Comfort Food Restaurants in Austin, TX

“My wife and I had the best experience here for my birthday lunch, I'm so glad we chose this restaurant to eat at while in town for the Austin FC match! I can't say enough about the staff and the owner Joel who went out of his way to be extremely kind to us. Not to mention the food and drinks were so good. We'll definitely be back!“

“Chicken was cooked to perfection! I ordered the half a chicken, which was too much on one. I ate the white meat, and it was moist, flavorful and seasoned. I had the dark meat portion, which reheats well, on my second day. The potatoes drizzled with the chicken dripping was delicious. So you know, fat doesn’t cause weight again, so enjoy. I don’t care. It tastes good on potatoes! 😆“

“Vic and Al’s is something truly special. From the moment you walk through the door, you’re welcomed by an energy that feels alive…warm, inviting, and full of heart. The décor, the music, the atmosphere, every detail has been so thoughtfully created, and you can feel the love behind it all. The food is absolutely fantastic…every bite bursting with flavor and creativity. The bar menu is a mixologist’s dream. The staff was incredible — genuine, attentive, and passionate about making sure everyone feels at home. You can tell the owner has poured so much heart and soul into this place, and it shines through in every moment. Vic and Al’s isn’t just a restaurant…it’s a place where memories are made. I can’t recommend it enough! One of the highlights when I go visit my son!!“

“We’ve been to The Water Trough a few times now and in aggregate it is a fun and lively place to dine at. The closest parking is the Orange Garage so the walk over is quick. Breakfast or dinner, it is a nice, clean place with a good vibe and good food. The setting at night is much better as they have live music most nights and put up the garage shutter so you can hear it from their outdoor portion as well.

On the breakfast side of things we sat quickly and service was okay. We ordered the Texas breakfast tacos and the pancakes, hash browns, and bacon a la carte. The breakfast tacos were good. We got them with brisket and the portion was huge, although we wish it came with three tortillas instead of two because it was more than we could fit into them. The eggs, cheese, and brisket all came together and despite what reads as a smaller dish, we were pretty full by it. As for the pancakes, hash browns, and bacon; all were pretty classic versions of them. The pancakes were good, thin and sweet. The hash browns were cooked well with a slight crunch and the bacon was the highlight of the three, full of flavor with a nice chew and crisp. We also ordered chocolate milk, but whatever we got was NOT chocolate milk. It was closer to a frothed drink and had cinnamon in it which was a bit strange. The waitress could clearly see we were not feeling it and she comped it on our bill which was very, very nice of her to do without asking.

The dinner here is much better than the breakfast admittedly. The live music certainly helps and the vibe with the low lighting gives it a very nice feel when dining. We had the country fried steak and LSC burger, both very good. The country fried steak was one of the better ones we’ve had here, extremely savory and the fries were good too. The burger was juicy and full of flavor as well. Beware the fries here are really home fries or cubed fries in case geometry is not your thing.

Ultimately, The Water Trough is a very good place to eat at and is probably a bit overlooked due to its location in The Domain, but between solid food and good live music scene, we don’t see why anyone wouldn’t want to stop by. We’d recommend this spot as an alternative to the hustle and bustle of the north Domain and for those preferring a more relaxed and intimate night of food and music.“

“Alright came in for the bomb chicken. Ended up with even better company and conversation! CJ doin big things in this place definitely kept a smile on my face. Oh one more thing pecan pie with the vanilla scoop on top set it off for the end.“

“Excellent! Catfish and CFS were the best we have had in Austin!“

“First time here, the oxtails and greens were delicious 😋🤤“

“I've been there twice already! It's soo good! I would recommend getting the chili oil wontons, green beans, and black and pepper udon. There are different spice levels (they don't say this) but I think default is wayyyy to spicy.
The first time I ordered the black and pepper udon, the flavor was sooo good BUT it was too spicy to enjoy 😭 second time I got it mild, and it was perfect... So good!!“

“Food was really good. Services was amazing. I forgot the servers name he was taking care table from the bar. He suggested items from the menu“

“If you haven't tried this place you are missing out... We saw them on the cooking channel last night and had to have one of their sammie's... Holy crap they did not disappoint!!!! Hands down best sandwich I've ever had in my life 💯💯💯💯 go get you some ❤️❤️❤️❤️ ##EATLOCALATX“

“Matt was our server and the service was seriously great. He greeted us right away, explained the menu really well, and gave solid recommendations. He kept checking in at the perfect times, refilled our drinks without us having to ask, and made sure everything came out correct. Food came out fast, everything was organized, and he stayed super friendly the whole time. Really good experience overall — we’ll definitely be back!“

“My BFF and I have been exploring new establishments in the East Austin area to see/ peep their atmosphere, ambiance, service and drinks/food. We both love the “down the earth” atmosphere with garage/backyard vibe. It’s definitely a “must go back again” spot for future “Working Women Wednesdays” meetups.“

“authentic and fresh!
I was craving Vietnamese food today and found this place nearby on yelp. I started with brisket Bao buns, which were sitting on a perfect smear of hoisin sauce and crisp vegetables. The buns are quite filling so I was pleased to see No Meat Pho on the menu (just broth, noodles and fixings.) the beef broth is so flavorful and was served steaming hot. I did have room for more protein so I ordered a side of chicken, which was excellent and you could taste the charcoal from the grill. Everything was very fresh. The service was very friendly and the ambience was relaxing. Very clean inside as well. I can't wait to come back and try more dishes.“

“So we went to the one off 183 and Anderson lane location. It was my daughter's 23 birthday!!! We ordered and our food was hot and fresh and the service was great. They have a new manager and she is spot on with customer service and attentive!! Will diffently go back!!!“

“Them Brussels gave me muscles. 💪🏼“

“Dinner tonight was very good. My wife has food sensitivity and can't eat numerous things. So we asked server if they would modify the meal and she said she would check. She came back with chef and wife explained what she needed changed(most everything) and she said sure. Wife said meal was great and that is not typical. Most restaurants don't do well with the unusual requests. My BBQ chicken flat bread was very good as well. The impressive part is the place had 25 customers and only the one server!

Dietary restrictions: Willing to make it the way you want it!“

“Absolutely delightful experience! Great food with prices that are a good twenty percent below the competition. They were out of Chicken Pot Pie which both my girlfriend and I had wanted. They were very gracious about it, comping a few items for us.“

“Excelent food! Very friendly“

“Excellente cuisine et le pudding chocolat un délice“

“My new favorite restaurant.“

“Great Food Home cooked meals. Deserts are unbelievably. The Man behind the Name. Is the most Genuine,Selfless, and Kindest person I have ever met. A legend. Highly Recommend“