There are moments, and they are rare, that you leave a restaurant just knowing it’s going to become a part of your regular rotation. Contigo is now one of them…I’ve been there twice in three weeks!
Located off of Airport and 38th/Anchor Lane on the East side this place has that rare mix of delicious food, great drinks, tentative and kind staff and terrific ambience. Let’s walk through and unpeel each layer shall we?
The Food
It was all delicious. Their burger actually has received recognition a few times over as one of the top in the Austin, so we of course just HAD to get it. It did not dissapoint. The patty was moist and juicy, with crisp bacon, lettuce, juicy tomato and perfect, and I mean perfect, Challah bun. The only complaint was it was a skosh on the salty side, but overall, it was very impressive.
We also had the popcorn (cinnamon, peanuts and cayenne); Pigs in a Blanket with Dijon mustard; Shisito Peppers with Sesame dipping sauce and the House Pickles with watermelon rind, sweet potato and jicama; fried chicken (their Thursday special!); Crispy Green Beans, and Summer Squash and Eggplant. All of it was great, the only miss for me were the pickles. I know it’s hard to find that just right balance and to me it was way too vinegary (sure that’s a word).
The Drinks
I’m highlighting drinks here for one main reason. When I was pregnant with Lila, I got on a huge kick to find the best mocktails in the city and I’m still working on it even when I’m not expecting. I plan on doing a bigger round up for all of you mommas out there, but Contigo hands down made one of the best ones I’ve ever had. The bartender (who as so nice!) made a blueberry concontion with basil syrup and soda water. It was absolutely delicious!
I could tell Contigo was much more of a cocktail place when I scanned the menu and saw they only had two white, two rose and two red options. While I appreciate a simple wine menu, this seemed to be a little skimpy for my liking. I had a glass of The Curator from South Africa (a shiraz/mouvedre blend) since I’m more of a big and bold wine girl. It was a great glass of wine, but once again, I wish I had just a few more options to choose from.
The Staff
It’s also unusual for me to make a big deal about the staff, but, they were so nice and attentive I just had to highlight. From the moment we walked in from the pouring rain and were greeted by the awesome hostesses to the fun and laid back bartender; everyone was just delightful and accommodating. As we were leaving the hostess said, “I really hope we get to see you again,” I turned around and sad, “Oh you will!” and then she goes, quite sincerely, “that makes me so happy!” What a LAMB!
And just a I was putting the finishing touches on this post, check out what poodles they really are!
The Ambience
So we arrived during a torrential downpour here in Austin. This city hasn’t seen rain in a while, so needless to say it was a little chaotic, but the staff handled it with grace. Contigo is all open-air seating with a huge outside patio. From the pictures provided on their website it looks so gentle huh? Everything about it is relaxing and easygoing and makes you feel like you are at home. Jeez, I wish I had a patio that looked like that. Right? I loved all the twinkling lights and openness of the space. You could tell they tried hard to make it inviting but didn’t overdo it if you know what I mean.
If you haven’t been to Contigo I would highly recommend as a place to go with your kids and sip a glass of wine, or a fun girls/guys night out or just a laid back dinner for two. It’s kind of perfect in every way.
