I really miss not being close to PhoNatic. It was one of my favorite lunch spots. I worked within walking distance from it, it was relatively inexpensive (it could get fairly expensive if you were not careful), service was both quick / prompt and courteous.
Unfortunately I no longer work in that area and have not visited PhoNatic in over a couple of years.
– manzoor
Other places near by:
May 11th, ’12 Friday – This was on my “wish list” for a while now but never quite found the opportunity to go. Well, it wasn’t really that an opportunity just came up or anything, but I really wanted to “get away” and on a whim looked for the direction – it seemed reasonable (could not have been more wrong) so I headed over.
After the mis calculation with the drive to Elizabeth Street Café, I was served a hard time to find a parking spot. Unfortunately for me, the second time I went around I found a spot right in front of the restaurant (dang I hate my luck).
So, I get out and walk into the restaurant. It’s really nice with just a few people waiting outside.
Inside it was way too loud / noisy. Not sure how you can carry a conversation. No one really seemed interested to help me (or any of the other’s waiting). Then one of the staff (who seemed to me to be part of the team / crew) came up and asked if I preferred in-side or out-side or if I wanted to sit at the counter. I am not really a sit-at-the-counter type, so I said to her either in-side or out is fine. She indicated that it’d be about 10min. She seemed nice, so I asked if I could start looking at the menu, since I’d never been there before. She got me one and I started going over it.
Soon, I was more or less decided on what I would be getting and started to simply wait. It hadn’t been 10min yet, so I was not too eager. a couple of people came after me and they too were waiting. At this point a different girl came up and asked me if I would like to sit at the counter instead of waiting for a table. I mentioned that the other girl mentioned that I could get a table soon and I was waiting for that. This is where things really got bad for me – this new girl says brushes off with a statement like “oh, she’s not the host” or something to that effect.
So, I choose to take a sit at the counter. I really wish I had instead done what I felt in my gut like doing – walking out the restaurant and come back another time.
The guy at the bar, who was constantly working on making drinks, was very polite and came and asked for our (there was another guy who also at the bar at the same time and right next to me) drink order and also gave us a menu each. The guy next to me asked for some suggestions for “lunch time beverage”. The bartender offered lemonade and Ice Tea. Neither were really what he was wanting (I knew that – and I’d never waited on people or bar tended). Anyway, I chose the lemonade.
I had an order of the Spring Roll, Combination Beef Pho and a Lemonade – the total came to just under $25 (literally, it was $24 and change).
With the combination of pretentious service (not really bad) and very, very mediocre food (the ingredients are top-notch no doubt, but the end product lacked any real flavor) and the amazing high price – this is definitely not a place I am likely to visit again on my own will. The place was packed, from what I could tell, mostly returning patrons. So, no doubt the place will keep doing well and be rated very highly. I guess it’s just not my cup of tea.
– manzoor
A relatively new addition to the collection of Austin Vietnamese Restaurant choice – but being in the China Market it’s made decent following already.
– manzoor
Manzoor's Thoughts 