Fixe Austin’s Southern House

This is a fantastic dining experience! I was expecting another pretentious downtown restaurant. No way! This place delivers on the fun and the food! We had a family of seven at the table, and received remarkable service. The noise was a bit loud, but that’s because tons of folks were there socializing and having really good food.
Their specialty biscuits with whipped butter are so good, there is a danger of filling up on those before your entrée arrives! We also sampled the Shrimp & Crab Toast and the Deviled Eggs, which delivered remarkable pallet pleasing flavors. For entrees we had their outstanding buttermilk fried chicken, the duck breast, and veal brisket. Everything we shared was superbly flavorful and appealing to the eye.
This is a great restaurant that earned a five star rating, which I don’t hand out very often. Give it a try.

Run don’t walk! Liberty Kitchen on steroids. Whole ‘nother level of home cooked yumminess. Only regret eating such a big lunch which left no room for a Grits or Dessert course. Both looked like they were to die for!

We did our valentines day dinner here and walked out being wow’d, but last night we went back for the social hour and I think it’s safe to say Fixe has a permanent spot in our Top Restaurants of Austin list.
The Social hour gives you a few cocktails for $ 7 (bourbon lemonade, bourbon sweet tea, and a sangria) that are all delicious and boozy. The biscuits aren’t discounted, but they are worth every penny!
We tried the fried chicken sandwich and the fish and chips, both off of the social hour menu and they were equally amazing! Beautifully presented and perfectly cooked!
We’ll be back again and again.

One of the worst experiences I’ve ever had. We went directly to the bar for their «social hour» and we were ignored the majority of the time there. Daniel, the bartender, kept walking away in the middle of making my drink and finally delivered. 20 minutes later! We were one of 2 groups there. To make things worse, for the 2^nd drink I ordered a beer thinking that should be easier. Wrong! He looked at me, completely ignored my order, and walked to the back never to be found. Also, they kept trying to take away our menu without bothering to ask us once, if we wanted to order food or another drink. When we finally did get some food, we were NOT impressed. Sometimes bad service happens but is made up with amazing food. Do not expect that here.
I’ve never experienced such unprofessionalism and blatant discrimination in my 14 years dining in Austin. Unfortunate seeing that from what seemed like such a nice establishment. Management — if you care enough to listen to consumer feedback, please train your staff better. Whether they are spending $ 50 or $ 500, no one should be discrimated. Consumers — please spend your money on better food and actual customer service. Italic, Wink, WuChow, or any one of the other 100 restaurant options downtown will work hard to EARN your money.

Fantastic! I was expecting another pretentious downtown expense card meat market serving food. No way!
The atmosphere is a bit loud but that’s because tons of folks are there socializing and having good food.
As it turns out, I had the best biscuits (a specialty) and fried chicken I have ever had. Keep in mind, I grew up in Austin and have had plenty if both to compare it to.
I think this is a great restaurant that happens to be quite popular.
Give it a try.

My friends and I went for happy hour. It was just ok.
+
Dessert was worth it.
Get the biscuits.
Nice décor.
The waitress, host, and manager (I think) were nice.
-
Extremely slow service, which was odd because Fixe wasn’t even full of customers.
It was very dark and loud (At 6pm), so I couldn’t really see or hear my friends.
The design of the restaurant was kind of odd, especially when you have to walk through the food area to get to the restroom.
The food was just ok. For its regular prices, I wish the quality of food was better.

I was a little hesitant to try out Fixe solely because their menu is on the pricey side, but we’ve been trying to step outside our ‘usuals’ comfort zone so we decided to give it a shot.
Pros: The restaurant is very well designed, it’s warm and rustic, minus the odd chicken coop wiring in the back.
Our waitress was incredibly helpful and insightful and described the dishes in great detail for us, she was very friendly and attentive as well. Our waters were also constantly refilled by three different «floaters» so that was nice.
The food itself is very good, my bf loved his duck and I enjoyed my pescavore grits, many things on the menu sounded yummy.
Cons: It was so dark inside, I guess it depends where you are seated because behind us where the kitchen was, those tables got a lot of light, but the only source we had were some string lights up above. I could barely see.
All the cocktails are $ 14 a pop. I get cocktail prices, they are not cheap, but $ 14 is excessive in my opinion. We didn’t order anything because we couldn’t justify spending nearly $ 30 on two drinks.
We tried the smoked trout dip, although very flavorful it was a bit on the salty side. And as much as I did enjoy my grits, it was very simple tasting and plain in appearance.
Overall the prices are high, in my opinion, for what you receive. I would still recommend trying out Fixe, but this definitely isn’t a restaurant I’d frequent.

