J Carver Austin Tripadvisor Reviews - J Carver Austin - Buy Reservations
Getting a Reservation at J Carver Austin for Today or Tomorrow is Easy!
Buy a verified reservation at J Carver Austin from someone who doesn't need theirs anymore.
If there is nothing that fits your schedule, you can bid on your preferred time.
We only list verified Reservations!
All listed Reservations are reviewed by our team before appearing in the calendar or being allowed to answer a bid you place. That's why AppointmentTrader comes with a included Money Back Guarantee for each transaction.
Austin's Best Restaurants that are most frequently booked by customers of J Carver Austin
Booked 2 times by J Carver Austin customers.
Ranked #3 in Austin's Best Restaurants.
J Carver Austin Tripadvisor Reviews
Latest Reviews On Tripadvisor
16 Reviews
0 Replys |
A Birthday Dinner Letdown at J Carvers, Austin
I had high hopes for a memorable birthday celebration for my wife at J Carvers in downtown Austin, a city renowned for its vibrant dining scene. Regrettably, our experience was marred by a series of service failures and organizational mishaps that cast a shadow over the entire evening. Our reservation was initially delayed by 15 minutes due to "car traffic," an inconvenience we were willing to overlook, hoping for a delightful dining experience ahead. This understanding, however, was met with further disappointment as we were awkwardly positioned behind the bar, an area cramped and ill-suited for waiting guests, especially near dining patrons. This setup immediately made us feel overlooked and out of place, a sentiment that was reinforced when the head chef personally greeted every table but ours, rendering us invisible in our corner. The neglect extended to our service as my wife's simple request for a glass of wine was seemingly disregarded, with the wine never arriving and our server clueless about the order when we were finally seated — a half hour later than promised. This was just the beginning of a night characterized by delays and disorganization, as even "simple" appetizers and mains took an inordinate amount of time to be served. To compound the frustration, our coffee, meant to accompany dessert, was forgotten until after we had finished our dessert and the bill had been prematurely presented. Despite our server's best efforts, who was the only semblance of a saving grace in an otherwise chaotic evening, we found ourselves repeatedly reminding and asking for items we had ordered, including basics like bread. The culmination of these issues was the difficulty in even settling the bill, a final testament to the disarray that defined our visit. The restaurant's gesture to comp my wife’s $14 dessert, while appreciated, did little to amend the cumulative effect of the evening's disappointments. Considering the significant cost of a birthday dinner in downtown Austin, the value and experience we received were exceptionally poor. In a city teeming with exceptional dining options, our experience at J Carvers stands out for all the wrong reasons. This review serves as both a cautionary tale for potential patrons and a plea to the restaurant management to address the glaring deficiencies in service and organization that spoiled what should have been a joyous celebration. The first impression is indeed lasting, and unfortunately, J Carvers has left an indelible mark of dissatisfaction. For those seeking a special dining experience in Austin, I strongly recommend looking elsewhere.
Be the first to ReplyExcellent overall
This was an excellent meal. Service was great, but busy. We tried several different dishes. The pasta Bolognese was some of the best I've ever had. The steak was VERY good and, oddly, seems to be a better value in the filet size. The Halibut was just ok. The corn side was epic. Deserts were very good. Bring your checkbook. Worth it.
Be the first to ReplyAnniversary dinner
What else can I say but this restaurant is 5 star. The entrance to the rose, cards for our anniversary was a beautiful touch. Our server Ryan and everyone helping him was stellar. I even shook hands with the owner/chef. If you are ever in Austin you must try this place. Just fantastic!
Be the first to ReplyAmazing place
Amazing place ! We are French and we have been there on August Very very good restaurant. As soon as we arrived, the welcome was wonderful. And dishes worthy of famous French cuisine: pan-fried foie gras, garlic bread, delicately spicy shrimp, incredibly tender and tasty beef. And we were also surprised by the quality of the wines that the sommelier had us taste before making our choice. a very good evening in an extraordinary place. Thanks Kim and John
Be the first to ReplyGood, but Too Much Salt
First time here. Came to celebrate our anniversary. Just got back from visiting Atlanta and the Major Primo Restaurants there. So, J Carver has good, but not on par with Atlanta restaurants at a similar price point. I found the food WAY TOO SALTY. We had escargot which I felt was overwrought, and difficult to eat. Much prefer a simpler version. Plus, it was too salty. I had the Dover Sole with Crab, my husband had the steak with oysters, and we had the spinach side. Again, too much salt. The Belgian Chocolate Cake was Excellent. Service was Impeccable. Nice start for this restaurant, but Watch the Salt.
