Quite frankly I was surprised how much I enjoyed Emmer and Rye. I found the menu interesting, original and offered value. A combination that is rare In Austin. The ambiance was lively and service was solid. Drinks came a bit slow but probably good thing. My family shared an amazing sourdough with custom made butters. Fantastic. Ravioli, grouper, veggies were all amazing. The carrot cake was not to my liking. A little too adventurous but hey these cooks do push the envelope! I will return ! read more

The service was great! We had a reservation and were sat quickly upon our arrival. The ambiance was nice, very calm. The food was great! They suggested ordering 3-5 items for my husband and I to share. We decided to get two appetizers- oysters and carpaccio. I would definitely suggest the carpaccio! We tend to prefer our oysters simple- just some lemon juice- so we would probably opt for something else next time. The ravioli was the only thing that was underwhelming to me. Since it is served as a sheet, you have to cut them. They were also kind of dry on the bottom and could have used some more sauce. The wagyu was amazing! So much so that we forgot to take a photo until after a few bites. Honestly- the potato's that came with the wagyu were one of my favorite items from the night. We topped it all off with a lovely dessert. Would definitely visit again the next time I have a reason for a nicer dinner! read more

Emmer & Rye - Ravioli - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Stopped in for a belated birthday dinner with a friend after seeing this restaurant recommended as a special occasion dinner, and that was the right call. From our attentive waiter to the triple butter bread, the whole evening felt special. I got the Foxtail and pappardelle, and we shared the sourdough bread and roasted cabbage (a surprise hit!). It's like our waiter knew the usual birthday dessert with a candle in it wasn't our style and instead brought out the Johnny cakes (so so good). Parking's a bit hard to find but everything else was great. read more

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Another delicious dinner treat! Emmer & Rye is a farm-to-table delight where the menu changes daily based on what's fresh and in season. Every visit brings something new. We started with an appetizer of Johnny Cakes made from yellow Bolta corn, Hatch chili, and Lira Rossa Caciotta--rich, flavorful, and beautifully presented. For our main course, we shared their incredible sourdough bread served with a trio of cultured butters, artfully shaped into quenelles right at the table. My son ordered the pappardelle with smoked Wagyu beef ragù, crème fraîche, and Texas olive oil. I chose the smoked half chicken, served with Triosi Farms blueberry BBQ sauce, honeynut squash, and ground cherry. Every bite delivered depth and creativity, layered with delightful flavors. Dessert was a standout: a peach cobbler topped with sorghum butterscotch, yogurt crémeux, and pepita granola--a perfect balance of sweet and tangy with a delightful crunch. We were told this was unique for the day, so you probably won't find this on the menu next time. The entire experience was excellent. Our server was outstanding, the food was crafted with care, and--such a thoughtful touch--they even brought me a fresh, clean blanket when I mentioned I was cold. We had enough chicken and bread for leftovers the next day. A perfect way to spend a special evening with my son. read more

We went for our anniversary while in Austin and were very impressed with Emmer & Rye. Loved the food, service and decor. Perfect for a date night. read more

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Phenomenal experience at Emmer & Rye! The small space is super vibey and the staff was exceptional. We talked about the service all night long, our server had knowledge on everything and provided the best recommendations. We were there for wine for the people with Rae Wilson and so enjoyed the tasting and hearing from her about the wine from Texas grapes. We raved about the Steak and the cabbage, but all dishes were outstanding you can't go wrong! read more

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Taking their inspiration from eco-friendly Denmark, Emmer & Rye is not only home of excellent eats (picking up the Michelin Bib Gourmand and Michelin Green Star in recent years), it's also a carbon neutral restaurant, so you can do good while enjoying your meal. This is not the place to get attached - their menu is focused on seasonal farm-fresh produce and freshly milled grained and in-house butchered meats, all carefully planned and prepared daily. Nonetheless I did jump on their renowned Sourdough Bread service - a 10-year starter in the mix with a trio of artisanal butters served tableside en regalia. For further celebration: the Cacio e Pepe, a prime example of pasta in perfection - spaghetti stewed in fermented tomatoes, adding rich umami depth to a traditionally simple recipe. It's elegant yet understated, just like the moody atmosphere - great for hot dates or important deals, casual friends or large groups. read more

