Move over, Cabernet, I had a ribeye at Driskell Grill that is now at the absolute top of my list! Although I ordered the halibut cheeks, and they were very tasty, I robbed my hub's plate repeatedly to get to that gorgeous piece of meat adorned with blue cheese potatoes (which amped up the love all the more!). Just a fabulous dish, could not have been better. The chilled cucumber soup my guy had as an appetizer was also delicious, but meanwhile he was hankering & reaching for my beef tartare, which was the absolute best of that I've ever had, authentic French renditions eaten on location in France included. My conclusion? Driskell just knows how to do beef, period. The wines were fantastic, too (see pics), and I LOVE the fact that they offer half bottles of so many wonderful wines so that we didn't have to devote our affection solely to a bottle of red or white. I HIGHLY recommend the 2010 Chablis pictured, and double my recommend for the 2005 D'Arie Zin pictured, it moved to the top of my list of favorite reds, surpassing even the heretofore love of my red wine life (MacMurray Cab Franc). I should have called it a day after such a delightful piece of cow, and such insanely good glasses of grape, but I disregarded my instinct and went for the panna cotta anyway. Never, ever, EVER ignore your instincts - they're almost ALWAYS right. Don't get me wrong, the panna cotta itself was every bit as great as I expected, but it was buried in an inch of overly sweet white chocolate rice-crispy like crunchies that were more of a turn-off than a titillation. I daintily suggested to the waiter, and hope he passed the word to a receptive dessert chef, that a single layer might be more in order as it would be less likely to rob the the very delicate and lovely panna cotta of its rightful role as star of the show. Not to worry, however, as my impression of the restaurant, the atmosphere, the stellar service, the delicious wines, and the mind-blowing ribeye & steak tartare remains wholly unshaken - and no future trip to Austin will be considered complete without a repeat performance of this absolutely fabulous dining experience. read more

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Chose to visit this place for Valentine's day and had the most disappointing dinner of my life. There was a set menu for the occasion with a few options you could choose between here and there. I, as well as the couple next to me, chose to go with the Scallops and were left extremely hungry and unsatisfied when the Scallops turned out to be one lone and singular scallop. All in after tip, ended up paying $300+ to sit at a tiny table, in packed room, with lackluster food, and leave with a quarter full stomach. Made sure to pick up pizza afterward to fill the huge void of void in my body. read more

We reserved a month in advance a tasting menu however upon arrival they told us they didn't have it. Also, filet mignon had no marble on it, which typical filet mignon doesn't have a lot of marble anyway. However it was lacking flavor because of this. They were also out of a few wines. They could of had music playing as well. The chocolate cake however was delish along with the cappuccino! read more

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My fiancé and I have tried fine dining in Texas several times, only to be disappointed. Driskill Grill has been the exception, as we thoroughly enjoyed spending our anniversary there. When we arrived we were seated at an awkward table and tried moving our chairs to different places to make it more comfortable. The staff noticed that we didn't care much for the table and asked if we'd like to be seated elsewhere. We took them up on their offer, which was nice of them, but we preferred our first waiter and had we known he would have been swapped out for someone that wasn't as nice or helpful we would have stayed in our original seats. The food was great. We had Beef Tenderloin and Duck. I cannot remember what else we had as it was about a month ago, but we liked everything. We appreciated their little touches of personalizing the experience to the celebration of our anniversary. Our menu was customized to congratulate us on our anniversary, including our names. At the end of the meal we were brought a dessert that said "Happy Anniversary," and were sent home with our menu rolled up nicely and a small box of chocolates. Before we left, the waiter offered to take our picture for us--we were impressed because they really strived to make it a special experience. read more

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I swear, once you enter through those magical Titanic-esque doors, you are transported to a magical playground for your tastebuds. Amazing. Period. If you ever get the opportunity or are looking for a romantic spot to impress your lady, look no further! read more

The Driskill Grill - Five-course meal? = Perfect anniversary! - New American Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great meal all around!!! Very friendly and helpful staff. We were a very large party and they accommodated us without any issues. My wife as celiac disease and they were very knowledgeable and considerate with her dietary needs. They offered her a wide verity of options, and she was able to have a safe and delicious meal. She was even give gluten free bread before dinner which is a great treat. Great experience and will definitely go again! read more

My girlfriend and I had a fabulous dinner at the Driskill Grill. Both of us are seasoned diners, having traveled extensively and partaken of many great gourmet meals. The Driskill Grill changes their menu frequently, so describing the dishes won't help the reader much. We had all four courses; we were celebrating! Each dish was delicious, perfectly seasoned, a beautiful presentation, a variety of flavors and textures, and a satisfying portion. Our server, Roy, was informative and attentive. My perfect Manhattan was truly perfect. Roy's wine suggestions were excellent.The classical ambiance added to the experience; we felt like we were in 1886. And they have valet parking. If there was a downside, it was expensive. But the memory will last a long time. Quite possibly, it was the dinner of a lifetime. read more

