Moonshine - Patio Bar & Grill

Long wait, an hour and a half. Cold buffet, cold heavy, tasteless food. Cold chicken strips, cold steak fingers, cold gravy, cold migas, cold casserole, everything - ugh. And heavy. Then you get the bill. Ouch.

Pros: If you're young and hip and like McD's and M&C, you'll LOVE

Cons: If you're mature and a foodie, you'll HATE it.

Posted 08/08/09

I love this place!!!!

Pros: Patio Rocks

Cons: small bathroom

Posted 08/05/09

Its the best.

Pros: I love Macaroni

Posted 07/29/09

This restaurants is one of the best I have been to on my visits to austin. The service was great, even though my party was of more than 20 people. They were so wonderful, and the food was delicious. Everybody was very much pleased with their dish. Will definitely go back! :)

Posted 07/19/09

I have lived in Austin for 6 years, and I have never been disappointed with Moonshine! Their food is excellent, with wonderful service, and the atmosphere is perfect for any evening, whether you are on a date, or have family and friends in town. I recommend this for anyone coming to town to visit, or anyone who is looking for a nice, affordable evening out.

Posted 06/04/09

My husband and I tried this place out for the first time a few nights ago. The food, atmosphere, and service were all good. We loved the complimentary popcorn, Roasted Garlic appetizer (half-price during happy hour), Green Chile Macaroni, Fajita Steak Salad, and Harvest Moon (Long Island with cranberry juice). Parking is valet ($4) or on the street.

Pros: Ambience, Menu

Cons: No parking lot, a little pricey

Posted 12/31/08

I love this restaurant, it has a killer atmosphere and great food. Classic Austin dining. I've lived in Austin all of my life and this is definitely the best food in town.

Pros: atmosphere, food

Cons: tough to get a table on a friday night

Posted 12/13/08

Great service and great atmosphere! The food is pretty good but a little overpriced. I experienced this restaurant while waiting to go on a haunted tour of Austin and will definitely be visiting again. Great place to go for some drinks and appetizers after work!

Pros: service, ambience

Cons: parking, price

Posted 11/01/08

We went by for Sunday brunch and I have to say the food was pretty good. I mean skip the bland quiche slices, in fact most the egg dished were just ok. But the casseroles were really good as were the sweet items.
Now there is a 30-45 minute wait. We decided to skip it as we found a spot in the bar. The bartender was very good and she attended to our needs great. Mind you it was a maze to walk through the crowd to get out food and come back to the table. unsure why they would set up all the food in the same area as the waiting area inside. Honeslty it was so poorly presented out I had 2 serverand, 2 customers and 4 people waiting bump into me on my 2 trips to the buffet. It was ridiculous.
Waitstaff outside the bar was pretty iffy, but the hostess that was more worried about how her hat was on and flirting with the waiters was the best - we never saw her look a patron in the eye. Kind of rude.
Not sure we'll go out of our way to eat here again. Could be a great place, but jusk ok.

Posted 09/01/08

This place is amazing! The food is always good and fresh and I love going when the weather is perfect and in Texas that means when it's not 100 and above! I would suggest checking this place out at lunch or for Sunday brunch. The menu is amazing and there is something for everyone!

Pros: Food and outdoor dining!

Cons: a little pricey!

Posted 08/19/08

I am so disappointed, my last night in Austin and this place ruined a great week. Took a recommendation from a local and went to Moonshine, was seated upon arrival. Waited 15 minutes for someone even to acknowledge that we we were seated. Our server, (look for the spider web tattooo on his elbow) was rude and appeared bothered that we were in his section. I had the Hanger Steak and my friend had the Flat Iron Steak, we waited 30 minutes for our steaks and they were warm at best and extermely tough and chewy, when we completed our meals the waiter went into overdrive to clear the table and get the check. The only thing that 'shines" at Moonshine is the light out front. STAY AWAY!

Posted 08/14/08

because how the people (especially the crucial hostess) dress is so important at a restaurant, moonshine holds nothing back by putting their servers in jeans and t shirts. i felt out of place in my sandals and old stained shorts. but they accepted me in and sat me at a conspicuous table anyway. the service was excellent and the food was better. the deserts were huge - don't order more than 1/2 per person.

