My husband and I booked the Desert Door for our New Year's Eve wedding and we are so glad that we…read moredid. Jessica, the event coordinator, was amazing to work with and she was extremely helpful throughout the whole process. The space has an amazing chic desert vibe plus the drinks are delicious. The staff the night of our party went above and beyond to make sure everyone enjoyed their night. We are so thankful we decided to book this space and we HIGHLY recommend them to anyone looking for an unforgettable experience.

I was so calm about my wedding until today. They canceled our reservation a month into our wedding…read more Do not book here. Now we're stressed looking for some place else

Let my start by saying not all of the photos for Thurman's mansion are truly this event space…read more This is the building with the large front lawn and large columns. It has a semi large ballroom that would easily house 125. The floors are a nice terra-cotta tile and this space has large windows. On the right hand side there are a few windows with stained glass. Check the photo I posted they are very lovely. At the very end of the room is a distinctive wooden bar. The wood is stained dark and it has an aged look to it. There are double doors that lead to the 1st floor patio. This area is a very nice space for cocktails, I would date say you could get 50 to 75 people out there. Beyond the patio are red brick stairs that lead to the large lawn. The large lawn is where you can play lawn games and or hold a ceremony. I will be honest you can hear some of the traffic on the main road. I am sure that would be less noticeable if soft music was playing.the next thing I noticed about this place is that the upstairs are dedicated to the wedding party. There is a suite for the bride and the groom both with their own bathroom. There is also an elevator and a sitting area outside of the suites where a quick meal might be had. All and all I think this is a cute venue. It's an attractive property and all the chartering is handled by Salt Lick.

Hand me a parasol, lace up my corset and find me a Mr. Darcy--this place was from another time!!…read more *contented sigh, I was fortunate enough to be invited to a wedding held out at Thurman's Mansion this past weekend. What a beautiful venue!! I had never even heard of it until I got the invitation. Thurman's Mansion is part of the Salt Lick Family--located just East of the Salt Lick on 1826. Gorgeous iron gates pique the curiousity of drivers and beckon guests in. The venue is a large mansion overlooking well manicured grounds and vineyards. The view of the mansion from the back is just breathtaking. A huge porch covers the back of the building--dramatic pillars hold up a second story balcony. Wide steps lead up from the grounds to the back doors of the reception hallf/main room. I saw the mansion on two different days in two very different ways--Friday afternoon for the rehearsal, I saw it set up for an outdoor wedding. The sun shining down, bride practicing her walk from the sweeping steps of the mansion down to the corner of the lawn where the trellace waited, people lining the stone walls around the perimeter of the lawn watching the practice. I felt like I stepped into a Jane Austen movie--my friend had planned a glorious outdoor wedding on the grounds. Much to her dismay, God and the torrential downpours decided that it would be better to have the ceremony indoors. Rather than ceremony outside and reception inside, both ceremony and reception were inside. The staff had set up about 40 chairs where the dance floor would have been. Double doors were open at the back of the small seating area allowing the pitter-pattering of the rain outside as the background music while they exchanged vows. The reception was a seated dinner for about 150 guests. Salt lick does catering--very fun to have the family style dinner Texas Style w/ cobbler as dessert. A nice alternative to the traditional wedding scene. The porch was a great place for conversation and mingling--they had the bar and some hors d'eouvres set up out there while the guests waited for pictures to be taken. The rain let up for exactly an hour--enough time for outdoor pictures! I honestly think that my friend got the best of both worlds...a unique, beautiful, romantic and intimate indoor wedding ceremony complete with rain and tears. Then outdoor pictures overlooking the vineyards with the mist hovering over the land. I swear I could hear Mr. Darcy beckoning to me while I watched from the porch... My hat goes off to you, Thurman's Mansion. You successfully transported me to another time. Bravo.