Emmer & Rye - Sourdough Bread - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

Get it all! So so good! The pasta is amazing, the little breads app was amazing, get a bottle of wine to share too! Service is good and it's a cute little spot read more

Emmer & Rye - Caico e pepe - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

This restaurant was very tight and crowded. We were a party of 8 so they put us on a prefixed menu. It was an 8 course meal but most of the items were on the prefix menu we found unappealing. There were 8 people and they would bring out 3 dishes expecting us doing math to divide out foods. After we complained several times, foods came out in 4 plates instead of 3. Some of the dishes were good but since the kitchen, waitress weren't communicating, we ended up with 2 rich pasta dishes back to back then the proteins. Just a bit of hick-up here and there made the dining experience less enjoyable especially for a Michelin Select restaurant. The whole time we were there, we felt like they're rushing us in and out. My husband wanted a bottled water and to his surprise, they don't offer them. Shoutout for Monica, she sent someone to a store nearby to get couple of bottled water for him. We left the restaurant at the end of the night full but unhappy. We didn't get to pick the foods we'd wanted to try and ended up dishes sending back untouched. The lesson learned from this was do your homework before making reservations. I want all restaurants to be successful and thrive so I hope if the owner is reading this, the take away is good communication between the wait staff, the kitchen and customers will bring back happy customers who will comeback for that smooth enjoyable experience. The mixed drinks were very yummy and the star of the dinner was your beautiful sourdough bread with that delicious honey and butter. read more

Emmer & Rye - Highlight of our dinner sourdough bread with hibiscus honey - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Enjoyed several different shared courses with a party of six. I like the open kitchen to the dining room. Every course was excellent. You can see (just viewing the kitchen) that a lot of care goes into each course. read more

Emmer & Rye - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

TL;DR - modern atmosphere, delicious food, and great service. Favorites were the crudo, sourdough bread, and French ravioli. I was lucky enough to score a day-of reservation here using OpenTable on a recent work trip. We had one person join us last minute but they were gracious enough to accommodate us if we were willing to wait a half hour since it was pretty busy. It was worth the wait! What we ordered: Crudo - tasty and fresh Blackjack point oysters - did not hit the mark for me, my least favorite dish of the night Sourdough bread - get this! It was super delicious and the presentation was unique. French ravioli - another must order IMO! Cacio e Pepe - really good Texas wagyu steak - tender and tasty We were stuffed so no desserts for us. Their cocktails were decent as well though the one I ordered was a little sweet for my taste (sorry couldn't remember what it was called). Also love it when establishments (like this one) have their hand washing station outside of the bathrooms. Would come back if I'm ever in the area again! read more

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Alex was our server and absolutely phenomenal! We had this restaurant recommended by our Airbnb host and she was totally spot on. We sat outside and while it was windy it was still very comfortable. The restaurant itself has a clean, modern feel and while it was busy, it didn't feel rushed. I love that they are so conscious about their sourcing and getting local products - we loved every dish we got! We started with a beet salad, poplar mushrooms, and the roasted cabbage, all of which were great - but the roasted cabbage was an especially unique and delicious dish! We then moved on to the housemade sourdough bread which came with 3 different types of butter. For 4 people, we ended up requesting an additional serving of bread which was an upcharge but very needed! We then moved on to the pappardelle and rigatoni for our pasta course - the pappardelle had a delicious ragu and the rigatoni was a more classic tomato sauce. Both done beautifully and with great flavor and sauce to pasta ratio. For the main courses, we had the chicken with soccoro sauce and the wagyu - our only complaint was that we had the chicken after the wagyu, which was truly unfair to the chicken! The wagyu was probably one of the best things I've ever had - so tender and beautifully cooked with a delicious chimmichurri! After all of that, of course we had to have dessert and ended up accidentally getting the sorbet in addition to the other 3 desserts - though it ended up being our favorite dessert of the night. It has a lovely cream/foam on top that made it beyond delicious. Overall, this is a can't miss! read more

