This place happened to be just down the street from the hotel where we were staying, but it would have been worth driving across town for. We loved the combination of casual vibe and beautifully executed cuisine. In particular, the corn bread and quail were a winning combination. And our server was great: friendly and extremely helpful and patient in answering our questions about various menu items. read more

Was good, but not my most favorite dining experience in Austin. I think because most places I liked everything we ordered but there were some hit-or-miss items here. For a limited menu, everything should have stellar potential. Our favorites: We loved the grilled stuffed quail. It is a must try!!! We also enjoyed the pound cake with lemon sorbet (which they comp for a bday, so nice!) and the mochi donut. Liked: ceviche (seasoning was a bit uneven) and scallops (although could use a bit of salt) Not a fan: We did not like the kale beignets. They were dense and flavor had just one tasting note. I guess I was expecting more of a balance of flavors like other dishes. We only ate 2/6 beignets, and had the server take them away; the restaurant did the right thing and removed that item from the bill, which is much appreciated. read more

If you haven't been to the Odd Duck yet you have probably heard that it's a highly recommend spot to get some great food with amazing service. And that's EXACTLY right! The seasonal menu is ever changing with the next amazing farm to table dishes that will literally make you slow down and savor the unique and delicious flavors crafted and coursed for you to perfection by the amazing staff. If you find you can't choose just one dish don't worry! The best way to experience the Odd Duck is to choose dishes for the table and share them. Shout out to Jen who coursed our selections to perfection beginning to end! This is a place you come to stay and enjoy the company you are with. The atmosphere is welcoming, relaxed, and eclectic. The staff is very attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about their food and drinks. read more

Odd Duck - Top shelf old fashioned with Santa Teresa 1796 solera aged rum - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

Can't believe I haven't reviewed odd duck yet. Been here a number of times and have never left dissatisfied. Dinner, lunch and brunch. Just recently went for brunch and the food was spectacular. Super flavorful and unique. Highly recommend the pig ear tots, shrimp and grits, and the mushroom/cheese danish (from sour duck market). The chicken skillet was a bit lacking in flavor, outside of salt. In all honesty I think most dishes were just a tad bit oversalted. Not enough for anyone to complain or say anything but definitely prominent enough to notice. Service is fantastic and the inside/outdoor area is great as well. They only do valet but it's complementary, don't bother trying to find your own parking elsewhere. The prices are quite reasonable for the food and experience. Plates average out to 10-15 each and you should expect to get at least 2 per person. read more

After eating way too many meals in Austin over a short vacation, and trying all kinds of places from trucks to classier sit down restaurants, the dinner I had here was easily one of the most memorable and satisfying ones I had. This is one of those places where I get stressed out looking at the menu trying to figure out how I can possibly order everything I need to try between just the two of us. White people problems aside, we managed to make a good dent in the lengthy menu and thoroughly enjoyed every one of the many small plates we sampled: - Mustard Seed Tater Tots with Pimento Cheese ($6) Wow, what a way to start the meal. This was the first time I've seen square tater tots, which were incredible. They were sitting in a generous amount of the thick, rich pimento cheese dip, which made them even better, but were not even needed given how tasty the tots were on their own. - Field Pea Salad ($8) Since we ordered 3 (yes, 3) types of bread and other heavy stuff, I figured it would be a good idea to throw some salad in there. This was a great choice, as the greens, broccoli raab and beans served on top of hummus was incredibly refreshing and surprisingly flavorful. This is a great choice for a lighter item. - Bread ($5) Yeah, it's just bread, but even this was pretty delicious. That soft butter spread on too easily and was too addictive, making it quick to polish off this excellent little loaf. - Pretzel, Ham and Cheese, Mustard ($6) For our second bread course, it got even better with these piping hot pretzels, served poking out of a mason jar filled with hot, gooey cheese. The pretzels themselves were nice and oily, and even more fatty from their ham-filled interiors. If you like pretzels (and who doesn't?), these are a must. - Parker House Rolls with Pig Head ($6 for 2) This last bread dish was the best. These rolls were definitely straight out of the oven, as I have never encountered a hotter piece of food in a restaurant. Seriously, I actually had to wait a few seconds before even trying to pick it up. It was so steaming hot, and even more hot on the inside, which was filled with pig head. After you crack it open and let that steam rise and let it cool a bit, take a bite with some of that pork for one of the most delicious pieces of bread you could ever imagine. If you really must only order one bread, make it this one. - Chicken Fried Chicken Egg, Mushrooms, Hot Sauce ($9) Continuing on with the overwhelmingly rich but delicious dishes, this chicken fried egg is another must order. Start by cutting open the incredibly crispy egg to reveal the runny egg on the inside, letting it stream out over the delicious mushrooms and other garnishes in the bowl. Then go for that incredible egg while the skin is still crispy and hot and the egg is still runny. It's really rich, but so good. - Redfish, Popcorn Hominy, Ham, Radish ($15) Another really good dish, this one brought my attention to another great thing about this place, which is that it is shockingly reasonably priced for the amount and quality of food you get. This comes with a really generous slab of fish, which on its own could be double the price in many restaurants. Along with the solid, flavorful filet though, you also get a good portion of that delicious hominy and plenty of chunks of delicious ham. This is a great option for one of the larger dishes. - Black Olive Pasta, Braised Goat, Sage, Parmesan ($15) Quite appropriately, this dish was served last, as it was the best one of the meal. Again a bargain compared to some of the outrageously priced pasta dishes I've had in NY lately, this was such a satisfying dish. The pasta was really chewy and delicious, and there was such a generous amount of that succulent goat. The few pieces of crispy kale on top complemented the whole thing so well too, to the point that I couldn't help but finish this dish even though I was beyond full at this point. - Caramel Corn Cookie ($3) This simple cookie may have been the best of the desserts. It was really chewy and had a great flavor combo with the salty caramel and the sweet corn. At just $3, make sure you get this as a "side" dessert in addition to the other desserts you should try. - Bread Pudding, Malted Ice Cream, Beer Caramel ($7) This was tasty, but it wasn't amazing like the dishes in the main meal were. It was similar to many bread puddings I've had, and I couldn't taste much of a difference in the ice cream or beer caramel. I would still recommend it though if you like chocolate and want to end the meal with something sweet. - Buttermilk Pie, Peanut, Sweet Tea, Celery ($7) This was indeed an odd combination of flavors, and I couldn't quite bring myself to finish the buttermilk pie. It was ok, but not my cup of tea. Especially the sweet tea and celery. I had many great 5-star meals in Austin, but none were quite as exciting as this one. Of all the places, this is one of the few that I am sure I would return to next time I'm in Austin. read more