We went for Easter Brunch, which turned out to be one of the worst meals I have had in recent memory. The menu was overly complicated, the food was dry, and just plain not good. Almost inedible. The service was good. The baked goods were acceptable but not stellar. But the food was just atrocious. It was an expensive meal and a gigantic waste of money. Maybe they just tried to hard for this special holiday menu, and maybe they do the regular menu OK? It's an absolutely beautiful and historic space and building, and I'll likely go back, but probably only for drinks. read more

Recently went here for a restaurant week dinner and was blown away by the service, the food, the wine and the sheer value they offered with their ARW pricing. $50 for 4 courses that were full portions of great food. One of the best dinners I've had in Austin as of late- and will definitely be back!! read more

Came here for my parents anniversary and it was a great experience! They customized the menu with my parents names wishing them a happy anniversary and it was a very touching gesture that my parents really appreciated. Of course this place was prohibitively expensive but since it was a special occasion and the food was great it was worth it. We had the 5 course meal with some appetizers and drinks. I honestly cannot remember the drinks because they were very strong and very good! Everything else was amazing, if you want proof, check out my photos. If that's not enough, you'll have to visit yourself! read more

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We thought the driskill was... eh, alright. I will start with the positives. I'm into the classic 20s wood decor style. I thought the atmosphere, visually, was very nice. The filet we had was cooked very well, and was excellent. The second to last meal we had was a cheese course, a cambazola black. Paired with the soaked cherries, it's such a mild cheese... it was one of the best things I've eaten in Austin. It was superb. Edit to add one more positive: Although it didn't directly affect us, the table next to us was celebrating 10 years together. Before they left, the hostess brought them over menus from the night that said happy anniversary at the top. They were rolled up and tied with a ribbon. I've only seen stuff like that in some of the 3 stars in San Francisco (and Otoko here in Austin). I just thought that was super classy. Now, the other stuff. For reference, we had the 7 course tasting menu. First, our server, whose name I forget (but reminded us of Patton Oswalt), was great. He was attentive and pleasant. He had two other servers (or bussers?) helping him deliver food. When they put the food down in front of us, they just walked away. Sure, we had seen the menu at the beginning, but because it's not with us now, please tell us what we're getting into. So, that felt a little bit awkward. Our food other than the filet and cambazola were fine. But, just fine. Not great. Just fine. Same with our drinks. The dessert tasted nice, but it was rock solid. It was not removed from the fridge early enough before serving. Finally, it just wasn't worth the money. I'm typically a frugal person, but not when it comes to food. So when I spend good money on food, I like an experience. Since we can't get to a michelin starred place but two or three times a year (there are none in Texas), we have to settle for the food in Austin. The Driskill Grill seemed like a top notch place, and they like to flaunt their 4 diamond AAA status. But, diamonds don't mean anything to me. If you don't have a star, you don't have a star. So, in conclusion, the driskill grill wasn't bad, but for $300, it was just alright. If I had paid $150-200 including our drinks, I would've probably given it 5 stars. But, it just can't compete with places in town like Wink or Jeffrey's. The Driskill Grill just didn't deliver. read more

Had a wonderful time at the bar, service was incredible and music was perfect. My parents are in there 70's was slow dancing tonight and the restaurant / bar manager gave them a complimentary piece of cake with two spoons...folks thought it was super special and I was very touched...well done...thank you! read more

The Driskill Grill - Seniors having a ball with us at the bar! - New American Near Me - Austin, Texas

I went to the Driskill Grill for Restaurant Week 2009 with the $35 Prix Fixe Menu for 4 courses. I made reservations for 6 on a Tuesday. The service was attentive but quite slow and meandering. It took us over 3 hours which was bit long for my taste plus it seemed like other tables were getting quicker service than us. For Course 1, it was a choice between lobster bisque and a chopped salad with bleu chese, lettuce, & bacon. I chose the salad that was formed in a cute mound with a scoop of guacamole & a plantain chip on the side and a strange line of ancho chile powder. It was delicious. My friend loved the bisque and wanted 2nds, 3rds & 4ths. They poured it steaming hot from a gravy bowl with a bit of crab & brioche at the bottom waiting. Course 2: Quail with Mushroom risotto or beef carparcio. I chose the beef. It was paper thin and accompanied with mustard and capers. Deelish. I wanted much more but it was enough. Oh I forget, the amuse bouche. It was a refreshing shot of blueberry infused club soda. Earlier, they placed a great nutty brown bread & a kind of too crusty sourdough slice of bread on our plates. The brown bread was soft and sweet and great with the oh so creamy butter from the dish. Course 3: Four Choices-Filet Mignon with truffled mashed potatoes, broccoli & mushrooms, Grouper, Fennel & cardamon crusted Ahi, and Cherrywood Smoked Poussin (small spring chicken) with mashed potatoes. I chose the poussin and it was a entire whole little chicken about cornish hen size with a very crispy skin and juicy and flavorful inside. The mashed potatoes were smooth as silk. My friends enjoyed the filet and grouper as well. Course 4: No choice just the Chocolate Gateau with a Raspberry sauce. But I didn't need another choices bc it was so delicious. It was a little chocolate cake with a rich chocolate mousse layer inside and a hard chocolate crust sort of similar to the outside of a chocolate dipped ice cream cone. So you cracked the mold and inside was a delicious surprise of layers of cake and mousse that was moist, creamy, sweet but not too much so. I loved it and I'm not even that fond of chocolate. There was a sauce of raspberry and a dollup of cream fraiche that completed one of the best desserts I've ever had. We also ordered a carafe of coffee that was freshly brewed and was delicious. Creamy and tasty even black accompanied with 3 dishes of either artificial sweeterner, raw sugar, or brown sugar. After 3.5 hours of delightfulness, I was stuffed and satified. I wish the service was quicker but normally the meal would have been $75+ so for $35+tax & tip, I can't complain much. read more

