Buenos Aires Café

The gnocchi has ruined me for all other gnnocchi. Everything we had was very good and the staff was very nice.
Too bad the same can’t be said for their second location in East Austin (very snooty wait staff who will snub and talk smack about you for having a coupon… seriously?)

Buenos Aires Café Sur will be closing on 8÷28÷10. The new Hill Country Galleria location opens on 9÷08÷10. South Austin get it while you can, the surf and turf special is fantastic. Mike our waiter did an outstanding job.
All the best to BAC. See yall at the Galleria.

Their shaded patio is great for a really relaxing lunch, and the dim/​romantic lighting at night make this place the perfect location for a dinner-​date. The specials and soup of the day are always fantastic, and be sure to try an empanada.
It’s all about the meat… *vegetarians beware.

Go for lunch. The menu is better, the service is better, and the prices are better.
I’ve been to this place twice now, once for lunch and once for dinner. My lunch experience far surpassed my dinner experience.
We had a slow waiter. He was really friendly, but christ almighty, he took ages to get anything done. The kitchen made me a «chef special» because I’m vegan, and it was basically a bowl of broccoli, green beans, spinach, peppers, and tomatoes sauteed with olive oil. Now I can’t really complain about that because I love veggies and I *did* have to order off the menu, but what I got wasn’t really the bomb for 15 bucks.
They have a nice menu for those who are omnivorous and the place is cute, but I’d save my time and money and go somewhere else. Its alright, but nothing to write home about.
If you are looking for a delicious lunch, though… hit this place up. Just skip dinner.

Cons: Some dishes «felt» a bit expensive. The special for the day was Beef Tenderloin, and was $ 28. It tasted good, and probably worth $ 28. We just wish we knew how much it’d have been (we’d have ordered it anyway, just wanted no surprise).
So perhaps the waiters can mention the prices when they explain the special dishes, or they could have written down somewhere their special dishes and their prices so that the customers may feel that they are indeed making their own choice.
In total, we had: a small spinach salad, 2 beers, and 2 entrees, which ended up over $ 80 including tax and tip.
But here’s why I still give 4 starts to this place–
Pros: Great service, very cute atmosphere, and the food is delicious. They don’t take reservations, but we walked in on a Friday night at 7:30pm, and there was no wait.

Good comfort food. Really nice atmosphere.
I’ve heard good things about this place, and they were right. It’s really cozy, only serve about 25 people. Very compact menu; our waiter said everything on the menu is good, and he was right about empanadas, some herb filled crepes, beef cutlets, and tres leches (they call it quatro leches, but I’ll call it how I want. I couldn’t find the other leche anyways).
I’ll definitely come back. The only reason I’m giving out 4 stars is that I’m still looking for some mind blasting place. that’sright, mindblasting.

This place first came to me as a recommendation from a client… and let me say, I too recommend this place now to my friends! I’ve been here on several occasions and this place has yet to disappoint me. I always seem to get the same waiter, and he is awesome too. He is quick, alert, and respectful.
I love going to places where it’s cozy and intimate. Not all the items on the menu have won my heart, but they are definitely worth trying.

I started the meal with a delicious spinach salad. It had apples, roasted pecans and a divine vinaigrette to top it off. For dinner, I had the special: an organic beef fillet with shrimps and two sides, mash potatoes and asparagus. AMAZING. The beef melted in my mouth. The shrimp and asparagus were cooked perfectly. I was thoroughly satisfied with my dinner.
The pollo empanada appetizer was lacking. My husband and I shared one. The two bites I had had cartilage! Blah. I’m afraid to order it again. But I will definitely go back and try another meal. Or maybe just hope they are serving the beef special again. AMAZING.

