Pretty disappointed, I had the good morning burger, and the party had no seasoning, the onion rings were too hard, and the egg was over done. I wish heffs was still open, their egg burger is so much better. My Boyfriend was disappointed in his lasagna, he thought it was only a little better than chillis read more

What to say in between bites? Everything is so delicious. From the food to the drinks, you are sure to have a great time. Come when there's a live band on the back patio. It's a lovely spot to bring a date or just spend time with your friends. Follow them on Facebook or sign up for their newsletter for the inside scoop on things happening at The Turtle. Now, back to the food. read more

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So so so good!! The patio was adorable with the bestttt vibes and the menu is so creative with a little bit of everything! I would highly recommend! read more

The turtle is a nice place in brownwood. Everyone kinda has deemed it as "the fancy place", which is funny to me. They make their food with great ingredients and they have some unique options on the menu. They have a great drink selection and baked goods. There is three parts to this restaurant so there's the pizza/wine then gelato and then the actually restaurant. I gave it three stars because of the service and overall vibe of the place. There's always something with the staff there. read more

My boyfriend came across this place while looking for something to eat for dinner while we stayed in Brownwood. I honestly never thought anything like this would be in Brownwood. First off the service was great! We were greeted right away when we walked in and our water glasses were never half way empty and our waitress would replace them. We got the Duck Won Tons, Beet salad, rabbit loin, and the shrimp and sexy grits! I also got a strawberry lemonade spritzer that was amazing. Everything was awesome! We would definitely come back again! Plus there is gelato?! read more

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I have only eaten here once but it was really good. A little bit pricey but well worth it. Can't wait to try it again.

I love this place , you have got to come try just hanging out at the bar ! Totally full service with a bad ass bartender! read more

The Turtle Restaurant - Comfort Food Near Me - Brownwood, Texas

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I am from Fort Worth and while visiting my grandparents happened to eat at The Turtle. This is by far my favorite restaurant in Brownwood. In a town full of chains, this is a breath of fresh air. The menu is thoughtfully created as is each dish. The Brussels sprouts are incredible and the sourdough bread binge-worthy. The gelato was a delicious end to a fantastic meal. I will definitely be returning when I am in town. read more

What a great surprise! Came to Brownwood for a hunt and found this out of the way gem. Unique international menu with a great selection of good value wines. Schnitzel is out of this world served with some of the best red cabbage I've ever tasted. Lasagna was outstanding and the bread pudding was a unique combination of sweet and crunchy with a dollop of creme brûlée accenting a delicious apricot bread pudding. We'll be back tomorrow evening to explore more of the menu. read more

Have eaten there several more times since my last review. It's hit and miss at lunch, but dinner is always good. We go there in the evening when we feel like having duck for dinner. Have had to decide who gets it a couple of times because they only had one serving left to cook. But it is always delicious. Had to pay for our bread last time, not sure if that is the norm now. Went for lunch recently and my wife's quiche was still frozen in the middle when it was brought out. If you point out anything (such as still frozen food) be ready for at least a two minute excuse from the waitress. She took it back and microwaved it. (came back still cold in the middle) The Barbecue sandwich I had tasted like that stuff you buy in the tub at Sam's Club. The Pizzas are excellent. I've tried them all and absolutely love every one of them. For our anniversary I had the lamb cutlets that were on the menu that night. They were like biting into your own little slice of heaven. Each bite was an experience. The chutney on them was the perfect addition. As I said I love the duck at the Turtle, but I may have found my new favorite dish. read more

Seeing as The Turtle has put up ads all over "local Texas cuisine" magazines and blogs, I figured the actual town of Brownwood might have something more to offer. The town was as barren and dry as bones when I rolled in recently, but the Turtle Restaurant was still rocking and rolling. The goods span from brunch all the way to pizzas winding back to a dessert case wielding a handful of artisan gelato and chocolate truffles of many sorts. I cannot say if an eatery such as The Turtle will gain a large cult following as some other small town eateries, but I do know that with the wine bar, bakery, ice cream storefront, and slow food emphasis, they will continue to develop, though in a very humble manner. Drop by if you want a nice dinner and happen to be in the podunk town of Brownwod, The Turtle fires on all cylinders what with the pastas, soups, and rotating menu providing a unique experience. Additionally, you gotta give the dark chocolate and/or blueberry gelatos a spin. read more

