In his spare time Prof. Wasserman loves to enjoy the Austin food scene. Over the years he has compiled reviews of Austin restaurants, updated sporadically. Note that these reviews are geared towards places to take out invited speakers and candidates (thus the frequent mention of the $100 cap per person!)
| Dan’s Current Top-5 For Guests (Updated 4/6/2025) | Recent Reviews |
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Full Restaurant List with PDQ Reviews
| Bar Peached
Description: This is another one in the vein of Fresa’s (vibe-wise). Less formal, more chill, very Austin-y. The food is sort of pan-Asian-inspired/influenced bar food. Menu is pretty fixed, while there are usually some Chef’s specialties, the core menu doesn’t change much. That said, the menu is quite creative and very tasty. Both indoor and outdoor seating, but much more outdoor and I think outdoor is the better experience here. Reasonably priced and not hard to get a reservation. Location: West 6th Link: https://barpeached.com/ |
| Barley Swine
Description: Barley Swine is the high end option from noted Austin Chef/Restauranteur Bryce Gimore, who is also the force behind Odd Duck and Sourduck Market. For a long time (IMO) Barley Swine was the best restaurant in Austin. It was extremely creative, with a constantly updated menu, exquisite execution and presentation, and remarkable flavor combinations. The last couple of times I have gone it has been a little more uneven. It’s probably still in the top ten for Austin restaurants, but I think the creative force behind Barley Swine might be spread a little thin across the three restaurants in the group. It’s also incredibly expensive so you will almost certainly go over budget unless all guests are teetotalers. Barley Swine is still quite good, and you will not get a bad meal there, in fact the odds are that you will get an excellent meal. At its best, this will be a meal that wows your guest. At its worst it certainly won’t be somewhere you are ashamed to take a guest. It’s on Burnet, probably equidistant between Pickle and EER. Seating is mostly indoors. There’s a small patio somewhat walled off from the noise of Burnet, but still somewhat exposed. Reservations are pretty hard to get. Location: 6555 Burnet Rd #400 |
| Birdie’s
Small bistro in East Austin with high quality dishes, though in my opinion, not terribly exotic. Dishes are executed, presented, prepared well with the best ingredients, but nothing really jumps off the menu as incredibly interesting. To their credit, they don’t have an extensive menu (though it is consistently changing) but what they do they do well. This also means that your guest’s choices will usually be limited to 2 entrees, 4 share-able appetizers, and maybe 4 small plates. Both entrees are usually meat-based, so not great for vegetarians. No reservations, but the wait shouldn’t be too long on a weekday. This place has made a number of Best of Austin, and Best of US lists…I am not entirely sure why. Location: 2944 East 12th Street, Unit A |
| Canje
Description: Canje is relatively new to the ATX scene, and specializes in high-end Caribbean fare. Canje was one of two ATX restaurants listed on the NYTimes best new restaurants list this past year. I don’t know if I would go quite that far…it’s good, and creative, but I wasn’t blown away. Quite pricey and rather small portions. You’ll push up to our limit and probably have to go to P Terry’s afterwards so you don’t go to bed hungry. Indoor and limited outdoor seating. Reservations are not easy to get, so book early. Update: I went here again with a seminar speaker and the meal I had was much better than the first time I went. I would place Canje in the same stratosphere as Odd Duck, a bit below Suerte and Barley Swine. But it’s definitely different and a good showcase for the breadth of Austin’s food scene. Location: E Austin Link: https://canjeatx.com/ |
| Casa Bianca
Description: Casa Bianca opened in the Spring of 2024, on E. 6th St., and is probably best described as ‘creative Italian’. The Chef spent time working at Uchi, so there is definitely a sushi twist to a lot of the dishes. This is not a spaghetti and meatballs place. Other than the homemade pasta, there really isn’t much to indicate that it is Italian. Regardless, the food is high quality, pretty inventive, and delicious. My personal opinion is that the Chef over-relies on a few tricks (for instance, they use honey on a number of dishes, including savory dishes…once is interesting, multiple times is a bit much). This is absolutely a good place to take a speaker or candidate. It has its own parking lot, and reservations aren’t hard to get. The one issue is that, like many Austin restaurants, dishes are probably best experienced in a small, shared plates approach…even entrees are probably best shared. So if you have a candidate that is weird about that, then maybe not ideal (but then you should also avoid most of Austin’s best restaurants). I thought that everything was quite reasonably priced, you will have no problem staying under the cap. Outdoor seating available in a nice patio, blocked off from the road. They might even have a rooftop patio, but I am not sure if that is always or ever open. Location: East Austin, 1510 E. Cesar Chavez St |