I'm awarding 5 stars for our two recent visits. But, there's a point I'd like to make. Yes, this is…read morea dining destination and prices are commensurate with the experience. For most pasta dishes, I'd hit Mandola's in Austin. Save about $10 an entree and some gas money. A few weeks ago I didn't want to venture too far off the ranch. Wife and I ended up at Lisina on Saturday. Calamari to start was crisp and not chewy. Caesar salad followed and was a nice example of the dish. Lisina is also a little skimpy on offering bread refills. We finished with drinks and the panna cotta. Just over $100 for this experience. WELL, the next day I needed to take mom out for her anniversary. Dad has long passed but I always try to do something special. Sunday highlights forthcoming. This time with mom and Rooster along we started with the carpaccio. The presentation really wowed because it looks like red plate until you realize all that color is shaved tenderloin. White plate underneath! The greens, parmesan, and aioli was one of the best I've had. Mom went for the gnocchi; Rooster goes for the Mezzaluna ravioli. This is now Rooster's fave restaurant. I went back to the appetizers section and selected the crab cake. Zero complaints on these dishes. Don't forget mom's wine. Gelato and cake to finish the meal. I think I've dined here once since my 2009 review. Yup, steak pics still accounted for on Yelp. Trattoria Lisina is still going strong in Driftwood. Expect $$$$, this meal was almost $300. Good food ain't cheap folks.

We love this place for a special occasion dinner. But, recently the food just didn't seem to live…read moreup to the hype or price. The ribeye was so dry and tough. Cooked to a medium rare you would think it would juicy and tender. What a disappointment.

My daughter's wedding was there this summer and the staff was very professional and accommodating…read moreand they truly led us through the day with no hitches. In the months leading up to the wedding, they were very responsive to questions and knowledgeable about the area and had great suggestions for caterers and other services. It's a beautiful venue, and the dining room/dance floor is the central highlight of the venue - spacious and easy to maneuver and still able to accommodate a wedding party of 150+ people. Great venue, but what truly makes it special was the kind and professional staff who helped everyone have one of the most memorable days of our lives.

I fell in love with this venue online, and our first time at the venue I fell in love even more!!…read moreThis venue is so unique and stunning. It's not your typical looking venue at all and that's what caught my eye and that's what I loved the most. This venue is beautiful in every single way, we had our ceremony outdoor and the reception inside. Everyone was blown away!! The venue needs minimal decorations because of the interior design throughout the whole venue. The reception area is stunning with the most beautiful chandeliers and the most amazing natural light shining through. We were obsessed with the big tables and how they really didn't need any table cloths. We absolutely loved our big day and got so many compliments for the beautiful venue we chose. We will forever recommend this venue!!

My family and I went to Vista Brewing for dinner. We drove there, parked, and walked in. There are…read moreplenty of places to park. It's a very spacious indoor and outdoor restaurant with lots of seating and places to explore. As we walked in I noticed that it's very bright with a lot of windows. You order at the counter. When we walked up to the counter the menu was on the bar top. We looked at the menu and placed our order with the man working behind the counter. He was really cool and answered our questions. After ordering he gave us a number and told us to seat ourselves. After figuring out where we wanted to sit we went to the water station and grabbed some water. We looked around inside at the decor and talked while we waited for our order. We started with two sharables and each ordered the burgers of our choice. Unfortunately when they started bringing out our food they made an error in how it was made. We told them, the took the wrong order back, and after awhile they brought us everything and apologized for the error. Our sharables were the Grilled Chimichurri Avacado which comes with a half avocado, corn, and tortilla chips, and the Hummus Board which comes with hummus, veggies, and pitas. Both of these sharables were tasty in different ways. The Grilled Chimichurri Avacado was delicious. You could taste all of the delicious flavors and the tortilla chips were strong enough to hold a mix of the ingredients. The Hummus Board was also very tasty. The Hummus was garlic flavored and the veggies were fresh and crisp. The pitas were warm and soft. For my main dish I ordered the Driftwood Cheeseburger. It comes with a beef patty, bacon jam, onions, pickles, sauce, and cheese. I opted for no cheese. The burger meat was really good. You could taste the Smokey flavor from the grill on the meat. The bacon jam was sweet but not overly sweet and gave the burger a sweet and savory flavor. The pickles added texture to the burger. It was a really good burger. I ordered my burger with a side of kettle chips which were nice and crispy. Overall it was a great place to visit. The service was good, the atmosphere was spacious, nice and bright, and the food was fresh and delicious.

