The food was delicious but I felt the value was not there. The dishes were small and expensive for their size. We got the crudo, pappardelle, carnitas, and grouper. We were pleased with this selection and got a good mix of what this restaurant has to offer. For two people, we probably could have used one more dish. Everything we got was incredibly tasty and well presented, but for the price I was disappointed in the portions. I felt the cocktails were well made but they I personally didn't love the flavors. I may crave some of this food again, but I think there are restaurants in Austin with similar food for better value.
TL;DR - modern atmosphere, delicious food, and great service. Favorites were the crudo, sourdough bread, and French ravioli. I was lucky enough to score a day-of reservation here using OpenTable on a recent work trip. We had one person join us last minute but they were gracious enough to accommodate us if we were willing to wait a half hour since it was pretty busy. It was worth the wait! What we ordered: Crudo - tasty and fresh Blackjack point oysters - did not hit the mark for me, my least favorite dish of the night Sourdough bread - get this! It was super delicious and the presentation was unique. French ravioli - another must order IMO! Cacio e Pepe - really good Texas wagyu steak - tender and tasty We were stuffed so no desserts for us. Their cocktails were decent as well though the one I ordered was a little sweet for my taste (sorry couldn't remember what it was called). Also love it when establishments (like this one) have their hand washing station outside of the bathrooms. Would come back if I'm ever in the area again!
Great end to our daughter's 21st on Rainey. After allot of loud and rocking bars, took her to Emmer& Rye for a final espresso martini, great service, relaxed vibes and air conditioning! As always, a great job by the staff, welcoming, fun and gave her an extra treat for her Bday! Highly recommend and the food is awesome as well, but just drinks tonight!
Inventive and tasty food at this spot on Rainey. After visiting multiple times over many years, can confirm that the flavor is a bit hit or miss. However, always great service and clearly a ton of care put into their dishes and their concepts. The Cacio e Pepe is a must try, anything on their "appetizer" menu is always a hit. Sit at their Chef's Counter for an immersive experience and the ability to chat with the chefs.
A light 5 stars! Had an amazing experience and our servers recommendations were spot on. I've got to say, do make a reservation as it can get a bit busy. We ordered the johnny cakes, the berkshire pork, roasted cabbage, and the ravioli. I have to say the star of the show was the least expected- the roasted cabbage! I'm not a huge fan of vegetables but this one blew me away. The blend of sauces with jalapeno, cilantro, and the cabbage grilled to perfection with garlic aioli was absolutely amazing. This is the dish i would come back for 10/10. The johnny cakes were my second favorite, it being fluffy and the dip was amazing. The pork was a bit underwhelming and a little over salted- so although it paired nicely with the cabbage i would not get it again. The ravioli was rather very light and the hint of lemon went well with it. Overall i'd recommend this place and give it another try!
Service was great. Ambiance warm and cozy. The food was amazing. Fantastic vegetarian options. The sourdough bread is incredible. Super fluffy and crunchy...hard to describe. Just get it.
Alex was our server and absolutely phenomenal! We had this restaurant recommended by our Airbnb host and she was totally spot on. We sat outside and while it was windy it was still very comfortable. The restaurant itself has a clean, modern feel and while it was busy, it didn't feel rushed. I love that they are so conscious about their sourcing and getting local products - we loved every dish we got! We started with a beet salad, poplar mushrooms, and the roasted cabbage, all of which were great - but the roasted cabbage was an especially unique and delicious dish! We then moved on to the housemade sourdough bread which came with 3 different types of butter. For 4 people, we ended up requesting an additional serving of bread which was an upcharge but very needed! We then moved on to the pappardelle and rigatoni for our pasta course - the pappardelle had a delicious ragu and the rigatoni was a more classic tomato sauce. Both done beautifully and with great flavor and sauce to pasta ratio. For the main courses, we had the chicken with soccoro sauce and the wagyu - our only complaint was that we had the chicken after the wagyu, which was truly unfair to the chicken! The wagyu was probably one of the best things I've ever had - so tender and beautifully cooked with a delicious chimmichurri! After all of that, of course we had to have dessert and ended up accidentally getting the sorbet in addition to the other 3 desserts - though it ended up being our favorite dessert of the night. It has a lovely cream/foam on top that made it beyond delicious. Overall, this is a can't miss!
Amazing food and service. Good cocktail selection with interesting options. Loved both of the ones I tried "Come & Take It" and "Moon Dance". Both very good. We shared the oysters, crudo, French ravioli and Texas Wagyu Steak. All delicious!! Small portions so we probably could have ordered another but they do require you to order all at once, which I am not a fan of. Overall recommend and hope to come back to try more! Their menu changes daily!
The Wagyu tasting experience was truly exceptional. An eclectic mix of dishes with a dash or splash of Texas wagyu, beef tallow or some bone marrow concoction. Seven courses all with a varying degree of complexity and flavors. We were told the menu changes periodically. The chefs here are masters at composing very ingenious takes on traditional favorites. Incorporating various techniques, they come with some very unique dishes that will delight all your senses. This was a wonderful dining experience. If you get the chance, sit at the kitchen bar to watch and interact with the chefs. Service was 5 star.
Emmer & Rye is a conscientious restaurant with intentional thought to their menu. I came here specifically to try their cacio e pepe. Valet is $12 but you might as well park on the street. The inside is nice and dim. I recommend coming with more than another person since the two seaters are a bit small. For two people: a cocktail, a starter, two smaller plates, an entree, and a dessert ended up being around $160, so about $200 give or take depending on tip. Without the cocktail and dessert, the meal size was the recommended amount by the waiter. I found it a bit pricey considering I wasn't full, but I was also being mindful about how much I ate that day. The beef tartare was good, had a slight bitter taste from the tahini dressing but it paired well with it. The cacio e pepe was good. I think you could get better cacio e Pepe elsewhere but it wasn't bad by any means. The rotolo is a type of almost lasagna-like pasta with lamb. It definitely was heftier tasting, but all of these were more on the small side. Our last dish was the pork, which was probably the best dish of the night. Carrots were great, pork was cooked nicely. It wasn't huge by any means but it was tasty and well made. The dessert was a panna cotta with toppings that were a bit too hard and honestly hurt my jaw. I suppose I could say I had a good time. The service was great, after all. But I would keep in mind that it's a bit pricy and the dishes aren't too big. It's a solid date night area but I consider some other places in downtown Austin to give you a more 5 star experience with bigger portions, food that makes your jaw drop, and an ambience that dazzles.