The Driskill Grill is definitely a place that reminds me of old Austin. We have been here about once a year for quite a few years. The service is good and the manager is a really great guy who tries to make sure that you have a good experience. While waiting for our table to be set, I inquired about the tray of reading glasses. The manager smile and said that sometimes people forget theirs and they can't read the menu. I laughed and was befuddled. We sat at our table and ordered the cheese plate and the $39, 3-course tasting menu. The complimentary breads were warm and delicious. The amuse bouche was a lobster bisque served in an adorable shot glass sized mug. The cheese plate was beautifully presented with an sugar sculpture. For our three course, my husband and I chose different versions so we can each sample the entire menu. We started off with a potato and crab bisque. The bisque was creamy and comforting. The small spoon of crab meat was a nice touch. The salad was uniquely displayed inside a grilled apple. I'm not a salad eater, but my husband enjoyed it. My main entree was a grilled salmon. This was the worst dish of the evening. The salmon itself was not bad, but the spices were too bold for the salmon to be a stand alone meat course. I could not eat it all because it just had too much flavor. The treatment for the salmon would be excellent in a salad or as a garnish to another dish. My husband's steak was much, much better. The steak and potatoes were cooked and seasoned perfectly. The desserts were divine. We finished of with a complimentary dessert wine. So for $39, I would say that we got excellent food in an upscale setting. So back to the glasses on the tray in the front, while dining I now realized that the host was not making a joke. The patrons around us were very ---old. read more

The Driskill Grill - This is what a cheese plate should look like. - New American Near Me - Austin, Texas

The Driskill Grill is the paramount of all Austin dining. It is the king of restaurants in Central Texas. At least that is what we are told. I am giving it four stars. Maybe I am being unfair because I expect almost perfection given the prices and reputation. While perfection was not attained, my latest meal at the Grill was terrific and the service was outstanding. For the first course I had the poached lobster salad. It was the perfect way to start the meal in that, while the lobster with the wonderful Tasmanian honey and rosemary butter was rich, the dish was on the light and refreshing side overall. The lobster was a tad tough to cut, which concerned me. After tasting, however, I decided that I will only poach my lobsters from this day forward. Something in the salad had the flavor of raw peas that took me back to my childhood days when I would sit in the garden and eat raw peas for hours at a time. I really enjoyed this flavor, but someone else in our group did not care for it. My second course was the sea scallop. The scallop was perfectly prepared and topped with crushed pistachios. Several people in my group had the sea scallop and it was a favorite for everyone who tried it. My third and final course was the snapper and this where the relentless pursuit of perfection got a little off track. While the accompanying currants, pine nuts, and heirloom tomatoes were fine, if not spectacular, the centerpiece left something to be desired. The snapper itself had a great flavor and was not the least bit overcooked. The problem was the crust. I am not sure what it was; it was not mentioned on the menu and I did not ask. I thought that I picked up a hint of potato flavor. In any event, I did not care for it and thought that it masked the flavor of the fish. Also, the crust stuck to itself and not the fish. I cannot imagine that it was designed to do this, but I am not the chef of a five star restaurant that I gave only four stars, so I cannot say for sure. read more

