Driskill 1886 Cafe & Bakery
(512) 391-7162
604 Brazos St
Austin,
TX
78701
30.2679
-97.7415
Neighborhood: Downtown
Reviews & Ratings for Driskill 1886 Cafe & Bakery
17 reviews
What users are saying:
Showing 1-10 of 17 reviews
Lack of consistensy, slow service.
by claulo
October 11, 2007
My first time in the restaurant was about 3 months ago, it was a good experience, good food, good service.
This time around we sat and wait for about 10 mins until a waiter came an greeted us. Then my friend ordered a cocktail while I waited for the wine list, I ordered the wine, they brought the wine back and they still didn't serve the cocktail until we asked a second time for the drink. Then we ordered the meal, the appetizer Ahi Tuna had a very weird kind of old taste... then the Lobster Bisque was warm, not "hot"... by then we had been sitting for One hour and 40 minutes ( 1:40hrs) when finally the entree was brought... needless to say I was hungry, tired and not happy with the food... we had to ask for the food to go....
I never experience such a slow service and poor food in a so called "excellent" restaurant. Never going back, specially with those prices, totally NOT worth it.
- Pros: Classic setting, quiet
- Cons: Slow service, food is not consistant
Best Restaurant in Town
by Hookem720
June 06, 2009
It's been months since I visited the Driskill, but upon perusing CitySearch, I noticed they have a relatively low rating at the moment so I thought I'd throw my two cents in. I went with family and friends as a special treat and the only way I can describe it is "perfect." We all chose the tasting menu (as was recommended), and every single thing that was in front of me was delicious. The wines were paired excellently. One of my family members was in town from Manhattan, and she is quite the foodie. She ranked the Driskill right up there with the best and most famous restaurants in New York. The meal was perfectly timed, leaving enough room in between courses but not so long that we felt that we were "waiting," and the service was attentive but not intrusive. Everything was cooked flawlessly and the atmosphere was wonderful. The dining room is on the small side, so there's no normal restaurant din. Overall, just perfect! It IS an expensive restaurant, but it was worth every cent. I wish I had the bucks to go there every night!
- Pros: Service Service Service!
- Cons: Pricey (but worth it)
Not worth it... Bad Experience
by surfergirl23
November 27, 2007
One of my friends just moved to Austin and I cam intown to see him. He wanted to go somewhere nice so we went to Driskill. It is located in a Hotel that is absolutely gorgeous. The restaurant is really stuffy though. They had a great wine list. And the incourage you to order a three course meal the is $65 dollars per person. You choose one meal from each course list. The serving are so small you may need a magnifying glass to see them, and the food truly just wasnt that great. There were 5 of us a the table and not one of us liked the food. It wasnt worth the price. I really want put off by the price until I tasted the food and it totally wasnt worth it. Especially considering we were not even full when we left. The presentation wasnt even appealing. The service was ok but the staff sortof sticks up thier nose as if they are better then everyone. Its very uncomfortable. The next day on the other hand, we went to S. Congress Cafe which was absolutley awesome! The food was amazing, the drinks were different and pretty and the service was great! And I only spent $20. I would pass on The Driskill guys.
Good, but not quite deserving its reputation
by graymage
September 01, 2007
We found it good, but not living up to its reputation. The nine course tasting menu was varied, ranging from superb (lamb with mint tapioca) to excellent (smoked tuna and the beef tartare dishes) to strange and awful - the chorizo-covered shrimp not only seemed out of place, but was puzzling, as the chorizo totally overpowered the shrimp, and to add injury to insult the shrimp was very overcooked. Worst of all, the Driskill seems to take the "tasting" part of the tasting menu literally, as each course was minuscule, barely a bite or two. We were barely full after dessert. On the plus side, the chef was kind enough to send out a complimentary tenth course of short ribs, without which we would have gone home hungry, a sorry state of affairs when the nine course tasting menu for two costs $400.
The wine pairings also seemed not quite right at times... I'm not a big wine connoisseur, but at Zoot or Wink I'm usually impressed by how well the wines they picked go with the courses... here not so much.
The atmosphere was good, excepting the fire alarms going off in the middle of dinner, which I presume is not normal. While there was no siren it was sort of distracting to have the strobes blinking; it took many minutes to get them turned off.
