It is "ok" The food is "ok" very "Game" Simple and lots of spices The atmosphere is awesome! I love sitting outside and people watching. The spot is perfect! Right near 5th. Like I said the food not amazing, the drinks are great, and the location is great and the atmosphere is awesome! read more

I've been to R615 at least a dozen or so times in the last 6 mos. The blonde bartender outside made it clear I should never come back. It was not busy but I was working on a business deal with 6 people, and politely waved for her (didn't make a noise or holler) when she looked my way. She was taking to friends..and she came down and gave us the "what's ok and what's not" Bar etiquette speech boldly. Everyone around me was like "wow"! That was t nice. Embarrassing. Won't be back. Sucks. I love the place and bring everyone there from out of town for business. Food and drinks are great, but reviews show...service is not. read more

Home of the OG Ranch Water cocktail. Or at least that was what I was told. I'd recommend coming here for drinks and apps, for sure. Topo Chico reigns supreme in Texas, so of course the unofficial (or maybe it is the official) drink of the Lone Star State has in it sparkling mineral water, tequila, lime juice with a salt rim. It's refreshing and allows for many hours of day drinking. Add to your Ranch Water a shot of jalapeno soaked lime juice, aka Fire in the Hole, and your lips will be numb for at least an hour to follow. Beyond the booze, the appetizers are pretty good. Fried oysters, calamari and bacon wrapped shrimp go well together on a big ol' platter and soak up just a little of the alcohol consumed. Just a little... Outdoor patio is fun, even on a hot ass Austin afternoon. There's misters and the agua is kept full in your glass at all times. Not much else one can ask for when breezing through for a drink and a bite, right? read more

Arrived late to Austin, hotel suggested this place because we were close. Upon arrival, the man at the front desk was quite curt, not a welcome, just 'the kitchen closes in 15 mins" and then just looked at us. We asked to sit outside, the waitress however was great, stated 15 mins was plenty of time. Outside is a covered, w/ huge fans. Appears to be a popular nighttime hangout. Over all...place is Ok. Not amazing. Yes for drinks, food was just meh... read more

We love Ranch 616! Its such a lively place and their chicken tortilla soup is DELICIOUS! They stay open late enough for late night drinks and food, but not too late to where you feel like a rollie pollie lol. We had the honor of partnering with them for our holiday gift card exchange and hope to partner with them again! read more

I loved the vibes at Ranch 616! We were immediately greeted by two servers after being sat. One man who was training with black hair and another guy who had a man bun! They were so personable and friendly servers. We sat outside and it's great for people watching. Everyone looked super cool and trendy. We had a quesadilla which was one of the best I've ever had. The cocktails were great and I loved the southern touch of the Mexican blanket they offered us if we were a little chilly. There is tons of lights and little heaters too. Great place to go for sure! read more

Ranch 616 - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

Ordered crispy fish tacos which tasted okay but there was so little fish that I could hardly tell it was not a vegetable taco. The fish are little breaded strips about 1/8 inch wide and an inch long. I went there previously and if I remember correctly, the fish was in larger pieces. Also, the server never brought my iced tea refill she promised so I had to flag down multiple employees to get several refills. The banana pudding was very good. Overall, the lack of fish and the tiny pieces make me unlikely to return, although I might give them another chance on a different menu item. read more

After having lunch with a friend here last week I left with a hormonal imbalance. It's the testosterone on the menu, within the decor and virtually in the air here. I felt that at any moment, ranchers, hunters and fishers from South Texas could be unloading their beef, quail, crab and trout in the kitchen. I enjoyed a manly serving of beef enchiladas with pinto beans and rice. It was a huge virile plate of food and it came with a large guy size glass of tea. I ate one enchilada and took the rest home for a couple of meals for the men at my house and in my neighborhood. My friend loved the Frito pie which appeared to have been created for a lumberjack. This girl was not to be thrown by the serving sizes. For dessert, she ordered the fried pie (two pies in one order!) with vanilla ice cream--a huge serving any ranch hand would be proud to eat. Towards the end of our meal, I became alarmed that she might begin belching, farting and talking about the football. read more

