Louie’s 106

So sad this restaurant closed down, it was one of two restaurants that I consider the best ever– the other being Café de l’Esplanade in Paris.

Short version:
Food: Meh
Service: Spotty
Cost: A little pricey, but would be ok if the food were better
Repeat: Not Likely
Longer version:
The best part of the «dining experience» was the company I was with. A friend and I had plans to do ARW together and last minute a couple I love but never get to see joined us. So it is to their credit that the experience was a positive one, Louie’s was a bit of a dissapointment overall.
The waiter was barely present. I got up a couple times to get things myself. The food was ok. just ok. Not great, not amazing, just o-​k.
I ordered the escargot, which WAS good (the highlight, definitely), then the Seafood Risotto (lukewarm at best, scallops were pretty rubbery and bland, the texture and flavor of the risotto was not nearly the quality I expected). It was edible, but not delicious. I ended with the Crème brûlée, which was pretty good, but didn’t blow me away or anything.
Between the champagne, wine, and company I had a great time, but surrounded by mediocre food and service. Glad I went to try it out, but more than likely I’ll visit the cute French Bistro nearby rather than make a return trip here.

A shade above Decent: Went there especially for the Paella and the Roasted Duck. Unfortunately no Roasted Duck available and the Paella was not worth the trip. However, the service was excellent and the food off the tapas menu was better than expected. Atmosphere was laid back and quiet for a restaurant on a Saturday night (no complaints there). Average price of an entrée was about $ 22. If I had a choice I would go back there and try some of the other dishes on the menu because they did seem interesting. We had he
Crunchy soft shell crab: it was OK (appetizer)
Chicken sausage: Delicious (Tapas menu)
Beef tenderloin with Moroccan BBQ sauce: Delicious (Tapas)
Seared Ahi Tuna: Good (Tapas)
Paella: Not so good, not enough saffron, rice, and lacked true flavor (Entrée)
All in all, I give this restaurant 2.5 stars.

I visited Louie’s 106 with four of my favorite ladies Wednesday evening. This was my first visit to this place… so a review is in order. It’s restaurant week, but the three courses for $ 35 is part of their regular menu… which turned out to be a pretty good deal in my opinion. I definitely left satisfied.
We arrived and sat in the bar for a cocktail prior to our reservation. They don’t have a cocktail menu per say, but the vodka martini I ordered was perfect. Beautiful bar, beautiful restaurant. Perfect dim lighting, warm colors and old world dark wood and brass décor.
The service was excellent. No problems with our party of five reservation. The hostess was pleasant and our server was helpful and gave good recommendations.
So on to the most important part… We all ordered off the fixed price menu, so we started with Ahit Tuna Tar Tar, Avocado with Lump Crab, Escargot, and Beef Carpaccio. I ordered the Beef Carpaccio and even though it was pretty good, I was a little bummed that I hadn’t ordered the Tuna or the Escargot instead. They were really wonderful and the couple bites that were shared with me just weren’t enough. I was left wanting more of both of those! And let me just say, the escargot the best I’ve had recently. It was buttery, garlicky and wonderful. I recently had some somewhere else that I really liked, but this was even better. The texture of the meat wasn’t rubbery like some I’ve tried, perfectly succulent… very fresh.
Next our entrees came out. I ordered the Moroccan Pork Tenderloin which was covered with a savory sauce that had a lot of depth, really tasty, and the meat was cooked perfectly. It came with potatoes that were whipped with garlic and fresh herbs… delicious! I was definitely pleased with what I ordered. Other entrées I sampled were the Risotto with scallops and shrimp, which was my other favorite entrée…I think I liked it about as much as what I had and will probably order it next time. It was creamy and full of flavor and the scallops and shrimp were cooked just right. I also tried the beef sirloin with Louie butter. Oh wow… I don’t typically order steak, but I tried my friend’s and it was fabulous. Great cut of meat, cooked just right… I think it was the sauce that put that one over the top though. How can you go wrong with butter?
For dessert, we had Crème brulee and flourless chocolate cake. The cake was good, but there’s was something extra tasty about that crème brulee… it has a smattering of vanilla bean ground to a powder on the bottom of the dish. It was like a little treasure at the bottom and so I wound up scraping the bowl to get every last bit! Nice touch.
I didn’t ask for a wine recommendation, but the bottle of Pinot Noir I ordered turned out to be a good compliment to my Pork Medallions. Someone at the table ordered a white wine flight and she was really happy with the selection and portions included in the flight.
I’m looking forward to my next visit and would definitely recommend this place. If I could give this place 4 ½ stars, I would.