| Dai Due
Description: Part butcher shop, part restaurant, this place serves nice cuts of meat, prepared over a wood-fired grill. Not cheap, but worth it. I had the best pork chop I’ve ever had here. Sadly, my wife really doesn’t like this place so I have only been able to go twice. Probably not great for vegetarians. Indoor seating and limited outdoor seating in back. Close to campus in a nondescript strip mall in East Austin. Reservations difficult but not impossible. Location: East Austin, just across 35 from UT on Manor. Link: https://www.daidue.com/ |
| El Alma Cafe and Cantina
Description: Probably best described as high end Tex-Mex, El Alma’s is located on Barton Springs, right next to Terry Black’s BBQ. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. Their outdoor seating is a rooftop patio and it is pretty cool. Reservations are hard to get, it’s got a fun vibe and is a pretty popular spot (so much so that they opened a second location in South Austin). Food is solid, with a number of Tex Mex specialties offered (flautas, tacos, enchiladas). Never had a bad meal here, but it’s not a ‘knock-your-socks-off’ place in terms of creativity. Perfectly good place to take a candidate, less stuffy than Fonda and in a much cooler location. Prices are reasonable. Location: 1025 Barton Springs Rd. Website: https://www.elalmacafe.com/ |
| El Naranjo
Description: Traditional Mexican food, prepared with local, fresh ingredients and high-brow twists on classics. The Chef won a James Beard award this past year (Best Chef Texas). To be honest, I didn’t have the best meal here (not terrible, just not mind-blowing), but perhaps I didn’t order well. Indoor seating is nice, and they do have outdoor seating, but it’s right on S. Lamar, so the outdoor seating is sort of right on a 5 lane road…can be loud. Reservations are not impossible, but probably need to be made more than one week in advance. Location: S. Lamar closer to 71 than the Lake. |
| Elizabeth St. Cafe
Description: Modern vietnamese/pan asian, essentially high-end versions of vietnamese standards (banh mi, pho, bun, etc). Some of the dishes have some real kick, almost all are quite flavorful. I have had great meals here, and also decent meals, but never a bad meal. Not cheap, but pretty laid back, they have probably as much outdoor as indoor seating. The restaurant is right on 1st St. in South Austin. Not a huge amount of choice for vegetarians. Reservations required but not too hard to get. Not a great parking situation. There is a (kind of expensive) lot next to the restaurant with limited spots that requires a mobile parking app. Location: South Austin (1st St) |
| Emmer and Rye
Description: This is a Rainey st. restaurant that has been around for a while (as long as I have been in Austin, at least). Menu emphasizes grains, locally sourced ingredients, lots of home-made pastas & breads, etc. There is some outdoor seating, I think, but this is mostly indoor. Right in the heart of the Rainey bar scene. You will have to valet park. Reservations are going to be required, but are not impossible to get. Location: Rainey St. Link: https://emmerandrye.com/ |
| Este
Description: Este is the Seafood-centric sister restaurant to Suerte, and has all of the quality, inventiveness, and across-the-board consistency of Suerte. An absolute gem. Highly recommend the Tuna Tiradito (best dish in Austin right now?), the fish tacos (they can expand the order to make sure you get 1 taco per guest) and the octopus, but pretty much anything you get is going to be amazing. Great ambience and service, and a nice outdoor patio. Fine for pescatarians (obviously) but maybe not great for vegetarians. It’s a little pricey (though not for the quality you get) and you will likely bump up against the limit, but as long as you don’t order the $180 seafood tower you should be OK. One small plate, one entree, and one drink per guest will likely keep you under $100/person with tax. Close to EER on Manor, just across I-35, free valet parking. Location: 2113 Manor Rd, Austin, TX 78722 Link: https://www.esteatx.com/ |
