Trace

By far and away the best meal we’ve had in over a year. The service was unintrusive but enthusiastic. Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu and was able to recommend based on his experience and our preferences.
Our food arrived beautifully plated and at perfect temperature. My wife and I had two different fish dishes. Both were wonderfully prepared and imaginatively accompanied by very different starch and vegetable combinations.
Even up to the coffee at meal’s end, everything hit the right notes. Thanks for making Austin delicious!

What a dining experience! The food was top-​notch and the service was well-​trained. They even start off with an introduction of their mission statement as a restaurant and why they have their name. Well played…
It is definitely a fancy-​smancy place (located in a hotel). The ambiance of the restaurant was modern, trendy, but they also have a lounge that looks pretty spiffy, too. Nice decorations and trees wrapped in Christmas lights to look out to.
The waitress was well-​mannered and well-​rehearsed. Great recommendations and very accommodating. They close at 10pm, but even then they didn’t rush us out for staying late!
The real deal stuff: food
Perfect. The seasoning had complementing, exquisite flavors. The presentation was noteworthy. Good amount for a perfect dinner. The combination of textures and taste was meticulously thought-​out.
— We ordered the scallops to start. Very pricey ($ 16) but also very impressive taste. Interesting to have grapefruit on top, but it worked well with the salty flavor
— I got the redfish per recommendation. WOW. No idea what benne was, but the crunch and unique flavor of sesame was incredible with the fish! Needless to say, my plate was clean afterwards.
— My friend (food connoisseur) got the lamb. Unique to serve it two different ways in the same dish, but it was oh so tender and delectable! That dish had a variety of flavors to play with.
— Sorbet for dessert: passion fruit. Another WOW. Strong but beautiful flavor. That was the cherry on top! (Just kidding, it had raspberries on top, but still)
Pinky high fancy, but close-​your-​eyes-​and-​dream-​about-​it good. This is what I’d imagine a Michelin-​star restaurant to be like…

I can here on a Friday night around 9pm. The place was about 75% full. I asked to sit outside.
Pros:
–They have a great patio! Cool lights, great lounge area outside and plenty of tables to dine at.
— I had the cheese platter for appetizer and the cheese was really great! One of the best I have had.
— I had one of the cocktails from the menu (can’t remember which one) but it was great, didn’t skimp on alcohol. I had two!
— I ordered the burger, the burger was cooked to order and the fries that came with it were surprisingly great!
Cons:
— the food took FOREVERRRRR. And to remind you, the place was not at full capacity.
— i ordered my whole meal at the same time. I waited 20 minutes for my appetizer to come. And then another 20 minutes for my main course to come.
— a food runner brought my food. And 20 minutes later my waitress had not come by to ask how it was. I had to flag down the hostess because I needed a sauce.
— the HOSTESS brought the sauce and of course right after, the waitress came over and asked how everything was.
— I saw the manager go to MANY tables but never came to me (I was alone). He probably would have been made aware of this had he bothered to stop by.
— I had also ordered an add on Pork Belly to my burger. The pork belly just tasted like a strip of bacon. I’ve had MUCH better pork belly… If that was even pork belly.
I would be back to this place but only for a cocktail on the patio. I would never wait that long for food again.
I was there over an hour and a half with not the most stellar experience.

Solid fan of Trace, specifically for breakfast/​brunch. I’ve been going for years now and I recommend it for many reasons including fantastic service. You will be beautifully served by sweet, helpful folks — always memorable and notable service. For example (1) on Valentine’s, my gf’s steak was too rare and we were served a free half bottle of Veuve while we waited. SWOON. (2) anytime the food is not to your liking, they take it off the bill. I’ve also had many mimosas mysteriously disappear from my bill but that may just be a mystery unsolved.
Let’s talk food. Anything you order on the breakfast/​brunch menu from waffles to migas to America breakfast to salmon will be delicious. The sausage and bacon are often unpredictable in quality so I give you that warning. The eggs are always perfect. The migas, truth be told, are what I call «the most gringo migas ever» but they are still delicious in their complete whiteness. Ask for extra salsa. I also recommend ordering a biscuit extra with whatever you’ve ordered and their homemade jam (DREAMY).
Lunch I haven’t had in a while but it was pretty solid. I had the Valentine’s menu for dins this year and it was 2/​3rs delish and unusual and ¹⁄₃^rd boring; which is not bad when it comes to a Valentine’s meal! I’m more of a brekkie guest.
WINE. Let’s talk wine. The mimosa they serve is the best mimosa you’ll ever had. It’s not $ 2 like the neighboring Taverna, mind, but you’re not going to be disappointed (I am very disappointed by $ 2 mimosas lbr). Their wine list is very respectable if pricey. I’ve never had a glass of wine at Trace and been like UGH WHAT IS THIS; it’s been more like «oh, this is quite nice and classy as hell.»
More review tiemz: Trace is classy af and it’s adjacent to the classiest series of bar areas including their vampire-​esque red room and the Hannibal-​esque lounge with a beautifully burning fire. It’s classy af and very inspiring if you’re an artist of any variety.
In conclusion, I’m a fan and hope you try Trace out. Tell them Liz sent you.