Such a disappointment! We came here for Valentine's Day dinner (it was a surprise from the boyfriend) and I was so excited to experience "the best dinner in Austin" with him. They provided a set menu of five courses - either the "male" dinner which pretty much had bacon in each course or the "female" dinner, which was mostly seafood and fruit. Since we don't eat red meat (I don't eat any meat, the boyfriend will still occasionally eat chicken), we went with the "female" themed five course dinner. Not a single course was good. I kept waiting for something to be amazing to justify why this place supposedly has such a good reputation. The fish was dry (first course), the second course tasted like a dessert (strawberry soup - was really sweet), the lobster (fourth course) was horrible - how can someone make lobster taste bad?!... my boyfriend put it correctly that the only thing good was the drinks (he had coffee at the end and it was the best part of his meal, I had a glass of wine that was very nice). And we were not alone - since the seating is so "cozy" ie we felt a little crammed in - I can tell you that the couple to my right sent back several dishes and the couple to my left only like their fourth course (they had the "male" menu and I believe their fourth course was steak). When the bill came at the end, my boyfriend became even more agitated - he wouldn't tell me the cost, but he was MAD at how much they charged for such a mediocre meal. I have only been in Austin for seven months now and we only go out to eat about once a week, but I can honestly name more than 6 restaurants that serve better meals than this place and at a much cheaper rate. AVOID IT! read more

Why in the hell does this place get a 4 + star rating??? Just goes to show all these rating websites are rigged and you have to go out and make your own personal assessment. We've lived in Austin for 8 years and decided it was time we gave the Driskill Grill a shot after eating at almost all of the better restaurants in downtown Austin. Well that's what we did tonight and what a huge mistake this was. We made reservations for 6pm on a Friday evening. We walked into the restaurant and was shocked to see there was only 1 other table occupied. The bar just outside the restaurant door was packed however. That hit us as kind of odd at first since just inside those double doors to the restaurant, it was a completely different scene of a totally empty, (supposedly) upscale restaurant. This should have been our first clue this would not end well. Our waiter was very courteous and pleasant however, and the restaurant itself was beautiful with a very upscale ambiance so we started feeling more hopeful. We ordered the rib eye croquettes for an appetizer. This place is not on the inexpensive side either since the average appetizer is around $12 and the average entree around $28. Well thank goodness we decided to just order the 1 appetizer to test the waters. It arrived with only 3 very small croquettes with a dollop of some kind of marmalade type sauce drizzled on top. The portion size was barely enough to make a mouthful for one, much less to split for 2. Well as it turned out, after I took 1 bite out of this horrid, grotesque thing they call a croquette, that was the first and last bite I would have. It tasted like they made a flour and water paste and rolled it into a ball and called it a croquette. It took me a while to determine if there was even any short rib mixed into this gruel. It had absolutely no flavor profile whatsoever, and to my standards was completely inedible. My husband ate the other 2 and the other half that was still sitting on my plate since he was so hungry at this point after not eating all day. Then came our $29 short rib entrees. Holy crap! What a disappointment. First of all, the look and presentation of these entrees were extremely unappetizing. They looked dried out like they had been sitting out under a heat lamp for a couple of hours, and they had minimal to no gravy on the short rib. The mashed potato was smeared very thinly onto the plate as if someone decided the portion size was too much so they removed some off the top, and It had a skimpy drizzling of some ugly, brown, tasteless liquid on the edges. These entrees gave the impression of TV dinners that were just reheated in the microwave. I took 2 bites out of this concoction and called it a night. The short ribs were dry and stringy instead of the usual melt in your mouth slow cooked moist and savory, smothered in sumptuous gravy like good short ribs usually are. The gravy tasted like a cheap store bought barbecue sauce that was just spread on top of 2 very small dried out, stringy, tasteless pieces of short rib. I was not too unhappy this time about the small portion size of this entree. Small portion sizes, especially at expensive restaurants, is up there at the top of my list of the most irritating things that I refuse to tolerate. This small portion size thing with big dollar prices seems to be the standard practice at the Driskill Grill. As hungry as I was, the food was just too horrible and to the extreme of being inedible. My husband was just too weak and hungry at this point to complain, and we would not have time to go somewhere else to get something else to eat since we were heading to an 8pm show right after dinner. In the end, he ate both his meal and mine just to get something in his stomach. I left hungry after spending $100 on dinner that was expensive and inedible. At the end of the evening we felt like such losers!! What a scam this place is! This restaurant needs to close down and replaced with an authentic fine dining restaurant that is worthy and more fitting to be in the Driskill Hotel. Do yourself a favor and NEVER eat here, or bring your friends to eat here, unless you want to embarrass yourself, leave hungry, and feel ripped off. And by the way, I have noticed that this manager at the Driskill Grill will only post her usual boiler plate thank you response to the 4 and 5 star positive reviews for this bull crap restaurant. These 4 and 5 star reviews are obviously posted by employees, friends and relatives of employees, and the average rube from the Ozarks who have never had a fine dining restaurant experience beyond their everyday McDonalds or Wendy's. To think this person actually gets the title of manager and even gets management pay to post boiler plate thank you responses to irrelevant Yelp reviews. This approach guarantees a slow but sure death to any business. read more

The Man and I ate at the Driskill Grill last night for the first time as a part of Austin Restaurant Week and were pretty much blown away. From the moment we walked in, our service was impeccable. Not only were our servers extremely knowledgeable, they were unbelievably nice taboot. We had the dates (OMG), the frisse salad, salmon, pork belly and a ricotta and sage brulee that was to die for. We also decided to bring back cocktail hour and this is where we're going to do it. It's time for a cocktail hour resurgence in Austin dammit. read more

