We've been to Ember Restaurant several times now, and it never misses.This visit was for dinner,…read moreand we sat at the chef's counter- which is absolutely worth it. Watching the chefs work up close adds so much to the experience and really highlights the care and skill that goes into every dish. We started with the morita shrimp appetizer, then had the short rib special and the half chicken. Every bite was packed with flavor- the food is consistently incredible. What really sets Ember apart, though, is the service. It's consistently warm, attentive, and perfectly timed without ever feeling overbearing. Whether it's your first visit or your fifth, Ember delivers on food, experience, and hospitality. One of our go-to spots in Austin and always worth coming back to.

Most of my reviews focus on the perceived value I believe I get for the money spent. Overall, I…read morethink Ember Kitchen is certainly worth checking out, but I think I might order a little differently next time. First off - parking is convenient in the Seaholm parking garage. My understanding is that Ember will validate, but it wasn't apparent to me how that works and honestly I walked out forgetting it and having to pay the bill for parking - oh well. I came with a party of six and we were celebrating a birthday. The team at Ember was very accommodating. We were seated downstairs in their "Speakeasy" room. It's a bit dark, but cool atmosphere. There are other dining options if you prefer a bit brighter setting. We were served complimentary birthday shots! These were quite tasty - enough so that I ordered another round of those citrus based shooters. Everyone at the table ordered a cocktail. Nearly all the cocktails on the menu are going to be served in a feminine looking glass and with a flower. The cocktail menu is pretty much for the ladies. On the bright side, they have a good selection of bourbons, tequila, etc available for straight pours at a decent price. Not extensive selection, but I think a good choice - enough that I think you will find something to fit your price point and taste profile. Our waitress was top notch. Very attentive and paid close attention to the orders from our gluten sensitive guest ensuring she ordered safely. We ordered a couple small plates as appetizers for the whole table. Everyone loved the crab cake. I thought it was tasty but wasn't expecting whole kernel corn in a crab cake so that threw me off a little. Market seafood crudo - this is a fish appetizer and as the name implies changes based on availability. The night we ate was a Hamachi or Salmon option. The salmon had a bit more of a spicy sauce so we chose that. It was a hit. We also chose a tuna tartare and it was fresh, good but didn't knock our socks off. When ready for the main course - our waitress had a number of off-menu specials to tell us about and honestly many were very interesting options. In fact, we chose to split a 50oz Tomahawk steak. This was a huge steak plated on a hot platter, already sliced off the bone with some fingerling potatoes. This was honestly the most expensive part of the meal (no surprise), but also the least impressive. Now visually it was a spectacle for sure, but the meat certainly had pieces that were tough with some large pieces of fat. Now I don't mind the fat, but when sliced there were a couple pieces that were nothing but fat, other pieces still that were mostly gristle. We all agreed the seasoning was just missing, it seemed to have no seasoning at all. It was also quite charred. One of the claims to fame here is their Josper oven and clearly it can put a good char on a steak. Some in our party liked it, but I thought it was a bit much. There can be fine line between a good steak crust and a burnt crust. I thought it was a bit much, and maybe why the seasoning seemed missing. On the bright side, it was cooked correctly to order. My only problem was, for the price, this was a complete miss. We also ordered scallops and the morida shrimp. Both were excellent. These were probably worth coming back for. The morida shrimp come served in a bowl with a rich sauce that was enjoyed by the whole party. The scallops come pan seared and were cooked perfectly - which is key to enjoying a good scallop. Be aware that the typical order of scallops though comes with only two scallops - rather light even for a single individual, because these were not on the "small plates" menu, it was supposed to be a full entree. Great experience overall, but we just felt not quite worth what we had to pay for it. Overall, it was just over $150 per person. What could have saved it - for that price, the steak HAS to be on point.

I had a pretty mixed experience here. We came here on a Thursday afternoon to work for a few hours…read more- it was pretty much completely empty. Pros: -Super cute interior and welcoming outside patio with vibrant art. -Nice parking lot and heart-shaped bike stands -Good Wi-Fi Neutral: -The language barrier is pretty rough. Almost every word I said was misinterpreted - which I can't really knock a place for, but my order came out incorrect. -Not much A/C circulating inside. It's not uncomfortable per say, but your face does get sweaty inside. Cons: -The staff do have a very "can't be bothered" attitude, which doesn't actually bother me too much. Maybe they would have given more attention if I spoke Spanish, lol. -I wanted to try one of the Pandebono or Pandeyuca but they were out of both :( and most of the other pastries, as it seemed. -The chicken empañadas ($6 for 2) were pretty tasty and filling, but were swimming in a puddle of grease. Overall, this spot has potential with a few tweaks, but I'm not sure I'd come back.

