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I ordered the pork chops, but I asked if they could be cooked just until they turned pink, rather than well-done. The vegetarian waitress went to the kitchen, came back and said, "They're already cooked."

They weren't bad, for well-done pork chops. There were two of them. They were sliced too thin, but they had a spicy rub on the outside. They sat in a watery pool of sweet glaze. The mashed potatoes served on the side were wonderful, and the chopped asparagus was pleasantly crunchy.

My dining companion, Jay Francis, ordered the meat loaf. What he got looked more like large meatballs in spaghetti sauce. He said it tasted like bottled spaghetti sauce, at that. I sampled a couple of bites. I actually liked the Italian-style meat loaf okay. A side of pasta might have been a better accompaniment than the mashed potatoes, but that's a lot to ask of a burger joint. What I really liked was our tab, which came to almost exactly 20 bucks, including my bottomless cup of herb tea.

Jay Francis wasn't impressed. "You can get the best meat loaf in town for the same price," he told me. I, of course, challenged him on that. And the next thing I knew, we were sitting at Beaver's, Monica Pope's new icehouse near Washington and Sawyer, eating meat loaf.

As we sampled Beaver's big cube of airy meat loaf, Francis speculated that they beat the meat mixture with eggs or something to make it fluffy. It was spectacular, transcendent meat loaf with wonderful mushroom sauce served over the top. And it was listed on the menu for ten bucks, a dollar more than Dry Creek's spaghetti sauce version. I agreed with Francis that it was the best meat loaf I've had in ­Houston.

"Beaver's barbecue isn't there yet, though," I said as I gnawed on a big tough pork rib that tasted like it had been cooked with diesel fuel. Word is that they're on their second barbecue pit boss, and they've switched from oak and alder to mesquite and cherry wood. The brisket had an aroma reminiscent of burnt rubber.

Despite the bad barbecue, Beaver's was very busy on a Tuesday night. I think their innovative cocktails are a big part of the attraction. But I also think Beaver's Icehouse is growing in popularity for the same reason that Dry Creek Café and all those restaurants in Austin are packed all the time. The social scene is way more interesting than the food.
_____________________

It wouldn't take much work to improve the food at Dry Creek Café. How hard would it be to get some fresh, never-been-frozen meat and some buns that didn't fall apart in your hands? Wouldn't it be great if a cool hangout like Dry Creek Café served fresh-made spicy burgers like the ones at Tornado Burgers?

But if the food was great, would it still feel like an Austin hipster hangout?

Write Your Comment show comments (8)

  1. I ate at Dry Creek a few months after they opened and the service was terrible. I put off trying it again for about a year, after some customers at Onion Creek insisted the place was good, but again, the service was awful. When a waiter asks you if you want your check before you've even had a chance to look at the menu (which you've waited twenty minutes to get), you know something is really, really wrong.

    Comment by Anse — January 25, 2008 @ 06:39AM

  2. Places with bad food aren't hip, and if they draw a crowd of undiscerning diners, ya gotta ask yourself, are these people really worth knowing?

    Comment by Dan Waddell — January 27, 2008 @ 08:31PM

  3. Austin envy will get you no respect in this city!

    PRINT IT

    Comment by MidtownCoog — January 29, 2008 @ 08:43AM

  4. Isn't smoked salmon just called smoked salmon? Lox and Nova are both brined salmon, though the brine for the Nova should be considerably milder.... Right?

    Comment by justin — February 3, 2008 @ 12:01AM

  5. Robb, I agree it's cool that Onion Creek/Dry Creek gives Houston a slight taste of an Austin vibe. I will, however, share two opinions of genuine lifer Austinites regarding this scene. My buddy Landis Armstrong, guitarist for Paula Nelson and others, absolutely loves the places. Landis' dad is Bob Armstrong, former agriculture commissioner and namesake of the "Bob Armstrong plate" at Matt's El Rancho, so he's a legit source. The second is Paul Minor, local Austin music scene institution and member of the (Austin Chronicle) Texas Music Hall of Fame. He was utterly repulsed by the "Keep Austin Weird (trademark registered w/ Book People)" deal in the center of Houston. His words were along the lines of "That's just wrong in Houston- Houston has it's own vibe that has nothing to do with Austin". Paul is a fan of both places, for completely different reasons. I, for one, like Onion Creek's food and coffee just fine and really like what they have done to both the OC and Dry Creek buildings, insofar as remodeling with soul and respect for the surrounding community. I did move out of the Heights about 8 years ago when the whole place began to look too nice for the likes of me. Anyway, I am glad those cats have done something in the neighborhood to "Keep Houston Worth It" for some accidental Houstonians who look wistfully west at the image and brand of Austin. - David Beebe

    Comment by David Beebe — February 5, 2008 @ 11:21AM

  6. Justin-
    Lox is salted, pickled or cured. The category includes gravlaks.
    Nova, short for Nova Scotia salmon, is salt-cured and smoked.
    More info: http://www.ochef.com/1019.htm

    David-
    Houston and Austin have a complex relationship and should seek counseling.

    Comment by robb walsh — February 9, 2008 @ 06:10AM

  7. When will Houston cafes come into their own? Are they not capable of defining their own identity.
    I know it is "trendy" to mimic the Austin cafes, but come on folks, do SOMETHING original.

    Comment by PJ Devine — February 9, 2008 @ 09:43PM

  8. Re: "When will Houston cafes come into their own?" Houston cafes are just nonexistent. Anyone recall the Diedrich's on Westheimer or Greenberry's on Alabama? Both closed in the past year or so. These were great coffee shops but Houston has no demand for laid-back quirky establishments. I'd take that over Houston's typical soulless strip-mall options any day.

    Comment by AnonyMouse — February 14, 2008 @ 09:57AM

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