So, probably because building renovations scared off some customers, Ranch 616 was issuing a pretty deep-discount Groupon a while back. We'd never heard of it, and probably wouldn't have gambled regular price on it, but tonight thought--$30 off and day five of my birthday, so what the hey? So, first impressions: animal trophy heads with hats on the wall and Virgen de Guadalupe candles on the table: points for not taking yourselves too seriously. It's Austin and nobody needs stuffy. We are sort of greeted upon entry by a doe-eyed hostess and a guy who might be a manager. It's hard to say. They act vaguely as if we are interrupting their conversation, and I start to wonder if this is one of those places staffed by pretty people not hugely interested in their jobs. I am not a fan of this ethos generally, and less so when food costs $35-$40 an entree, a price point in Austin at which, paradoxically, this attitude seems to increase rather than lessen. It ain't Paris. Knock that off. This perception is reversed somewhat by out server (Jaycee? J.C.? J.Z.? I'm old and don't hear so good). She is super helpful in explaining the rules of our coupon (it doesn't actually exclude all the best stuff, as it says; it just makes you pay the difference--fair enough) and is nice and likes to talk about the food. However, either she's a little forgetful (water, anyone?) or someone else is. It's hard to say. We are told that the cocktails are made without mixers and tend tart. I'm a fan of the style, and, sure enough, we get, strong and tasty and nice-looking cocktails, not overly sweet. They're a little steep, but I switch to beer, which is more reasonable. The food we order (black mussels, pollo soup, mixed seafood grill, no-flour chocolate cake) is very good, if also a bit pricey, although portions are huge for fine dining. I'm also not a fan of dropping a c-note for two and leaving hungry, and there is no danger at all of that here. Some appetizers and a shared plate might not be a bad strategy. There are some weird menu choices--fried and breaded mussels? Why would you even do that? Deep frying is for cheap things. Some of the presentation needs work as well (tortilla strips over said mussels--wtf, Ranch 616?). But on the whole, it's easily one of the better meals that I've had in town, and Ranch 616 pulls off the quirky-hipster-charm thing it's going for pretty well. Would I come back at regular price? I ain't got that kinda scratch, man. But if I did, I'd be tempted to drop some of it here once and again. I guess that means I'm a fan. read more

The menu was mid and the service wasn't' good. Cool spot the the outdoor area was cool and had a great view

This was a lovely experience! With covid they had us seated with 6 people only and everyone was wearing their masks. I appreciated the safety! The food had lots of flavor, loved the mashed potatoes! read more

I have been going to Ranch 616 for years, a regular of sorts, and there are four reasons why (in no particular order). First, the restaurant is funky and inviting including a friendly and very efficient staff. Second, they have the best fried oysters in town. They are always plump, perfectly fried with an amazing batter that must have crack as the secret ingredient and, if that weren't enough, they come with two foodgasm worthy dipping sauces as well. Third, they have revolving daily specials that are always creative and fun like a mixed green salad topped with grilled salmon and two crawfish & cream cheese flautas on the side...yeah you read that correctly! Finally, they have built out a great patio with fans, a fire pit and heaters so it is comfortable and useable year round. read more

Ranch 616 - Served with a chipotle tartar and green goddess dipping sauces, the fried oysters are the best in town! - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

Really cool vibe at this place and great customer service. I got the shrimp tacos and they were really good as well.

