This class was absolutely amazing! I never knew how much went into making sourdough bread and now that I do I see how they can justify charging what they charge. But hopefully after learning from Alex, I will be able to make this on my own. This was a great collaboration with The Velvet Hen and VanBrocklin's Bistro. We learned the entire process beginning to end on how to make sourdough and the different folds and techniques to get the proper size crumb. We got to go home with our own jar of the families 244 year old sourdough starter named Petunia, and learned how to feed her and care for her. We got to bake a loaf there and learned why it's so important to wait 2 hours before cutting into it. I am desperately looking forward to more classes in the future, this was a great experience! read more

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The bottled beer was good and the people were nice. The French Kiss (a signature drink) tasted like bad cranberry juice & vodka, the prime rib my husband ordered was an unseasoned thin choice steak at my best, the raspberry chipotle sauce was awful, salmon dry and unseasoned, with a mound of unseasoned white rice, and vegetables that came out of a steamed bag, the truffle fries were just okay at best & came without sauce, the music was two men that couldn't sing but could play the guitar sufficiently. The only resemblance to the pictures with other reviews was the interior & patio. The tab was a $100. read more

High priced for a average food (after-hours Highlander food) and owner/management with shitty attitude. Will not return or don't recommend this place. Go to TrailBlazers, El Charro, Mama's Home Cookin'... where the food is better. The live music was great though!! Don't leave a bad review on the Bristo's Facebook page, it will get deleted. Don't talk to her about your check, she will be rude and snobby to you!!! read more

This place may be unassuming from the outside, but don't let that fool you! I had the some of the best salmon and the best sauce to go with it! The Raspberry Salmon was amazing! The couple that own are it lovely people, and the service, food, and drink are all on point! This is a great small-town gem! read more

VanBrocklin's Bistro - Lovely park just outside - New American Near Me - Burnet, Texas

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It was a mixed bag for me. There were some quite good things, and other details that weren't so good. One pitfall I hope this place doesn't fall into is becoming a bar focused on drink revenue that also serves food. I've seen so many places fail because of that. The food has to be consistently great, or customers who may provide the beverage revenue will stop coming. Focusing on the food, there were high and low points. We ordered a Chicken, Strawberry and Walnut salad. The chicken should be grilled when the salad is made. It didn't taste fresh. The greens were not greatly fresh. The charcuterie board was pricey, but pretty good. The sauce for the cheese was very good. The other low point was the menu. I had difficulty finding anything appealing to eat. I don't suggest a larger menu. But among the selection should be some mainstream items.I am generally cynical of strange menu items that in some people's view are creative, but more often than not, are not that well executed. More important than just about anything else is fresh ingredients, freshly made. read more

Sparse bar options, a bartender who seemed out of her depth in terms of making any cocktail outside of the basics. Food was pretty average, the item was nothing like described on the menu and missing items. Everything seemed a bit disorganized and the interior felt like they grabbed leftover furniture off a Going Out Of Business sale, including the wobbly table that almost collapsed twice during our meal. read more

Awesome happy hour!!! Food was hot; delicious, and great portions. Our server was kind and knowledgeable. Tucked in the back of building, this was a fun spot! Highly recommend!! read more

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Food was pretty good but not fine dining good. The pricing is good considering the large amount of food that you get. The featured amenities for this establishment on Yelp need to be modified. The staff does not wear mask. Most importantly, THEY DO NOT TAKE CREDIT CARDS. We were told that they only take cash or checks by our waitress as we were sitting down. No ATM machine. read more

The BEST time for my birthday! Excellent food, drinks, waiter, ambiance and the management went WAY above AND beyond to make my night extra special! Highly recommended!!! read more

VanBrocklin's Bistro - Great friends, Great time! - New American Near Me - Burnet, Texas

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Absolutely the worst meal ever. From the service to the decor to the food there was nothing good at all. My wife had a grilled chicken sandwich that was literally freezer burned and 1/8 of an inch thick. My ribeye was flavorless and badly under cooked it was like one of those cheap steaks you get from the guys soliciting door to door. Add to all of that the 'Bates motel' vibe of the property and it was the home run of worst experiences ever. It has potential but not as its being run. Sad. read more

VanBrocklin's Bistro - Chicken jerky? Inedible. - New American Near Me - Burnet, Texas

