My Opine On Opal Divine's - First Pass Review

[30 March 2009 - Slightly updated for grammar, recollection, and score.]

Greetings Austinites! I tweeted on Sunday that I would be writing this review, so here it is. Just to note, I want you to know that I am opinionated on what I expect from sit down restaurants; I'm not an East Coast type with that stereo-typical attitude and opinion, but I do expect good service commensurate with the prices on the menu, and the food should be good regardless of the cost (of course, the higher the cost, the better the food must be). Atmosphere is important as well, but I like hole-in-the wall places like Mama Jacks in Pville, or Ken's Tacos in NE Austin just as much as yuppier places like ZAX near Lake Austin (sorry Lady Bird), and Shoreline Grill downtown. If I'm dissapointed with a place, I'm dissappointed, that's all. You guys can make your own opinion and know how my review might stand next to yours. Let me know if this is helpful by posting a comment below.

Here's my "First Pass" review of Opal Divine's at Parmer Lane and MoPac.

Service date: Sunday, 22 March 2009 at about 1:00 PM.
Cost: Medium. See their menu here: http://opaldivines.com/food.html

Service: Mediocre to good
Comments (PRO): Very nice waiter; great demeanor. I didn't have to ask to have my tea refilled.
Comments (CON): Unresponsive to complaints about the quality of food. Very laid back (not conducive when a customer needs something); non-responsive to concerns about quality of the food.

Food Quality: Mediocre (mixed bag-- we had poor and good)
Appetizer: We splurged and got the Salmon Plate Appetizer-- at $12, it was the flag ship appetizer, and I expected it to reflect this. However, when it came out, the Salmon looked old (the edges were discolored, and it had a definite taste that wasn't desireable). I couldn't recommend it ever again. Only way I'd try this one again is if I saw someone else ordered it and thought it looked better, or if it were free.

Meal: The son (3 year old) got a kiddie plate (ham sandwich); the quality of the sandwich was fine. Nice bread and meat. But the vegetables... ever seen vegetables that have sat in your fridge for a week-- still good, not limp, but looking dried out and crusty? those were these. The wife was obviously displeased, and asked if they could be replaced with fresh vegetables-- the waiter didn't seem concerned, and didn't really address the complaint, other than to say 'sorry, I know, that's all we have' or something to that effect. [Update] My son reminded me that we asked for something else then, and the waiter did kindly bring out some oranges.

The wife got a nice turkey sandwich, the Tuscan Turkey & Havarti Panini, which she was happy with. I had the Fish and Chips. The fish was acceptable, but not the nice crisp white that I am used to, but it was fine, and nicely cooked. No real 'chips' in the British sense though, just the Opal Divine fries (seasoned with cracked pepper). Not displeased, but nothing to brag on, even though it was advertised in the menu as a specialty.

Family friendliness:
LUNCH: Yes during the lunch hour.
DINNER: I would have to say No for evening hours, as I have my doubts based on the decor. The place looks more like a bar than a restaurant. Every wall is decorated with some form of advertisement of an inebriating beverage of some sort, and it seems that one of Opal Divine's claims to fame is its 'Happy Hour'.

Austin Weird: Yes. If you're a visitor, this would be a nice place to go. I think there may be better choices such as Kirby Lane on S. Lamar (if you're really looking for ecclectic weird) or Hyde Park Bar and Grill on Duval if you want to see the cool Giant Fork and have great food.

Summary: In summary, my opinion is that Opal Divine's deserves another shot (although my wife has told me that she'll refuse to go). The sandwiches looked very appealing, and although the cracked pepper fries are nothing like the Hyde Park Fries of Hyde Park Bar and Grill (nor is there any special dipping sauce like the Hyde Park Fries have), they are a fine signature item and taste fine. I'm interested in this place as a lunch time venue with decent food, as access to the restaurant is superb (just in front of Fry's). I'm sure I could drive from work in Round Rock to Opal Divine's in less than 10 to 12 minutes, and get back in the same amount of time.

The AustinFoodReview(er) Score: The venue may have been simply having a bad day; at least the attitude of the waiter was pleasant. I'd give Opal Divine's a middle of the road score (let's say a wavering five out of ten). I do have some negative thoughts, but not strong enough to prevent me from visiting again. If I didn't get the appetizer, or see the son's vegies looking so terrible, I'm sure this would have made a much higher impression on our family when we visited. My thoughts? Great place to try for lunch. At the very least you can say "I've been there."