I dined here with a friend on Black Friday. We made reservations in advance, but it does look like the bar is open seating. This is a small spot with good ambiance. Our server was very friendly and made solid drink and food recommendations. We split the steak bruschetta, which was PHENOMENAL. It was rich and covered in sauce. We both got filets with peppercorn sauce. I ordered mine medium-rare and my friend ordered his medium. They looked pretty similar in color in the middle. The steak was a great cut, but I think I would've enjoyed it a little warmer in the middle (the center was cold and red, which I think is typically more a rare steak). We had the banana foster bread pudding for dessert, which was a 10/10. Absolutely perfection. I would recommend coming here, hanging at the bar for some fantastic cocktails, and ordering food as you see fit. It's got a good vibe and good staff. I was just a little bummed out how the steak was cooked. read more

J Carver’s - 10 oz filet with peppercorn sauce - Steakhouses Near Me - Austin, Texas

I have not found another steak house in Austin and Houston that tops J. Carvers. From the salads, to the appetizers, to the sides, to the steaks, etc. each dish is EXQUISITE!! The steaks are to die for! (Love the bread as well!!) And the service is probably the best I have experienced anywhere else. It's good to know that you can actually get TOP-notch service these days. Not sure who is managing this restaurant, but all I can say is keep it up. Your leadership exceeds expectations. read more

Stuck in Austin by myself on business, and wanting to be waited on as opposed to doing GrubHub again, I asked a music biz friend of mine whose taste I respect, "what's the best steak in Austin." He cited Jeffrie's and Carver's, the latter was closer, and DAYUM. I made reservations for bar seating, since I would be alone, and arrived right on time to find the front door locked. OK, I was early, they let me in a few minutes later. The entire bar was open yet they felt the need to sit me right next to some pretentious asshole going on and on about whiskey vs. bourbon, all the people he knew, all of which served to remind me what a bunch of know-it-all millennial jerks live in Austin, all trying their best to impress somebody, anybody. They're all goobers passing as cool people. All the tattoos and facial hair and studiously casual attire in the world will not alleviate the inherent gooberness. ANY way, on to the food. I wasn't getting much wait staff or bartender attention but I eventually ordered a shot of Basil Hayden rocks with an orange slice twist. Divine, and a good place to point out that the J Carver's whiskey list is top notch, with plenty of the classic elite brands as well as the pretentious stuff that let's the bearded goober next to me act superior to the peons. $16 for the shot of Basil, some are much more. I ordered a crab cake as an appetizer $28, which was pretty average and too much onion for my taste. The menu has most of its wet- and dry-aged steaks as "for two or more," and since I was by myself, I asked the waiter which steak I should order that would be manageable. He suggested 20oz NY strip; normally I'm more of a porterhouse or ribeye guy, but, hey, he oughta know. For sides, I ordered the Gnocchi potatoes and corn brulee I had seen recommended on this site. All were mouthwateringly delicious. So basically, the waiter/tender gave me ONE piece of advice and it was correct and all I required. Down the bar, a couple were conversing with their waiter about the menu and I swear, the elfin, bearded little twerp went on and ON and on and on to the point of extreme annoyance. I pointed out to my waiter, "dude, you told me one thing, all I needed, Elf Boy over there acts like they pay him by the word!" My new friend thought that was right funny. I understand that some folks are needy and want the attention, and Elf Boy was all over it. The strip came pre-sliced, off the bone, medium rare, and was perfection. The quality of the meat was 1% o 1%, best strip i've ever had, and a helluva sear on it, seasoned perfectly, with crusty outside, tender juiciness inside. The sides! Jesus, they were as good or better than the steak. Indescribably, you have to try these if you ever go to Austin. Just, wow. Total bill including tip was $250. One person. Gonna have to get creative on my expense report. Have to say the service was pretty minimal, though I'm not there to make friends and I definitely preferred my tender to Elf Boy. I saw one reviewer on Yelp complaining it was salty, well, YEAH! Maybe go back to your tofu, boy. Best steak, and food overall, I have had in Austin, I'll be back. read more

