III Forks — Restaurant in Austin

Some might ask why this is a 1 star review when I’ve rated everything else (food, service, & atmosphere) all 5’s. Let me explain.

The first odd experience I’ve ever had in any dining establishment (fine or casual) was when our server went around & asked everyone, upon placing our entree orders, “soup or salad?” When asked in this manner, the implication - as everyone at the table took it - was that either soup or salad came with our entrees. Turns out it didn’t, & he asked that in that manner to be a sneaky server to add more to our ticket. For the purpose of this review, let’s move forward with the assumption that an entire table of 8 adults not asking for clarification is responsible for the “mistake.”

Afterwards, as he went around the table, he assured me that the upcoming desserts were nut-free (I have a tree nut allergy). I hadn’t personally ordered any desserts, but the way he assured me made it seem like someone had ordered dessert for the table. Here’s the funny thing - no one did. But he went around the table and presented it differently to everyone - some he presented it like he did with me “the dessert is coming,” or he presented it as he would bring out all the options and we’d be choosing what we wanted.

How did we find out this red flag, suspicious behavior that’s super unbecoming of a representative of the restaurant? Because as we discussed the receipts and taxes, people were confused - why were the salads and soups added to the ticket? No one ordered the desserts - in fact, he made it seem like someone had already ordered it. WOW he did that with me too! And he said blah blah blah to me. Etc. You get the point .

At the end of it all, the server brought out receipts for those who were paying for x people at the table, and the server then had the gall to ask out loud and staring into the face of one of the receipt holders, “how much will you tip? 20%, 32%, or 35%?” The man he’d asked was flabbergasted given everything that had happened up until that point, and then being asked a question he’s never been asked before by a server at a restaurant. The oddest thing was that we had all assumed an automatic gratuity or 20% given our party size. The gentleman regained his composure and said 20%, and we moved on from the entire situation. My theory is that he asked this in hopes of putting on enough social pressure and making the poor man feel awkward enough to feel obligated to add more to what would’ve already been added to the bill.

The food was great! Worth the price. The atmosphere was stunning - would totally come back with my husband for a great date night. The service? Well, I rated that a 5 because he was very attentive, our glasses were filled constantly, we were constantly checked up on (but not in annoying manner). BUT. Not sure if this was our specific server who thought it was great to intentionally misrepresent the menu and associated costs, but based on that - I would...

A phenomenal dinner experience, from start to finish. Having read reviews and receiving recommendations from others, I was expecting a good experience but it definitely surpassed my expectations.

We used the valet parking which is the garage in the same block, it was $15 and very quick and easy.

Our service was impeccable, from our hostess and especially our waiter Sam, to others who checked on us through the experience to make sure we were well taken care of. Sam was the perfect level of attentiveness without being overbearing, with very spot-on recommendations for both food and drinks.

They do an amazing job making you feel valued and special and I believe everyone that we interacted with knew that we were celebrating an anniversary and wished us well, which was very touching.

For appetizers, we had the chicken fried lobster which was phenomenal. It came with a tomato butter, which I personally am not a fan of tomatoes, but it was light and not overpowering, and my partner especially loved the leftovers on the delicious bread. We also had the off menu bone marrow which came with delicious toast like bread in a very generous amount.

For dinner, we had a classic eye of ribeye pepper steak medium rare, with the Oscar style top of crab, Hollandaise sauce and asparagus. The sauce and the Oscar style toppings were phenomenal, and the steak perfectly cooked. I had them served on the side and both were so amazing that I couldn’t tell you which was better, and I could probably eat the Oscar style as a whole dish honestly!

We also had the truffled mushroom burger with the king sauce, another amazing recommendation. Very rich and also perfectly cooked to medium rare.

We got the fried Thai chili brussels sprouts, as well as the six cheese potatoes, for sides. The sprouts were very flavorful and had a perfect crunch. The potatoes were good but I felt a little bit bland compared to the other dishes, and could have used some additional salt.

They brought us a surprise for dessert, which included the chocolate and Texas pecan cake. One of the best parts of the meal was probably the homemade bootleg Irish cream, which was very thick and creamy and had hints of coconut as well as I felt banana. Definitely a reason to come back for my birthday dinner, ha ha!

For two people, it was a ton of food and we left very full and satisfied and have leftovers for dinner the next night.

Overall it was an exceptional experience from the moment we walked in until the moment we drove away. A wonderful date night or special occasion place for us to visit again...

Disappointing. The ambiance was so-so; food was bland and over-priced; and service was condescending. I cannot understand all the 5-star reviews: were others blinded - and overawed - by the old-fashioned, dark, and, frankly, pompous interior and inflated prices? Having arrived before the others in my party, I declined a cocktail and said I would stick to water until the food arrived. The waiter then forgot to ask me what I would like to drink with the seafood tower starters and so, when ordering my main, I asked for a glass of red wine, preferably a Cabernet Sauvignon. Horror of horrors: a woman asking for a glass of wine in 2021! “If you don’t mind, madam, I will ask one of the gentlemen about the wine to be ordered” was the waiter’s response! Yes, really, in 2021 to a woman in her 50s who has been enjoying her wine for 30+ years!!! Yes, I did mind actually, but as this was a business dinner and I only knew one other person, I didn’t object openly, but whispered to that one person what had happened. He saw to it that I got my glass of Cab, as indeed did everyone at the table. Then came the mains: showy Wagyu for most of the party, while I had a small filet mignon, with the waiter forgetting the “king’s crown” I had ordered, pretending he had requested it on the side “so as not to overpower the delicacy of the meat, madam”. I then had to wait a couple of minutes for the crown to arrive, so the “cool” exterior of the steak was cold before I cut into it, and the same condescending waiter then dolloped the “crown” over the filet as if I was a small child. The filet was indeed rare, as I had requested, but tasteless and bland (and no high-quality sea salt at the table), and surprisingly tough - none of the usual melt-in-the-mouth experience of filet mignon. Honestly, I could have grilled a better filet mignon at home for 1/5th of the price and I then wouldn’t have had to suffer the waiter’s condescending attitude either. The best thing about the meal was the bread (divine), but even then my bread plate was whisked away before I had finished with it! It is quite something to leave a $200+ per head dinner hungry, but at the end of the evening I did. No, I won’t be going back…

Update: less than 24 hours later, I got sick! Fevers, chills, one night of vomiting, and by the following night diarrhea. Now I could have picked up a stomach virus anywhere, but this was my first indoor dining experience in 20 months and, with oysters and rare-cooked steak, I am left feeling this was the restaurant’s final...