County Line On the Lake

The “Flintstone Platter” has been a thing of legend around our workplace for several years now.  It is not for the weak or wimpy, nor is it for the sophisticated of palate, nor is it for BBQ snobs.  It IS for lovers of quantity with decent quality.  I am referring to the ‘Big Daddy’s” Beef Rib platter at the County Line on the Lake.  The Big Daddy consists of a huge rack of Beef Ribs smothered in bbq sauce with a side of pinto beans, cole slaw, and potato salad.

Our Blog team set out with but one mission, to conquer the Flintstone Platter, and then the ensuing BBBQB (blissful barbeque buzz) that proceeds the successful mission each and every time.  The team of 5, once seated at the County Line, quickly divided into the Men and the Boys as we gave our order.  After all the big talk all the way over to the restaurant, only 2 of the 5 actually bellied up (or out!!) to the task of the Flintstone Platter, while the other 3 resorted to ordering Kids Meals, otherwise known as the brisket plate, 2 meat plate, and a 5 meat plate.  (OK, maybe the 5 meat plate is not a Kids Meal, but for a Flintstone Platter connoisseur, it was no more than an AARP endorsed appetizer…)  

Orlando was the first to get his Flintstone platter, while I waited patiently on mine.  In the 3.9 seconds that elapsed between Orlando getting his platter, and the waitress placing my platter in front of me, Orlando already had the first rib cut off of the rack and positioned for extinction.  I was only half way through my rack when Orlando was done with his entire rack, which the team agreed was only a shadow of his past performances.  Orlando is typically to a rack of ribs what Tony Stewart is to a Sprint Cup car- he makes it go FAST!

OK, on to the review.  I found first 3 or 4 ribs in the rack to be very tasty and fairly tender. However, further into the rack, there was a lot of toughness and non-beef things going on….
The sides are very boring, as they always are at the County Line, i.e. non-memorable.  The beans are not very flavorful, the cole slaw is bland, and the potato salad is dry.  The Big Daddy is fun, but this time around, was less than spectacular.  The other thing we noticed, since eating it last December, is that the price went up from around $18.95 to $22.95 per plate!

As far the Kids Meals, ordered by the other 3 in the group, there were no toys included with the meals, which left the group a little disappointed. 

Lastly, we chased the Flintstone Platter with a cup of Butterfinger Ice Cream, which was an excellent neutralizer!  It was actually the best part of the experience today!  The service was Awesome!  The waitress was impressed by our ability to eat the Flintstone Platter and still have room for ice cream!  (I mentioned to her that we had a long line of admirers of our food consumption abilities....)

Link to County Line on the Lake Web Site

Phil's Ice House @ Burnet

We ate lunch on June 29 at Phil's Ice House. We decided on this place after stopping at Amy's Ice Cream few days before. They actually share the same location and they are side by side. We got there at 11:20am which was a perfect arrival because 20 minutes later the place was busy.

Each of us ordered a different hamburger which all of them were excellent. I personally liked the fresh bun and sweet potatoes fries. Jim went for the double meat size which had plenty beef for him. On the other hand, Orlando went for a single meat (very strange for him!) but with Jalapeno bun.

I think the soda selection was fair even though they were missing my favorite Diet Dr Pepper. The place was clean with a definitive Austin decor around the walls. By the time we were eating our food, the place was full with a lot of families and children. The fact that Amy's is right there with a playground makes this a perfect place for kids.

One of the main point that we'll review on all our outings is the availability of good ice cream which we refer as "neutralizer". After all, any good food can be properly settle with a good scoop of ice cream. In this case, we can safely say that Phil's Icehouse has perhaps the best neutralizer available by having Amy's Ice Cream right there.

Also, we have to give special recognition to the fact that the access to the place and getting out of it, it is very convenient. There is a traffic light right on the corner which allows to take Burnet without hassle to return back to work.

In summary, the food for a weekday lunch coming from the office and having a limited time was excellent. Cost was above my cheap budget of $6 but below Jim's budget of $12. Special mention to the fresh bun and sweet potatoes fries. The availability of neutralizer was superb. The Austinite ambiance was also excellent. 
 

Link to Phil's Ice House Web Site