Abi-Haus

I hadn’t eaten at Abi Haus in a long time so I decided to have lunch there the other day. We were seated quickly and our order was put in. I don’t know what happened but it took about 45 minutes to get a hamburger. The meat was on the dry side and I really didn’t like it very much. The service was ok. Pretty slow. I can’t say that I will be going back any time soon.

So I used to rave about this place until I had a recent experience here. I will not explain any details about what had happened to me, just because I could truly tell that the employees and the owner were devastated it had happened and they were nice people but it has definitely caused me to never come back to this place again and to always check my burgers at restaurants before I eat them. There were some sanitation codes that were definitely broken during my Saturday lunch and it completely ruined our appetites for the entire afternoon. It really does perplex me though how somewhere that prides themselves in all natural and organic foods can make this giant of a mistake…

I was really disappointed, and I will never eat breakfast there again. The egg whites on my over-​medium eggs were runny and inedible. The pancakes were good, but they only gave me a tiny (shot-​glass size) cup of syrup for 2 pancakes. The sausage was very bland. We had coffee and water to drink, but the waitress never re-​filled our drinks. Also, she never asked if our food tasted okay, or came out as we ordered it. You would think she would have noticed that I hadn’t eaten the eggs, but if she did notice, she didn’t say anything. Another unusual thing I noticed is that there were not any salt or pepper shakers on the tables; or any condiments either.
The place is small and crowded. I ended up sitting close to the door where people come in to be seated. Employees bumped into me several times and never apologized… it made me feel as if I was in their way.
I was considering going back at a later date to try the dinner items, but I don’t think I want to take another chance. There are plenty of other places to eat here in Abilene.

Abi Haus is a really great addition to Abilene and an awesome restaurant here in town. I started school here in 2011 and when they showed up, everyone got excited. The interior design of the place to how they market themselves is awesome, and the food is amazing… And they usually have something different on their specials menu all the time! If they are serving the crème brûlée…GET IT. YOU HAVE TO GET IT. Sometimes you have to wait for a table because it’s a popular spot, but it’s worth it. You can even hang out while you wait for a table at their bar, Public Haus, right around the corner! It’s one of my favorite spots in Abilene.

It was getting late and our options were becoming limited as we passed through Abilene. Abi-​Haus was just what we were looking for in a late night meal. They serve a variety of comfort type foods as well as appetizers and salads. I ordered the smoked salmon salad and it was good as well as being a perfect sized portion. Their drink menu was pretty impressive as well. They have some unique mixed drink options, so I decided to try the Spicy Bee’s Knees. It’s a mixture of Gin, fresh squeezed lemon juice, honey, and jalapeño. It wasn’t too sweet and had the perfect amount of heat. I highly recommend it if you like spicy drinks. :) The overall atmosphere is pretty cool too. It’s a small space but located in an older building with a hipster type vibe & décor. Our server was also very attentive and chatted with us for a bit. Check it out if you’re in Abilene!

Okay – so Brunch.
Yeah, because the biscuits and gravy are the best I have ever had in my entire life. And I’m from a family of biscuit making fiends. Abi browns them off before serving them with bacon gravy and crumble bacon on top.
Also had the pork belly sandwich. Loved it too.
Service was great. Food was great.
There will be a wait. Put your name on the list and shop next door. I love this place.

So impressed with this restaurant. Not only is the vibe super warm and friendly, the food is to die for. My husband and I had the Smoked Scotch Egg and were overwhelmed with how well they married the flavors in this appetizer! So delicious! I had the Abi Burger with everything on it. One of the best things of the burger was the homemade bun and it had to be one of the best dang burgers I’ve ever had. My husband had a lamb special with housemade pasta. He was licking his plate too. Our service was phenomenal. Thank you for such a wonderful dining experience!

Fantastic brunch! Place is not big to begin with and is very popular for brunch on Sundays. All seats were taken inside but they do have 3 – 4 small tables set up outside (as in on the front sidewalk!) so as long as you don’t mind folks walking past you as you eat then it’s all good. As the weather was gorgeous this Sunday, we decided to sit outside vs. wait 30 mins. for an indoor table. Food was fantastic! I had a hard time deciding between the Duck Hash and the Chicken and Waffles; server recommended the Hash so that’s what I went for and was well-​rewarded; the confit was tender and delicious and went well with the Hollandaise sauce. With a couple of over-​easy eggs and toast the combo was complete! Not a huge portion but definitely enough to fill you up. My dad had the omelette (which changes all the time) with bacon, spinach and feta, with bacon and toast on the side. Again, not overwhelming in size but mighty tasty! Coffee was great as was the service. Be prepared to wait as it is very popular but it is definitely worth it!