Good cocktails and ambiance. The food is good but still just nice hotel food and nothing remarkable. There are enough good restaurants in austin to choose eating there. I enjoy the cozy, pretty atmosphere and good music with a nice drink.

Having eaten literally thousands of breakfast spots I can say this sits among the top 5. The brisket hash was so unique and dynamic without being heavy. Definitely hit the Steak and Eggs too, after all it is Texas!

This place is the definition of sub par. Every dish we ordered was at best so-​so. The wait staff was vaguely attentive but there was nothing to write home about on the menu.

Goodness was i disappointed. Non existent service, way subpar food. Watery migas and a benedict that had zero yolk ooze. Gross. Didn’t finish food and won’t be back

I reserved a separate room for 12, for Christmas Dinner, and our experience was non other than divine!
I have to give kudos for miss RACHAEL MCALLISTER, who I guess is the
OUTLET SALES SUPERVISOR of the Restaurant Trace.
It was my job from Alexandria VA to book Christmas Dinner with friends and family, for my sister, as she was getting married two days after that in Austin, TX.
Rachael was so efficient at e-​mailing and calling back, and just overall accommodating my group.
OF COURSE THE FOOD WAS DIVINE, and our waitress was pleasant, and handled our crowd like a champ. I was also very excited to know that the Chef had also entered into CHOPPED a few days prior our arrival at the restaurant. Not only was presentation of the food picture-​esk, but each course I had, was incredibly tasty!
good to see, that others reviews feel the same!
GREAT JOB TRACE!

Just had a WONDERFUL breakfast at TRACE. Unfortunately, I will be leaving town tomorrow, but i definitely would have been back to enjoy another meal. From the host, Quinton, to the server, Trish, and the manager, Hilary, i was thoroughly impressed. I enjoyed the stumptown cold brew coffee and the most delicious steak and eggs I’ve ever had. This was very similar to a steak Benedict, but with interesting flavors in every component of the dish.
Thank you for creating such a wonderful experience for me. I will definitely be back when I return to Austin.

We had brunch New Year’s Day 2016. The food was wonderful. I had the Migas and the other three had the hash though the shrimp and grits were recommended by a friend.
Our waiter earned the fifth star. He was attentive without being pushy and smiled sincerely. I wish I could remember his name. He had sleeves of tattoo which I only admired after I was charmed by his performance.

Wow! A girlfriend and I had a «splurge» lunch at Trace today — my first time there — and the service was fabulous (our server Robert was charming, attentive, handsome and generally awesome!) and the food was divine!
In the spirit of full disclosure, I’m not a big fan of the W hotel. It’s fine, just not my preference to rub elbows with the hipsters who overrun the place…
Having said that, we had a grand time and was definitely worth the splurge — it was a real treat, from the yummy crab cakes to the steak to the sinfully delicious desserts — we enjoyed every bite and were treated like very special guests! The host/​mgr, Martin, was also a delight! I can’t say enough about the experience — I will be back!

What a way to celebrate Thanksgiving. A quiet corner table. Close family. An amazing meal which far exceeded our expectations. The limited Thanksgiving meal offered several appetizers, three mains and three desserts. I chose the Parker House Buns — 2 perfect warm sesame-​coated buns with an aioli with a kick, pickles and some of the best chopped beef. While we had to make our own sandwiches, the end result was succulent and exciting. I also got to taste the full-​flavored delicious sweet potato soup. My main course was the short ribs in an intense beef sauce with pearl onions and small potatoes. Some of the best beef in Austin. The turkey roulade that others had was also very good. Finally, my cheesecake sent me into orbit and escorted me out the door in style. Now, we need to try their regular menu but my mouth is already watering.