We visited Louise for Austin Restaurant Week. It was a pleasant visit, but it left something to be desired. Trouble is I’m not sure what…
The highlight was the fried avocado. It was something like I imagine Trudy’s and Torchy’s tacos love child would be. It had cilantro, which I actually hate, but I quite enjoyed it in this dish. And that doesn’t happen very often. And yeah, it was good, but I would expect a little something more from a restaurant like this. The steak was okay. Nothing spectacular, and actually a little chewier rather than tender, and not incredibly flavorful. The crème brûlée was fine, but nothing outstanding. It seems that I could say something along these lines, «it was (good/​fine/​okay) but not (amazing/​wonderful)» for just about everything. And in my humble opinion, when you dine in a restaurant of this caliber (and for this price, I might add) you want to be able to say the latter to most everything.
The service however, was spot on. When we got to the restaurant it seemed that our reservation had gone missing… They said no matter, and seated us immediately.
Overall, my expectations were not quite met, and as this has been my only visit, perhaps next time will be different.

I went there tonight for restaurant week and honestly I wouldn’t go back. I am not sure if it was just an off night or what. I ordered the crab and avocado salad, which was dry and lacked flavor. There isn’t much crab either, really it’s a half of an avocado with a couple of crab pieces on top. For the main course I had the NY strip and the sauces were good, but the steak was overdone and potatoes were not cooked all the way through and lacked flavor.
I also tried the tuna tartare and I have to say this was good. The service was also pretty good, but there seem to be a confusion at the front of the house as to when the restaurant would open. They weren’t sure if it was 5:30 or 6… weird.
Anyway, not a real fan of this place and I probably wouldn’t go back.

Great vodka martinis and a good wine selection. Food is great, service is great — price goes along with all of this.
Been here for dinner a few times and drinks a few times after that. Never found any problems.
If you’re looking for a break from SXSW, hang out here for a couple of drinks and appetizers at the bar to take the edge off.

I give this place props because it’s one of the only places I’ve ever eaten really delicious lamb. Far too often the lamb is excessively fatty and greasy and leaves an oil slick on everything. Your fork, your plate, your maw.
Sides were great, had some red wine that the server recommended that I can’t really remember know. But that lamb was the real deal.
The only things working against this place is the price and the location. Definitely reserve a trip to this place for special occasions, or try to get a special or groupon or something. And there isn’t any close parking, unless you want to be gouged by the valet.

This is my favorite «special occasion» restaurant. The food I have had here is FAB-​U-​LOUS.
I always start with the gazpacho. They top it with crab meat and avocado, and sweet Jesus… it is one of the best things I have ever tasted.
For the main course, I have tried the Moroccan pork, which is tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned. I have also tried the sea bass… not the most politically correct choice, but hey, it’s not like I eat here every week. It melts in your mouth like butter… I’ve never tasted anything like it. And it’s also perfectly seasoned.
Dessert…why not just get the sampler and split it with someone? Everything is awesome.
My only complaint about this place is that the wait staff tends to have a bit of an attitude… the first time I came, the waitress was a bit huffy until she realized (or at least it appeared this way to us) that we were going to be racking up a huge bill. The last time I was there (for my birthday), during our dessert, I noticed our waiter standing with some other wait staff. He stared over at our table, made a comment to the other waiters, and they all started laughing. I don’t know what that was about, and perhaps it was nothing, but it came off as pretty rude.
But, all in all, the service isn’t so bad that it will keep me away from my gazpacho! I’ll be back.

In town for business, found this place on Unilocal,it was near my hotel, and sounded promising.
I had pretty high expectations from the 4 star review, and it did not disappoint. I’d give them 4.5 stars if I could (5 stars is reserved for a place that has the perfect Manhattan waiting for me when I sit down the first time I go (notice it is the perfect Manhattan, not a perfect Manhattan. That magnificent libation should never be sullied with dry vermouth. Never.)).
They didn’t manage that, but I did have 3 very nice glasses of Cabernet. And the ahi tartar, basil pesto bruschetta, and ravioli empanadas, and the tiramisu. Why is firefox so bad at spell checking food words? WTF?! All the dishes I had were great. I would definitely go again, and would highly recommend it to friends.
Small plates and wine on a business trip? Really? 6 years ago it would have been a burger and as much beer as my expense account allowed. Apparently living in San Francisco does make you more gay. Even if you’re straight, and engaged to a woman. FYI.
Also, Unilocal is just as bad at spell checking as firefox.