Finally tried this place and were kindly treated by a friend, so I feel badly leaving a lackluster review, but once again, we have had a fried chicken let down. The biscuits were totally on point and tasted just like my grandmother’s. Drinks were well crafted (however the Honey Badger cocktail was just a shot of whiskey over a cube of ice), service had some weak spots, the ambiance and décor is tasteful, but overall it didn’t blow my socks off.
We had the deviled eggs and they were really delish and we shared the shrimp and grits and the herbivore grits. Very tasty and creamy. However the fried chicken was a total let down. Why can’t anyone get fried chicken right in Austin? (I haven’t tried Gus’s so maybe there is a saving grace). But my grandmother made the most outstanding fried chicken EVER and as a result, so do I.
They served a sparse portion of thigh meat and the batter was greasy and then drizzled with honey which made it extra soggy. For the love of Southern Grandmothers do NOT drizzle wet things on fried chicken!!! It lacked flavor and punch and the ever important crunchiness that is imperative for outstanding fried chicken. And the fact they sell it for a whopping $ 19 is a punch in the gut. I’m sort of embarrassed for them actually. So, that’s why they only get three stars, which should be more like 2.5. I don’t get the hype?

Not your typical meat and 3., not even close.
This place is stunning inside. You want to just be in there regardless of food or drink. Now on to the food and drink.
First the drink. Nice spirits selection so I opted for a rye Old Fashioned. It was quite perfect and uniquely served sans ice. Who needs to further dilute their drink anyway? Not me.
And for good measure, wine. The list is right sized and the servers actually know something about it. Tasted a couple and chose an excellent bottle of a Paso Robles red blend. Very happy now.
Quickly summoned the deviled eggs because who doesn’t like deviled eggs. They were great, magically served as whole eggs standing up on their ends. A yummy aged house made hot sauce complimented like ketchup on French fries.
Next was catfish. I am not a catfish person, at all but this kitty fish was the bomb, literally. Not only was it fried and seasoned to perfection but the sauce exploded in my mouth with like a serious kick in the pants! Yes, you heard that right the first time.
Finished up with entrees of duck and fried chicken that were a bit lost in the shadows of the previous oh so excellent down homey southerny vittles. They were all good and everything but next time I would go for something completely different.
Can’t wait for next time!

Mr. Smidgens is soooo thirsty!
Hey there, kids! It’s your friendly neighborhood Unilocaler Mr. Smidgens. Robynn C. and I were invited to get together with some friends we had not seen since their ugly Christmas sweater party and Conor McGregor knocked out Jose Aldo. It’s been a while. The sweaters have long been put in storage and Conor got choked out by Nate Diaz since then.
One thing that has stayed true to form is our friendship with Richie and Stacey V. !
We met them at Fixe and were excited to try the biscuits! Frank L. had raved about these biscuits and said he goes every Friday for whiskey and biscuits. Our other friend Adriel S. said some of the food was great but some of it was meh. I have heard this before. We wanted to judge for ourselves. So, here we go!
We arrived and were greeted by lovely smiles by the two young ladies at the hostess stand then by hugs from our friends who were seated at the bar area waiting for our table. As I perused the drink menu the bar waiter suggested the Templeton Rye. I asked, «Do you have whiskey balls?» He said, «Why yes I do!». He brought me my whiskey on the rock (s). The conversation could have gone south. It did not.
We were seated and of course ordered two orders of their made to order biscuits. As our waitress explained the column choices on the menu and spouted off the specials for the evening I sipped on my whiskey with one ball. The ladies ordered the lobster/​crawfish pot pie and shrimp grits. Me and my buddy went with the off the menu specials of the NY Strip cooked medium and the baked beans. They sounded like a great combo!
As we devoured the biscuits and I continued to sip on my whiskey, we had great conversation and enjoyed the atmosphere. The food arrived! We thought it was a bit quick. First the pot pie and then the grits. We waited and a few minutes later the steaks arrived along with the baked beans.
It all looked great under the mood lighting. As I cut into my steak I noticed it was more medium rare. Not a show stopper. i would rather a steak be slightly under cooked then overcooked. The problem was the charring marks. They went a little overboard and the flavor was more burnt than anything. It was on the outside mostly one side. I cut my pieces of meat and cut off the char. Still edible and protein! I save the burnt pieces for our waitress to see.
Now the pot pie was tasty but a little too soupy for a pot pie. The grits were actually spot on.
Now for the off menu bowl of saltiness… uhmm I mean baked beans. This could have been the greatest side dish. It was not. Someone in that kitchen has the taste buds and palate of someone who smoked for 50 years and just burned their mouth with scalding hot coffee. The saltiness was so strong it actually felt like your mouth was a slug and the salt was melting it.
When you have specials for the night and they are off menu, they really need to be spot on.
I told the waitress in a very matter of fact way because I really hate being «that guy». She apologized and offered a free dessert to make up for the steaks and the salt beans. Why this is a kind gesture and usually the cheapest way for a restaurant to keep it’s overhead down, it does not make up for an over charred steak and the saltiest beans on earth.
We hesitated but decided on the deconstructed apple pie Ala mode. It was not too bad. The whiskey helped wash it down. We received the bill and I had a $ 100 gift card to put towards the bill. Well when the waitress came back she said there was only $ 83 on the card. I told her that was incorrect and that the card had not been used but did not want to short her on her tip. Well me and my buddy took care of the rest and I took the card back after the $ 83 charge.
I just looked up that GC online and it has a $ 17 balance. Shaking my head. The breakdown is as follows. Go for the biscuits, whiskey, atmosphere and your friends company. Don’t set your expectations to high and you will not be dissapointed.
Frank L.!! I am going with you next Friday for biscuits and whiskey!!!
Can someone please get me some water?

