Bess Bistro

Bess is less..than I thought it would be.. I dined with my family at Bess last night in celebration of Mother's Day. We had a reservation for 7 pm. In spite of the holiday -- for which Bess should have been prepared -- and the early hour, the restaurant was already out of several of the popular entrees and desserts. Worse, the two much touted dishes I ordered -- fried green tomatoes and macaroni and cheese -- were inadequate and/or uneatable. The tomatoes had no sauce to counteract their dryness and the macaroni was so salty that I couldn't eat it. The over-salting, according to other family members, characterized their dishes as well.

The noise, even that early, reached the I can't hear what you're saying level. I can only praise the valet parking and won't be going back.…

Wish it had worked out better.... I've eaten at Bess several times -- each time we are impressed by the creativity of the food. The space is a bit cramped (your back will, undoubtedly, be against someone else during their peaks in service). That aside, I asked that a party be held there for an upcoming event. We are all professionals; I'm in my 30s. This was supposed to be an elegant night out with friends to celebrate my upcoming wedding.



First we had a reservation. Then, they lost it. (Their event coordinator, Natalie, actually accused us of "lying" about having made a reservation in the first place! Why would we do that?! And, who actually accuses customers of such things prior to some adult problem-solving? Perhaps its the teacher in me -- but I felt the whole thing was extremely childish!) Then, they said they could work it out with a base fee guarantee ($$) attached for the party. We thought it seemed quite high, but still were willing to make it work...now we're two days away from the event and, again, it looks like we will won't be holding our celebration at Bess due to changes made to our agreement by Natalie. We worked on this reservation for a week...

I think we're fine moving else where. I'm breathing a sigh of relief really -- I thought this would be a great idea...I feel bad I drug my friends through all the trouble. Truth be told, I'm disappointed that such a bad taste will be left with all my guests who I was, originally, so excited to share this venue with.

So, this is what I'll say: Bess Bistro is great for 1-4 guests on an off night. If you don't mind getting cozy with the stranger next to you - weekend evenings will still offer up creative and exciting food. Looking to book a special event? Skip it. Me? Unfortunately, I'm removing this venue from spots I frequent.…

A Precious Gem in the heart of Austin!. My husband and I went to Bess Bistro for the first time last evening. We have lived in the Austin area for 6 years now and my only regret is that we did not discover this most charming establishment sooner. The atmosphere is as warm and cozy as it gets with an eclectic mix of wood, stone, gas lanterns and chandeliers. Each member of the staff was kind and attentive from the hostess to the waiter and to even the chef who personally came out to our table to make sure everything was just perfect! I had the STEAK FRITES and being that I am watching my waistline, I asked if they would substitute the fries for asparagus which they did without hesitation. The glaze on the ever so tender steak was out of this world with a hint of bleu cheese and mushrooms. My husband had the SHEPHERD'S PIE which he described as EXCELLENT, 2 THUMBS UP, very tasty and just the right amount of food. For desert my husband ordered the CHICORY BROWNIE, described on the menu as: "Chicory coffee infused fudge brownie with spiced pecan and bourbon ice cream with bittersweet chocolate sauce." Waistline or not, I had to have a bite, nay I say two!! It was an OMG moment for me! I must say, I didn't want to leave! And to top this all off, we didn't have to break the bank for this fabulous evening. It's my new favorite place and I am counting down the days till we get to go back. In my opinion, this is as good as it gets! A hearty "WELL DONE" to all at Bess Bistro!! We'll see you soon!!…

Comfort food never tasted so good!. My heart may not be too healthy after my open faced egg sandwich but my lips and tongue were singing praises! What an amazing and cozy little place and thanks to Sandy Bullock and her family for passing down such delectable dishes. You must try the madame with a kir royale! MMMMM delish…