Seriously. Amazing. We went there for Austin restaurant week tonight, and I had to come straight home and review it on Unilocal (yeah i know, a little over zealous). I had a 3 course meal.
For the appetizer: Flash fried avocado with lump crab «ceviche» style and Tabasco aioli. This was honestly probably the best part of the night.
Entrée: Saffron Risotto with diver scallops, jumbo shrimp, shitake mushrooms, and lobster consommé. I’m not big in to Risotto honestly, but it was really really good
And for Dessert: Crème Brulee
Mmmm. I’m stuffed to the point of being sick, and my mouth is still watering just reading what i wrote. I won’t even go into what my husband got, I’ll dive in to the leftovers here and now if i do.
Finally, to complete the perfection — at Louie’s 106 you can get wine flights. You don’t even have to pick which wine you want! Seriously. Amazing.

After seeing the bats and a failed attempt to eat at Uchi, we walked all the way to Louie’s where my boyfriend had made a back-​up reservation. We were starving and I would have eaten just about anything at that moment. Maybe that’s why I remember Louie’s tasting so good. Or maybe it was actually that amazing.
It’s a really romantic place at night, definitely a good date spot. I can only speak for the New York strip steak, but it tasted great along with the rosemary potatoes which were seasoned well.
I give it five stars not just for the meal but for the overall experience. Everything was very pleasant — the atmophere, our server, the food, the way everyone in the restaurant seemed to be having a good time…
If the memory of a restaurant can bring a smile to my face, it definitely deserves five stars.

This restaurant is busy, but big enough so that you do not have to wait to be seated. They accept reservations but its not necessary.
On the night we were there, they had a prefixed three course meal include appetizer, entrée, and dessert for $ 50. I can’t remember what I selected for my appetizer, but I order the lamb and my husband got the paella. The lamb was very tender and delicious, and the portion was big. My husband’s paella was filled with seafood, and the rice was flavorful and cooked perfectly.
I got the flourless chocolate dessert which was too rich. It was like eating a semisweet chocolate bar. The ice-​cream helped balance out the chocolate but as soon as the ice cream ran out I gave up on the chocolate.
Their wine selection was excellent, we tried a bottle of California red pinot and a rose wine. I also recommend valet since its $ 6 and the restaurant is open pretty late so you can eat and then stroll downtown to digest the food.

We went to Louie’s for the first time last night, and it was a fabulous experience. Reasonably priced wine and, had I been with other drinkers, I might have taken advantage of the half-​off all bottles of wine special they were running. Could’ve gotten a bottle for as low as $ 18 — not bad for this classy a place. Alas, I was not going to down it all myself in front of my non-​drinking dinner date. By the glass it was.
The scenery was vintage romantic, and the waiter was awesome. The tapas menu was more diverse (the main menu was largely seafood-​based) which made it easier for my seafood-​averse guest. Having been to Malaga, I was shocked at how (comparatively) ginormous these tapas were. From the tapas menu we got: meatballs and linguine, goat cheese bruschetta, and the Moroccan spiced beef tips. $ 6-​$ 8 each? Thank you. Flavorful? Oh yes. Since we were just sharing and sampling for dinner, the waiter was smart enough to suggest bringing out the bruschetta tapas with the app we ordered, three cheese ravioli (delicious) to start, and the other two tapas for my date’s dinner.
My dinner: Moroccan spiced pork tenderloin medallions. It’s a long name for the culinary love of my life, but I wouldn’t introduce him any other way. The flavors — ! The dimensions — ! My date was momentarily abandoned while I sighed dreamily and ate as much as I could before packing it to go; it was a large course. The marriage of flavors on this one was blissfully on point.
Our waiter was a genius. He noticed my folded coupon early on and had no problem being courteous and accommodating throughout. I can’t say I have always had the same experience in all places *cough*Fino*ahem*cough*. It would definitely be a great place to go with girlfriends for happy hour, too. It was so refreshing to have a fine dining experience with great service, delicious food, and enjoyable scenery.