This review is long overdue and is based on my experiences 1+yrs ago so maybe things have changed. The positive: The food is delicious! Gelato is good too! During my visits I remember having quail, pumpkin bisque, veggie burger, salads,lamb..... All were wonderful. Especially that soup-wow! The negative: Almost everytime that I come to The Turtle I wait 40minutes to an hour for my meal. soup salad sandwich for a party of two/three. :-/ (quail, lamb etc is not included in this comment bc I was with a large group) I hope this has been improved. This is a cute place and I hope to continues to grow! read more

Food is good for Brownwood standards but at this price a city boy like me expects better. The restaurant lacks ambiance and the owner is nothing short of terrifying. Somehow when ordering a $40 steak I would like to feel appreciated. Here I usually feel guilty for my sole existence. The service also is extremely slow and the weight staff has zero knowledge about the products they sell. Especially the alcoholic beverages. Oh and even though it's great that Mary (the owner) makes everything from scratch but if you order a $12 burger for lunch you'd appreciate some French fries right? Not some burned chips. Even though I appreciate the effort of them being handmade. The gelato is pretty tasty but again: for that price it should be stellar and unfortunately it simply is not. In short: The place has good food for way too much money and the ambiance is way below par. read more

The quality of the food and drinks at The Turtle matches up with almost any upscale restaurant around. I've lived in New Orleans and Washington, DC, and eaten at many good restaurants. The Turtle is the real deal. The prices are what you should expect to pay for the quality. They make wicked cocktails, have a great wine menu, and the food is absolutely top notch. I've eaten here twice in the last two weeks on my way to and from Austin. I'll definitely be back again. read more

Recent changes to staff, particularly the bartender, have reduced a once amazing place in Brownwood to a minimal and disappointing experience. Mixed drinks are no longer reliably proportioned. To go orders were off and missing items. Slow service isn't a problem if the experience is amazing, but sadly the recent changes need serious attention. We still love the Turtle, but hope that these little things (which make a big difference) will be improved quickly. read more

Probably the worst prime rib I have ever encountered! Haystack vegetables had no taste. Ordered medium rare came out medium well. Looked and tasted like leftovers! Very disappointing! read more

Everything was delicious! Pub burger, empanadas, flatbread, and side salad. All different flavors that compliment each other. FABULOUS wine selection snd cute ambiance for a date on the "bar" side. read more

Very cool atmosphere at the Enoteca. The main restaurant is open on weird days so it wasn't open on Wednesday when we went. Pizza ingredients were very fresh tasting, but the crust was too thin for my taste. Decent wine and beer selection. Awesome bartender from Illinois! read more

The Turtle Restaurant - Comfort Food Near Me - Brownwood, Texas

Everything started out great. The wife had a vanilla cream soda and I had some tea and a Tequila Sunrise. We expected to see bread as usual but none ever came. Found out later that bread wasn't happening any more for lunch. We will miss it. I wanted the special which we were told was a lamb sausage kabob served with a pita with yogurt and my wife ordered the Turtle Club. After several minutes the waiter returned to tell us the special had changed to beef bourguignon so I went for the black bean soup and mixed greens with salmon instead. Removed long stupid rant ...death in the family made me extra evil that week. Had some minor issues but it was mostly us just not having a good day. The Turtle still rocks as the only place far above average for lunch and dinner in Brownwood. read more

Had lunch at The Turtle recently, and it was delicious! The service was wonderful and the food was outstanding! Everything is cooked fresh on site and nothing is from a package! Brownwood has a jewel in The Turtle! If you live in Brownwood, I hope you are supporting this local business! A small business is a special place, and needs the city's support to survive the chains that are building up in the town! For me, knowing who is cooking your food and where it comes from is so much more important than going to the chains which are not personal at all, plus you are supporting your ownBy far this is the most important! So go out and have lunch or dinner at The Turtle! I can't wait to go back and enjoy another wonderful meal and glass of wine Becky Roby Jordan read more