Just had my SECOND visit in a row to Plaza Colombian Coffee, and I'm officially hooked. The service…read morehere is consistently amazing. Its simply warm, respectful, and genuinely personable. We tried the bean dip with plantain chips, chicken empanadas, and their lattes, and everything was absolutely delicious. You can tell the food is made with care, and the flavors are on point. It's also a fantastic spot for remote work. Great atmosphere, reliable seating, and easy parking (which is rare in Austin). Definitely one of the city's hidden gems. Highly recommend!

Ambiance: 4/5: cute restaurant, with outdoor seating. We were sat as soon as we got there…read more Restaurant is next to a main road so sitting outside can be kind of noisy sometimes. Service: 4/5: our waiter did a good job at checking on the table and taking our order on time. Nothing bad to point out. Food: 4/5: The food was better than what I expected. I ordered the stuffed chicken plate and I would order it again if I went back. The salsa that comes with the chips is a bit hot but so tasty. Definitely poured that on everything. Unfortunately, we didnt order drinks so couldn't rate my experience with that. Overall good experience

I thoroughly enjoyed my business trips to South America, particularly eating my way through…read moreColombia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and beyond. It's challenging to replicate the same experience locally, as these restaurants lack access to the fresh, local ingredients that define their unique cuisine. Casa Colombia does a good job replicating a true Colombian dining experience. Their menu is extensive with some very interesting offerings. Scanning the dining room, I noticed that their portions are huge. We started with a shrimp cocktail, an empanada, and their version of a rum - mango martini. The small option for the shrimp cocktail was bountiful and easily shared. The housemade cocktail sauce was a perfect accompaniment. The empanada was a tad dry, but their spicy salsa sauce was a great addition. Our "martini" was sweet but very satisfying on a warm afternoon. We did want to try their ceviche, but they are using tilapia as their fish. Quality Seafood is not too far away, and I'm sure that they could offer a better-tasting white fish than plain ole tilapia. We split one of their house specials, the Bandeja Paisa Tipica. This is a traditional Colombian dish, and it is a meat lover's dream served on an oversized platter. Our platter arrived with a chorizo link, beef sirloin, rice, red beans with pork, a huge fried chicharrón, an arepa, a sweet plantain, a slice of avocado (well, there's the only healthy portion), and a fried egg on top. We struggled to eat about 70% of this feast. It's going to take a few visits to the gym to work off this lunch. Dis & Dat: Parking is a breeze as they have their own parking lot. They do offer a happy hour that begins at 3 PM. A definite 4-plus star experience.

Lima Criolla Peruvian Restaurant, located in Lincoln Village on IH-35, looks very inviting from the…read moreoutside looking in. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor tables are covered with blue umbrellas to protect you from the pesky sun. So I walk into Lima with a food blank slate. I was not super hungry, but I wanted something to quench my hunger. I ordered the Aguadito soup (chicken soup with rice and cilantro) and plantains along with a Alfajores cookie (made with dulce de leche). The soup came with chicken on the bone along with fluffy rice, peas and carrots. OMG...this soup was amazing!!! It tasted like something your grandmother would prepare. I am a picky when it comes to plantain (no green, hard plantain for me). The menu stated, "golden, caramelized sweet plantain, fried to perfection). Lima had me caramelized. My ideal plantain is sweet with a crispy edges. Lima's plantains are my new favorite! Don't tell anyone, but I ate them with my hands...like a little kid. The cookie was also baked to perfection...really enjoyed my cookie. When I walked in, I was immediately escorted to a table by a friendly hostess and server. She was quiet-spoken and super nice. This was an excellent dining experience...will definitely be back...sooner than later!

Peruvian fried rice? Count me in…read more I was in the Linc for a calligraphy class and worked up an appetite. I saw this restaurant and decided to check it out. My waitress was friendly and the atmosphere was very casual. I decided to take a chance and get the Peruvian fried rice. My rice had chicken and shrimp. They gave me soy sauce and a spicy sauce. I didn't use the spicy sauce and one pack of soy sauce was enough. This rice was so good and flavorful. I wish I had more shrimp! Overall my experience was good and I could see myself going back !