Be the first to ReplyYum!
Wonderful steaks. Great atmosphere! Highly recommend. The food was very delicious. Waiter was very pleasant.
Be the first to ReplyDO NOT MISS THIS PLACE
FANTASTIC place for food, drinks, ambience and service, with the food being the headliner. EVERYTHING was wonderful, but especially recommend the lobster bisque with the puff pastry cap, the prime rib and mushroom bruschetta, and the gnocchi. Was almost too full to eat some of the wonderful steak (which you order by the ounce and they cut it up to share family style), but thank God I was able to find room for that, too. Unfortunately, the amazing desserts were just too much - the bread pudding looked incredible - but I couldn't have eaten another bite after the oysters, bisque, steak and sides... Not an inexpensive night, but was well worth it.
Be the first to ReplyBest steak house experience.
The restaurant and servers went way out of their way to make our anniversary dinner exceptional. They had roses ready at our table and spent a lot of time talking to us. The food was amazing and the steak cooked perfectly prepared exactly as we requested. The whole dining experience was 10 out of 10 .
Be the first to ReplyUps & Downs
Leaving two stars because the steak truly was good, as was our server - but the GM has got to go. About a third of the way through our meal, I looked down to see a water bug crawling out from my spinach and across my plate. Honestly the situation was still salvageable at that point, but it snowballed from there. It took a bit of waving and asking for help to get anyone’s attention. Finally a different server approached and began taking the plate away. My husband said if it was going to be taken before he could confirm the manager saw it, he wanted a photo and managed to snap this. After a few minutes GM approached and began telling us how it was definitely not from their kitchen and probably came in from outside because we were sitting near the door. Said she flipped the plate over and saw it crawling away (gross), so she knew it was still alive and could never have survived the heat of the kitchen. We went back and forth with her saying we didn’t think she could really guarantee that, but she just kept insisting with 100% certainty that it in no way came from her kitchen. Finally my husband said, “Look, it really doesn’t matter where it came from. It’s still on a plate in your restaurant, so just tell us what you’re going to do about it.” She then rolled her eyes and said, “Yes, I’m getting to that sir. I’m just trying to gauge whether you still have an appetite for something else from our kitchen.” We said no and asked for the check. Paid for our drinks and appetizers and left.
Be the first to ReplyGreat service, food and atmosphere.
Best place we ate during our time here. Started with oysters, then Dover Sole and filet. We also had crab fried rice- unbelievably great. The flavors were fantastic. Lovely variety of wines and drinks. Had the strawberry dessert which was very unique as well as delicious. Service was impressive. Will go back when in town.
Be the first to ReplyEat here
The ambiance was great and the food was delicious! We started out with the bread which was so tasty. You buy it per person. The filet was yummy! For sides we had the potato gnocchi which I highly recommend and the jasmine fried rice. For dessert we had banana fosters bread budding with ice cream.
Be the first to ReplyCaviar & Bone Marrow? Yes, please!
5 star dining experience at J.Carver for a business dinner was nothing short of phenomenal. Ian, our food and mixologist extraordinaire delivered a memorable evening and we will be coming back again and again. Thank you for making a dinner date one for the record books of best meals we’ve ever had complete with chemistry cocktails, bone marrow, steak and lobster and caviar. Go to J.Carver and you’ll truly fall of your seat in culinary wonder and awe!
Be the first to ReplyExcellent Steaks and Seafood
J Carver’s serves some of the best seafood and steaks in central Texas, rivaling its sister restaurant Red Ash. The crab cakes were sweet and succulent, while the porterhouse was impeccably prepared and presented. The restaurant provides an expansive selection of wines from around the world. The strawberry merengue dessert was exquisite. The waitstaff was knowledgeable and helpful.