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We've given this place a try 3 times, and on the 3rd visit we left without ordering. Each time the service was HORRIBLE! Some of the food items we received were really good but others were not worth the wait or the headache. It seems as if the emphasis is more on a bar atmosphere - bands and the bar - and food and service are not as important to them. The last time when we left without ordering is because they were out of several items we wanted to order and we had waited forever just to find this out. read more

Just visited for the first time. Super nice ambience and nice staff. Good for. Small outing on a Friday evening. Menu looks great, but we already ate prior to our visit. Everyone around us were enjoying steaks and typical American fare. Our drinks weee freshly made and delicious. Super refreshing after one heck of a hot day. read more

VanBrocklin's Bistro in Burnet: So, it's ... ummm ... interesting. It is western meets Italian meets spartan. We were told it is "casual fine dining" by someone who lives in Burnet. We were "hungry" so we thought we'd try it as we didn't want to drive into Austin or back up towards home (45 minute drive) before eating. The appetizer (Baked Brie with a mango chutney) was ... good however, it was too sweet. Presentation lacking in that it was in a bowl with sliced wedges of bread that were just thrown on the plate. We ordered a medium Ribeye for entree. Husband liked it. I did not. Too much fat throughout. He did agree on that. I got 3 bites that were actually tender near the center. If it had been consistent throughout, it would have been better and I would have added a star. Husband had 2 bites that were tender, yet still liked the steak over all. The presentation was lacking as I stated above with the appetizer (I guess there, they have consistency!), minimalist would be a better description. It was served with a few pieces of broccoli and cooked carrots covered in a maple glaze. I was glad we decided to split the steak because it was a large slab (24 oz) of ribeye and I didn't eat much of it ... mostly because of the amount of fat all over it. Husband ate the rest of my portion. He likes the chewy fat on steaks. The ribeye was their "special" and they bragged it was $2 less than the normal "price" whooopie. We just wanted a good steak. on the cut we were served. By the way, the appetizer was brought to the table literally 20 seconds before the entrée and we did not have plates or silverware--had to ask for it. Waitress also said quite loud, "Here's your EXTRA PLATE!" Here's the thing, we weren't being cheap, we just weren't going to order two very large steaks and end up not eating it. Waitress when initially asking what we would like to drink, I asked for the wine list. She said "We ain't got one." She then asked what kind of wine I liked: "dark" or "light". I replied I like reds. She brought a bottle of "Bogle" wine (see photo description). I asked if they had a bottle opened already that I could sample. She brought some and stated the owner said she would open a new bottle. It was ... meh/okay ... it wasn't bad. I asked for a glass since the waitress was not knowledgeable at all about the other wines or willing to answer regarding what other wines they had. ... "I don't drink wine so I don't know" was her answer. She brought a VERY LARGE glass that was filled more than half-way. Husband commented: "Bang for your buck!" I kept thinking WHY so much wine? It was my guess it was about 18-20 oz. We had realized without a wine list, we didn't know how much the glass of wine was. Oh well. I wanted a glass of wine. I decided to look up the brand of wine and was amazed that it was a very cheap bottle: $9.97. When we got the check, we were charged $10.50 for the glass of wine. Please see the photo price. I called the waitress back and asked her what was the price charged for the wine because the receipt we received did not state what each item was. She said "$10.50" and showed me HER ticket written (picture). I immediately explained that was overcharging as the wine bottle is not even worth $10.00, and there is no way I would pay that much for THAT glass of wine. Might as well bring me the bottle. Waitress asked how I knew the price of the bottle of wine, so I opened up the cost of the bottle of wine on my phone. Waitress said that is what the owner said to charge. I said that was unacceptable. She actually asked what I would pay for the glass of wine and I commented (I was a bit irritated at that point) "I would pay maybe $2, however, I wouldn't complain if I was charge $5 because God Bless America, you have to make a profit! However, I refuse to pay $10.50 for a glass of wine that I can purchase myself for less than that of the bottle." She said she would not argue that. She came back with a new ticket that charged us $6 for that glass of wine. Will I ever eat there again? I seriously doubt it. The outdoor seating would have been better, I think, but there was a large wedding party out there. Waitress stated we could take the price out of her tip. There is NO WAY I would do that. We made sure she had a hefty tip despite the fact we waited for quite a while before she came to take our order and we were served without plates for the appetizers and no silverware. We had to ask for plates for the appetizers and for the silverware. If this is what "casual fine dining" is about, I'll pass. Nice view outside though. They "booth" tables were very clean, but reminded us of a diner type setting. I completely forgot to check yelp reviews because it was recommended by a resident of Burnet, should have checked anyway. ‍ read more