Posted 07/02/08

So , I have been to moonshine grill on several occasions. the food is amazing as is the service. My one problem would be grooming. The prices are great but i dont want my dates to think they are going to cheap restaurant due to the fact that the host cant afford to wear clothes that are not covered in holes. I just dont understand how a nice restaurant can let girls stand in front looking so messy. It just took away from our experience. Take a look at sullivans or kenichi, even Hula Hut makes the girls look nice. Would go back for a guys night but never again with a date or my mother.

Pros: food

Cons: style

Posted 06/18/08

my boyfriend and I ate at the bar last week and had apps and drinks. then way too much pie. what you see is what you get. texas comfort food. we eat out a lot and this will be on our regular stops

Pros: fun, good value

Cons: not much

Posted 04/11/08

I've been hearing people talk about this place for years! My boyfriend and I decided to try it out. It was a Saturday, so we expected it to be busy. The hour wait wasn't the problem, it was the fact that the hostess, was extremely short with us and didn't even quote us a time. I had to go back to find out how long the wait was! (On crutches no less) then she snapped. 'at least an hour' like it was no big deal. Strike two was the bartender: There was no where to sit, so we stood and ordered our drinks after being ignored for 20 minutes by all 3 bartenders. We decided to order an appetizer, we ate that while standing as well. When we got called to our table, we tried to close our tab and the bartender snapped at me then too! 'I'll run your card when I'm done here.' As she rolled her eyes.
All I for dinner by this point was a side salad and a side of mashed potatoes....how do you mess that up? At least our waitress was nice.
My point is that, I understand being busy. But, you should still give good service! I doubt we'll be going back, but they act like they don't need the business anyway.....

Pros: Good Mashed Potatoes

Cons: Rude service

Posted 02/05/08

Good American comfort food done well with a fantastic ambiance and great service. Moonshine is a unpretencious restaurant that knows it has a great menu. There were seven people in my party and everyone had something different, each having rave reviews. We arrived on a Saturday night late and had to wait an hour before being seated. The patio bar was a perfect place to grab a good drink or beer from their large selection. Once we were seated, popcorn was served while we were looking over the menu. I had the hanger steak, which was perfectly cooked and a side of delicious macaroni and cheese. At the end of the night everyone was more than satisfied.

Pros: Value, Food, Ambiance

Posted 01/08/08

Friday evening me and a few friends went to Moonshine for dinner. My friends aren?t from Austin so I wanted to take them somewhere unique. The atmosphere at Moonshine is great, both inside and out on their two patios. We started off with the Homemade Potato Chips with warm Sour Cream and Chive Dip and it was delicious. The entrees we ordered were the Turkey Melt Sandwich (the basil pesto was great), the Bock Marinated Smoked Chicken (very tender but a tad salty), the Jalapeno Hanger Steak (made to perfection) and the Crunchy Coated Snapper (the crab meat a basil pesto on top was just as satisfying as the snapper). Of course, you can?t go to Moonshine and not try the Baked Macaroni or the Ruby Slipper Martini. They also have an excellent brunch buffet and pretty good happy hour specials.

Pros: Great Food, Great Service, Great Ambience

Cons: Very limited street parking but Valet is available and inexpensive.

Posted 11/03/07

Recently visited this place for the first time. Had the Salmon (soaked in too much butter but otherwise ok) My husband had the catfish and it was very good. the sides were the story here... great corn relish w/ black beans, corn muffins, mac n' cheese, zuccini & squash medley and even the carrots were tasty. Pretty good sized portions and reasonably priced considering they're so close to the 6th street bars. Will return for sure!

Pros: Location, service, sides and ambience

Cons: lack of parking even though website says plenty of free parking is available

Posted 09/08/07

Great place to get some buisness done or enjoy a nice lunch. Food is incredible and the wait staff very attentive.

