carve american grille

John Kelso (iykyk) once berated Iron Works Barbecue for placing their salad bar at their entrance. Kelso said that was akin to greeting folks at a vegan restaurant with a butcher’s table full of red meat. Well, no worries about a salad bar at Carve American Grille because you are, indeed, greeted not only with a butcher’s table full of red meat but a butcher carving the day’s sizzles. But don’t let the greeting table of the Protein Formerly Known as Moo dissuade you—the place is a “Grille,” not a “Steakhouse,” so there are other offerings for folks like us who don’t automatically order steak when we see blood.

A sophisticated sister of Perry’s Steakhouse, the Carve at The Grove is the second sister joining another Carve at Barton Creek. With black hardware and low lighting, the vibe is Olsen Kundig steampunk crossed with upscale, minimalist goth. Although we had reservations for the dining room, we steered to the bar area where the full menu is on tap with a peppier atmosphere.

The mixology is decidedly Late Mesozoic (when dinosaurs got weird). I happily swilled the Sorbet Sundae Sour (Bulleit bourbon, freshly-pressed lemon juice, and egg white froth topped with Perry’s Reserve Cabernet sorbet and a Luxardo cherry; $15) while The Bride enjoyed her Bubbly Black Rose (Reyka vodka, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, freshly-pressed lemon juice, blackberry purée, and black tea topped with prosecco; $15). We paired our bevs with soft and savory Lobster Corn Dogs (lobster and shrimp mousse with a hush puppy batter and lemon aioli; $19 for three; yes, I favor ordering the goofiest sounding dishes on the menu).

For dinner, I chose the horde-recommended Carve French Dip (smoked NY Strip shaved with Gruyere cheese, peppers, and onions on a hoagie roll with fried onion strings; $24.5). It was bonkers good, super savory, and richer than pre-Twitter Musk. Amazingly, it warmed up just as well the next day for lunch. The Bride sank her hook into the Cedar Plank Fried Redfish (topped with a basil-parsley-pine nut-pecorino pesto drizzed with balsamic glaze and a side of asparagus; $39). This plank is pure magic: smokey, zesty, herbaceous, and addictive—and one of the best fish dishes we’ve ever had. As an extra side (unneeded given the large portions), we ordered the Sweet Jalapeño Corn Brulee ($13). If a dish says “jalapeño,” it should hurt at least as much as losing your first love, and it didn’t (but it mixed into a scramble quite well the following day).

With our mixed bevs bottomed, we were pleased to see that Carve offers flights of their 18 wines on tap. We shared a flight of three 2.5-ounce pours, which are half a standard pour and a third of something called a Carve Pour. Twelve to 24 dollars for three pours, depending on your choices, is a great way to sample a range of wine. With our (biodegradable) doggy boxes tucked warmly at our sides, we ended the evening with the Mini Trio of a bite-sized lemon tart, mini banana cream pie, and bite-sized torched s’more ($13). The big surprise was how well the banana cream pie in that small mason jar cha cha’d across our tongues. Oddly, in the only serving faux pax of the evening, our server did not offer us coffee to wash down the sugar, a minor, but important, detail (that might be bar related).

Carve offers several mocktails and, if you can coax them past the opening slaughter, a couple vegan/vegetarian options (including a veg-head Salisbury steak). Carve also serves pizza, burgers, salads, lunch, and brunch and offers take-out with nearly every dish touched by wood, smoke, or fire. Although Kelso passed away in 2017, he would have approved of the glass room of raw beef at the entrance (although it’s hard to imagine him approving of New Austin). But as far as New Austin goes, Carve is dang delicious and well worth a visit (and many more).

Carve American Grille, 2613 Perseverence Drive, carveamericangrille.com
If you can’t find street parking, Carve validates your parking at the garage across the street.

I wrote this review for the Allandale Neighbor. (December 2023, v 38, i 6, p 15-16)