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If you live in Austin or are traveling to Austin, this is a must-go place!! I came to Austin for a trip, ate at different restaurants each day, this was my favorite meal. The service was fantastic, the cocktails were perfect, and the food was top notch. I came with a group and we ordered almost everything on the menu. Each dish was better than the last. The manager came to say hello and even gave us recommendations for other great restaurants in the area. I cannot say enough good things about this experience. read more

This place was a cool and friendly dinner spot in Austin. We came from out of town for the weekend and came here for dinner. They were very friendly and accommodating. The vibe is cool, pretty casual but very well designed with some cool light fixtures. They also make their own sodas which were delicious! We ordered the following: 1. Corn Bread - this was good, but it was quite cheesy so if you are not into cheese then don't get too excited about this. 2. Babaganoush - this was delicious, highly recommend. The bread was so tasty and it comes with homemade pickled veggies. Definitely would recommend. 3. Wagyu - this was also cooked really well with great potatoes on the side. The only reason I give it 4 stars is the limited menu; we basically ordered everything we could eat and the cornbread was too cheesy for me. read more

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The joint - The hubby and I went on a double date last weekend...first time at Odd Duck for all four of us. Made Odd Duck's small plates ideal and I think 4 is the perfect number of people to share several dishes with. The portions of every dish allow each person a fairly generous sample. Any more than 4 and I would suggest ordering two of things you want to try. After a short wait in the small entrance seating area (drinks served during) on a Saturday evening we were seated on the long, wide outside patio. Beautiful weather so was really nice. We were informed by the wait staff that the food at Odd Duck is a "little more rustic and portion sizes are slightly larger than Barley Swine." I haven't been to Swine yet, so I don't have anything to compare here. Perhaps you do. The Odd Duck adheres to the farm-to-table concept as much as possible, buying their products from about 3 dozen local vendors and farmers. The current menu consists of 19 small plates (think tapas, but certainly not Spanish) and two full sized entrees - which frankly, I viewed as pointless. :-/ The eats - Parker house rolls: Okay, this is one dish that, even with only four people, you should place 2 orders for. First, because there are only 2 rolls per serving. Second, because you will each want your own roll. Third, ...now that I think about it order one per person! Soft, fresh baked rolls filled with pig head goodies. My only comment would be "more stuffing please." Definitely one of my two most favorite things we ate. Yum!!! Carrots roasted in hay: I didn't taste any "hay" but I'm not a horse. A medley of purple, orange, and white carrots (no, not parsnips) cooked to perfection presented atop a bed of goat feta cheese and pistachio crumbs. I thought my husband was crazy when he ordered "carrots;" however, the feta added a nice tang and the 'stachios lent the bit of extra texture the dish needed. A-OK. Soft duck egg: Poached duck egg served over fried rice with shiitake and oyster mushrooms and pickled squash. Nothing really exciting about this dish (and I'm a sucker for undercooked eggs of all sorts). The pickled radish seemed out of place and off putting and the rice was a little too a dente. Meh. Quall fried 1/2 quall: Strange wording...half of a qual. Bone-in, be careful. Served with a cheddar biscuit and supposedly hot sauce. There was little, if any, spice and I found the cheddar roll to be underwhelming...but I did only get a very small piece because my "friends" and my husband didn't share well. Pppfftt! ;-P The quall was a little overcooked for my liking and the rather thick breading failed to adhere once cut into. Maybe this is a "for one person only" dish. Pick it up and nosh on it like fried chicken until there's nothing left except the tiny bones to pick your teeth with. I really wanted it to be better. Grits: With pickled shrimp, boudin spice, and fried pig skin. This was the shocker of the night for me! Not usually a big fan of grits, but they had me at pig skin. The. Most. Creamy. Grits...ever! Great Creole flavor with the right amount