Foodquest: Austin & Texas Restaurant Reviews, Food Travel

Upon entering Reido's for the first time, one is confronted with ... Austin. Folks of every type gathered together to have some good food. Scenesters sit alongside well dressed professionals. Artists and musicians next to folks on dates. All here because they've heard from someone who heard from someone else. The magic of word of mouth advertising. Reido's satisfies the evening and late night crowd's cravings for all things grilled.

The menu is simple. Sliders in various incarnations, whether topped with cheese, chili, both or none of the above. Beef patties stacked one or two high. Coney dogs topped with the same options, or just plain without. Chili by the cup or bowl, and the pièce de résistance, Reido's Frito Pie, so huge that it towers over the bowl. For dessert, a Grilled With, which is a donut grilled to crisp perfection topped with vanilla ice cream. Hey, don't knock it til you try it. All it takes is one bite.

But I digress... For those of you who don't know, a Slider is a mini hamburger that is usually cooked with minced onions. Popularized by chains like Krystal and Whitecastle, the Slider was the very first fast food burger. Until Reido's opened a year and a half ago, the only Slider option in Austin was to go to your local supermarket and buy a box of frozen whitecastle burgers. Needless to say, we are in somewhat of a wasteland of Sliderdom. Reido's rendition of the slider is an homage to the sliders from Power's of his youth.

Reido's was started by, you guessed it, Reido. More often than not, you'll get the man himself taking and cooking up your order. Noticing the distinct lack of sliders in the central Texas area, he decided to do something about it. Hailing from Indiana, Reido had fond memories of late night sessions with sliders from Power's. Combining the sliders from his youth with various foodie delights from his adventures like the Grilled With from the U Diner of Reido's Alma Mater, a harmonious cross-section of regional cuisine is formed. A true foodie who strives to make every slider he creates absolutely perfect, Reido's creations are as far as fast food fare as you get.

Biting into your first slider, a feeling of bliss flows through you as a perfect balance between the savory flavor of the beef patty with the buttery sweetness of the grilled onions combines with the steamed softness of the bun meets your taste buds for the first time. Take another bite and experience it anew. It doesn't get any better than this folks. Try it with cheese, or chili. The same results every time.

Reido's chili is done right with fresh quality beef and the result is a chili that is both hearty yet not too heavy. It's good enough on its own or in combination with a slider or coney. Better yet, experience it in the phenomenal Frito Pie.

Finally, for dessert, be sure not to miss the Grilled With. A donut is placed on the grill and heated until both sides are carmelized for that extra flavor. While it is piping hot, a scoop of vanilla ice cream is balanced over the center and served immediately. A crunch similar to first breaking through the crisp coating of a creme brulee meets your spoon as you scoop up your first bite. The result? Interesting and really, very unexpected. The faint butteriness of the donut combines perfectly with the smoothness of the vanilla ice cream. The resulting flavor explosion is neither timid nor overwhelming but just right.

This is the type of restaurant that inspired me to start the Foodquest in the first place. Food that is perfect with every bite. A cook who strives for perfection with everything he makes. The adventure in hearing the initial whispers and rumors about the GM Steakhouse's evening persona. What better place than at the historic location that has seen Austin grow up around it?

On behalf of the Foodquest, I am pleased to award Reido's with the first Foodquest Platinum. This is the higest level we grant to any restaurant and is only given to the selected few that have consistently wowed the Foodquest writers with the combined factors of good value for the money, mindblowingly good food, and an exciting/unique ambience.

Update: Scope out the Foodquest Platinum Award Presentation for Reido's!

Reido's will be closing its doors in its current incarnation at the G&M Steakhouse on August 29th due to the loss of his lease at the location.

Comments

that's no fair
Written by joiei on 2005-09-13 18:15:19

here I was getting my taste buds ready for when I am in town for the ACL festival to do it right and then the bad news. I sure won't be doing the Salt Lick at the festival, last year it was the worst one there, I thought.

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