Cafe Josie

Tasting/​chef menu was incredible. I can’t say enough good things about the food. The Brussel sprouts, Mac n cheese, short ribs, and shrimp were the favorites. I would give 5 stars but they only serve beer and wine. No cocktails. :(. It was a great place for a big group.

Food is quite good but an odd interaction with a staff person who bowled past me as I tried to enter the restaurant is what really stood out.

Visiting from out of town (and on our baby moon) my hubby and I were really looking forward to dining here. Unfortunately I got a stomach bug the day we arrived. We didn’t want to cancel the reservation since it was our only opportunity to eat there on our trip, so I sat through dinner watching my hubby savor one course after the next while I enviously looked on. I just had no appetite after yakking all day. It was a real bummer. He thoroughly enjoyed pretty much every dish in the «experience» which was their fixed price menu. Since this was only served if everyone from the table orders it, I was charged as well, even though I didn’t have any :(

Wow what a great selection of small plate dishes. Dine with great food and wine. Highly recommend getting «The Experience» unlimited small plates of great food. We will be back.

Delicious, light food that honors vegetables.

Now they offer «The Experience» which lets you select from a list of items for a set price — an all you can eat type model. The food was awesome and the little plates allowed us to taste numerous dishes. The calamari was one of my favorites and the buttermilk pie was amazing. The staff is very professional and personable. What a gem! Try it!

Our new favorite restaurant. Ordered the prix fixe «experience» and it was truly amazing. Our favorites were the Brussels sprouts, fried chicken, shrimp and grits and Mac and cheese. We tried about 75% of menu and everything was amazing. Excellent service and nice ambience. We will definitely be back to enjoy this gem of a restaurant

Had Café Josie for our Valentines Day dinner. The atmosphere was not too formal/​not to casual. The only menu being offered was the ‘Experience Menu’ which I thought was a good way to try different things. We had about 10 dishes — fried oisters, Brussels sprouts, calamari, srimp, pork loin, Mac and cheese, fried chicken, and the brisket which was our favorite!
All of the dishes were delicious, some more than others, but consistently good.
The service was very friendly.
Would def suggest checking it out!

Food was phenomenal. We had their pre fixe bottomless tapas menu and tried about 9 different things on the menu. Everything was on point. Everything was beautifully balanced and well seasoned. We found it highly impressive that the chef could execute 9 dishes at such a high level. Though it ended up being a tad pricey, I’m glad we got to try it all and we’ll know what’s good to get as a single entrée (cheaper) next time… everything! Atmosphere was very nice, perhaps a converted old farmhouse? Server was great. Took our order of many things and organized them to come out very thoughtfully and deliciously! We’ll certainly be back!

Café Josie is going down hill.
We’ve had many nice experiences here in the past, but the last couple of times have been complete misses. It’s too bad because we really want to love this place. It’s the perfect atmosphere, great location, and the wine and beer selection is always solid.
However, the past two times, service was mediocre and the food was below average. The portions are shrinking and the prices are rising. The higher entrée prices push you the $ 40 unlimited eating «experience» they started in 2016. But if you’re not starving, you should be able to get an entrée and feel somewhat full. We ordered four appetizers and four entrees (with drinks, ~$ 200) between the four of us, and we were all still hungry at the end of the meal. One appetizer and one entrée tasted good, the rest were below average.
There are too many better restaurants in Austin. Unfortunately, we’re crossing this place off our rotation.

Absolutely delicious! My friend and I visited Café Jose for lunch. Surprisingly there was no one in the restaurant. Service was fast and friendly. I really enjoyed the complimentary bread with the savory butter spread before my meal. Try the Wagyu Burger! Lots of good flavor and there are even fried pickles and bacon onion jam on the burger. Hope to come back for dinner soon to try ‘the Experience’!

