Snack Bar

A, J, E and I went out Friday night trying to find a new locale on South Congress to try for dinner.  We'd seen Snack Bar but heard few things about it positive or negative.  We decided to give it a shot.  The location is the old Sol y La Luna restaurant adjacent to Austin Motel.  They'd done a good job renovating and the projector showing Tom and Jerry cartoons was a nice/odd touch.

They have a brunch/lunch menu with entrees, but the dinner menu is more of a "shared appetizer" type fare.  The beverage selection was pretty solid:

 

Between the four of us, we knocked out a good portion of the menu:

Chile Rellenos - sweet peppers instead of the typical spicy poblano.  The sweet peppers were an interesting twist but quite frankly, the thick batter and lack of flavor really didn't do much for me.

Tres Sopas - We got one of each type, Picadillo, Mango Shrimp and Black Bean.  All three were pretty good.  The beef had a nice peppery spice, the mango worked well with the shrimp and the beans...well, A ate that one but I didn't hear complaints.

Spring Rolls - I'm not the best judge b/c spring rolls just aren't my thing.  But the general consensus was too much rice filling and not enough veggies.

Mac and Cheese - Find me one person who isn't a fan of Mac and Cheese and I'll show you a communist.  Problem here was that the m&c didn't seem like much more than the boxed stuff you get at the store.  A little parsley sprinkled on top does not gourmet make.

I've yet to throw out a negative review in my blog infancy, but this place was just subpar, especially given how much the dinner cost.  Save your time and walk over to South Congress Cafe.