We read several positive reviews of Cafe Josie online so we decided to check it out. It was recommended as a romantic restaurant, so we decided to go on Valentine's Day. I called a couple weeks before to make a reservation. A credit card number was required to hold the reservation, and the person said if we don't show up and didn't cancel our reservation a week before Valentines, the card would be charged $25.
Getting to Cafe Josie Restaurant
Cafe Josie wasn't difficult to find, to the trick is to turn right at Blanco St. I made the mistake of turning into the tiny filled parking lot of Portabla restaurant, then having to back out. I then turned left on Walsh St. and parked there and we made the short walk across 6th street. Cafe Josie is actually located behind Portabla, with entry through Blanco St. It looked like a regular house painted in red.
Restaurant Impressions
After walking up a ramp entering the restaurant, we were greeted by a hostess who sat us down at our table in the dining room to the right. The entire Cafe Josie restaurant seemed cozy, with probably 25 tables max. The art work consisted of canvas paintings of flowers and other scenery, done in good taste. The table consisted of a tea light candle to the side, utensils wrapped in a red napkin (a nice touch), and wine glass on top of white table cloth.
Service and Food Taste/Quality
After several minutes of just sitting at our table, someone came out and gave both of us a glass of water. I lifted up the glass to drink but the glass stunk like stinky feet. We theorized that it was probably from the restaurant staff using a stinky cloth to dry the glasses. After some more waiting our waiter came by and asked us what we'd like to order. The menu had the several of the same items listed on the the men on the Cafe Josie website. For Valentine's Day it was $45 a person, and you got to pick an appetizer, soup or salad, and a main course. We selected the Crispy Calamari as the appetizer- we were only able to pick one because it was apparently servings for two people. That came out quickly and was delicious. The calamari was so tender, and the Chipotle Aioli dipping sauce was flavorful and gave a nice kick. For our salad and soup selections we picked the Baby Spinach Salad and the Corn Bisque soup. The passion fruit dressing on the salad was delicious, kind of mango like. And the corn bisque was creamy and tasty- you can really discern the grounded up corn.
For our main entrees we had the Pepita Redfish with Mango Habanero Butter and the Honey Chipotle Shrimp. The redfish was lightly fried with bread crumbs. I didn't taste the spice in the crust, though the habanero butter drizzled over the middle of the fillet was very good. I had expected more kick from something flavored with habenero, so that dish was a bit disappointing. The Honey Chipotle Shrimp, on the other hand, was delicious. The shrimps were large and plump, perfectly cooked served on skewers, and was sweet (but not too much so), tangy, and a bit spicy.
For dessert we decided on to share a Venezuelan Chocolate Pot ($6 extra). The pot was pretty small, probably about 3.5 inches in diameter. This was a dessert that kind of grew on us. We were not overly impressed initially but as we ate more, the rich chocolate flavor really took over. Plus it was not overly sweet.
The Verdict for Cafe Josie
Overall I didn't think the atmosphere was as romantic as I had expected. The tables were close to each other so chatter was very noticeable. The food was tasty but wasn't plated in any way that made them seem romantic. The service was good in general, though we did have to wait a while before we got any attention, and our server didn't show much enthusiasm. It was fairly enjoyable experience, however.
On a scale of 1 through 5, I would give Cafe Josie 3.5 out 5 Stars.
Cafe Josie Info
Address: 1200 West Sixth Street Austin Suite B, Texas 78703
Phone: 512-322-9226
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