We had a 9pm Rez and showed up at 8:30. We explained we were early and they found us a table…read moreupstairs, which was just as cool as downstairs. The cocktails - we had 3. The painkiller was my favorite, three dots and a dash was a close second, and the mai tai was strong, yet still good. Service was attentive and had good recommendations.

I'm going to attempt to make this review as constructive as possible. As a chef, I found the…read morequality of the food to be less than stellar. I'll dive deeper into that momentarily. I was genuinely excited to check this spot out and left severely underwhelmed. The good? Well, our server was attentive and nice. 10/10. The drinks were pretty on point for a tiki bar. The ambiance is primo, and it's genuinely a great place for a date to have drinks. The bad? The food was very lackluster. We ordered the following: Snow Crab Musubi: I honestly don't understand how you mess this up. The menu claims it comes with kewpie mayo (my favorite) and chives, but the quenelle of crab that was put on top of the rice was bone dry, falling apart, didn't appear to have any chives, and was served with a haggard lemon wedge. There was zero fat to coat the tongue, and it legitimately tasted like unseasoned crab with sushi rice that didn't even have a hint of acidity to it. As someone who takes pride in his work as a chef, at the $14 price point, this sort of rubbed me the wrong way. As a matter of fact, it felt borderline pretentious. This is coming from a guy whose mentor was the R&D chef of the best restaurant in the entire world. And no, I'm not being hyperbolic. I simply take pride in my work. This restaurant group actually has an R&D kitchen, and the best thing they can muster up is this half-baked dish? Do a light cold smoke on the crab, make a nice Knorr-based soy mayo for some umami, and top that f*cker with something to brighten it up. Preferably something that has synergy with... I don't know, Hawaiian BBQ. I felt like I was eating a lackluster Asian version of a Crab Louie Salad. It was absolutely bonkers. Slingin Shrimp: This honestly wasn't that bad, but the presentation and portion size could use a little love. The shrimp submarine makes it a bit awkward to eat. Butterfly the shrimp. It will sit nicely on top of the rice and give it more appeal. As mentioned before, the sushi rice had zero acidity to it and simply not well seasoned. Li'l Octo Karaage: It tasted great, but the guys in the kitchen need to know how to cook squid. It was far too chewy, which is unpleasant. This is a quality issue that could easily be remedied. I will also say the fryer oil appeared a little old because the fry itself had a fairly dark appearance. The drinks and ambiance were the only highlights. It has really cool decor and a cozy vibe to it. If you're looking to get a couple of nice drinks after dining out or you're pregaming? This is a solid spot. If you're looking to impress a date or a friend from out of town? That's going to be a nope from me, dawg. Admittedly, that crab musubi just irked me. So boring. No love. Just unfiltered nonsense that only the uninitiated would be impressed by. I actually applied to work at their R&D spot a few years back, and from the looks of it, they could use a guy like me. Again, I was very excited to finally dine at this spot. Their ramen establishments tend to be fairly on point. Their dashis are great. No idea what's going on at their tiki spot.

Excellent rooftop bar ambiance! Great drinks limited good…read moremenu. Good place to hangout.

Really enjoyed this rooftop bar at the top of Marriott. It's totally open, but they have space…read moreheaters. The decor and the views are nice. Lots of space, comfy couches, and a good drink menu with some small plates as well. Our servers were also friendly and prompt. Great times, Highly recommend.

Here Nor There is a cool, intimate speakeasy that makes you feel like you've stepped into another…read moreworld through its storybook-style menu and delicious cocktails. The entrance is tucked away in a gated alley, and you'll need a reservation to receive the gate code. As soon as we walked in, we were welcomed with complimentary prosecco. Every drink we tried was fantastic, and you can tell the bartenders put a lot of care and creativity into each cocktail. I highly recommend the Milk & Honey and the Wildflower Highball. Toward the end of our visit, the staff surprised me with a complimentary Desert Water for my birthday. It was such a thoughtful gesture and made my night even more memorable!

Here Nor There is one of the best speakeasies in Austin, hands down…read more The drinks are always incredible--thoughtfully crafted and consistently good. The ambiance is moody and intimate, with music that makes the whole experience feel elevated. Definitely a go-to for a great night.

Fabulous! My friend…read moreTiffany told me about Anthem on Rainy Street. Neither of us had been, and also it's been years since we've been on Rainy Street. So we thought we would make a whole night of it. Tiffany did make reservations for us for 7pm and even though this is a bar hopping neighborhood, even at 7pm it was pretty busy. Streets were full of people. Anthem had a vibe. I felt the energy as soon as I waked in. The cozy booths with the U shaped seating with plush green velvet fabric. Wait staff wore Hawaiian shirts. Sitting up behind me on a ledge was the Easter Island statue. Insert (Night At The Museum) here, dumb dumb give me gum gum. Anthem was our first stop tonight. Just drinks and a dinner. I ordered the Peach Fuzzy drink. Not too sweet, refreshing, peachy, and beautiful garnish of a flower. I ordered the Yummy Fries which looked like a salad. Gorgeous presentation. Fries were actually waffle sweet potatoes. Pickled ginger, sesame seeds, furikake, aïoli and a few other wonderful ingredients. Could not get over how beautiful everything looked. Presentation outstanding. Service delightful. Had a wonderful time at Anthem. We both did use the ladies rooms before leaving. Inside the bathroom there is a sign about safety and if you need assistants. I did take a picture of it. On our way out, Brian the manager, said good night to us and waved. We later saw Brian at another place. And I'll write about that in my review for that place as well. Brian, you're Doll, thank you for your hospitality.