Plates are fussy and rather small, considering price and being billed as mains. Just be aware that when you order something like say chicken, it’ll be a few small slices neatly arranged on a little pile of veggies. So long as you know what to expect you’ll be fine, the flavors of the dishes we’ve tried have been very good.
Having said that, I’d recommend the lamb as a more filling course. Otherwise add the bread, and/​or the mac and cheese with burnt ends to fill out the meal. Half shell oysters fresh and appealingly plated. Dessert? Apple cinnamon beignets will leave you happy.
No draft beer, which always makes me sad. The by the glass wine selection is not large, but has some nice choices.
Excellent space, and if you are headed to ACL/​Moody, it could not possibly be any more convenient.
Found service to be friendly, prompt, efficient, excellent job of timing the meal so it was no stress in the short time we had before a show. Outside bar seating looks awesome.

Ugh. Overpriced. Tito’s and sodas are not supposed to break my bank, Trace! C’mon man. Look, I know you’re fancy as hell. I know that people get super dressy, visit you, and then get their grind on at the W. I know all this, but do I have to accept this? Nah, bruh. Nah.
There’s nothing like sitting at the bar and paying for a single drink and wondering «Does this include tip» when you get the bill. Seriously. That normal $ 1 per drink tip I give is not acceptable at Trace. I’ve heard their HH is pretty solid. Maybe I need to come back for that. Poor teacher out.

I came here for breakfast with friends — everyone enjoyed their meals and cleaned their plates. Overall, this place was a hit.
I ordered the waffles and my friend ordered the Trace Benedict — I tried both and the meals tasted great. The waffles definitely hit the spot.
Cool atmosphere here — the live DJ and fresh modern feel make this place an enjoyable experience.

All I have to say is that this was one of the top meals I’ve ever had.
Went on a Wednesday and there were maybe 15 people, including us. The space is open, airy with a nice lay out and very cool, modern furniture. Think Scandinavian Hipster.
Being a sucker for pork, I went for the braised pork shank. This thing is braised for hours then lightly fried with this batter that resembled onion ring batter. So. Damn. Good. It was fork tender, with pork falling off the bone. You bite into it and taste the lighlt, fried batter then the soft, perfectly seasoned to pork.
My companion had the Wagyu beef hangar steak and ordered it medium rare. Let me tell you, THIS, was amazing. The sliced steak had this salty, peppery, smoky bark and as soon as you bit into it, your eyes just opened wide in pleasure. Unfortunately, she did not think it was warm enough. Our server apologized and offered to get her a new one. She politely declined and decided to eat it (I thought it was perfect).
We ordered a couple of desserts that were just incredible: the strawberry dulcey and the grapefruit custard merengue. The consensus was that both were very good, «light» and the perfect summer post dinner indulgence.
To our surprise, for the dinner trouble with her steak, our server said the chef sent us a third dessert and complimentary proseco. Talk about taking care of your customers. Very cool.
This third dessert was the homemade ice creams and sorbets. Perfect blend of sweet and tangy. Deliciousness!!! This was definitely the best dessert of the three.
What was also impressive was our server. Professional but not uptight, really sweet and friendly. She checked on us quite often and started small conversations everytime, which was rather pleasant.
Stay classy Trace, stay clasy.

Like everyone else mixed feelings about this place. I have been numerous times over the past years and it is still the same. Trying to keep it simple below.
Pros:
Great location
Dog friendly
Dog desserts
Great service
Clean, comfortable, upscale
Some good food
Now reasonable prices
Cons:
Parking can be difficult and expensive
Some dishes don’t work
Variable crowds depending on what’s going on at Moody Theater next door
Even though prices are now reasonable the check always is more than you think.
Regardless I keep coming back. Whenever there is a problem with a dish they more than make up for it.
Dog dessert, need I say more?