of spice. Nice little nuggets of sausage and shrimp (no overwhelming pickle flavor) and the crunchy skin sticks on top to add flavor and texture. My favorite of the meal! Trust me...try it! Grilled redfish: Blackened served over popcorn hominy, ham, and radish. Chunks of filet had tiny bones in it, slightly overcooked, tad dry, and where's the blackened flavor? No repeats on this for me thanks. Baked spaetzle: Oysters, bacon, and artichoke cream. All great things served in a small, piping hot casserole dish topped with bread crumbs to add texture to what I refer to as a homey "casserole." Very tasty, but more bacon AND oysters please. When you were lucky enough to have a bit of bacon in your bite, it just elevated the dish to a totally new level. Nothing like any other "spaetzle" I've had before...they can call it whatever they want. I'll just call it warm and comforting goodness. The drinks - The Duck has a very respectable beer selection of about 40 or so brews to choose from via tap or in bottle. They also have a good variety of signature cocktails. The Odd Duck makes their own Ginger Beer and serves it from tap. Don't pass up the chance to try their Draft Moscow Mule. They also infuse an in-house grapefruit vodka that makes the Joanne a tasty choice. Overall - Nice place. Perfect for small groups and/or date nights. Friendly, knowledgeable staff. Variety of small plates are sure to please every palate. Some are better than others, but not a major loss if a dish isn't your favorite...order a different one. And the bang for your buck?!....I outwardly gasped when we received the bill! Seriously, with all of the drinks and food for four, I absolutely expected the check to be at least twice as much as it was! Bravo! That means I'll be back! read more

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This would be a 4 star review, but it must be a 3 because of the attitude from the hostess. Came here for Brunch on Sunday, little mimosa action (who am I kidding, A Lot of mimosa action) before my day of football began. Walked in and put our name on the list, hostess was acting as if my one and only question (can we post up at the bar?) was me asking for her kidney. They had about 10 empty seats at the bar, actually empty tables all around. Put my name down, ordered two drinks while we wait, 20 minutes later, another lady comes by asking if we would like to place a drink order, fast forward to 30 minutes, grab a seat at the bar still without original drinks... other girl goes, "ill go check on them"... I'm all like, "we're good, just going to order the bottle now" Then she is all like.. "ok ill go bring those two mimosas out right away".... Woman! I said no, no means no... leave me alone to order my bottle from the efficient bartender. Bartender was super cool, and informative about the current brunch menu. Grab a bottle of champs, they have seasonal juices, get the pumpkin spice juice if you can! Ordered some grilled quail, these were tasty little treats, perfectly battered, right amount of fat.. Ordered the calzone, this actually had some fruit inside it, it was charred on the outside perfectly. I still couldn't get past whatever fruit was mixing with my cheese, spinach, and bacon..... Ordered the egg in a hole.. (skip that!) it was a piece of bread with a circle cut out of it and an egg placed inside that was overcooked. One side note, it came with some slices of duck, this duck was amazing! Maybe just see if you can get the duck and save yourself from toast on a plate for 13 bucks... I absolutely love the bar set-up here, the space is designed very well, and is about as inviting as any spot can be. Awesome music playing. All in all, I will give it another chance, but service is paramount at this type of establishment, or in Austin in general...specially for the price range. This city thrives on the service industry, no idea how the hostess can keep her job... read more

Odd Duck - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The drinks are good for a trend spot. Trendy, yes. Please eat before coming here if you're the average, hefty American-sized human with hunger. Otherwise, come here to share and nibble very lightly and for good drinks. That's all. If you're already hangry, do not enter Odd Duck. Go to Dairy Queen. This place is more to socialize with good drinks and, if you must, stare at small food portions you must share. read more

Lovely space. Good food delicious drinks . It's perfect for meeting with friends and the service is good too.