I have yet to make the Turtle for dinner but their weekend brunch should not be missed. Good coffee and very tasty food that far and away stands out from traditional greasy spoon breakfasts. That said, it's not fancy to a level that is uncomfortable; to the contrary it's wonderful to spend a late, lazy Sunday morning enjoying coffee and conversation. Reasonably priced with several items at $10-$12 dollars. Well worth it! TIP: get there at 10:30 for a fresh, warm made-in-house Danish. You will NOT be sorry! read more

Oh. My. Goodness. This place is such a find! Chef Bubba prepared the perfect meal for my husband and me for our wedding supper. The restaurant itself is clean and inviting. The people were small town Texas friendly. And the food was wonderful. Every single thing that was served to us was delicious. This place is as good as (if not better than) any of the nice restaurants in Austin or Dallas, but without the fancy-pants attitude that so often accompanies fine dining establishments. A win win! The chef and staff went way above and beyond expectations to create a wonderful evening for us, and I am very grateful to them. They even recommended a florist to the groom so we could have flowers at the table (Thanks Bubba). We will definitely be making the trip to Brownwood just to visit The Turtle Restaurant again. Note: There are three different sections to the place. We ate in the actual restaurant part. They also have a gelato shop and an 'enoteca' which seemed like a wine bar with pizzas and tapas. We had the gelato as part of our dessert and it was very good. read more

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Mixed Greens Salad / Roasted Duck Breast / Creme Brulee Every item I ordered was amazing. Great service from the waiter. Very nice place for Brownwood, TX. Nice place for a date / Upscale restaurant. read more

The Turtle Restaurant was an incredible surprise. The food is creative and delicious. There's a noticeable care put both into the cooking of the meal and the preparation of the menu. As a mucisian, I can't say enough about this place. The owners are making a stand in the support of music, art, and culture. This was definitely one of the coolest communities we've had the pleasure of performiing for. Check out their music calendar and join them for a show! And make sure to check out the gelato before you leave. It was the perfect end to a perfect night! read more

The chocolate rub on the NY strip med rare was amazing. I paired it with the Argentinean Malbec. The bread pudding and whisky sauce with vanilla gelato was incredible. Highly recommended. The tomato basil soup was very good as well. This place was amazing! read more

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Wow! The Turtle is hands down the best place we have been to here in this area, period! Everything we have tried on the menu from the seasonal food to burgers and pizza has been phenomenal which is a rarity. Usually a restaurant has their go to menu items that are the winners, but everything at the Turtle is a winner! I highly recommend anyone In this area to try the Turtle, you will not be disappointed! read more

Haven't tried the restaurant yet but my son and I stopped by the gelato shop today and had an incredible time. We both tried so many flavors and also enjoyed some gourmand chocolates. The owner showed us around the restaurant and sent us home with gelato for the whole family, packaged so make the drive back to Abilene. I cannot recommend this place high enough. Absolutely a diamond in the rough. read more

The Turtle Restaurant - Colton enjoying his gelato!! - Comfort Food Near Me - Brownwood, Texas

We really liked this place! The atmosphere is calm, pretty chill! The food was great..I had the stuffed rabbit and my husband had the ribeye!! Everything was perfectly cooked! Service was great..feel like I've known them for years...very helpful too!! I really recommend y'all check this place out!! read more

The Turtle Restaurant - Umbrian Stuffed Rabbit! - Comfort Food Near Me - Brownwood, Texas

Tried the Turtle out for Sunday brunch. The food was good. It took a long time to get to the table. The menu said food was slow. Unfortunately that was understated. Considering we were the first group of the day and one other couple came in it was bad. No salt and pepper at any table. Like I said food was good but not sure if we will give the place another try. Your right of course to believe salt and pepper make a place seem like a "diner" however I have been to much more high end eating establishments and not come away with that felling because basics such as salt and pepper are on the table. Don't know anything about the review you mentioned. And for prospective of those reading both of our comments. We spent 2 hours in your establishment. Seems we slowed down a lot for two appetizers (one of which was the entree for one of our group) two sandwich items, the aforementioned order of spaghetti split between 4 toddlers and eggs Benedict. We made reservations thinking the establishment would be packed because of it being Sunday and folks getting out of church, not the case. The slow leisurely pace might not be for more folks than you think. read more

Unusual place but good food. Prices are a bit too much. The food is fresh and carefully prepared. I wouldn't eat there often.