I can definitely see why TRACE receives so many mixed reviews. Dining here is kind of like riding an over-​hyped, costly roller coaster… up…down…up…down…at the end you feel a slight thrill in your stomach… and then a little dizzy — after paying the high price for the less than stellar experience you just had.
Locale: Inside the downtown Austin W, the décor is swank without being cheesy. Modern, sharp lines with calming, cool color scheme. Nice.
Food philosophy: I really like TRACE’s approach and respect for food. «…cuisine with a conscience is foraged, farmed, crafted, hunted and shared utilizing the freshest, peak-​of-​the-​season local and regional ingredients, supporting sustainable, renewable and organic food and beverage products.»
Menus changed often based on what’s available, so they offer a great variety; however, I just wish they would step it up in the kitchen a bit — explanation to follow.
The service: Really great. From the reservation person, the bartender, management, and restaurant wait staff — all really friendly and accommodating.
Food and drink — HH & DINNER REVIEWS:

Happy Hour Review:
Pickle Pot for $ 5 was a big hit. Filled with handcut seasonal veggies (e.g., beets, carrots, etc.), perfectly pickled (not too sour), and served with yum bread and 2 generous chunks of white cheddar. Adorable preso, great value, and pairs perfectly with a vodka soda (Titos for $ 4.63 during HH; regularly $ 10).
Mushroom Gratin, again for 5 bucks, was even a bigger hit! Creamy, tasty gooey gorgeous skillet of molten cheese served with large crustinis to spoon all of the goodness on… oh my! Went well with local Austin Beerworks Fire Eagle (HH $ 3.70; usually still only $ 5).
*** Great happy hour! Nice ambience, really good apps on the cheap, and decent drink specials. A+!
Dinner Review: Sadly, not nearly as successful.
Apps —
«Tiger Bread»: Served with 3 infused butters. 6 bucks ($ 3 per refill). Pretty to look at; however, I fail to experience all of the enthusiasm people seem to have for the locally baked loafs. As a true carb-​o-​nator, I find Tiger Bread to be A-​OK, but nothing special [there is currently an Austinite trying to snipe me — sorry]. And frankly, the butter lacked in flavor, very mild, and could only tell a very subtle (if at all) difference between the three (and I modestly must add I have a great palette).
Sweetbreads: Large appetizer portion of creamy, well-​battered and cooked thymus glands. Just a tad salty but, nice and buttery inside as they should be. Perfect light golden brown fry. Can easily share for $ 13.00.
Scallops: 2 «diver» scallops; opaque, not over-​cooked; however, where is the SEAR? Why do so many restaurants, particularly «fine dining» establishments, have such a difficult time cooking scallops?! Frustrating and disappointing. Accompanying cotechino sausage chunks had a heavy sear, which I actually like on sausage — almost to the point of being over-​done, while providing that yummy flavor that screams carcinogens — all with a light drizzle of a lentil vinaigrette on the plate. Great potential, but huge fail on execution of the scallops and rather small serving. $ 16 price tag stung a little.
Entrées —
Belle Duck: Very uninviting presentation. The entire plate just looked «grey.» What the duck? Not what was expected. Not a nicely cooked, sliced duck breast; rather little bits throughout whatever the rest of the dish was. At $ 36 not memorable at all.
Ribeye: Brainless, right? At the time, was the most expensive entrée on the menu and when delivered to the table couldn’t help but almost gasp at the small size of the steak. VERY thin cut — like the ones you might buy in a «family pack» for about $ 8/​lb in your local market. Ordered mid-​rare; more med-​well. Flavor okay, but «where’s the beef?!»
Sides —
Yup, one of those places — a la carte —
White Cheddar Grits with worcestershire butter. More than al dente grits, super greasy, just not good. Tiny, single serve portion for $ 7 not worth it.
Desserts —
Neither my husband or I have huge sweet tooths; however, I would be remiss not to acknowledge (and admit) that TRACE has one of the most amazing pastry chefs in Austin! Chef Angel is very innovative and creates tiny sweet plates of art (she even does gluten free options if that’s your thing). Truly amazing! If TRACE were dessert only, it would certainly earn 5+ stars. Whatever you choose, you can’t go wrong!
OVERALL:
TRACE is a great place for HH eats and drinks, and then maybe dessert… just skip the dinner… for now. It has great potential in my opinion, and can only get better from here… so I hope.

Staying at the W this weekend and our package through AmEx Fine Hotels includes $ 32 per person per day for breakfast at Trace. This will more than cover breakfast here!
The staff is very attentive and wonderful.
I ordered the migas, OJ and coffee. The migas were $ 13. Coffee was pricey at $ 4. But still well within my $ 32 credit.
The migas was served in a cast iron skillet that kept the food nice and hot. My only complaint was there was too much cheese on the dish. You had to scrape off a thick layer to get to the eggs. However, the tortillas in the dish stayed nice and crispy and did not get soggy, major plus in my book!
The portion size was generous. I only ate half of my breakfast, making this a good dish if you like to share.
I hear the weekend brunch is pretty good here with an interesting Bloody Mary. I will need to check that out!