| Fonda San Miguel
Description: An Austin (and UT ECE interview) mainstay. Fancy Mexican food, ostensibly from the interior of Mexico. Kind of pricey, but well-prepared and high quality. I like the Conchinita Pibil. This is a pretty popular spot to take guests to, you are always going to get a consistently good meal, and there are options for the adventurous and the not-so-adventurous. I think most seating is indoors, reservations aren’t too hard to get. I am not a huge fan, but it is a safe choice. Location: Off of Burnet, closer to Mopac than 35. I think it is well-situated between Pickle and main campus. |
| Foreign and Domestic
Description: Cozy, high-end restaurant, run by husband-wife team, consistently rated as one of the best in ATX. Limited menu (ie they do a few dishes but do them right), creative and high-end cuisine, Gruyere pop-overs are well-regarded, entrees tend to include at least two vegetarian dishes, a seafood and a couple of meat dishes. You will have a good meal here. Location: North Loop (53rd St. between Airport and Lamar). I don’t think there is outdoor seating, and reservations need to be made a week in advance, at least. Link: https://fndaustin.com/ |
| French Quarter Grille
Description: As the name suggests, the French Quarter Grille offers standard Cajun/Creole NOLA cuisine. The food is utterly pedestrian. It’s not bad, but it’s definitely not great. Also this place is located in a strip mall off of I-35. Absolutely NOT a place to take candidates. Not only does it not show off the amazing food scene of Austin, it is not exactly in a happening neighborhood. Location: 13000 Interstate 35 #600 |
| Fresa’s
Description: This is largely pollo a la braza (roasted chicken), but they do have a lot of vegetarian options. It’s not super-fancy, and not too expensive, but I really like it for interviews because it is very Austin-y. Laid back, tons of outdoor seating and heat lamps. Relaxed atmosphere with great food. Be careful because there are now three locations, one is take-out only, and the latest is in West Lake on 360 by Davenport Ranch (great for me but not so convenient for an interview). Make sure the group knows to go to the one on South First. Reservations are easy to get! Location: South First |
| Kemuri Tatsu-Ya
Description: A cross between a Japanese Izakaya and Texas smokehouse. Creative fare, a little pricey, probably not for the faint of heart. Indoor and outdoor (covered patio) seating. Very relaxed vibe. The tuna guaca-poke, the brisket hot pockets, and any of the smokehouse dishes are winners. Reservations can be difficult to come by. Location: East Austin. |
| L’Oca d’Oro
Description: Traditional italian fare, home-made pasta, crafted with care and presented nicely. If I am going out for a nice dinner I typically choose something more inventive and unique than Italian, but if the candidate (or faculty attendees) are perhaps not too adventurous, this is a great place. High quality, if not super-creative. This won’t show off the wide range of food in ATX, but it is a safe bet. Reservations are difficult, but not impossible. I think most seating is indoor, but haven’t checked post-pandemic. Location: The old airport, Mueller |
| Lin’s Dumplings
Description: High end Chinese food, with high quality ingredients, clever twists on standards, and some of the best soup dumplings in ATX. I really like this place, dishes are well thought-out, carefully prepared, and not saturated in grease/oil. Most of the seating is indoor, and there isn’t a huge amount of space, so reservations can be hard to come by. The only outdoor seating, that I remember, are a few 2 person high-tops on a small patio. Location: W. 6th street (close to Bar Peached) |
| Llama Queen (formerly Llama Kid)
Description: This one is a little off the beaten path, doesn’t always make the Best of Austin lists, but I think it’s a fun, Austin-y place. Way out in East Austin, this is a Peruvian place, with solid versions of Ceviche and Peruvian Chicken. Lots of outdoor seating, and a pretty cool vibe. Food doesn’t meet the quality of a Suerte or Odd Duck, either taste-wise or in presentation, but it won’t embarrass us. Definitely more casual and laid back than some of the more expensive places on this list. I don’t think reservations are too much of an issue. Location: Very East Austin Link: https://llamakidatx.com/ |
| Loro