Frog legs were so delicious and fun experience, but the ranch waters are my ultimate favorite thing

Brought some out of town guests here on Saturday night. Service was pretty weak, took us 15 minutes for someone to come take our drink order (and that was after I had to get up and tell the hostess that I think we had been forgotten.) Food is always good here though. And they do have one of my favorite cocktails in town: The Brushfire. I'll keep coming back because of its convenient location and easy access to West 6th. I just highly advise that their servers try to be a little more attentive. read more

I have to say ...meh We came to dinner with a bunch of peeps and I understand we had a larger group but we were literally there for hours .. I just took soooo long to get drinks ..to get food to get a check ... The food I feel is just very over priced for what I was.. I got a quarter of an ice berg lettuce ..a wedge !! Not even bacon !!It was like 8 dollars!!! Not impressed ..I also had a bite of my buddies steak and it was so tough and hard to chew ! ..I know everyone has a bad day and maybe it might be better next time.. but with so many great places to eat in Austin ..ill just give something else a try :/ Sorry place but it was very very average... read more

Ranch 616 - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

My fiance and I came here the other night with a restaurant.com gift card and it was a quiet night so we were stoked. We sat at one of the booths and admired the extremely large buffalo head hung next to our table, laughing at the silly decor. The decor of Ranch 616 is modge podge Texas steakhouse meets....crazy antique store? It's super neat though, nothing around like it. Our server was super friendly and he got us drinks right away. I tried the house margarita and yuck, did not like this. It was too sour. I don't mind keeping the drink NOT sweet, but this was another level of lemon. I think I made that sour face a few times before kindly asking him to add Midori or something to it. The biscuits that come out before dinner are pretty delicious, they are just Bizquick pancake batter and Budweiser but they're so damn good with a little butter and honey! My fiance ordered the jalapeno chicken which was SO amazingly delicious. Tender chicken crusted with broken tortilla chips and a delicious sauce, perfect dish here. I love the rice too. Mine was great too, but I wasn't a huge fan of the mussels that came with my mahi mahi. The mahi itself was insane good - spicy, cooked perfectly, but the mussels just didn't seem fresh or "in season" if they have a season. Overall, our bill only came out to about $50 with tip and everything bc the coupon, so it wasn't too bad. I'd definitely come back again for that jalapeno chicken, or maybe even the jalapeno crusted trout, that looked good too. read more

Ranch 616 - Um...Hello there! - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

I was in Austin for a quick trip and I am so happy I stopped in at Ranch 616 for dinner. The restaurant was a block from my hotel and they had a nice outdoor seating area. They were able to accommodate me even though I didn't have a reservation. I am from the Seattle area and I love seafood. Ranch 616 had a few items on their menu that sounded good, a ceviche appetizer, fried oysters and salmon on a bed of cous cous. The ceviche came out first and it was fantastic!! My mother loves oysters and she couldn't get over how light and crispy they were. She ate every one of them. I had the salmon and I literally couldn't believe how flavorful it was and the salmon was cooked perfectly. I told our waitress how much I loved our meal and she told the chef. Chef Mike then came out to our table to thank us for the compliment on his food, but it was truly me wanting to thank him. I hope I get a chance to visit Austin again so I can taste his other creations. This was honestly one of the best meals I've had in years. Bravo Chef Mike!! read more

Ranch 616 - Shrimp Ceviche - Even the chips were a little different and delicious! - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