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Amazing! The ingredients are def clean and give the reputation of green Michelin star! Every item was tasty. Would recco for anyone that wants healthy but still delicious. My fav was the oysters and cacio de pepe! read more

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Had a lovely dinner on the patio. Service was warm and professional. Server kept us from over ordering which we appreciated. Hard to single any one thing out because everything was so good. I will say the pbj ice cream with red amino spread and peanut crunch was just so perfect it deserves a mention. Also the house cultured butter spreads for the bread service were unique and amazing. Will return! read more

The evening started with promise that Michelin had acknowledged this restaurant even though it did not award distinction. However, it quickly became clear to us that they will likely face difficulty in achieving Michelin distinction. Before turning to the challenges, I will say that the food was fantastic. We ordered the sourdough bread with trio of butters, the pappardelle, the gnocchetti, and the carnitas. The sourdough was great and the accompanying trio of butters provided balance and options. The flavors were distinct but not overpowering. The two pasta dishes were enjoyable and a nice combination. The gnocchetti had a basil based sauce with some peppers to add some spice. The pappardelle had the richness you expect with a beef-based pasta but it was cut with the heat of some peppers as well. Finally, the carnitas had a farro and lamb combination for the base and small bites of pork layered in top. The cucumber and yogurt brightened the dish. Again, the balance of flavors was great. Overall, the food was a win, and I can see why Michelin noted their restaurant. The issues we faced were all in the service aspects of our experience. Our table was not ready at the time of our reservation, and we had to wait approximately 25 minutes beyond our specified time to be seated. Our server wasn't the most helpful at the beginning of our meal and was engaged with us minimally throughout the dinner. Then three dishes came concurrently, which meant we couldn't fully enjoy the bread, and it also meant that the pastas had cooled off by the time ate them. It's small stuff that added up across the meal. On a closing note, the environment was mostly fine but there were a lot of conversations that contributed to background noise making it difficult to hear our server and ourselves. read more

Emmer & Rye is a conscientious restaurant with intentional thought to their menu. I came here specifically to try their cacio e pepe. Valet is $12 but you might as well park on the street. The inside is nice and dim. I recommend coming with more than another person since the two seaters are a bit small. For two people: a cocktail, a starter, two smaller plates, an entree, and a dessert ended up being around $160, so about $200 give or take depending on tip. Without the cocktail and dessert, the meal size was the recommended amount by the waiter. I found it a bit pricey considering I wasn't full, but I was also being mindful about how much I ate that day. The beef tartare was good, had a slight bitter taste from the tahini dressing but it paired well with it. The cacio e pepe was good. I think you could get better cacio e Pepe elsewhere but it wasn't bad by any means. The rotolo is a type of almost lasagna-like pasta with lamb. It definitely was heftier tasting, but all of these were more on the small side. Our last dish was the pork, which was probably the best dish of the night. Carrots were great, pork was cooked nicely. It wasn't huge by any means but it was tasty and well made. The dessert was a panna cotta with toppings that were a bit too hard and honestly hurt my jaw. I suppose I could say I had a good time. The service was great, after all. But I would keep in mind that it's a bit pricy and the dishes aren't too big. It's a solid date night area but I consider some other places in downtown Austin to give you a more 5 star experience with bigger portions, food that makes your jaw drop, and an ambience that dazzles. read more

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Drinks, service, and vibes were great. The food was subpar for the price. The sourdough and cacio e pepe were good but the grouper and Berkshire pork were lacking. They weren't bad but they weren't great either. read more

