Austin Cake Ball Kitchen & Bar Sunday Funday

After being quirky and finally finding a moment of spare time I felt it was only necessary to follow up with a more detailed review of Austin Cake Ball.
So here is the rundown…
[The dilemma] Being that we had never attended a Unilocal event prior, we were fairly unfamiliar with the protocol, and be it that there wasn’t a familiar face in site, as Kelly S. did not arrive until after we left we found ourselves clueless, so we decided to stroll up to the bar and ask the bartender what if she knew, we were supposed to do.
Shortly after hearing why we were there, she directed us to a table in the far corner that was seating several Elites, however at that very moment the stage fright took hold and I wasn’t eager to join an unfamiliar crowd (sue me) especially not knowing exactly what to do; though I will note my partner-​in-​crime was eager as a beaver to head over and say ‘heeyyyy,’ but after the bartender (sensing my hesitation) mentioned we could partake in the festivities from the bar, the partner in crime decided to hang back with me. Btw – the bartender was awesome, can’t say enough – wish we’d of tipped more.
So bartender girl (whose name I have forgotten, can only remember her ‘4 year old appetite’ as she noted) started rolling out the items – one by one, starting with the «Candy Girl.» As I watched her make it and detailed the ingredients (all 4. haha), I was expecting a very sweet, candy-​like drink, but after the first sip was met with more of a ‘chill, slightly sweet,’ girl’s drink. It was fairly enjoyable, I could actually go for one now. She brought out numerous items: ceviche, crab cake-​balls, the most delicious-​to-​die-​for ughhh I would like an order NOW sliders, deviled eggs, veggies and hummus, and of course the delicate cake balls. Not a fishy fan – so had to skip on the cevichi, but the PIC loved it.
All in all it was well worth it, the best service, great appetizers and next time I’ll be sure and strangle the inner ‘chicken,’ and be eager to mingle with the others!

My friend recommended this place and it was deeelish! The name really through me off and I don’t think I would have ever thought of it as a dinner spot but it turned out to be a very nice evening. The atmosphere is clean and modern and the staff was very friendly.
We started off with a few of the appetizers… the deviled eggs were a treat, the bruschetta with truffle oil was very good and the stuffed peppadew peppers were sooooo yummy! I tried the Candy Girl cocktail and was quite delighted with the piece of rock candy on the rim. The garlic soup is an absolute must-​have! I ordered the sliders and the crepes and both were even better when dipped into the soup. The buns on the sliders were very good, I’d like to see a little basil in addition to the cheese and bacon though… I think it needed one more element and some color to it. The crepes were alright but slightly lacking in flavor (remedied by the garlic soup). The crab cakes were very good too.
The wine flight was a nice addition and I found a Cabernet that I really loved (can’t remember the name off hand, sorry!). The desserts were very creative and tasty, we had the strawberry one with chips and the molten brownie. they go quite well together too!
I would definitely recommend this place as a dinner spot and will certainly return.

I love these smaller events where I’m really able to focus on the food and company in a more relaxed way. In addition to great conversation with the fabulous ladies seated around me, I really enjoyed the food and cocktails. We tried a Candy Girl cocktail which was cute, but I fell in love with The Ginger. If I was going purely for aesthetics, I would have tried the Lychee Lee, it was just so beautiful with the frozen orchid ball floating in it.
As far as the food, it was all superb! My personal favorites were the grilled cheese and bacon sliders. They were decadently rich, but oh so delicious. I was also a fan of the deviled eggs and yes, when there were a couple leftover, I finished them off for the table. Crab cake fritters and citrus & crab salad were also big hits at our table. Who doesn’t like crab?
We finished the meal with some balls, perfectly shaped, perfectly flavored, perfectly moist balls. Let’s just say Pete Schweddy’s balls have nothing on these!