A TOP TEN DINNER AWARD FROM US
So, I am updating this review because Café Josie has changed!
My husband and I already knew we loved Café Josie’s brussels sprouts (affectionately known as brussels sprouts crack in our house!) and we had been impressed enough with the dishes we had tried there in the past to get a little adventurous and try out «The Experience.»
$ 40 gives you «all you can eat» tasting plates of some of the most delicious food you can imagine. Go slow, savor, and don’t over order, because there is an additional charge for that!
We naturally started with brussels sprouts (amazing as usual and we had another order for dessert!), but we added Grilled Okra with Preserved Lemon and Chimichurri Sauce (pardon me while I moan in ecstasy at the memory of those smoky and piquant flavors!); Crispy Pork Belly with whipped Bleu Cheese, Sambal Vin and Celery (think spicy buffalo wings on steroids-​YUM!); Smoked Pork Loin with Mashed Sweet Potato, Dijon Rum Glaze, and Cider Butter (such a perfectly balanced dish and so appropriate on a chilly winter evening); and what we considered the piece de resistance… Fried Chicken.
This is not your usual fried chicken. It is succulent, savory, perfectly cooked and draped over one of the best biscuits we have ever tasted. Pamp’s biscuit is based on an old family recipe from the chef’s grandmother and he has perfected it into art. Light, fluffy, crispy, buttery… everything you want a biscuit to be, and not so big that it overwhelmed the fried chicken. They top this amazing dish with a Carmelized Garlic Gastrique and Maple Butter, just to send you completely over the edge. This dish is limited to one per person, and I can see why! Once you try it, you will want another.
Impeccable service from our very knowledgeable waiter, Nathan, a visit from the Manager, and our evening was perfect. We decided this dinner was in our top ten from over 30 years of dining together all over the world.
If you haven’t been to Café’ Josie, you are missing out.

This week, Café Josie introduced a new price fixe concept that won’t destroy your budget. $ 40 for all you can eat from a long list of small plates (items already on their menu) with a couple of caveats (only one each of a shrimp and chicken (??) dish). I’m slightly baffled by the incorrect menu on their website, as the Calamari was not as described there and Duck Prosciutto was not an offering on our menu last night but a pork belly was…
I hadn’t been to this quaint little restaurant in quite some time, but I remembered it fondly from the days when we had fewer choices in Austin and West 6^th had a certain cache due to it’s relative unpopular location (things have changed!)
Our service last night was attentive and helpful, although she wouldn’t compete well against the stellar and knowledgeable servers at a place like odd duck or the nearby Clark’s. The ambiance is nice and cozy and we were comfortable and felt relaxed.
Of the 15 or so offerings, we tried 8, so I feel I can give a fair representation :)
Things we loved:
Fried Brussels Sprouts (move over Salty Sow, these have yours beat)
Pecan Pimiento Cheese
Shrimp & Grits (OMG, I wish they would add more of the chow chow and send me the recipe) We each ordered this, so we bagged our limit on this one.
Things we liked:
Fried Oysters – they were a tad salty
Grilled Redfish – the fish could have been fresher
Fried Chicken– I honestly don’t see why there is a limit, it wasn’t that big a deal (Salty Sow, you’re in no danger here)
Crisp Pork Belly (I thought this was meh, but the man liked it, so it made this list)
Things we disliked:
Fried Calamari – over salted (extremely) and bland
The wine and beer (no cocktails) list are small and beer is only served in bottles or cans, but the prices are extremely reasonable and the list was carefully chosen. I tried two different reds, and greatly preferred a Petite Sirah from Colorado. At $ 11 for a full pour, the Café is infinitely more fair than the competition.
We’ll go back and try some of the other items for sure!
Comments for the owners:
If we arrive when the restaurant is almost empty (and we have a reservation) why put us at a table for 2 when a table for 4 would be more comfortable?
Please lay off the salt.
It was clear our server was nervous about us «eating» too much for our $ 40. Everyone needs to take a chill pill, or consider doing a simple 5 small plate deal for $ 40. You’d still be blowing the doors off the pretentious restaurants that have blossomed like weeds in our city.
The «rules» are offensive, please read about the chill pill (above)
If the host is going to come over and chat it up with folks he knows, he should check on everyone in the place. The intimate setting makes things like that stand out. (He was very friendly upon our exit)
You might consider adding a couple of dessert bites to the menu. They generally cost less and are filling. Plus, finishing off with something sweet is a nice touch. We were offered dessert, but I cannot imagine anyone doing that after consuming 4 small plates.
Great job on being innovative and truly Austin value friendly.

Don’t put up with rude and inappropriate behavior.
We booked our reservation on Open Table and received an e-​mail confirmation. The e-​mail didn’t say anything about having to call them to confirm the reservation by phone (that’s the whole point of an app — you don’t need to call). Apparently, that was not enough because they called my phone and left a message that said if I didn’t call them back in the next few hours they would cancel my confirmed reservation which is exactly what they did. When I finally saw my voicemail and called they made no effort to accommodate us and the manager was rude and just said that he gave me ample time to respond. We don’t need to put up with this kind of behavior. There are plenty of great restaurants in Austin. We ended up eating at Max’s Wine Dive where they were able to squeeze us in on New Year’s Eve even though we were calling last minute.