Came in for our anniversary and the food was great. The entrees were very solid but I wouldn't claim they were mind blowing. Just very very solid. The deserts were very good. Try the watermelon sorbet. It might be one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth. Service was next level. I don't think a dirty dish lasted more than two minutes. read more

Odd Duck - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The food was very good and creative. We love our grilled quail, Aged Pork Loin and Chocolate Fudge pie with a chilli hint. Great presentation too. The kale beignets are not so good read more

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So everyone knows (or at least I feel) that the new craze in Austin are the higher priced small plates. Granted, I do love the idea of small plates and family style - everyone gets a taste of everything. With cost aside...here we go - let's do this Odd Duck Sunday Brunch style. Kolache - goat cheese played a good part in this dish, jalapeño jam was a nice touch. Hushpuppies - I would order this one again next time. The color on the outside was deceiving as I was waiting for an overcooked/burnt flavor. To my surprise - perfectly fried on the outside. I was also impressed at how much I could actually taste the cheddar flavor, even in such a little bite. I would have thought the hushpuppy flavor would just overpower anything. Bloody Mary - Definitely a lot of love put into this. Tasted like fresh ingredients and not one of those pre-mixes (or if it is, they did a good job at mixing it w/ other stuff). Tad bit on the spicy side but that's how I like it. Bibb Lettuce - oysters had a good fry (came w/ 3 so each of us got an oyster). Hard to eat because I wanted oyster w/ each lettuce bite so I had to cut up the oyster into little pieces. Dressing was nicely dill flavored. Fried pie - couldn't quite tell the smoked part of the smoked chicken but it could have been because I had a little sweet apple chutney w/ each bite. Breakfast Taco - this one had fried pig ear (first time to try!!!), not too bad, there didn't seem to be too much of it so good for someone first trying it out. Nice crunch in the bites that had it but I think it would have been better w/ a little more. I think there was some pig ear not fried in it too? Tortilla looked and tasted like the yummy par baked one. Good job on the tortilla Odd Duck. Tater Tot Hash - I was hesitant to order this for the tater tot part. The tater tots are not your average tater tot - they are much better (picture enclosed). I've only had goat once - if someone ordered this w/o me knowing it was goat (and I didn't notice the reddish tint) I wouldn't have thought twice about it not being one of our typical meats we eat here in the US. The soft and gooey of the egg, the tender shredded meat, the crunch (and the soft) of the potato, and the buttery creaminess of the hollandaise all combined well to make this my fave dish of the morning. French Toast - I wasn't going to order this either until all the waiters walked by us with it in hand to go to other diners. I'm not too much for sweets in the AM but this actually was made with really moist zucchini bread. The ice cream added a good cold, tart, creaminess to it. All of the above, 3 people - fed and full. read more

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Our experience was off to a rocky start when we arrived a few minutes prior to our reservation only to be told that our reservation had somehow been cancelled an hour ago. This made no sense since I made a reservation on the website Resy, which always sent me an email for any change or cancellation. I hadn't received any notice of a cancellation and an hour ago I had been getting drinks with my friends so I suspect that it was a snafu on the restaurant's part that they didn't want to admit. As a result, we had to wait more than 30 minutes to be seated. Once we did, our experience got even weirder. Our server, though friendly enough, kept spilling water onto our table when he filled or refilled out glasses. He also never made an attempt to wipe it up until we requested it of him. At one point he spilled water onto some of our plates, and once on my phone. It was kind of funny, but also quite annoying. A few other details, including chipped plates and wobbly chairs had me concerned this place would be a bust. Luckily, Odd Duck was redeemed by their food. Everything we had was delicious, though some dishes really stood out. Sourdough bread with cultured butter: pleasant taste and good start to the meal. Redfish ceviche: really unique and delicious. The curry went so well with the fish and the server's recommendation to break up the chips and mix it in resulted in a beautiful harmony of textures and flavors! Crab pimento: didn't have any expectations for this but it was good! Head on fried shrimp: probably the most disappointing dish of the night. Thoroughly cooked so that you could eat the entire thing, crispy head and all. The shrimp was a liiiittle overcooked and there wasn't enough sauce on the bottom. Texas tom yum: never would've thought to put pork belly and shrimp in tom yum but it works! Sunny duck egg, brown rice, goat sausage: a dish filled to the brim with umami flavors and strong aromas. This was truly a decadent dish and probably my second favorite. Oven roasted quail with oyster stuffing: my FAVORITE dish of the night. Oh man, I'll be having dreams about the quail for a long time. The meat was so juicy and the stuffing beyond flavorful. If it's still on the menu when you go, get it. Wagyu bavette: It was good, but it wasn't *wagyu* good. Though I'm a huge red meat lover, I could've done without. Apple cobbler: Seriously W O W. The best apple cobbler I have had (and maybe will ever have). It was a generous portion and a perfect end to the mea. The crumble was so crispy-crumbly, the apple was perfectly spiced and the ice cream perfectly creamy. The addition of thyme was unexpected but thoroughly appreciated. So despite the questionable service and the annoying reservation screw-up, I would return the Odd Duck in a heartbeat for the amazing food. I'll be back for that apple cobbler! read more