I never even knew this place existed until now!
I admit, when I walked in to the place, I was expecting just to try a few cakeballs and that’s it. But man, they definitely gave us the VIP royal treatment. The lady helping us was the sweetest and very attentive. I waited tables all my life before and I generally am very critical of servers but she did an amazing job being helpful, polite (especially when I asked her almost every time to repeat what the item or drink was), and thoughtful.
For the cocktails, I had one of the «Candy Girl» which was cotton candy vodka, champagne, homespun cotton candy, and a peice of pink rock candy floating at the bottom that made the drink fizzy and bubbly looking. They told us that they had a baby shower there just a few days before and they put a peice of blue rock candy in it to make the drink blue for the baby boy shower, what a creative idea! The second drink I had was «The Ginger» which had ginger liqueur, vodka, ginger beer, and a peice of white chocolate shell as the garnish. Both drinks were very sweet which is how I prefer my drinks. I personally like the Candy Girl just because I am a champagne girl :) The third drink that I got the chance to try a sip thanks to Holly was the Lychee Martini. Its not as sweet at most lychee martinis that Ive had at other places but it was very delicious. Visually, it was amazing.
Now on to the noms! Most everyone here has already went over the food so I’ll just critique on what i liked and disliked. My favorite was the crab balls and the ceviche. Mainly because I am a big fan of crab. They use real lumps of crab meat and much of it! The ceviche has a tangy lime flavor and paired with the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes, it was delicious, I wanted more of it! The least impressive for me was the bacon sandwiches. As some others have mentioned, it seems like something was missing. Maybe some greens would help so its not so rich, a little spinach or something of the like? The bread was great since it was nice and crispy.
Now on to the BALLS! Presentation blew me away. The plates was decorated with chocolate and red coloring in shapes of flowers, trees, and butterflies. My favorite was the strawberries and cream! The cake inside was very moist. I ended up buying 2 half dozen boxes to-​go to take home and give as a present. They had a baby shower designed box which my friends loved as a present, and for 16.99, it was a nice little gift.
I would def come back to this place and bring many friends for happy hour. As for the cake balls, it would be hard for me to buy all the time just because of the price. For 3 bucks each, it would definitely be something that I can do to treat myself every once in a while :)
Thanks Austin Cake & Ball for throwing this event!

I swear these Unilocal events keep getting better and better! This was one of my favorites as it was a small group of folks enjoying some really amazing cocktails and food.
The girly cocktail with the rock candy on the side was so good I drank two. Thank goodness for the food because it enabled me to try the Ginger drink as well. Of course, then I see these amazing cocktails with flowers in them and have to remind myself that I am driving. The ginger cocktail was one of my favorites. I love ginger-​flavored drinks and it was a really good mix with a small bit of white chocolate that was a perfect addition.
The food was really impressive to me. The crab cakes being one of my favorites. Little balls of yummy crab goodness (you could see the bits of crab in it!) in a tasty sauce. I had to control myself to ensure everyone got to try them. The crab salad was surprising to me as it looked like the kind of thing I wouldn’t like (not a fan of chicken salad or things likes this), but it was really tasty. What I liked most was the clean flavors where the crab and tequila shined and complimented one another. My other favorite dish (besides the cake balls) was the bacon tomato and cheese sliders. The buns were a nice flavorful accompaniment to crispy, slightly sweet bacon, fresh tomatoes and a tasty havarti cheese.
Of course, it wouldn’t be an event at Austin Cake Ball without the aforementioned cake balls. I am already a fan, and have tried most of the flavors, but was impressed with the Pumpkin Spice that I bought a couple to take home to the family. And, while I tend to avoid the chocolate cake ball for more interesting flavors, I tasted it and was reminded that this is an awesome little bite of chocolate. If you like Ding-​Dongs or chocolate on chocolate, it was a rich bite of heaven!
The staff was amazing. Everyone seemed very appreciative of our being there and quick to explain the food and drinks. I am very excited to have experienced this place as I live close and now have a new spot to frequent!

I was the only dude there except for Adi, lol. Austin Cake Ball spoiled us with their delicious food. My wife and I have had their cake balls before, but hadn’t tried their food/​happy hour. We will definitely be coming back. The highlights for us were the crab cake balls, crab martini, and the roasted red pepper dip. Loved their bacon sliders, those were probably my favorite. Wife loved the crab balls, the sauce that it comes with is delicious. The staff here is so friendly and helpful, we also bought some cake balls and they were devoured by the end of the night. Thank you Austin cake ball for treating us like VIPs, you made our day.