Vista Brewing has quickly become one of our absolute favorite breweries in the Hill Country -- and…read morefor good reason! Every visit has been incredible, from the food and service to the beautiful setting that somehow feels both laid-back and elevated at the same time. The property is massive, with indoor and outdoor seating that gives you all the elevated Hill Country vibes. You can walk around and see their chicken coop and bee hives, which they actually use for ingredients in their food and beer (how cool is that?!). Everything here ties back to their focus on regenerative farming and sustainability, and it truly shows in every bite and sip. Even the meat they use is raised up the street from them and has fed off the grains from their beer! They serve up not just great beer -- which has won awards -- but also wine, cider and NA options, making it a great spot for everyone. It's also super kid-friendly, with a kid scape area that keeps the little ones entertained while you enjoy a drink or meal. Speaking of meals... the food is next level! We've tried several dishes, and everything has been phenomenal. The fish and chips were some of the best we've had anywhere -- perfectly flaky with a thick, crunchy batter. The Wagyu burger was out of this world -- juicy, smoky, and cooked over a live fire. Everything down to the pickled veggies and sauces is made from scratch, and you can taste that attention to detail. They often have live music, daily specials, and friendly staff who always go out of their way to make sure you're taken care of. Everyone we've encountered has been welcoming, knowledgeable, and clearly proud to be part of such a thoughtful, local operation. Vista Brewing is the kind of place that perfectly balances craft, community, and cuisine -- and it's 100% worth the drive every single time!

This is such a beautiful, intimate venue. The GPS is a little off on the address, but just keep…read moredriving on the left dirt road to the end. There is lots of parking but wear good walking shoes because the lot is gravel. Once you're in the venue it's dirt, and the dance floor has flooring. There are beautiful trees everywhere and it's lit up really nicely for the evening.

This venue made us feel like we stepped into our very own fairy tale. Full of rustic charm and…read morebeautiful flowers, the Bluebonnet Barn was everything we could have hoped for and more. This place was the first and only venue we toured, and meeting Janet really sealed the deal for us! Her attention to detail as well as her obvious love for this venue were very apparent and her thoughtful suggestions helped us to craft our perfect day! The exhaustive rental list included everything you could ever want, and the luxury Walk-Away package was worth every penny!

We canceled our wedding at Thurman Mansion/Salt Lick's sister venue Pecan Grove because the photo…read morethey sent us were not representative of the actual venue. The classy stone walkway is covered by a wooden deck, the natural interior is pained over grey and white, those big clear windows are actually warped, synthetic material, and the ceremony site is on top of a swamp with a drainage pipe less than 15 yards away. To top it all off, we specifically asked if the venue was close to any highways that would disrupt a ceremony with noise. Their coordinator Carson assured us that it was not, but when we arrived we saw that the venue and ceremony site is less than 60 yards from a major roadway. Who wants to say "I do" with cars and trucks whizzing by at 55mph every few seconds? We live in California now, but my fiance went to college in the Austin area and has been to the Salt Lick many times so we had no reason not to trust the photos. On their website, their brochure, and even extra photos we requested by email--everything looked beautiful so we booked sight unseen about 13 months out. We visited a month later and canceled as soon as we saw the venue. It wasn't even close to the photos they sent. The worst part was the way we were treated after this. Salt Lick refused to admit any wrongdoing or refund our deposit (which is a whopping 15% of our budget), even though we canceled 12 months before the date. Surely they will be able to re-book, especially since our date was a holiday. After emailing or calling the Salt Lick nearly every day for a month, we were finally able to negotiate a refund of half of our deposit. That's still a sizable portion of our budget that we will not have for our wedding all because The Salt Lick mislead us into a contract that severely limited our rights. We couldn't be more displeased with the way we were treated by the Salt Lick employees, specifically Maile, Carson, and Analisa. We would not recommend this venue to anyone.