Posted 05/31/07

this was my first time going to moonshine. the sunday brunch was good. the selection was awesome, it ranged from the normal biscuit and gravy to green eggs to bread pudding. everything i tried tasted great. i especially liked their bagels & lox. the service was the only complaint i could probably have about this place. although the waitress was pretty attentive, she failed to clean the table when we had a stack of plates. she was prompt with drink orders though. this place is great. i will definitely be back.

Pros: good sunday brunch, good price

Cons: service was okay, must do valet parking

Posted 05/19/07

If you need a brunch spot that's reasonably priced (13 bucks!) that offers a variety big enough to please a crowd, this is the place. Tons of choices, and everything is sooo good.
Great bloody marys too!

Posted 03/28/07

I've been there for dinner, happy hour, and brunch and have always had a good experience - good food and service

Pros: food

Cons: none

Posted 03/07/07

Moonshine was absolutely fantastic! It's a great restaraunt if you want to take guests to a true Austin restaraunt, - meaning great food, great people, great service, great atmosphere, with no pretentious attitudes! I took my parents and they wanted to move to Austin after eating there! Moonshine puts out that Austin vibe that helps to make this city so special.

Posted 01/27/07

We have been numerous times and always enjoy - the food is fantastic and the service is usually very prompt. Brunch is awesome and is one of our favorite places - wonderful selection of various foods. The only drawback is the "air-conditioned" patio in the summer - (don't do it) and the crowd at peak times. If you go, don't be in a hurry, find a place to camp out with a cool drink and relax!

Pros: Excellent food, varied menu, Brunch

Cons: Crowded at peak times

Posted 01/11/07

This place is NOT anymore expensive than any other comparable restaurant in Austin. Look at the menu yourself online if you don't believe me. You can get a very tasty & large salad for under $10 even at dinnertime. The food is worth the price and the portions are large. The cornbread stuffed trout is amazing and so is the batter fried asparagus. I agree the waits can be on the long side, but the food is worth the wait!

Posted 10/09/06

Can't beat the price for the Sunday brunch ($13.95) and they have a bar on the side of the restaurant where you can wait. Mimosas are highly recommended - they were great! Food was stellar. Everything we tried was tasty. Go here for a good deal and even better food.

Pros: Awesome food and mimosas, great price.

Cons: Potentially long wait on Sundays

Posted 09/18/06

Went to Moonshine for a late dinner before a night out on 6th Street. This is yuppiedom meets comfort food. Classy and stylish joint with a homey feel. The wait was long but well worth it (we did have a group of 6). Plus the hour goes by fast if you order a bottle of wine as Moonshine has an above average wine list.

The menu has great variety, ranging from creative salads and sandwiches to creative comfort cuisine like green chile macaroni to more expensive selections like peppercorn crusted tuna and horseradish salmon. The group of us sat on the patio and enjoyed the evening breeze with our great food. Too bad we were too stuffed to order dessert because things like "white chocolate bread pudding" sure did sound tempting!

My only complaint is that valet parking is $3. I'm sorry but dining patrons should receive complimentary valet, it's just not right to charge.

Pros: creative menu, wine list, beautiful patio

Cons: $3 valet parking (valet is the only parking option)

Posted 08/12/06

My husband & I went there when we first came to Austin, it is one of the best places we've eaten. The atmosphere, the food, the waiters, everything was terrific. If you want familiar food with a twist then you want to try Moonshine. :) Trust me, you'll love it!

Posted 07/09/06

One can see how an establishment as high volume Moonshine could fall short of perfection on occasion, but every experience I have ever had has been exceptional. The hostesses are angelic and poised, despite impossibly rude and impatient guests hounding them constantly. Our servers have always been hilarious and just casual enough, never inappropriate...always making us feel welcome and at home. Anything we need is attended to promptly and with courtesy. And though on a visit or two I never got my margarita to taste just like I wanted, our server's tireless efforts did not go unnoticed. All of my servers have been very knowledgeable, the med rare flat iron steak and snapper are ALWAYS marvelous, and the fudge stout brownie with HOMEMADE ICECREAM is to die for. Pleasing customers is an inexact science, but it is apparent that Moonshine goes to great lengths to deliver superior quality.

Pros: value, service

Cons: parking, wait

Posted 05/20/06

What can I say?