Odd duck is what I would picture fine dining to be like in Austin- rustic and casual, with the friendliest service, and deliciously crafted food. The small plate experience is a great concept that lets you try all the different creations and leave with the perfect amount of fullness. Their cocktails and drink choices were tempting, but for this special night we brought our own wine and took the $20 corkage fee. Our choices for the night: Broccoli- mmm tasty and salty, but not overwhelming Pickled cauliflower- one of my favorites, excellently paired with the delicious duck egg salad Pappardelle- lamb sausage in this dish was mm mm good and hearty Braised goat- reminded me of tamales, but delicious ones Duck- the king of the night, living up to the restaurant name I guess Apple butter cake- a nice rich dessert For 2 people, this was definitely enough food! Would love to try the other dishes on the menu sometime. Thanks odd duck for this wonderful experience! read more

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High cuisine and phenomenal service. "New American bar and eatery" does not begin to describe the sophisticated foods that we sampled and the fabulous cocktails. When making the reservation, our family must have noted that the occasion is his birthday and my Mother's Day. The restaurant surprised all of us with a round of celebratory champagne and custom menus with Happy Birthday and Happy Mother's Day printed on top. The service was cheerful and attentive and we were also given a complimentary dessert for the occasion. However, the stars of the meal were the fantastic courses of seasonal farm-to-our-table items made with high quality local ingredients. This is NOT your everyday neighborhood eatery but a rare jewel among gemstones. ​ read more

I almost dined at the Odd Duck trailer several years ago; but opted for the adjacent Gourdoughs on South Lamar instead. We had just had a terrible meal at the once highly Yelp rated and reviewed Thai Fresh on West Mary. So, we opted for dessert instead as we barely ate any of the microwaved crap they served. Flash forward to the wife's last day at her state job; we strolled in for lunch. I'd also like to take a moment to thank OD for actually being open for lunch. Fine dining should happen when people eat instead of starting the festivities at 5PM in the bar with seating at 6PM. Not eating dinner except on occasion has helped me keep my Yelp girlish figure for many years! Small plates are cool; except you order ALL of them. We tried the soft pretzels with ham and mustard bechamel, tater tots with pimento cheese, and the house made chorizo. Yep, the Gilmore clan nearly owns this town except for those pesky folks over at McGuire Moormon. On the drank front, the margarita with melon was an excellent pick. After two, I wondered if I could even find the valet guy. Our entrees were the pork belly sammich for me and fish tacos for the wife. I would have appreciated a bit less cooked pork while the wife sent her fish back for some additional time in the fryer. These are personal preferences; I want it squishy with all the fat in the world while the wife wants everything basically dead 4 times over. Its cool that OD remade her tacos to make sure she was satisfied. Service sitting at the bar was casual and friendly. Valet service was pleasant and straight forward. How they manipulate so many cars in such a small lot is beyond my comprehension. Sad I didn't opt of Odd Duck many years ago when it was a trailer. Oh well, they seem to be doing a bit of good in my adopted neighborhood. You know, because we're not all there read more

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Very creative and fun to share many small plates. I've had lunch and dinner and both were great.