From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with warm smiles and a genuinely happy, welcoming atmosphere. The staff at this place is incredible--everyone checks in with you, making sure you're comfortable and enjoying every part of your experience. Our server, Isabel, was truly outstanding. She was incredibly friendly, attentive without being overbearing, and had such a great energy that made our evening feel special. She made thoughtful recommendations and ensured everything was perfect from start to Every dish we tried was beautifully presented--clearly crafted with care and attention to detail. The standout for me was the Japanese Eggplant with figs, from a Texan farm, It was unique, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. You can tell the kitchen takes real pride in their work. Overall, the combination of delicious food, gorgeous presentation, and top-tier service makes this a spot I'll definitely return to. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a memorable dining experience! read more

The service is great. The patio is nice... And the espresso martinis are wonderful... I think that the food is high-quality and love the fact that they are gardening on property. I just personally did not have a plate that I would crave or come back for... The only thing I would say was the Johnny cakes were pretty amazing read more

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We sat at the Chef's counter and had Chef Chase. Had the Wagyu, Smoked Chicken, Johnny Cakes, Sourdough bread and the Rainbow Carrot cake. Maggie was our server. What an experience. The food was incredible as they will tell if you inquire they locally source all their ingredients and it shows spectacularly. Highly recommend to anyone who loves good food. I will eat at this place again the next time I'm in Austin. Staff was incredible. read more

Emmer & Rye - Harleys Comet & the Sunny - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

I would summarize as good not great. With so many incredible options in town, it's was a bit of a let down. There was no "wow" bite of food that you would expect with the accolades (and the price). Services and ambiance are both great. read more

I visited my parents in Austin, TX last week and this was the best meal that I had. The service was great, but the farm to table dishes were innovative and full of flavor. What we enjoyed: - Crudo: bright, vibrant flavors - would recommend - Johnny cakes: my favorite dish of the evening, an elevated take on a rustic, old-fashioned dish - Cacio e pepe: don't sleep on this dish - Pappardelle: a beautiful, meaty pasta dish - Lamb/pork 'carnitas': Id skip this dish. I found the texture of the carnitas to be a bit too stringy and dry - Grouper: An interesting combination of flavors Overall, our favorites were the appetizers and pasta dishes. If I were to go back, Id only order apps and pastas as they are just that good. read more

Unique & yummy. I didn't love the Johnny cakes, they tasted like pancakes. The bread with multiple types of butter was my favorite. read more

Emmer & Rye - Peanut butter pecan dessert thing. It was odd, then all the flavors mixed so well I couldn't stop eating it. It was sooo good. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The Wagyu tasting experience was truly exceptional. An eclectic mix of dishes with a dash or splash of Texas wagyu, beef tallow or some bone marrow concoction. Seven courses all with a varying degree of complexity and flavors. We were told the menu changes periodically. The chefs here are masters at composing very ingenious takes on traditional favorites. Incorporating various techniques, they come with some very unique dishes that will delight all your senses. This was a wonderful dining experience. If you get the chance, sit at the kitchen bar to watch and interact with the chefs. Service was 5 star. read more

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This is in my top three restaurants in Austin. Really it's a Michelin star restaurant, but done in a very casual way at affordable prices. I've had the steak and the chicken and was shocked to find that they elevated a simple roast chicken into something other worldly. They fill up quickly because they're awesome. You need to have a reservation. read more

Fantastic spot! So many amazing dishes I will remember to this day! Also great service and love all the twists on the cuisine - very inspirational! read more

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I would give 4.5 stars, across-the-board! Food, service, and ambience, overall. Blackjack point oysters - 3 stars. Not the best flavor and we couldn't taste the oysters due to the strong vinegar flavor of the mignonette. This was our least favorite dish of the night. Red Snapper Crudo - 5 stars. Very fresh and delicious with a little kick of heat. Tartare - 5 stars. Texas Wagyu beef! Probably some of the best beef tartar I have ever had. Very flavorful and tender. Roasted Squash - 5 stars. This dish was beautiful and tasted out of this world. It had so many flavors, but was so well balanced. Definitely one of the best dishes of the night. French Ravioli - 5 stars. This was deliciously decadent! I would order this light but cheese stuffed pasta, that is taken over the top by the use of fennel oil, again in a heartbeat! Rigatoni - 5. A very umami rigatoni, probably due to the black garlic aïoli. Pasta was made fresh in-house and cooked to perfection. What order again. Berkshire Pork - 4.5 stars. This was actually pork belly, which is not in the description on the menu, just an FYI. Not the star of the show tonight, but was a nice take and definitely good. Wine selection was decent by the glass and by the bottle. Service - 5 stars Ambiance- 4 stars. Loud (like every place now days) and the wooden back of the booths were quite uncomfortable. The chairs at the tables looked cushion and more comfortable. Thank goodness for valet parking due to its location! We would definitely return here to eat and not just for a special occasion because it's that good!! read more

