Great menu selection and authentic Italian dishes served up fresh. All pasta is made from scratch in house. The place is small and fills up quick, so plan to wait. But it's worth it. Their menu changes often, and there's something for everyone. You won't be disappointed. read more

My husband and I had dinner here this evening, and it was exceptional. My family is from Lombardy, and I am very hard to please, to say the least. We have yet to find an Italian place (with a few South Congress exceptions) where I could find no flaws, and I can honestly say we left more satisfied than anywhere else in town claiming to be Italian. The antipasti of salumi was a delight, as were the figs and breads, but the true highlight was the perfection of marrow and octopus, married with a truly al dente pasta. Not an easy pass in the restaurant world. My grandfather would be proud. We will be returning, without a doubt. Estoy perfecto! read more

Went for dinner recently with some friends and it was unique. Even in a city known for its food, this place stood out. The menu was interesting (and everything we tried delicious), but the service and atmosphere were a treat, too. Exceptional experience. I would highly recommend it. But go soon. The word is bound to get out. read more

This place is a gem. Great food by some people who care what they are doing. Unique and very good wine list. Impecable service

L'Oca d'Oro lives up to the reputation of one of the best restaurants in town. Quality and freshly cooked. Virtually everything made in house and fresh ingredients. Happy Hour available, but they limit you to just a few appetizers and 1 drink from each category. But in any case the drinks are affordable ,especially bottled wines. Half off those drinks though and tasty apps. We began with some wine off Happy Hour, brioche, mozzarella balls meatballs, and two pasta dishes. Brioche some of the best bread I've ever had. Charred edges and fresh butter/oil combo. Very big portion and honestly too much for two people. Mozzarella balls huge and cooked perfectly throughout. Great shareable dish for two and on Happy Hour menu. Meatballs had a softness to the taste and a little gamey in a good way. Terrific sauce makes this a worthy order just for dipping purposes. Only downside to meatballs is they don't serve these a la carte to add to pastas. For pastas we had the tagliatelle and spicy rigatoni. The tagliatelle came in a dark, dreary-looking onion sauce. Dish was very boring but the taste of the pasta made it worthy even so with al dente texture. The rigatoni wasn't spicy at all but still my favorite pasta of the night. Red sauce was again a terrific dipper,and salami, though not much, was some of the best quality I've had. Overall the meal came about $100 and we were stuffed and satisfied. Highly recommend making a reservation and trying the Happy Hour (bar area), but dinner in any case would be just as good. read more

I dined here for a friend's birthday and found the atmosphere to be nice. The service was somewhat slow and after we got our first round of drinks there seemed to be some confusion as to whether we got them because a different waiter tried a couple of times to deliver the same cocktails to us. We started with the Omnivore platter to share and I liked that everything was made in house. It was fresh and delicious (I'm vegetarian so didn't eat any of the meats) but the plating was somewhat messy. The accompanying bread was very good, especially the Rye. We took recommendations from the waiter on main dishes to try but two out of the three of us found our main course to be very salty (I had the Mushroom Lasagna & the other salty dish was the Carbonara). I couldn't even finish the lasagna because it was just too salty. We informed the waiter who offered to remake our dishes, but we had already been there almost 2 hours. The owner also came over to discuss the saltiness of the dishes. As a nice surprise, the waiter brought out milk & cookies dessert for my friend's birthday & those were very good. Overall, I've experienced better. I don't eat Italian food often or indulge in heavier pasta dishes except on special occasions so I was disappointed because I really wanted to enjoy this new restaurant. We added a tip on the bill, so after reading a previous review about the automatic 18% on all tables I reviewed the receipt and WHOA. Waiter got 18% + another 20% so in total, our waiter got a $50 tip for our $148 meal. read more

Beautiful decor, friendly service and good food! We live in the neighborhood and it's nice having a place we can walk to for dinner. If the prices were lower/portion sizes bigger, we'd come more often. For now, happy to make it a special occasion destination. read more

This beautiful restaurant was the perfect way to spend an evening with my family and friends. The wait staff was incredibly knowledgeable about the food, and our server was able to tell me everything on the menu that was gluten and dairy free. The kitchen also accommodated my dietary needs. I felt very taken care of and the food was incredible. Contributing to the family feel were the shareable dishes and quiet yet appealing ambiance. The lovely decor and dim lighting made me feel right at home. I would certainly highly recommend this restaurant to those who call Austin home and to visitors. read more