I attended the Unilocal elite event at Trace and it was amazing, so I expected no less on my return visit using that super generous gift card. I was a bit disappointed that the desserts from that evening had not made it to the main menu yet (except for the beet yogurt).
We were warmly greeted and definitely pampered. Mary took great care of us. We started with appetizers — the Tiger Bread with special butters (heavenly), Scallops, & Potato & Cheese soup. I ordered the drum and it was okay. He ordered the Paella & Onion Rings. The onion rings were superb. He liked his Paella. The drinks were good. I had the Spiced Ginger Lemonade, he ordered an Old Fashioned & Makers 46 shot. But what kind of really killed the good vibe here was that they charged $ 2 for Rocks for his shot. Seriously? I get that we’re in a drought, but $ 2 for ice is just plain crazy, just charge $ 23 for the drink and we won’t be insulted.
They comped our dessert (the amazing beet yogurt & a maple something something) which was unexpected and appreciated and even sent us home with a surprise of 3 bite size desserts that were enjoyed the next day. Overall, a very nice evening if not for the stinginess of charging $ 2 for rocks. Seriously think about that one, folks.

Fancy! Fancy! Fancy! I rarely do fancy restaurants. If I do, Trace will be on my list of fancy places to go. Started off with some Pinot Noir (Rodney Strong from Sonoma County, CA). It’s a sweet wine which is how I love my red wine. Of course I don’t mind some Malbec but I’ll drink some Pinot Noir.
For appetizer, I had the Broken Arrow Ranch Venison Tartare with Hand Cut Fries. The fries made a great compliment to the tartare. Of course I had the idea of ordering that combination while eating at another restaurant. I was hesitant on the tartare being mixed in with chopped apples. I must say the apples gave the tartare a light taste and altogether it didn’t feel heavy. If anything there was more apples than tartare in it. The fries came out good too. The didn’t need to serve it in a mason jar and a ketchup in a small dish. But then again, it is a fancy restaurant and that’s one way to fancy it up.
Next I had the Housemade Cream Agnolotti which was a pasta dish. Somewhat like cheese ravioli but really good and the cream sauce was mixed with braised oxtail. I’m glad they had the right portion for this dish as it was a heavy cream (which is not bad). I do love cream sauces on my pasta dishes but I only like it once in a blue moon.
Then for dessert it was the Chocolat Au Lait. When it came out I thought, I didn’t want to touch it because it was beautifully put together. Once I did touch it, it was really good. It had right mixture of mousse, milk chocolate almond cake, white chocolate ganache and raspberry gel.
I came here on a Monday which wasn’t too crowded. The service was great.

It semi-​fascinates me how well I get along with my ex, I don’t recall feeling that way when we were married. And since we had just successfully concluded a negotiation regarding our daughter, I generously offered to take her to dinner at Trace. I had the $ 100 Unilocal gift certificate. I’m not an idiot.
We did a Sunday evening service, and split the Easy Tiger bread, grilled kale salad, rib eye, a side of fries, and the chocolat au lait dessert. We didn’t drink, and it was more than enough food. The service was great, and the Trace ambiance is W’s typical vision of urban upscale hipster. A pleasant & enjoyable experience.
Would it have been as pleasant & enjoyable if I had paid $ 94.68 for it, in addition to my $ 25 tip? Probably not. But this was the third time I’ve formally dined at Trace, and the third chef whose menu I’ve seen. This one has been the best so far. Let’s see if there are any other changes.
I don’t have a clever ending here, so I’ll leave you with Bourdain 101 — try to book your dinner reso for a Wednesday through Saturday service, when you know the head chefs are working the line. It’s usually their personal execution that will make or break their menu. At least when you walk out, you won’t be leaving with a trace of doubt.