I really love this place… it is hip, current, and the food is outstanding. For dinner, I almost always try one of their specials and have never been disappointed. Was able to go for brunch a few weeks ago and the egg sandwich was beyond delish. I always bring guests, and would recommend to anyone. The only reason I don’t give a 5 star rating, is because the wait time can be lengthy, and I have previously had issues with the bill… but never enough to dissuade me from returning. Always a fantastic meal!

Will avoid while in Abilene. Disappointing night out. Waited over an hour. Poor management for a bad night. Probably would have better service if you are a local.
Positives: I called ahead to ask if there was a table for two available and I was told that they could hold an outdoor table without a wait. We arrived were seated outside then placed our order. The beer was fine and came out timely but that is the only thing that went well last night.
Negatives: (1) We waited an hour without an explanation by our waitress or the manager. We were at least expecting to have someone come by to explain that the back of house was in the weeds and they would be working on our meals as soon as possible but we received no such service, the service staff just ignored it. (2) After 2 tables that were seated after us inside the restaurant and 1 table outside had finished their meals, I walked up to the manager that originally seated us to tell him about the now 1:20 hour wait, and he promised our foods out in less than 2 minutes… It wasnt 2 minutes because we just wanted to politely pay for the drinks and leave. (3) The food arrived, I ordered the «special» which was good but not worth over an hour wait. My wife ordered the Abi-​burger and it came out overly cooked and well done… completely underwhelming after waiting 1:20+ hour. (4) The waitress told us the manager offered us a dessert to compensate but it was not worth the potential wait. (5) After we recieved the food the manager/​host never came back to check on us despite the restaurants faults but we watched him take care of locals leave the restaurant since we were sitting in front of the door. (6) We were offered a «40%» discount by the waitress — not the manager — on our meal because she felt bad for our experience. To be completely honest the 40% discount did little to compensate because the menu was already an inflated price, see below. (7) If you were a local and knew the waiters, waitress’s, or the Host, Jimbo by name I am sure you had better service last night
We ordered: $ 24 «special», 2 beers, a coffee, $ 16 burger, and a side order of fries (because the $ 16 burger does not come with fries?).
Totals of the damage: $ 40 to be underwhelmed, ignored, and still hungry.

One word. WOW! This place took me back home! It felt like I was in San Francisco California! (Fillmore St.) to be more specific. It reminded me how it was like being in the city again! Yes! I am a city kid. Lol. I would never thought that I would find this place in Abilene.
From the moment I walked in, the décor of the place (trendy/​hipster style). «So Chicly» which I love! The atmosphere was very welcoming and it had a homey feel to it.
We came in for brunch and of course (lunch rush) the place was packed, hey, can’t complain. That’s when you know the food is good right?! As we walk in we were greeted, We had to sit outside «it was kinda cold that day» (which is fine by the way). Our server even offered us some blankets while we wait for a our food and a table inside to open for us. We both ordered gorgonzola grilled cheese with side order of french fries. It was really good! Oh… I love how their katchup is homemade… Great service, friendly, and attentive.
I’m definitely will be coming back here!

Abi-​Haus is one of my family’s favorite places to eat on the weekends. Their atmosphere is unlike other places in Abilene. They are more trendy/​hipster than you normally find in town. The brunch-​style menu is excellent and priced correctly. I have tried most of the brunch menu and everything has been great! Drinks are good although a little small in my opinion. For lunch & dinner I think the menu is good, but not on the same level as brunch.
Overall, Abi-​Haus is one of my favorite places to eat in town. Keep up the excellent work guys, I will be back soon!

Fantastic selection of craft beers and drinks. The food is excellent and Lauren took great care of us! Small dive, but worth making the reservation! Abilene is well represented with this restaurant!

This is a true dining experience… Great food, great ambiance, wonderful cocktail menu, and top notch service. We enjoyed the smoked chicken with mashed potatoes and shrimp linguini. The shrimp & grits are a highly recommended appetizer, while it was an awesome surprise to have Scotch Eggs this side of the Pond. Yum!
A big thank you to Tyler and Ethan for making our experience memorable!

