Foreign & Domestic — Restaurant in Austin

This is the ONLY restaurant I’ve been to in my life where the server (her name is Alex) tells us in a harsh and reprimanding tone that the owner is NO longer receiving feedback on a specific dish, and NOT to approach the owner regarding our experience on the dish.

(For context, I’ve been to over 40 countries and lived in 13, and am an avid foodie who tips generously and remains loyal to my favorite restaurants by frequenting them at least twice a month. Foreign & Domestic was one of them, where I’ve been a regular for years now.)

The incident occurred over their newly added dish - the Croque Madame. Had it for the first time when it was in trial, and it was out of this world because the bread was crusty and browned with a rich aroma of butter that I’ve only ever experienced when I was in Paris. I was elated when Sarah the owner decided to put it on their regular menu.

However, the second time I had it, the bread came soggy and tasteless, as if it hadn’t even been toasted. I scraped away the bread and ate the rest of the dish anyway because I thought that maybe it was a one off incident.

So the third time I ordered it, I specifically told our server Alex to make sure that the bread comes browned and crispy. She was new, but noted that we are regulars from their records, which I was glad to hear.

Shockingly, the Croque Madame came with the same soggy bread texture from the previous time. So I had Alex return it to the kitchen in exchange for their steak and eggs, a dish that I regularly have there before the Croque Madame and was 50% more expensive.

The steak and eggs came in a way that sent a clear message, that the chef was upset. The steak was cut in large chunks instead of the usual fine slices, as if for feeding dogs or animals. The eggs and salad looked like were reused from the Croque Madame dish, where the eggs looked like they were thrown on to the plate. They usually come sunny side up but here they were flipped like overeasies, but crude and overdone.

I cleaned the plate anyway because I was starving having waited so long to eat, but left a smaller than usual tip for Alex due to her failure to communicate and her poor attitude. A server’s role is to keep the front end customer experience separate from the backend kitchen drama, while communicating effectively between the two.

After payment, Alex even threatened me not to approach Sarah the owner because they are no longer receiving feedback on the Croque Madame. Wow.

It appeared to be true though. Sarah, who usually recognizes me, beelined past me to the restroom and shut the door in my face without making so much as eye contact, as I got up and approached the kitchen area. I then approached a server at the cash register to explain to him what had transpired, and why I had the dish returned. He has been there longer than Alex, so he recognized me right away and took note of my concerns, making me feel heard and acknowledged. I wish we had him as our server every time!

After frequenting Foreign & Domestic for some four years or so now, I am now hesitant to go back. Will they treat me like that again? Will the food come served like it’s for dogs? Will I get a server who will threaten me not to approach the owner and scold me like I’m a child, just be as she refuses to take my order seriously in the first place?

I don’t know, but it doesn’t look like Foreign & Domestic needs us as customers anyway. They usually do well for themselves and I hope they continue to. I just hope this never happens to anyone else who spent years and thousands of...

This was some of the best food I've ever eaten and I've eaten a lot of food. The service and atmosphere here are also amazing and no trip to Austin would be complete without stopping here. Anything you choose on the menu will be impeccable and better than almost anything you've ever eaten. We stopped by during happy hour with a group of friends.

We started off with the Gruyere Popovers, they were 2 large fluffy Popovers with a perfectly baked outside and a fluffy inside. To dip them in there was a ricotta butter? (I'm not sure but it was amazing) We split these between 4 people.

We also ordered the Red Pepper Zeppole which was unlike anything I've ever eaten. The best way I can describe it is that they were like tasty fries dough balls, much like a hush puppy with more flavor. These were dipped into a red pepper sauce that was on the sweeter side and again, this was one of my favorite things I've ever eaten.

Amongst the things we ordered were the fries to split within the group and they were perfectly crispy with a creamy dipping sauce. For our main course my partner and I split the Strawberry Salad and the Vegetable Root Bolognese.

The Strawberry Salad was amazing. It was so fresh with sliced strawberry and ricotta, I would recommend this highly especially on a hot day.

The Bolognese was also phenomenal. The sauce is made from root vegetables, I am not a huge root vegetable fan but this was my favorite dish we had. The sauce is thick and the noodles they use hold the sauce so each bite you take is full of a rich creamy flavor. I don't know how they make that sauce but it is nothing short of witchcraft.

All in all I cannot recommend Foreign and Domestic highly enough. If you stop by at happy hour you can get the appetizers and drinks at a lower price. That being said, for the quality and amount of food you receive, the prices are extremely fair. You won't have better food than this at almost anywhere in the city. Anything you order will be amazing and I would recommend trying something new here to anyone. I would say that this restaurant could be the sole reason to make a trip to Austin and you would be justified in doing so.

Thank you so much to the wonderful workers here for creating such an amazing atmosphere and experience for myself and so many others. We really appreciate you and all of the hard work that you do.

TLDR: If you live in Austin or are just visiting you should stop here. It is some of the most delightful food you...

I left a review a few years ago and am compelled to leave another. UPDATED 8/20/23:

Five stars for everything here. My wife and I finally came back for their brunch. When you sit down and begin looking over a menu and can't decide what to get, you know you're in for a good meal. Everything we ordered was excellent. Not good, excellent. This was far and away the best brunch we've had in Austin - by far. Cinnamon bun was light, not too dry - perfectly balanced. The pancakes (will get those next week when we go back) looked amazing, topped off with fresh seasonal peaches. My wife had the 44 Farms steak and eggs, I had the 2 eggs any style which came with brioche toast and homemade peach jam, fingerling potatoes roasted in duck fat, along with top shelf bacon. Mouthwatering. A carafe of mimosas to help wash it all down. I had a smile on my face the entire time I was eating, so happy.

Service was on point and Sarah (co-owner, chef) came by to say hello - she is so sweet and appreciative. Finally, Austin has a great restaurant scene but in my opinion, has become very over-priced. Good restaurants like Clark's Oyster Bar, June's All Day, Pecan Square Cafe all are great places but priced at premium plus another 30%. I always walk away feeling like I've been gouged. Not here. Foreign & Domestic has fair pricing on the entire menu which makes for an outstanding value.

If you are looking for a great brunch option - look no further.

What a treat! If the star rating went higher, Foreign and Domestic would earn it. Here's why you should end your search right now and book your reservation here:

Food: In a word, outstanding! Everything we ate and everything we watched getting delivered around us was and looked amazing.

Service: Best we've had in Austin. Our waiter Charlie, the waitress in training, Barbara and even the other wait staff pitched in whenever necessary. They were friendly, knowledgable, and on point - they all made us feel welcome & appreciated.

Ambiance: Super comfortable but elegant.

We met the owner-chefs who couldn't have been more gracious and thankful. Not just one of the best restaurants in Austin, this is one of the best restaurants you'll ever eat...