The Pacific Islander decor is cool and the vibe is fun. Asian fusion dishes are solid. Sunday happy…read morehour is worth it. Only downside is the place gets packed and service slows down. Still a great spot for drinks and small plates.

Fun rooftop bar. They had very yummy slushy drinks and a fun atmosphere…read more The entrance is up the stairs next to the Beez Kneez

A large work group showed up on Wednesday night. I can't remember the servers name, but it was her…read morebirthday. She was quick, easy to order from, and handled the group and other groups like a pro. Great drinks, great vibe, fun music. No complaints. Highly recommend, it's not easy to manage an unannounced walk in of 20 or so people.

One of my favorite bars in Austin. Some people might see it as a little divey, but that's honestly…read morepart of the charm. The atmosphere is always friendly, relaxed, and easy to settle into whether you're there for a quick drink or hanging out for the night. The drinks are consistently great, and they also have really solid weekday food specials. The sliders and tots are definitely the go-to items on the menu and always hit the spot after a few drinks. One thing I especially appreciate is how much effort they put into the themed décor during Christmas and Halloween. It really adds personality to the space and makes coming back during the holidays feel fun and memorable every year. Just an overall great neighborhood bar with good vibes and a lot of character.

I realize I haven't updated this review since relocating to Austin two years ago. As you may have…read morenoted from my previous review, I'd come here twice a year when visiting from the east coast. One of my stipulations for relocation was to be within walking distance of my beloved Nickel City. Guess what? I am! Less than a five-minute walk. I love this place so much. It's not always about drinking. In fact, quite often I'll do mocktails, water, or soda. It's about community and friendship. The vibe at NC can't fully be expressed in words. It has to be experienced. The staff treat locals and tourists like friends. And, if you're lucky enough, you actually become friends. They're like a family. Same can be said about patrons, whether regulars, sometimers, or tourists, everyone feels the love. Everyone just gets it! They have some of the best cocktails around. The frozen Irish coffee is incredible. Espresso martinis on tap? Yes, please! And if you want the best bar/comfort food ever then order from their food truck, Delray Cafe. Crinkle cut fries A+ Smashburgers A+ Hot Dogs A+ Grilled Cheese A+ Pizza Logs A+ Tater Tots A+ Everything on the menu A+ Be sure to give the gang in the kitchen (food truck) some love! They're putting out the real deal. Oh and let's not forget Steak Night! Much love to my fave neighbor, Nickel City!

Hey it's a bard They are very friendly…read more And pool... Did you know pool was free during the week. Just not on weekends Enjoyable Cheap beer during hangry hour

Asked for a Manhattan not sweet. We'll it was sweet. When I complained they said prebatched. We'll…read morefuck you shit hipster scum, why did you not state that. Pos

If you are a whiskey drinker, you will find a fine collection of bottles here…read more Or rather - you will find a very very fine collection of scotches here. There are some highly interesting bourbons as well. The selection of ryes is thin. If you read Whiskey Advocate (which I have been known to do), the rye curating will give you no thrills. The selection of Irish is thin as well - but no blame on that point. The population of upscale Irishes is just not that large, once you pass some over-rated cliches like Redbreast. * * * Seven Grand however is not an abstract name. That is how much you will pay in order to drink here. The prices for two ounces of many of those beverages will make the eyes pop out of your head sideways and go running out the front door. In more than a few cases, two drinks here will cost you close to what you would pay for a full bottle purchased at a liquor store. Now to be sure - bar drinking is expensive. That kind of percentage markup is not unheard of in the industry. But when you move up the price range for the raw material, The absolute amount of money you are overpaying to have that drink goes up astronomically. I will pay big for a peak experience I will remember for the rest of my life. (See my review of Craft Omakase.) I will not pay big for a random experiment with a bottle that could be wonderful and could be overrated. It is more economical to just buy the bottle. If the experiment works, I get a free month of legendary drinking. To my mind, bottle testing at Seven Grand just doesn't make sense.

Met up with a friend for happy hour. Upon entering, I was immediately greeted by the bartender,…read moreKyle. He told me about the happy hour specials and also informed me that it was free pool night (on Mondays). I'm not a huge fan of whiskey, but I've found that whiskey bars tend to have amazing craft cocktails. I browsed the HH menu and noticed a Whiskey Sour. I actually like a Clarified Whiskey Sour and was curious to see how it compared. The Whiskey Sour wasn't bad, but it wasn't as good as the Clarified Sour that I've had at Reserve 101 in Houston. Kyle told me they're working on some clarified cocktails. I also ordered a Boulevardier (which isn't on the HH menu). Kyle admitted that he had never made one. He quickly looked up the ingredients and made one for me and it wasn't bad! I've only had this cocktail one other time before so I didn't have much to compare it to, but I did enjoy it. They have a small cigar menu. Cigars can be smoked outside on the patio (which is shared with Las Perlas and Caña Rum Bar). I liked the laid back feel between the pool tables and the rustic decor (it felt like I was in a lodge). Though I'm not a big whiskey drinker, I did enjoy the cocktails as well as the ambiance.