The food is very good, I visited the place twice, the pupusas very delicious and the tamales too,…read morethe waiting time is average, the only bad thing is the attention or the two times I went I felt that they served me reluctantly, just for that 4 stars

These pupusas were fantastic! I got the spinach, chicken, and pork pupusas with cheese. They were…read moresuper filling. I was really hungry and ate three, but two would've been more comfortable for a meal. It was $12 for the three. The wait time for the food was about 20 minutes, which was longer than expected, and there weren't many people waiting. It was worth it though, and I still made my flight.

I was really excited about this place because the food looked so delicious in photos. The picanha…read morewas soo delicious, the steak had a somewhat smokey flavor and was super tender with a tangy chimichurri type sauce on top. The cheese empanada was super yummy, it's exactly what it sounds like, just ooey gooey melty cheese in a crispy empanada. The owner was also super friendly and kind! Overall, a very very filling meal and I'm happy I got to try this food truck!

After having this on my Must Try list for the past three years, I was finally able to try Boteco,…read moreand it did not disappoint. I ordered the Picanha Grelhada. The steak was cooked medium rare, just the way I like it. It paired perfectly with the fluffy white rice, veggies, farofa, and of course, the fried egg. It was my first time eating farofa, and I enjoyed the added texture (almost couscous-like). The staff was also incredibly friendly! The only thing to note is that the pricing has changed quite heavily. On Yelp, you'll find that many of the menu images show the Picanha Grelhada to be around $14-$16; however, the current price is around $20. Enjoyed the food, but it admittedly is a slightly steep price for the portion size. Overall, a great area with lots of seating and parking available. Would definitely recommend.

You know I don't come here too much anymore since I moved and I loved coming here but it has…read morechanged. At least the food still pretty good, but dame it took for ever to get my food and it was only us and another customer here. Another thing that upset me personally I'm a diabetic and I drink Diet Coke, they told me they no longer serve diet drink here like what. So I had my son run next door to H-E-B and buy me 2. I would give it a 2 1/2 stars not 3 based on their service today and not having Diet Coke. I just feel like I can't come here anymore if they can't even accommodate me with something as small as a Diet Coke.

I like El Sunzal very much. Salvadoran cuisine is a style of cooking and recipes which Austin…read moredoesn't really get much of. I particularly like the Salpicon and the Sopa de Mariscos.

The pupusa truck that i went to, is located off High st, in kyle. i understand there are 2…read morelocations. I didn't think i would be able to find some fresh hand made authentic pupusas. I found this place up the street from my sons house on high st in kyle texas. This was my 5th time coming here, ok maybe once a week, for a month. I only get the plato de tres pupusas. (i ask for the extra spicy sauce) made to order! deliciousness, hot, made to order...prices are reasonable, there is sitting area outside of the food truck. customer service is also good.

Nestled inside someone's yard, this food truck is slinging some damn good pupusas…read more Our pupusas were circular-ish and about the length of a dollar bill. Pretty Big! We had the bean and cheese, bistek and potato. All were great but my fave was the potato. The pupusas were crunchy on the outside and melty and creamy (from the cheese) on the inside. We had the enchiladas potosinas with discada which were fantastic. Crispy red tortillas filled with potatoes and topped with cabbage and discada meat. I mean, what is there not to love about that??? The only drawback is parking. Since the food truck sits inside someone's yard and the house is a corner house, you have to park on the narrow street. PRO TIP: watch out for the ditch!

This is a food truck on campus. Staff are friendly; knowing Spanish is helpful. If you show a…read morestudent ID, you'll get a discount. Their menu is posted on a sign outside the truck, and it seems to be a rather limited menu. Place an order at the window, then wait around a bit for them to prep your order. They are pretty quick, but with limited shade, you might be in the sun for a few minutes. I ordered a pork arepa. Came with fried plantains, cheese, avocado, beans, stewed pork, and a fork. It was pretty saucy and filling enough. Wouldn't mind grabbing a bite here every so often, although I wish they had their regular menu available.

Tasty food. We had an average experience at the Barton Creek Mall location close to the end of the…read moreday during the week. So the food service isn't consistent there. First time I went here (and the last time my wife was there) the food was fresh and perfectly constructed. Great flavors and ingredients. Would go back.