Clay Pit (1601 Guadalupe St.)

This may look like an ordinary glass of prosecco, however, I assure you, it is far from ordinary. I actually have no idea what brand of prosecco they served me in this glass at the Clay Pit, however that is completely inconsequential. What makes this prosecco so special is the fact that, just prior to pouring it, they put about a tablespoon of their ginger and chili infused vodka in the glass.

Note for Vodka haters: You will not notice it. I convinced Madam Rawr, who despises vodka, to try this drink with my incessant raving. She ordered her own after one sip.

All of the infused drinks at the Clay Pit are phenomenal. MikeDub once ordered the infused martini. Although delightful to sip, it was just a bit too spicy for me. I would not have been able to drink an entire glass, which is good for him, seeing as his martini did not "disappear" when he took a trip to the restroom.

Ok, back to the food. Now, I've heard some people complain that the Clay Pit is not "authentic enough" Indian food. Never having been to India, I am not qualified to comment on this. The thing that I can say, is that Clay Pit has its own thing going on, and that thing is good.

There is a decent lunch buffet, generally with four entree choices, one of which is always the tandoori chicken. They serve complementary naan with lunch, which is a nice feature. Having eaten at many Indian buffets, I can say I am not overly impressed with the Clay Pit's, however it doesn't stop me from eating the buffet once every couple of months or so.

Since I only blog about restaurants I think are worth trying, I don't wish to sit here and bitch about the buffet being average. I want to tell you what keeps me coming back (aside from infused drinks)! First of all, the curry crab cakes are phenomenal. I try crab cakes everywhere, and these are my favorite in Austin. Although they are bready, and I do prefer lump crabmeat, the spices make this crab cake exquisite. On the evening that is pictured here, I enjoyed the lamb korma. The lamb is always so tender, and no matter which of the signatures sauces you choose to put on it, it is exquisite. I particularly enjoy the fact that you may choose the level of spiciness of your dish: mild, medium, hot, or desi. Madam Rawr had jeera saag paneer, which was good, but not exquisite in my opinion. I relish the Khuroos-E-Tursh, spinach and vegetable stuffed chicken medallions in a in a cashew-almond cream sauce. The Lamb Roganjosh is also one of my all-time favorites at the Clay Pit.


If you're looking for romance, there is a unique basement dining area with tables of two for that special occasion. The basement is the remnants of a tunnel that led from this historic Austin building that was once a general store (built ca. 1880) to the brothel next door. You can read about the historic, and supposedly haunted Bertram building.

And visit the Clay Pit's website here.