The service was impeccable, though impersonal. This is a plus or minus, depending on whether you like your servers to have personality or not. We noticed some of the other servers seemed much more gregarious, so it was probably just our server as opposed to restaurant policy. There was one 15 minute period between courses in which we were foodless, but that may have been related to the fire alarm.
All in all, a mixed bag. If you go, I'd recommend ordering something you know is good, as opposed to gambling on the tasting menu.
- Pros: Ambiance, service, some dishes
- Cons: Parking
Get your tastebuds ready!
by sthgblue
January 20, 2007
Since I had heard such great things about the Driskill, I decided to go there for my birthday. In my opinion, this is some of the tastiest food in Austin! While the ambience is a bit stuffy and decorated in a fashion that is very antiquated, in my mind, the food is among the best there is. My husband and I each had the six-course menu, and every course tasted like heaven. Though I'd never heard of skate wing before, it was one of our courses (the courses are selected by the chef if you opt for the 6 or 9 course meal), and it was the most tender, delicious seafood I have ever tasted. Every course is a culinary experience in itself, and the only downside is that the "tasting" is so small that both my husband and I, who don't have big appetites, were a bit hungry when we got home. When we return, I will probably opt for a selection from the appetizer and entree menu, as those portions are not only bigger, but they allow you to really enjoy the dish you choose. I LOVED every single course that we ate. If you enjoy good food, and price isn't an obstacle, you will love the Driskill Grill. (Though I will forewarn you that the cheapest bottle of wine in the place was $30.00 and most wines averaged $60.00)
- Pros: amazing food
- Cons: expensive, small portions on multiple course menu
Not what we had hoped for - dissapointing
by darby4800
November 12, 2006
We ate at the Driskill in celebration of my wife's birthday and our experience was very dissapointing. After seeing the Chef on Iron Chef we were extremely excited about our trip to the Driskill. Not only was the service average but the menu was not that exciting and the food simply was not that good. We each went with the 3-course menu, my wife choosing the quail as her second course and it was awful. My steak was fatty and not that tasty. We love food and the Driskill is simply not what it is advertised to be, especially for the money spent. Don't go unless someone else is paying!!
- Pros: classic setting
- Cons: not worth the $$ - poor experience
Creative New American fine-dining in a hotel that's a bastion of Old Texas.
by Contributor
October 09, 2006
In Short
Inside the multi-million-dollar renovated Driskill Hotel is a sedate, refined, dimly lit space. Presidents, writers, actors and other celebrated faces dine at these tables, presided over by the jowly portraits of former governors. The ever-changing menu is set up in three courses plus dessert, or a nine-course tasting menu with optional wine pairings. Popular menu standards include the pan-roasted duck breast with apple-raisin hollandaise and pistachio-crusted sea scallops with a truffled herb salad.
Great for a special night out!
by ginnylovesfood
September 27, 2006
I definitely understand why this restaurant was rated #1! Everything was absolutely spectacular. The waiters were informative and friendly. The food was so delicious and not over complicated like other fancy restaurants. I personally didn't think it was expensive at all, but I grew up in New York City. I highly recommend going for a special birthday or any celebration!
The finest in austin!! Posh and great waiters
by 10blond
August 21, 2006
My goodness it is expensive but it is worth the money. The china and silverware wow! Must I go on huh?? The food is incredible and yes it is fine dining to the max. Special birthday anniversaries a must!~You will no go wrong coming to the Driskall and yes it really is haunted oooooooooooooh. A must see. highly recommend
- Pros: greatest food
- Cons: pricy $$$$
Woedully Disappointing and Highly Overrated
by tsadowski
May 12, 2006
I took my family of 6 there for a combo special occasion: an early Mother's Day and my stepson's departure for 3 years to Okinawa with the Marines. I thought I'd try the Driskill given the nice reviews and momentum that is seemed to enjoy, bypassing our standards rotation of The Four Seasons, Bistro 88, Castle Hill, and Vespaio. What a major disappointment! THe service was the equivalent of Applebee's on a bad night. The food was inconsistent. Admittedly, some of the dishes were exquisite, but some were served beyond their peak. I don't normally complain about service, but for a $500 meal, I expect near perfection. The Driskill Grill simply does not deliver. I'd take a client there, on the company expense bill, but I won't take my family there again.
- Pros: some entrees
- Cons: service, service, service
