Hi All, I am coming down to Austin at the end of the month for my sister's graduation. Can anyone recommend a good restaurant that is close to the university, takes reservations for 15 people, moderately priced (15-25 +- a plate) and has good beer? I realize it is last minute but am hoping for the best. Also, I found a place that was a 20 minute drive and my sister vetoed it saying that a 20min drive in Austin is really a 40 minute drive........ Is this accurate? Is Austin in another dimension Thanks in advance Jared
Traffic is bad in Austin. But, it really depends where you are trying to get to. There are a lot of great restaurants around town - most of which do have some craft beer on tap. Other places that come to mind would be Hi Hat (no idea on reservations), Bangers (no reservations), Salty Sow come to mind. But, Hopfields is close to campus, I think they take reservations, have a good tap wall, and the prices are all usually in that price range for a plate (may be on the 10-20 price point).
Jack Allen's Kitchen. They got a few locations in the Austin/Round Rock area. Great food, reasonable prices, and several local rotating taps (usually something from Hops & Grain, Live Oak, Austin Beerworks).
I'd focus on the food first and the beer second. Pretty much every restaurant that has beers on draft will at least have something good from a local brewery (and those that don't usually have cans/bottles). The places with excellent draft lists usually end up having mediocre and/or over-priced food. As for the commute, it can be that bad but it depends on the day, time, and route. As long as you can avoid 35 or rush-hour traffic, you'll be fine. What was the option 20 min away?
I'd call the Odd Duck, parkside, and Salty Sow...in that order. All have a decent craft beer selection but great food...which is really what it sounds like you're looking for.
The 20 minute option was Jack Allen's, I thought it looked good by my sister was opposed to the driving. I will check out the other options listed (Salty Sow looks great). Thank you everyone for your responses.
Both Jack Allen's and Odd Duck are fantastic. Never been to Salty Sow but I've heard good things. Odd Duck is right on S. Lamar so definitely within 20 mins of UT campus. It can get crowded so you may want to look into making a reservation.
We always do Zax the night before Thanksgiving with a large group. Very good food in your price range. Diverse selection from 12 or 15 taps and some hidden goodies, if you ask. We had a Velvet Merkin last year. They had some different Bishop's Barrels too.
