Truluck’s

Excellent service here!!! We ate there for Valentine’s and it was so awesome the ambience was incredible as well! The rib eye steak was DELICIOUS!

This was really my first ever «fine dining» experience, or at least what I consider to be fine dining when your waiter folds your napkin for you while you’ve run to the lavatory. My bf and I were very happy with our first experience at Truluck’s and left with huge guts and big grins on our faces.
We made reservations on Valentine’s Day and the only spot available was at 9:45pm *insert cringe here* Like I was going to A) be able to wait that long to eat and B) still be awake by then. We decided to pop in early and grab a drink while we waited and low and behold they had a table open *yassss*
I forget our server’s name but he was funny, welcoming, insightful, and attentive. He made recommendations and suggestions based on his experience and answered all of our questions no matter how silly they were.
We tried three cocktails that night, the Moscow Mule, Lemon Drop, and the third I can’t recall but it had the word ‘red’ in it. All were delicious! The lemon drop I really liked, it was pretty strong but the sugar rim balanced it out.
«$ 34 for two crab cakes??» was my bf’s reaction to me picking out appetizers. I told him to quit it and just trust me on this. Of course the two burger sized crab cakes were amazing, especially since they are 99% crab, unlike every other version you see that is 50% white bread. The lobster bisque was a little too rich for me, but my bf licked the bowl clean.
The entrees were so delicious. I ordered the scallops which were each the size of EGGS. Eggs I tell you. I boxed the rest for home because I couldn’t finish everything. When has there ever been a time where you couldn’t finish scallops?! My bf had the filet with the seafood sriracha sauce, our waiter said it wasn’t incredibly spicy but be warned, it really does have a kick to it. Regardless, delicious. We didn’t have anymore room to jam food in our bellies so we opted out of dessert, but then our waiter brought complementary homemade truffles for each of us in a little box. They were so yummy and what a sweet gesture!
The icing on our delicious experience cake was when one of the waitresses (?) went around and snapped Polaroids of all the couples, we opted in and got a cute picture of the two of us (and our food babies) to take home.
A wonderful experience start to finish! I won’t ignore the fact that it’s very expensive, but this is why you splurge when it’s a special occasion. High five to you, Truluck’s.

I had Valentine’s Dinner here on 02÷14÷16 and I must say, it was very good. We ordered Calamari as an appetizer and it was OK, but nothing remarkable. Then we ordered the Filet Dynamite with mashed potatoes and asked that the chef split the plate. Believe me, it’s enough for two. The Filet was one of the best I’ve had in several years from any restaurant I’ve visited. Tender, juicy and cooked just the way I ordered it. We had three glasses of wine between us as well. Total tab without tip: $ 130.
Truluck’s is a great place to celebrate something special.

This remains a great place to go for happy hour. The food is amazing. Go with a group and share a selection of apps. My favorite is the fish tacos. The sangria and several wines are good choices. The service is excellent.

For my first experience, especially for a birthday dinner I was not very impressed. We made reservations at 7, showed up a little early and were seated immediately. My first impression was great. Our Waiter was great and got our drink orders right away. Once the rest of our party arrived, we ordered our entrees. Everything was fine up until that point. However, when our food was served you can tell it had been sitting for a while. It wasn’t cold but it wasn’t very warm and we had waited on our food for quite sometime. Then, my sister’s boyfriend, who had ordered the fillet, asked for his steak to be medium. It came out completely well-​done. There was no issue when sending the steak back and they even offered him complimentary soup. That he already had. I mean the Lobster bisque is really good but it’s pretty buttery so he didn’t eat it a second time. He even politely said that he had already eaten it earlier – the manager just mumbled something under his breath to the waiter and left.
Continuing on our meal – my sister and I were sharing some of the crab macaroni when I pulled a whole hard shell knuckle out of my mouth. It was at least an inch long, and when I brought it up to the waiter he completely disregarded it. I was really unimpressed at that point. He didn’t offer to bring more mac ‘n cheese, comp some money off the price – he didn’t do anything. At that point we were already late for another reservation at 9 – it was a 2 ½ hour dinner, that was long for the wrong reasons. For the price, which already sets expectations and the fact that it was a birthday dinner – there were too many short comings to rate this place for a good experience.

