Austin Street Bistro

Absolutely wonderful! Great service, great atmosphere, great food and FREE cookies!!!

Really good food. It’s a little pricey but everything is made fresh and from scratch, so it’s worth it.

Delicious lunch with plenty of options– from hearty and filling to light and healthy.

This place is one of my absolute favorites. When coming here don’t expect to find a normal menu but do expect to find no matter how strange the combination of foods seem they are delicious together. I am 43 years old and up until last year I didn’t know maple butter existed. This stuff has got to be a close cousin to crack because I am addicted. The Southern Pork Chop over Gouda Grits has won the taste of Jefferson three times. One taste and you will know why.

We enjoyed our lunch here so much! Great service, great food! We often go to Jefferson for a little getaway and have passed this place by numerous times, but never again. We will be back! Mardi Gras sandwich is where it’s at!

Amazing! Everything was so good! I had the salmon. It was very good! Husband had the meetloaf. Loved it!

I come here every time I’m in Jefferson. Sometimes I even come for lunch and dinner. I’ve brought my business associates as well and all agree the food here is some of the best they have ever tasted. Including in much more expensive restaurants in San Antonio and Dallas.
I love love love the pork chop. It is really big so I usually get a to go box which they fix for you. I gave a bite to a friend when I got back to San Antonio and she said it was some of the best food she had ever tasted… and it was cold and day old. Also try the Crostinni as an appetizer. It is over the top good.

Shockingly haughty, rude and negligent. My mother and I went for a late lunch. The restaurant was moderately busy. We were seated. A waitress hands us menus, and ask what do we want to drink? «Could we have a minute please?» Many, many minutes later, as I watch the people who came in after us being served their wine, we still have not even received so much as a passing glance. Nice to be invisible I guess, accept when maybe you would like to order from a very over-​priced menu. We rose from our table and walked out. Maybe they noticed? The food may be good, I wouldn’t know thanks to the lack of service and utter indifference to patronage, and after that blatant disregard of my value as a customer, I will not go back to find out. Isn’t customer service essential to a restaurant s success? I had mistakenly wanted to try the Bistro for years… the last chance I had the air conditioner was out. As is, my money went else where.

A great little place for lunch or dinner.
The staff is attentive and pleasant, knowledgable about he dishes. More food per plate than you would expect from a place like this.
Had the tomato-​basil soup w/​crostini, incredible depth of flavor with garlic, parmigiana and caraway complimenting the tomato and basil.
The cheese platter features baked Brie, smoked Gouda, provolone, havarti, and a cream cheese w/​dried cranberries and spicy pepper. Served with fresh strawberry, blueberries and cherries, along with parm topped crostini.
The entrée, we had was the «rooster skin» a hash of garlic roasted potatoes, spicy Italian sausage, roasted chicken, roasted red peppers, portabello mushrooms and other veggies served over a Mariners sauce topped with cheeses and jalapeño if you like. Along with the entrée, comes a mixed salad of baby greens, dried cranberries, roasted walnuts and cherry tomatoes, dressed with their bacon balsamic vinaigrette. Also the dinner roll with maple butter was heavenly.
When in tiny little Jefferson, stop here if you like great tasting food!

A couple years ago, we had lunch at this bistro. I had the best tomato basil soup I have ever had. I did not remember the name of the place until now when I was checking Unilocal reviews for restaurants in Jefferson for our travel plans this weekend. I recreated this soup and make it all the time. It doesn’t have cream in it and the flavors are very intense. Looking forward to a visit!!!

Classic comfort food in an elegant yet laid back setting. I highly recommend the lasagna. Best restaurant in Jefferson and one I think about often.

They have the best food… In Jefferson Tx. If you go to Jefferson. I would recommend you to eat there… They have some delicious food!!! Mardi Gras is my favorite!!! It’s the best!!!

My husband and I eat at this restaurant every chance we can. The chicken salad is amazing, and their green house salad is great as well. I’ve had the chance to try most of their soups which are all great. My husband has tried other items such as the Mardi Gras sandwich and Shepard’s pie, and loves those as well. The home made bread is lovely, and all of the desserts are fantastic! Definitely stop by here if you have the chance.