Description: Loro is a collaborative effort between Aaron Franklin (of Franklin’s BBQ) and Tyson Cole (Uchi, Uchiko), and calls itself an “Asian Smokehouse”, basically serving Asian-inspired BBQ, or BBQ-inspired Asian food, depending on the dish. I think the food is quite inventive and rather delicious. It does have a number of vegetarian options and fun drinks. This is a pretty casual place, the restaurant itself is a large open space and it has tons of outdoor seating, mostly in the form of long benches and picnic tables. A very Austin place, with a very relaxed vibe and great food. No reservations, so that is a bit of a risk, though there is lots of seating and lots of parking. If you get there after 6 you may have a 15-20 minute wait. You order at the counter and they bring the food to your table, so not the typical sit-down experience. I would put this in the category of Fresa’s in terms of vibe, but better food. Location: S. Lamar |
| Maie Day
Description: Billed as a “Community Chop House” Maie Day is from the same folks that operate Olamaie (which is one of the best restaurants in Austin). Sadly, Maie Day is nowhere close to the same level as Olamaie. The restaurant itself is right on South Congress, and has a really nice ambiance, so in that sense, it is a nice place to take a candidate. However, it is highly unlikely that a meal here could stay anywhere close to the $100/person limit…most entrees are in the $60-70 range, and that just gets you the cut of protein, sides are $10-15 and you’ll want one side per person. Appetizers are not particularly interesting. Maie Day is fine, as a steakhouse, but it is a really strange choice to follow on from Olamaie. Olamaie’s strength lies in its creative fare, and a chop house, by nature, is fairly staid. Paying top dollar for Olamaie, which uses the best ingredients, creative dishes, and provides excellent service, makes sense. For Maie Day, not so much. That said, the food wasn’t terrible…I had a ribeye, Melissa had a red snapper; both were well prepared and quite tasty (if somewhat over-salted). Sides were fine, but nothing to write home about. Not too hard to get a reservation. Realistically, I don’t see this place being around much longer. Overall, I would say Meh-Day. Location: South Congress Link: https://www.maieday.com/ |
| Mattie’s
Description: Set on the grounds of a historic estate in South Austin, between 1st and Lamar, Mattie’s is a really neat place. The restaurant is in the historic estate, and has a number of outdoor seating areas, as well as indoor. The food is high-end Southern cooking, comfort food in many ways. Typical dishes might be fried chicken, pork ribs/chop, Salmon, etc. Not super-creative, but well-done and well-presented in a really charming atmosphere. Probably not great for vegetarians, none of the entrees are vegetarian, only the salads would work for a vegetarian. Reservations not easy to get, need to book at least a week in advance. Location: South Austin |
| Mian and Bao
Description: This is the second location of a LA restaurant, located in the triangle off of Guadalupe. The menu is largely Sichuan, with amazing dumplings, noodles, and a number of dishes I have never had before. The website is terrible so it’s basically impossible to see what they have before showing up, but my experience was that pretty much everything was amazing. I don’t think this is a great place for a speaker/interview dinner (too casual), but it wouldn’t be a bad place for a lunch with a visitor, particularly if you are travelling between Pickle and main campus. I think most (maybe all) seating is indoor and I don’t think they serve alcohol but I might be wrong. Highly recommend. Location: 4700 W Guadalupe St Ste A5, Austin, TX 78751 Link: https://www.fetail.com/storev2/shop?store_id=199&t=1728589928 |
| Musashino
Description: If Yale is going to dinner, this is where you are going. Excellent Sushi, arguably the best in Austin (which is saying something) but without the insane prices of places like Uchi or Soto (which I do not recommend because you cannot eat there for less than our limit). Not cheap, but you can get a meal under our limit (depending on how much Yale orders). Does not take reservations! Indoor and outdoor seating. Location: West Campus Link: https://www.musashinoatx.com/
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| Nomade Cocina
