Cafe Josie

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allenej

Joined 9 years ago

Not worth it. I went with a group of friends for my birthday celebration dinner. It is listed here as $ - Under $20; however, there were only a couple of menu selections that were under $20 (Management has told me that they are trying to get this changed on Citysearch). The food was just ok, so it was certainly overpriced. The servings were tiny, and that means a lot coming from someone who's 5'0", 100lbs. Substitutions are not allowed at all because it would "compromise the integrity of the food" or something of that nature. Not allowing your customer to get garlic mashed potatoes instead of cotija black beans is ridiculous, especially when paying $25 for a handful of food. The waitress added a 45% tip and disagreed with me when I challenged her calculations. She then got her calculator out to show me that I was wrong, but she discovered that she was indeed in error. I contacted Cafe Josie after the fact, and they were very professional about all of my concerns. Even still, the food/experience was not worth a repeat visit.

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austin_sommelier

Joined 7 years ago

Perfect in Every Way!!!. My mom, dad & grandmother were in town last weekend and wanted to have "a nice dinner". So, my wife & I took them to Cafe Josie. We'd never been there, but it had been well received on Citysearch & in The Fearless Critic Austin Restaurant Guide. I made reservations for 7:00 pm on Saturday. We showed up on time & were promptly seated.

Our waitress, Reeva (sp?) was exceptional. Not only did she make fantastic recommendations and take care of our every need, but she even recommended other fantastic restaurants for us to visit. For dinner, we ordered the Honey Chipotle Shrimp, Salmon w/ Garlic Dill Butter, Pepita Redfish w/ Mango Habanero Butter, Mesquite Grilled Meatloaf, & Mesquite Grilled Mahi Mahi. Everyone of us raved about our food. My redfish was phenomenal!!! For dessert, we had a black berry cobbler of some sort, which was also amazing.

The interior is very plain (i.e. not a lot going on), but the high windows and minimalist decor made for a very romantic place to dine. Also, the wine menu is very nice. It's not large, but that have a number of obscure selections, which are rarely found at larger restaurants.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Go Caribbean at this colorful downtown cafe.. In Short
Pale green walls lighten the high ceilings and airy interior, while an earthy brick floor warms it up. The clientele tends toward couples and the downtown after-work crowd. Cafe Josie is famous for its soups, but also features seafood and salads--many of which are less spicy than what some may expect from Caribbean fare.
Entrees include a field greens salad with walnuts, feta cheese and crunchy Asian pears and a redfish sprinkled with pumpkin seeds.

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jcb1975

Joined 7 years ago

Best calamari ever. I love this little restaurant! The food is always fresh, well prepared and interesting. I can always expect a new flavor or creative use of spices to pique my interest. Chef Mayes is constantly experimenting and turning out some of the best dishes I have ever had. Extremely creative, great service, good wine list. Go there!

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smarger

Joined 8 years ago

One of the top 3 places to eat in Austin. I have been to 180 countries and had the opportinity to eat at many of the world's finest restaurants. Cafe Josie is as good as any of my top 10 choices. Not the best in terms of decor, but who eat's decor anyway... Keep up the great work.. "Chef Sandy"

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austincitygirl

Joined 9 years ago

Excellent!. This restaurant was perfect for a nice dinner out. Menu is a la carte ($20-$26 for entrees) and perfect for a special night out. It's quiet and romantic. The ahi tuna is absolutely amazing -- a must try. Desserts are all incredible. Our server was impeccable with menu and wine selections, had perfect timing and was very friendly and pleasant. Low lighting, original artwork, white table cloths and perfect menu choices. The Wally Womack Gallery next door provided great window shopping after dinner.

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russelam

Joined 10 years ago

My favorite restaurant in Austin!. I love this place for many, many reasons. Let's start with the food - it's excellent! I've eaten at Cafe Josie several times over the past 2 years and the food has been excellent every time. I love that they serve food with a tropical flair. I like interesting flavors and spice - this place has it all. Try the goat cheese appetizer and the calamari. I don't really like calamari, but this stuff was great - very tender. My husband propsed to me at Cafe Josie and our parents met for the first time there also (those are some of the other reasons why I love this place : )

Doesn't Recommend

recruit911

Joined 10 years ago

No Substitutions. I have eaten here a couple times for lunch and have not been impressed either times. The second time I ate there is the reason I'm writing. I had the chicken breast which came with a side and on top of cous cous. I am on a strict diet and do not eat cous cous, so asked for a substitution of another vegetable. I was perfectly prepared to pay a substitution fee. But no can do. Not because they didn't have another vegetable, simply because the chef thought it would "take away from the designed dish". The chicken was so dry, I wasn't sure if it was chicken anymore. The side portion was also small.

The cost was excessive at $15.00 and left feeling ripped off. I am a small person weighing only 105 lbs and it doesn't take that much to fill me, but I left hungry.

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branv

Joined 11 years ago

Nice experience. We stumbled across this place, wasn't aware that it was more of a finer dining experience. Considering I was wearing jeans, a tshirt & flip flops, I could have gotten "the eye", but service by the hostess & waitress was gracious and professional. The goat cheese appetizer was absolutely AMAZING. So many layers of flavors...not for more then 2 people, it's very small. I enjoyed my caesar salad, though the soup was too heavy in Cilantro, and husband LOVED the pork tenderloin. My disappointment were the small # of entrees...all flesh, no pastas. The creme brulee was fair, but even Central Market makes a smoother one. Overall, nicely done, good as a romantic spot.

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riverdale

Joined 10 years ago

Excellence. Great people, great atmosphere and excellent food.

Easy to get to and find. You find that the portions and perfect and that the chef and staff are knowledgeable with out pretense.