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We were in Austin for work and Emmer & Rye came highly recommended. Despite booking last-minute during graduation weekend, we were able to get a reservation at the bar. The space is beautiful, and the staff--from bartenders to food runners--was wonderful, very friendly but also knowledgable. We were told not to miss the bread service and cacio e pepe. The sourdough with house-made butters was phenomenal--some of the best I've had. The cacio e pepe was rich, delicious, and definitely shareable (we didn't need two orders despite what everyone told us). Overall, a fantastic meal and we'd happily return on our next Austin trip. read more

There's a reason why Emmer & Rye made it onto two of the Michelin Guide's awards for: Bib Gourmand & a Michelin Green Star. The dining room is contemporary and inviting, setting the stage for a truly memorable meal. Compared to the rest of Rainey Street's offering for food, Emmer & Rye left me feeling refreshed and inspired. The textures and flavors in the dishes are carefully curated and perfectly balanced. Unfortunately, portion sizes run small and the pricing is exorbitant at Emmer & Rye. read more

Came here for our anniversary and was welcomed with a little postcard signed by employees and bubbles - a very nice touch! We also sat at the chef's counter, which is something we try to do everywhere we do that offers the option to get a much closer look into the craft. Jose, the chef that worked in front of us all evening was so attentive in answering our questions when possible and even provided recos on cocktail places nearby for afterward. Ambiance was nice, parking around there area is tricky and largely based on luck. Sitting at the counter actually seemed much quieter compared to the rest of the dining areas, so we appreciated that. Was slightly hesitant before making the reservation from reaching other reviews regarding slow service, which we did experience a little bit here and there especially toward the end of the meal, but nothing too frustrating to write about. We ordered a la carte, since the chef's menu was focused on corn, and while we love corn, there were other dishes in the regular menu that caught our eyes. Appetizers: Crudo and Tartare were both good, smaller portions but hey, food is so expensive anywhere nowadays. Bread service was honestly great - can't believe how much we paid for a few slices of bread, butter and honey ($16), BUT they were great! Pastas: Cacio e Pepe was just okay; Rabbit Tajarin was better - if you don't absolutely have to have pasta here, don't. Main: the duck gnocchi was good - duck leg with everything else confit, which really, what can be better?! Dessert: we got the chocolate chips without really understanding what it was, and to our surprise, the execution is definitely there - sweet and salty all in once! Overall, we'd probably give Emmer & Rye another try or two, especially if there's a chef menu focus we're particularly interested in. read more

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We opted for the Texas beef wagyu showcase, which is only a few days old to the menu. It consists of a 10 course meal and the table must participate. In addition we ordered the raw oysters and crudo which were a nice addition. The meal coursing with the 2 added items was the perfect amount of food and everyone left satisfied. My favorites were the oysters on the rice crisps, the crudo and the tortellini in the beef broth, yes please - the broth alone was bathable. The service was fantastic and so were the cocktails. $12 valet available. I'd definitely go back and try other items. read more

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Get the corn johnny cake, the snapper crude and the cacio e pepe...you can thank me later....we have been twice now. The first time was just a week night resy and the other was a work private dinner.....This place will keep a spot on our regular rotation of yummy spots to hit up. Love, love, love! read more

What a great spot! Got a late night reservation and it was so worth it. We got to try a bunch of small plates and the variety was great. The Emmer & Rye old fashion is the best one in Austin. read more