I thought Austin Cake Ball only sold, well, cakes. Turns out they also have some of the prettiest cocktails I’ve ever seen, and a few tasty appetizers as well.
The Candy Girl cocktail was served with a candy cube which fizzled when you dropped into the champagne-​vodka mixure. The Lychee Lee came with a frozen ball of ice embedded with orchid petals. Strong drinks which looked both whimsical and stunning. Great eye candy, and probably the wow factor you looking for if you’re going to be paying $ 9 a glass.
The food, beautifully presented, just kept on coming. Edamame parmesan spread. Roasted red pepper spread. Crab ceviche. Truffled deviled eggs. Crab cake fritters. Grilled cheese and bacon sliders. And for dessert, cake balls, of course: salted caramel, strawberries and cream, pumpkin spice, chocolate and red velvet. I thought the sliders could have included some greens for colour and to help cut the richness. Also the crab cakes would be awesome with more actual crab; personally, I prefer a lot less filler. Everything else I quite liked and would willingly order again.
As always, meeting and talking to fellow Unilocalers is what I enjoy most. Thanks especially to my closest seat mates Jennifer, Christa, Tasha, Holly, Angie and Misha for their great company.
Kudos to the redoubtable Kelly S. for putting together yet another fabulous Unilocal event!

How do I judge if it was a great Unilocal event?
Drink too much — check
Eat too much — check
Talk a lot — check
Meet some great new people — check
Catch up with the people I know but don’t see often — check
Leave the event a happy camper — double check!
The food and drinks at Austin Cake Ball are simply amazing. From the Candy Girl drinks with the rock candy, to the ginger drink with the white chocolate ball to my absolute favorite, the grilled cheese with bacon, it was amazing all around. I didn’t get to try the ceviche of the crab cakes since I am highly allergic, but the were presented beautifully. Oh, and of course, the amazing cake balls. I highly recommend the pumpkin!

Talk about a GREAT time. I’d been to Austin Cake Ball Kitchen before, but this was the VIP treatment. A small, intimate affair that was a nice way to end my weekend. I started with the candy girl cocktail — a fitting sweet start to a wonderful event. The other cocktail I sampled was the ginger — a really nice mix of flavors and easy on the palette. For appetizers we started with the edamame and red pepper hummus plates — delicious with the veggies or the pita triangles. I then skipped the next course, not being a fan of seafood (the crab cake balls had fresh herbs picked straight from the vine). I did, however, dive in on the grilled cheese and bacon sliders… they were rich, but good… only critique I would have is that something green (basil or arugula) would have been a nice add. Then, the piece de resistance was the dessert samplers… a lovely mix of the cake balls (which while what I came for, there is much more to be desired at this restaurant!). Big shoutout for the pumpkin spice… a true seasonal favorite. Our waitress was attentive and very knowledgeable about the menu… a true gem. Thanks, Unilocal,for another fun evening of food, drinks and conversation!

Amazeballs.
We had no idea what the hell we were doing, so we seated ourselves at the bar. We finally asked the bartender where we were supposed to be, who motioned to the large table with about 7 of your lovely faces. The gf is not keen on approaching groups of people that she is not familiar with, so I obliged, even though I really did want to socialize. We still had a fabulous time!
The food and drinks kept coming, and didn’t seem to stop. I was a big fan of the ceviche, and was impressed by the drinks. Last place I expected to have alcohol, much less of that variety. I saw a few that I’d like to go back and try.
Our bartender was fantastic.
Overall, a win. Can’t wait to meet some other Unilocalers next time around!

Amazing! I love cake balls, but the ceviche and bacon sandwiches were great!
The intimate affair was awesome, it was so nice to get to talk to my fellow Unilocalers. Everyone was so excited — and rightly so! The ceviche, as a fellow Unilocaler pointed out, had great, fresh crab. I will definitely be getting this again in the future.
Unfortunately I had to leave early :(but all I missed were the cake balls, which I’ve had before.
THANKS KELLY: D

Balls, balls, balls galore
Why yes, yes, I’ll have some more!
No, no, not the hairy ones– gross
Yikes, was that too inappropriate for this post?
We had hummus and crab and sliders and dranks
To Cake Ball and Kelly we give our thanks!