Yellow Ranger — Restaurant in Austin

The Yellow Ranger is fantastic!!! We managed to get there at a more relaxed (though still popping) time. Be advised though, we've heard it's SUPER busy and parking can fill up fast, so you might wanna carpool just in case. The burgers are my personal favorite, because they have that crispy smash burger edge that most places lack. We were in a big group, so I also tried pieces of the cauliflower and fried chicken, all very tasty. The fries are also really good, more disc shaped than strip shaped. I got a salad as my side, and be advised the dressing is STRONG.

We also got drinks at its host/sister bar The Golden Horn. The Frozen Espresso Martini was great, though very quickly melty compared to other frozen alcoholic drinks I've had. It's one of my husband and my go-to drinks, and he said it's his favorite Espresso Martini he's had; I think I would just order a regular one next time because the frozen version lacked the creaminess I like in them. There was also reportedly a frozen screwdriver, which I didn't get to try but look forward to next visit! I also tried the Golden Mule, which had a very earthy taste. I didn't personally prefer it over other mules, but it's still easy to drink and I think it is worth a try regardless because many in our group enjoyed it. The bartender was fun to talk to, and he managed time well that I saw, because while preparing orders he would talk to the next person in line to ask what they wanted, I'm sure so he could multitask instead of working one order at a time. If you've ever been to a bar that does the one at a time method, you know exactly why this is a good thing.

I'm a weirdo and would love to see more baseball or hockey games on the TVs but let's be real it's Austin, so I know I'm in the minority compared to...

I visited Yellow Ranger on 2/28/2025. It was the day of the nationwide economic blackout to protest the unraveling of American democracy and Eln Msk's grand theft of the federal government. But spending money at local establishments was allowed, so I felt okay about my planned outing. I'd wanted to try this place for months and I hadn't had a true day off work in forever. But more than anything, I really, really, on a deep emotional level, needed quality queso.

Yellow Ranger came through, y'all. On EVERY level.

I brought a book: James Patterson's Cat & Mouse. It's the 4th installment in the Alex Cross series. It was first published in the mid 90s, a simpler time on a lot of levels. (I like Alex Cross as a protagonist. I wish he was POTUS.) I looked forward to having a great cocktail and some higher-end dive bar fare as an accompaniment to my light reading. I looked forward to tuning out the world.

Tuning out the world would prove to be impossible despite the super chill ambiance: low lighting, intimate seating, soft French pop playing through the speakers. As it happened, while I enjoyed my first cocktail (Frozen Iron Whip) and the SUPERB Black Garlic Queso, the unfortunately-real-POTUS-Tr*ump was berating Ukraine's president in the Oval Office and subsequently dismantling the ENTIRE post-WWII world order.

Thank ALL the gods I had the black garlic queso to comfort me. I quickly finished my cocktail and ordered another: the King's Cold Brew. That was even better than the Frozen Iron Whip! And I ordered another appetizer: the Smashed Cucumber Salad. OMG that will warm your anxious heart!

Thank god for local places like Yellow Ranger. Support your local eateries. Hug your loved ones. The future isn't written, yet. Good food always...

I am not big on technology and never scan QR codes if I can avoid them. David was willing to show me the menu and gave a detailed explanation on what each menu item entailed. He patiently answered all of my questions about the ingredients. He said I could sit anywhere and he would bring it out once it was ready. Listen. I was the one that was not ready. I ordered the crab rangoons and pork egg rolls thinking I would eat some and save the rest for tomorrow's lunch. That didn't happen. From the first bite, I was I knew I was going to smash the entire meal in one sitting. They had delicious chili pepper sauce for dipping, but neither appetizer required it At ALL. I did my happy food dance multiple times without a care who saw me. The shells were crispy but not burned and the seasoning was divine. David came back to check on me and I appreciate how down to earth he was. He told me the back story of how they started and that they plan to open a 2nd location down South soon. Each of the founders worked in a different restaurant within the industry and I think that their raw skill and talent are evident in each bite. I love their decor and the overall ambiance of The Golden Horn is super relaxed. There was baseball on one screen and a movie on the other. If I decided I wanted to burn off some calories, there is a pool table and 2 dart boards. Everybody was friendly and from all walks of life. Annnnd the drinks from The Golden Horn are auh-mazin to wash it all down. I can't wait to go back and try something new. And def can't wait to get a t-shirt to rep them out in public and share...