I LOVED Odd Duck, and mostly for its creativity. I came here for brunch, and it was the best decision I've made for brunch in Austin. The menu offerings are unique, and while the portions are somewhat on the small side, they were tasty and worthy of the price. These are the things I tried: + Parker house roll: with pig face, maple, mustard ($3) - great tasting, and definitely should order this, it's only big enough for one person though. RECOMMENDED + Eggplant pancake: with pork belly, jam, jerk glaze, and fried egg ($14) - I wanted to eat all of this, but I was disappointingly sharing this dish. Definitely RECOMMENDED + Chocolate zucchini bread pudding: with pipits, peaches, goat cheese ice cream ($8) - tasty, and definitely unique. Surprisingly not very sweet, but it was a good cooling finish to the meal. - Green chile waffle: with popcorn, spicy cucumber relish, smoked fish dip, and syrup ($13) - this one I didn't enjoy too much, as I felt there were too many dry ingredients here, especially with the popcorn and the thick Belgian waffles. Plus, the spice level was a little more than what I would have liked, considering there's both green chile and spicy cucumber relish. NOT RECOMMENDED I do plan on coming back to try more things, and at least for brunch, I found that the prices are reasonable. The ambience was both trendy and chill. And as a bonus, two tables away sat Pierce Brosnan, since he was in town for a filming! read more

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Very good. I spent my birthday here and I was not disappointed. The food was delicious. Every single bite was amazing. The service was incredible we had made reservations were sat down right away. The waiter explained every single food item with detail which I loved. The ambiance was great for a Monday night. read more

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The Odd Duck was full of girls in high wasted shorts, boys in trucker hats with buttoned up oxfords, and plenty of big rimed glasses. The menu items were even more interesting than the customers, the nights special: A Goat Head for $28. What a steal, because you literally got the entire goats head.. brains and all. After looking through the menu, we found a few items that were normal and ordered them with a few drinks. Some of the things we ordered included the pretzels, the sweet potatoes, and the bread. We also decided to branch out and go for the goat heart tacos. All of the food was interesting, the portions were very small (even for tapas), and everything was served on random dinnerware- which looked like it had been picked up from goodwill. I enjoyed the pretzels alot, but the sauce was spicy. The bread was by far my favorite- very crunchy on the outside and served with a great butter. The goat heart tacos were too spicy for me. The service was okay. The girl who seated us was rude, and took my coffee cup right out of my hand, shaming me for bringing it in the restaurant. She could have at least given me the option to finish it or put it away. Luckily, the waiter was much better- he was very friendly and attentive. Over all the Odd Duck is an interesting place. I appreciate that they try to use all parts of the animal and that all the food is local and the menu is seasonal. Regardless, I don't think I would visit again. read more

Odd Duck - The menu - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

About a year ago, we had dinner at the Admiral in Asheville, North Carolina. The Admiral is housed in a former milltown barroom. Now, like a bunch of US restaurants, it's an upscale-casual farm-to-table small-plates deal, but, dollar for dollar, about the best one we've encountered.. Because that meal was so great and such an absurdly good value, pretty much any meal we had during the next year that had any aspiration toward the gourmet was a disappointment by comparison: Either the food didn't measure up, or it was too friggin' expensive. Or, as was more often the case, both. The Admiral damn near ruined dining out for us. Then a few weeks ago we walked into Odd Duck in Austin, reservation in hand. I don't know if the Admiral has met its match in Odd Duck, but its Austin counterpart, following a similar dining concept, sure enough had us all googly-eyed about eating out again after we walked out. Odd Duck looks like a 1990s-era fancy "diner" from the outside, but the inside features a homey, woody, more rustic and very comfortable feel. Probably half of the restaurant's seats are arranged around a diner counter where you can watch the staff at work. Watching line cooks at various stations assembling the menu's dishes--and the plates being expedited--was quite fun. Our lead server was Erin, and she was thoroughly great at her job. Upon finding out that we were Odd Duck first-timers, she had a few food and drink suggestions for us. On the surface, this might have seemed like up-selling, but her genuinely friendly and personable demeanor indicated that she was just wanted to highlight the best the restaurant had to offer. First up, at Erin's recommendation, was the draft paloma, an on-the-money call. I'm not a huge cocktail drinker, and when I order them, I usually like 'em with brown liquor as the base. (I don't even like margaritas much.) But this paloma came with tequila blanco, grapefruit, ginger, and salt foam, and, Holy Baby Bejeebus, was it delicious. And only five bucks at Happy Hour. (Later we had a glass of wine and a beer.) Next was a carnitas taco, which was also a special: Housemade tortillas, wonderful carnitas with just a bit of sear on it, and some other ingredients I can't remember, although I think there was some griddled sweet-potato-tot in there somewhere. Also fantastic. The rest of our meal came from the regular seasonal menu: --Parker house rolls were only $1.50 at Happy Hour and had a little ball of headcheese inside. Great idea perfectly executed. --Rye toast, shrimp and avocado salad, radish, mustard seed: This was the only dish all evening that, while fine and fresh, didn't really pop. --Spiced carrots with carrot curry, beer nuts, cilantro: (Yeah, it leaned a bit Indian.) One of three carrot dishes we had in Texas in four nights. All were superb. --Grilled redfish with pork posole verde, tortilla chips, & sour cream--a beautiful and delicious plate of food that might have been just a hair too salty. --Braised goat on masa with lime mayo, peanut pipian, queso fresco: Like the best damn memelita or huarache (or whatever these masa creations might be called In a given region) I ever had. We almost never order dessert because we're usually too full and just think it won't be worth the money, anyway. Odd Duck has a great idea with its dessert menu: In addition to regular dessert portions, it offers two or three items in tiny portions at tiny prices. A dewberry sorbet and a tiny strawberry ice cream sandwich, at only $3 each, were both great, and were all we needed. Overall, just the epitome of what this farm-to-table concept should be about: Incorporating local ingredients and regional influences to create a memorable and superlative dining experience you could have only in this locality. And it set us back just a hair over a hundred bucks, drinks, tax, and tip included. That's just phenomenal. I don't write all that many five-star reviews. This one's a no-brainer. read more

