Austin Restaurant Guide

The Emerald is a true Austin gem. Nestled away just West of Bee Cave right on Hiway 71, The Emerald provided my wife and I with a great dining experience once again. We held our table all night, talking and enjoying the food, wine, and each other. Truly a night to remember. The soups, entrees, wine, and desserts were all great. Traditional is an understatement. My time in Ireland was not that Irish! Very hearty portions, we always walk away with huge sets of leftovers to graze on for the next day.

Funny I just read the only review on this place and I had the COMPLETE opposite experience. I have no idea how anyone could think the food was not good. If you want an incredible Irish meal, go here! Yes, the place was fairly empty, only a couple other people which made it quite romantic actually. Every bit of the house is covered in shamrocks and lace. How can you get any more Irish than that in Austin? The Irish family that owns the place is really really friendly. We ordered the dinner for two which I would highly recommend. It included Irish soda breads (yummy), rack of lamb, lobster tails, steak, wonderful sides, and dessert. The presentation was beautiful, and had an incredible attention to detail. Just make sure you come hungry because it was a ton of food! The rack of lamb with mint jelly was AMAZING!! Our favorite. The sauces were to die for also, all homemade. It is very expensive, but if you go for a special dinner, it is totally worth it. I have absolutely no complaints except that I was stuffed :)

Not what we expected upon arrival. Some reviews say it's "quaint" or "romantic", but I disagree. The only other customer there when we arrived for our 7:00 p.m. reservation was the lizard that scurried across the floor of the old and erie cottage. The family that runs the restaurant attempts to make you feel as though you are at an upscale establishment, but their efforts felt forced and we felt awkward and uncomfortable as a result. The wine was the (only) best part of the meal. The bread was sweet and didn't go well as a starter or with the meal. The salad was shredded carrots on top of lettuice with some sweet/spicy tomato based dressing (no thanks). The average entree was $50, so don't go on there on a budget. Even if you want to share an entree, the least expensive entree for two people was $175. I ordered the veal w/ shrimp ($45) and I got a plate full of some sort of creamy sauce with what I think may have been a meat product underneath with a few mini shrimp sprinkled on top, plus a few vegetables and a small potato. I would have liked to leave after that, but the wine had enticed one of my guests to continue with the meal. The Irish coffee was a cup full of whipped cream and mint sprinkled on top (gross). The dessert-I just don't get combining an orange/tangerine taste in a chocolate pastry, I guess it's an Irish thing. Our total for four people equaled $336.58, after tax and tip. Based on my experience, the meal and the experience was barely worth half of what I payed. The bottom line is that they are way over-priced and flat out not worth going to in a city that has so much better to offer.