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Just found out about this place. The bartender Alyx was amazing and so attentive. The patio and lighting was so inviting and fun, especially with the live music. Honestly, just really great and fun. Wasn't expecting it, but we will definitely be back. read more

Van Brocklin's Bistro is the LOVELY Bar/ Bistro BEHIND the Highlander! The menu is full of delights, and the bar is easily the best-stocked in Burnet. The staff is ever friendly and on weekends (and occasionally otherwise) there's excellent live music from a revolving door of wonderful local talent. The menu is am amazing and eclectic mix of the familiar and the exotic -- and all tastes amazing! The drinks are imaginative and generous (my favorite combination!). Finally, the deck is spacious and comfortable, with a delightful view of Hamilton Creek Park If you've not yet tried Van Brocklin's, you've missed a true "Local Gem". In Burnet -- "It Don't Get Much Better Than This!" read more

Really liked this place. Kind of place that makes Texas Hill Country what it is. Great vibe, cocktails, etc.... read more

I've been coming here since they opened and this place is easily the best restaurant to eat at in the Hill Country. The staff is always so welcoming and make you feel like family. The bartenders Alyxandra and Danny are always in the best mood and quick with their delicious cocktails. The steak is the best I've ever had and their live music is great entertainment! read more

I understand that reasonable minds will differ, but I don't understand the lengthy attempts to be a Gordon Ramsey wannabe. This place is wonderful! We've had a weekend home in this area for about 5 years now and have tried virtually every restaurant in the area. This is hands down the best meal that we have enjoyed in the Burnet/Kingsland area. We shared a spinach salad with feta, chicken breast, pecans, juicy strawberries, etc and tossed with a sweet onion vinaigrette. Delicious! Then shared a black truffle ziti with large slices of chicken and slathered with a creamy Parmesan sauce. Would have loved to try dessert, but had absolutely no room. Service was friendly and prompt. Thrilled to find this little bistro and look forward to returning, again and again. read more

We enjoyed our meal here. I had the shrimp scampi which was great. My husband had the surf and turf special; the ribeye was delicious. The calamari was heavily breaded but perfectly cooked and tossed in a delicious Thai chili sauce. Top shelf margarita was good, too. The service was good, and we enjoyed the view of the park. There was a country singer performing & he was really great. We are glad to have found it! read more

We discovered this little gem of a restaurant last year, and it is now someplace we go to a couple of times a month. The service is always friendly, the food and cocktails are good, and there's usually live music on Fridays and Saturdays. Our favorites are the street tacos, and the ginger-sesame salmon, but we've also had great fried fish and shrimp scampi. The portions are generous and the Mexican martini is a favorite! Not really "fine dining", but it's a nice local place that we enjoy. read more

VanBrocklin's is a great family owned place that is a staple of Burnet. Their food is excellent, the Salmon is amazing, but I have yet to order a dish that isn't amazing. My personal favorite is the steak. They are great people with amazing food. I would definitely recommend! read more

This place is pretty darn good! Oyster shooters, really good (ours were missing the salted rim like picture in previous posts), Painkiller drinks were really GOOD! I had Tex-Mex shrimp cocktail-looked different than pictured but good!, and hubby had Garlic lamb pitas (overcooked/meh). Overall a good meal. read more

I honestly never leave bad reviews as any business can have an "off" day but we just left VanBrocklin's Bistro and will definitely not be back. I would not recommend anyone eat there! Maybe it could be a fun local place for drinks but that is about it. The food is questionable - at best. We were the only diners - the other patrons were enjoying adult beverages and playing pool. We ordered wings, truffled fries, and shrimp street tacos. The wings were a nice size, cooked all the way through and had good taste - except they were completely cold by the time they got to the table. The truffled fries were soggy and cold. The shrimp street tacos were disgusting! There was so much crema poured over the top of each taco that it pooled all over the bottom of the plate. That was the least of the problems... the crema tasted spoiled and the shrimp were cold and also didn't taste right. Needless to say - we didn't eat them. When the server asked if there was a problem we explained our concerns. She was polite and apologized. She then told (who appeared to be) the manager, who was sitting at the bar. The woman never came over to speak with us and just stayed at the bar. Instead, the server just brought out the full bill. We really had high hopes for this place but will definitely not be back and will be discouraging family and friends from trying it. I can honestly say that this was among the worst restaurant experiences I have ever had. read more

