Celebrated an anniversary with an early dinner this week. Clay Pit is one of my favorite…read morerestaurants in Austin. The folks are friendly, the service as usual was exceptional, and food...so yummy. We started with the garlic naan as an app plus an espresso martini and a Mumbai Mule, we loved both. For dinner I had the butter chicken and my partner had the Biryani, plus an order of the cheesy garlic naan. We each loved ours, and took home enough food for two more meals. Took the chocolate cake to go, which also turned out to be delicious. Thumbs up all the way around. By the way, I used to work with a woman who moved here from India about 20 years ago. I asked her once what her favorite local Indian food was, and she said some Indians don't think it's traditional enough but my favorite is Clay Pit.

This review is long over due…read more.. I still love this place. Flavors are always delicious and consistent. We've been eating here for over a decade now. I still think they have best flavors better than any east coast indian food, better than any west coast too. The veggie kofta are some of the best in the country hands down. The atmosphere is very low key, almost calming after being at the capital and severs have always been nice, funny and helpful for those new to Indian flavors. Why dont they have a Michelin Star? Delicious & consistent...isnt that the michelin criteria?

I went here randomly one day that had gone very wrong and nearly moved in! Staff were so friendly…read moreand helpful, even though it must have been obvious I wasn't equipped to tip. I ate so much that was so delicious! This was a couple years ago but I meant to leave a review. Sorry it wasn't sooner. I would love to go back, and often! Clearly labeled food, which is important with allergies and able to get around with my cane. I highly recommend the food, especially the little balls of dough with red bean paste and sesame on top. I may not know what they are but I definitely want them again! I love that nobody seemed fussed at my lengthy exploration! Also, my card was being stupidly so I had to use my emergency twenty. They got the change but it wasn't a whole tip, considering the excellent service. I think about going back all the time.

Came here to say that the two good to go orders are absolutely MASSIVE. Attached a pic here and I…read morehad already eaten maybe 1/4th of it. The food is nothing out of this world but I would definitely say it's worth it for Too Good to Go.

Each year, my husband and I participate in Lent by giving up something meaningful, such as meat and…read moredesserts. Lent is a 40-day period of spiritual preparation for Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday (symbolizing the need for repentance) and ending before Easter. Its main goals are reflection, repentance, and renewal. After observing Lent, our treat was brunch at Ciclo (Four Seasons Hotel). Ciclo hosted Easter Brunch and an Easter Egg hunt including the hotel's lake-level ballroom. The celebration included live music and lawn activities for hotel and brunch guests. The brunch included a cold buffet, hot buffet, carving station, benedict station, and dessert buffet. You also could order customized omelets from your table. Ciclo's brunch features gluten-free and vegetarian choices. OMG...the Four Season's Hotel and Ciclo restaurant looked as though a lush bright flowered garden had been quietly grown there. Flowers spilled over every surface from the hotel's entrance to the Ciclo restaurant out onto the patio. The floral arrangements were stunning. They also served as a beautiful backdrop for photos. In addition, we ran into ole friends at brunch, which was a pleasant surprise. The standout for us was the lamb chops (one of my favorites) and callosal-sized shrimp. The sweet potatoes and ham were memorable as well with perfectly spiced sweet potatoes. All desserts were good today, however, the Oreo cheesecake and sugar cookies were the highlights. Our server was so attentive and pleasant. Also, Abribal, the restaurant manager, came over to inquire about dining experience. Such excellent service... Dining a Ciclo today was superb! It was fantastic end to our Lenton season.

Had an amazing experience at Ciclo. We were in town with friends attending an event. For some it…read morewas a return visit and they could not speak highly enough. Outstanding service provided by the staff. Denis was our tables primary attendant. He is super. He provides impeccable customer service which makes your experience even better. The garden backdrop to the restaurants decor is a perfect pairing. Our meals were excellent. We shared the Tomahawk in addition to our individual dishes. My salmon entree was really good. I'm calling it premium surf and turf. Great night with friends and dinner. Ciclo did not disappoint. Well done.

Outstanding service from the workers, they helped us with cooking the meats and checked up on us…read morefrequently. The food was a 10/10 would recommend the basil chicken.

Angelina served me meat all night. It was very nice. Delicious. Nutritious. Brought beer.read more

Cristion Vanvelos was so nice to bring us silverware and plates, the food and sauce was amazing,…read moregot brisket and beef ribs. For sure coming back!

Excellent food, great service, and a wonderful atmosphere. The brisket was juicy and full of…read moreflavor, and the sides were delicious. Highly recommend this place to anyone looking for authentic Texas BBQ!