Always a treat. Great handcrafted cocktails. Fantastic biscuits. Everything I’ve ever tried has been top notch. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.
A definite favourite & must try if you haven’t been yet.

We came here on a ladies night out and I definitely appreciate valet parking. The valet guys told us to get the biscuits and they weren’t wrong.
I really love the posh and stylish interior that oozes southern and compliments the food and atmosphere well. This is white glove service and they will give you clean silverware and clean the crumbs off of the table cloth between courses.
Do yourself a favor and get the biscuits and slap that butter on them because I am not sure which is better, the butter or the biscuit. I also had the sweet tea pickles and the beets that were pickled in it were a party in my mouth. We also had the smoked trout dip but, I wasn’t really a fan of the texture of it.
I was lucky enough to sample my dinner mates dishes and the beef tartine with the pancakes was a really interesting texture combination and I would recommend it. I would also recommend ordering the lobster and crawfish pie. It wasn’t fishy or soggy and the flavor was creamy and the texture of crunchy complimented it well. The grilled shrimp was just ok; honestly I was hoping the shrimp would have had more flavor to them and the white beans seemed out of place. There seemed to be a disconnect with the main ingredients and the accompaniments and I wish there was something to tie it together.
I ordered the duck breast and I found it flavorful without overpowering the subtle flavors of the duck breast. I think it was a little on the fatty side but, it was easily trimmed at the table. The smoked seaweed was out of place and the flavor profile didn’t match, compliment or work well with anything so, I discarded it. The winter cabbage and the apple jus were spot on though.
This is a pricey place and I can see the cost justified in some dishes but, not in others. This is a great place for a date, work dinner or to just grab a cocktail and share a few small plates. A lot of the customers were dressed in suit and ties so, I think this is a hang out for white collar downtown workers.

Biscuits melt in your mouth delicious and the slightly sweet end steen butter only adds to the delight.
Service is absolutely impeccable, they were highly attentive but unobtrusively so.

One of the best meals I’ve ever had. Seriously outstanding!
We came here with a large group and they gave us a beautiful private dining room. That kept out a lot of the noise of the main restaurant, without blocking the great tunes they had on overhead.
I split the deviled eggs and biscuits with a couple friends. The eggs were delicious! The biscuits were made to order so they came out steamy and aromatic. The sweet butter melted right into them and my taste buds were in heaven!
I ordered the fried chicken for my entrée and I was really impressed with the freshness of it. I didn’t feel like I was eating something terrible for me or overly greasy. It was nicely seasoned on a bed of greens and a perfect portion!
I had a «Fixe 75» which was a nice twist on a typical French 75 and a nice refreshing complement to the meal.
The service was excellent and the waiter was kind enough to split the checks for us. Having glass bottles of filtered water on the buffet stand was a nice convenience as well so we didn’t have to wait to refill our glasses.
Go! You won’t regret it. I’m still drooling over those biscuits!

I was so excited when my date suggested Fixe for dinner tonight! This place has an amazing ambiance. I can’t wait to come back with my friends for a girl’s night!
So where to begin? Definitely order the biscuits and ask for the preserves and sausage spreads. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
For dinner, I opted for the Fried Chicken. The Fried Chicken was absolutely tasty, perfect amount of crunch and has a hint of spiciness and sweetness. I took half of it home and ate the rest as soon as I walked in the door (couldn’t resist). The Fried Chicken also comes with a mini side Kale salad which is equally delicious.
Amazing service and friendly staff made for a 5 star experience!

