Brentwood Social House — Restaurant in Austin

I wasn’t prepared to like this as much as I did at start due to some hiccups, but the food was so good that the negatives were overcome.

I walked in and a staff of four was in front but, as I looked for my party, not one greeting or welcome or acknowledgement in spite of me walking back and forth a few times. Should be step one in training.

We were there for a reserved table so I went ahead and found a friend and then we got some help to find our table.

We were served the tea party food but waited approximately 12 minutes with it in front of us for the tea to go with it. We finally gave up and began sipping water and eating.

Horrible acoustics. Some old rugs on the floor would help muffle the sound so that patrons could talk without the whole room hearing. Perhaps some music and some hanging plants. The floor was self-done and rather than cutting any boards, they just left side gaps in between each board that dirt falls into. This would cover that but wood putty might work too.

(Ruggable has washable rugs )

So as I said I was set on not likening it here.

But then we are the food.

Honestly the best scone I’d ever eaten. Perfectly buttery crispy on the outside and soft and cake-like on the inside with many flavors.

Everything was scratchmade unlike most tea spots that mix in homemade with Sysco.

A wonderful English vegetable tart that I could not stop eating.

A delightful chocolate pastry.

The cucumber and cream cheese finger sandwiches had fresh dill and lemon zest.

The food was perfect.

The tea was also excellent.

So while I felt overheard and overlooked, initially, our table service became better and the food was fantastic.

So, for that, I’d be back. But I do hope rugs and plants lessen the acoustics by then. No doubt all conversations are shared with all...

Edit: As the owners response states I do now see there was a phone call message that the food was boxed up. The call was screened as a spam call which is on me not the restaurant. The fact that a call was made and the food was boxed up changes my opinion. I am less upset knowing taking the food home was an option and that the cafe did what they could to ensure we got what we reserved.

Original review:2/5 My rating is purely based on my scheduling experience with this establishment. I did mess up my dates and thought that the tea time I had paid for was on a Saturday not a Friday. I called to ask if there was a way to reschedule or ask for a gift voucher. There is not a way to talk to someone on the phone, it is all done via text. I was told no because the food is prepared ahead of time but they did say if I book in the future with someone they would give 50% off one of us. (Which I did turn down but I did not want to spend more money at this point).

I think this experience could’ve been improved by having a text reminder/confirmation system (they do it over email which for me went to my junk box). I also don’t understand if the food had to be tossed or was it resold? Because I would’ve been happy to pick up the food in a to go box if that had been offered as an option which is was not. The tea bookings are 50$/person +tax/tip so it is a bit of a splurge to book and atleast being able to take the treats home to enjoy would have made it worth it. Going forward I would not recommend this establishment or attempt to reschedule based solely off my experience with the customer service. Sucks because it looks like a great place, hope others have a better experience than my...

The Brentwood Social House offers some delicious coffees, teas, and pastries, though like any new place, they are still a venue in search of an audience. The iced chai latté is a delicious beverage that challenges me not just to gulp down. They don't quite like my analogy of the iced chai latté to Thai iced tea, which they say is sweeter than this, which is true, but it's a ballpark comparison that most people will get. The Cheese Pasty is a triangular fold of buttery, flaky pastry delicately filled with a sharp cheddar. The espresso is the bitter essence of the sacrament, made for the purist, and celebrated by the aficionado. Starting today (28 November 2016) they are announcing they will be open every day from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and this will be a delightful place for cross-town traffic on Koenig Lane to pull aside for a civilized repast before diving into the rat race. The menu with its admixture of British and French inspiration, the fresh-scrubbed ambiance, and the location, given the growing hipness of gentrification and the success of other coffee and juice shops within walking distance, all spell a likely success for the Brentwood Social House. I just hope that the crowd gets here soon because I didn't come prepared to camp—I left my Harry Potter manuscript at home—and without the distraction of a crowd, there's not much to do but order, eat, and order some more. I never realized how much the low murmur of people, the shuffle of papers, the spillage from headphones with music turned up too loud all contribute to a café's coziness. There is a children's area as well, confined to a room off to the side, and we'll have to see what that does to a...