Wonderful food, nice décor. As an appetizer, we had oysters, which were fresh and well garnished. I love the salmon topped with rock shrimp and crab. Perfectly cooked and fileted. The flavor is delectable and rich. It’s served over creamed spinach, and the combination really complements each other. My boyfriend had the steak and lobster. The steak was good, but a tad overcooked, and kind of bland compared to others I’ve had. The lobster was fantastic. Service was spotty. We were missing silverware, and it took a good 25 minutes before our server got around to taking our order, on a steady (not slow, but not busy), Thursday night. She was friendly enough, just not the most attentive, which, if you’re «fine dining,» service is just as important as the food… In my opinion.
I’ve been here several times, and the food is always fantastic. Service is usually great, but I have experienced inconsistencies. It is pricey, but you get what you pay for. You can’t go to a fine-​dining establishment expecting Applebee prices. Overall, this is always a great place for a nice evening out.

Amazing service and consistently 5-​star food, seriously. I was so impressed that I went to the one downtown thinking it would be the same awesomeness, WRONG. Downtown was nothing compared to our experiences (3) at this location. They know their stuff. The staff is well trained and the chef is on-​point. Right now, this is my go-​to restaurant in Austin for a guaranteed EXCELLENT experience. The only area they might improve is their deserts. The portions are WAY too big and the flavors have not bowled me over like their other dishes.

Wonderful food, nice décor. As an appetizer, we had oysters, which were fresh and well garnished. I love the salmon topped with rock shrimp and crab. Perfectly cooked and fileted. The flavor is delectable and rich. It’s served over creamed spinach, and the combination really complements each other. My boyfriend had the steak and lobster. The steak was good, but a tad overcooked, and kind of bland compared to others I’ve had. The lobster was fantastic. Service was spotty. We were missing silverware, waited 15 minutes to get our waters, while one of our drinks was completely forgotten about, and it took a good 25 minutes before our server got around to taking our order (after drinks were delivered), on a steady (not slow, but not busy), Thursday night. She was friendly enough, just not the most attentive, which, if you’re «fine dining,» service is just as important as the food… In my opinion.
I’ve been here several times, and the food is always fantastic. Service is usually good, but I have experienced inconsistencies. It is pricey, but you get what you pay for. You can’t go to a fine-​dining establishment expecting Applebee prices. Overall, this is always a great place for a nice evening out.

A $ 14 Dungeness Crab ends up as a $ 58 specialty. Previously frozen because that’s the only way to get it here. Surrounded by ice. Get real!!!
Austin is full with misplaced prices like these. Try their Happy Hour. The rest is rediculous.

The «no hats» policy is only applied to men, even though the signage directly stipulates No hats whatsoever. As a trans person, I was bothered to remove my hat even though the other women in the establishment were allowed to keep theirs. This rule needs to be enforced across the board, or not at all. In today’s society, gender lines are not as black and white as they were in the 1950s. I had the miso glazed seabass and it was fantastic.

My boyfriend took me here for my Birthday. As we walked in the door, hostess was hesitant to seat us and we overheard her apologizing to our waiter for seating a couple past his shift. As a former hostess and waitress, I felt their pain but still knew that at a restaurant like Truluck’s customer service is everything… So you’re wondering why they still got five stars, keep reading.
1. As a passionate but picky seafood lover, I was beyond pleasantly surprised when my salmon was cooked perfectly as per my specifications.
2. My boyfriend’s foie gras was beyond amazing, maybe even better than the salmon.
3. Waiter and manager on duty were pleasant and accomodating, attentive to our needs and had good attitudes.
4. Perhaps most importantly, I emailed the location manager following our unpleasant greeting experience, she promptly responded with a sincere apology and a gift card which we’ll be cashing in soon
All in all, food was perfect, ambiance was too, and management really came through when faced with the misbehavior of a single employee.
A round of applause to management for they are the reason we hope to come back to Truluck’s for many special occasions to come.

What a luxurious place to dine! Went here for my Birthday, they really went all out (so did my husband for the bill). But, it was worth every penny. Superb service with excellent food. You get what you pay for. We looked at the menu ahead of time and decided to come for the Stone Crab on Monday for the «All you can enjoy.» You get an incredible mustard sauce, and as other Unilocalers have said, I too am not a mustard fan until I tried this sauce. Our waiter Sean was incredible and attentive. Yes, the restrooms do include mouthwash which my husband enjoyed twice. The pianist was great and really set the mood. We «enjoyed» as much as we could to get our money’s worth. The dessert is amazing also if you can fit it in. The carrot cake was the best I’ve had. We did stay 2 ½ hours and never felt pressured to leave. I’d totally come more often if I could afford it. It was $ 171 for both of us for the crab all you can enjoy with a soup or salad and a side, plus had their famous bottled water. But, I’d totally come back every few years or so for special occasions.