I highly reccommend the Driskill for any time you feel like getting dressed up for a meal. I love the Texas theme. It's such a departure from everything else in Austin that is trying so hard to be different and wierd that it feels fresh. The service was friendly and down-to-earth, no pretension or snobbery whatsoever. And the food? Amazing. The menu is traditional, but given your surroundings it would be odd were it anything but. We went in mid-October and the chef had done an excellent job of using seasonal ingredients and flavors. My husband had the chef's three course menu: Texas chopped salad with avacado and plantain (loved the different textures and bite of the bleu cheese), filet with mushrooms and cippolini onions, and rasberry gataeu for dessert. I had the five-course tasting menu and loved every bit of it. The beet salad was not noteworthy, since a beet is just a beet, really. I did especially love the roasted oyster mushroom with spinach "baklava" and the herb-crusted venison. The crowning acheivement was the hazelnut crunch bar and malted milkshake, served in a shot glass complete with a choclate straw. Pure decadence. We almost needed wheelchairs to roll us out when we were done. We couldn't help but eat every last little morsel! We shared everything, which was lovely and the servers were so accommodating. When they brought out my butternut squash bisque they brought an extra spoon for Hugh...and poured a taste right into it for him! The price was absolutely worth it. We'll be back, possibly for my birthday in December? Please, Hugh? read more

I went back on Valentine day, Feb 14, and I will NEVER go back. Me and my husband were served a lobster bisque that tasted awful, because the seafood was not cleaned properly. So it tasted like dirt. We returned it to the kitchen, and no one, even the maitre seemed to bother. A respectful restaurant apologizes and offers another plate to do for the mess. But no, at the Driskill they dont bother. It was a mediocre set menu, and we ended up paying $260. I will not come back. read more

I don't see how anyone cannot give this place a 5 star. I have many here on many occasions, but what brings me back is the QUALITY of food. Hands down I feel this is the # 1 restaurant in Austin. It's screams historical, authentic, fancy, over the top, gourmet. I cannot fave enough about this this. We usually go for the 3 course menu and there is not that I have tastes that didn't make my moth water. It is on the pricey side, but would be fantastic for an anniversary or birthday. You should check it out during restaurant week which is coming up in September. You can get a 3 course meal for $35 a person. On the other hand it's not a place you want to come in wearing shorts and flip flops. The environment requires you to look sexy. At least I always do when I go here =) I seem to always have the most intimate & romantic conversations with my hubby here. Also, the service you will receive is more of a 10 star. Highly trained professional staff. read more

Best place in all of Austin! What a cool historic hotel. The bar is phenomenal and the steaks were absolutely outstanding. Everyone should go here once! read more

I am in Austin, TX for work and I am eating some of the best food of MY LIFE! Seriously. I ate the best Mexican food that I have ever eaten from a non-Mexican restaurant. I went for breakfast, and I had this omelette with peppers, and they gave me black beans, sour cream, salsa and tortillas so I could make a breakfast burrito. The tortillas were grilled perfectly, giving just that right amount of crunch. The presentation of the plate was the best part, even though the food was so good I ate almost everything + the FRESH SQUEEZED orange juice. So back to the presentation: The meal came out on a skillet, the tortillas were presented in some sort of fan configuration, and there were thin tortilla strips sprinkled on top of the omelette. The black beans were right next to the omelette, making the flavors mix together in the perfect way! The salsa and sour cream were in cute tin cups. It was a good experience. Yummy in my tummy:) I would have given them 5 stars if it weren't for the fly that was constantly bugging us and landing on our plates. It wasn't that much of a nuisance, I guess, because after all we did finish our food! It was still kind of weird for the most beautiful, old, and most-expensive hotel in downtown Austin....... read more

Restaurant Week lured me in, and I liked it. The hotel itself is quite the sight. With that eerie old decor, which even though seems odd, is still very cool. I hadn't known this place was haunted but I had an inkling. I was rather pissed when I found out it was, since my husband & friends knowingly let me go to the bathroom alone. Which to my surprise wasn't as creepy as I thought. But..I digress.. The FOOD: Caramelized Pear & Parsnip Soup Wagyu Flatiron 1886 Chocolate Cake The soup:The portion size was laughable. I guess this was in my favor since I wasn't in love with it. It was a little too thick for my palate, I think if it was thinned out a touch it would have been better. A play on sweet and salty is always tasty. The main attraction: Wagyu Flatiron. Melt in your mouth, fatty in all the right places, cooked to perfection. It came on a bed of smoked onions & potato sweetbread hash. The potato sweetbread hash was a good paring. However it would have been worlds better IF the hash was actually crisped and if the sweetbreads weren't over cooked. All in all with some finishing salt on the wagyu it was absolutely something I'd order again! Sweet for my sweet: The OG 1866 Chocolate Cake...All I have to say is..I'm glad people still follow the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" advice because this cake was phenomenal. Great place, great food, great eats. 'Nuff said. read more