This used to be one of my favourite places to go to eat in Abilene, as they change their menu (like a proper great restaurant) and cook their veggies correctly (not the Texas canned mush you get at other places!)
The past few times have been a little lacking but nothing compared to our experience last night.
I ordered the calamari and a farmers plate. The farmers plate came out fairly quick and was tasty. We waited for about 45 minutes for our meal (which is standard if someone from your table orders the duck.) Any time previous to this the server would let the table know the wait would be longer. She didn’t let us know at all. Then all three of my dinner companions meals came out and I had to wait a full 15 more minutes for my food! Talk about awkward.
When I tasted the calamari, the breading was so salty! The arugula was covered in a dressing that had way too much vinegar on it. Now I like both salt and vinegar but this was just too much.
Our server kept leaving before getting my drink refill requests and the whole experience makes me question if I’ll ever go back.
Abi haus, you guys used to be so much better. I hope that you actually take time to read these reviews as once you were a little gem.

Stopped in for lunch and fell in love. The aesthetics of this place are on point, very trendy looking!
Had brunch with my Mom, she got a prosciutto and Brie sandwich, which had a jam on it with some jalapeños… sounds odd but it pairs together wonderfully.
I got the smoked salon BLT, basically exactly what it sounds like but I must say the ingredients were very fresh and tasty. Also, the bread used for the sandwiches was fantastic.
We also got side salads, which were your average side salads but the balsamic dressing was really great!
Prices were normal, service was quick and staff was friendly. Will come back!

I don’t have any strong feelings one way or the other about this place.
For one thing, it’s a really cool place to have lunch in Abilene, there’s almost no denying that. It’s kinda like going to Austin for the afternoon without leaving Taylor county. The design and layout is well done, given the space, and I think the décor was pretty well thought out.
The food isn’t my favorite in town though. I’ve only had a few things, but none of it was as good as I wanted it to be when I sat down.
The burger (cheap and cheesy) was a let down. Bun was kinda hard. Pretty bland as far as gourmet burgers go. It’s seems reasonably priced, but to make it decent it’s gonna take several dollars in add-​ons. And for the record, charging separate for the fries is annoying. Just make the burger package more expensive if you have to feel special… I don’t want to be upsold just to have a simple side of fries. And on a side note, I actually really like the fries but it seems like they count them by hand. If you gotta charge extra for fries give me a decent amount.
The funky grilled cheese was a bit better. Something different and interesting. Probably wouldn’t get it again though.
I can’t help but think there are things on the menu I would love, but it seems like every time I come, they’ve stopped serving it for the day, or they only serve it on certain days, or they’ve sold out.
And what’s the deal with no Tabasco or bottled hot sauce of any kind. That’s just a mistake guys.
I like your beer though, decent draft list, comes out nice and cold.
The thing is, I really want to like this place, and since it’s so pleasant to hang out here, and the food isn’t bad, I’ll continue to think that I like this place more than I probably actually do. At least for now.

Without a doubt one of the best place to eat in Abilene. A quirky oasis of culinary gravitas.
Try the lemonade at any time and chicken and waffles whenever it’s available.
Can be crowded and service isn’t always super fast. But I’ve always found it worth the wait.

I really enjoyed this restaurant, it’s always been super busy every time we’ve tried to go.
I had the Mac n Cheese which is really high quality! The cheese is gooey enough and the cheeses they use really give it an upscale flavor.
I also had the Abi Haus Salad with steak. The steak was perfectly cooked. My wife had the cucumber salad… I wish I had gotten it, soooooo good!!!
I also tried some of my friends pork sandwich and had a sweet jelly on it.
Unique and interesting flavor in each dish make this a true original!
The waiter was really nice and they even brought out a bowl of water for my puppy!
We will definitely eat here again! I want to try everything!

Went there last year on our way through Abilene for dinner. The place looked very hipster, like some place in Seattle, almost similar attitudes, pricing and foods.
Basic food, disassembled and reconstructed at a premium price with some ingredients following a naming formula — holly encrusted, jolly farm, polly meat with rolly dairy cheese, and a dolly bakery bun with frolly crust. The burgers tasted very average for all its pedigree. Our kids salmon was tasty, to them, and the quantity was miniscule.
The smile-​less, hipster waitress seemed to pretend to know a lot about beers and brought us something completely off, based on our taste preferences.
This place is misplaced in this town and seems to do OK because of it. If you bring this food to a real food town it’s a nonstarter. They may do better to drop the pretension, lower prices and serve some down home, home-​cooked meals, which is what people expect from an establishment in Abilene. Something simple, executed well. Good tasting food is highly underrated.
I really like the creative element in this place.