Odd Duck - Front-row seat. - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

Absolutely delightful experience. Sit at the bar for vest experience. So cool to watch the happy staff work. read more

Odd Duck - Burgy - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Liked everything I ordered! My favorite was the boudin it was amazing. They're known for the cornbread and it was good but not life-changing. Did not like the flan dessert, definitely skippable. Enjoyed the short rib and the red fish was okay but also I think you only need the one entree. read more

As someone who is an avid meal sharer, this place was amazing. The smaller portions and ever-changing menu encourage you to order several things for the table--at your own risk for COVID reasons. We ordered about 5-6 different courses and they were all delicious! Our server was very helpful and knowledgeable on the sourcing of ingredients, about specific menu items, and the story of how Odd Duck came to be. It's definitely an experience! We sat outside, which is covered in a canopy of ivy. read more

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Finally, we got a reservation to come Here. Parking lot is only for valet parking. You can do street parking on W. Gibson St. Waiters and Waitresses are super nice, they explain their dishes portion and recommend how many dishes you should order. (Appetizers are small portion.) We tried almost every dishes, the food is very fresh tasty. The chef really know how to use seasoning and spice. We definitely come back again! read more

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Odd Duck has good tacos and a good price. We went twice on a 4 day vacation here. You should get at least 2 tacos

Everything about this restaurant is impeccable. Their food is delightful and if you sit at the bar, you can see the chefs prepping the dishes! The wait staff is dressed causally and will explain every dish when it's placed on the table. This happy hour is one of the best in Austin. Their seasonal draft cocktails are only $6 during happy hour and Are always AMAZING! I literally go a few times a month. Valet parking is available but I usually find street parking. Highly recommend for happy hour or a nice date night. read more

Too full and only full valet parking... went to pint house... maybe next time, menu looked interesting.

Delicious, but only if you're willing to be adventurous! I came here with a group of four on a weekday and got seated very quickly. The ambiance was very relaxed and all of the waiters/waitresses were super friendly and kept our waters filled the entire time. They were also very open about how many dishes we should order for our group and that gave us a great idea of what to order. When getting small plates, it's really hard to judge just how much you should get. We started off with their sourdough bread which came out fresh and warm with some butter. Then they brought out our order of carrots, lemon curd, dill gremolata, curry peanuts, radish with our order of seeded pretzel sticks with aerated squash queso. Both were delicious. They provided us more than enough squash queso and we loved it so much that we ordered MORE sourdough bread so we could keep dipping (though honestly, I may have had some without dipping into anything because it was just that good). After that they brought out the Pinto falafel fritters, Antelope tataki, and Grilled quail. Having never had antelope before, I was definitely intrigued by the antelope tataki. Within our group it was a bit hit or miss, but I loved it. Of everything we ordered, though, the pinto falafel fritters were my personal favorite. Finally, they ended with the Shrimp salad which came with a latke, which was definitely delicious, but by this point I was getting full! The price for what we got, with the quality of food in mind, was definitely worth it, though it is a bit on the pricier side of a casual restaurant. But again, definitely well worth it. All in all, I would recommend Odd Duck to anyone that is willing the be adventurous in what they eat and I definitely can't wait for my next trip to Austin to go back! read more

