Doesn't Recommend

Stephanie F.

Joined 1 year ago

I will not be WINKing again.. I was very excited when I found WINK online and looked at the website. It was exactly what I was looking for; a nice restaurant for a special night I had planned, and not in the heart of downtown's SXSW madness. I called, made a reservation for 6:30pm, and planned my night accordingly. When we were running a little behind, I called and spoke to the hostess, who was exceptionally rude over the phone. We entered into the doors at 6:37. Our waitress, JoJo, was very nice and we liked her a lot, but that was the extent of my being impressed with the staff. It took 45 minutes for our entrees to be brought to us, making the rest of our plans a bust. We had a play that we were going to at 8pm and missed it because of the amount of time it took to get our food. With that said, I completely understand that this place prides itself on its "slow dinning experience", that's fine, BUT What ensued after we bought TWO bottles of expensive wine and dropped over $200, is ridiculous. We were by no means loitering about or trying to stay in that noisy over crowded restaurant any longer then absolutely necessary. Both my partner and I, have worked in food service. We know the importance of turn around, and what a pain it is when people are just sitting. We had JUST eaten the last of our dessert, ALREADY paid, and had HALF a glass of wine left that we were not leisurely sipping. We were told that there was another party who was becoming upset by the fact that they hadn't been seated yet, and this was some how OUR fault? Not to mention, the table to my right, was vacant. We chugged our glass standing up while the hostess stood there ushering us away. We were told if we wanted we could go to the wine bar. Okay, I'm in sales, I deal with people all of the time and the way this was presented and handled is not alright with me. I eat at fine dining restaurants regularly and spend a lot when doing so. I have NEVER been cleared out of a place like that. We are business professionals who enjoy dressing up and having a nice meal and I will never recommend this place to anyone. The food was really beautiful and delicious, so kudos to the chef, but the guest services knocks this place to sub zero.

Recommends

jordotech

Joined 5 years ago

Spendid. Best steak I've had in a really long time. Took my lady on a romantical date and boy were we pleased. We also tried the duck and it was amazing. Highly recommended.

Recommends

exigent

Joined 4 years ago

YUM!. Alas, I have only twice had the pleasure of dining at Wink. The best part is that both times I was with companions who are very serious gourmands. I live in Austin; they don't. I was delighted to introduce them to a local restaurant that is truly special. I'm also a gourmand(e). If the food is not up to my high standards, I'd rather stay home. On both occasions, the food was superb. I am amazed at the creative combinations of flavors and more than willing to let the chefs at Wink tantalize my taste buds, without question. I despise liver in any form, but my companion's seared foie gras was surreal. He said it was the best thing he had ever tasted -- and that encompasses a lifetime of eating at the best restaurants in the world. Portion size seems to be an issue with many reviewers. Take your act to McDonald's, folks. Or to some cheap steakhouse. Please. I don't even want to be in the same room with you. Two courses were all I could eat. I managed to finish the last couple of bites of one of three giant scallops, and wished I had ordered the two-scallop portion. The complimentary dessert (an improbable-sounding foie gras chocolate mousse!) was to-die-for heavenly, but I really, sadly, did not have room for more than one bite of it. Service was friendly, attentive and well-versed in both menu and wine offerings. The wait staff never "hovered," but seemed to appear in the wink ;-) of an eye, as if they had ESP. I know well the emphasis Wink places on fresh, seasonal ingredients because I often see the Wink chefs at the same local organic farm where I shop (the unparalleled Boggy Creek Farm). Altogether an outstanding gustatory delight. At least once a week, I check the menu of the day and drool, thinking of what I will try during my next meal there. The sooner the better!!!

Doesn't Recommend

SDCFun

Joined 3 years ago

Pricey to imply quality. Was excited to visit. Unimpressed. I enjoy 4 and 5 star dining throughout the world. They have the prices but not the product.

Looking for a special night of fine dining? Look elsewhere.

Doesn't Recommend

search4beauty

Joined 6 years ago

Ruined our anniversary. Owners/management non-responsive. My wife and I visited on our anniversary. We called in advance to notify them of our food allergies and were assured that accommodating us would not be a problem. We reminded the waitress upon sitting down, again when we ordered, then questioned her because the food tasted like the ingredients we told her we were allergic to. We were reassured that chef was well aware of our allergies and would not do such a thing. (Guess what?)

We both ended up ill because we were served food we are allergic to. I wrote a very nice letter letting them know how much we had enjoyed the ambiance, but that we had become ill because of their oversight.

Not only did we not receive a response, I mailed the letter again...to the same end.

To be served with less attention to our needs than is available at the Whole Foods Deli counter is not acceptable, especially not for the $300.00+ I paid for the experience.

I am terribly disappointed and will not visit again.

Doesn't Recommend

hockeycoach68

Joined 6 years ago

Over-rated, Over-priced Mini Portions. I am usually fine paying considerably more for fine dining. Not this time. We have tried the regular entrees and the 5 course "meal". The portions were quite small, some of the food that should have been hot was cold and the flavors were not as well balanced as they bragged. The wine portions (2oz. each) and their prices were silly for fairly tasty selections.

We mentioned our food sensitivities...which they promptly ignored. I don't expect to pay $300 to have them feed us exactly what we asked them not to.

The price tag on the dishes and wines end up feeling insulting rather than appropriate for the product provided.

Look for another restaurant.

Recommends

Tess C

Joined 4 years ago

Expensive Micro Food. Good food great Wine list

Recommends

Cindy123

Joined 4 years ago

wonderful evening. My husband, son and I went to dinner to celebrate my birthday and had a wonderful experience. From the moment we entered the door we felt welcome and cared for. We were greated by name and escorted to our table which had personalized menus waiting for us. Everything we ate was delicious, but I think I chose best with the seared foie gras and sweatbreads. I highly recommend Wink for a special dinner.

Recommends

CSMobileUser

Joined 5 years ago

great food, lovely people. We went there last night and really enjoyed it - despite some discussion of small portions, my husband and I shared a soup, salad and entr????e and hAd plenty

Recommends

firefaery

Joined 4 years ago

Beautiful food, intimate atmosphere. My partner and I visited Wink for our Valentines Day dinner. Though it was smaller than we expected, the atmosphere was still intimate and energetic at the same time. We were greeted by name when we arrived and immediately shown to our table. Our server was informative about both the menu and the wine list. The wine she suggested not only played to our personal tastes but complimented our food as well.

The food itself was amazing! Both of us tried to eat slower than usual because our meal was so good we didn't want it to end. I highly recommend the duck breast, it was spectacular! - as was the chocolate soup!

This restaurant is perfect for someone in the mood for a relaxed but elegant meal. The wait staff was warm and helpful, the food was amazing in both presentation and flavor. One word of warning, if you plan to have wine with your dinner, be prepared to pay more than you would for an average dinner. Though it was a bit more expensive than what I'm used to, it was worth it. I loved this restaurant and I'm already planning to visit it again in the near future.