Austin’s Ale House

Went to this restaurant with a groupon, so it was a great deal but we will be returning. Food was excellent. The menu had a great variety and the food was delicious. Drinks were good and reasonable priced. The place is huge and would be great for an event. Good bar hang out area and nice areas to eat at a restaurant setting as well.

So unfortunate. Ok, so if you live up by Kew Gardens Road and you don’t want to have to trek all the way down to Metropolitan, this is the place to go and get a burger and a pint. What a shame that the place is not one you would ever want to return to. They have some nice beers on tap, but the food is so poor and so pricey for want you are getting – with service that is usually so random, it is always just a painful experience all around. Better to stay home and have left overs – save the money and spare yourself the heartache, and likely heartburn.

Party of 4 on the patio outside, friday night.
1. Water came, glass was chipped, almost cut my lip.
2. Asked for another glass of water, replacement tasted like dish soap
3. Ordered an iced tea, a coke came
4. Ordered 2 apps to share. (Mussels and calamari). Mussels — busboy tried to clear away the app while we are still eating. Calamari — Waited 30 mins, finally got hold of waitress, and she forgot to put the order in
5. Waited another 40 mins for entrée after apps. No entrees came. Told server to bring whatever is ready out as we were getting extremely hungry. Nothing for another 10 mins, then only 3 of 4 came out.
At this point, I am obviously not happy. But as a restaurant industry veteran, I believe everyone has an «off» day sometimes. I thought I just happen to hit the lottery that night.
What happend next floored me. The manager came over to «explain» the delay. I gave him the 1 — 5 point by point. His initial response, without trying to rectify any of the issues first, was what floored me! I quote: «You know, sometimes planes crash» with a shoulder shrug.
I flipped out and asked if this «sometimes planes crash» was the restaurant’s official motto? Management eventually tried to make nice by comping a portion of the bill. The gesture was too little too late.
I live in the neighborhood, and know a lot of people trying really hard to like the place because of its convenient location. I am one of them, but they are making it impossible to do.
Owner needs to hire new management, retool the menu, and retrain staff if they want to stay in business.

I REALLY wanted to like this place. I have now tried it four times and I am beyond frustrated and not a fan.
My first visit was for lunch during the week with a friend, we had a buffalo chicken wrap and wings, both were good. Not mind blowing but no major complaints. Our serve was nice. Based on this good experience I went back again a few weeks later.
The second visit was also mid week for lunch and we sat on the patio. We ordered a chicken sandwich and a fish sandwich with fries, both from the lunch specials menu. We arrived around 12:45. By the time we got our food it was almost 2:00pm and we had about 8 minutes to eat as fast as we could before our meter ran out and before my kids needed to be picked up from school. The good again was decent.
The third night we ordered take out. My husband and I had panini’s which were good and we ordered chicken tenders and fries for the kids. Their meal came with a salad which I hoped to eat. Well, they put the salad in the same container as the chicken and fries. Everything was soggy, the salad wilted and ruined. For the $ 40+ our food came too I felt like the quality was lacking.
For some crazy reason I decided to try a fourth visit with my cousin and my two children. The hostess seemed clueless and was rude. She told me they didn’t have tables for four and that there was a list. I asked how long the wait was «uggghhh I don’t know. 10 minutes?» so I asked where to put our name on the list and she again looked around, confused… then opened her pad and wrote down my name. We sat by the front door and another family came in, my boys told them there was a wait and they also went in and put their name on the list. 15 minutes later I went to check the status and the same hostess again «oh, there was a reservation so it might be longer.» Might be? It’s already been longer, but how much longer? «Maybe 10 minutes». It was obvious I was annoyed at that point but I stood and waited next to the other family. 10 minutes passed so I went to grab my kids and when I came back the other family was gone as was the «reservation» table. I asked her directly «Did you seat them?!» and she said «YES! YES I DID!» — I nearly lost my mind, my kids are 4 and 6 and waiting is not easy but they were so patient. The manager came over and said «yes, we seated those tables before you but you’re next» No buddy, I’m not next. I wont ever be next. It’s obvious that you don’t know how to manage a restaurant.
My only hope is they go out of business so someone else can come in and run a decent restaurant and bar in what is a great space.
I am giving two stars because the space is nice and because some of the food I did get to try was decent but management and staff need serious improvement. Again, I wont be back. I haven’t had such an awful experience in a restaurant in a VERY long time.

