The Veranda

This wasn’t the best place in the whole world, but it had a fairly decent wine selection at good prices, and the food was OK if you get what they’re good at.
I always liked their Calamari (tender, not rubbery like most places) and their Pork Wellington. They also had a few good seafood and pasta entrees… but I always found it funny that they had grossly misspelled Baba Ghanoush on their menu and never corrected it.
Anyway, sad to say The Veranda was closed the last time we went (last week) with a notice on the door locking them out due to non-​payment of rent, and a For Lease sign is on the side.
The writing was always on the wall for this restaurant when the Wal-​Mart development stalled, then the vastly superior Cover 3 opened across the street, and I guess they didn’t have enough business to keep them open to the fall when the Wal-​Mart (bleh) is finally due to arrive.
RIP The Veranda

Ok, so I wish I would have read the reviews prior to eating here. Everything that everyone has said on here is true… service was not so great, food not so great, but what really made the place «interesting» to me was when I went into the bathroom, two guys were in one of the restroom stalls making snorting noises… I told my party, when I got out, hey there are two guys in there doing coke… watch who comes out… and we did… shocked we noticed the cook and a waiter coming out of the restroom… YIKES!!!

Really bad food. My husband and I went there because we didn’t want to wait an hour to get into Houston’s. In retrospect we should have waited the hour.
Our first clue should have been the empty dining room on a Friday night.
We figured we were in trouble and decided to play it safe and order Fajitas. We figured it was pretty hard to screw up Fajitas. Right?
Well they did. Instead of bringing out sizzling hot fajitas… we were served limp, watery bell peppers and onions with luke warm chicken.
And the kicker… they were out of flour tortillas… they served us corn tortillas instead! Pleeeze!
My advice. JUST. DON’T. GO. THERE.

Seeming on the decline.
It felt as through they were cutting corners to trim costs and eek out as much as they could from each cover. they were losing their value.
Service was attentive if not a bit much. a classic mistake is to pull the diet coke from the diner when its half full and refill it. leaving the diner with nothing to drink for the time it takes to refill…
On this visit I had a Jalapeño burger. I asked for it well done. it come out Med rare. and there was about 6 french fries. not a place to skimp on the meal… maybe they were doing me a favor.

Odd seems to be the operative word. Not horrible but there are so many better options there is no reason to go here. Décor is strange, menu is strange, service is average. Food is so-​so. Won’t go back.

Ate here two weeks ago for lunch and it was OK.
The waiter looked like he may be living out of his car, since his white shirt was cuffed with dirt and his greasy hair was hanging in his face, but I thought fine“Keep Austin Weird”.
The chicken salad tasted like mayo and that is about it. The wall had old food on it and in the middle of lunch my four year old said there was a «nasty bug» on the floor. KNowing that four years old tend to exaggerate, I chose not to look, but as we were walking out, what did we see but another «nasty» bug and I got to see it for myself. Yes folks… a large and half dead ROACH.
I praying that none of us would get sick.
I hope the call to the health deptartment helps this place clean up their act. Sounds like from the other reviews that they should keep it a bar where one doesn’t mind an extra «patron or two». ;-)

Have you ever been to a high-​dollar hotel with a restaurant? That’s what I was reminded of when I saw the menu at Veranda. On a whim, we decided to try Veranda since it is very close, and has curb appeal.
I’ve given a five-​star rating to hole-​in-​the-​wall restaurants, but I’m only giving Veranda three-​stars because there is just something about the restaurant itself that needs more «oomph» to match up with the «oomph» on the menu. However… overall, we had a nice experience and will return.
(I’m going to do a little research on the happy hour situation there. *wink*)
The menu is enormous, for sure. When picking something, try to narrow down the thing you’re in the mood for. For example, my boyfriend was in the mood for pork, and I wanted chicken.
There are a few choices for pork, and the «Bourbon Street Tenderloin of Pork Medallion» won out. It was mouth-​watering, but it would have been nice if they threw in a few more medallions. The meat portion simply wasn’t big enough.
However, the meat portion was pretty big on the «Pechuga Verde» I ordered. I gave my boyfriend about one-​third of my chicken, and even the rest that was left was a lot for me. And, yes, my order was delicious. :-)
Parents, if your kid is like mine and doesn’t like salsa, onions, or anything remotely «funny looking,» make sure to ask that the kitchen cook the most Plain Jane as possible.
They do offer a kid’s menu with other things like chicken-&-pasta, and even PBJ sammies. However, my Mini-​Me wasn’t a fan of the chicken tacos. Although an adult would like them — they were beautiful with bright orange hardshells with a side of whole black beans and salsa w/​salad — but I doubt many kids would go for them.

