Murray's Tavern — Restaurant in Austin

First off thank you to the food runner and bartenders! You provide excellent service.

NOW WHAT IN THE CALIFORNIA IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE RATING 5 STARS FOR OUTRAGEOUSLY OVERPRICED BOUGIE BASICNESS!?

Really cool atmosphere as far as the New York old time tavern vibe and design. However it was way louder inside than I had expected and thought the music didn't quite match the theme. Also would have preferred more seating. Only a few tables. More would have been nice even if only even to seat 2 or 3. The "parlor room" was a nice touch but only if you're coming in for cocktails since it's so small and not much of any table top surface area.

The menu is small. I suppose this is due to it being a soft launch from what I see online. The options currently available are good but personally I don't think everything quite pairs up and one or two more items per section would have been nice all around.

The Between The Sheets cocktail was all we had but it was of good quality and flavor ... However, the prices are way too high.

The food is good but I wouldn't say it's anything special and that's the saddest part. ITS WAY OVER PRICED!!!

The Grandmas Goulash wasnt bad but not worth $18. It was basically spaghettios.

The burger was good too(y'all did forget my toppings unfortunately). It was far short of a $22 dollar burger though and the side salad for $6? It was just cherry tomatoes and low quality iceburg lettuce. C'mon!

The salt & malt fries with ketchup were a good portion size ...again not worth $14. Closer to $6-$7. Only could I justify the higher price if they were elevated with real truffles and real parm or something of the sort.

All that being said. I hope your business thrives. If the prices stay the same I'd never find it worth coming back myself. I'll check online to see if any changes arise and give it a try then. Until then, I can't say I'd recommend it

Thanks Murray's!...

Buckle up, y'all. My husband and I had our wedding "reception" at this location when it was Gourmand's with prominently placed chicken nachos and skee ball. We were devastated when it closed, cockroaches and all. When we heard there was a new show in town we scoffed. Then we heard it was by the Nickel City folks (one of our favorites) and that piqued our interest. But kids, jobs, deep-seeded longing for blackened chicken nachos couldn't get us over the hump to make it there. Then we heard from multiple people that the food was incredible. We were a tough sell and it did not disappoint.

Food. Great all around with a few knockouts. I had the pork chop, green beans (instead of the standard side), and a loaded baked potato. My husband had the burger with "goop", which was a French onion dip sort of vibe, and the mushrooms. The pork chop was among the best I've ever had. A week later, I am still thinking about the maple coffee glaze. It was cooked perfectly. The green beans were green beans, but the added onion was nice. The baked potato was great - crunchy, salty outside, soft middle. My husband loved his burger, but has decided he would eat dirt so long as it's accompanied by those mushrooms. When we go back, the pork chop and the mushrooms are non-negotiable.

Service. The service here was truly outstanding. Our server, Oscar, was thoughtful, attentive, and made great suggestions. He really made the evening so much more enjoyable such that it was genuinely noteworthy. All of the other staff we encountered were professional and attentive as well.

Drinks. Every bar should have cocktail flights. Why isn't that a thing elsewhere? And the frozen brandy Alexander? Perfect as dessert. Just a great bar menu all around.

Tl;dr - Murray's is a cozy, well-appointed bar with a thoughtful menu and excellent service. Will...

I agree they desperately need a host stand. People waiting, of which there are many, are left to continually look for seating to become available, have no idea how long it will take, and are left to worry that someone who arrived afterward might find a seat first (and likely will unless you stay vigilant!). As it is, people are hovering over your shoulder while you eat so they can get your table once you're done. They also need an expeditor or someone telling the kitchen when to fire. It's like orders are being sent to the kitchen through the servers' little computers and it’s all being cooked right away, but no one is monitoring when it actually makes sense to start each course based on what's happening at the table. Our entrees arrived before we had received the two salads we had ordered, but moreover THERE WAS NO ROOM ON THE TABLE FOR THE FOOD. (I guess they need bigger tables, too.) At a loss, I suggested I take my (entire) salad to go to make room for my entree. As for the food itself, the fries were "pretty good" as in you find yourself at a random diner/restaurant while on a road trip and have no or low expectations when fries come with your sandwich, and then the fries are actually pretty good. Not "Salt & Malt Fries" for $9 good. The Beef and Cheddar Sandwich was "Whatever, ... like Arby's, but not as good" and the Tagliatelle was shockingly bland and watery. (I didn't realize bland could be shocking, but it turns out that it can.) It was so bland that after a few bites and trying to convince myself it was "subtle," I decided not to waste the calories (or $) and I stopped eating so I could take it home and fix it. I hope the owners listen and hear all the feedback; we sincerely wanted and still want to be able to enjoy this...