I promised my boyfriend a fancy dinner on our Austin trip and the Unilocal app helped us find this gem! The food was incredible and the service could not have been better. We did make a reservation the day of and they were happy to fit us in. From the moment we arrived, the staff was courteous and eager to help us pair wine with our meals. Both of our steaks were cooked to perfection and tasted amazing!

Best restaurant in Austin hands down! Arboretum or downtown are both top notch. Red fish ponchatrain is my favorite. Florida stone crab claws are amazing…

Truly a magnificent evening. This place is busy so make sure to get reservations for large parties. The live piano bar is a great way to kick off the evening. So, come early and grab a Chopin martini and listen to some wonderful music. It’s a great date spot! Very special! The menu is on the ultra high-​end in terms of pricing but worth every penny! Very large portions so it’s prime for sharing. The stone crab legs are #1 for us! Absolutely delicious served on ice with a lemon wedge and a delightful perfectly light mustard sauce that complements the flavor of the sweet crab. Also, one of us is a vegetarian and the chef modified the side of crab rice and calamari veggie stir fry dish and made her a very tasty dish we all couldn’t help but take more than just a taste of before she created a napkin barrier. Note that the escargot has a touch of Rosemary I think it was so not just your average garlic butter. It took a couple moments to adjust but it was so yummy to dip bread into afterwards. And finally, the desserts you just have to see to believe. There’s no way you’ll say no once they bring you the selection. And you won’t regret selecting any one of them. If you want VIP treatment, this is the place to go for any special occasion. The service is gold standard! Note: garlic is heavy on the spinach and mushrooms. But so delicious! Thank goodness there’s a water cooler filled with mouthwash in each restroom;) seriously! Nice touch!!!

WE LOVE THIS PLACE!!! This is such a classy place to enjoy the most delicious seafood and crab claws available! Their happy hour beats all others by far. The service is excellent and very efficient and we really enjoy the live entertainment that plays in the evenings. We have eaten many appetizers here and have also enjoyed the all you can eat crab claws during the appropriate seasons and we have never been disappointed! Can’t get back quick enough!

Update:
I just received the gift card that was promised and a complementary bottle of champagne. Thank you Truluck’s, it is nice to feel valued as a customer. We will definitely give Truluck’s another try.
«I recently went to Truluck’s for my birthday and engagement celebration. Truluck’s has been my favorite restaurant for over 9 years. I request to go there on most all of my special occasions. My last visit was the worst experience I have ever had. The bartenders were rude. The food was not what it use to be. The sides are a la cart and were terrible, mostly un-​edible. They called the next day to check how our evening was so my fiancé expressed our concerns, he was told he would be getting something in the mail to make up for the bad service and food, that was three weeks ago. Really?! This was my fiancés first time to Truluck’s and I am sad to say he does not want to go back ever again. It seems that the arboretum location is not what it use to be. I love the Alaskan King Crab legs but I guess I will seek them out else where.

Very good customer service from everyone there, from the manager to the maitre d, to the waiter. The food is pricey but the service and food makes up for it. I ordered the new york strip steak and my wife ordered the mahi mahi. The steak was cooked perfectly medium and the seasoning was superb. The mahi mahi was good too.

Best place we have gone to eat in Austin for a romantic meal. The staff there are so caring. They were careful to not recommend things we were allergic to. All the appetizers were so good that we could barely touch our main course or dessert. Honestly, there is nothing bad we could say about this place. It was a gem. Did I mention, there was live music. A pianist and lady was singing. It was so beautiful. It made our visit to Austin perfect.

My first time coming here was 3 days ago for my husband, & grandfather in laws birthday. Let me start off by saying The food was GREAT! I am allergic to shellfish so I can’t have much seafood, (not that I like it anyway) so I ordered a 10 oz filet, and I was blown away. I usually need A1 steak sauce for my steaks, (since I get them well done, & it’s real dry) but here I didn’t even think about steak sauce. It was so delicious, along with the side of Parmesan mashed potatoes I had.
The staff was very friendly, especially our server. He was very upbeat & attentive. I enjoy servers that engage with their customers.
This place is very pricey but worth every single dollar you pay!
They gave my husband, & grandfather in law a cake along with ice cream for their birthday which was really nice!
I definitely will be back here, my first experience here was a fantastic one!