After I left, I told my husband the meal was sorta like Icarus… starts high and then THUMP.
We started the meal with empanadas… the husband had the tuna and I had the spinach. omg were those things good. They were some of the best small bites I have had in Austin. They were hot, flaky and tasty.
So, that was the flying high part. The bar got set pretty high and I had high hopes for the rest of the meal.
and then we waited. and waited. and waited.
oh. and waited some more.
I think the kitchen lost our ticket or something because the waiter came up and apologized to us and offered us a dessert on the house because it was taking so long.
Then the sandwiches came out. Here’s where the thud part comes in. I thought both of our sandwiches were just blah. I got the Milanese and the husband got the Portobella. Neither tasted particularly good. The Portobella was waaaaay too wet and had an off putting taste (perhaps in the squash that was on the sandwich). The Milanese sandwich was just really bland. In addition, the tomato on the sandwich was bland and also pretty runny so it was killing the crispiness of the meat.
The sides that came with the sandwiches were their saving grace. My husband got the fries and I got the spinach salad. The fries were excellent and crispy. The spinach salad was pretty run of the mill but the dressing was exceptional. Without the dressing, the salad was boring, but with it, the entire salad sung.
The end of the meal was a little odd. After promising us a dessert, the server dropped the ticket off at the table without a word. I’m really not one to complain about that sort of thing so we paid and didn’t say anything. When he returned to the table with our credit card, he had stuck a cookie in a bag and gave it to us.
Now the cookie was an excellent cookie. It was dipped in chocolate with a caramel center. I really liked it, but I do have a couple quibbles. First, if you are going to comp the table with dessert, don’t just give it to us as an after thought 2 seconds before we leave. I would have also preferred to actually pick it myself… actually, more important, allow my husband to pick it because he’s allergic to nuts. Finally, if you are going to drop off a cookie, how about 2 cookies for 2 people?
Overall, there were some high points, and some low points. I want to come back, but I’ll give it a go for dinner and skip the sandwiches.

Let me cut to dessert first:
As a rule, I tend to avoid public displays of ecstasy – it’s an exercise of self-​control, and I’ve also discovered many people can’t seem to mind their own business if I break out with Paul Robeson’s «Ol’ Man Leches» at sixty-​seven decibels. Perhaps it is startling if you’re unprepared for it, just like my first taste of the Quatro Leches here. If you must know, I did manage to tone down my instinctive reaction to concertize to a simple «Oh my,» in a glorious basso profundo. Mr. Robeson would have been amused.
It may have been the moon, the impending freezing arctic frost, or even magic pixie dust in the air, but having dinner at this Buenos Aires Café was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. Yes, you can focus on every table and overhear every conversation if you want to, but that quickly becomes oblivious with your own table-​mate present and the arrival of the toasted garlic bread.
We did try the picante empanada because we felt like we should, and while it was enjoyable, neither of us are aficionados of stuffed savory pastry. For what it’s worth, the empanadas were the only things I found that distinctly categorizes this place as a «Latin American/​Argentine» venue – everything else is cool contemporary bistro.
So we split a small mixta (just enough, great vinaigrette), and shared our dual entrees of pollo al horno and pork medallions. It was delicious. I usually try to analyze and deconstruct every component of what I order, but here, I just became entranced with the precise elegance of superb taste and simple presentation. You ever have restaurant moments that you just don’t want to end? Easy to have them here. If you’re an Austinite with history, this place reminded me of Castle Hill during the 10^th and Lamar era.
On this particular evening I didn’t see the check; my guess would be about $ 60 for food, water, and tip. There were two waitstaff working in tandem for the whole house of ten tables (no one sat outside), I didn’t catch their names, but they were great. What was cool and oddly cult-​like were the framed «Best of Unilocal» certificates along the walls; did I mention I never heard of this place until I read reviews on Unilocal?
They apparently have different menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and I know my next journey here will involve the lunchtime steak sandwich and possibly another Quatro Leches. Oh, we’ll make that slightly more than a possibility.

Buenos Aires is one of my favorite restaurants in the whole wide world.
For three specific reasons: the food. the service. the ambiance.
Food:
This reminds me of my mother’s home cooking (if she was Argentinian and a good cook, that is, which she’s not, so I guess it doesn’t.) Okay, scratch that. This reminds me of some delicious, South American inspired, made with love, lavished with care– home cooking. It’s not overdone. It’s just simply… ah. Every time I go, I always start with the empanadas, which are savory and cannot be missed. But people, you have to try their gnocchi. It is always perfectly cooked, dressed to perfection and the perfect amount of goodness for my belly. My lady always goes with the Shepherd’s pie. Apparently it’s the shit.
The service:
Great. Really, really good. Even though there is like 2 of them running around in a tiny little space, they make time to care for everyone. If your wine takes a bit to come out, it’s okay. It’s just okay. Any other place, I would be pissed. Cause I need my wine. But no. here, you really understand that you’re the guest and these people are your hosts and if you just chill, they will take good care of you. You know that you have good service when you ask about a specific bottle of wine and the waiter gives you «that look». Thank you! «Which one is good?» Now that good bottle of wine is one of my all time favs. Oh! Plus… there was a 45 minute wait, so they took my number down, told us to go drink a beer at G&S and called me when the table was ready. Holy shit. I love you!
The ambiance:
Just so nice. Cuddley and intimate and so Austin to me. Like a little gem next to a ghetto pawn shop. I would recommend sitting inside. It’s just too lovely to miss.
One Suggestion:
Don’t bring boring people to talk to. Bring family. and close friends. This is not an uptight place. It’s a place to fall in love with your partner over desert or a place to laugh until you cry with your best friends over a reasonably priced bottle of wine.
Highly recommended. and Highly appreciated.