Everything was perfect. We got married on 9/30/18…read more I will say if you plan on getting married anywhere in Austin, this is the place. It was very affordable, AND the food was amazing. Salt Lick is a staple in Austin. All the staff was helpful. The site coordinator (Rachel Agin) was amazing and always very responsive. I was nervous about everything and we had plan A-G and she walked me through it all. I saw another review who was unhappy on the way it looks, but I will say it depends on when you go and how you decorate it. When we visited in December/January... in the winter... there was no greenery... because it was the winter... We were very simple with our decorations (mason jar flowers with 3 votives around the table as centerpieces and a table runner down the middle - that's it) and it was amazing. The chandeliers and lighting were perfect, and I didn't need to be extra. Externally I felt like a princess walking towards the arch and my goodness it was amazing. We just had flowers on the arch and I have seen some people leave it bare (your choice) I think it is beautiful either way. My guests RAVED about the food and ate SO MUCH. They couldn't stop talking about how perfect my wedding was with the location, the food, and everything else. I've gotten comments like "This is probably the prettiest wedding I have been to" and "I went back for 3rds". I will say none of this would have been possible without the incredible staff. They were very patient with us, and there were a few things that I was going to get charged extra for, but they didn't. They didn't rush us out, and made sure we were comfortable and told us to leave whenever we were ready to. So, it was a hectic night but we got to enjoy every moment of it. Here is a link to my wedding video, I am not shy to share it because it was amazingly beautiful. https://vimeo.com/293017813/description I will also post some pictures as well.

Wild Bunches provided beautiful floral arrangements for my wedding day. They were very professional…read moreand easy to communicate with when creating my floral proposal, and they were fantastic on the day of my wedding. I can't recommend them enough for weddings or any other event.

We chose Wild Bunches as our wedding florist and are so happy we did! It was especially easy to…read morework with them because we got married at Memory Lane Event Center, and they are onsite. They helped us make our vision a reality while staying in our budget. The Wild Bunches team created gorgeous arrangements that looked beautiful even the next day. We got a ton of compliments from guests and the flowers turned out better than I could have imagined. Even if you don't know a lot about flowers, they can help you make selections based on your colors and wedding vibe. You can definitely trust this team to create the perfect florals for your event. I would highly recommend them to anyone!

In two months and 10 days my daughter will be marrying her beloved. Carrie and John have been so…read moreaccommodating for all of our questions, and more questions in preparation of the wedding. They make you feel like you're at home on the ranch. It's a beautiful open area with a gorgeous iron pavilion, beautiful bridal trailer and warm groomsmen quarters. Can't wait for the upcoming 2mos and 10 days!

From the owner: Ranch + garden wedding venue west of Austin, TXread more

My fiancé and I chose Hillside Cabin as our honeymoon spot and were so excited! The reviews on trip…read moreadvisor were glowing so we couldn't wait to get there. We made it here late Friday night after our wedding and were appalled at the conditions. While cute and quaint, the cabin is filthy. There is dirt and dust everywhere. Mouse droppings were under the sink and random old food was in the refrigerator. The bathroom looked amazing and after a day of heavy makeup and big hair, it looked welcoming... Until I took another look. There was a bar of soap on the shower that once I looked at, realized it was used. It was covered in lower regional body hair. Then I looked at the glass shower door and saw water spots all over it like it had been used and not cleaned. My husband commented he felt he needed shower shoes to use it. We decided we were just ready to go to bed (which is located in a cool, yet dangerous loft). When we pulled back the covers, more dust, seriously thread-bare sheets and more hair and dirt. If it had not been 1am, we would have left. It was like the cabin wasn't cleaned after the last guest. We are planning on left the next morning... We could not sleep in this place another night. Such a shame! We were so looking forward to being there for our honeymoon, but now we don't get a honeymoon since we only had this weekend and now no place to stay. Thank you Hillside Cabin for thoroughly ruining our wedding night and honeymoon. I hope you go back to being a great place for ppl to stay bc your place has the potential for being a perfect honeymoon hideaway. Unfortunately, for us, that's not the case. Good luck to you. Ps on a side note, the owner is extremely nice and took our concerns to heart. We wish her well.

I occasionally go to Hillside for relaxation and a little down time. I have also gone with my…read moregirlfriend. The place is really great to me. There is plenty of privacy and it is very romantic. I read the last review and it just doesn't describe my experiences there. The family is awesome and the cabin itself is one of my favorite places to stay. - Rob