Whip In

We had driven past it several times. We had noticed it on UberEats so many times. And yet, it took us 5 years of living in the area to finally come by. Partly, it's because we didn't know what it actually was - restaurant, cafe, take-out.. but when we did make it we were amazed that it was much more than all of that. It was a spacious gastropub with a beer selection on tap, with a performance stage, and an Indian food menu. Wonderful combination! I suspect the target audience is not Indians, especially since it's been around since 1986 when Austin was eclectic though perhaps not so diverse. The flavors reflect that. It was good food, accessible to those trying Indian dishes for the first time, and spiced well for a milder palette. My husband had the chicken biryani and I had the paneer tikka.

Way bigger inside than you'd think! Good deals on cocktails - $8 for glass of wine or beer.$7 queso and chips. Chai latte $5 for 16 oz (a huge steal in this economy)!Haven't tried the Indian food but excited to next time

Whip in is a convenient store / gastropub with a full beer and wine list AND an expansive Indian food selection. And apart from that, they also have a vibey interior and a cute little patio perfect for soaking in some sunlight! And the best part is that the curries are legit delicious. There's also daily specials, tandoor items like kebabs, dosas, and even naan pizzas that I have not had the chance to try yet but I'm hearing them calling my name! lamb tikka masala ($18) - tomato based butter cream sauce with good chunks of lamb paneer curry masala ($16) - garlic ginger & onion jalapeño with a touch of tomato and onion chicken biryani ($17) - yummmmy it's a good biryani Lamb samosa - was filled with ground meat and just not what I expected tbh bc I was thinking about the potato filling Garlic naan ($5) - not super fluffy but you gotta have naan when eating curry

I can't even handle the goodness that is Whip In.If you want truly authentic Indian food, this is the place. Note-they've also got other fare on the menu.If you want Prosecco on tap, go. Seriously, anytime a venue has Prosecco or champs on tap I'm a fan for life.I swear it's like they have 100 taps. I exaggerate but I'm not far off.Have I mentioned the stocked walk-in cooler with beverages for purchase? Or how about the coolers and shelves lined with literally any beer or wine you can think of?Literally like being a kid in a candy store. Or rather, an adult in a big kid candy store.Met some really cool fellow patrons sitting at the bar. It's just that kind of place, where you can strike up conversations with people and have a nice time.The service is unbelievable. It's just another one of those rare places where they make you feel like family.

We saw from their menu online that they had dosas available, so decided to give Whip In a try on a day when we were craving dosas.The place is quite dark on the inside. So after ordering at the counter, we stepped out towards the patio seating. There were very few patrons on the day we visited, but we had to move tables twice because of cigarette smoke blowing our way. Oh well.When the first dosa arrived, my wife was surprised that it wasn't hot, it was lukewarm at best. When the second dosa arrived after a few minutes, it was also similarly lukewarm. I tasted the sambar, and found it rather oily and not particularly well done. I anyway prefer coconut chutney to sambar, so I tried that next. The chutney was fresh, but unfortunately it was too low in salt, and was almost inedible. Thankfully the third chutney, made with tomatoes and onions, was okay; so was the potato stuffing inside the masala dosa. But the overall experience was not compelling enough to bring us back for our next dosa craving day.

What a chill vibe! I stopped by during their happy hour with a friend and sat at the bar inside. It is pretty dark inside, but it was too hot to be outside at the time. We got the Pakora and the Chicken Tikka Masala. Both items were delicious, particularly the Pakora! It had great flavors and was perfectly crispy. The Chicken Tikka Masala was also enjoyable, but minimal chicken for the amount of rice and curry.

Let me tell you a little story. I use to stop here two decades ago to get my craving for some Samosas since there was no Indian restaurant in South Austin when Taj Palace left the location in the Brodie Oaks area. Lol... True Austinite knows what I'm talking about. Fast forward 20 plus years.... I was planning to meet a friend for lunch. She was coming East, I was coming from Barton Creek Mall and we were both craving Indian food. Whip In came to mind. She had never been and said she passes it all the time but didn't realize what it was. We agreed to meet. WOW!! What a treat! The bartender was super nice and knowledgeable. My friend ordered the Tendori Chicken Kabobs which fell into place of the special diet that she is practicing right now. She quoted... This might be the best Tendori Chicken that I have had in a very long time. I ordered the Tikka Marsala Chicken Curry.... Delicious. The rice could use a little more flavor but the Tikka Marsala was amazing. Nice heat, full of flavor and not too heavy. Not cream based but true tomato curry based. I had left overs and it tasted even better when I had for it for lunch at work a day later. I can't express how much I enjoy my experience. This is a true gem of Old Austin and it warms my heart that it represents why we fell in love with Austin back in the day. A couple of side notes.... Amazing selection of wines and beers to go on their market size. It is very dark but I personally think it adds the charm and they do have an outdoor sitting area. Their selection on tab is amazing. I was looking for the Kombuchi on tab but ended up with the Rose Prosecco on tab.... Sub conscience taking over... Maybe... But damn I enjoyed that mid afternoon treat!!! Overall, you've seen the sign as you go down IH-35 and probably wonder... What's that all about. Get off the highway and take a little trip back in time and experience why they say KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD!!

Always a good bet for late night eats. Kitchen open late and they serve delicious and healthy Indian food plus a huge selection of beers, cider, wine and kombucha on tap. Awesome patio too. Friendly service and reasonable prices. Go now!

The ambiance is brilliant strong nods to the continence store it once was from retro neon sign to the commercial refrigerators full of beer for take away. . The food brilliant several vegan choices . My flexitarian mates assure the CMT dims on par with ant east-end curry hut and yes this is a high compliment. Enough beer and ales for any taste. Servers are amazingly fast attentive. The parking easy . A first choice

Whip in is always a fun place to hang out. I have been here several times because I have a few friends that love this place. It's always dark inside the bar/restaurant area with plenty of table and booth seating. The have happy hour deals from 3-6p but depending on who's at the register they are shady when it comes to honoring prices. On tap they have a variety of beers, a few ciders and a small wine selection. They sell a variety of alcohol in the coolers along the way. This is not authentic Indian food made with quality ingredients. I ordered the lamb Briyani, a side of fries and Samosas. Everything is overpriced which is disappointing! The briyani was good but the portion sizes are soooo small it's a waste of money, honestly. The fries were frozen fries from like H-E-B freezer section, not very tasty and super thin. Samosas were good but under seasoned also over priced... Definitely not my kind of place.