Ronnie’s Real Food Bistro

A true delight tucked away in a beautiful setting! We celebrated my son’s 21^st here and Ronnie really went the extra mile. He had Happy Birthday decorations in honor of my son! The restaurant has definite «old school» European ambiance. So relaxing. Each course was fabulous. The paella is to die for! The salad was one of the best we have ever had. And the cappuccino semifreddo was out of this world. Don’t want to leave out the yummy soup (you should sell this by the gallon) and of course the wonderful steak dish. Thank you Ronnie for such a special evening. We can’t wait to return!

We wanted to share a special meal to acknowledge a good health report (after many lousy ones). Ronnie’s was our first choice. On top of that, lamb was one of the entrees for the evening. The meal started with a hot spinach dip with seed crackers. That was followed by green pea soup. What put this soup over the top was a little scoop of sour cream, croutons, and some REAL bacon crumbles. Then came the lamb in a cherry, garlic, red wine sauce with intentionally lumpy mashed potatoes and pressed red cabbage that never fails to delight. Why lumpy potatoes? I don’t know, but they were very tasty. The salad was light and fresh. The dessert put a whole new spin on butterscotch pudding. I’m not talking box pudding here. It was a real butter, butterscotch with subtle scotch whiskey sauce. This is Adult butterscotch pudding. This is a great place for great food, quiet conversation. and no rush dining. Thank you, Ronnie.

My friends and I have been going to Ronnie’s for years.
This is a unique restaurant in every way. Ronnie is the chef and usually does the greeting and serving. He describes each course and will always share recipes.
He provides a four– course meal with additional small appetizers, and coffee or tea with dessert. When we have finished one course he immediately brings the next– the service is always seamless.
The restaurant overlooks woods and is usually very quiet. Tonight we were served asparagus soup with pistachio, braised lamb, a very fresh field green salad and lemon pousset. for dessert. Every course was fabulous– like excellent home cooking with the freshest ingredients We brought our own wine, for which there was no corkage fee. All of this for an extremely reasonable prix fixe.
I have had parties here and have entertained many friends here over the years. Don’t expect a hot trendy experience — just delicious food, lovely ambience and a very knowledgeable and caring chef.

This place is AWESOME & super fun for groups!!! I loved everything that was served! I had the cod — it was great! The dessert wasn’t chocolate so I won’t lie– I wasn’t too excited… but it was actually AMAZING!!! We had great service– the prices are great & we loved that it was BYOB! All 12 of us plan to return soon!

I’ve had this restaurant on my list for ages based on several friends’ recommendations. When I learned about the concept, I appreciated Ronnie’s business savvy. Why offer a ton of menu options when you can focus on three entrees every week and make them to perfection? Not only does this cut down on his cost of raw ingredients but also makes the guest feel confident that Ronnie has worked out any kinks in the recipe.
I first suspected something was off when, as another reviewer in 2009 wrote: «When the busser/​waiter served our appetizer, my wife and I looked at the mini-​quiches, and both told each other at the same time they looked like they were from Costco.» In fact, I was cleaning out my freezer earlier in the day and had a stare down with the exact same box of Costco quiche bites. –1 point
Every single course we were served was lackluster. The soup tasted like it was straight out of a can with the addition of lots of lemon juice. Odd but bearable. The salmon I had was overcooked and dry. But I quickly thanked my lucky stars after I samples my boyfriend’s beef bourguignon which was more like Stouffer’s pot roast than anything Julia Child would make. We both had a indistinguishable side of starch — we’re not sure if it was potato something or other or risotto. In any case, we liked the starch. The salad was served after the entrée, and was doused in dressing but not mixed (hate that). The dressing had a crème fraîche base with a heavy handed addition of garlic salt. And the last course was a triple chocolate brownie covered in whipped cream. The dessert was underwhelming but tasted reminiscent of the Duncan Hines brownie mix that some people like to whip up for potlucks and pretend is a family recipe. — 2 points
All told, I’m giving RRFB 2 stars and not 1 star, because at $ 25, it is a good value for the amount of food that you get. Mind you, the food isn’t noteworthy or interesting but how many times have you said that about food and paid a lot more money? So while the food was pretty bad across the board, I’m glad we didn’t pay an arm and a leg only to be dissatisfied.

I love Ronnie’s! Not your typical «restaurant» and sort of in the middle of nowhere but a very cool place. I like it so much that I’ve booked our holiday office dinner here.
It’s all inclusive, which I love. No tip, and BYOB.
The food is always good and Ronnie comes by to make sure all is good and will share any tips about the recipes, etc. Surprised that anyone would give this place less than 4 stars. And I’m not easy to please!