The tucked back location of the venue made our lunch seem like a hidden secret shared among close friends. The soft music left volume for intimate conversation and the gallery art on the walls offered a softened touch to the woodwork. The food was crisp and fresh while maintaining that Austin savoriness which will have me coming back. Great service and fantastic eats!

Went here last night with 3 other people. I had only been one other time a few years ago. I was blown away. The Brussels were amazing, the Thai soup was so yummy. My salmon was alright, but I order salmon everywhere I go and I am picky. The crème brûlée, chocolate mouse was over the top. Corey — our waiter was super knowledgeable. He provided great wine pairings. He was very informative and attentive without annoying my husband who is usually annoyed by waiters. Great experience. We will be back!

Absolutely wonderful! Even the ketchup is house made and has a deep rich flavor. The wedge salad with salmon and mine the special of the day, a rib meat sandwich on a baguette was to die for!

Business lunch at Café Josie last week. We started with some shared snacks for the table: Chips, olives and brussels sprouts. The brussels sprouts were amazing! 1 star of this is for that dish alone. The chips had a nice tangy spice powder on them and the olives were olives. Had we stopped there, this would have been a glowing review. Unfortunately, my burger left a lot to be desired.
The waiter didn’t ask me how I wanted my burger cooked which was odd, and it was served well done. The meat patty was also too small for the bun (it might sound weird but you don’t notice or think about the meat to bread ratio until it’s off). There was a bacon jam on top that was so disgustingly sweet I had to scrape it off. After eating ²⁄₃ of it, I just felt disappointed. My colleague said her fish tacos were very disappointing as well. The sea scallop portion was very small, but my colleague finished the plate so maybe that’s the best bet?
Service was a bit spotty at times but overall fine. I didn’t have to pay and I think the biggest tell about my feelings for this place is that I would not rush back even for another free meal here. (Except maybe the brussels sprouts.)

Great food — quiet, peaceful environment… We will be back. Nice people as well!!!

It’s behind clarks. there’s a lot off 5^th street for parking. quiet intimate kind of bare atmosphere but still a nice date spot.
must:
fried oysters– can these always be served with manchego from now on everywhere? lovely aioli and chipotle sauces as well. these went fast
goat ribs– i stole my sisters and i’d gladly do it again. these perfectly cooked tender ribs with confit cherry tomatoes and blue corn grits are what musts are made of.
smoked brisket– i only had one bite but wanted more. chorizo gastrique! um, yes please, in a vat! all the entrees except the duck were perfectly cooked.
maybe:
Desserts
Crème brûlée/​Chocolate mousse/​Cheese Cake/​Bourbon Coke Float– all the desserts were executed well and devoured. I will say that the mousse says milk chocolate online but mine had a bitter dark chocolate taste that was off putting for me but it was light and fluffy.
red snapper– my sister loved it. i wasn’t a fan of the seasoning but the fish was cooked to perfection!
fried brussel sprouts-​i like mine charred as much as the next but these were a little too charred for me. that aftertaste was not for me. these weren’t inedible and the candied pecans were a nice touch, just not exceptional.
Miss
Soft Shell Crab app– didn’t have the freshest taste and nothin special. go for the oysters.
Duck Breast– poorly executed chewy and i can’t recall the seasoning but tasted like Christmas (was it apple? cinnamon? can’t recall) just wrong to me. The blue cornbread was moist and just a tad sweet… YUM. i’d order a side of that!
Cocktails– all three of the wine/​beer? cocktails my friend ordered were bad. Avoid sangria here. :/​i’d just stick to beer/​wine by itself here.
service was attentive and friendly. it’s a nice quiet date spot. No rush to go back but it’s worth a try for sure.

Very nice place for moon lite dinner.
Ordered the quail with a bottle of Halter Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2010.
Quail was done perfectly, but the Cab I cannot recommend.

Wow, just got back from my first experience here. I had the blackened red-​fish which was excellent — super savory and delicious. For desert I split the cheesecake which was AMAZING — not too sweet and presented in a really unique way.
Besides being a bit out of my price range (was treated by family), this place was excellent and provided a good wine selection.

The food is wonderful (we got the tomato salad, grilled octopus as starters and quail, snapper, 2 sirloins for entrees). The server was amazing. Knew a ton about wine and made great recommendations for food. The ambiance of the place (for dinner) was perfect. Not too loud, not too bright and although we didn’t use it, the outdoor seating is very inviting for warmer weather nights. Highly recommend Café Josie!

