Finn & Porter

04/19/2008 Posted by ProfessionalReviews

I do not really recommend this restaurant for someone who is looking for a mouth-watering, once-in-a-lifetime-to-taste, delicious meal. The fish is very bland. And the steaks, or the one I ordered, are/ was very overcooked. The soup is delicious, though. It is full of flavor. The calamari is exquisite. Probably the only thing I enjoyed the most. But, it has a very high class atmosphere. I wouldn't really go there again. It is more like a go-once-never-again.

Pros: Atmosphere, service, calamari, soup

Cons: steaks, seafood

07/25/2007 Posted by justcallmeasellout

My financee and I visited Austin (her hometown) from Atlanta (my hometown) this weekend. We were recently engaged, and I wanted to take her somewhere nice in Austin to celebrate, and I found Finn & Porter on Citysearch. The restaurant has a great look and feel, and the server was very cordial. Our food, however, wasn't very good, which is why I considered writing a bad review. HOWEVER, the reason the restaurant redeemed itself is because of the excellent customer service we received. After we complained that the steaks were too salty (they were mistakenly double seasoned, the manager later told us), the server and manager both apologized and took the steaks off of our tab. We also received complimentary champagne and dessert so in essence, we got a lot for a little. I won't remember the restaurant for its salty steaks but instead will remember it for the top rate customer service we received. I know that the salty steak experience was an isolated incident, and the next time I go to Austin, I'd still consider going back.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

01/08/2007 Posted by chewsteroni

My boyfriend and I had dinner at Finn & Porter this past weekend. We had the Pan Seared Foie Gras (slightly overcooked in a couple of the areas) and the Ceasar Salad (a little on the salty side) for starters. He ordered the Tasmanian King Salmon (excellent dish!!) and I ordered the Filet of Ribeye (I don't like mashed potatoes, but their mashed potatoes are the best ever!). We also ended the evening with the Sorbet for dessert (The grapefruit and Guava flavor were tasty!! The Ginger-Lime had too much ginger for my tastebuds). The presentation of each dish was absolutely beautiful and we even had a couple of free samples. Not everything was perfect for the price, but we were overall content with the food. The service was good, but it could've been a bit better. For example, if some of the desserts take longer to create, then they should've mentioned that as we were halfway through our main course instead of mentioning it after our plates were cleared. Also, we made reservations, but the Hostess did not see that reservation. Luckily, it was not that busy and we were able to get a table. I hope they see this review and make small changes to perfect the place for the price! I still would recommend this place. =)

Cons: Service could be improved to perfection for the price

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

01/02/2007 Posted by ivyvalentine

This is my first review and I'd like to first mention that the dollar range given is off by about $10 it is more in the $$$$ range. I mean who goes out for a fancy meal and doesn't enjoy something extra like wine, an appetizer, dessert or something. The portions look small but are very filling. I wasn't thrilled with the selection because I'm not a seafood eater. Only about 4 choices were available without seafood. I was romantic and the personalized menus were a nice touch but it was more than I bargained for in terms of price. I had worked hard to find the perfect spot for our anniversary evening. I was going for elegant but not break the bank and was sad when I missed out on all the fun extras because of mismarked price.

Pros: ambience, service

Cons: price, cold

06/29/2006 Posted by sirbillo

We went on a whim (decided at 7:30) on a Saturday nite - called up, got a reservation at 9pm. Got to the bar about 8:15 and first off were blown away by the decor. It was much nicer than we were expecting. The bartender (Heath) was very friendly, accomodating and provided great service. My girlfriend and I both commented that we'd love to return some night and just chill at the bar - or even eat at the bar, as another couple were doing. Anyway, we were walked downstairs past the Sushi Bar (which we should try I guess according to the other reviews here) and sat at a nice table. Our nite was perfect, quite honestly. The service was fantastic from the moment we entered the place. She got the cup of Lobster Bisque (HUGE, was like a bowl and delicious) i the lobster steamed dumplings (also delicious and meticulously prepared and presented) The filets (I also had the lobster) were among the best we've ever had anywhere. FANTASTIC. Robert, the General Manager, came and chatted with us and was delightful, even picked up our dessert (creme brulee trio). All in all an incredible night out - especially for a whim! In summary, we were completely impressed with the taste, preparation,and display of the food! The service was fantastic as well. Neither of us were prepared to enjoy our evening that much! Perhaps we had preconceived notions about a restaurant in a hotel or just hadn't heard enough about Finn & Porter, but rest assured, we are spreading the word amongst our people and will most definitely be back.