We had a family-style graduation dinner for 10 last week, so we had 10 or 12 different dishes. I tried all but one, and none of them disappointed. I can't remember the name of everything, but a couple of the standout dishes were the grilled focacia with honey butter, the carrots with pistachio honey butter, the carbonara was amazing! I really loved the duck breast. The desserts were just the right light, sweet touch without being heavy. The service was attentive and friendly. Just go. Mangia! read more

The ambiance was lovely, and we were really excited to try this place out since we live so close. The overall dining experience was fine, however the plates seemed small for the price and the flavors were a bit muted. I'm not the type to ever reach for salt, but I found the food under-seasoned. I appreciated the simplicity of the food. I'd go back for a cocktail or a glass of wine. read more

Rude waitress, condescending when we asked a few basic questions about items on the menu. Food was decent, but if you're going to auto add 20% gratuity, which I have no issue with, you had better make sure your staff is on point and doesn't treat customers like crap. read more

I was so excited to try this place since the town was buzzing about their opening. Our food was soggy and under seasoned - definitely not worth the $100 we spent unfortunately. /: read more

Half a chicken and a lasagna $60.00. The price is a little excessive for the portion size.

Having traveled for work and eating out "professionally" for the last 23 years, it is rare that a menu causes me to take a pause, and go "hmmm, "Now this is different." Did I just find the golden egg of restaurants in Austin? Some context is needed. I have several character defects. Most of them I am working on to rid. Others, I am proud of to a certain extent; especially around types of food. You see, I like beets! Love, love, love them. Pair them with pasta and sausage and I am in heaven. Well, I am not sure if the god of my understanding was looking for a raise, but somehow I ended up at L'Oca d'Oro. Beet cashew dip. Come on! I wanted to take a quart home but they make limited quantities. Like everything we ate, it is 100% local and fresh. This was just the beginning. I could not get enough of the amazing charcuterie. What kind of voodoo mustard was that? Unreal with the pork belly and other meats. My goodness, was I really subconsciously hogging? As everyone yakked, I pulled the large platter ever so furtively toward my side of the table. What's wrong with me? Another defect to reflect on I suppose. Anyhow, the uniqueness of the traditional pasta dishes is really what got my attention. Having grown so bored with 95% of Italian restaurants, the modern renovation on the lasagna, risotto and other meat/seafood dishes blew me away. These people are doing something very special here. Just like Charlie at the factory, I found a Golden ticket but is was laid by a Golden Goose. read more

The cucumber salad was refreshing, mozzarella was deliciously fresh, meatballs were perfectly seasoned, and the overall experience was delightful. The atmosphere was very trattoria-ish. Lots of chatter, laughter, eating, and community! read more

Went on a Friday night, made a 7:15 reservation. The place is small, so its probably a food idea to make reservations on Fridays and the weekends. They do have a big bar area though. Heard about this place in the newspaper, thought it be worth it to check it out. Me and my dining companion hardly ever eat out in the area of the new Mueller Airport development.The restaurant is nestled among condos and other commercial businesses, right next to a big park. Parking was a bit hairy, we had to park on the street and got super lucky with finding a spot. The place is loud, but not deafening. I read the reviews complaining about the poor/slow service, but that wasn't an issue for us throughout the whole meal. It did take a bit longer for the entrees to come out, but our server came by a couple times to let us know that they were gonna check on the kitchen and apologized for the delay. Not a big deal. Onto the food....the one downside to this place is the apps can get pricey depending on what you want to get. The Antipasti looked good, but you could easily spend $20 or more, and seeing another Yelp review that you have to order bread separate, I don't know if that is another full-charge just for some bread. Why these types of hip-Italian restaurants gotta be so stingy with their bread is beyond me. IT'S BREAD. So instead we got the polenta, which was rich, tasty, and satisfying. For the entrees we decided to share two pastas. The Tomato Casarecce and the mushroom Lasagne. Both were good. The portions were fair. My only minor complaint is that the Tomato Casarecce could have used some more spice, not salt, but maybe some pepper or fresh herbs. There was also not enough of the other ingredients in contrast to the amount of pasta you got. Having the Mushroom Lasagne helped though. Speaking of, the lasagna was very good. It did totally fall apart as you ate it, but that was OK. I will say though, after looking at photos of the lasagna on Yelp, I was a little disappointed that it did not have the bed of big mushrooms on top as seen in the photos. Otherwise it was very good. We did get a side for the pasta, they needed some other vegetable or something to go with it. At first I considered the fried zucchini, but then we decided to share the salad. I'm glad we got the salad because I later saw the fried zucchini, which were these large pieces of fried, almost battered looking pieces of zucchini. I don't think it would have gone well with the pasta at all. For dessert, we shared the s'mores tower, neither of us like marshmallow, but we got it anyways and it was super delicious. Th marshmallow fluff is only on the outside, and the flavor isn't too marshmallowy. It was very decadent. Overall the meal was pretty good. Would consider coming back, but it is a bit of a drive for us. The food/drinks are moderate-pricey, but typical for most new trendy/hip/gourmet restaurants in Austin these days. Just have to accept it. read more