I was in town and was looking for someplace unique to eat. What a restaurant! The menu fit on a single card, but they were some of the most unique combinations and entrees I have ever seen in a restaurant. The wine selection is extensive, and the food blew me away. I had goat ribs with quinoa, almonds, and cilantro, and I would highly recommend it, although any dish sounds equally appetizing. I have a feeling that these menus change, so this restaurant definitely has return value. But why are you still reading this? Go!

Café Josie has become one of my favorite restaurants in Austin. I’ve gone a few times to just sit at the bar and enjoy a couple appetizers and drinks with friends, but this week was the first time I went for the full dinner experience and I loved every single bite of it!
Out server was very attentive and right away I started with a Malbec featured on their nice list of reasonably priced wines. I can be pretty picky about wine and without even prompting him our server asked if I would like to taste the Malbec before getting the full glass. Much appreciated, and ultimately the wine was great so I ended up with a couple glasses by the end of the meal.
For appetizers we ordered the brussels sprouts and rabbit confeit. In my opinion these are both MUST DOs.
For entrees we ordered the Goat Ribs, the Red Fish, and the Braised Short Rib. All dishes were cooked to perfection. The Goat Ribs slid off the bone, the Red Fish was paired with 2 flavorful sauces that complimented the fish wonderfully, and The Braised Short Rib (which was the ultimate highlight of my meal), was ridiculously tender and an absolute treat to my taste buds. It’s rare when a meal that starts off with a bang and ends on an even higher note, but that was the case with my visit to Café Josie.
Lastly, for dessert we tried the Crème Brûlée and the Milk Chocolate Mousse. I was absolutely stuffed, but somehow we managed to finish both! I’m a bit of a Crème Brûlée snob and in my opinion this was done exactly the way it should be – if you have even the slightest bit of room left after trying all of my other recommendations, this is another MUST.
In a city where there is a new restaurant popping up every week, it’s sometimes hard to decide what is worth trying. I can say definitively that Café Josie is worth trying! My experience from start to finish was fantastic.

Seems like a fancy place… I think. 3 stars for lunch, dinner TBD.
I went for lunch, and had been meaning to for awhile now, or at least every time I go to Clark’s nearby. It is located basically behind Clark’s (from 6^th street). It was almost empty when I went, but it was a very late lunch at around 1:40. But I was famished, and not really too worried about a social scene. The lunch menu was fairly expensive and limited, and the waiters well dressed in lots of black and white clothing, a little arrogant (maybe I misinterpreted their awkward pauses in response to my inquiries?), tables covered in fine table clothes, etc… which is why I think it is a fancy place. The reason I question if it was fancy is it had almost an indoor patio feel to it (the flooring, the lighting, the bathrooms, etc). I liked it, actually, just a bit of a conundrum.
The lunch was a range of higher-​end priced items, such as a $ 30 fish option, and a range of other dishes (chicken, pork, etc). They did have a good beer and wine menu. I decided to go greasy, and got the fish and chips, which was actually the cheapest item at $ 13. The fries were pretty amazing… lots of flavor. The fish too was good, but only a few bites of fish, making it perhaps the smallest portion of fish I’ve ever eaten, outside of sushi.
My overall impression of the place is that it is a nice place that probably has a great ambiance for a high end dinner (I picture lots of candles, but could be wrong). I would go again, but next time for dinner, and planning to spend about $ 100 a person with a couple glasses of wine each.

I couldn’t add a better review! This is my new favorite place. Good wine, amazing food! I went in during the day, friendly bartender and super friendly manager/​owner. Again… Amazing food!
Try the Brussels sprouts

Typically I save my reviews until after 2 – 3 visits. Nevertheless this review is from my initial visit.
I arrived with my parents for an early 6:30 pm weekday dinner. Just tucked away off 6^th Street, I very much liked the location, ambiance, and interior décor.
After ordering glasses of wine, we started with two appetizers – Crispy Gulf Oysters and Grilled Octopus. Despite the high price of the appetizers we selected, there were scant oysters and octopus on both places. There were 2x as many potatoes as there were octopus [bites]. Next time I’ll skip the Grilled Octopus and choose something else.
For dinner, I opted for the Red Snapper Udon. The presentation bowl was a bit too shallow for my tastes, and being Japanese, this was the first time I’ve eaten a «Japanese» soup-​based dish with a fork. The red snapper was cooked perfectly, and the dish was pretty good. However, the dashi was a bit overpowering with a chemical aftertaste. But I have yet to find dashi made as well as in Japan or by my mom.
In terms of rating this visit, I would have given Café Josie a 3.5. But, since I can’t, and I can’t justify giving it 4 stars, I’m settling with three.
This being said, I’m hoping it was an off night, and I would like to try this place again.