Fixe was a pleasant surprise! I didn’t have super high expectations coming in here given all the mixed reviews on Unilocal,perhaps having lower expectations = better food? Anyhoo, we came here on a Friday night and it was very packed! The bar was flowing with people and the whole restaurant was full with people waiting inside & outside of the restaurant.
We were quickly seated since we made reservations, however our server took a while to get to us (and that remained the same vibe throughout the whole dinner). Food wise, pricey for what you get and the portion size was small, but food was relatively good despite one very awkward dish (the duck… read below).
Biscuits were very delicious and had the perfect texture. Freshly baked and came out warm. However, $ 9 for 3 biscuits… for something that costs cents to make, pretty high margin for them. Though, despite the price… a look around the restaurant and you could see most tables had ordered them as well.
The smoked trout dip was tasty as well, but the chips that came with them were hard to eat. The thinnest chips ever.
The carnivore grits was an interesting mixed of savory and sweet. Pickled apples, pecan granola and savory quail… am I eating a brunch/​breakfast dish?
The duck dish. I’m not sure how I feel about this dish. Felt like none of the sides complemented the duck AT ALL. The duck itself was fine, wasn’t super flavourful, it was just ok. but the sides. especially the cabbage. it tasted very sour like sauerkraut. Maybe I just don’t like sauerkraut, but the other 3 at the table disliked the dish too. Just an odd mix of flavors!
Finally, the crawfish lobster pot pie was probably my favourite. Very hearty and flavoured well. This dish is a pretty big portion for what you get.
Overall, the bill cameout to about $ 160 for 4 (including a bottle of wine).

My husband and I have been wanting to try Fixe for a while now since our friends have been raving about it. We came here just before the new year for an early dinner — we didn’t have a reservation, but luckily we were there early enough that it didn’t matter — I’d recommend making a reservation on weekends though.
We started with the biscuits — ah-​MAZ-​ing! Seriously get them, you won’t be disappointed! That is until you remember that it’s $ 9 for the biscuits and you get three. Are they worth it? Yes, I’d order them again in a heartbeat, but I think the price is a little steep considering similar restaurants nearby serve bread for free with the meal. But I’ll probably get over it.
I had the fried chicken and my husband had the trout. I personally preferred my chicken over the trout, but both were delicious! The chicken had just the right amount of spiciness!
Save room for dessert too!

This is place serves upscale southern comfort food in a trendy environment with impeccable service.
Our group of 7 enjoyed the fresh biscuits (=magical crack), beets, pickled vegetables, fried chicken and the creamy grits. We were a little disappointed in the steak tartar, lobster pot pie, fish and duck entrees frankly. the portions were smaller than expected when we were expected to share. The descriptions of the entrees and what actually came out were a bit below our expectations. The taste was just okay. it was such a contrast to the other appetizer and shared plates we had earlier.
Otherwise the service was knowledgeable and attentive.

The ideal restaurant for a gal like me. From ambiance to wine list to service and of course to the food. Match made in heaven!
My business partners and I decided to end our ATX adventures here at this fancy little spot. You could say the vibe here is hipster-​classy?
The quotes on their menu truly spoke to my heart. Which made it such a fun experience to place my order for my wine of choice and the veal brisket.
Wine aka Jesus Juice: Delicious.
Veal: Best I’ve had to date.
Dessert: We had the cheesecake and sticky toffee pudding. Both were tasty but a little pretentious in presentation and flavor.
Thank you Austin for letting me leave on such a sexy-​foodie note with this restaurant!
p. s. And double thanks to Fixe for the sexy bearded eye-​candy in the open kitchen. ;)

A Friday girls night for 8 of us was a pretty unruly affair with people arriving at all times and we were beautifully, if somewhat slowly served by David — who was managing an understaffed evening with good grace.
The décor is lovely, the menu is interesting but, quite frankly, It was a little bit too full of its own importance to have a brilliant dining experience. I hate when a restaurant is too full of it’s own of-​the-​moment brilliance to let the food speak for itself.
The Biscuits were very good, p’raps a little bit greasy (Stellasanjac still win that one!) — although the jam and n’duja combo worked really well. The Beef Tendon’s flavourful but again greasy. The Bone Marrow toast was a delicious TINY dish — twice the amount would have been nice…
My Grouper Main was lovely — beautifully cooked and seasoned.
The puddings we shared we both delicious, the red beans and rice was a particularly refreshing change from the very sweet desserts I have become accustomed to over here.
Lots to like, a few things, for me, need work. It’s an almost there.
We’ll definitely give it another go in a few months