#2, Jo's Coffee (and Good Food)

This post is out of order, because technically I also ate at another restaurant over the weekend, but I haven't written the post yet.  Since I had Slider with me today, though, I  couldn't take notes, so in order to give Jo's a fair shake, I figure I better get to writing.

Today we are celebrating MLK Day and so I had the day off from work.  This morning, I met up with some friends of mine (B&R) and their little boys at the Children's Museum here.  Even though that place gets ridiculously crowded with kiddos and hovering parents, it is still a nice way to spend a morning.  Slider pretty much remains in a 10 foot area which involves the put-the-golf-ball-in-the-hole-and-watch-it-slide thingee and a slide that he could probably go on all day long if I let him.  Needless to say, we all worked up an appetite.  On our way home, we decided to stop at nearby Jo's coffee, an Austin spot with a modern but laid back atmosphere.  The original Jo's is on S. Congress, but this is the slicker Downtown version.  We ordered and then tried to make do with the 1 remaining high chair in the restaurant (they are those pricey Trip Trapps, but still, they only had 2!) even though we had 3 tots.  You do the math.  1 chair + 3 nuggets = ridiculously messy floor and loud corner.

Next time, I promise to do an overview of my criteria for judging, but for now...I'll just get to the dish...

Grade: B/B-

What I liked: Simplicity and nice flavoring.  Save for the grilled onions (nice touch, but they were diced, which was kind of annoying), this was a super simple situation.  Burger, lettuce, tomato, nicely grilled bun.  No nonsense.  Not even ketchup or mustard.  I did add mustard, but probably didn't need to.  This was a really nicely seasoned burger, and I liked the flavor of the spinach and peppers, it really came through.  Even though it looked like the burger might fall apart, it definitely remained in tact, even as I ate it with a fork.  I think this is a good example of using just the right amount of mushrooms.
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What Slider liked: At first, Slider rejected my offerings, but the third time was a charm.  He actually seemed to like this burger.  Or at least he didn't make a weird face, take it out of his mouth, examine it, and throw it on the floor with a yell.  Not that he ever does that.

What missed: I think that I am just not a die-hard fan of the bean burger.  I do like it, but after a while it can start to be mushy.  Even with the other veggies in there, it tasted a little too bean-heavy for me.  Bun was too thick and not tasty enough to merit so much bread.  If I'm going to eat a big old bun, it had better be worth it.   I'd definitely order it again, and it is a solid score, but I don't see myself craving it either.