Lovely lovely lovely! A real South Austin Gem, Buenos Aires plates up some scrumptious fare that will challenge and inspire. We started with a slit spinach salad, which was a perfect blend of tangy dressing and sour blue cheese. The waitress was happy to let us share a special entrée — broiled red snapper, shrimp tamale, and two gulf shrimp and asparagus — all delish! We also tried a couple of the empanadas — one with spinach and cheese, the other with beef. The spicy sauce that accompanied the beef one proved quite the yum fest on the veggie panada as well.
Carb loaders that we are, we went to two desserts — quatros leches cake with a milky caramel sauce. I almost wept, it was so good. The other was a quince tart — reminiscent of fall in New England, with tropical scents of coconut and a perfect lattice topping. Awesome.
We chose the wrong wine — a rather grapefruity summer savingnon that felt a little «July» for us, but that was our own damn fault.
Add parking right in front and a table in five minutes, and you have yourself a perfect al fresco dinner experience.

I’ve come to write about the beef tenderloin sandwich. More specifically, the price of the beef tenderloin sandwich. Sure, it’s a really great sandwich. Hell, if I could eat it every day without taking out a second mortgage, I would. But THIRTEEN DOLLARS? FOR A STEAK SANDWICH ON A LUNCH MENU???
As Seth Myers and Amy Poehler would say: REALLY? You’re going to charge twelve dollars for a steak sandwich, really? The sandwich consists of bread and beef. We all know how much bread costs, so you really want us to believe that a 6 oz. (yes folks, 6 ounce) cut of tenderloin would be worth 13 dollars on its own? Really?!? And hey, do you want tomato on that? That’ll be an extra 50 cents.
I understand that running a restaurant requires a ton of overhead, but there is absolutely no justifying charging thirteen dollars for this sandwich.

Food and service are 5-​star all the way; the ambiance was unassuming considering it is next to a pawn shop next door, but inside the restaurant is cozy with no more than 9 – 10 tables. This is our favorite restaurant in Austin.
The homemade empanadas are a perfect start to the meal with a tasty burst of flavors all for around $ 2.50. For mains, we opted for the specials of the day which included a salmon dish and a beef steak. The salmon was perfectly seared with the best crab cake over the top that I have ever had — completely made of crab and no breadcrumbs — don’t know how it stuck together, but it was amazing. On the side, a spiced mash with two jumbo shrimp were equally delectable. The steak was the best we’ve had in Austin — perfectly tender, juicy, and full of flavor — we’re still talking about it days later. We finished off with the dark and white chocolate tart with berries and the mile hojas which were both good, but next time I’ll probably go for the quatros leches which is more of their specialty.
Our waiter was relaxed and unpretentious which allowed us to really enjoy the meal and take it at a leisurely pace. He was probably the best we’ve found in Austin.
Most mains $ 12 – 17, with specials ranging ~$ 25 – 27. Good Argentinian wine menu very reasonable priced (most ~$ 25−30/bottle) with some very different flavors than you may be used to. Although they don’t take reservations, the wait is usually up to 30 minutes and there are usually tables available outside.

Holy christ on rubber crutches. this place puts my mom’s Argentinian cooking to shame on so many levels.
A last minute decision for my beau’s b-​day I chose to come here. Thank my lucky stars I did cause this place was full of win. Immediate service as soon as we walked in and no waiting even with a semi full house. I like that the restaurant dining space is on a small scale cause it gives a more intimate and charming feel. Food was out in no time.
I teared up as I ate their gnnochi’s and empanadas since I felt like I was making such a betrayal. but it tasted so bittersweet. Forgive me mommy, but now that I’m far from home this is where I will go get my ‘fix’. Not only did they have 5 different types of empanadas but they also had sweet potato gnnochi all reasonable priced. &@#$!
P. S. Dark Chocolate Crème Brulee with Mate was to murder and maim for. ;)