At a restaurant this pricey, I expect near-​perfection. Glad this was the case, with a few additional touches that are only done at the best restaurants. The manager stopping by and giving his business card. A call the next day to ensure our experience was satisfactory. Scraping crumbs off the table when clearing plates… Most owners/​managers don’t think to do these things or don’t think it matters. They fail to understand that it’s not the action specifically that some folks care about, it’s the message it sends. It’s these kinds of things that builds brand loyalty and vocal supporters, e.g. — me writing this review.
The food was great. Perfectly cooked, very tasty, and was obviously from a talented cooking staff. One of those experiences where I expect they probably don’t get many screw ups because there’s probably someone in the kitchen who wouldn’t let it leave without being perfect.
I was also a big fan of the online menu showing pricing. Many nice restaurants will leave out pricing for their online menu. If someone gets there and is surprised at the higher pricing, it increases the chance of them being overly critical of their experience or judging poorly because their mood started negatively. Transparency is the better model if you ask me.
I can’t say I’ll be back anytime soon because I don’t often have people visit who would want to go to a place this nice, but I’ll certainly be recommending it to anyone asking for a top notch restaurant!

If there’s a more glorious place in Austin to wallow in Bourgeois piggishness, this little piggy has yet to find it (although, if you’re paying, I’m willing to reconsider.).
Move over Uchi,
, there’s a new place for me to get my conspicuous consumption on.
Really, only three words more are necessary for this review:
South
African
Lobster
The rest is just background noise, but oh what food-​coma inducing background noise:
Florida snow crab, blue crab cocktail, blackened redfish Pontchartrain, Chocolate (Feed) Bag (why call it a bag, when «Tower» would be so much classier?)…
Service was impeccable. Did the Maitre d’ just give me his card to tell me to call if I had any unfulfilled needs that needed satisfying, or did I dream that? Lobster does strange things to my hipppocampus. Consider you would be dates warned.

This is a very good restaurant with great service. They had some outstanding seafood selections and some very good steaks as well. We had the Stone Crab apps and they were very good, really tasty and served perfectly already cracked and just walked out of the shells. I had a firecracker smothered Filet that we excellent, pricy but good. My host had the Dungeness crab, which was tasty (he said I didn’t ask for a taste) but it was not pre-​cracked so he had to fight with the nut cracker for every bite. My suggestion, take that Dungeness crab and crack it the same way you did the Stone Crab… Had I ordered it that is what I would have had them do.
All in all very good, some nice reasonable prices on the wine list.

Had a wonderful dinner last night. It was my husband’s Birthday and he ordered the African Lobster Tail and it was amazing. Normally large lobsters are tough and not very sweet. This was very tender and had an amazing taste. We were blown away by the complementary chocolate bread pudding dessert they brought him for his Birthday.
The Manager even came over to make sure we were having a nice time. And our server Christi was great.

I’ve found my new favorite happy hour spot. Happy hour at Truluck’s is heavenly and long, 4:30 — 7:00, Monday-​Sat, 4:30 — 9:00 on Sunday. I could come back here every day.**EDIT** happy hour is now 4:30 — 6:30 every day and the menu has changed as of 3÷8÷15. Rereview pending.
Appetizers and cocktails are a steal at half off during happy hour, generally $ 6 – 9, with french fries and sweet potato fries for $ 3. Recommend the shrimp cocktail, hot fried shrimp (which is not really spicy), warm goat cheese with peppadew salad, and sweet potato fries which are all beyond delicious. The flavor and presentation of everything is really excellent.
Cocktails here are quite large and strong. Their Moscow mule is one of the best I’ve had, and service is regularly attentive and friendly.
Happy hour is in the bar area only, and seating here can get crowded. there’s no call ahead so try to get here early, or on Sunday, which isn’t crowded at all.

We met a close friend to enjoy a fabulous dinner. We sat in the bar area near the piano. With much to celebrate we quickly looked over the menu for the prefect dish.
They had a duet singing and I must admit I was distracted from my dinner conversation.
The singing duet was amazing. Each time I’d look over and think to myself they are attempting to sing that song. I’d listen closely and they hit the right notes every time. I wish I had taken a moment to get there names.
I finally decided to try one of the fish dishes. Sumptuous, buttery, delectable and delicious are just a few terms I would use to describe my miso glazed Sea Bass. My Sea Bass was perched on top of the bed of crab fried rice and topped with a cucumber slaw. I savored each and every morsel of this entrée. Prior to indulging on this dish we dined on calamari, it was tasty. The presentation is nice and we were given little thongs to serve.
In the past I never considered this place one of my favorites. It was a place to visit if other places were to full for happy hour. This time they won me over.
The only thing that was lacking may have been the service. It wasn’t bad it just wasn’t as refined as I would expect in a place with this price point.
All in all great food, great conversation and lastly great music prevailed and we walked away feeling as if the evening went well.
When I return I will try the crab, which I have been told is nothing short of amazing.