This place has good reviews but unfortunately the night we went to, the food was absolutely horrible. The dishes were all 60 dollars and over and they were all terrible. The Ribeye was ordered Medium Well and it was over cooked and chewy! The filet mignon was ordered medium rare and it was over cooked too. The sides were pathetic! They all tasted bland and the potatoes were under cooked. The rack of lamb looked like it was cooked the day before! Please to anyone wanting to go for a good steak experience, AVOID THIS PLACE! It is a trap and the food is horrible. It is over priced and the quality is worse than an Applebee's or Chili's. read more

At the bar for happy hour. Quick tip: don't waste your time. 1/2 price appetizers at half the quality and half the speed! ...Okay, I was a bit grumpy last night. Out for the evening and it was not going as planned, BUT my initial reaction from last night is still with me this morning and my memory will REALLY have to fade for me to forget about last night and agree to go back. Let me clarify. This review is for the Happy Hour at the Driskill Grill Bar. Service: SLOW! We do live in Austin and things are more laid back here, but we also like to drink in Austin so those two factors usually result in a service style that we really like: laid back, but motivated to get you drunk. Did I say that the service was slow? Well it was also less than friendly. You could see the frustration on many of the patron's faces. Even the well lubricated older ones. Food: just ok. had the Sashimi plate and the fish was good (surprised me on that one, but got it because it was raw and not sauced or seasoned--less room for failure). The seaweed salad, ginger and ponzu was less than fresh and tasted like it came from a box. A very soggy box. other stuff... PROS - great historic Austin location - meet nice people in the bar - great scotch selection - great price on happy hour drinks - service is good when they are not busy CONS - bar menu online does not resemble in-bar menu - staff did not know what the happy hour was actually for - staff seemed to need some training - food needs some polish and quality control read more

For times when you want a historic vibe, truffle popcorn or simply a yummy cocktail. Live music and great people watching with a chance for ghostly spirits. read more

We came here for a NYE dinner and were gravely disappointed. The beginning of the meal started off just okay, but as the evening progressed, the service did not. Our waiter was snooty, but at least knowledgeable. The dinner was set for nine courses and the quality of each dish delivered was as expected. However, for a $500 meal, I expected a bit more. There were times we felt that our waiter forgot about us and in the meantime, other staff members brought us other people's dishes. This is slightly unprofessional for a 5-star restaurant, in my opinion. Three our of the nine dishes were exceptional, but I would hope they would strive for better statistics. We ordered a bottle of champagne, which was listed as $62/bottle on the menu, which we felt was underpriced and verified with our waiter before ordering. When he delivered our check, he mentioned that the bottle is usually $110 and to make sure that we don't double tip him as a 20% was already tacked on due to paying via credit card. Huh? So, although your menu clearly in print form prices the bottle of champagne at $62 of which you confirmed two hours prior, you have the audacity to comment in addition to tipping yourself for under par service at 20%? I would rather have spent NYE consuming bar food and serviced by unpretentious waitstaff at a Slick Willies. The couple next to us waited very patiently for their food and the waiter failed to deliver even after they brought it up to his attention. They had to cut their dinner short to attend their NYE festivities after several failed attempts of expediting their dinner. They were also very disappointed in the service as they been attending the Driskill Grill every year for the past 30 years. We left disappointed and never complained. Maybe we had a bad waiter or maybe he had a bad day. I have little expectations of ever returning as there are better options in Austin that won't be as expensive. read more

This is proper fine dining folks. Enjoyed the seven course tasting menu on a recent visit. The ambiance was excellent, and is a good place for a romantic evening. There were numerous couples there that night, including a couple celebrating an anniversary. Sommelier was fantastic. Every pairing was spot on, and he was very knowledgeable and made sure that everything was to our satisfaction. I won't go through the courses as this is an ever-changing menu, but suffice to say the food was all excellent, and they made sure that all likes/dislikes were addressed so that the appropriate substitutions could be made. This place IS expensive, but this is the kind of meal you want to have on special occasions, not every single day. Highly recommended. read more

My girlfriend and I live on a pretty modest budget, but multiple overtime hours allowed me to treat her to a special dinner at Driskill Grill. It was both of our first times there, and I'm sure we stuck out like a sore thumb. Despite our annual salaries coming in much less than some of the other diners, we were treated the same (if not better) as any other customer. Our servers were funny, personable, and made it a point to offer dining suggestions or just drop a quick anecdote about games of "Strip Jenga." The food was delectable and each serving (we both had the 3-course special) was amazing in every way. Cooked and presented to perfection, and served with a smile. Even though the bill was high, it was worth every cent. Highly recommend. read more

