care of me very well. I had no issues with ordering gluten-free and the waiter was knowledgeable and understanding of my needs. I highly suggest Maudie’s if you are dining in Austin and need gluten-free, or kid-friendly Tex-Mex.
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