It's a modern restaurant with great service, but we spent quite a bit of money for our dinner, ordered quite a few dishes, and at the end did not feel full. They don't provide any little treats, have to pay even for the bread. Will not go again as its hard when meal does not pull together to leave a satisfied customer at the end. read more

Such a wonderful experience with the pasta tasting menu the other night. Each dish was so creative and tasty, especially loved the fried gnocchi with the green garlic butter and the shrimp bolognese... delicious! Sitting at the counter, meeting the wait staff, chef, manager and kitchen staff made the experience all the more memorable and special. A beautiful team and vibe you have going there! A real gem. Thank you for a wonderful evening! read more

Really delicious food. I appreciate that the gratuity is included, and the service is excellent. It's a bit pricey, but worth it.

The service was good. The wine list was good and reasonably priced. The roasted carrots were ok, but nothing exciting. The green beans were raw and the dressing on them tasted as if the olive oil was old. The meatballs were seasoned too much with what seemed anise for my taste. It was a very expensive meal that didn't taste good. read more

Simply divine, service was attentive, the food all house-made and locally procured. Riffs on classics left me breathless. A definitely must-eat to believe. read more

I went to L'Oca d'Oro for Valentine's day with my wife and had their tasting menu. All food prepared was excellent and authentic. I had not had a few of the options in years and was blown away by the flavors. All good tasted fresh and unique, each dish offering different experiences. I cannot wait to go back to try their normal offering. read more

Just talked to the co-owner, restaurant will have grandopening mid-May! Excited to check place out!

The sign doesn't say their name. I can barely remember their name even after eating there. When I walked in I was hit with an overwhelming fish smell. We we're leaving a beer place next door and decided we were hungry so that's how we happened upon them. My 1st impression was bad. But hey, when I 1st met some of my closest friends I thought they were douche-bags. I can admit when I'm wrong. But the food was very delicious and unique. The staff was very knowledgeable and passionate. The make everything there, whether it's the pickled vegetable or special cordials. We'll be back. It was unique and fun. read more

My husband and I were totally wowed last night! Everything from the wine to apps to main dishes to dessert was perfection. My biggest recommendations are their pasta dishes (rigatoni and tagliatelle) and olive oil cake. On top of that, everyone was super friendly and kind to us. They have a great happy hour, too. read more

Oh. My. Gosh. What a terrible experience. Absolutely terrible. My boyfriend and I went on Valentine's Day because they had a cool little theme menu going on. First of all, the decor is lacking. There's a lot of concrete. Lots of hard surfaces. Tall ceilings. We sat at a high top and although we were literally two feet from each other, we couldn't hear each other at all. On to the meal. It was a set menu, and we got the wine pairing. Each dish was delivered so slowly, and we only received one dish. We had to eat off of the same plate. The wine pairings were subpar for a whopping $40 each. The food was not memorable. In fact, it wasn't great at all. The waiters seemed like they were told 5 minutes before opening what was going to be on the menu. I'm pretty sure at some points they just made up whatever they were delivering. And here's the kicker--the total bill was $275. I. Nearly. Fainted. We will not be going back. And will advise you, fellow diner, eat elsewhere. read more

