Long Ago a Day of Rugby in Austin

During the last Rugby World Cup I was with a couple colleagues in Austin, both of them English, and as straight forward traditional British boys both rugby fans, so it was a must to spend Saturday morning/noon watching the rugby match. The place they chose was Fado, and Irish pub in Downtown Austin, actually a chain with locations in 14 states. Fadó apparently means long ago, their objective is to celebrate Irish pub culture, in few words drinking, eating, and singing, just like in any pub down Killarney way.

The Pub

Traditional English/Irish pub, wood panels everywhere, flat TVs with premier league football, rugby, and other sport events, and full of male testosterone drinking and screaming to the TVs every time their team screw it up. 

Bar Menu

Well I was hungry, so had to ask for food, check the menu and went for the easy stuff, Guinness BBQ Wings, and Smithwick’s Mini Burgers. The wings were ok, just edible to be honest, a little overcook, I thought the BBQ Guinees sauce was going to be pretty good, but didn’t do the magic for me. The mini burgers, a train wreck, they came with pickles, onions, melted cheese, and a Guinness mayo, do they do everything with Guinness? Not good at all, the burger was overcooked, the sauce/mayo was plain without imagination, the cheese was even worst, moreover three burgers exactly the same? Are you joking, they should get creative, do different types of meat, make it interesting, I ate over and over again the same boring mini burger, I almost die doing that. 

My Healthy Options!

Mini Burgers

Wings

Nice atmosphere, terrible food, good for a drink and watch a sporting event, I guess if you’re drunk enough you wouldn’t care too much about the food, sadly I wasn’t. Keep only with the pints and you should be fine. 

To be fair with them, pub food historically hasn’t been so good, however, gastropub movements in England has taken the next level and elevated their food, meaning it’s not impossible to have a great meal while enjoying your pint of Guinness. 

Pubs remind me the Seinfeld episode “The Sniffing Accountant” where Kramer wants to expose Jerry’s accountant in a pub. 

Kramer: I'll have a brewsky, Charlie

Bartender: Name's Mitch

Kramer: Oh, there's nothing like a cold one after a long day, eh?

Barry: Yeah

Kramer: Oh yeah, I've been known to drink a beer or two. But then again, I've been known to do a lot of things

Kramer: Cigarette?

Barry: No, I never touch them

Kramer: I suck them down like Coca-Cola. Well here's to feeling good all the time, looks like you've got yourself a little cold there, eh?

Barry: I don't think so

Kramer: Me neither

Fado

T: +1 512 457 0172

Pub

Aprox Damage: $20pp
Neighbourhood: Downtown

Austin

Twitter: fadoaustin

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