After landing in San Antonio yesterday to kick off my summer vacation, the very first thing I did…read moretoday was ask my friend to bring me back to this restaurant. The reason is simple: we ate here two years ago, and it left such a great impression on us that we had been looking forward to coming back ever since. Fortunately, not much has changed in terms of either the quality or the overall presentation of the food. Everything is still delicious, especially the Pho Combo. To be honest, it's far better than most of the pho we've had in Germany. That doesn't mean the pho in Germany is bad--it simply means this place matches my personal taste much better. As for the downsides, they're almost exactly the same as before. Parking is still a major challenge, and I understand that's probably not something the restaurant can easily fix. We also tried calling ahead to reserve a table, but they don't take reservations, whether you're coming with a group of 5-7 people or just 2-3 people. We arrived at 6:45 PM and still had to wait about 40 minutes before being seated, which was honestly quite inconvenient. Coincidentally, there was live music tonight, which was a nice surprise. Unfortunately, the sound system wasn't very good, so it was difficult to hear what the singers were performing. Then again, this isn't really the type of venue where people come specifically to enjoy live music, so most diners didn't seem to pay much attention to it. One thing I did notice was that either the kitchen has made a few changes over the past two years, or perhaps my own taste has changed a little. The food felt slightly saltier than I remembered, and the pho broth was richer and creamier. While that added some depth of flavor, it was a bit too rich for my liking, to the point where finishing the entire bowl of broth felt a little overwhelming. The braised short ribs were incredibly tender--so tender that a knife was almost unnecessary, and they could easily be pulled apart with just a fork. While many people would probably see that as a positive, I actually missed the slightly firmer, meatier texture I remembered from my last visit. That said, these are relatively minor issues. The quality may have dipped just a little compared to our previous visit, but this is still an excellent restaurant. If they can fine-tune those small details, it would easily return to being one of my favorite places. There's a good chance we'll stop by one more time before heading back to Germany.

Is it that time of year for another 1618 update? Absolutely…read more After my umpteenth visit, I think it's safe to say I've worked my way through almost the entire menu (minus a few noodle, chicken & vegetarian dishes). My 2025 review still stands, but after so many visits, I've noticed a few items haven't been good as they used to, particularly the chicken wings (and yes, all three of them). The Garlic Wings haven't been hitting quite the same. They've started to taste a little dry, and the saucier wings taste better the next day since they don't have time to steep through once served. The Filet Mignon Pepper Steak is still my favorite dish on the menu, but I still can't justify ordering it family-style anymore. It's delicious, but the portion just doesn't match the price. One of the newest additions--the Truffle Fried Rice is spectacular. It's light, not overpowering with truffle, and the fish eggs really adds the perfect little pop of texture/flavor. I don't think I breathed the entire time I scarfed it down!! 1618 is still one of my favorite restaurants in Austin of all time, but I think it's time for the menu to elevate a bit and dive deeper into less mainstream Asian cuisine. If anyone can do it, 1618 can.

Line was crazy. Started outside on the steps, then wrapped around the whole inside…read more Once we got in, it was cute and old school. We arrived at 2:45 and they closed at 3. So we missed out on the brisket, turkey and the sausages, but totally still worth it. Once they run out of everything they told us they would give us what they could and what was left over by the time we got to order, they hooked us upppp! This tray was $33 and me and my bf who are foodies were completely stuffed! Tea was a little sweet for me, but my bf liked it. Beans were Smokey, peppery & fire! Everything was amazing!

Franklins is always #1 in my heart. Their brisket is delicious enough to make me get emotional. I…read morewould raise the cow myself to eat this. The lines are brutally long but worth the wait. Bring a chair and a console. The only person to bypass the line is Barack Obama and he deserves it. I will always say their brisket is #1 - their smoking tech ique, their fat ratio, moisture, and how it melts in your mouth, so delicious. I got 7 lbs of meat to share with my friends Beef ribs - pretty solid, would get this again Pork ribs - fell right off the bone and so tender in my mouth, would get again House sausage / jalapeno sausage - better than sausage at most bbq I've been to but I am biased towards the jalapeno sausage Turkey - this was okay Vibes are your traditional bbq place with large platters, wooden tables and outdoor vibes

What's. It to love? Amazing food. Outstanding playlist (think 90s hip hop but not played at an…read moreinsane decibel level!), amazing service, and tasty cocktails. Wu Chow hits the spot on manny levels. The patio is inviting and the interior is decorated nicely as well. The food reminds me of home cooking meets a new hotspot in atx! The staff does a great job of checking in on tables and making great recommendations for coursing plates for a group (including portions bc in Texas you never know!). I really liked their dumpling and the rest of the meal was tasty as well.

I sure didn't enjoy my last visit here. We arrived there at 5:30 with a reservation for a group of…read more11. We let them know we all had tickets to the opera at 7:30 so it was our goal to be wrapping up by 6:45. By 6:35, my plate was still bare. By the time my food arrived, I had to just shovel it in and go to the opera with indigestion. My friend sitting beside me fared even worse. His food didn't arrive until we were all paying our bills and getting ready to depart so he just had to get his to go. There were nice aspects of the meal too. My food was hot and tasty, my Welcome To The Jungle drink was epic, and our server was pretty attentive. However, the timing of food coming out just made the experience a catastrophe for my friend and me and I hope to not return.