Curra's - Mexican Food, Yucatan Style

Curra's Grill - 614 Oltorf Street, Austin TX 78704

512.444.0012

www.currasgrill.com

After several attempts to find a good authentic Mexican restaurant in Austin, Abby and I ended up at Curra's, which came recommended by a local foodie. We were excited to try it, as it featured interior Mexican cooking from the Yucatan region--something that we never yet tried.

Atmosphere:

In my opinion, good Mexican should never be too upscale. So while Curra's features a nice enough atmosphere, it's nothing fancy. The interior has colorful chairs and tables and even showcases Aztec-style art on the walls. Although Abby and I sat outside, I kept peeking inside, admiring a large Aztec tapestry.

The pro of sitting outside was that we got to enjoy the music of a live band. This is quite common in Austin, as I mentioned in my Stubb's review--and it's what I absolutely love about this city. Just like at Stubb's, the vibe at Curra's was casual and laid-back. We didn't feel rushed, as we let ourselves relax after a long working day.

Food:

After our dining experience at Curra's, we couldn't be happier that we took our friend's advice. The food was spectacular and the drinks were among the most original I've ever seen.

Chile con Queso - We just had to have this, as we knew that Austin features some of the best homemade queso in the country. We ordered a small but the portion seemed bottomless--even after we were done, there was a lot left over. The queso was absolutely delicious--it was chunky with plenty of ground beef and the actual cheese was as smooth as silk. A nice touch was the spoonful of guacamole on top--it was simple but a nice complement to the cheese. The chips were awesome too--they were super thin, light and maybe even homemade.

Avocado Margarita - Our foodie friend told us about this unusual margarita--only in Texas... I was on a mission to try it and was so glad that I did. Despite it sounding peculiar and unappetizing, it was fabulous. Citrusy from the lime, it had only the faintest hint of avocado. I think that the avocado showed itself more in texture--it was really creamy and buttery. Abby tried it too and was surprised at how good it was.

Mole Enchiladas - You might laugh at the above picture of these (I did!)--look like anything familiar? Besides its unnerving "natural" presentation, this dish was spectacular. The mole sauce was thick and almost chocolatey, perfectly paired with the tender chicken and beef enchiladas. I liked the modest sprinkling of sesame seeds on top, never seeing this before, I thought it was original and very tasty. The sides of refried pinto beans and rice were also great and I devoured almost everything on my plate.

Fish Tacos - This was Abby's entree and although I didn't try it, she loved it. The tacos were stuffed with fried snapper filet strips, served with fruit, pico de gallo and chipotle cream sauce. Abby who's sort of a fish taco connoisseur was muy impressed!

Service and Cost:

Just like at Stubb's, the service was really fast. The minute that we sat down, our order was taken and I think that our food arrived within 15 minutes of us sitting down. As I mentioned, we didn't feel rushed--so we hung out for quite a while and enjoyed some good conversation.

The prices at Curra's were incredible. Our margaritas were $4.95 each as well as the queso, while our entrees were both under $10. The entire dinner cost less than $25 each and I can't even explain how full we were--literally bursting at the seams.

3 Mmmms