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This is a really sad update to write, but Emmer & Rye is definitely not as good as it used to be. I haven't been in a few years, so perhaps I was hyping it up in my head and therefore my recent visit didn't live up to my expectations. My friends and I ordered a few things: sourdough bread, tartare, cacio e pepe, pesto pasta, and crudo. The sourdough bread was probably the best thing that we ordered, which is a sad statement to make. The crudo was okay but nothing memorable. The tartare was also a very standard dish, but they only brought out three measly chips for two people to share. How do we even split 3 chips? Not to mention, three chips are definitely not enough to eat the entire tartare with. I asked a server for more chips and she brought out some other chips that were definitely not the original chips that came with the tartare. The new chips were also very stale and hard. The cacio e pepe was pretty decent, but I've also never had a cacio e pepe that was so good that I would order it again. The same applies to Emmer & Rye's cacio e pepe. Overall, it was just a very okay meal. I felt bad because I was hyping up Emmer & Rye to my friends, but no one really felt as if it was worth the visit. I probably won't be coming back, but it is really interesting that they have a set menu that's focused on corn. I love corn, so if I hear any good things about it, then I'll definitely come back for that. read more

Farm to table but with so many distinctly different dishes. Do not sleep on this place, especially the pappardelle. And the bread plate. And the johnny cakes. And the non-alcoholic drinks. And the sorbet. Let's face it- nothing was left. read more

I give it two stars for the ambiance and service that was decent/good. I am taking three away for the food and pricing. I would have taken pics of the food but none of it looked good as much as none of it tasted good. My fiancé got the bread which he loved and it had a neat presentation. That's about it. Who charges almost $50 for the chicken dish? More expensive than the fish and the other dishes... anyway we chose two dishes- the fish dish and pork/lamb dish which were both over $40 each... I normally wouldn't complain about pricing except it was not worth it AT ALL. I've never been to a restaurant that I didn't like the food. Usually it's the other way around- I'll complain about service or something, but this food was not appetizing- I couldn't even finish it. The dish tasted so fishy and off with some weird clear-ish white gravy sauce on it. Then the lamb/pork dish tasted like beans... it was weird. Like meatballs kind of with just weird flavors. Not flavors you'd think would be in $40+ dishes. I ate at this place a long time ago and the food was amazing... not sure what happened to them but I will not be eating here again. Oh and the overly expensive wine glasses... $20 each with horrible options. Almost all were from California. California wine sucks. Should put some Argentina, Spanish, Italian in there. They only had one that was French that was overpriced for the tiny pours they give you. At the very least give people decent pours! I know austin to be overpriced for everything but usually at least the food is good... this was overpriced and not good. Sorry guys but it's the truth! Hate to bash a restaurant instead of boosting them up, but it was a painful experience. read more

As someone who considers themselves a true foodie, I had high expectations walking into this restaurant--especially since it boasts a green star. Unfortunately, it missed the mark on every level. To start, we had an 8:30 PM reservation, yet we were left waiting around for a table upon arrival. Once seated, it took a noticeable amount of time before our server even came over to take our drink order. We started with the pappardelle, which was bland and lacked any real depth of flavor. Things got worse when the kitchen sent out the wrong dish entirely, causing another delay while we waited for our original order--the lamb and pork carnitas. When they finally arrived, the meat was underwhelming, and we were only given three tortillas for what was supposed to be a taco dish. Asking for additional tortillas resulted in an upcharge, which we didn't mind, but it just felt a bit ridiculous given the nature of the plate. We also ordered two glasses of the Cabernet, but both were completely flat and tasteless. Rather than send them back, we just left them untouched. To end the meal, we tried the carrot cake--which, at $15, felt like an overpriced joke. It was dry, tiny, and tasteless. We each took two bites and left the rest. When I made a comment about how small and dry it was, no one from the staff--or the manager--made an effort to apologize or acknowledge the issue. All in all, this was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in a long time. Overpriced, underwhelming, and poorly managed. A green star may be hanging above the door, but it certainly doesn't reflect what's happening on the plate. read more

