When this place first opened in 2021, it was refreshing to find a gastropub offering more than just burgers and pizzas, moreover one capable of creating dishes appealing simultaneously to a casual and to a more refined palate. Well, okay, burgers have been on the menu, but recently "hand tossed" pizzas have been added too. Ad nauseum and whoop-dee-doo. I'm guessing that the less adventurous diners are outnumbering sophisticated diners. In spite of trending towards the pizza-and-burger joint category, Oasthouse still offers a number of other items that aren't so ubiquitous.Before I continue, allow me to beg any Oasthouse execs who might be reading this to PLEASE BRING BACK THE SAUSAGE CACCIATORE AND THE SHISHITO PEPPERS!!! The cacciatore had a wonderfully balanced smoky tomato flavor, while the shishito peppers perfectly complemented any beer or cocktail. Also, it might be nice to find a higher proportion of vegetables with each plate. Too often the amount of veggies is so dainty that it seems pointless to have included them at all.As for entrees, the chicken schnitzel and pork & spatzel are probably the most notable. More places should serve spatzel; not only is it tasty but the texture makes it fun to eat. The battered crust of the fish & chips is phenomenal and better than any I've had in Texas. The ocean trout is an excellent healthier option and usually well prepared (except for one time when it was so horribly over-salted that my dining partner sent it back. But that was an isolated experience and very long ago). The meatloaf sounds like a meat and potatoes kind of meal until you realize that the Potato Famine might still be ongoing. I literally went home and ate cereal to stave off hunger afterward. The broccoli orecchiette contains 70% pasta, 29% cream sauce, and 1% broccoli, making your pasta more of a cream sauce delivery system; the amount of broccoli is tragic.I would add that many of the portions tend to be slightly scant (like a lot of Austin restaurants these days) and likely to leave a big appetite unsatiated. Presentation is the compensation you get for empty space on a plate. The appetizers are all flavorful mini-adventures, sometimes containing thoughtful spicing profiles that distract you from the rest of the world while you savor each bite. The German style meatballs or white bean hummus both have interesting flavor. There is always a decent selection of local beers on draft, quality cocktails and wines. The main dining room and bar have just enough televised sports to draw attention away from your dining partner's anecdotes about their workday. Curiously, though, on more than one occasion I have wondered why these televisions keep airing recaps of NFL games that happened 40+ years ago, rather than perhaps showing a current MLB game (especially during the playoffs, for heaven's sake) or any UT sporting event.To summarize: the food is for the most part delicious and a step up from typical fare. Portions tend to be barely adequate. Don't bother getting the meatloaf or orecchiette pasta. Shishito peppers need to stay on the menu. More veggies need to be served. Baseball is a great sport.Now to complain about my steak salad experience last night. The steak itself was fine, perfectly cooked and tasty. Niblets of Nueske's bacon were a welcome addition, since Science has demonstrated it to be the best bacon on the planet. The lettuce was supposed to be grilled, but only the extreme tips showed any signs of heat exposure; both halves of the lettuce were pathetically uncharred and entirely raw. Altogether the salad was unpleasantly dry. I doubt that more than a teaspoon of dressing appeared on the dish. When checked upon my partner responded that we were fine, while I did not respond with my mouthful of DRY lettuce, then I overheard the disrespectful Gen Z waitress say "O-k-a-y" to herself as she walked away. I should have spoken up or reduced my tip, but they hover over you while you wield the card reader. I won'
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Fish & Chips, Chicken Schnitzel, Shishito Peppers
Thomas Smith
Great fish and chips. The margaritas were great too! Servers were very nice and quick even with a packed house.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish & Chips
CurtV
Thought this place was just okay. Positives: Food was pretty good. Trout was quite good. Noise level was very nice (quiet) because not to many customers there. Negatives: Funny smell in restaurant...seems like the place needs a very good cleaning. Traditional salad was mediocre because it was small even though we ordered Large.
Joseph B
This is what leaves the kitchen on a takeout order - dog food steak
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Stan Sears
Everything we attempted to order was "No longer on the menu. We're redoing our menu"! The food we finally got wasn't that good and over priced!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 4
Charlie Plimpton
The food was excellent. We had the carnitas poutine, fish and chips, and pimento burger.
The main entrance is pushed around to the side, so you come in by the restrooms...and unfortunately the restrooms were giving off a strong odor...so the first impression was less than stellar. the interior of the restaurant was very nice, the menu seemed to be well thought out with the items available, as we were there for sunday brunch. ordered the corned beef hash, and it was out. so ordered the eggs benedict, and they were very average. overall, not impressed - but it has potential with some improvements.
