Little Trouble — Restaurant in Lockhart

A Diamond Under the Streetside Rough

Smaller towns like Lockhart are not known for dimly lit intimate lounges or restaurants; instead, they scream beer joints and barbeque or burritos.  BUT… we stumbled upon a diamond (under) the rough when we ventured into ‘Little Trouble’ as we were bar-hopping trying to discover new places.

We’ve now been two times and there will be a third.  This last time we met the new owner – Jayden.  She and her husband, Granger, took the plunge and recently purchased this quaint, underground speak-easy style establishment.   Taken aback by her openness & honesty, Jayden has some serious plans for her new endeavor and we’re all on board to watch them materialize.  We’re rooting for you Jayden.

So why does this little underground lounge have such appeal?  For starters, it’s underground.  That alone got my interest.  Cool in the hot Texas climate and dark as in its sexy & slightly sinister appeal.  The piped in lighter classic rock music at a pleasant level made for a comfortable background ambience and easy conversation.  It is a bar or lounge or whatever naming convention you choose and thus the beverages have to be high on the list of patron questions.  We tried several of their ‘signature’ craft cocktails and all were right up there with the best… especially the well-seasoned bartender’s rendition of the classic ‘Old Fashioned’.  This one had a distinct orange essence that I swore had to be Grand Marnier, yet was told it was without.    Wine selection seems to be lacking at present but we were assured a new wine experience is in the planning stages.  Food menu is small but covers a nice selection of well-varied options.  We tried the ‘Bob’s Burger’ and the ‘Hoison Honey Salmon’.  Both superb and items we would definitely order again.

As an end note… we love their rest rooms!  Two His/Her/Their private restrooms with an open area wash area for all.  Different… and nice.

Summary:  ‘Little Trouble’ is definitely worth your exploration when venturing out in Lockhart.  It’s dimly lit, cozy atmosphere combined with superb craft cocktails, solidly decent food menu and a new owner with many visions for what it will become should fare as well with you as it did – and does – with us.  Look for the red brick wall with the black railing and stairs going down.

NOTE: We hear an upstairs, outdoor stage area is coming for live entertainment and a grand opening weekend event is being planned for the weekend of November 16, 2024.  We’ll see you...

This is a somewhat hidden gem. Lockhart is lucky to have this place. The restaurant sits underground in a really cool low key, kinda dark cellar looking thing. They have exposed brick that makes you think you might actually be somewhere trendy on south congress, except the food is incredible and at very decent prices.

We came for the Valentine’s Day dinner and enjoyed their 4 course pre-fixe. We were started with a shellfish mignonette that was delicious with a little truffle surprise. The second course I enjoyed the baked oysters in a delicious miso mayo (tasted like a well made dynamite bake from a Japanese place), my wife enjoyed the caviar deviled egg salad which she enjoyed as well. Third course (main) was either duck or scallops. The duck was INSANE. Some of the best duck breast I’ve had. It was perfectly salted, the texture was great and cooked to a perfect medium. It was accompanied by roasted beats. This was dish of the night. The scallops were good but the duck overshadowed it for sure. Finally, the dessert course was also great. Chocolate delice with some yummy crunchy stuff and whipped cream.

They had special drinks for the night (nothing over $13) and to top it off they brought in burlesque dancers to entertain throughout. I love this place; if you come,...

I was predisposed to like this place based on the photos and location, but it was a weird experience.

Pro: Delicious cocktail for a reasonable price. Cool atmosphere and quirky decor - definitely good vibes. It would be a good bar to hang out in for a while.

Cons: absolutely not accessible unless there’s another entrance I didn’t see. The food options seem to have changed significantly from past reviews, and what they called their “summer menu” and “small plates” was a small selection of slightly fancy bar food options. I’m not sure why a tiny hamburger is a shareable small plate, and I wasn’t enthusiastic enough about the choices to order multiple plates. The empanadas were good, but again, not a full meal. It felt more like they were offering snacks to go with drinks - which would have been fine, but I thought this was a place to have dinner. Our server also seemed to be poorly trained.

I might go back for drinks, but I can’t recommend it for...