ATXReview
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Buenos Aires Café
Included In
One of Austin’s few Argentine restaurants, Buenos Aires Cafe has held its own on the East Side for a while now. The empanadas are crusty (in the best way), and there’s a pretty big menu of meat-heavy dishes—like steaks, grilled chicken, and Argentinean sausages—all served with a tangy housemade chimichurri. The dining room is cozy, with wood-paneled walls and floors, packed full of tables that make the whole experience feel lively. And as if we needed another East Side secret to try to keep, there’s a speakeasy bar under the restaurant called Milonga Room—with vintage ’20s decor and excellent amaro-focused cocktails—that you should definitely visit after your meal.
photo credit: Richard Casteel
photo credit: Richard Casteel
photo credit: Richard Casteel
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Food Rundown
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Polenta
This side dish is one of our favorites—in part because it comes topped with a few slices of rich portobello mushrooms, but also because the portion is large enough to be an entree on its own. Order a side with your meal, then bring the rest home for a snack (or a whole other meal) later.
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Empanadas
It almost feels obligatory to order at least one empanada at an Argentine restaurant, and thankfully here, doing due diligence leads doesn’t feel like too much of a compromise. The empanadas here are excellent, with a flaky crust, and steaming hot centers. We like the spicy ground beef with raisins and green olives that add a little sweet/salty element to it, but we’re also big fans of the simple but decadent caramelized onions and cheese variety.
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Lomito Sandwich
One of our favorite options for a hearty lunch on the East Side, the lomito sandwich is simple in a way that allows it to showcase just a few quality ingredients—a light and fluffy toasted baguette, a rich strip of grilled beef tenderloin, and a thin layer of chimichurri to brighten things up. And it’s served with a handful of crispy fries, which we’ll never complain about.
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Napolitana
If you haven’t had Argentinian Napolitana before, you might confuse this for chicken parmesan. The biggest difference is that the poultry is subbed out for savory beef cutlets, then breaded, fried, and topped with ham, baked cheese, and sweet, tangy marinara. It’s also incredibly delicious, and probably enough food for a couple of meals.