Russell's Bistro - Austin

On Friday, we took my 93-year-old dad to this restaurant to celebrate Father's Day. He specifically wanted a place that served Eggs Benedict and had outdoor seating. He found his meal to be decent. I had a delicious hot croissant and my husband enjoyed a fantastic cheeseburger. Overall, it was a wonderful dining experience.

Actually, we usually go here because it's the nearest restaurant to work. The food is good, however, the service is efficient and they have a beautiful covered outdoor dining area that is not directly on a large street. And it's right next to Andersen's coffee.

Everything was fine except for when the waiter asked what we would like to have. We hesitated no knowing who was going first. No indication from him. He sarcastically said “well I can’t read you minds”. Also he offered a taste of wine and then never brought it.

I would really like to see Russell's succeed because we need a good, vibrant restaurant to succeed in West Austin. My husband and I enjoy going to Russell's for coffee. They serve Anderson coffee from next door, which is delicious. They have nice baked goods. The lunch menu is lacking and the service can be bad. We decided to give Russell's for dinner another try last night. I ordered 3 vegetable sides and they were all tasty. My husband ordered the pork. The waiter said it came with mashed potatoes and he could choose a second side. He chose the Brussel sprouts with blueberries. When his dinner came we were both taken back!! Chunks of pork were mixed into this mound of mashed potatoes and the blueberries from the side dish were rolling around. It truly looked like someone had already eaten the dinner the threw it up on the plate. Very unappetizing. I am giving up on Russell's.

We ate several different appetizers and sides, and they were delicious. The salmon entree was good. The restaurant was quiet, so it was delightful that we could have a conversation easily without having to shout. We ate on the enclosed patio, so the chairs were outdoor chairs that were not especially comfortable, but that was fine (we had the option to eat inside where the chairs would have been different, but we preferred outside). Although they serve wine, we instead chose to pay their corking fee and bring our own wine, which is always our preferred option (and not available at many restaurants). The service was excellent. Our preference was to linger over the meal (we spent 2.5 hours at our meal), and they were happy to accommodate us and let us order our next round of food slowly. It was a very enjoyable meal, and we would definitely recommend this restaurant.