Thanks to this fun Unilocal event where we were kindly given a sweet and hefty gift card, I was able to treat myself and my friend to a yummy dinner. I had always wanted to give Trace a try, it just never ended up in the cards until now. I’m really glad it did and I will come back next time I’m feeling like a fancypants dinner night!
We had great service and an explanation of the menu. We went on Friday, and I was worried it would be overly busy and service could be a miss. It was perfect. Parking was a snap, although I didn’t even try the valet. Everything came out quickly, although our server said our entrees were taking awhile so they brought us a charcuterie/​fromage plate while we waited. Wow! It was delicious and I would come back just for that! I don’t ever like pâté, but I liked theirs. That says a lot to me. And the cheeses, oh my!!! The cheeses!
So, we started with the oysters, and split the watercress salad. Then I ordered the lamb vindaloo, which was the daily special. My friend ordered the striped bass. And for the grand finale we had the maple pot de crème! Oh my yum! So yum! Just so, so yum! I cannot express enough! The entrees were really excellent as well. I loved my lamb dish, but my friend’s striped bass was melt in your mouth wonderful.
And then there are the drinks! My friend had wine and loved it. I got the «Winter in Jalisco» and wow. It had mescal, a reposado, a chile liqueur, lime, and pomegranate. So much wow!
At the end of our meal the manager, Will, stopped by to thank us and we chit chatted a bit about the dinner and the Unilocal event. It was a nice touch. So, thanks Unilocal and thanks Trace! I will be back!

I was here for an event just a few weeks ago, and received a very generous gift card in which I had to redeem by a certain date so we made reservations for last night. I at first wondered if Friday was the right choice, and realized as soon as we pulled into their valet that it was indeed not.
There is a huge event going on at the W this weekend and their lot was completely full. They said we could valet at Bob’s across the street but once there they informed us it was for customers only. After we circled we finally found a public lot and somehow managed to snag one of the few remaining spaces. As we walked out we noticed they had put the Lot Full sign up. Thankfully it was a nice night and not a far walk so we didn’t mind.
Once seated, I couldn’t wait for my husband to experience their food because all the nibbles I had at the event were nothing short of amazing. He ordered an old fashioned ($ 14) and I got a glass of rosé ($ 11), and we decided to skip dessert and get two appetizers to share instead.
Even for a Friday I wouldn’t say they were slammed because we had numerous empty tables around us the whole time we were there. Our waitress was very sweet, but service was extremely slow and we were forgotten about most of the night.
They have an Easy Tiger bread basket here for $ 6 that I wanted to try since I know their bakery is a big deal around town, but it’s not everyday I get to eat at such swanky places so I went for the seared scallops instead ($ 16). We also got the selection of fromage ($ 16) which was blue cheese, a manchego style cheese, and a local buttery cheese served with toasted baguette, tart jam, and sliced dates.
The scallops were cooked to perfection, but had a little too strong of a fishy taste. We wondered if maybe they were just a teensy bit past the ‘sell by’ date. The cotechino sausage on the plate and lentils though were good. The cheese board was also disappointing. I liked both cheeses, but the blue cheese was a doozy. Strongly pungent and overpowering. The tart jam was a nice compliment but neither of us particularly care for dates. We both wished we would have gone for the bread basket instead.
My entrée was the only plate of the night that I loved and wouldn’t change a thing about. I ordered the house made cream agnolotti ($ 24) with braised oxtail, pecorino, and black pepper. Each bite made my taste buds sing! The pasta was fresh and filled with melted luscious cheese, and the oxtail was cooked beautifully and melted in my mouth with each buttery forkful. It was divine.
My husband sadly did not feel the same way. He got the striped bass ($ 29) that came with chorizo, potato, olive, and orange sabayon. They left the skin on the fish which should have been nice and crispy, but instead was soggy and the entire fish was slimy. He said it did not taste fresh and that some of the frozen filets he buys at HEB and cooks himself taste better. He also ordered a side of hand cut fries ($ 6) with herbs and sea salt which I kept seeing him eat instead of his meal.
For the prices of the food, and especially having the pleasure of tasting some of their small bites recently and being blown away, we expected so much more. I don’t know if there was a different chef last night but it felt like I was eating at a totally different place than the one I had gone to before. Even with my gift card, we spent $ 60 and didn’t feel it was worth it by any means. We could have gone to our favorite sushi place for that and eaten like kings.
I’m giving them 3 stars even though my experience was a 2, because I know they are capable of better and sadly this wasn’t a good night. Again, my entrée was lovely and I felt that alone was worth every penny. But if I had come here without my hefty gift card and was expected to pay those prices for the food I received, I would have been much more upset.