We went to Louis 106 for Restaurant Week. Overall it was a good experience… Here is the break down:
Appetizers: 5 Stars
Ahi Tuna Tartar for me, Fried Avocado with crab salad for hubby
The tuna had a nice blend of flavors (avocado, onion, miso, soy, perhaps some basil?) and was completely enjoyed. I had a bite of the Fried Avocado and it was delicious, but when does a fried food ever taste bad?
Entrees: 3 Stars
Shrimp and Scallop Saffron Risotto for me, Steak for the hubby
The shrimp and scallop were cooked perfectly. The risotto was just okay, not very creamy and didn’t have a lot of flavor
The steak was more fatty than meaty. The parts that I tasted had a wonderful flavor, but we just wished that it was more edible.
Desserts: 3 Stars
Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee for me, Flourless Chocolate Cake for the hubby
Both desserts were good, not great. The cake was dense with a deep chocolate flavor and the brulee tasted like typical custard.
Service: 4 Stars
Our server was attentive without being overbearing and seemed to show up at all of the right times.
I think Louis 106 deserves a solid 3.5 but because they offered wine flights for under $ 11 (for most wines), and the restaurants romantic ambiance I’ll bump them up to 4 stars

I would normally never write a bad review of a restaurant I haven’t tried, but I just had to tell everyone how rudely I was treated over the phone just now while trying to get a reservation to this place. I wish I would have got «Mr. Personality’s» name when I spoke to him. Although from reading some of the other reviews of this place, it would have done me no good to complain to management anyway!
I told him I wanted to make a reservation for tonight and he replied with a brusque, «What do you need?» I didn’t realize that he meant what time do you need since he didn’t say that, so I started to say that my husband and I would be coming there for dinner to celebrate our anniversary. He then rudely interrupted me and said snottily,
«I know. I know. What TIME do you need?!»
I said,
«You know what? Forget it.» and hung up.
There are plenty of nice restaurants to go to downtown without having to deal with a complete jerk just to get a reservation. I will be taking my business elsewhere.

PROS– Usually whenever you have «high» quality food you have smaller portions. I found these sizes to be really normal. The environment is very nice, low lighting, very cozy. They have a nice wine selection.
FOOD– After trying many of the best steak houses in this city, the steak was good, but I would never come here for steak alone. Especially when the prices compare to much better steak houses in Austin. Calamari plate is huge and worth trying. The trout… left much to be desired… I thought it was boring and the breading is one I make on occasion. The food was far from memorable, but I don’t regret spending money to try it.
I went for dinner during the week and the service was ok. I was going to order wine but after the waitress’s attitude regarding my age I decided against it. I was totally fine with showing her my ID, that wasn’t the issue, but she made a snide remark as if I was under 21 trying to pull something– which I think is unprofessional especially at a nicer restaurant.
I guess at these prices I just expect to find inventive food or well prepared classic food– in this case it was neither and the server really put me off to top it off.

I love Louie’s 106 and have been here several times. When you step into the place you really feel like you’ve left Texas and you’re in a major city such as Manhattan or Boston. The ambience is different than most typical restaurants w/​the dark wood and their food is spectacular. I love the Sea Bass and Seafood offerings, as well as their steaks are always well prepared.
They have an extensive wine list and the dessert offerings are very good. They only get 4 out of 5 stars because on my last 2 visits we waited way too long for our main course after getting our appetizers on time. The waitress said several times «it’s on it’s way» and 20 min later it finally came around. Oh well, overall this place is great and I would love to check out their happy hour (since I hear they have specials going on).

I could have sworn I wrote a review on this place when I actually went to Austin, but it either disappeared or I never wrote it.
Anyway, this place is nice and has a cool menu. I went becuase I thought they had tapas, but I felt like I really couldn’t figure out what was tapas and there didn’t seem to be many choices so we all just ordered food. The smart girls shared meals and the not so smart ordered alone and had too much food. It’s expensive and yes they will charge you for splitting it, but I felt it was worth it.

I came here after a long day of traveling and it was just what the doctor ordered. There was no wait, the place was only half full (or half empty?) but this could be due to the fact that locals were trying to stay away from us SxSWers.
One of the specials that night was venison and I thought I would try it because I was thinking «It’s my first time in Texas and I’m going to be adventureous.» Unfortunately, I was later informed that they were out of venison, so much for trying new things, huh?
So instead I had the roast duck on top of mushroom risotto per the suggestion of our waitress. Once my plate arrived, my dissappointment in missing the venison was no longer. The rissotto was delicious and the duck was excellent as well. My friends’ steaks were great as were these little wonton things filled with potato that the steaks came with.
I felt a little misled because I could have sworn the sign outside said «tapas.» Maybe the Texan definition of tapas is different from the Californian definition because to me this seemed more like fine dining than plates of food that can be shared among those at the table. Nevertheless, it was still great food. Nice, quiet atmosphere with dim lighting, and friendly waitstaff. Definitely a good date place.