Be the first to ReplySultry, crab cakes and mutlipulciano wine
Sister to red ash ..a fave in Austin..j carver may be replacing red ash on a fave list.. Less attitude , so much easier to get a res , oysters , dover sole , filet and great wine.. spinach salad yum. All great. Thank you.
Be the first to ReplyBest Restaurant in Austin
I've read other reviews and seems people are quite picky (as am I) but I can without reservation (pun intended) say this is a FIVE STAR experience! I have been hearing about this place from so many friends and we have been to Red Ash so I was really anticipating dinner here. We were not disappointed.
We made the reservations a few days before; we did have to take the first seating but I'm glad we didn't pick another evening for a later seating. It's small and unassuming from the exterior. But from the second you step inside, you'll be "wowed". It has a kind of a old-school feel about it inside. The lighting is a little on the darker side, but enough light to read the menu. Maybe a notch brighter would be nice. The music was great; not too loud but helped create the perfect atmosphere.
Our server (Stephanie L) came and talked to us a little about the restaurant and menu. We started off with drinks and she made a suggestion for a whiskey (Blanton's) and that was the most amazing Old Fashioned I've ever had! Great call Stephanie! For an appetizer we started off with their famous bread and an order Chile Gulf Shrimp. Both are amazing but their bread really is ridiculously good! For entree's we had the NY Strip and a Filet and for sides, we chose the baked potato "Gnocchi" and the steamed asparagus. The steaks were cooked to perfection and the baked potato gnocchi is something everyone should try once! Quite decadent with all the cheese but amazing! And we did have to try the dessert and went with a simple crème brulee which like everything else, was superb.
I will assume all the servers are amazing, but Stephanie really was amazing! Her timing was always perfect. I never felt rushed. Whether we were quick or slow, every serving came out at exactly the right time. She left us alone when we were engaged in conversation but was also very personable. Every suggestion she made was spot on! Again, the Blanton's was so amazing. And I genuinely enjoy the extra touch with the choice of steak knives!
The ambiance, the personal attention and the food. This really is the the perfect restaurant! It was only our first time here but we expect to be back again soon. It might be a little pricey but as they always say, "you get what you pay for" and for the service and the food... J Carver's is well worth it.
Dining at its finest....A MUST!
So glad I made ressies for this steakhouse. Originally, I had plans for another steakhouse BUT my foodie friend said J Carvers just opened and I HAVE to go there. First off, I’m not really a big steakhouse kinda gal, because the hubby can grill a pretty good steak himself. But being it was our anniversary, and we were on vacation, I said why not.
Made ressies easily on OpenTable. It’s a fairly large place, but they are also super packed so try to make ressies earlier than later.
Upon arrival, our table was not ready, so they had us wait in a makeshift waiting area. This was really the only downfall. The area we waited had no standing room and just two chairs that were already occupied by another couple. I’d say we waited about 10 minutes for our table and 3-4 more groups tried to squeeze in. I felt bad bc the waiters were trying to get by with hot plates and we were just bombarding their area. If there is one thing they can fix, it’s having a real waiting area. I mean that’s not the worst right? If you’re crowded, that just means your food is THAT good!
Ok, on to the pros.
No joke, we had 5-6 different people wish us a happy anniversary. I forgot I had mentioned this in the OpenTable reservation. It was a nice touch along with the card that was signed by many staffers. Our server was Nora, and she was SUPER attentive and very helpful in helping us decide what to order, since it was our first time. If all servers were like Nora, life would be so easy!
The food is super delish, and quality was really good. I had a Caesar salad, and the hubby had the lobster bisque. We then shared a 10-ounce filet (they ran out of NY Strip by 8:30pm), blue crab fried rice, a beet salad, and a toffee affogato. EVERYTHING WAS DELISH! We ran out of gas and took a bit of the steak and fried rice home; it made for a good lunch the next day. Oh, we also had two cocktails, but I forget what it was called. Definitely NOT watered down here.
Honestly, this was our first visit to Austin and the hubby and I collectively decided J Carver was by far the best place we dined at. Well, Red Ash as well, but they are the same owners.
Overall, a great experience in terms of food and service. Whether it’s date night, family night, girls night, mens night…..this is your place. Wil definitely be back when we are in town.