Dinner Lab

The drinks and plates were fantastic. Their pairing of food and wines/​drinks were exceptional!

The Good: My first experience was fun! The venue was the lovely Mercury Hall with it’s gorgeous sweeping Oak trees and re-​purposed vintage church. The 50s theme was cute, right down to the place settings. This menu offered wine pairings with each course, and the wine was free flowing. Some of the dishes were delicious and a couple were just okay, but after all, it’s called «dinner lab» for a reason: the idea is rotating chefs that are experimenting with new menu items.
The Great: This is a fantastic way to meet and mingle with new people who share an enthusiasm for exploration — of food, cocktails /​wine, and Austin! The dinner conversation was lively at our table and folks were friendly. It’s also a fun way to get to see places in Austin you might not otherwise see, or at least not as a pop-​up restaurant!
The Bad: You have to join the club and pay an annual membership fee in order to even see a menu, so you’re really going into it blind. Menus are posted once a week and getting into a dinner is like trying to get into a popular concert, you’ve got to be online when the menu is posted and jump on it or the opportunity will be gone in the blink of an eye! (Assuming the menu looks decent). I joined in mid-​January and wasn’t able to get into a dinner until mid-​April.

Put me on the DinnerLab bandwagon!
We finally made it to our first dinner last night and every single dish was nothing short of amazing. I loved how each time a new plate came, I could hear all the «mmm…mmm…mmms» happening around me, self included.
I wasn’t fully convinced my husband was on board for this adventure in dining, but Mr. Skeptic himself was left happier by the experience – praising both the quality and value of the night.
Can’t wait to do it again!

For over a year now, I have been part of this ‘secret’ dining society but enough is enough… everyone needs to join Dinner Lab.
You’d think its about the awesome, one of a kind meals that you’ll eat or the endless amounts of beer, wine and cocktail pairings but it’s actually so much more…
My favorite thing about Dinner Lab are the people that you meet. Over the course of this year, I have met some of the most interesting, fun and adventurous people. Not only are these people from all walks of life and areas of the country, but you are bonded together by the love of food and acceptance of chefs who travel around the country cooking these pop-​up dinners.
At $ 50-​$ 70 per dinner + a $ 100 per year membership fee, I find the price to be worth it every time I think of the once in a lifetime nights I have whenever I attend a Dinner Lab event. Each meal is between 5 – 8 courses, includes alcohol, tax, tip and that unique experience, which I love.
I’d recommend Dinner Lab to everyone and anyone and while the phenomenon continues to grow, they keep the dinners small, intimate and one of a kind which makes me keep getting sucked in to attending more than my bank account would prefer.