Tiffani
Service was a little bit slow as it took over 15 minutes to get water after asking for 2 minutes to decide on a drink but water to start would be appreciated. The tables across from us had a different server, seated way after us, and had drinks on the table within minutes of being seated. The food is always excellent at Oasthouse. Unfortunately, my steak came out dull and room temperature. It clearly had been sitting for too long while waiting for my husband's pork dish to be ready. Our server was extra busy (I assume) as she didn't check in very often. Once we finally saw her, we let her know that my meal was cool to the touch. She admitted that she noticed it had been sitting for awhile before she brought it over. Manager came over and made things better with vouchers for our next two visits. The refired entree was much much warmer. We will be back since the mistake was handled well, and we understand these things happen when it's busy.
John Deboer
Great food and nice draft beer selection. Waitress was really good. Nice outdoor playground area for the kiddos.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: House Pretzel, Mama's Meatloaf
Danika Schmidt
Expensive for what it is, but the staff was incredible. We had excellent service! I wouldn’t recommend for someone who doesn’t like noisy restaurants. We went on a week night, like Tuesday or Wednesday, and it was super loud even with lower demand.
Great Shepherd's pie and cocktails. Relaxed atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pecan Porter Shepherd's Pie
MistyM
Came for brunch on a Sunday, enjoyed carafes of mimosas for the group. The food was great, I had the eggs in purgatory which was delicious, though the eggs were overdone for my liking. Our bartender/server Anthony (I think this was his name) was fantastic!
ChristopherL
The food was all overly salted and I like salt a lot but that was too much. They opened the patio even though it was 36 degrees outside so basically it was cold the entire time inside from them not putting the heaters on outside at all. Extremely loud environment not a good place to be intimate with dining .
SarahV
The waiter took long at times , not as attentive as the other waiters. Also some of the food was cold. Took it back , came back with fresh food and it was cold yet again. Overall I give a 5 out of 10.
Kim Kutner
This place is very decent and, super bonus, it has a playground and outside space. For those of us with kids it literally makes the difference between going out or not, so thank you to the owner for going the distance. The dinner food is really solid and they are one of the few places in the area that does mussels. Service is good, and nice atmosphere. The schnitzel is recommended!
When this place first opened in 2021, it was refreshing to find a gastropub offering more than just burgers and pizzas, moreover one capable of creating dishes appealing simultaneously to a casual and to a more refined palate. Well, okay, burgers have been on the menu, but recently "hand tossed" pizzas have been added too. Ad nauseum and whoop-dee-doo. I'm guessing that the less adventurous diners are outnumbering sophisticated diners. In spite of trending towards the pizza-and-burger joint category, Oasthouse still offers a number of other items that aren't so ubiquitous.Before I continue, allow me to beg any Oasthouse execs who might be reading this to PLEASE BRING BACK THE SAUSAGE CACCIATORE AND THE SHISHITO PEPPERS!!! The cacciatore had a wonderfully balanced smoky tomato flavor, while the shishito peppers perfectly complemented any beer or cocktail. Also, it might be nice to find a higher proportion of vegetables with each plate. Too often the amount of veggies is so dainty that it seems pointless to have included them at all.As for entrees, the chicken schnitzel and pork & spatzel are probably the most notable. More places should serve spatzel; not only is it tasty but the texture makes it fun to eat. The battered crust of the fish & chips is phenomenal and better than any I've had in Texas. The ocean trout is an excellent healthier option and usually well prepared (except for one time when it was so horribly over-salted that my dining partner sent it back. But that was an isolated experience and very long ago). The meatloaf sounds like a meat and potatoes kind of meal until you realize that the Potato Famine might still be ongoing. I literally went home and ate cereal to stave off hunger afterward. The broccoli orecchiette contains 70% pasta, 29% cream sauce, and 1% broccoli, making your pasta more of a cream sauce delivery system; the amount of broccoli is tragic.I would add that many of the portions tend to be slightly scant (like a lot of Austin restaurants these days) and likely to leave a big appetite unsatiated. Presentation is the compensation you get for empty space on a plate. The appetizers are all flavorful mini-adventures, sometimes containing thoughtful spicing profiles that distract you from the rest of the world while you savor each bite. The German style meatballs or white bean hummus both have interesting flavor. There is always a decent selection of local beers on draft, quality cocktails and wines. The main dining room and bar have just enough televised sports to draw attention away from your dining partner's anecdotes about their workday. Curiously, though, on more than one occasion I have wondered why these televisions keep airing recaps of NFL games that happened 40+ years ago, rather than perhaps showing a current MLB game (especially during the playoffs, for