Contigo Austin is now serving lunch on Saturdays with a limited menu of burgers, snacks, and housemade sausages. The Mueller area restaurant features some of Austin’s best outdoor seating, and with fall’s promise of milder days, there is no place I would rather be. While Saturday may have been the 2^nd official day of autumn according to the calendar, the Texas heat index indicated otherwise. Thankfully, Contigo has installed fans with attached misters to counteract these high temps.

Without a Texas tailgate to attend, we had the freedom to enjoy a leisurely lunch. The words ‘leisure’ and ‘relaxation’ are ingrained in the Contigo experience, so it certainly fit the bill.  Read more about Lunch @ Contigo [expand title =Here] We started with a few snacks while waiting for the rest of our group to arrive. Up first was a pair of ox tongue sliders which were just as delicious as I remembered. While meats like ox tongue generally intimidate this former pescaterian, the tender meat paired with Dijon mustard and a pickled green tomato could convert me to an offal aficionada. Next was a mini sandwich called ‘chicken little’ featuring housemade chicken sausage, onions, and beer mustard served on a challah bun. Instead of traditional sauerkraut, Contigo’s version used sherried onions, which proved a much better partner to the mild yet flavorful chicken sausage over a more pungent cabbage. The spicy beer mustard delivered a perfect punch of flavor, especially against the sweet bun.  The only issue with the chicken little was we only ordered one because it was outstanding.  

As I previously mentioned, Contigo has one of the best burgers in town. As such, everyone at the table took my sage advice and ordered the burger and fries without much arm twisting. Unsurprisingly, there was hardly a French fry left to steal from the universally enjoyed burger. A little overindulgence of wine the evening prior drove me to order a lighter pasta dish. The handmade pasta mixed with seasonal vegetables and herbs was simple and abundantly fresh. As a matter of sheer personal preference I would have liked less tarragon and felt the pasta was a tad dense, but it was still a nice entrée to enjoy on a hot day. Overall an excellent start to the day, thanks in no small way to the service. Like previous visits, it was impeccable; our waiter was friendly, attentive and put the table at ease.

As a girl who has spent a lifetime neglected on college football gamedays, I recognize this review is useless without commenting on the television situation. Contigo’s large outdoor space puts the focus on food and friends, but there is a high quality television in the bar where you can keep an eye on scores. There is also a large projector screen used to show big games throughout the day. With a game on this screen, I can’t imagine a better place to enjoy burgers, beers, and a ballgame. And since Contigo is open on Saturday’s from 12 PM to 12 AM, with a menu shift at 5 PM, you might as well just stay all day. [/expand]

 Contigo Austin. 2027 Anchor Lane, Austin TX. 512.614.1260. http://contigotexas.com/austin