After dining at the Moonshine on several occassions, I am still surprised that it is rather easy to grab a table at this fantastic restaurant.

A bit off of the beaten path, Moonshine offers an excellent menu and a home-like atmosphere that has you looking for your grandmother when your meal is served. Excellent staff and the desserts are outrageous.

Shh, keep this one our little secret.

Cons: parking

Posted 04/30/06

last Sunday brunch - great food, compliments to the kitchen. HOWEVER, waitstaff needs some SERIOUS screening & coaching. Hostesses seemed congenial but were inappropriately dressed (it's gourmet comfort food, not Coyote Ugly), and one waitress in particular, from the beginning didn't say Hi, not once asked us 'how is everything' or 'can i get you anything else' but simply belted 'Are You Guys Done' - THREE times - to the end, no thank you, goodbye, nothing - just slapped the bill on our table. RUDE, PUSHY (and other words I like to use but Citysearch probably won't let me). The general 'cas(ual)' attitude of the waitstaff girls seems more suited to TGIF. It's incredible how the *unacceptable* behavior of one person makes my friends (and their friends) and me never want to return, despite the quality of the food.

Pros: food

Cons: waitress, non-existent service, gen. attire/attitude

Posted 03/19/06

After many urges from friends to Moonshine, I gave in and made reservations for my husband's birthday... and the rumors are true, Moonshine is fantastic! We were seated immediately, and sat outside on the patio, which we enjoyed. We had the corn dog shrimp appetizer which is such a clever, and tasty treat! We both had fish, my husband had the cornbread stuffed trout, I had the crunchy snapper... both were phenomenal! The legendary baked macaroni is all that and more, very good! We shared the enormous apple pie for dessert, which was equally delicious. Our waitress was a little weak on personality, but our food came quickly, so I can't complain! We will definitely be back to Moonshine very soon!

Pros: Delicious Food, Great Value, Ambience/Patio

Cons: ?????

Posted 03/14/06

Poor, unprofessional, juvenile waitstaff. Brings down the atmosphere/hype. Unless management does something, we will probably not return. (And reading through this, apparently we're not the only ones.)

Cons: Service

Posted 03/05/06

I've been there and I was totally surprised. The food was excellent, the amosphere... great. Join it!

Posted 01/26/06

Our visit to Moonshine receives an "A" for excellence... our spur of the moment call on a busy friday evening resulted with a table pronto! we had a very pleasant albeit short spell in the Moonshine bar... the selection of vodkas was impressive... the bar staff attentive.
our table was great. our wait staff eager to please. and the food!!! there are no words to describe the beer battered asparagus, the corndog shrimp, the STEAKS! and the magical macaroni and cheese!!! we were very pleased - 100%- with our meal, our drinks, our overall experience rates 100% happiness. and yes, the temperature was a pleasant 72 degrees.... couldn't be happier.
p.s.: we are returning to austin and yes, we have reservations again at MOONSHINE.

Pros: excellent parking, excellent food, great bar

Posted 08/27/05

First we walked in to an inappropriately dressed hostess, who offended 33% of our group with her strong opinions on a cornicopia of topics. We were not warned about the one bowl of complimentary popcorn of which 33% of our group thought was stale. The temperature was maintained at a steady 58% degrees which offended 100% of our party. Only 66% of our group received a meal with which they were satisfied. The 33% dissatisfaction rate was due to misrepresenation of the reuben which contained a mayonaise-based special sauce which was strategically left off the menu description. Additionally, $20 entrees are served alongside sysco brand mustard, which displeased 33% of our group. 66% of the group would not return to this establishment; one half of said percentage would not return due to the other half's experience. The other 33% would return, but only if the original 66% were not present.

Posted 07/29/05

Great food, great music, great time! I will go back with all my friends. Your restaurant CHANGED MY LIFE!!@#!@#

Thanks,
Jackie

Pros: Great Food, Great Drinks, Pretty people

Cons: None, None, None

Posted 06/11/05

I don't get it. What's the big deal? A cross between Threadgill's and Z Tejas.