This review would've been three stars, had the employees of this restaurant not royally make me MAD. We were told this was a solid spot to hit up in downtown Austin for some good food and a great scene. The scene is certainly there, the food, decent, but nothing spectacular. The restaurant itself is really cool, from it's outdoor seating and decor, to the tequila bottle soap dispenser in the bathroom, to the Jesus mason jar-type glasses for water. We arrived around 6pm on a Saturday. The outdoor patio was packed but there were maybe only two tables occupied indoors. The man at the table where you first walk in told us it's a "reservation-only" establishment and he has parties coming in at 7:15 so if he seats us we better be quick. We were all starving and didn't want to continue roaming Austin looking for another place, so we sat down. We ordered drinks instantly, but our waitress took almost a half hour to come by our table and take our food order. Why? I have no idea. At this point, the restaurant started filling up. A few of my friends had the fish tacos, one had the divorced trout, and I had the chicken fried beef tenderloin. The portions are enormous! The tacos, I heard, were "meh," as was the trout. My dish was great, but you really cannot go wrong with fried. The beef was so good, but I could've gone without the shrimp. The bacon-cheese mashed potatoes were on point. What I liked was that they also brought out biscuits with honey...though they were brought out way after our entrees arrived instead of before. Whatever. If we had left at this point, my review would've still been three-stars. Here's why it's not. We all wanted dessert but the second they cleared our plates (mind you, this was around 7:15), they dropped the check on the table. We looked at it like "HUH?!" So we hail our waitress back and said we weren't ready and wanted a dessert menu. Her response: "You guys needed to be out by 7:15." WHAT THE F***! WHAT KIND OF SERVICE IS THAT? YOU ARE KICKING PAYING CUSTOMERS OUT OF YOUR RESTAURANT WHEN IT TOOK YOU A HALF HOUR TO TAKE OUR ORDER? Not our fault you're slow and don't pay attention. So she gave us a menu and we ordered a chocolate cake. At this point, that same man who was at the table when we first walked in saw what was going on and that we were clearly upset. He came to our table and asked us if we'd mind moving outdoors to the patio because he needs to seat his reservations. We said yes, and walked out on to a COMPLETELY EMPTY PATIO! Okay, maybe three tables were occupied but ARE YOU SERIOUSLY TELLING US YOU COULND'T HAVE SEATED US WHEN THERE WERE EMPTY TABLES INDOORS WHEN WE GOT THERE, AND THE ENTIRE OUTDOOR AREA EMPTY BY THE TIME WE LEFT?! WHAT?! The chocolate cake happened to be good, but not good enough since I left with an awfully sour taste in my mouth. Avoid. read more

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I have loved this restaurant for decades. We went last night and ordered Ranch Waters- the drink they are known for..... they've changed the recipe??? We couldn't believe it. I was suspicious when we ordered because, glancing around, I saw that many people had ordered ranch waters but they did not look right. We received our drinks (25 minutes after we sat down) and it was tequila, ice and a teeny tiny amount of lime. It was awful. I don't know why they are preserving like, but they are. Also, they have greatly reduced the size of these drinks. I was so disappointed because we have always loved going there- mainly for this drink. We left without drinking the drinks. Also, the restaurant patrons now resemble the cast from the Real Housewives. Not sure when this happened but all the men were heavily botoxed and the women had on so much makeup I thought they were filming a show. This place has changed and it breaks my heart. read more

We came here late night for some drinks and sat at the bar. I had a Bloody Mary and then a spicy Bloody Mary that were really good! .....AND THEN we also had shots that were INSIDE a jalapeño.....SO GOOD!!! Who would have thought?! I was nervous about biting a fresh jalapeño after taking a shot, but it was surprisingly awesome!! I want to go back JUST for that shot. (Titos Vodka, Paula's Orange, and lime juice in a jalapeño.) We ordered a quesadilla just to have something to eat, and it was AMAZINGGGG! Blew me away. Meat, roasted corn, pico de gallo, black beans, and ranch cheese. Tomatillo crema on the side! Yum! They serve you water in little empty religious candle glasses. Was a nice unique touch. Lol We didn't get a chance to try their real food but I look forward to going back to try it. read more

Ranch 616 - Water glass and 2 Fire in the Hole shots. - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

Truly surprised this place doesn't have 5 stars. It is amazing. I first went with a a group of 16 girls it was such a blast. There's a DJ on weekend nights that plays amazing music. The service was great given they were slammed that evening and the atmosphere is even better. I went again with my husband for a date night and we had a great experience too. It was a Sunday evening a very chill atmosphere and again the food was delicious and service was great. Recommendations: Shot: fire in the hole Food: steak dinner read more