Ronnie’s Real Food Bistro offers a unique experience in terms of dining. Not necessarily the most efficient or appealing, but I guess it is hard to complain with a non existent corkage fee at a prix-​fixe menu establishment such as RRFB. Additionally, the fixed price at under $ 30 is stellar.
The location is attractive, to boot. Being set away from the city on Bee Caves, Ronnie’s seems to tell you, «You would be hard-​pressed to not consider me for an affordable ‘fancy dinner’, no?»
As they alter the menu, there is no sense in reviewing the actual meal had here but rather what they can produce to be consumed off-​site for those wanting a good taste of their offerings at home. For this, they offer a line of baked goods, and I had one of their healthy cookies.
With its focus on selections that do the body good, Ronnie’s uses ingredients that put processed junk to shame. Their oatmeal raisin cookie has sunflower seeds listed at the 3^rd ingredient, for crying out loud.
Give it a shot, if you feel led. No pressure, though. I have a feeling you will be disappointed if you make it a point to get here.

A fixed price meal, one choice, where everyone shows up at a common time, are served all at once, and it’s BYOB. I live in the neighborhood around here, and never thought much of their location, but it’s a very pleasant, calm setting. We had a great meal and good time with our friends. The pace of service was slow, so be ready to go hang out for a few hours. We didn’t even notice how long we had been there, which I think reflects how much fun we were having and how good the food was. For being so close, I’m surprised we don’t go more often.

Look to the left.
Ronnie’s Real (Bad) Food.
Maybe it was because we were in a large party? Maybe not. It was unimaginative at best, gross at worst. 4 courses:
Potato Leek Soup — tasted like it was from a can.
Some sort of ‘beef’ in a fig and balsamic reduction –hard to swallow — or ‘Fish (Cod, to be accurate) Veracruzano?’ Cod? And not fresh Cod at that — yuck.
‘Salad’ –spinach leaves in garlic oil (seriously) with a tough (end) slice of grapefruit and dollop of store-​bought-​in-​plastic-​pouches-​guacamole — gag.
I was so turned off by all of this I didn’t even try the completely unimpressive looking chocolate sheet cake desert.
If not for the wonderful company and the great booze (byob), I would have bolted.
Don’t waste your time.

The best part is Ronnie. The next best thing is the nice peaceful location and ambiance. Also it is a great price and you can BYOB.
I think the food is good, but not great. I love to go there for a good and fairly healthy meal.

Okay, our first time to «Ronnie’s» and we left feeling like Huh? — what the heck just happened.
Ronnie was not personable at all, nor was any of the staff. From the time we were seated, there was no sense of welcoming or explanation of the proposed experience.
When the busser/​waiter served our appetizer, my wife and I looked at the mini-​quiches, and both told each other at the same time they looked like they were from Costco.
As the entre was served, no big deal. My pork was decent, potatoes average. The wifes salmon looked pretty good — same potatoes. Small salad (mixed greens) served next, not exciting. Then, the desert was some sort of espresso crème brûlée custard… I usually love anything «coffee/​espresso» flavored, but this was not very good at all. The custard texture was not exciting to the palet, and it was served with a stale, tasteless cookie that was like knawing on the end of a tennis shoe. I guess by this point, I was a more than dissatisfied. From Ronnie, to the 3 different people who had served our table, nobody had cracked a smile, said hello, asked how anything was, or merely acknowledged our patronage. It was like I was in «bizarro» world, and wasn’t welcomed there. Let me put some context to this, my wife and I appear totally normal in appearance as a married white collar couple would be. Nothing would warrant this strange type of shunning. I did see Ronnie engaging in short conversation with other tables; however, the rest of the staff remained stoic throughout the painful 69 minutes of my life I spent there that I will never get back. Maybe I was jaded from the beginning when Ronnie marched out in the parking lot and shouted directions for me to park and mumbled something about taking up four spaces, then turned his back and escorted another set of patrons into his establishment.
So, we patiently waited for our bill to come. Quickly returned our form of payment, then sat and waited for ANYONE to pickup our check. We watched Ronnie come and go to every table around us and pickup their checks. Finally, my wife picked up the check and waived it, and Ronnie gave a strange glare and acknowledged receipt. We then put down a 20% tip and scurried off as soon as possible.
Both telling eachother in the parking lot, this was the worst experience we’ve had at any eatery in a long time. Not understanding how anyone can recommend or enjoy the experience.
Two tumbs down. Maybe it was an off night for Ronnie and crew? I don’t know, but we won’t be going back.

We have been to Ronnies twice now and it has been awesome both times. There is no place in Austin where you can get a 5 course meal for $ 25, well maybe McDonalds. The place is a hidden gem! Highly reccomended for couple or first or second dates. Your significant other will be very impressed that you even know about this place. And $ 25 includes food, tax and tip!!! Plus its BYOB so you save tons of money there and know that you are going to be drinking something you like.
I honestly think this is one of the best values in all of Austin.