Great atmosphere, great service and great food, but dear lord does the music suck. Someone please plug in the iPod. They will literally let the radio play over the crowd and sporting events.

went there for lunch for the first during jury duty and felt right at home! I stayed for a couple of hours and had like 5 beers! my grilled chicken sandwich sounds bland but it was rather tasty, the bartender cindy always made sure I was satisfied with my beer selection and always offered me samples.

Good service; great décor; fireplace; televisions; great teriyaki steak and tangy, sweet steak sauce

Seriously this place has a new rule, promotion, or menu every time we come in here, the latest is 25 cent wings are now 35 and forget about not finishing them and taking them to go because after five years of loyal service you now have to finish what you order at the table. Obviously the previous staff isn’t happy with the new managers and policies as well because they seem to have jumped ship. Won’t be coming back here, the only thing I’ll miss is the blue cheese and to think we use to pay the over priced food prices for blue cheese but it is that good.

This place isn’t so bad. I was liking it until I tried sharing one of their cocktails that come in a bucket. ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING!!! I can’t believe they would even offer something like that. They did take it back without charging me which is a plus, but just the simple fact they would even offer it is beyond me.
I suggest Groupon-​ing it up when coming here.

So I’m a bit disappointed with this place. The first time I visited here was a few months ago and I have to say the food was pretty good so while in the area I decided to go back and have a quick lunch with my fiancé. Upon arrival I was allowed to choose a seat either inside or outside back so we chose outside, we get out there we get some crackers and water, we place our order of a burger and wings which was not that great to begin with, we asked for a medium cooked burger and it came out well the bun was soaked with oil literally inedible and here’s the worst part it took over 30 mins to get our order… To say the least this is most definitely the last time we come here and will not be recommending this place to anyone.

I have been here many times and sat just about everywhere in the place. I work just up the road from it which is always helpful for that «I just had a totally crappy day and need a drink before I get home to take the edge off!!!»
My most recent trips reflect the overall quality of the place. The below are the dishes I recommend to try at least once.
Appetizers
Shepard’s Pie Empanada’s: A great twist on the classic dish. Tastes great and a nice way to start the night.
Buffalo Wings: DUH!!! Always get them fresh and tasty
Any quesadilla: Again, a classic staple. This could also be a meal if you’re just there for the bar and need something in your tummy.
Entrees
Fish and chips: I’ve ordered this twice and both times have come out a little too greasy. Tasty though with the tartar sauce but sometimes just a bit much on the oil.
Penne all vodka: Quite tasty and they allow you to add chicken or shrimp (a little much if you ask me in terms of the price). This tastes better than some local Italian places!
Shepard’s pie: Always a classic pub meal! Had it the first time two weeks ago and said to myself: why the hell didn’t I have it before?! Nice balance to it. Salt to taste.
Filet mingon: Cooked just right and tasty!
Prime rib: excellent cut of prime rib. Nice and medium-​rare/​medium as well. Also nice blend of seasonings.
Dessert
Never ever make it this far so I can’t recommend! Lol.
Drinks
Their beers change based on the season. Their taps are unique as they don’t quite have the usual suspects in terms of beers (Bud, Miller, Coors). They do offer a variety of bottles however. Their cocktails are interesting too and also recommended.
Overall, a great place to go to, even if its just for a quick drink.
Conveniently located right outside: Manhattan bound LIRR trains! I often go here before I head into the city for a sporting event.
Lastly, there are tons of tvs so go here for any big sporting event.