Came here for dinner for six. We ordered various appetizers and entrees. Here's the feedback from me and my guests. Atmosphere is eclectic, cross between country/western and hippy theme. Food is descent but for the price of 5 star, I don't really think it worth it. I think you are paying a premium for the atmosphere. read more

Average good but overpriced. I am 21 years old , and the manager or whoever was running things tonight did not allow me to order a drink because I am from out of state. I am from Louisiana, so I hand the man my drivers license and he refuses it. I tried going to talk to him, explaining my ID is legitimate and I am LEGALLY allowed to drink and he continued to Refuse me. I understand being careful but Austin is a tourist attraction and I shouldn't of been made out to feel like a liar just because I'm from Louisiana. He told me to go get a Texas ID? read more

Ranch 616 was right in front of our hotel and we could see it from our deck every night and someone highly recommended it so we did a late night dive in there with our kids right before they closed. We were scootering around town and barely made it there before they closed and they let us in with smiles, just letting us know that their kitchen was closing in 10 minutes. We got sat right away and they got us drinks ASAP and served us ASAP. Funny enough, my daughter ordered the lamb chops (she loves meat and is usually the most expensive of us but I love her) and loved it. I ordered the shrimp tacos and was surprised to have them deep fried, which wasn't the best, frankly. The biggest surprise was that my wife and son ordered the quesadilla (steak).....it was the least expensive thing on the menu and I'm still thinking about it to today. It was completely off the charts and a memorable dish. They were very accommodating for us being there so late and we had a great, yet quick experience. Go there! read more

Fire in the hole! Good steaks and fish. A dependable place to go with friends when you're on west 6th. Not really a place for foodies but rather for people looking to have a great time with friends and enjoy some good food. read more

Ranch 616 - Fire in the Hole. - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great dining experience in west 6th. We sat at the bar on a Friday night and received outstanding service. Bartenders made excellent drinks and poured generously. Drinks were well worth it. The restaurant bar was vibrant and fun with everyone engaged in conversation enjoying their night out. I ordered the Texas mixed grill that came with qual, back strap venison, and a sausage. Everything was cooked perfectly. I really enjoyed this place and will be back next time I visit ATX! read more

Ranch 616 - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

We had such wonderful experiences back in the day w/ Ranch 616 we had set the bar pretty high for our recent return visit. The new outdoor patio just oozes energy walking up to the place. Inside has the same energy but makes it to be uncomfortably loud. It took about 15 min to finally get our waitress full attention and drink order, however she did comp our appetizer as a result. Waitress was a super sweet girl and efficient in her job. She talked me into the Violet Crown because I like whiskey and wanted something different. It was WONDERFUL! However when I put in for a reorder I must have gotten a different bartender who didn't know how to pour a Malbec floater over the whiskey and it was straight up poured in the whiskey and all I tasted was wine. And this happened AGAIN when I sent it back. So I received another comp for a desert. Okay they do get an 'A" for trying. Unfortunately the food missed the mark even more. My wife's Ranch Ribeye was overcooked and charred/burnt on 1 side. I was super looking forward to my Jalapeño Maize Trout. I had visions of Shady Grove's tortilla fried catfish it was described similairly but upscale w/ trout! mmm...sounds good, right? Well the trout was tasty although thin and small but more disappointingly was it was described encrusted with tortilla chips and it literally was just (quickly broiled? they were xtra crispy) tortilla chips just thrown on top of the trout w/ a dressing like quantity of chipotle tatar sauce and barely any visible spanish rise which was hidden under near for a very under whelming proportion. Anyway Ranch 616 in it's day was Food first. Not all it seems to be is the vibe. There website is just mostly 20 somethings getting their pics taken on the patio. That's fine if that's their goal. Alcohol sales is pure profit. It's just not the same Ranch 616. Again...the waitress and the server who brought our food were stellar and love to strike up conversations. Very nice. However sadly we won't be returning. read more