Stunningly bad reviews of this place! I’m actually somewhat surprised by that, so I’ll throw in my 2 cents. This bar is one of a few that are walking distance from my house. Cover 3, Trudy’s, Common Interest, and a couple others are the only others within a 15 – 20 minute walk. Veranda keeps me coming back because of the awesome bartenders and their absurdly STOCKED bar. They have all sorts of crazy things here I haven’t seen other places. I have a feeling that I’m personally drinking the bottle of Campari on the top right shelf in this place.
I haven’t really wandered toward the food at all, so I can’t really comment there, but the drinking I’ve done here has never NOT been a good time. There are always some of the same folks in here, and really puts off an awesome neighborhood vibe. Much moreso than the other places I mentioned.
So next time you feel like sitting at a bar and having a drink with a bartender that may possibly drink more than you while you’re there, hit up Veranda, they keep it real.

This place is absolutely terrible. Don’t even bother. I won’t even bother with the rest of this review. Take my word, just don’t go.

I may not have gotten a good meal here, but at least I got a good laugh. (Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying.)
The atmosphere was Olive Garden-​ish, and the clientele on a Monday night was sparse and of a certain age. Reading the menu was like reading a Faulkner novel — it was very long and I didn’t understand any of it. They have a little bit of everything, including fried frog legs (their proclaimed «specialty»), and most of it comes with Honey Dijon. The portobello mushroom enchiladas were covered in flour-​y tasting Velveeta, and the mushrooms themselves tasted like they had been marinated or cooked in teriyaki sauce. Bizzare. The Mexican rice had little seasoning other than an overwhemling dose of paprika. The Caesar dressing was basically lemon juice and olive oil. The grilled chicken breast was pounded paper thin so there was no juiciness there, although the cheese sauce topping was plenty greasy. The one saving grace of the meal was the broccoli, which was crisp and tasty enough.
If the menu is too extensive, the wine list is anything but. There are about five or six choices. The pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon were watery, but no matter. There’s no chance of getting a buzz at this place. The lighting is too harsh and the bleak view of the construction site nextdoor is too depressing.

Have to agree with recent review. Such an odd menu. Whole sections on completely different categories of food. The restaurant was empty on a Friday evening. Not sure if we should try seafood, steaks, sandwiches, hamburgers, Tex-​Mex, salads, and house specialties like quail and frog legs ?! It’s hard to tell what, if anything, this place is good at. And unfortunately, with no one really there, we couldn’t scope out other meals. Oh well.
Had the fried artichokes for an appetizer. Not bad. but fairly typical breading mix. Course, most anything is good fried when you come in hungry.
The salads we got were too heavy with dressing — one with balsamic vinaigrette on the one hand — mostly just balsamic vinegar — and a Caeser salad with too much heavy dressing. Oh well.
Tortilla soup was reasonable. Could’ve sworn the menu said avocado and cheese. Ummm. Not. Oh well. We’ve had better.
And we tried the Cajun Pork Medallions with pasta. Now I can think of half a dozen ways this could be really really good. Unfortunately, they couldn’t. Little sliced medallions of pork in dry cajun spices, cooked a bit too much and dry. With boiled pasta bow ties but no sauce. And steamed vegetables (crispy, so that was good), but no real seasoning. Alas. Oh well.
The place inside looked nice. Clean, professional, comfortable. The service was prompt and friendly.
The restaurant is smack right next door to the part of Northcross Mall which is being demolished to make room for the new Walmart. I’ve heard this place is a popular bar. but it was cold tonight and the outside bar area was empty.
So, we tried it. Check. and Done.

This is one of the closest bars to my house, so that’s an automatic extra star! The crowd is eclectic but fun, the bartenders kick ass, and they pour a mean drink. The patio has a lovely view of the parking lot, but unlike Cover 3, they let you smoke out there and even have ashtrays out ready and waiting for you. I have never eaten here, unless Tuaca is now a food group, besides a drunken order of cheese fries, which were yummy. The menu is intriguing, but I’m not really in any hurry to try any of it (from the bad reviews), and when I’ve tried to order some things, they’re often out (I’ve tried to order the brie and pita a couple times to no avail).
The only problem, if it is a problem, I end up way too drunk when I go here. I’ve only ONCE succeeded in leaving with my wits in tact. That’s more MY problem than theirs though! If you live in the neighborhood, come check it out if you’re looking to have a nice, chill, drunken night.

Several issues with this place
1) The outdated prices on their online menu are about 1 – 4 dollars cheaper per item than the actual prices.
2) The food is NOT GOOD.
a) My boyfriend’s chicken burrito was mostly full of shredded lettuce like you’d get at a fast food place. It also made him sick. You can get a miles better burrito at Trudy’s or Chuy’s for the same price or less.
b) The salad was the crappy kind you would get at a diner, with lots of iceberg lettce.
c) My crabcakes were mostly bread, and the vegetables and pasta were tasteless. It reminded me of Luby’s.
d) The queso tastes like it’s the kind you make at home with Velveeta and Rotel.
Overall, the food was blander than Luby’s, but about 5 times the price.
3) The décor is pretty cheap and cheesy for a place with entrees as expensive as $ 20.
4) The beer selection was pretty lame compared to most places in Austin that have a bar.
It was by far the worst $ 40 meal my boyfriend and I have ever had. We usually eat a places that are literally half the price but SO much tastier.
If you want a variety of cuisines in a niceish but casual setting, go somewhere like Kerbey Lane (the original location). If you want a more upscale meal, go across the way to Houston’s.
Bottom line: Overpriced crappy food. Mediocre service.

