Zax Pints and Plates

11/13/2007 Posted by samurisam

This place I think is more for the location and atmosphere then a great dining experience although I would reccomend it for a social get together since the atmosphere is great. The food and drinks are above average and I would rate those good just not great. Check it out. Lots of variety.

Pros: Location, Atmosphere, Selection

Cons: Price a little high, Food good not great

10/09/2007 Posted by habitez

This place was great. The atmosphere is lovely. I enjoyed the sweet mashed potatoes. The filet kabob was extremely tender. We loved it so much we returned for happy hour a week later. The goat cheese, chicken and caramelized onion pizza was delicious. I can't wait to go back. The happy hour is a real bargain and the normal entree prices are around 14-20.

Pros: food, beer selection

Cons: servers seem a bit aloof

05/21/2007 Posted by redcloud

Zax has the best crabcakes I've ever tasted. Their house salad is also fantastic. I hardly ever try anything else on the menu because the crabcakes are what I go for. The service is good, and I've never had to wait more than a few minutes for a table.

Pros: Great food

Cons: Closed Sunday evenings

05/11/2007 Posted by melissafromaustralia

exceptional food, fresh and clean tasting water, friendly hostess and waitstaff. as i was leaving work today i remembered there was an interesting looking restaurant i had been wanting to try...with no particular cravings in mind it couldn't have been a more perfect day to try Zax's Pints and Plates. I was pleasantly surprised to find such modern furniture and love the layout of the interior restaurant...the bar is so inviting looking! I chose to sit outdoors on the cobblestoned patio and immediately fell in love with the place. The black bean burger was perfect, with just the right ratio of bean patty and jack cheese...the bun was soft and NOT soggy and the pico de gallo finishing it off. Their french fries are out of this world...better than my words can express. My waitress was new, and a little unsure of herself...both her and the hostess were very willing to answer (or find answers to) my questions on holding personal events at their location.

Pros: food, service, environment

Cons: on a busy street!

05/02/2007 Posted by vvillas

Vicky and I have 3 young kids so do not get out as a couple very often. Our date nights are special and we do like to try new places. Zax was a delightful evening. We sat on the patio and could hear the faint Jazz sounds of the trio through the window. Our server was pleasant and attentive. We are not big eaters so we shared our meal. We had the cheese and olive starter. We both found this starter to be plentiful with a good variety of cheese and olives. The server offered more bread for our cheese, twice. We next had the house salad. The server offered to split the salad with two plates when she overheard that Vicky does not like bleu cheese. The salad was tossed with a house dressing and was just the right portion for 2. The pizza was next. The hand made crust was delicious and even sharing we did not finish the last slice. Altogether we had 1 soda, 2 beers, split an appetizer, salad and pizza and our bill was $23.00. We thought this was good value and ended the evening with 2 more beers at the bar. We talked about our evening and our experience on the way home and decided that this was a great place to meet our other parent friends on a future date. Zax, thank you for a great date night.

Pros: Clean, modern and trendy

04/19/2007 Posted by karencorbin

If you're into modern hip decor this is your place. Very hot and trendy spot. Begin with Calamari, you won't be disappointed. Dine away on Flat Iron Steak-au-Poivre which is melt in your mouth yummy and delightfully pan seared with brandy and a green (not kidding) peppercorn sauce. For an added twist ask your server for a Brandy Alexander made with ice-cream (for best results) and a dash of nutmeg. It could replace a spendy not so tasty dessert you've tried so many times before. Think about having a larger group here and you'll all be glad you did. This is a dining experience for hip baby boomers as well.

Pros: a modern trendy mode but a good crowd pleaser for after work

Cons: little ambience on our trip

03/02/2007 Posted by zjustice

I always have an awesome time at Zax. Great food, great beer, great customer service. Seared Tuna and a glass of wine or Martini is the way to go..

Pros: Beer, Wine, food etc

02/24/2007 Posted by johnjbriody

From the moment I entered the front door, my experience --- I believe -- was similar to attempting to get mass transit during Katrina. It was a disaster. They showed us a table with 4 chairs - one of them was wet -- & told us not to sit in it. Took us 20 minutes to get menus (afdter I asked for them), another twenty to order a "starter" (menu name). They may change that to "finisher". When we expressed our dis-satisfaction and requested our check, the owner had the gall to ask me if I lived in Austin, as if it would make a difference. Well, I do live in Austin and I will not eat nor drink at Zax's Pints and Plates -- ever again. Believe me it was worth the $21.00 plus tip to save my money on a meal. We left - drove to another rest - and probably finished that meal before we would have been served at Zax's.

Pros: It's across the street and next to other choices

Cons: It's open

11/29/2006 Posted by carvelo

I have lived in Austin for about 5 years now and I just ate the best meal I've had at Zax. My expectations for the beer selection were high, but I didn't anticipate the food to be that tasty. However, once I'd left, my impression was exactly the opposite! The beer selection is pretty good, providing a decent selection of smaller brewers' beers, but I was really hoping for more Belgian beers. They didn't have even one when I went in! Now, onto the WONDERFUL part. I had the pork loin with rum mashed sweet potatoes and mixed vegetables. WOW!!!! The pork was the most tender, juicy pork I'd ever tasted. It was cooked and seasoned perfectly. I had them prepare it medium and that's exaclty how it arrived. The mixture of rum and sweet potatoes was novel and a huge success. For those that are very sensitive to rum, you might find it overwhelming, but I thought it was just right. Mixed veggies (squash, beans, broccoli) were nothing to write home about, but still tasted great. Seriously, nothing could have been better about this meal. Our service was great, too. FYI, if you're concerned about the price, check out restaurant(dot)com for their cheap discounts that make this restaurant more affordable.

Pros: Quality of food, preparation, ambience

Cons: overrated beer selection, parking

11/17/2006 Posted by kpp58

this place is kind of a rip off. but its very cute and has a great selection of high-brow food and drink in a fun atmosphere. the polenta is great and the drinks taste better here for some reason.