BY MIKE PUCKETT

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Eureka! is located on the infamous 6^th Street in Austin, Texas. Whether you are looking for a scratch-made bite to eat, cool craft beer or small-batch spirit – you can find it all here. I felt like I had died and gone to heaven!

I absolutely love the live music scene in Austin and find myself on 6^th Street most of the time. Eureka! is smack dab in the thick of things – so it’s the perfect place to grab a gourmet burger and a beer or cocktail. They offer live music and incredible happy hour specials. This trendy, yet casual, destination is a favorite of mine. And I love the fact they stay open late… it just so happens I do, too. Ha!

The first thing you notice as you walk through the doors is how cool this place is. I am amazed at the design here. Everything from the wood tables, repurposed fixtures and art to the lighting. If you want to hang out in a real cool environment, you have found the right spot.

There is something about the Austin vibe that makes me want to sample specialty cocktails and craft beer. So that is exactly what I did!

After checking out the menu, we went with three different appetizers to share: the Lollipop Corn Dogs, Truffle Cheese Fries and the Osso Buco Riblets. All were amazing and we had our extremely informative bartender at Eureka! pair each item up for us. Great call, by the way. I highly recommend you do the same.

The Lollipop Corn Dogs showed up first paired with a rich and creamy Black Butte Porter. Each Polish sausage is dipped in a sweet corn batter, then fried. They were served with an amazing spicy Porter mustard that really emphasized the wonderfully sweet batter. Great choice to start things off!

The Truffle Cheese Fries came next and – placed in front of me… let’s just say they never left my sight. I couldn’t put the fork down! These fries were on another level – built with hand-cut fries and dusted with truffle salt, Parmesan and green onion. They were served with a delightful white truffle cheese sauce for dipping. The truffle salt and Parmesan were so plentiful I had some in every bite. Take a look at the photography and let me know if THAT is something you would be interested in. Ha!

The fries were paired with a Whisky Sour prepared with bourbon, lemon juice and sugar. What a very beautiful and tasty cocktail.

At this point, I need me a Top Texas Craft Beer. So, I went with a Blood & Honey from Revolver Brewing Company. This unique beer is made with Blood Orange zest and local Texas honey. I had to put my hand over my heart. I love Texas!

Once I had my Top Texas Craft Beer in hand, I used the other one to dig into the Osso Buco Riblets. At Eureka!, the Osso Bucco Riblets are nice-sized sherry-braised pork pieces served up with a fantastic firecracker aioli. These riblets really stole the show – so much flavor and perfectly accented by the spicy aioli. Reminded me of a nice plate of wings, only better. Don’t miss out on these, you can thank me later!

I have heard so many great things about the craft burgers here at Eureka! So, we ordered the Cowboy Burger first. This Texas-style burger had shoestring onion rings, bacon, cheddar, Beer Barbecue Sauce and was served with grilled asparagus and saffron crema. The Beer Barbecue Sauce gave it the tangy taste I love in a BBQ burger. The salty fried onion strings added the salty taste and crunchy texture that was a terrific complement to the perfectly-cooked burger. This is definitely my go-to burger here for sure!

I noticed a beautiful plate of tacos being served to the table next to us – and I knew I had to try them! The Lobster Tacos were the culprit and, come to find out, have limited availability – so get’ em while you can! These awesome tacos were stacked high with knuckle and claw lobster, cabbage, avocado, saffron crema, watermelon radish and were served with those precious panko onion rings. The lobster tasted so fresh and the combination of slaw, avocado and crema made every crunchy bite better than the last. If you are a fan of tacos, you will not go wrong here. And that’s a fact.

One of the favorite parts of this experience could not come soon enough. We let our lovely server choose a couple of desserts for us and she did a magnificent job. We got to enjoy the Chocolate Tartare and the Butterscotch Rum Pudding. Both desserts were extremely good, but there was something about the Rum Pudding that made this guy’s grin stretch from ear to ear.

