Dos Olivos Market Buda — Restaurant in Buda

TLDR: LACKLUSTER, SKIP the food, DRINK the drinks

We just had dinner here tonight. I wanted to go to a new dog friendly spot and read great things about this place.

The menu is a little confusing in terms of their signature dishes and Family Style Portions costing around the same. My BF ordered the Pear and Walnut Salad for starters, the Branzino for his main while I chose the burger and an order of Truffle Mac n Cheese to split between the two of us. I also ordered a glass of the house cab which was delicious and he had a glass of the Bordeaux which he enjoyed.

They offered him the bottle for us to share in case I liked it, to save us money in lieu of his single glass but the wine math didn't add up. For a single glass it was $29 and $190 for the bottle. If you buy 6 glasses, it's still cheaper than the entire bottle. We def would not have received over 6 glasses from the single bottle of wine.

Onto the food. Though beautiful, the plating of the salad made it difficult to eat. Presenting itself as an open flower of lettuce, it was a bit of a labor to break it down into bite sized pieces. This was the only plate I took a photo of because it was so pretty.

For $38, the branzino left much to be desired. A small portioned a la carte single serving that was gone in two bites really should been marketed as a small plate instead. That's quite a price tag for a small portioned entree that does not come with any sides.

The burger and tots were fine as expected but not worth $14. The waitress and hostess were so gracious and kind and offered me different dipping sauces upon my request for the tots. Absolutely loved the habenero sauce but sad to admit that was the highlight of the night.

The Mac and Cheese didn't arrive with the entrees and we had to ask them for it. Once it came out, it was cold and just tasted like boxed macaroni. We were the only diners mind you so it wasn't busy. Having had to wait after reminding them of it, it just didn't make sense for it to be cold if it were made to order. Cold pasta that is not Pasta Salad is like soup that's not Gazpacho. It's unwanted and disappointing. We just ate a few bites because we felt bad knowing we would have to pay for it anyway. Scrolling through reviews I saw another diner had Cold Mac and Cheese too!

Sadly, it was one of those dates nights that missed the mark and left us both unsatisfied and feeling like the outing was a bit of a waste.

Pros: The service! The hostess and our waitress Elizabeth were nice and super accomdating. The indoor ambience is gorgeous but we didn't get to enjoy it since we brought our sweet doggy with us. The wine was great.

We arrived during sunset but towards the end of service, a train rolled through. Be prepared for that if you ever eat outside as it is as loud and annoying as it gets.

All in all, it is a beautiful spot but it lacks depth, substance, excitement and flavor when it comes to the cuisine. Don't come for the food but stay...

Let me introduce you to one of my new favorite brunch spots in town: Los Olivos! Yeah, sure they are a decent 20/25 minute down south to Buda, but it’s so worth it! Let me explain why:

Belgium Churro Waffle: crunchy cinnamon outside, soft doughy inside: it really is churro/waffle fusion! +1 because it comes topped with an horchata cream that is too good. Get this one! ($13) - 4.25/5

Barbacoa Doughnuts: these were super interesting and might have been my favorite item? The donuts are more on the savory side as they are sweet corn-jalapeño flavored and come topped with a sweet, tangy chipotle glaze, cotija cheese, and of course: barbacoa. This is a MUST try! ($10) - 4.5/5

Pan Tomate: pieces of ciabatta bread topped with jamon serrano (think, prosciutto) and a garlic tomato paste. Very strong flavor and a very refreshing contrast to the savory and sweet items above. Gotta get this as well. ($10) - 4.5/5

Karaage-Croissant Bennie: I’m normally not a fan of egg, but this one comes with a fried egg on top of fried chicken, a sheet of croissant, asparagus, and truffle queso. All that combined and this is definitely at the top of egg dishes I’ve had that I actually enjoyed. ($14) - 4/5

Roasted Oysters: just like above I’m not too big on oysters as they can be hit or miss, but these were a hit. I actually think I prefer them roasted like this and complimented with extra flavors because these come with a chorizo-garlic butter and parmesan and I liked it! ($20) - 4/5

Poppin’ Corn Cakes: admittedly, this is the only dish I didn’t care for. These are corn-based pancakes topped with white chocolate mousse and pop rocks. I respect the uniqueness of the idea and it was decent, but it just wasn’t for me. ($14) - 3/5

Mimosa Flight: can’t be brunch without mimosas, right? Here you get a flight of orange, cranberry, pineapple, and grapefruit. They’re actually decent portions, so you could definitely share with someone. My two favorites were the classic OG and the cranberry. - 4/5

As you can see, there’s a variety of great unique dishes above that suits all types of breakfast preferences. The price is amazing for the size portion and quality of ingredients used! The food came out fast and I was highly satisfied with my experience. If you come on a Sunday, you can experience the Buda Farmer’s Market that is right next door from 10am-2pm. All that said, I give them a 4.5/5 for...

I'm leaving this review with a heavy heart but so much was wrong here. We arrived and stood waiting at the door for awhile without a greeting, nod, or any acknowledgement. The decor was casual and attractive. We finally seated ourselves but I could find no indication if that was what was supposed to happen or not. We had a bit of a wait before our pleasant server approached. It seemed he was the only server in the restaurant and he looked to be doing he best but was really unable to provide adequate attention to our table. On to the food. We were served a carafe of water and it tasted like mud! Like a mouthful of lake water. Please invest in a water filter if you are going to serve tap water. We ordered several dishes and three people out of our party of five did not eat what was served. I ordered the porchetta and it was dismal. The meat was dry, the fat was not crispy, and it was dark brown, like it was very old. The slices were very uneven, and it was completely hidden by the alleged slaw. I thought the slaw might redeem the dish but it was simply coarsely shredded cabbage and apples with no discernible dressing or seasoning. I can't remember when I've been more disappointed in a dish. My spouse ordered the barbacoa doughnuts and those, too, seemed old. The barbacoa was flavorful but the doughnut was so hard that he was unable to cut it. We had the Caesar street corn and it was bland and under seasoned. Another in the party ordered garlic shrimp and reported the shrimp was dry and too oily to their taste. There was nothing on the plate but shrimp in an oily pool, no garnish even. The presentation was poor and unappetizing for all the dishes except the torta, which of course is just a sandwich and fries. Everything else was just unappealing brown lumps on a plate. No complaints about the flavor of the barbacoa torta or the short rib. We were never asked if our meal was ok, nor offered any more drinks after the first round. We were not offered dessert and we had to chase the check, to the point I felt like a hostage in this restaurant. Again, the place seemed understaffed and no fault of the server. I was very surprised at the poor quality of food and service, as I had selected Dos Olivos after reading several glowing reviews. Personally, I will always forgive poor service due to understaffing but I will never accept poor...