Description: This is a relatively new spot on S. First across from Elizabeth St. Cafe. They do a lot of things right: ambience, presentation, enthusiastic staff, etc. and a menu that looks really exciting. The menu, on paper, looks very similar to the sort of food you would get at Suerte and Este, two of the best restaurants in Austin. But in practice, Nomade is clearly a Go-Bot to the Suerte/Este Transformers (in Austin terms, Suerte/Este : Central Market brand, Nomade: Hill Country Fare). Many of the dishes were just bland, missing key aspects that would have rounded out the flavor profile but instead the dish just sort of fell flat. The softshell crab tacos were bland (they needed something bright and maybe vinegary), the coconut flatbread was fine but the chimichurri was missing vinegar and just sort tasted like pesto. Other dishes included just inexplicable choices, such as the heavy Mezcal foam that ruined a perfectly good Hamachi Ceviche. The Conchinita Pibil main course was not wrapped in a banana leaf but instead in a purple masa tortilla and then dropped in a sea of green tasteless slop. It is as if they took components from the Este/Suerte menu and, determined to differentiate themselves, added this or that to what would be solid dishes, ruining each of them. This is a shared plates restaurant and you will not have any trouble sharing because you won’t want to eat most of the dishes. With one drink a person it should be easy to stay under $100/person. There is a small parking lot behind the restaurant (which will be full) and a garage across the street that isn’t too expensive. Indoor, Outdoor, and Enclosed Climate-Controlled Outdoor seating available. Do not recommend. Location: 1506 S 1st St |
| Odd Duck
Description: From the same chef as Barley Swine (high end, best restaurant in Austin, arguably) and SourDuck (more casual), Odd Duck is somewhere between. Locally sourced, creative, American fare. Quite good. Reservations quite hard to get. Mostly indoor. They have a patio, but it is usually quite covered. Location: South Lamar |
| Olamaei
Olamaei is quite close to campus, on San Antonio street, so ideal for speakers staying at the hotels at the intersection of Guadelupe and MLK. Ostensibly high-end southern fare but it is really much more than that. Exquisitely prepared and presented, I have never had a bad dish here. Chef (Amanda Turner) was a James Beard semifinalist. Service is amazing. The only issue is that it is kind of pricey. Entrees go from 40 but up to 130(!) if your visitor decides to get a nice cut of meat. With appetizers and drinks you are going to be really close to our limit so be prepared to pay a little out of pocket (though honestly it would be worth it). Probably one of the best restaurants in Austin. Location: 1610 San Antonio St, Austin, TX 78701 |
| Patrizi’s
Patrizi’s has two locations, one on Manor (I think this is a food truck) and one on Cuernavaca, way out past West Lake off of Bee Cave road. Not exactly convenient for a guest speaker. The vibe is very casual, in fact you order food and drinks at separate counters and they just keep the tab open for you. Menu is limited to basically home made pasta (for the entrees) and very basic appetizers and salads. Pasta is what they hang their hat on and it is, of course, all home made. This place is not super-creative or inventive, but they use high-quality ingredients and they do the limited things they do correctly. If you are craving pasta, it’s great. But for anything else, there are better Italian restaurants (ie L’Oca d’Oro). Full bar, closed on Mondays, indoor/outdoor seating. Location: 1705 Cuernavaca Dr, Austin TX 78733 |
| Perla’s
Perla’s is a high-end seafood restaurant on S. Congress and is a great spot for a candidate or speaker dinner. Try to sit outside on their large patio if weather permits. The restaurant has a great vibe, and is right in the middle of everything on S. Congress so the atmosphere is awesome. At night, you end up sitting under an enormous live oak wrapped in lights and it’s just a really nice place to take a candidate. The food is very well-prepared and uses high quality ingredients, and consists largely of seafood standards, so you won’t find anything that is super-creative or interesting, but you aren’t going to get a bad dish. It’s a little pricey, so if you get drinks you will likely go over the $100/guest but without drinks you should be fine. If the candidate is not super-adventurous but you want to give them a feel for the S. Congress area at night, this is a perfect spot. Reservations not too hard to get. Location: 1400 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704 Link: http://perlasaustin.com/ |
| Qi
