About Town: Austin Happy Hour: Takoba

Whether you're in town for the F1 races and looking for a hip, affordable spot, or simply a local in search of a sunny spot for that afternoon libation, Takoba, on East 7th, has it all.

My friend, the fabulous MadBetty, and I, hit Takoba, in Austin, recently for Happy Hour.  I loved everything about it.

Happy Hours in the big city are a rarity for this farmer, but I love them, because being notoriously cheap, I find them the perfect way to sample city fare, without laying down the car payment.  So I had high hopes for Takoba, though I knew, even aside from the food and drinks, I'd have fun giggling and gossiping with my bud, cause she's pretty neat.  If you haven't already, you should really check out her blog. She's creative and bold and the perfect mate with which to share a couple of slash-priced cocktails, on a patio (they call it a terrace) on a glorious afternoon (really, November is beautiful here!) in the uber-cool East Austin.

I won't pretend that I'm an ultra-knowledgeable restaurant critic. I won't be able to ascertain, for example, the exact spice combination that sat next to the grill upon which my food was prepared. I'm more of a restaurant suggester, and I know what I like.  Takoba is often referred to as mid-scale Mexican, and what I like in a mid-scale Mexican restaurant is a decent margarita, good chips and salsa (loved their molcajeta salsa!), fresh guacamole, and a nice patio.  Takoba met my expectations and then some.

MadBetty had the Mango-Habanero Margarita, El Jimador reposado, Patrón Citronge, fresh mango, habanero, lime juice, which registered it's advertised 'spicy kick' without burning and a I enjoyed a perfectly acceptable house frozen margarita--standard fare, affordable--no different than many around town, but better than a lot, without an overpowering flavor of cheap sweet and sour mix, like many frozen margaritas around town.  And the price was right.  I had a few.

We ordered guacamole, ceviche, queso fundido, and a soup of the day, which was a silky tomato bisque with blue cheese.  I wasn't sure I'd be keen with the blue cheese, but I was wrong.  It was divine.  I'll be back for more.  The guacamole was made of perfectly-ripe fruit--no brown spots or watery packaged avocado to spoil the dish.  The ceviche was bright and fresh--not too sweet, not too astringent--perfectly packed with vibrant pico de gallo.  The queso fundido is a thing of beauty, all stringy and melty with added roasted peppers and such--how could THAT be bad?  Along with the complimentary aforementioned basket of chips and salsa, the whole spread of food set us back only 15$ at Happy Hour, and the late 'snack' filled us up for the night.

Happy Hour is 3-6pm, Monday through Friday, and 3-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.  Takoba offers brunch on the weekends, and serves lunch and dinner every day. Check out their menu, and perhaps make a reservation to ensure you're seated in the most bustling of times.  We left, around 7pm, both the terrace and the interior were filling up, tables of singles, intimate dates, families, seniors, and kiddos, hipsters and the lesser-hip--all were well represented, and huddled happily over steaming plates.  I'm looking forward to joining them on a return visit, soon.