I rolled into Austin for the UT vs. Alabama game (UT got robbed) and had no idea that I would soon have the best steak in my life. I had the 10 oz. filet and it was by far the most well cooked, seasoned, tender, tasty steak I've encountered. It made up for the attitude that the dark haired hostess who was working on 9/10/22 threw around. Girl, you're a hostess. Relax. read more

First time to Austin J Carvers, recommended by out lovely Uber driver. Best steak I ever had. Cooked perfectly! Espresso Martini on point, service amazing! Went twice in our 5 day stay. read more

My husband and I visited J Carvers for Valentine's Day, this was our 4th dining experience here. As always our experience was amazing. From the cocktails, to the appetizers, oysters, steaks and desserts this is hands down our go to steakhouse in Austin, and we have tried them all. read more

I knew what I was getting into having been a long patron of Red Ash... but this blew me away. Awesome food, excellent service and impressive service. Entire experience was awesome. read more

Delicious! great atmosphere, best steak i've had in a long time, perfectly cooked, amazing sides. If we are are back in the area will for sure return read more

This building seems to now be a carousel of different businesses plopping down every couple of years. This one is an overpriced "oyster bar" that likely won't make it long, either. Food was meh. And NO PARKING in front of the business anymore, since they yanked it all away for valet. I'll do my business at any food truck before I bother with this place again. Can't wait until it's something new in 2022. read more

Great experience. Our waitress, Nora was the best!! Very knowledgeable and had great suggestions. We had the porterhouse steak, which had great flavor and perfectly cooked. Would definitely visit again. read more

Don't sleep on this restaurant. In a super competitive food city they continue to deliver on top notch food, cocktails, and service. Highly recommend checking them out. read more

Had a drink spilt on me and my clothes are still wet after leaving and no compensation. Where is the goodwill that restaurants used to have not that I am looking for. Austin is not what it used to be read more

Had high hopes. Hate to leave a one star but that's what it was. Medium steak was literally cold to the touch. Lobster was still raw. Caviar service was the worst I have had. The meal service was sooooooo slow and not timed out appropriately. Best thing we ate was the salad. Sorry but won't be back. read more

Being big fan of Red Ash (especially their steaks) I thought this place would blow my mind. We had to wait on our table to open up for our reservation, so they comped us our cocktails while we waited. Steak came out cold (bone in Strip for 2), while our sides came out piping hot (fried rice and gnocchi) so it was pretty clear they let our steak sit out while they waited on the sides to finish up. Server didn't check up on once after the food and wine were served. We didn't even finish our steak or take it to go. Disappointing b/c it could've been so much better. read more