High end Asian in downtown ATX. Part of the Lin’s Dumpings mini-empire so their menus share at least a couple of items (ie the awesome soup dumplings). There is also a Qi clone (Ling Wu) on Southwest Parkway with basically the same menu for people living more towards Bee Cave, Lake Travis, or Dripping Springs. The menu is interesting and the food is always high quality. The menu is a mix between some American-Chinese staples and more interesting stuff (ie Szechwan Peppercorn Alligator, Braised Ox-Tail, Turmeric Salmon). Because it’s downtown you’ll have to park in the attached parking garage. Austin isn’t really known for its Chinese food and so I am not sure it’s a great place to show a candidate what ATX has to offer, food-wise, but when our family goes out for Chinese, it’s usually to Lin’s, Qi, or Ling Wu (or Old Thousand). Reservations usually not too hard to get. Location: 835 W 6th St #114, Austin, TX 78703 Link: https://qiaustin.com/ |
| Quince
Quince Lakehouse has replaced Abel’s on the Lake in the Oyster’s Landing complex on Lake Austin above the dam. It has a great view of the water, and a really nice layout and vibe. The food is fairly standard new American, and all of the dishes are well-presented, and service is excellent. However, the food has an unmistakable “resort restaurant” feel to it, in that it looks nice but is fairly bland and all pretty similar. Quince is one more data point strengthening Dan’s fundamental law of dining (FLOD) which states that the quality of your meal will be inversely proportional to the quality of your view (The Oasis is the Austin benchmark for Dan’s FLOD). Reservations not a problem, parking is easy, either in the primary lot or the auxiliary lot across the street. I wish the food was better, it’s so close to where I live it would be great to have a good restaurant nearby, which brings us to Dan’s Secondary Law of Dining (SLOD) which states that a restaurant’s quality is also inversely proportional to the average home price in the surrounding area. Location: 3825 Lake Austin Blvd #201, Austin, TX 78703 |
| Ramen Del Barrio
Disclaimer: not for candidates or speakers!! I couldn’t resist adding this one, because the food is great, but it is in the food court of a rather run-down Korean mega-grocery store up towards Round Rock so it’s not exactly a place we want to take a guest. RDB is a Mexican Ramen joint, with a limited but fun menu (Mole Tsukemen, Carnitas Tonkatsu, and assorted tacos and tostadas). I thought the pork belly tacos were amazing, and the Ramen was good, but a little weird if you are used to traditional Ramen. I still think that Ramen Tatsu-Ya has the best Ramen in ATX, but this is an interesting and tasty place, and you can get a really delicious, reasonably priced meal here. No reservations, parking not a problem. Location: 1700 W Parmer Ln Suite 100, Austin, TX 78727 (in the food court of the Hana World Market) |
| Salty Sow
Description: I guess American gastro-pub. I really like this place, very tasty dishes, friendly staff. The menu is pretty meaty, so not a great place for a vegetarian. Indoor and outdoor seating (covered patio). Not too hard to get a reservation. Very relaxed vibe, high quality food. Reasonably priced. Location: Manor, just across 35 from UT, so close. |
| Suerte
Description: Modern Mexican. Inventive and delicious, but somewhat pricey, high-brow Mexican. Lots of great small-bites and some amazing entrees (goat barbacoa!). Consistently present in the best restaurant lists (in ATX, and the US). Almost impossible to get a reservation. Indoor and some limited patio seating. Location: East Austin |
| Zoe Tong
New high-concept pan-Chinese restaurant on Barton Springs Rd. Nice atmosphere, friendly service, subpar (at best) food. If you want fancy Asian food, Elizabeth St. Cafe, Lin’s Dumplings, Qi, and Old Thousand are all far better choices. Location: Barton Springs Road Link: https://www.zoetong.com/ |
No Longer With Us (RIP)
| Vixen’s Wedding (CLOSED)
Description: Goan food (yes, that’s right, Goa, the state in India), which is an intriguing mix of Portuguese and Indian (Goa a former colony of Portugal). Crazy inventive, high quality, and extremely tasty. A lot of the dishes are spicy though. It’s pricey and the Pre Fixe menu is already close to the per person max. That said, you can get a great a la carte meal below our limit (as long as the candidate doesn’t order 3 cocktails!). Reservations are difficult, but not impossible, especially on a weekday). Indoor and limited outdoor seating (but outdoor seating is a little loud).. Location: East Austin (E. 6th St) |
| Seoulju Korean Kitchen and Bar (CLOSED)
This is a fun place, a Korean dive Karaoke bar with lots of Korean favorites and a real dive bar vibe. It’s in a strip mall north of Pickle, so completely unsuitable for interviews but for an adventurous Pickle speaker, might be a good choice. Reasonably priced and probably wouldn’t need a reservation (in fact, no reservations, just a wait list). Consistently in Best of Austin lists. |
Reviews Coming Soon:
Justine’s