Short version: BFF and I were treated like visiting royalty last nite. The food was great and the service was stellar. We’ll be back.
Loooong, delicious x-​rated food porn version: I omit it. I ate here because I had a hefty gift card to use and BFF has been nagging me to try this place for years. He loves the W, loves fancy and swank, but *I* am Klassy with a «Kuh». Knowing that he and I can never have a bad time, I was all too happy to treat his hardworking self to dinner (yah, right, he still picked up the substantial bar tab :).
Wednesdays seem to be a great quiet evening to get to know this restaurant. We met the manager, Will, upon entering and he made a point to stop by our table to chat and check up on us. In fact, BFF and I were elbow deep in our appetizers, divine scallops and a generous cheese plate (btw, who goes to the trouble of smoking dates? WHO? Trace, that’s who), when he announced the chef wanted to provide us with an «interim course». We knew we had filling entrees coming and still about a half pound of bleu cheese to slog through, but we gamely agreed :)
That is when Chef Jen came by with a beautiful plate of «something I just whipped up for you»: seared tuna with celery curls, tiny grape slivers and CUCUMBER FOAM. It was a thing of beauty (check the pix) and after my first bite, I was willing to stab BFF in the throat for the rest of that refreshing and light foam. When I asked Chef Jen if this was to be on their new spring menu (coming end of March) she replied, «nope, I just thought it up. It gives me a chance to express myself.» To which I invited her to feel free to express herself all over our table. See? Kuhlassy :)
For entrees, BFF got the lamb vindaloo special of the nite which came on a plate with a sea of CUCUMBER FOAM. So, see? I didn’t have to stab him after all. Glad I didn’t. I got the Cassoulet, aka Pork Five Ways. A portion of pork sausage, pork chop and pork belly sitting atop beans cooked in pork juice, generously sprinkled with pork cracklings. To a Porkivore like myself, this was heaven.
Somehow we struggled through dessert as well, sharing the maple crème de pot, altho I must admit I am not much of a maple fan but the presentation was gorgeous.
At some point, Will the GM left and Ryan the nite GM came in and he made sure to check on us as well. David our server was also super attentive and Chef Jen even came out again to hear our final verdict on dinner. Is this what it’s like to be Anthony Bourdain??? dang.
I don’t know why I dragged my feet about eating here for so long. The gift card helped for sure, but I think I was intimidated by the fanciness of it. I realized last nite, I should not be intimidated, I should embrace it and live it! I could certainly get used to that kind of treatment, as we all should as customers. I have since gotten on their email list for upcoming events and look forward to checking out their «Crafts and Craft Cocktails» events. Booze and scissors and glue sound like a great combination!

The service here was FIVE STAR. Thank you Ryan for making sure we had a great experience! He was knowledgeable and enjoyed discussing the menu, and made sure that even though we weren’t in the main dining area that we were looked after.
On this visit, we tasted the happy hour menu. The pricing was very reasonable at about $ 5/​dish, and there’s an $ 11 burger which is a great pick for dinner. Drinks were also reasonable and in the $ 7 range for cocktails/​wine. Here’s the favorite picks:
«Libations» — The Spiced Ginger Lemonade was perfect for me as I like sweet cocktails and love ginger. A whole slice of ginger was garnished in this one. P enjoyed the Overcoat which had bourbon, spiced pear liquor, vermouth, maraschino and absinthe. Both cocktails were very well balanced and strong.
«Nibbles»
Happy Hour Burger — Well done and you can’t go wrong here for the value. Juicy and seasoned perfectly.
Roasted Oyster — P gave it a thumbs up and said it was «briny and smokey».
Goat Cheese and Mushrooms — Unexpectedly addicting. The bread was perfectly toasted and perfectly paired with the cheesy mushroom goodness.
Charcuterie & Fromage — Comes with a mix of cheeses, meats, and DUCK BACON!
Fried Candy Bar — Oh man. ooey goooooey chocolate and fried dough with warm dark chocolate dip. Decadent!
The atmosphere here is trendy and modern, and matches the downtown location as well as the W hotel theme. Very much enjoyed a relaxing happy hour here. Only suggestion would be for Trace to offer free valet parking for its customers — $ 7 for parking seems high for Austin.
Very much enjoyed our meal here — Thank you Trace!