On a recent trip to Austin we made a reservation at this restaurant as we heard so many great things about their menu. A little disappointing. We arrived and waited at our table for quite some time before our waiter came to take our order. We ordered wine and waited some more, our waiter then apologized and told us they did not have the wine we selected. We chose a different bottle and waited some more.. yes.. he came back again and said ''the list he had and the stock list was different..''.. blah blah.. anyway, 3rd time lucky! The food was beautiful but nothing to write home about. My husbands potatoes were hard, cold and raw.. (this made me get the giggles) he was not equally amused and sent the plate back. Dessert was delicious, I had the Apple Tart. Overall, the service was good (our waiter was very sweet, and the young lady who was helping our waiter was very attentive and professional) but it seemed they were very understaffed. read more

The Driskill Grill has been on my "special night" to-do list since I moved back to Austin. Mrs. L and I spent this past Friday sampling their 5-course tasting menu, and walked away farily impartial on our experience. The food ranged from decent to very good, but we didn't feel that they delivered the home run that we were hoping for. When we arrived we were seated in what was possibly their worst table. It happens, but I was hoping that my mentioning to them that it was our 5-year anniversary would carry some weight. The service was slow at first and we had to wait about 10 minutes to get the menus for their tasting list, because they ran out of copies. Our first course was the Ahi Poke. It was good, but the tuna was a little tough. If I got served this at Uchi, I would probably have sent it back. On the second course, they delivered the Beet Salad with Goat Cheese. This one was very tasty and went perfectly with the wine that the Sommelier paired it with. At times the beets were a little tough to find due to the dominant flavor of the cheese, but we were both big fans of the dish. The third course offered a taste of Hamachi. I am not a seafood lover, but mine was very tasty and cooked perfectly. Unfortunately, my wife's dish was fairly overdone. I considered sending it back, but didn't want to destroy the flow of the meal, so I just switched plates with her so that she could enjoy the better cooked piece. I was a bit surprised to see how differently cooked two identically sized pieces of seafood could be considering that they were served at the same time. On the fourth course, the chef was nice enough to swtich out the Lamb chop on my wife's dish for the Scallop which she enjoyed very much. I stayed on course with the lamb and was fairly happy with it. For the final course, they served up a Chocolate Crunch Bar with a Hazelnut crust. I usually just take a few bites of my desert, but I gobbled the whole thing up pretty quickly. Overall they delivered a good meal, but they missed the mark on the little things. Fairly unattentive staff, which doesn't seem to correspond with most of the other reviews, along with one new staff who was so nervous that he poured water on the table while serving it to us. I don't mean to be rough on a place, but I would not expect any trainees to be working a Friday shift at a place charging $300 for a meal. The Sommelier did a nice presentation with each course's wine pairing, which I felt with the only strong part of the service for the evening. I felt a little frustrated that at no point in the meal did anyone ask me how the food was, noting that 2 of our five courses really were below the place's standards (one would assume). At the prices, I doubt I'll be back. We considered splurging on the 9-course meal, and I'm glad that we didn't as it would have been a shame to spend that much on a meal that is just above average. I would recomend trying this place out, but there are much better places to spend that kind of money. I was going to round this place up to 4-stars, but then I saw the two pictures on yelp of plates with a "Happy Anniversary" on it. I guess that telling them twice in advance that it was ours wasn't enough warning? I guess it was just one more thing that slipped through the cracks! read more

Wow! This restaurant is really good and I can't believe I've lived in Austin for 10 years without ever dining at the Driskill. I was a little hesitant in the beginning about this restaurant while waiting for our friends because it's not really my scene and I think we were the only non-white people there. Everyone is a little bit older and they all seem very......Texan. However, the food was amazing and their rib-eye was probably one of the best steaks I've ever had in my life. Everyone at our table who tried it thought so too. I actually use to work with one of the waiters named Brynn at Kenichi and it was nice to see a familiar face. The manager (I think his name was Eric?) was very attentive. Great Food, Great Service and So-So Atmosphere. I'll be back. read more

The following is a review I posted on another site back in 2008. My feelings have not changed: My girlfriend and I love trying new restaurants and great food. Having seen positive ratings for Driskill Grill I decided to try it. Long story short: I called late October to be greeted by a recording and left a message requesting a *Valentines Day* reservation for two. Two days later, I listen to a a voice message from Driskill confirming my **February 24th** reservation. Yes, Valentines Day at the Driskill Grill lands on the 24th of Feb. I called and left messages twice over the course of two weeks to correct this with no response. Busy life kept me from calling back till early December and again, had to leave a message. Finally, mid-December, on a very stress filled day, I call and AGAIN answering machine. I leave an angry voice mail for them to call back, something I normally do not do. FINALLY, a supposed manager calls back, to whom I immediately apologize, but, with a disdainful attitude, he replies they did not appreciate my angry, expletive filled message and that there are no more tables available for Valentines. Having successfully opened a small business I now understand that if a customer has become THAT angry, you should investigate what caused him/her to become that way and correct it instead of blaming the customer. Needless to say, we didn't make Valentines, but my girlfriend wanted to give the restaurant a chance and made a reservation for my birthday, to which I begrudgingly went. The food? We had their multi-course meal. Most of the appetizers were average, with the exception of some vinegar infused anchovies wrapped around asparagus: sour and fishy. The main course was not bad, but it certainly did not deserve the price nor a 5 star rating. I can understand fusion of different ingredients, spices and cooking techniques to create tantalizing and intriguing new dishes, but the chef's palette was off and most of the dishes' flavor did not compliment each other, were bland and average. Verdict? Stay at the Driskill Hotel for the historic and luxury reasons, but skip the Driskill Grill. Far better food to be had within its walking distance. read more