Posted 05/09/05

Moonshine is great! From the valet service all the way through dinner! Asparagus appetizer was delicious as was the roasted garlic! Our group has the Flat Iron Steak, Acorn squash, Corn Flake Fried Chicken salad and the bread pudding, all were excellent. Can't wait to go back and try their Sunday Brunch! Service was great!

Pros: Service, Food, Great Value

Posted 10/30/04

I could not say more better things about this place. I had a large group and they accomodated us so well! The private room is so quaint and personal it really made the evening special! I had a couple of special requests and there were no problems in doing them. They did exactly what I asked. Beside the excellent service, they were so friendly and laid back as well as the food was terrific. This is probably one of the best dining experiences with a large group that I have ever had. Coming from out of town with a large group, they made are evening outstanding. Great Place!

Posted 08/23/04

I can't say enough about this place. We had a blast! We had dinner, then walked up the street to Esther's Follies' 8pm show, then back down to Moonshine's carrage house for after dinner drinks. The food was excellent across the board (Chicken salad, Chile rubbed pork tenderloin, snapper with pecan buerre blanc and fried aspargus appetizer) Yummy! I almost hate to recommend it...don't want it to get so popular that we can't get in on a weekend night.

Pros: Romantic, Friendly, Not stuffy

Posted 07/11/04

pleasantly populated without being too noisy, nice ambience. The Drum was good; the hard lemonade tasted a little off.

Pros: service, valet parking, casual atmosphere

Cons: , poor drinks, value

Posted 07/10/04

I love this place. I have been going here for a few months now and it just keeps getting better! They have 2 awsome patios that are beautiful. The wine list and the service are also fantastic. Top it all off with complementary valet parking.

Pros: free parking, great waitstaff, outdoor dining

Posted 05/26/04

As a weekly patron of Moonshine, I must say this is one of my favorite restaurants in Austin. It is casual/trendy with an overall non-pretentious feel. The cornbread stuffed trout is superb as is the macaroni.

Service is hit or miss (and mostly miss). This restaurant is not cheap and most my bills amount to $30-40 per person. The service does not have the refinement a restaurant of this quality should. Another caveat is that when you mention that you and your date will be splitting the two entrees you ordered (because you want to try all their great food), they will charge you $6 extra. I think this is in poor taste. Finally, despite reservations and despite promising to seat you as soon as possible, Moonshine averages about 20-40 minutes behind schedule. Moonshine has a lot of growing up to do, but a lot of potential on the way.

Pros: great food, nice atmosphere

Cons: unprompt seating, poor service, wine prices

Posted 01/27/04

The inside has been remodelled a bit from the days of the space's former occupant, Emilia's, but the atmosphere got even better. The staff is extremely friendly and accomodating. The service was impecable. There was no rush to move us along and they were very forthcoming about the space and its history, including a tour of the wine cellar that dates back to the late 1880's. However, it is the food that makes it all worthwhile. My wife and I agree we had one of the best tenderloins ever on this trip, and the sides dishes were creative and delicious. One of my new favorite spots!

Pros: Reasonably priced, Great food, Great staff

Cons: None

Posted 11/20/03

This place is awesome. We went for happy hour, and were blown away by the quality of the food, drinks, atmosphere, service, everything. Appitizers and specialty drinks (served in a pint glass - no skimping here) are half price during HH. We didn't have any of the entrees, but we had the corn dog shrimp, battered asparagus, and steak kabobs - all were beyond extraordinary. The service was fantastic, and the patio is super cool. AND free parking. I'll tell you what, the main thing that keeps me from going downtown for HH is the fact that it's so hard to find a parking space. Not here - free valet. We're definitely coming back winter, summer, whatever.

Pros: Happy Hour Specials, Parking, Atmosphere

Cons: ?

Posted 10/29/03

The food was delicious and fairly priced. The service was terrific, and our server handled our large party quite well. There are several different seating areas as well as a large private patio.

Posted 10/26/03

I always have a great experience when I go to moonshine. Free valet, an awesome patio that can't be beat. The food is always wonderful, the staff is super friendly and the happy hour prices are cheap! It is a place that everyone can enjoy!

Posted 10/16/03