The portions are too small, the food is overcooked with average flavors, and the service is average. But the reason you shouldn't come here is they auto-grat 20% no matter how big your party is - they tell you in very small font on the menus, and they do it in a way that guilts you into thinking it's okay by saying "state law requires us to pay everyone from this gratuity" ... remember that every other restaurant you go to has to do the same thing with a variable gratuity. This is deliberate deception to trick you into tipping over and above their included 20% and overpriced food/service. If you're in this area and want Italian, there are much better places (e.g. ASTI on Duval). read more

Really good food. I enjoyed it however I wish the layout was a little different and I wish gratuity was not already included. I ALWAYS tip at least 20% if service is good if not more​ but I do not like being (as I feel) "tricked" into double tipping. Anyways great dinner read more

Delicious! We had the mushroom lasagna (stuffed full of mushrooms! no skimping), eggplant parm with crazy delicious homemade cheese on top, two crostinis (my favorite was the one with peaches), the roasted carrots - everything was amazing. We tried the wine on tap - reisling - and it was great. The portions were large. We all brought home food, and I'm eating my leftovers right now. The olive oil cake for dessert was amazing, and I can't wait to try some of the others. So glad this great restaurant opened in Mueller! Adam, one of the owners, circulated to be sure everything was getting pulled off to his expectations. We had a great chat with him about his concept for this restaurant in a walkable community. read more

Excellent food and service. Must try the eggplant parm and the reginette. Service was quick and server was very knowledgable. Would definitely come back. read more

I had brunch on a Saturday and it was delightful. My buddy ordered the breakfast sausage and it was amazing. I ordered a burger, and I can't remember what exotic meat they added to the beef but it was delicious. There was a cheese I'd never had and it was melted on the burger and was truly the icing on the cake. I got to meet Ownership and management and they were very personable and interested in my experience. The atmosphere is light and airy and I found the whole experience delightful! Do yourself a favor and go try L'Oca d' Oro. You'll be glad you did! read more

So good! We had some bread and butter with jam and the flavors were amazing. House made cheese and fried zucchini as well, also amazing. The entrees, I could have eaten probably 3 more bowls of. The pumpkin tortellini was to die for. The atmosphere was so cute and laid back. I can't wait to go here again. read more

I had a delicious dinner there tonight. The staff was amazing! They were so attentive, knowledgeable and NICE. It made for a really pleasant evening. I look forward to good back. read more

A group of my girlfriends and I go to a new, trendy restaurant every month and L'Oca d'Oro was our choice this time. We've been doing this for about a year now and we unanimously decided that this place is our favorite! Knowing that portions are small, we ordered several different things so we could have a variety to taste. While we loved everything, our favorites were the mushroom lasagna, the roasted tomato crostini and the grilled caesar. We also enjoyed a fabulous bottle of Italian red...St. Magdalener. The only thing we didn't love were the desserts. We tried 3 and thought they were all just average. But everything else was supurb, including the service! I will definitely go back! read more

I took my wife to L'Oca for Valentine's Dinner last night, and we had a great time. There were two prix fixe options (one with a Stevie Wonder "Love" theme, and one with a Public Enemy "Hate" theme) and we tried them both. Our overall experiences very roughly mirrored the Love/Hate themes. My wife seemed to love it; while I.... I won't say I hated it, but I wouldn't go back for a prix fixe here. I had the sweet potato pancake for the first course, which wasn't very appealing to me. The shrimp dish looked better, but I avoided it due to a shellfish allergy. Second dishes were pastas: a beet pasta and a ravioli. Both were pretty good, but not amazing. The beet pasta was more interesting to me, but not outstanding. The entrees were smoked short ribs for the love menu, and a chickeny tomatoey thing with smoked mozzarella on the Hate menu. Both were very good; I preferred the ribs. We both had the red velvet cake from the Love menu. I found it rather dry and bland. We had the house red wine, which was borderline undrinkable. As I mentioned, we had a great time, in spite of the lackluster menu. It was Valentine's Day, and I was out on a date in the middle of the week with the love of my life. The service was friendly and attentive, and the food varied from so-so to very good. But for the price, which could have been used to feed ten families, it was pretty disappointing. Probably won't go back. read more