I love the crispy oysters here - very lightly fried, they are big and just melt in your mouth. Their other food is OK. I've never been in a restaurant where they didn't cut up the lettuce in a Caesar salad before. It's very noisy in the restaurant, so it's a good place to take people you don't want to listen to. If you'd like to actually have a conversation with your dinner companions I'd recommend a different restaurant. read more

Jonathan was amazing! We were visiting and he gave us the best drinks and recommendations for the following evenings. If you're in town and bop into the bar he will take care of you. THANKS Jonathan! read more

This place was awesome! We had the rib eye and special salad (basically caprese). The food was delicious. The service was friendly. The atmosphere was Austin-style funky. They make their drinks strong. The prices were somewhat high but not more so than a more traditional steakhouse would have been. read more

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We had the Maria dip appetizer, daily enchiladas (steak and green sauce) and trout and everything was delicious and fresh! Margaritas were great and service was amazing! Thank you! read more

I'm note sure I would call this an "Icehouse" - it reminds me more of a more formal diner on the inside, but the outside is much closer to an "Icehouse'. That's where we chose to dine as it didn't seem as claustrophobic. The energy outside was just about right and the servers payed just the right amount of attention to their tables. As advertised, the crispy oysters are some of the best I have ever had. They were still most and juicy inside with just the right amount of crust on the cornbread. The shrimp tacos had just enough kick to keep them from being bland without going overboard on the heat. read more

CNN said the burger was good so I went with a couple of friends. The burger was made with Black Angus beef and it was very flavorful but the bun was stale. Great "shoestring" style onion rings with jalapeno. Good ice tea. Change the bun and it would be a winner! read more

Had a reservation for 7pm and showed up at 6:58. The hostess gave me the "I'm sure you're too early for your reservation" look and dismissed us to the bar. Had a lot of fun chatting with the fellow "Just wait and will seat you when we seat you" crowd lined up there. Had a Fire In The Hole shot, which was surprisingly awesome, followed by a dirty Hendricks martini. Both rocked. The manager on staff then came over and apologized for the wait and said he would comp an appetizer for the wait. We were seated around 7:15 pm and the manager suggested the duck confit "cigars" for the appetizer, so we went for it and it rocked! Definitely recommend it and will have it next time I'm there. The special was lamb chops and it was absolutely delicious. All in all, the hiccup at the front end was addressed, overcome and followed by fantastic food in a very fun place. Going back soon! read more

Had a great meal here while visiting Austin. First off, service was incredible. Our server, Chad, was very thoughtful and took great care of us. He caught our offhand remark that we'll eat the meal family-style, and brought the two main dishes arranged on a large serving plate to make it easier for us to share. The meal itself was outstanding. The Don Combo was the best batch of fried oysters we've had and the South Texas Mixed Grill along with the Divorced Quail was a selection of some amazing meats, well-seasoned and tender. It was a terrific evening. read more

Great experience! Service was spot on. Quail knots were the hit of the evening. Drinks were good and stout.

You can never go wrong at Ranch 616. The food is great and ranch waters are fantastic. A fire-in-the-hole never hurts either. Ranch 616 is a must for everyone who lives in Austin or comes to Austin. read more

Such a fun place to bring out of towners! The walls are cluttered with weird Austin stuff. The location is great if you're going bar hopping after dinner. And the food and drinks are great! The frog legs are good both grilled or fried, I recommend doing both! The fish tacos are HUGE and good. The quail is small and good (no surprise there). The menu has everything from frito pie to beef tenderloin. There's something for everyone. It's usually packed so make a reservation. read more

Another great experience at Ranch 616. We had divorced quail, 1/2 order of onion rings and the beefsteak and mozzarella salad with a side of grilled quail . We ate outside with a super nice breeze. A lovely evening. They had Twisted x Fuego beer too! Nice meal, good service. read more

Ranch 616 - They have a delicious local beer!! - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

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