Pros: THE FOOD, friendly and ATTENTIVE service, atmosphere - and did we mention the FOOD?

Cons: Only thing I can think of is that this is an upscale resaurant, therefore somewhat expensive, but you can't expect to eat a fine meal for less - and for what we got

06/24/2006 Posted by cindyk1964

I am thoroughly disappointed by Finn & Porter. After hearing great reviews about this restaurant, and it was rated as the top 10 dining spot in Austin, I am very disappointed with my dinner. Avoid the appetizer menu: the tuna tartar is bland, and the oyster with Bernaise sauce tasted awful. They have a decent main course selection, but stay away from the dessert menu altogether. The doughnut with chocolate truffle is awful! Service was alright, although I did observe the wait staff making many mistakes.

Pros: Ambience

Cons: Cold food, overrated

05/20/2006 Posted by gchu69

I was kind of disappointed with Finn & Porter after I read the great reviews and the 9.8 rating they received. The service was a little slow and the food took quite a while to come out. The lobster bisque was so salty that it had to be sent back. The food finally came and my steak was cold. I was expecting a little more for the price.

03/19/2006 Posted by ktmt925

My husband and another couple decided to dine at Finn & Porter after seeing that they allowed for Corkage Fees according to Wine Spectator magazine. Unfortunately, upon arriving, we were informed that they did not honor corkage fees. We decided not to let that ruin our evening, and proceeded to order a bottle of champagne to start. Our waitress, who did not even come to our table until 15 minutes after we sat, spilled at least 1/2 a glass when opening the bottle. Our reservations were at 8:30, we left the restaurant at 12:30-- our service was absolutely ridiculously sub-par. Our food was great though... we ordered several rolls of sushi for an appetizer, all were very delicious! The presentation of the food is very appealing-- very creative. Anyhow, we loved our food, so we'll probably be back-- just certainly not in the same waitress' section!!!

Pros: Food, Wine List, Sushi

Cons: Service, Service, Service

02/19/2006 Posted by nem73

My husband and I had a great experience at Finn & Porter from start to finish. We were seated immediately (having made our reservation just a few hours earlier), given an appropriate amount of time to look over the menu to decide on appetizers and salads, asked about drink orders, etc. Wait staff were all super friendly. We also had a good deal of interaction with the manager who just kept coming by to check on all the tables. He helped with wine and dessert selections. I had the escolar (may have been a special that night) and my husband had the porterhouse. Both were delicious! Highly recommend Finn & Porter to all traveling to Austin and looking for a delicious meal in beautiful surroundings.

Pros: service, food, atmosphere

11/05/2005 Posted by mchickingbottom

Finn & Porter was the best steakhouse that I have visited by far. I have experienced quality steaks from other great steakhouses (ex. Ruth's Chris), but none exceeded this. My wife ordered the 8 oz. ribeye filet (a.k.a. Oscar), but as great as it was, the 20 oz. Porterhouse was far better. Excellent atomosphere with modern decor. The food was as appealling to the eye as to the pallet. One should expect to pay $30+ per person, even though this website lists it as $$ ($20-30). 80% of all entrees exceed $30. Even with the higher price, Finn & Porter is an outstanding dining experience.

Pros: Unbelievable Steaks, Romantic Ambiance, Excellent Service

Cons: Price is upscale