I can't speak enough about a small kitchen & smaller menu. Granted it's not the smallest menu however, for the offerings, with this size kitchen & kitchen staff, it's a menu with a nice variety. We came to the restaurant to celebrate my granddaughter's first ballet recital (she's 4). Her face was still painted as a cat & upon hearing of her recital, the staff treated her to a very special sparkling recital beverage. (Gotta love a restaurant that picks up on the little things!) We immediately ordered her a bowl of spaghetti & meatballs & then set about reading through the menu. We started with the zucchini fries & the porchetta. The fires were lightly breaded, with the texture almost as light as air, yet still retaining a slight crunch. The porchetta was platted with homemade mustard & pickles & sliced so thinly it was almost transparent; delicious taste of pork with just the right amount of fat! We enjoyed their house punch of the day while pondering another appetizer. After determining we couldn't picture how they'd plate their roasted corn & ricotta appetizer we ordered the dish. The corn was fresh, charred perfectly & removed from the cob and the ricotta added a flavorful complement we hadn't expected. We knew we wanted the Spaghetti Carbonara, yet weren't sure what other dish might best balance out the rich yolk & pecorino. The staff recommended we try the Mafaldine, which is a garlic sausage served in a style somewhat reminiscent of a ragu. The carbonara has a dark yellow hue, which is evident of the quality of yolks used & it had a rich, luxurious mouthfeel. The mafaldine was delicious; the sauce was light yet had a gentle heat which we were pleased didn't overpower the carbonara. We finished with an Olive Oil Cake & Buttermilk Panna Cotta. The olive oil cake had just the right amount of density & the panna cotta was sprinkled with a rose geranium powder that I'm off to see if can make! I'd say give this place a try, then another-we certainly will! read more

We had a wonderful dinner at L'Oca d'Oro. From the time we entered the restaurant until we left 2 hours later, we enjoyed the atmosphere, the waitstaff and most importantly, the delicious food. Along with another couple, we shared 3 appetizers; the grilled focaccia with honey butter, the meatballs with exquisite tomato sauce, and the fresh mozzarella with cauliflower. We also shared a delicious salad. The homemade pasta dish, the fish special, and the 16oz steak were well presented and very tasty. The bread as well as the cheese are homemade. Don't miss the olive oil cake as well as the sorbets. This is a very wonderful addition to the Austin restaurant scene; it's well managed and offers a very creative menu. read more

Really great food and atmosphere. Space can get super crowded in front so definitely make reservation if you don't want to wait. Really interesting combinations and flavors. Watermelon salad is a must it was delicious :) read more

L'Oca d'Oro - Yummy smores dessert - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

Edit: The manager got in touch with us and fixed the issue with billing the chicken. We're looking forward to going back because this place has a lot of promise and it's clear now that the staff really cares. Original: My wife and I ordered the chicken al mattone and the pumpkin ravioli. The chicken came cut into sections, and I didn't realize until I ate the first of three sections that it was raw (or very undercooked, pink without stringiness) in the middle and near the wing. I cut out the raw middle parts and didn't eat the wing. We let our waitress know the next time my wife saw her and showed her the raw parts and she said she would let the chef know and offered us a free desert. Unfortunately we didn't have time for desert and she apologized and just charged us for the full meal (although I couldn't eat my full meal). We were seated at the bar so we could see and hear the grill guy making our chicken. He kept getting asked if the chicken was ready and he tried his best to give an accurate time estimate, but his grill was not hot enough which he admitted to a coworker later as he spent time "tending to this fire" once our chicken was off and told another worker that he "finally got a hot fire going". I think the grill fire just wasn't hot enough and they rushed the chicken out before it was done. The pumpkin ravioli were good, but they were not that filling and my wife and I left hungry because we couldn't split the rest of the chicken. They're definitely trying hard, and I appreciate what they're going for, but this was not a great experience. Side note- they automatically include a gratuity added to your bill, so even if you were not happy with your experience your stuck with it. read more

This place was nice! There is a good wine list but not many choices by the glass so be prepared to buy the bottle. I loved the meaballs. The polenta was tasty. Next time I will order the mushroom lasagna. The roasted carrots are off the charts delicious. For dessert, we ordered S'mores Tartufo and Bomboloni and the Bomboloni was my favorite. We sat in the Prima Room, which is perfect for a group of 8-10 people. I will definitely return to this new addition to the Mueller Community! read more