My friend and I were on our way home after 2 days of hunting. We pulled up Yelp and came across this restaurant. We walked in just after church time. We were greeted and told by the waitress we would have to wait a few as she had to buss a table. We found it odd that she would take dirty dishes and pile them onto an empty table. This waitress really affected the atmosphere. She was very odd and it seems everyone is the place was wondering what she was on. There was a large party and she messed up their entire bill. My friend had to walk to the kitchen to get straws. I don't know what her name was. She was a short, slender white woman maybe in her 50's. Management might want to find another waitress because that is not her thing! Ok so on to the food. Nothing less than amazing! If you are in this area and want Austin/Dallas style food this is it. It does take a while but it is all fresh and worth the wait. read more

We have dined at The Turtle many times in the years since it opened and the place has been remarkably consistent. Our latest trip this evening was as satisfying as ever. Filet mignon (cooked perfectly at medium rare) was tender and flavorful, and was accompanied by delicious green beans and fried mashed new potatoes (which were like a scrumptious treat out of an elite southern cafe). My friend had the shrimp and grits and she raved about the flavor and quality of the dish. The atmosphere here is quiet and classy and the service today was friendly. The food took a little while to come out but we weren't in a particular hurry, and the quality was well worth the 30-minute wait. Also an impressive wine selection here, and the gelato is of exceptional quality. This place provided a unique and superb dining experience in small town Texas. read more

About the only place around where you can get fresh cooked from scratch food. Very high quality. Lunches, especially the meatloaf are great.

If you are not eating here, shame on you. I live in Lubbock and try to actually PLAN to go to Brownwood so I can eat at The Turtle. I've eaten here for the last 11 years and have never had a bad meal. I only get to visit once or twice a year, which makes me sad, but it sure is enjoyable when I go. Tonight, I was by myself so I ate at the bar. Had an excellent chat with the bartender while I ate dinner (pizza and wine) and dessert (bread pudding and coffee). Don't judge. Like I said, I rarely visit so I save up my calories for this meal. read more

Amazing food, amazing staff, amazing owners....just amazing. You have to have the pecan crusted chicken, doing otherwise would be a great disservice to yourself. Had a wonderful evening sitting on the patio, listening to music by Jan Seides and finishing the night off with some great conversation with the owners. Really down to Earth people cooking food with a conscience using a lot of locally sourced goods. It was great to have the opportunity to talk to multiple members of the staff throughout the night. Very relaxed atmosphere. Good to hear from the head chef about exciting things to come to The Turtle in the future! We'll be back very soon! read more

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We make a point of stopping here each year on our way to visit relatives in Dallas. We were very excited to find a restaurant along a route that is mostly lined with fast food, that has a lovely menu and delicious choices (healthy as well). We have enjoyed conversations with the owner over the years and understand the challenges of providing thoughtful culinary offerings - in not only an out of the way historic central city, but in an area that may not be as supportive of this type of "slow food" as a bigger city might be. read more

Come here with my sisters and our mother every birthday! Just girls, everything is delicious. The sour dough bread, the cheese and meat appetizer and of course a bottle of wine. Sometimes we'll have just appetizers and sometimes we have steak! Tonight, I had the New York strip steak it was amazing. To finish the night creme brulee. read more

We had a lovely birthday dinner at the Turtle last evening. This is our second time here and I have to say it is still a stand out. We are pretty well travelled and I would put the food here on par with anywhere from Paris to NYC to LA! The appetizer of pasta followed by the mixed grill was outstanding, but the orange cake for dessert was really a stand out. It was a true treat for a long slow dinner. read more

Wonderful experience and Brownwood is truly Blessed to have the Turtle here and available as one one of my favorite places to dine. Mary and her husband do a stellar job of providing a top notch dining experience with a unique and special menu to match. Highly recommended!!! read more

The only good Restaurant in 100 miles for sure. Staff is cool and beer is good. They have real beer and wine, not just the cheap garbage "big 3 beer". It was so refreshing to eat there, the local places around it are NO comparison. The "home cookn'" places around are dry, awful, dirty and stay away. This place is real chef cooking and worth ever dollar. It will be the only place I will ever eat at in Brownwood. read more