Get some Gotan Project playing and prepare to tango. But eat here first.
The wine selection is lovely. I got a nice fruity white which I landed upon after the kind waitress allowed me to taste the other white that was in the running. Good thing she did, because I made the right choice. We got the spiciest version of the empanadas, which were not very spicy at all, just perfectly seasoned. I like how they are made similarly to those my mom makes, featuring olives and raisins to keep the flavors complex. Yum. The spinach salad was also delicious, with just the right components to raise the bar on a regular old salad.
One bad thing about Bueno Aires is the menu is a bit small. Since SO is averse to poultry, that rules out sharing anything chicken. It is the kind of place you go for your favorite _​_​_​_​_​. In our case, the gnocchi and shephard’s pie are the winning comfort foods we covet. This may be the best gnocchi in town: where other places might douse the stuff in oil, Buenos Aires uses actual seasonings to make something fantastic. Most recently I also tried the pork medallion dish, and it was superb.
We will definitely be returning. I see the dessert display case in my dreams — speaking of which, the south location has better desserts than the new East one (I think, anyway). We got the pionono (crème and strawberries rolled in cake) most recently and it was just good. A dessert we once got at this Sur location (it wasn’t on the menu) was divine.

God I love this place. Today I had a steak sandwich for lunch with a spinach salad on the side and it was divine. The dressing on the salad was so tasty. Kind of like a kicked-​up balsamic vinaigrette but a little thicker and sweeter.
The steak sandwich was perfectly medium rare and tender. It had a chimichuri sauce and was served on the most perfect bread I’ve had in ages. Is it wrong that I want to go back for dinner tonight?

Happy hour at Paggi House:
3 appetizers, a basket of bread, dessert, and lots of wine. Kevin N and Allison P then suggested we make our way to Buenos Aires Cfae for dinner. Um, whaaaat? I don’t turn down food very often, but I was stuffed to the max… so we decided to go for drinks elsewhere.
The very next night I met up with a friend for dinner and got to see what Buenos Aires Café is all about. And if I had known it was this good I would have gladly eaten a 2^nd dinner the night before!
I was excited for the empanadas, but I think the empanada was ordered was the least favorite part of my meal. So skip those and go right for the entrees. My friend and I split the Canelones Caneros and the special. The special was snapper topped with crab meat fondue, shrimp, and really yummy mashed potatoes. It was lick your plate good… and I pretty much did just that. Oh, and the Canelones Caneros was pretty darn tasty too. Both my friend and I couldn’t stop raving about both dishes!
After all that deliciousness we just couldn’t say no to dessert. We went right for the quartro leches and it was quite heavenly. The service was just as delightful as the food and I enjoyed eating on their front patio.
I’ll never say no to dinner at Buenos Aires Café again… can’t think of a better place to enjoy a first or second dinner.

My friend who is from Argentina took me here for lunch the other day and I can’t wait to return! I knew little of Argentinian food and was surprised to see such cosmopolitan influences such as French, Italian and of course Spanish.
I had empanadas too die for! The Spicy beef and roasted chicken were fantastic and seasoned to perfection. The chef/​owner came to say hello and was very sweet. She is trained as a pastry chef which explains why the crust of the empanada was so fabulous. My friend had the milanese sandwich which consisted of thin cutlets of breaded and fried beef layered with lettuce and tomato on freshly baked french baguette. Served with a side of fries it was super tasty!
The atmosphere transports me to what I would expect and Argentinian café to be like. I cannot wait to try dinner there.

This would be 3 stars if it weren’t for the odd-​almost-​undetectable sense of ‘humor’ the guy running the place had the day a friend and I went in for lunch. She had just come back from a few months in Spain, so as you can expect we had loads to catch up on. ‘Hurry up!’ ‘I’ll have to hit you’ and ‘thats to guarantee my tip’ after tossing us a chocolate dessert biscuit were comments we had to decipher all through lunch. I speak sarcasm, but even that can’t be played the entirety of a conversation without utter confusion — something you don’t want when taking an order, confirming questions about our food, etc.
Erin, I agree with your Sean Penn’s Ridgemont High comparison; this guy seemed to not give a flying rat’s ass. Disappointing for a place that imports their wine from Argentina and creates delicious desserts. Their empanadas were tasty, sandwiches were good. I’m on the fence about returning to give that guy a second chance… be straightforward with him. Any of your jokes may spur a wrath you may not be prepared to handle.