The Butterscotch Rum Pudding at Eureka! has caramel sauce, whipped cream and sea salt sitting on top. I took a nice big spoonful and was able to capture every topping. Words can’t describe the sweet and salty flavor in my mouth. I have been dreaming of this delightful dessert ever since. It was that good!

Both decadent desserts were paired with a Mason jar of Holy Smokes Bourbon along with maple, chocolate and hickory smoke piped in. Seriously, this drink was infused with actual hickory smoke right in front of us. The taste was unlike anything I have ever tasted in a cocktail. You must try this cocktail along with the Butterscotch Rum Pudding.

What an amazing experience at an amazing restaurant in an amazing city. This was the perfect place to start out the night. So perfect – we decided not to leave! The environment was exactly what we were looking for and when the live music started up… well, that was all she wrote. You really need to check this place out if you haven’t already. Loved it!

 

Good Eats Austin Recommends…

Appetizers

Lollipop Corn Dogs

Polish sausage, sweet corn batter, spicy porter mustard

 

Paired with: Black Butte Porter

American Porter, Deschutes Brewery, Oregon, US

A rich, creamy mouthfeel complements a layered depth, revealing distinctive chocolate and coffee notes. Full of flavor, yet easy to drink

 

Truffle Cheese Fries

Truffle salt, parmesan, green onion, white truffle cheese sauce

 

Paired with: Whisky Sour

Bourbon, lemon juice, sugar

 

Osso Buco Riblets

Sherry braised pork, firecracker aioli

 

Paired with: Blood & Honey

American Wheat Ale, Revolver Brewing, Texas, US  

An unfiltered deep golden ale made with malted two row barley and wheat. The brew is finished with Blood Orange zest, local Texas honey and other spices that bring special flavors to this unique beer

 

Mains

Cowboy Burger

Shoestring onion rings, bacon, cheddar, beer barbeque sauce, served with grilled asparagus with saffron crema

 

Paired with: 512 IPA

American IPA, (512) Brewing Company, Texas, US

Big, aggressively dry-hopped American IPA with smooth bitterness balanced by medium maltiness. Organic 2-row malted barley, loads of hops, and great Austin water create an ale with apricot and vanilla aromatics that lure you in for more

 

Jalapeño Egg Burger

Fried egg, cheddar, bacon, chipotle sauce, pickled jalapeños, served with sweet potato fries

 

Paired with: Pacific Jade

Dry-Hopped Saison, Circle Brewing Company, Texas, US

Bright tropical and citrus notes of the Pacific Jade Hops wash over your taste buds and ride the wave to a crisp, peppery finish

 

Lobster Tacos

Limited availability knuckle and claw lobster, cabbage, avocado, saffron crema, watermelon radish, served with panko onion rings

 

Paired with: The Girls In The Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

Displays pale, straw yellow color that is reminiscent of Languedoc sunflowers or the mustard that brightens the valleys of California’s wine country every spring. On the nose, aromas of fresh fruit only available in July, with a touch of minerality. On the palate, it is refreshing, alive and especially memorable. A distinct yet delicate white wine experience meant to be shared

 

Fried Chicken Sliders

Mashed potatoes, reaper chili sauce, confetti slaw, signature hand-cut fries

 

Paired with: Mullet Cutter

English – Style Double IPA, Revolver Brewing, Texas, US

Brewed with a ridiculous amount of Weyermann Abbey malt for a slight honey sweetness, this beer is finished with three kettle hops: Summit, East Kent Goldings and Brambling Cross and is dry hopped with Citra

 

Desserts

Butterscotch Rum Pudding

Caramel sauce, whipped cream, sea salt

 

Chocolate Torte

Dark chocolate torte, vanilla ice cream, macadamia nuts

 

Both paired with: Holy Smokes

Bourbon, maple, chocolate, hickory smoke

 

PHOTOGRAPHY: MIKE PUCKETT