A fairy tale.
Shocking? Shocking that food so delicious could be in East Texas… could be in a small town of 2100 in the middle of nowhere… could be hidden on a back street in a small town in the middle of Nowhere, East Texas? No, shocking that it is so damn good no matter where it is.
J’Kia, our waitress, was perfect. So was the heart and soul of this place, Jeanne McIntyre, I think she said. A beauty of talent, dedication and face, she has spun this little tale of romantic beauty into an unforgettable place to eat.
And I don’t care how much you eat, how full you feel, your life is not complete without her bread pudding.
The only thing to die for in this life is family, friends, country and God, but this comes in second.

We loved it. Food was great. Attentive service. I had the southern smothered pork chop and it was full of flavor and tender. Tremendous. Wife had the shepherds pie. Also a winner. So full we have to come back for the desserts that were very tempting.

Oh my gosh, what an incredible restaurant in historic downtown Jefferson. before our Saturday evening «ghost train» ride, of course, I relied on my fellow Unilocalers and they didn’t let me down.
I now wish I lived in Jefferson so I could dine at the Austin Street Bistro all the time. I would definitely be a regular.
Arriving at the bistro, we were warmly greeted by our server, Kia, when we walked into the very quaint bistro. What an incredible menu! There were so many selections it was hard to make a choice.
Kia, our server, suggested some of the bistro’s flavored iced teas. My wife ordered raspberry and I ordered mango. The teas were totally refreshing and flavorful.
After looking at the menu for a few minutes we had made our choices. My wife who is a huge chicken salad fan ordered the ½ chicken salad sandwich and side salad. I ordered the mushroom crostini!
My wife said her chicken salad was very delicious. The sandwich was packed full of chucks of chicken. Her salad was a beautiful mix of organic greens with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. My mushroom crostini consisted of a thick slice of homemade bread with melted herbed mozzarella. The bread was then covered with baby bellas and a burgundy wine sauce. Oh my, can you say rich. I am so happy I only order the appetizer instead of the entrée! It was all I could do to finish it.
Since we were still celebrating our 24^th anniversary, our server asked us what we’d like for dessert! The «house» wanted to give us a complimentary dessert. We both said «Cheesecake!» at the same time. The homemade cheesecake was topped with raspberry and caramel syrups! Seriously the cheesecake was so creamy. The crust, which we couldn’t figure out, seemed to consist of graham crackers crumbs and finely chopped nuts. WOW! it was absolutely divine.
If you’re ever in the Jefferson area, you’ve got to stop in at the Austin Street Bistro! You won’t be disappointed.

Delicious food, quaint and friendly atmosphere make this restaurant one of my all time favorites. Certainly the best restaurant in Jefferson. A must stop for any visitor to Jefferson.
There is always a wonderful special, the homemade soups are wonderful and the baked goods are scrumptious.

It’s amazing that you would find a place like this in a small town in Texas and not in Houston or Dallas or another major city.
My hubby and I were pretty impressed. The attention to detail, food-​wise, is something we have only seen on food network shows starring executive chef’s. Most restaurants let you pick your own salads, breads, etc because they don’t want you to be turned off by their choices — even if their choices actually pair better with the entrée. Not this place! They use your entrée to decide what bread and salad you will receive before your meal as a good chef should! It works! It was one of the best meals I’ve ever had!
For dessert, the owner actually came to take our orders. She is a pastry chef and you can tell she loves her work! She described every dessert to us and even a few she said she just kind of made up. The pear tart was awesome as was the berry cream cheese.
And then, when you pay at the counter, she had little cookies she would give you for free like Olive Garden gives away Andes mints! I told her I didn’t think I could handle one more thing and she said «but they are so delicious!»
What an amazing find and a great time! We were stuffed and happy!

Awesome home cooked food !!! Sweet owner and staff make you feel right at home.
Everything is GOOD !!!

I was at the convention center down the street, and this is essentially the first restaurant you come across. Lucky for me! I had a chicken salad sandwich and a cup of Irish potato soup. They make all their own bread; it came on a little bun-​type thing. The soup was very cheesy and thick, with huge chunks in it; lots of chewing required. It also came with what looked like a half a bun with maple butter on it; I don’t know what it was, but I ate it. My husband had the Mardi Gras sandwich and asked for the pepperocini to be held, but they put them on anyway.
It got very crowded during the lunch rush, and the tables are so close together it’s difficult to maneuver.