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I've been meaning to leave this review for some time, but have been putting it off because I honestly hate writing something so negative. However, the incredibly disappointing experience we had here this past September requires it. We recently moved to Austin from NYC to be closer to my parents, and decided on Odd Duck to celebrate my mom's 50th birthday based on the glowing reviews. I was very excited about the menu and my parents had had good experiences here in the past. The first round of appetizers came and my aunt bit into the cornbread only to pull out a dark black hair. She didn't say anything so as not to ruin everyone's experience, but then I took a bite of the roasted sweet potatoes, and pulled out a hair. I didn't say anything either, but when my second bite ALSO revealed a dark black hair - I let everyone at the table know, which is when my aunt alerted us to her earlier discovery. It was not only disgusting, but the fact that we found THREE was alarming. Clearly health and safety precautions were not in place. When I very nicely mentioned it to the waitress, she didn't even apologize - just listened, nodded, and walked away. The items were removed from our bill, but you'd think they'd do a little more than that after such a gross experience on our part. I mean, it was my mom's birthday and the dinner was basically ruined. The waitress didn't even mention it again when we were leaving - it seemed very rude. We won't be going back here. If they're this careless with basic health standards I can't imagine what else is going on...and their staff needs to have better etiquette in situations like this. A real apology and some sort of nice gesture would have done wonders here for our overall experience. read more

I like Odd Duck a lot. I have never tasted dishes like these anywhere else, and I would absolutely recommend any foodie, come here and try a few of them. Sourdough (from Sour Duck Market, cultured butter) - Solid Redfish ceviche*, tiger's milk, olive, squash curry, chips - Favorite Green chile crab pimento*, peach gazpacho, everything bagel seeded crackers - I enjoyed it Goat merguez sausage, eggplant, pickled peppers, cucumber, coffee, olive, aioli - Solid One piece of advice, definitely make a reservation online. The place fills up extremely quickly. read more

Odd Duck - Green chile crab pimento*, peach gazpacho, everything bagel seeded crackers - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

Our server, Robert, really set the tone for the evening. He was witty and friendly and our group had a blast interacting with him. We tried 7 different dishes and a dessert and literally every single one was delicious. Our table was in awe of the watermelon chalupa, cornbread, wagyu burger, pizza, and Thai salad. One of the best food experiences! Love love this place and thanks again Robert. read more

This place was so so good. Farm to table fresh with plenty of small plate shareable options. I went on a weekday and we were able to get a same day reservation. The porch area was perfect--brightly lit and adorable. While everything is delicious the pretzel bread and cheese curds were my most memorable and favorite dishes. Go. You won't be disappointed. read more

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I would say this place is best experienced with people who you feel comfortable sharing meals with. There's a lot of great things to choose from, and if you can split with someone, it'll make it easier to try it all! Unless you've got a mighty appetite. No judgment here! read more

Oh! So much good food, and the drinks were so smooth. I really liked my "Little Tomato" alcoholic beverage, and my friend's Cory's Coffee was good too. One star removed because I saw two different bugs while we ate, but I guess you can't control mother nature. One star replaced because the drinks really were SUPER artfully made. Our group enjoyed a price-fixed menu, so we tried a bit of everything. My favorites were the Redfish ceviche, Antelope tartar, and the Bavette steak with mushrooms. The bread was fresh and amazing, too!! read more

Great food that accommodated for a party of 15 people and AND all of our dietary needs (we had a lot). They brought all the dishes out with 5/10 min in between which made us pretty full, although the dishes are appear small. We had a 6 course brunch (including dessert) with a customized menu for $35/per person before tip and tax (came out to $48 per person with both added, excluding drinks). Our servers were very kind and explained each dish beautifully. I am so happy that we got to try this farm fresh food! read more

Odd Duck - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

This was easily one of the best places I have eaten in my life. This farm-to-table, sustainable, organic-when-possible, restaurant was the full package, and if I could have given them 6 stars I would have. Everything from the ambiance, to the service (Brandon and Zach were awesome!), to the well thought out menu was outstanding. The menu is designed so you order several small plates for your table to share. Each plate was an average of $12-$15, with the fried quail being the most expensive item at $20. Our group of three ordered 4 plates (5 was recommended for 3 people), and we left full, satisfied, and with our tastebuds happily buzzing with all of the amazing and unique flavors of our meal. Each component of each dish worked together beautifully, and enticed the palate with salty/sweet/acid/creamy/savory all at once. When the dishes came out, they were colorful and plated beautifully in an unpretentious way, yet it was shocking how good they were... from the first to the last bite it was mind blowing. The decor is farm-chic, with mason jars full of yummy pickled things lining the shelves, and cute mismatched plates you would find in your grandma's house. It feels modern, open, and fresh. I live in San Diego and will make the trip to Austin again just to eat here. read more

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Small portion, expensive food. Great and friendly services I kept smelling someone musty armpit when servers would walked by my table ... pls hygiene yourself [I understand yall busy but it take like 2mins to put some deodorant on] read more