This place is just odd. There are a bunch of different types of cuisine on the menu — hard to know what to pick. I had the pomegranate lamb. It was not very exciting, the cut of meat was kind of ick, and the sides were blah. Also, the shrimp in the shrimp cocktail appetizer were not very fresh tasting. My husband’s pork tenderloin was nicely cooked but far too salty. The service was very slow. The raspberry iced tea was tasty, and the greek salad was nice enough. I guess I’d consider the bar for a happy hour, but the food was not worth a second trip.

veranda’s definitely my favorite neighborhood bar. the bartenders keep it real and the food isn’t bad after a few vegas hooker dirty martinis (ask a bartender there).
i agree with the whitney f that its patrons fit better in a dive bar setting but oh well. i still dig it.
definitely try their texas sangria! it’s ridiculous and i had no idea it had so much alcohol until after i’d guzzled down the entire thing. amazing. delicious. never overpowering yet not weak.
in fact, i’m headed there right now!
cheers to you, veranda!

A decent place to drink a beer now and then if you can stand the surly bartenders who seem like they’d rather be somewhere else. Haven’t tried the food really except for a few appetizers once that were decent. Wouldn’t really recommend it, but a decent place to knock a few back if you’re close by.

Well I am going to review this as more of a bar than a restaurant, so here it is.
The staff were great, the patrons were all local and the food was good if you expect bar food. I am going to go back this week and try another dish.
The prices were reasonable and service much better than I expected after the reviews on the site.
I will have to say that it probably helps the experience since I am less than a ten minute walk away.

Let’s just get this out of the way: DO NOT EAT AT VERANDA. it may call itself a restaurant, but I’ve met the cooks, I’ve heard their stories, and trust me – it’s just not a good idea.
So what is this place? It’s a nice bar, whose inhabitants all would fit much better in a dive bar. The reason for this is because all of the regulars from the now defunct Mesa Hills Café (which was owned by the same guy) started coming here after Mesa closed – and Mesa was quite the dive.
The good: Bartender Daniel is amazing, and if you get to know him, he’ll make sure your drink is strong and always full. It’s never really too crowded, and the regulars, though somewhat eccentric, are generally friendly.
The bad: Well… everything else.
Still, not a terrible place to grab a drink if you are in the area and want a nearby place for a nightcap.

One of the downsides to trying new places so you can Unilocal about them is that you’re going to run into some duds. The Veranda was one of these. Liz C. and I ventured here for a girls’ night out recently and found that the drinks were tasty and strong, but the food… not so much.
We ordered a smattering of appetizers (baba ganoush, chicken liver pâté, smoked salmon & caviar, and fried artichoke hearts) and a Greek salad to share (yeah, we were hungry). Three of the four appetizers were served on beds of limp, shredded iceberg lettuce with cold pita bread, and the Greek salad was mainly composed of iceberg, as well (they must go through a TON of iceberg here). The small lump of pâté was greyish and rather unappetizing looking and tasted like it had been served straight out of the fridge. Come to think of it, pretty much everything we ate that night tasted like it had been served straight out of the fridge (or the bag, in the case of the pita bread), except for the fried artichoke hearts, which were just kind of boring.
Also, the service was kind of… weird. Our server was reasonably attentive, but a little TOO friendly and casual given the fact that this is trying to be an upscale place. At one point during our very first contact with him, he actually threw us what looked like a gang sign when we asked how he was doing. He kept trying to chat us up when we were obviously in the middle of serious conversation. And he gave us kind of a hard time when we asked for some more pita bread. Hey, we can’t help it if everything on your damn menu must be consumed using pita bread.
I think Northcross Mall must be going through some kind of strange identity crisis. As most of you probably know, they are hoping to bring in an «upscale» Walmart as their anchor tenant. The Veranda is what I imagine an «upscale» Walmart to be like — an attempt to disguise cheaply-​made goods by placing them in nicer-​than-​average surroundings. Unfortunately for the Veranda, an attractive atmosphere can’t save the quality of the most important aspect of any dining experience — the food.

Not only is the Veranda in a fairly creepy location (the basically defunct Northcross Mall), but the food left a lot to be desired.
The interior of the restaurant feels a bit like something you’d find in a low-​budget motel chain; it’s a cold place, and the décor is just a little bit off.
The menu was enormous and very eclectic (Mediterranean, Mexican, Italian, American and more), so it’s possible that my husband and I just ordered the wrong things. The salad was just iceberg lettuce and some carrot shreds — very basic. I had a pasta dish, but it was not very good. Our grilled mushroom appetizer was tasty, but that was the highlight of our meal.
However, they have good happy hour specials, so if you’re in the area you can probably get a cheap drink. And there’s a patio, though it looks out over the scenic Northcross parking lot.
Overall, everything just seemed off. Like they are trying very hard to make this a moderately upscale dining experience, but it just isn’t. I also couldn’t get over the fact that we were just steps away from the ice-​skating rink.
I think this spot used to be a Hooters and honestly, I’m not sure this is a change for the better…