I was really hoping to like this place since I like beer so much. Was thinking of giving 3 stars but the service was really terrible.
We came here with a groupon. ordered the black Angus shell steak and a plain penne a la vodka. My steak wad a bit dry and bland. The penne a la Vodka was good but it had pork in it. Me and my husband don’t eat pork and we had ordered the plain penne. It wasn’t until a few bites later that he realized it had pork! What was up with that?
They have tons of beer on tap, especially many different types of IPAs. But prices were steep for queens. $ 10 dollars for regular size draft! Even more expensive than lots of places in Manhattan.
The waiter we had did not want to spend more than a few seconds with us it was a busy night when we were there, but every time when we had questions for him, he was already gone from our table. Towards the end of the night, when it slowed down, we were even just left in the corner…
and NO, I do not believe in complaining to the manager about the experience so they can «make it right». Get it right the first time. People go out to eat to have a good time and relax, not to have a bad experience and than complain to the manager and make a big fuss about it and possibly have spit in your food later. I hate when business use that as an excuse for bad behavior
Oh well… don’t think I’ll be back again

Great warm cozy atmosphere, great perfectly cooked, seasoned food and great attentive fast service! Was here for my son’s birthday. Ordered the prime rib, Queen Cut, which is huge, medium rare, perfect! By the way king’s cut is ginormous, hubby ordered it! Paired it with Not your father’s rootbeer, awesome pairing! My son had the angus burger, medium well, yummy and delish!

If you haven’t had Ale House’s Onion Rings, you haven’t truly lived. They are the pinnacle of artery clogging, high cholesterol inducing bliss. A perfect balance of crunch and sweet, sopping oily goodness. I guess I should also write a formal review.
This is an excellent place for hanging out and watching games, an after work beer, take away, sit down, etc. When the weather is warm, the outdoor seating area is delightful and provides an excellent opportunity to people watch LIRR-​goers. I’ve never had an issue with service here and every employee I’ve interacted with has been delightful, if at the worst, competent.
My only complaint is that the regular menu items (NOT burgers) are a little pricey for a sports bar, which somewhat reinforces the «identity crisis» idea set forth by an earlier reviewer.

I went to Austin Ale house last night with coworkers. It’s a nice restaurant with many smaller rooms. We were seated towards the back of a room. Immediately I noticed we we’re surround by many televisions. One could assume that they show sporting events but none were on at the time we were there.
The waiter was extremely attentive and almost overbearing. He continuously asked if we were ready to order. We started with appetizers. The mozzarella and the chicken nachos. Both were ok.
For my entrée I had the goat cheese salad with cranberries walnuts and I requested shrimp for the salad. The salad was delicious with a side of creamy garlic dressing. Everyone else seemed pleased with their meals. For dessert I had the black bottom pie which was a warm brownie with vanilla ice cream. Pretty good!
Overall it was a good visit. We felt rushed at the end as they were expecting a group at 7. At around 6:30 they were insistent about us leaving. Perhaps we should have been seated in another part of the restaurant. This also took place as we were paying the bill. Not the most gracious way to end a meal.
I would try going here again and sitting at the bar. There are drink specials and appetizer deals when you sit there.

Came here with a group of people on a Sunday evening for dinner. We ordered crab cakes (using the 50% off an app deal) with chipotle sauce which was good. Dinner consisted of penne in garlic and oil with roasted red peppers, broccoli and chicken. It wasn’t too oily or salty and enjoyed my meal.
Some other meals at the table consisted of a chicken sandwich, a goat cheese salad with Salmon, a veggie burger, and the popular kahuna burger. Mostly everyone enjoyed their meals.
Service was good, our waitress was nice and helpful and had a good sense of humor. The dining side of alehouse is well let with a nice homey atmosphere.