All I can say is, it is SO sad. The is much to like about the Driskill Grill - the history, the almost opulent, yet unmistakably Texan decor, and the attentive, yet unobtrusive service. Unfortunately, they are all over shadowed by the food. The only way to say it, is that there is almost always just too much going on in the plate. The food lacks subtlety and the sauces are all too bold. Now, I am a Texan, and I love the fact that we favor bold flavors. But there comes a time when too much is too much. The tomato bisque with duck confit was just the start - I couldn't pick anything out because there was too much competition. The Texas panzanilla was overpowered by the ubiquitous balsamic vinegar permeating every bite. The fish mains continued the meme. We were so turned off we passed on dessert, something we never envisioned ever doing, our sweet tooths are so powerful. There are too many good choices in Austin to have to do this. Do yourself a favor and stay away. read more

I have always heard about this place but had never gone there when I lived in Austin. I went early February for dinner and I definitely recommend it to all. It really has a great ambience in the dining hall. The bar/lounge seemed very popular amongst all crowds young and old. I order the bisque and it really was exquisite. I recommend this to all! My mother ordered the tuna entree and I wish I had ordered that! It was very fresh and tasty. I ordered the sea turbot -- while it was delicious as well, I would have preferred the tuna! Definitely recommend this place for celebrating special events or family outings. :) read more

I've had a fair share of high end restaurants and this one ranks among the top in food, definitely among the best in value. First time I had the 7 course menu for I think $75, way lower than comparable restaurants charge for the amount of food you get. These aren't small courses by any means, you will leave STUFFED. I could barely finish the last 3 despite how amazing the food was. The food was some of the best tasting dishes I've had. They're not unique enough to fall into the molecular gastronomy category, but they're by no means ordinary. A lot of work is put into presentation and blending flavors well, and everything is prepared perfectly! The scallops, pork, duck, tuna... all expertly made. If you're in Austin looking for a good high end restaurant at a very reasonable price, this is it. Missing this would be a huge mistake. read more

My best friend took me here for my birthday dinner. I'd never been here before, so I was excited to taste all the hype. We had scotch and wine within the first few minutes. So I'll piece together the rest. Ahi Poke - thumbs up. Prime Beef Tartare - thumbs up. It was my first time having tartare (came with caviar), so I was like a fish out of water, but I devoured it. Not bad. Chocolate Raspberry Gateau - delicious. And since it was my birthday, I was given a plate of chocolate truffles, with "Happy Birthday" laced in chocolate on the rim of the plate. Luckily, this place has enough class to not make a big stink out of a birthday. Overall, a good experience. I'll probably go back the next time I visit him in Austin. read more

Finally a chance to write about this beloved restaurant. So you think the Driskill Bar Happy Hour was awesome... Well try the restaurant! I recommend going during restaurant week if your wallet is running a bit dry. My friend and I are the most immature kids, but we love love love to try foods (inexpensive to pricey) and we'll act however we need to depending on the place. It's all about the quality and worth, right? So we decided to try Driskill Grill for Restaurant Week. He said something about his research professor eating there and spending loads, so that was part of the motivation for choosing this place out of all the places offered during restaurant week. Anyways $36 for appetizer, entree, dessert during restaurant week and you can choose whatever you feel like eating. What really gets me wanting to come back is that they change their menu every day. I can't wait to come back and try another item on the menu! read more

Came here hearing that it was the best restaurant in Austin from numerous sources. I definitely agree. My girlfriend and I came here on a Tuesday night. Being our first times at a four diamond restaurant, we didn't know what to expect. The interior of the restaurant is beautiful and the service was excellent. My girlfriend got the crab and parsnip bisque and filet mignon. Both were delicious. I ordered the Chef's five course dinner, which included: tomato salad, lentil salad (which according to my girlfriend, tastes like nature), quail, antelope tenderloin, and corn creme brule. After each wonderful dish, I didn't think the next dish could get any better. But it did. The only thing I would complain about is wait between courses, but that wasn't all that bad because of bread plate was ALWAYS filled. If you are in Austin, you have to try this place out. FYI: 5 course meal is $65, their website needs some updating. read more