Odd Duck

"Enjoy nice New Texan cuisine in a welcoming environment from notable Austin chef Bryce Gilmore and his team at this Zilker restaurant, complete with an open kitchen layout and outdoor patio. The dinner menu focuses on using local, fresh ingredients in its innovative dishes and drinks; diners might find things like a Thai-influenced sweet potato salad with crisped pork belly or birria de chivo (braised goat) pizza with pecan mole and queso Oaxaca. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services." - Nadia Chaudhury

"At the relaxed Zilker restaurant, chef and partner Bryce Gilmore and the rest of the team embrace Texas ingredients through the New American menu. There are inventive dishes (dirty rice-stuffed quail, grilled pork chops with butternut curry) and on-point desserts (tres leches made with fig leaves and chocolate), all served within a rustic, homey dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows that let in a muted natural light. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services." - Nadia Chaudhury, Erin Russell

"Austin Chronicle’s standalone Best of Austin Restaurants issue was published in late October. Winners included categories like established restaurant for Odd Duck." - Nadia Chaudhury

"Odd Duck on South Lamar has the whole “as it comes” small plate timing down to a science, with a pacing that never feels rushed, making it a fantastic place to linger and celebrate the passing of time and your own mortality with an exceptional cocktail or three. With a casual but upbeat vibe, a constantly evolving menu of creative riffs on Texas cuisine, and some of the most cheerful service staff in town, Odd Duck is equally perfect for two at the bar, or for a group willing to play a game of table-Tetris. Reservations aren’t that hard to come by, but do plan in advance for primetime hours. " - nicolai mccrary, raphael brion

"Odd Duck invented the phrase “farm to table.” We don’t know if that’s true, but they’re definitely one of the early pioneers of the trend here in Austin, and while a lot of spots came and went, Odd Duck never left. The menu changes regularly—based on seasonality, the chef’s whims, or how the wind’s blowing, probably—which just means you have plenty of reasons to keep coming back. Expect to find lots of riffs on classic Texas/Southern dishes like pecan mole pork shoulder, blackened redfish with sourdough sauce, and stuffed quail with dirty rice. If you’re looking for one really nice dinner while you’re in Austin, you should probably make a reservation at Odd Duck." - nicolai mccrary