An episode of Top Chef gone very wrong...way too much salt, oil, cream, & butter overall. Some good points: waited only 5 minutes for valet when we arrived. Very nice. $12. Server started out okay. Water glasses were refilled promptly by several team members; table was cleaned between courses; nice to pick your steak knife. Pineapple Cocktail ($18) was a work of art; beautiful and complex. Tomato salad ($18) was incredible--two different types of tomatoes w/ crisp onion, cucumber strips, and tiny Mediterranean olives. Maple Carrots ($16) were superb, although they were not served in a heated dish and cooled very quickly. I'll add a full star for the carrots and one for the salad. Broccolini ($16) was cooked well, but topping was unbearably salty. Vanilla Gelato ($4, inexpensive) was nice, w/ a homemade Pizelle cookie, more like a Stroopwaffel without the filling, not too sweet or rich--nice. Dover sole ($68) was good. There endeth the good things. Lump Blue Crab Cake ($29) was just okay despite strong server rec--fishy, nothing special, though seasoned well. After our shared appetizer & salad, we waited and waited. Finally, the server came to say the delay was because my steak had not turned out right. He brought us s slices of complimentary bread, which would normally be $8. Bread should always be complimentary in my book, but thank you--we ate some of it. It made us ill, as it was soaked in oil, dripping, which was sad as it was nice crusty bread otherwise. My 10 oz steak (smallest they had) ($56) was tender but nothing special. It was cooked medium rare not medium, but I won't quibble w/ one level off. We ordered sides: aforementioned carrots; broccolini; gnocchi ($16); and corn brulee ($15). Corn was nice but extremely salty and far too oily and rich. Very chewy. Gnocchi seemed to have several sticks of butter; cups of sour cream or technically cream fraiche I guess; bacon; cheese etc. Gnocchi are heavy enough w/o all that excess. Again, sickening. This next thing was the menu's fault, not the server's. Under the steaks they offer accompaniments such as peppercorn topping, bearnaise sauce, horseradish, or roasted mushrooms. I thought I was ordering a fan of roasted mushrooms for my steak. Instead I got a big tureen of some sad mushrooms in a cognac cream sauce. (Yes, more cream.) The server called it a "Side". There are indeed 10 sides, listed under "Sides", but the mushrooms were listed under Steak Accompaniments. So I had a tureen of soupy cream sauce w/ some mushrooms, to spoon onto a small steak myself? Not what I wanted. I tried to explain I just wanted roasted mushrooms on my steak, like a topping, and another server understood, but not my server. I asked them to take it away, but he thought I was quibbling about the price. How embarrassing. I gave up. Anyway, fine, whatever--we finally start to eat and the server rushes back to tell me excitedly they "comped" the mushrooms. I was startled when he ran up & had food on my chin--again, not fun. I said, "No need" but he shouts "I just want you to be happy! It's just mushrooms!". Fine--I'm thinking: please just let us eat already. He leaves. Time to box up. We boxed because we barely ate our sides or the steak, and did not want to hurt feelings further. "Don't we want the mushrooms? Why not?" "They'll just throw them away". Fine--I echo the server and say "it's just mushrooms..." Look, if this were Longhorn Steakhouse prices and concomitant expectations, that's one thing. But the salty oily food made us both sick--and the bill was over $350 for two including the parking. Only one drink, one shared appetizer, one shared salad, entrees/sides, and one small dessert. Excruciatingly long wait between courses. So for $350 it ought to be Mama's Fish House in Paia good. My husband said after, apologetically in case I loved it, "we can't eat there very often" because he felt so ill. I said--no worries. Finally, it was very noisy. One table nearby was screaming the whole time--overserved? Their servers looked upset. They (patrons) would have been thrown out of a Chili's. Dress varied from screen printed t-shirts, tennis shoes, & shorts to suits---we don't care at all as this is Austin, but some of you might. I do not like entering through a black curtain; it feels like a construction zone or a haunted house. People say it feels like a speakeasy? That would be a hidden entrance and stairs down to a basement. This is just an old curtain. read more

If we could give 10 stars we would! This restaurant has the BEST staff. Overall impression was 12/10. Gwynlon greeted us so warmly and genuinely that we knew we were going to have a great experience right away. Our server, Stephanie, was so funny, kind and really made us feel like more than just a customer. Food was insane -- the baked potato gnocchi and corn brûlée was out of this world. Honestly would come back just for the wonderful staff, and the incredible food just sealed the deal. Thank you all for a wonderful night!! read more

Excellent...love the small restaurant feel. Great selection of oysters. Tomahawk steak was cooked perfect and the service was exceptional.

Never disappoints. Consistently delivers perfectly cooked medium rare, full flavored steak. Steak Tartare is life changing. Grab a bar seat.

This is a solid place. Very classy ambience and definitely one of the best steaks of my life (30 day wet aged double cut bone). We didn't splurge on sides but what we did have was tasty, so I don't doubt all sides are good. The service was good, it didn't blow us away, but what you'd expect from a high end steakhouse. My only complaint is the check in / wait process. We waited about 15 minutes after our reservation time to be seated..which is not great but acceptable. The penalty box they have for the waiting area is not good. It's this like 3' x 12' space in the back of the restaurant that's enclosed with a railing, and they packed like 8-10 of us in there (Covid anyone?). I'm also not sure why they decided it's a good place to keep their steak knives because we had to dodge multiple waiters. There were only two total chairs for sitting (seats taken), wife wore heels etc. They offer drinks while you wait but no place to set them down, which takes any fun out if it. I understand space is limited and they need to keep bar space open for more dining revenue, but there needs to be at least 8 seats at the bar for people waiting. First impressions and what not. read more

I came here over the weekend and was very impressed. We were sat immediately by a very sweet host (didn't get her name sadly) and our waitress Natalya made us feel like family and was very knowledgeable about their wine selection. She made many recommendations that we were happy about such as the beef bone marrow and the blue crab cake. We will be returning and requesting Natalya! read more

