Jacoby's Restaurant & Mercantile — Restaurant in Austin

Brunch

I couldn’t give it a 5 because of parking. The location once you are in the restaurant is great. We sat inside, but the patio space looked inviting with our spring weather. I would suggest eating there before it gets too hot in the summer to sit outside comfortably.

The parking, however, is tricky, and right off of a busy street, with no defined walking path. I would consider it somewhat dangerous during busier traffic times unless you valet, which I would suggest. Also if you can’t park on the pavement, you are walking along the edge of the road and into grass/rocks/mud, so don’t wear your fancy heels or have someone drop you off if your driver is not interested in valet.

We were there during brunch, and walking through the door, you couldn’t help but inhale the rich aroma of the delicious smelling coffee, which I had to order. It was served in an awkward lipped metal cup. I’m not sure about hot drinks and metal. The glasses are mason jars, which makes farmhouse decor fans all warm and fuzzy inside. We also ordered a mimosa pitcher, but I was not as impressed with the mimosa mix as I was the coffee. Someone else who prefers alcohol might need to speak to the mimosa.

For appetizers, we ordered biscuits and gravy, and a cinnamon roll. I’ve had better cinnamon rolls, but it was good. The biscuits and gravy were excellent, but not truly southern since the gravy was lacking. (Ask for more.) The order comes with 2 large biscuits, and 4 people could easily enjoy this portion size as a starter. You can even quarter the biscuits if your table is larger and everyone just wants a small bite.

We then had our main course. Several people ordered the chicken fried steak and waffles, which they heartily enjoyed and almost finished. I had the crab cake Benedict, and I loved the presentation. It was good, but the hollandaise sauce was a little spicy, overpowering the other flavors. The avocado toast looked a little small, but the person who ordered it said they liked it. I did not try the migas, but those that ordered liked them as well. Someone also ordered the breakfast hash, and they liked their meal. Any sides are extras, but we were sufficiently fueled without ordering sides.

Service was excellent, which goes a long way no matter where you dine. We would like to go back and try the...

It's taken me a few weeks to finally write this, and honestly, I wouldn't have bothered if a friend hadn't just shared a similarly disappointing experience at Jacoby's in Austin as I have never left a review in my life.

My experience is that I had called the restaurant to confirm whether walk-ins are completely acceptable since I was planning on having lunch there with friends. However, when we arrived we were told by the hostess that the restaurant was completely booked, with only bar seating available. We happily agreed, only to find the half of the dining room AND outdoor area was completely deserted. When I questioned the hostess again, she then mentioned with a horrendous attitude that there were tables, but we'd have to vacate within two hours – a more than reasonable condition that should have been offered upfront.

The food …. the food itself was shockingly bland to where it was just flat out insulting to each of us. The deviled eggs were utterly tasteless, and the rest of our meal followed suit as agreed by friends whom we all tried to maintain a positive attitude since we refused to believe the food could be so horrendously bland. To top it off, the food was served on what looked and felt like cheap plastic knock-offs of Dixie plates – hardly the ambiance I expected. We also had different waiters for no apparent reason, which just added to the disjointed feel.

And the "riverside view"? Don't be fooled. It's just a view of a parking lot that is specifically for the “valet” parking, which is mandatory by the way.

Finally, the automatic "wellness charge" for the staff felt like a cop-out. Isn't that the restaurant's responsibility? I'm honestly shocked by the number of positive reviews I've seen and have to wonder if Jacoby's is actively having negative feedback removed, because our experience was severely disappointing and certainly doesn't align with the praise I've seen elsewhere. I'd strongly advise others to...

Came here on a Saturday night with a pre-made reservation for 9 people, as we were visiting Austin from out of town. We started off ordering plenty of appetizers and drinks, which were the best part of the meal.

I had a cold brew martini and cosmo, which were both Good. The brisket yeast rolls and deviled eggs were also good.

We then ordered our food which included multiple orders of all 3 of the family style sides. After ordering our waitress came out to tell us they had no macaroni and cheese side, to which we just ordered more Brussel Sprouts. Our waitress then came out to tell us they had no Brussel Sprouts. By this point it was getting late and the group was a little frustrated that there was a lack of food in the kitchen for the prices we were paying, however she told us she would comp any desserts the table wanted. We got our food (which was alright, I got the chicken fried steak which was lacking on the gravy and salt, but was a big portion). We were waiting on our last side (tater tots), when the waiter came by and just tossed us onion rings on the table without explaining that they also ran out of tots.

By this point the waiter came by to give us $10 coupons for the next time we came by as they could see our table was unhappy. We explained we were not Austin natives so we would not be able to return, and then asked kindly if we could just use the coupons at the moment. Our waitress came by to let us know they allowed her to take 20% off the tab... to which they ended up charging an included 20% gratuity, so the kind gesture made no difference to our over $500 bill (to which tater tots and a side of carrots were still charged). We left with a sour taste in our mouth, rude looks from the kitchen staff and management, and a ruined dinner.

I personally would not...