Some of the food that we ordered was good but I got food poisoning from the chicken strawberry tomato salad. I tried to call them but they don't answer their phone. I hope nobody else got poisoned but I'll never know. We tried to order two orders of ribs but they only had 1 serving left and it was only 5:30pm so I'm assuming they were never going to have any. Some of the food we got was good. The brussels sprouts were very good. The restaurant was like they had forgotten about it. Dirty entrance...yuck! You would think they could sweep. read more

The food is always amazing. The drinks are always on point. One of my favorite spots to go to the owner and daughter are always very welcoming and great people. If y'all are in town go check them out! read more

Great place to relax and hang out with friends or family. Good drinks and food. Friendly staff. They have a really nice outside area and a nice view. They also have a nice bar and indoor area. read more

Great atmosphere! Took so long to get our appetizers we left to eat a main course elsewhere. Friendly service but inattentive.

Messed up bills. Didn't charge our friends but charged us after almost an hour trying to get bills straight. Automatic 18% gratuity. Slow service. Will not go again. read more

I am a repeat customer here, I come every week and the food/service is on point. I live in Austin but this is my go to place to relax, have good food and listen to local bands read more

VanBrocklin's Bistro - New American Near Me - Burnet, Texas

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Great Resturant with excellent food. The drinks are definitely the best! Highly recommend it. Very nice atmosphere!

This was the worst experience I've ever had in a bar or restaurant. My method of payment was taken and they refused to return it back to me. I never received my drinks and was still charged full price for them. I was also assaulted by the owner, bartender, and another employee. The owner and bartenders were highly intoxicated and very unprofessional. Overall, terrible experience and I will never go back. read more

My extended family and I have been Highlander Restaurant customers for decades, mostly for the buffet that we have all enjoyed but we've ordered off the memo as well. It's always been good wholesome American food reasonably priced and we never complained. I've been aware that the owners, the Van Brocklins, opened a Bistro in the rear of the Highlander and that it really got Hammered by the pandemic. They are fully operational now and I decided Saturday to give it a try. They have a full bar, the service was fine, they had a duo of live music, they could both sing and the gal did a reminiscent rendering of Harper Valley PTA that I really enjoyed and my wife would have too. I'm a steak and potatoes kind of guy and I knew their steaks were good as I had ordered one a couple of times in the Highlander. So I went for the big Ribeye and I'm really glad I did, it was over an inch thick, well marbled, done to medium rare perfection and there was barely room on a large plate for the mashed potatoes and broccoli. The steak could not have suited me better, I know some steak lovers want no marbling or fat at all but that's not me, I want it tender and juicy and don't cut off all the best parts. I'm a big guy and I can eat but I took home half of the steak and it was a full meal the next day. I'm not a wine expert so I took the waitress's recommendation for the white house wine, it wasn't too dry, I like just a bit of sweetness and I'll order the same wine next time. I had a double glass and it was just right. This is not a $15 meal. I don't know what I paid as I wanted a fine meal and I paid what is necessary to get one in Burnet That are many on social media critical of food in Burnet, mostly they are just not willing to pay for a fine meal. To them I say put your money where your mouth is and support the Van Brocklin Bistro. They are doing a good job, providing excellent food and drinks for us and deserve our support. read more

Love the "hometown" atmosphere. I loved the live - "old country" music and just felt very comfortable. My old soul felt right at home. And the margaritas are fantastic. read more

Great Brie with peach chutney!! Fabulous steak and garlic mash potatoes!! Always great atmosphere with tunes playing in the back!!! Love this place!! read more

I have been in Burnet for a year and its nice to finally have a classy bar restaurant where the people are super friendly and the food is terrific. I would highly recommend if your live are visit the Burnet area. read more

Great food, and service. We were going to go to Salt grass for a steak but came here instead. The steak was much better then Saltgrass. We will definitely be back. Don't miss out visiting this gem. The Atmosphere is awesome. Compliments to the chef. read more

Wonderful staff. Friendly and attentive! We ate outside with a beautiful view of the Riverwalk. We had the lamb burger and it was out of this world! read more

Nice views but food was lacking in any flavor other than the oil it was cooked in. Staff was overworked and doesn't wear masks or if they have one, it's around their neck. read more