I'm leaving two only because the food was good but the service was not. The meal started off great, we were there for a birthday and they left a card signed by all the staff. Our server was attentive knew the menu well. Then our entrees came out and we didn't see him again until we flagged down a busser. The absolute slowest service I've ever had in my life. Our friend stopped in who had been several times before and he sat for 20 mins before the server came back up to us. He was equally shocked. Not to mention my brother flew in for this meal. Spoke to the manager all he said was wow I'm so surprised I've never had this happen before and recommended that he could get us into Red Ash... very interesting technique you would think he would try to persuade us to come back to have a better experience rather than send us off. The server gave us our card back after once again having to flag someone down to get it back after 15 mins, no apology nothing, set it down walked away. Not worth the $400-500 you will be spending. read more

This is one of the best steakhouses I have been to! Amazing experience, more amazing food and wonderful service! Everyone was extremely friendly read more

Exactly what I'd expect out of Mr Carver. Great ambiance. Bar stools are a bit heavy but why the hell not?!? Great food, phenomenal wine selection. Thanks for doing what you do. Let me know when we can ditch the masks and I'll be back. read more

Amazing. The bone marrow, filet, and gnocchi are to die for! I loved the atmosphere as well. Everything I got was one of the best things I've ever eaten. New fave restaurant. read more

Went here for a group dinner with high expectations and J Carver's exceeded them. In my opinion I believe this is easily the best steakhouse in Austin. The interior is stunningly beautiful and the service was very attentive the entire time we were there. Felt like we had 4-5 servers tending to us constantly. I didn't have a cocktail, but everyone in the group loved what they got. For the food, there wasn't anything that hit the table that our group didn't like and we have all commented on how great everything was the following day. The steaks cooked to perfection and the sole being one of my favorite preparations, not the mention the gnocchi and the crab fried rice as our side dishes (they are must haves). Can't wait to go back for a more intimate dinner...well even if it was another group dinner I would good with that too. read more

Service was fantastic (Chris is the man). NY strip and gnocchi were super (better than RedAsh). Bread pudding wasn't anything great. Reason for not being 5-star are liquor prices. Clase Azul Reposado at Carve is $17 glass. Here, it's $40 for same tequila. Seriously, ask for Chris. read more

WOW, just wow. What an amazing steak house! We had originally made a reservation to sit at the bar, but no one would get up (the bar really is a gem). We ended up sitting at a table, which worked out because we had AMAZING service thanks to Amin. Besides the food and drinks being so perfect, Amin made our first experience the best. He always made sure we were being taken care of. We order 2 dozen DELICIOUS oysters and the bruschetta as appetizers, did not disappoint. We each got our own filets, cooked PERFECTLY with a side of the asparagus with truffle on top. We will definitely be back soon! read more

Lovely dinner for my birthday and the cocktails were delicious. Zach was our server and he was outstanding!

Absolutely outstanding. The food was out of this world and we loved the ambiance. You must get the lobster bisque, the blue crab fried rice and the tartufo. We split the filet that was cooked to perfection. Our server, Gina, was wonderful and very helpful in guiding us to making decisions. We will be back - easily my new favorite restaurant in Austin! read more

Chef Carter has another winner! We visited on the day it opened--July 27--and were wowwed (but not surprised). The wine list is extensive, the service was excellent and our meal was uniquely delicious featuring familiar food with truly creative preparations! The Oyster Bar/Chop House menu includes fresh seafood, appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts. We started with a selection of perfect oysters on the half shell then moved on to Halibut Crudo which tickled out taste buds with hints of charred avocado, grapes, cilantro and green apple. The Escargot was topped with puff pastry; a delightful option. We then shared the Tomato Salad which was a tasty take on a Greek salad. The Lobster Stuffed with Crab was the star of the evening--beautifully presented, perfectly prepared and full of lump crab meat complimented with a butter sauce. The Pacific Halibut was delicious with the light cognac mushroom sauce. Our shared dessert included ice cream, mousse, biscotti and espresso; a perfect ending to a perfect evening! read more

our server Stephanie was wonderful, suggested all the right things. service was fabulous. food was to die for, and dessert was incredible. my suggestion is to share everything. read more