We visited Austin recently, in search of exceptional dining. The recommendation: Emmer & Rye. This restaurant has been recognized by Michelin, granted the rating of Bib Gourmand, not quite a Michelin star rating, but prized nonetheless, granted for quality and consistency. The restaurant sits on Rainey, street parking difficult to find, though it seems valet parking may be available. We finally worked our way through the area road construction and found a nearby lot. We were visiting on a Saturday night and were immediately seated at our reserved time. The contemporary restaurant was bustling, but we noticed bar seating, tables and booths available. The open kitchen is seen fronting the dining room, a wall of wine separating two major areas of the restaurant. The ambient sound level was significant, not surprising given the large open area that describes the restaurant, the sound somewhat compromising our table conversation. Review of the menu confirmed what had been described: a menu of limited appetizers, limited second courses and limited entrees. This is a restaurant that features the "shareable menu", the limited nature allowing guests to fully explore the crafted offerings of the chef. The dining party selects a couple of items from the offered courses, and the selections are presented at center table, with the selections to be ...well...shared by the diners. Think BBQ family table dining, or sharing a mound of crawfish at Perino's in New Orleans, or sharing tapas at Toro Kitchen in San Antonio. This approachable notion of dining is growing in popularity with gastronomes, and it gives talented chefs free rein to ply their avante-garde skills. The menu at Emmer & Rye changes frequently. The eve of our visit, we selected Gulf Oysters and their Sourdough Bread. The oysters were presented on shell, beautifully seasoned and dressed with roe. Our group considered the appetizer excellent. Our waiter, Tre, recommended the sourdough bread, served with three differently seasoned butters, telling that this was the best in the city. We considered the bread...just OK. For second course, we selected the Gnocchetti and the Papardelle. The gnocchetti was presented with basil butter, peppers and pecorino. The flavors were exceptional, praised by our group. The papardelle was prepared wagyu with a tangy cream that we devoured. Next up: Carnitas and Texas Wagyu Steak. The carnitas were medallions of lamb and pork, served with sweet potato and candied nuts. We considered the carnitas slightly overcooked, but the flavor, especially the sweetness of the pecans complemented the dish. The Wagyu was presented as several slices, dressed with creamy mousse and garlic mojo. The protein was literally melt in the mouth, the flavors superb. Marjan after conversation with the sommelier, selected Oltrepo Pavese Pinot, a perfect selection for our dinner. We found the staff to be appropriately attentive, not intrusive, and we particularly found the sommelier (sorry, I cannot recall her name) well versed with their wines, and her perceptions completely matched the nuances of Marjan's preferences. A word about the "shared menu" restaurant. Some diners remarked that they left the restaurant "hungry". It is true, that portions are smaller, and when shared among diners, may not satisfy those in search of say, a 16 oz. ribeye. But if one is looking for true culinary bliss, the creative restaurant may be the answer. We totally enjoyed our dining experience, and we will definitely return. Marjan rates Emmer & Rye 5 origami boots. Enjoy Yelpers!! read more

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After many months of waiting, we finally made time to check out Emmer & Rye. This place definitely lived up to the hype. We booked through OpenTable, used their valet (might only be available on the weekend) and sat at the counter that overlooks the kitchen. Every dish was packed with unique flavors & combos that you wouldn't normally see like cantaloupe & heirloom tomatoes or carrot cake with lemon curd, sorbet and salted cream. Really enjoyed the overall experience and vibe. Will definitely be back sooner than later. read more

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This used to be a great spot, but the quality of food and service has plummeted from the peak two years ago. The last two times we've visited the food came in an odd order (bread came towards final course). The carrot dish we ordered was undercooked and extremely tough to chew. The pre dinner broth they give you tastes like a vegetable flavored LMNT packet. Everything was overwhelmed by salt. The cocktails taste like something you'd get at a college bar. The restaurant feels like it's trying to be upscale, but missing critical details and quality. Considering the abundance of choice we have in Austin, I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. read more