Sorry, I really do not think highly of this place. Yes, the food was like that you could cook at home; perhaps, you can even make it better. The owner seemed to be very nice, but they did not have a table for us after I RSVPed a few days ago. Instead, they just added a table on the hall way after we arrived in a rainy day. The «restaurant» is basically decorated. The utensils looked pretty cheap. The salad came after you entrée… Anyway, you pay $ 25 for a «4-​course meal» including tax and tips. I bet you can do it better if you love to cook, but hey, you do need to do all of the cleaning afterwards.

Went there this Saturday for a private birthday party. Ronnie’s is very unique, delicious, and quaint. They did a custom menu for the dinner with all fresh and many natural ingredients (a scan of the kitchen showed much from Whole Foods). The restaurant does not have a liquor license, so you can bring your own wine (BYOB) and pair it with the dinner as your entrees are known ahead of time regardless of whether you are part of a private event or going there on a ‘public night’. Ronnie and his staff are also very nice, eager to please, and very personable without being intrusive. I look forward to another great wine dinner at Ronnie’s.

I think this is a great place, although I could see how people might not like it. It’s fairly unique, not your typical restaurant. I was there Saturday night for a birthday party and the food I had was really good — the gazpacho was the best I’ve ever had, really fresh and a perfect consistency. The paella was very good also, though not outstanding. As far as the roasted grain beverage goes — well, I like to try new things, so I don’t regret drinking it. I can’t say I liked it, but I drank the whole cup.
I don’t think you can beat the ambience and food for the price. I think if you’re one of those people that are picky about what you eat and always request changes to your food at a restaurant you might not like it here. However, if you are laid back about your food and just enjoy eating it this would be a great place to go — just look on their web site and pick a weekend when they are serving something you think you might like, and you’ll probably really enjoy it.

This place IS very unique, delicious, quaint, and VERY enjoyable ambiance. Decent value for the dollar, nice to bring ones own wine.
But I found the quality of the food to be not completely consistant: I had requested a very light en tree and was promised little cream and steamed veggies. There was still cream (which my tummy attested to the next morning) and the veggies were peas and carrots. Tasty, but not exactly out of this world.
The soup, however = amazing, and i will be recreating the recipe soon. Dessert, also very yummy, though my mom makes better crisp.
For a foodie, lover of cooking and health conscious meals, Ronnie’s is not my first choice. But for someone looking for great ambiance, yummy food that most people would love — Ronnie’s is truly a hidden gem.
Just wish i hadn’t gotten so full! NOT helping the waistline.

Ok… I guess I’m going to be the voice of dissent here. I went to Ronnie’s a few weeks back, and I wasn’t very impressed with the food. Ronnie was very friendly and great to talk to, but the food itself was bland and unflavorful.
We started out a few tartlets, which were good (but I suspect they were the frozen kind you get at costcos). Then came the magenta soup… I thought this pretty ok, but my friend didnt like it. The worst was the entrée. We both got beef bourginogn and it was, well, blah! No taste, and the beef was quite tough. Dessert was a custard, which would have been great, had it not been for the overpowering raspberry sauce.
I guess I had high expectations based on all reviews. I know its a really good value for $ 25, but I wanted more flavor in my food and I don’t think price has anything to do with it.

Wonderful ambiance and delicious food! Ronnie’s is nestled among hundreds of oaks with little lights decorating the exterior on Commons Ford Road as you head towards the lake. We made reservations the day before as the website requested.
Several entrees are offered with the remaining courses being the same for all diners at one 7:00 p.m. seating. We chose our entrees when we made our reservation. Our fantastic meal was served in an intimate setting surrounded by oak trees as seen through the large glass windows.
Our 4-​course meal:
*A unique and sumptuous pea soup with mint, peppered bacon and croutons (so good I wanted to chug it!)
*Salmon Fillet with lemon ginger butter – fantastic! And Beef Carbonade a la Flamande both served with mashed potatoes – rich and flavorful
*Fresh organic field greens with caramelized walnuts, cranberries and balsamic vinegar dressing
*Rustic and soulful butterscotch pudding made with Scotch whiskey and topped with a brown sugar sauce — Oh. My. God.
*Rich and bold organic coffee
We were not charged a corkage fee for the bottle of Prosecco we brought with us. As a nice personal touch, Ronnie came around and spoke with us after each course to ask us how we liked the food.
Prix Fixe for $ 25.00 a person which includes tax and gratuity. Ronnie’s Real Food Bistro will beckon us back sooner than later.

