This will not be a gourmet's guide to Austrian cuisine. However, I can highly recommend gasthof's. These establishments perform the same function as the English pub, except that the food is better and the atmosphere is more refined. The quality is high and the menu extensive. No matter what the region, the menu always seems to include Wienerschnizel, Cordon Bleu, "roast" chicken, and Schweinbratten (roast portk) served with potatoes and "salat" for under $10. The meals were so plentiful that we began ordering only four dinners for the six of us. Beer or wine, depending on the region, was very inexpensive.

Be ware: "gebraten" which translates as roast, often means breaded deep fried. Salat is translated both as salad and lettuce; the latter is what you usually get. A real salad is gemischte Salat. In generally, vegetables were not featured on the menus, even though vegetable markets and farms were ubiquitous.

A cafe-Konditorei specializes in drinks and  fancy baked goods, not full meals.  They usually close much earlier than a gasthof or restaurant.