heaven's sake) or any UT sporting event.To summarize: the food is for the most part delicious and a step up from typical fare. Portions tend to be barely adequate. Don't bother getting the meatloaf or orecchiette pasta. Shishito peppers need to stay on the menu. More veggies need to be served. Baseball is a great sport.Now to complain about my steak salad experience last night. The steak itself was fine, perfectly cooked and tasty. Niblets of Nueske's bacon were a welcome addition, since Science has demonstrated it to be the best bacon on the planet. The lettuce was supposed to be grilled, but only the extreme tips showed any signs of heat exposure; both halves of the lettuce were pathetically uncharred and entirely raw. Altogether the salad was unpleasantly dry. I doubt that more than a teaspoon of dressing appeared on the dish. When checked upon my partner responded that we were fine, while I did not respond with my mouthful of DRY lettuce, then I overheard the disrespectful Gen Z waitress say "O-k-a-y" to herself as she walked away. I should have spoken up or reduced my tip, but they hover over you while you wield the card reader. I won'
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Fish & Chips, Chicken Schnitzel, Shishito Peppers
Great fish and chips. The margaritas were great too! Servers were very nice and quick even with a packed house.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish & Chips
Thought this place was just okay. Positives: Food was pretty good. Trout was quite good. Noise level was very nice (quiet) because not to many customers there. Negatives: Funny smell in restaurant...seems like the place needs a very good cleaning. Traditional salad was mediocre because it was small even though we ordered Large.
This is what leaves the kitchen on a takeout order - dog food steak
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Everything we attempted to order was "No longer on the menu. We're redoing our menu"! The food we finally got wasn't that good and over priced!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 4
The food was excellent. We had the carnitas poutine, fish and chips, and pimento burger.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish & Chips, Oasthouse Classic Pimento Burger, Carnitas Poutine
The main entrance is pushed around to the side, so you come in by the restrooms...and unfortunately the restrooms were giving off a strong odor...so the first impression was less than stellar. the interior of the restaurant was very nice, the menu seemed to be well thought out with the items available, as we were there for sunday brunch. ordered the corned beef hash, and it was out. so ordered the eggs benedict, and they were very average. overall, not impressed - but it has potential with some improvements.
Service was a little bit slow as it took over 15 minutes to get water after asking for 2 minutes to decide on a drink but water to start would be appreciated. The tables across from us had a different server, seated way after us, and had drinks on the table within minutes of being seated. The food is always excellent at Oasthouse. Unfortunately, my steak came out dull and room temperature. It clearly had been sitting for too long while waiting for my husband's pork dish to be ready. Our server was extra busy (I assume) as she didn't check in very often. Once we finally saw her, we let her know that my meal was cool to the touch. She admitted that she noticed it had been sitting for awhile before she brought it over. Manager came over and made things better with vouchers for our next two visits. The refired entree was much much warmer. We will be back since the mistake was handled well, and we understand these things happen when it's busy.
Great food and nice draft beer selection. Waitress was really good. Nice outdoor playground area for the kiddos.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: House Pretzel, Mama's Meatloaf
Expensive for what it is, but the staff was incredible. We had excellent service! I wouldn’t recommend for someone who doesn’t like noisy restaurants. We went on a week night, like Tuesday or Wednesday, and it was super loud even with lower demand.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Great Shepherd's pie and cocktails. Relaxed atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pecan Porter Shepherd's Pie
Came for brunch on a Sunday, enjoyed carafes of mimosas for the group. The food was great, I had the eggs in purgatory which was delicious, though the eggs were overdone for my liking. Our bartender/server Anthony (I think this was his name) was fantastic!
The food was all overly salted and I like salt a lot but that was too much. They opened the patio even though it was 36 degrees outside so basically it was cold the entire time inside from them not putting the heaters on outside at all. Extremely loud environment not a good place to be intimate with dining .
The waiter took long at times , not as attentive as the other waiters. Also some of the food was cold. Took it back , came back with fresh food and it was cold yet again. Overall I give a 5 out of 10.
This place is very decent and, super bonus, it has a playground and outside space. For those of us with kids it literally makes the difference between going out or not, so thank you to the owner for going the distance. The dinner food is really solid and they are one of the few places in the area that does mussels. Service is good, and nice atmosphere. The schnitzel is recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ale-Steamed Mussels