We took my Dad here for his birthday. It was the best of both worlds, a lively bar followed by a sit down dinner. Our waitor was quite nice and the restaurant was decked of in its holiday glamour.
We all ordered burgers, which did not disappoint. The meat was thick and cooked to perfection. (I didn’t finish mine!) Our appetizers were so good! We had the Teriyaki Wings, which were crispy and tossed in the sauce, giving us a well balanced wing. Our second appetizer was a sweet chilli calamari, which was more sweet than chilli, but we did not mind at all. Our experience here was lovely and they definitely made my Dad feel special. Thank you!

I’ve been here a few times already and love the vibe. It’s a cool spot in the middle of a busy Austin Street. I love that they have a huge bar with a decent selection.
We stopped by during Monday Night Football plus the Mets were playing so it was a rather busy and packed night. We wanted to watch the games so we stood by the bad area but I felt like I was in the way of the waitresses who were nothing less than polite.
The food looked good too. It’s definitely a place that I’d come back to for food and drinks on a Sunday Funday or MNF. A downside of them is bar would be the parking. Parking to go to any place on Austin Street is comparable to fighting for a seat on the subway during rush hour. Good luck!

Food was good. We had the prime rib that’s available only on the weekends, and it was good but it didn’t come with any Au Jus like we expected a prime rib to have. Kinda pricey, but portions are big. The shell steak was lacking in flavor and I had to put a lot of salt and pepper on it. Mac and cheese was flavorful, but very watery in consistency.
Good selection of beer, but nothing special. They served my pumpkin ale in a glass with caramel and cinnamon on the rim, which gave it a nice fall touch.
Service was below average. Girl didn’t know anything about the menu, like how big is the steak? What’s recommended? What’s a shell steak (since I’ve never heard of a sneak being called shell, but her reply is «its just steak»)? And I think she forgot to bring us bread and condiments since the table with a different waiter did. But she was very nice, so we didn’t mind that much.

I brought my Mom to Austin’s for lunch and we enjoyed ourselves.
When you come in you have the option to go to the bar or the dining room. No one was in the dining room so we walked to the bar side hoping there were tables over there. There were two separate rooms with tables so we chose the one all the way at the end with TV’s at almost every table.
My mom ordered and loved the Shepherds Pie & I ordered Salmon with rice & veggies. My meal was ok but if I come back, I would probably order something else. I like my salmon very well done and the rice was a little hard.
Our service was great! Very friendly and helpful staff.

I recently visited this restaurant with 3 friends from college on a Saturday night. It seemed to be a very popular place because as we approached we watched quite a few people enter by the time we walked to the door from the car. We found a parking spot right across the street but I was thankful that we all didn’t drive because spots were limited The front area was were the bar was but it was loud and packed with people watching whatever game was on. One guy in particular was periodically screeching at the top of his loud?
Thankfully there were other dining areas in the back where the noise wasn’t so deafening. Getting seated took a while because we weren’t greeted so we had to ask how the seating works which extended the time we endured the loud little man in the front.
Once we were seated a waiter greeted us almost immediately so we had to ask for time to look at the menu. Our waiter was very friendly, funny and thankfully patient because we took a while deciding what to order. My friend ordered a drink called the honey boo boo which I was skeptical of but it was delicious and very much a girly drink. I ordered the chicken wings in a mild sauce with a side salad and very appreciative that the salad wasn’t just iceberg lettuce. No one at our table had any complaints about their food or drinks. I’d return again if I was in the area.

Oops, thought this was Austin Public on Austin St in Forest Hills and went to the wrong location.
But once I got here for a Rangertown night, I was quite happy. The Staff was attentive at the beginning and then disappeared. I tried to flag our waiter 5 ft from me down for over 5 min — in plain sight. There was a nacho in my soda. I showed it to him and he laughed it off. He never came with a new one. I showed it to him again and he said one of us must have flicked it into the cup… we didn’t have nachos on the table when the drink came. He got me another one and took it off the bill. I guess we’re even, no negative marks.
Steak sandwich was Delicious, who knew– good food here!