South Florida’s glorious winter months are the perfect time to dine outside. The palm trees sway in the brisk breeze, your clothes don’t stick to you, your cocktail stays cool, and you can actually enjoy every leisurely bite without feeling the rush to finish before you melt. If you’ve driven down South Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach, you’ve seen the imposing maroon shipping container with a sprinkling of picnic tables just south of Southern Boulevard in the SoSo District.
This is Chef James Strine’s domain. It’s where the talented chef serves up his version of Tex-Mex fare in all its glory under glowing bistro lights. This may be Strine’s first foray into launching his own concept, but that doesn’t mean he’s a novice. His impressive resume includes stints at Palm Beach staples like Grato and Buccan. Still, it was during his decade-long tenure at Café Boulud that he mastered his culinary skills and developed his passion for live-fire cooking on the French bistro’s wood fire grill.
Austin Republic’s cool freight vibe is laid-back but not permanent. Sitting right behind the cargo crate, I could see the foundation of Austin Republic’s next evolution—a brick-and-mortar restaurant. So look out for that this month.
The casual backyard atmosphere sets the scene for Strine’s unpretentious barbecue with a unique Mexican flair. We were welcomed by the server (doubling as hostess), who, with a warm smile, directed us to choose whatever empty picnic table we desired. Laminated menus were already on the table in an organized box that housed ketchup and mustard bottles, plastic silverware and a roll of (essential) paper towels. The menu isn’t extensive, but all the barbecue greats are there alongside their Mexican counterparts. Brisket, ribs and pulled pork share the space with tacos, burritos and enchiladas.
We started with the Mexican corn ribs ($13). Elote (aka corn on the cob) has become popular on menus, but flavor and presentation can vary, so I was interested to discover it still on a cob that was cut long and thick—like ribs. We didn’t bother with utensils; we just dove in with our hands, and it set the mood for the rest of the finger-licking meal. The corn is topped with typical queso fresco (fresh white cheese), picamas (jalapeno pepper sauce that packs a punch) and crema (a heavy cream sauce that satiates the heat).
The best way to tackle the menu is to opt for Strine’s 1/2/1—a $22 value meal with your choice of one meat, two tacos and one side. Our server raved about the prime brisket (her favorite, after her mom’s), so I was sold. I also tried the veggie and carnitas tacos and the side of shells and queso. The meat here is smoked overnight and arrives thinly sliced with beautifully charred edges. The balanced fat ratio adds to the tender meat’s smokey moistness.
The tacos, cloaked in a fresh corn tortilla, are packed with flavor. This might be sacrilegious (vegetarians, listen up), but I enjoyed the veggie taco, with its delightful mix of sweet potato, black beans, corn, tomato, shredded lettuce and queso fresco. The “shells” side dish is Strine’s take on the classic childhood Velveeta mac and cheese, and it was just as creamy and comforting as I remember it.
The surprise of the evening was the chicken sandwich ($13). The server also raved about it, so my interest was piqued. It’s rare to hear such high praise for chicken, and even rarer at a barbecue joint, where everyone craves the smoked red meat. I must also preface what I’m about to say with a confession: Chicken is my least favorite meat. It was undoubtedly the sleeper hit of the meal. Sandwiched between two toasted potato buns, the uber-tender chicken with a smokey dark skin is stacked high and topped with pickled red onion, avocado crema and queso fresco. The balance of the tender meat, crunchy onions and creamy sauce made this a standout dish that I will happily drive to West Palm Beach any day to eat.
Until then, I’ll just continue to dream about that chicken sandwich.
IF YOU GO
4801 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach
PARKING: Parking lot, street parking
HOURS: Tues.-Sat., 4-10 p.m.
PRICES: $14-$68
WEBSITE: theaustinrepublic.com
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