The Grove Wine Bar & Kitchen is situated in West Lake Hills, and it’sone of Austin’s most beautiful settings, where green hills roll and majestic oaks grow tall. But it’s more than the peaceful atmosphere and scenic vistas of the Texas Hill Country that makes The Grove one of Austin’s most popular go-to eateries. Just ask local foodies and they will tell you. The wine list has been carefully and intelligently chosen, the food is delicious, and the service is excellent.
Natural elements used in the restaurant’s sleek, understated and contemporary architecture complement the huge live oak’s gnarled limbs that shade the outdoor deck. The vibe here is easily elegant, casually graceful. The hilltop location adds a magical element that flows into the restaurant as you settle into the tasty groove of The Grove.
A Great Idea from Visionary Founders
Reed Clemons, Beth SableCasita, and Matt Brandt had a strong feeling there was a space in West Lake for an idea like The Grove. As is true with many of the finer things in Austin, it is in no way formal, but feels a little fancy. They brought their wine knowledge to the table, and not only assembled a fine wine cellar, but also routinely offer different flights consisting of three related and harmonious wines, along with their stellar appetizers and tasty lunch and dinner menu.
After finding the location and designing the space to perfectly fit their concept, they were sure they’d have a hit. And now we know they were right. In fact, The Grove in West Lake Hills was so successful over its first several years, the founding partners decided to open a second location near Lakeway in northwest Austin. No surprise, the new location has maintained the standards set at the first and is now also doing very well.
Refining the Wining and Dining Experience
Known as a great place to eat delicious food, drink a glass or two of wine and relax in good company, The Grove Wine Bar & Kitchen has become a regular neighborhood “hangout.” The delectable fare is made from scratch, using organic produce and only the freshest of ingredients. The Grove’s philosophy about which wine to order? It is as simple as it gets — “Trust your Taste.”
Small plates and samplers include blue crab cakes, Grove crispy oysters that are served on house-made chips with spicy aioli and mango-poblano pico, Sweet Sourdough Sliders and a sensational sampler —cerviche with Texas redfish, Gulf shrimp, peppers, avocado, tomatoes, cilantro and house tortilla chips.
Miso-Hi Salmon Salad and Tempting Gourmet Pizza
The selection of starter and entrée salads showcase the kitchen’s careful selection of the choicest organic produce, locally obtained whenever possible. For instance, the red and gold beet salad, a starter salad, is earthy-sweet roasted beets, arugula, apple, goat cheese, walnuts dressed in a citrus vinaigrette, and the miso-hi salmon salad — an entrée salad, is seared Scottish salmon, mixed greens, cucumber, carrots, bell peppers and panko crusted onion rings dressed with a miso-honey vinaigrette. Other salads include Beth’s Berry Salad, and the Grove’s chopped salad and crabcake salad, to name a few.
Among popular featured plates are grilled Patagonian salmon, roasted Airline chicken breast, beef tenderloin and French-cut pork chops. Many regulars stick to the delicious specialty pizzas such as the Top Shelf (a margherita pizza), Meat Lover’s Motherload (just guess), Sausage Gone Wild (Italian fennel sausage, mushrooms, goat cheese, roasted peppers, mozzarella, and marinara), House BBQ Chicken (BBQ chicken, red onions, cilantro, smoked gouda cheese, smoldering house-made chipotle BBQ sauce, and mozzarella), New Mediterranean Pizza (basil pesto, artichoke hearts, spinach, grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta and mozzarella) and the tangy and irresistible Wine Lover’s Pizza (a white pizza topped with gooey fontina and crumbled blue cheese, prosciutto, fresh arugula, and mozzarella). The menu also includes pasta dishes, soups, and paninis.
Wine-Tasting Weekly
On most Friday evenings, The Grove Wine Bar & Kitchen hosts a free wine-tasting event. They also engage with the community sponsoring charity events. Best known as the neighborhood restaurant with great food at reasonable prices, this upscale eatery has wine by the glass, by the flight or by the bottle. Relax beneath the grove of grand live oaks on the outdoor patio and experience chic, casual dining at its finest. As is noted by the owners, “We never lose sight of the initial idea that wine and food are for everyone to enjoy.” And that is exactly what the guests do!