Ronnie’s is only open Thursday through Sunday. They only take reservations. They seat everyone at 7PM. The menu is fixed and posted on the Website,
. They only seat 40 people. The 4 course meal is a fixed $ 25.00 including tax and gratuity. He does not have a liquor license. You can BYOB and there is no corkage fee.
The food is usually very well prepared, we have been there at least 10 times over the last 2 years. Check the menu because you do not get choices.
Enjoy, I have no idea why I am sharing this gem. I need to get reservations too.

This is one of my favorite «hidden» spots in Austin, so much so that I am afraid to get the word out. The place is Ronnie’s Real Food Bistro. It’s nestled in the woods off of Bee Caves & you would never know it was there unless someone told you. It’s in a small strip off a wooded road in West Austin and has huge windows in all directions with only trees and grass and no streets or buildings in the view at all.
Ronnie is a great guy who always genuinely greets you at the door & if you’re a regular, he chats with you regarding your last vacation or promotion you spoke about last time. Ronnie is usually the chef, host, waiter, and busboy all in one unless it’s a busy night then he gets a couple of people to help.
The restaurant is not fancy but it’s comfortable and seats about 40 people total in one room. The restaurant is only open for dinner at 7pm on Thursdays-​Sundays. You have to call ahead to make a reservation b/​c sometimes they fill up fast plus he needs to know how much to make for this small joint. There is a prix frix menu that changes every week. The menu is posted on his website several weeks ahead of time & he also has an e-​mail list that you can sign up for. The four-​course meal features an appetizer, entrée (veggie options available), salad and dessert with coffee or a roasted grain beverage. Here’s the best part, for this four course gourmet meal, he only charges $ 25 which INCLUDES tax and tip. They do not serve alcohol but it BYOB so you can bring a bottle or two of wine with you or a cordial for after dinner, which they open for you for NO corkage charge. Plus you don’t have to decide what to eat b/​c you already know so you have more time to chat with your friends.
Now on to the delicious food. The menu tends to have a rustic French feel. Often it starts with some mini quiche or salmon mousse to wet your appetite. Then a soup is served. One of my favorites has been the cold honeydew melon soup with cucumber chile ice. The soup is sweet yet sour in a perfect kind of way and then a piece of shaved ice flavored with cucumber & chile slowly melts in the middle offering a great spice yet cool cucumber flavor to the soup. Another good soup is the bonne soup. It’s practically a staple in the French countryside, and it’s usually made of whatever vegetables are available (small red potatoes, carrots, fresh green beans, peas, onions, parsley).
The entre is usually quite substantial in size. He usually has a meat selection (usually beef or salmon) and a veggie selection. When you make you reservation via telephone, you tell him what selection people from you party want along with any food allergies so he can accommodate everyone. I’ve enjoyed the Tuscan-​style beef or tempeh. It’s a delicious Italian spiced beef or tempeh stew served over polenta. Cooked in red wine with basil, winter squash and spices, this is a rich and hardy combination. The firm polenta is seasoned with oregano, rosemary, and sharp cheddar cheese. It’s a fancier version of a home-​cooked beef stew and is wonderful. I have also enjoyed the braised salmon, chicken or tofu. Salmon, chicken breasts, or tofu are also braised in red wine with herbs and spices. Served with organic brown rice with zucchini and sweet red peppers. The salmon is especially delicious and melts in your mouth. The only criticism I can give is that sometimes I feel the entrees need a bit more salt but that could just be my personal taste.
After the entre, there is a salad course because this is the European way to serve the meal to cleanse the palate and aid digestion. The salads tend to light with very fresh organic vegetables and homemade vinaigrette.
It’s time for the dessert. Memorable desserts for me have been the espresso-​rum crme custard. This custard is lovely and light. The flavors and textures of whipping cream, espresso, dark rum and vanilla compliment each other. I also enjoyed the Hawaiian mud torte. This simple but rich dessert features coconut macaroons sandwiched with vanilla ice cream and topped with chocolate ganache. With your dessert, you have your choice of coffee, hot tea, or roasted grain beverage. Wikipedia says a roasted grain beverage is «a hot beverage made from one or more cereal grains roasted and processed into crystal or powder form to be reconstituted later in hot water. The product is often marketed as a caffeine-​free alternative to coffee and tea.» It always has an oatmeal-​like flavor to me.
What is so great about Ronnie’s is that you feel like someone cooked gourmet food especially for you. You can bring your own wine so the cost of $ 25 (meal, tax & tip included) is very affordable for the high quality of the food. Ronnie’s has a great intimate feel and delicious food in a beautiful setting. But most of all, Ronnie’s would not be anything without Ronnie’s kind presence and wonderful conversation along with the care he puts into every morsel that passes your lips.