Fabrik Austin
Vegan restaurant · Blackland ·
Seasonal vegan tasting menus in an intimate, homey setting
Seasonal vegan tasting menus in an intimate, homey setting
"Verdict: Fabrik is a plant-based fine-dining experience on East MLK that uses ingredients like miso butter, caramelized yeast, and tamari caramel to impart rich and savory elements in their dishes. The dining room is nothing to write home about—it’s at the bottom of an apartment complex, where it shares a wall with a neighboring torta shop—but a meal here involves one of the best tasting menus in Austin, vegan or otherwise. There are no walk-ins and no bar to post up at for a last-minute dinner, so you’ll need to plan a meal at Fabrik ahead of time. Reservations for the 6pm seating tend to book up nearly three weeks in advance, but if you’re OK with the 8:30 slot, you can usually snag a table about a week out." - nicolai mccrary, raphael brion
"Fabrik lets a vegetable be a vegetable. It’s a vegan restaurant that doesn’t rely on Franken-pseudo meats to try to convince you that soy protein is just as good as meat. Instead, they know that a skewer of oyster mushroom grilled over hot charcoal can, in fact, trigger the same dopamine rush as any piece of poultry or beef. Just know that by signing up for dinner here, you’ll be buckling in for an inventive seven-course tasting menu that feels a little bit like a plant-based roller coaster. And at less than $100 a person, it’s one of the more affordable tasting menus in town—and barely more than a ticket to Six Flags. There are no walk-ins and no bar to post up at for a last-minute dinner, so you’ll need to plan a meal at Fabrik ahead of time. Reservations for the 6pm seating tend to book up nearly three weeks in advance, but if you’re OK with the 8:30 slot, you can usually snag a table about a week out." - nicolai mccrary, matthew jacobs, raphael brion
"Fabrik lets a vegetable be a vegetable. It’s a vegan restaurant that doesn’t rely on Franken-pseudo meats to try to convince you that soy protein is just as good as meat. Instead, they know that a skewer of oyster mushroom grilled over hot charcoal can, in fact, trigger the same dopamine rush as any piece of poultry or beef. Just know that by signing up for dinner here, you’ll be buckling in for an inventive seven-course tasting menu that feels a little bit like a plant-based roller coaster. At around $85 a person, it’s one of the more affordable tasting menus in town—barely more than a ticket to Six Flags. There are no walk-ins and no bar to post up at for a last-minute dinner, so you’ll need to plan a meal at Fabrik ahead of time. Reservations for the 6pm seating tend to book up nearly three weeks in advance, but if you’re OK with the 8:30 slot, you can usually snag a table about a week out." - nicolai mccrary, adele hazan, raphael brion
"Fabrik is an upscale plant-based experience on East MLK that uses ingredients like miso butter, caramelized yeast, and tamari caramel to integrate rich elements into their dishes. The dining room is not particularly fancy—it’s at the bottom of an apartment complex, and the bathroom is shared with a neighboring sandwich shop outside—but it’s a meal holds its own in any conversations about fine dining, vegan or otherwise (enter: this guide). Just know that if you do dinner here, you’re signing up for a seven-course journey (with an optional beverage pairing) that seamlessly blends Japanese, Nordic, and Italian flavors with local, seasonal ingredients. There are no walk-ins and no bar to post up at for a last-minute dinner, so you’ll need to plan a meal at Fabrik ahead of time. Reservations for the 6pm seating tend to book up nearly three weeks in advance, but if you’re OK with the 8:30 slot, you can usually snag a table about a week out." - nicolai mccrary
"Fabrik is a vegan restaurant in East Austin that lets a vegetable be a vegetable. Instead of relying on Franken-pseudo meats or secretly disguised vegetables to trick you into eating its food, this is a place that celebrates what it is instead of hiding behind what it isn’t. Because of this, Fabrik isn’t just the best vegan restaurant in town—it’s one of the best fine-dining restaurants as well. photo credit: Richard Casteel photo credit: Richard Casteel photo credit: Richard Casteel Pause Unmute There are two options for dinner here: a five-course or a seven-course tasting menu, with an optional pairing of low-intervention wines. The whole operation functions out of a small space at the base of an apartment building on East MLK. It's minimalist and a bit Nordic-inspired. Despite the small space, it never feels stuffy or chaotic inside—you’ll hardly even notice the servers quietly ducking in and out of the kitchen. photo credit: Richard Casteel Nearly everything on the menu is grown locally, so naturally, seasonality plays a big role. That also means it changes pretty often, but in general, you can expect to find a blend of Japanese, Nordic, and Italian flavors. Ingredients like miso butter, caramelized yeast, and tamari caramel are used to impart rich and savory elements into dishes, and you’ll see them seamlessly incorporated into various tartlets, charcoal-grilled skewers, and housemade pastas. But most importantly, every dish here feels like the end result of lots of intense thought, planning, and practice. No rough drafts. photo credit: Richard Casteel photo credit: Richard Casteel photo credit: Richard Casteel photo credit: Richard Casteel Pause Unmute Whether you’re a lifelong vegan or just dabbling in the world of plant-based dining, you’ll likely leave Fabrik with a newfound appreciation for mushrooms, carrots, and whatever else made its way onto the menu that month. In a city known for barbecue, chili, and fajitas, Fabrik manages to be a meal that we can’t stop thinking about. How to get into Fabrik There are no walk-ins and no bar to post up at for a last-minute dinner, so you’ll need to plan a meal at Fabrik ahead of time. Reservations for the 6pm seating tend to book up nearly three weeks in advance, but if you’re OK with the 8:30 slot, you can usually snag a table about a week out. Food Rundown Five-Course Tasting Menu The menu changes every few months, so we won’t bother going into too much detail about dishes that you probably won’t experience. But we’ve had everything from roast carrot tartares topped with yuzu kosho romesco, to handmade agnolotti dressed in togarashi pepper, vegan parmesan, and blanched garlic foam. The ever-changing menu just means you have more reasons to keep coming back. And at $70, we’d consider this a great value for the quality of the meal. photo credit: Richard Casteel Seven-Course Tasting Menu The seven-course tasting menu is exactly the same as the five-course version, but usually with some type of tartlet at the beginning and a second dessert at the end. But those two extra courses have also been our favorites on a couple of different visits. If you’re already making reservations and getting all dressed up for a nice dinner out, we’d recommend spending the extra $15 for the full experience. photo credit: Richard Casteel" - Nicolai McCrary