Red Vault Bistro

I liked the name of the restaurant so we decided to give it a try. The food was excellent and so was the service. My ribeye was cooked exactly like I asked (medium, just because I was worried medium rare might come out rare since I’ve never been here before). My wife had the Chilean sea bass and she loved it. The bread was hot and fresh and the tea was good (one of the things I measure a restaurant by). This place used to be a bank at some point in history and now the vault is their wine cellar. Would definitely eat here again if I return to this town.

Just stopped on the way to Houston, Awesome place! Salads were delicious, crab cakes, awesome. We had the chicken cordon blue and it was really nice. The bread was off the charts! I took awful pictures but I tried. You should check this place out if you get the chance.

Wow, what a wonderful stroke of luck that we ended up at Red Vault Bistro on our drive from NOLA to San Antonio. On the spur of the moment, we decided we were too hungry to wait until San Antonio for dinner so we looked for somewhere close to where we were on the highway. We saw the great reviews and ratings of this place that was only 10 minutes away. We hit the jackpot. The food was fabulous, the service was awesome, the environment was very nice and the prices were super reasonable. If you’re ever near Flatonia, check this place out!

Fantastic evening for dinner out. Wonderful food, great atmosphere..quite the hidden gem. Bruschetta was nice, the crab cakes were probably the best I've eaten ever. The chicken marsala , the salmon, and the ribeye were all very savory. Salads and vegetables were extremely fresh. We made room to share a piece of their lemon cake and it was the perfect finshing touch. It's a great place for special special occasions or just the well needed date night. Update. Same.great.di ing experience on Valentine's Day. It was a full house, but the salmon was fantastic and the crab cakes were as amazing as my first encounter.

This restaurant is exceptional! Our waitress was charming and was well versed on the wine list. Our food was delicious and rivaled anything we have grown accustomed to in Dallas. It made us feel like we were in Europe!

Absolutely amazing. I took my friend for her birthday. We had the cheese tray, the house salad which had mandarin oranges with French vinaigrette, the Cesar had fresh anchovies the the creamiest Cesar dressing. We had the grilled ribeye and the grilled lamb chips with garlic mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. Sublime. We had a great visit with the owner Elizabeth. This place is a must and is worth the drive from Austin to Flatonia.

Such an elegant place to eat! Perfect place for an intimate dinner for two. The wine was superb. The food - amazing! This place is so romantic. We actually drove from Victoria (about an hour and 20 minutes drive) to have dinner here. It was well worth the drive.

We stopped here on on way home from Waelder. I’ve been coming to Flatonia my whole life but never knew Red Vault Bistro has been around since 2011! Service wasn’t service at all but was like being welcomed into someone’s home. Elizabeth was incredibly kind, gracious, and catering. The food was incredible. I think it qualifies as a great meal- one that can compete with other high calibre restaurants. If you’re looking for a great meal, with a warm atmosphere, this is your place.

Elizabeth & Chef Gabriel are amazing people. If you have a chance to eat here they are very accommodating. The food is amazing!! Desserts too. I am not a wine drinker but they have wine and beer.

This review is for their Wednesday menu only when this steakhouse run by a French chef turns into a sushi restaurant. And the five stars fully reflects the rural location. You could drive many miles in any direction and not see anything close to a sushi restaurant. There's one in Bastrop, but that's 45 minutes away. You'd probably drive an hour hour the next closest option. Three stars for the food - since it was a limited menu, adapted a bit to rural taste, was missing a few of the expected Japanese touches such as a dish to mix your wasabi and soy sauce and dip your sushi into. That said, the fish was super fresh and they were generous with it, and we enjoyed the meal. Plus one more star for the service and the nicely priced sake, which were both very good. And definitely a bonus star for bringing sushi to this remote community of 1,800 people. They are ambassadors of culture and their outreach is well received. The place was packed. And everyone was using chopsticks! We had the items you see pictured and captioned below. The tempura wasn't the whispy batter you often see, but it was still very good - perfectly fried and well seasoned. One small thing, though: they made the mistake of placing Chinese Duck Sauce in the bottom of the shrimp tempura bowl. Not Japanese and not needed. This type of rural adaptation was evident in the sushi rolls, where the few options included rolls that are either fried, loaded with cream cheese, or both (very similar to Kyoto Sushi in Bastrop) But, again, that packed the house. And even their least Japanese roll - the Philadelphia role - was delicious. Although my next trip there won't likely be on a Wednesday, we definitely enjoyed the meal and I very much appreciate what they're doing. As they say in Japan, "Keep it up, y'all!"

I don't know what kind of people come out of their way to eat here, but news flash- calling a place a French bistro doesn't make it so- nothing on this menu is actual French cuisine. So disappointing. And the prices! Holy cow! They legit slapped the words French and bistro in the name so they can charge you accordingly.

I really liked the aesthetic of this place. The service I got was incredible probably some of the best I have ever had. But the best part for sure was the food. It was super surprising for a little town place. The crab cakes were the best I have ever had. I also had the salmon and ravioli was very good amazing sauce for all the meals. Definitely would come back

I stopped in on a Thursday evening. There were only a few other customers there. The food was amazing. I had the crab cakes for an appetizer, and they were the best I ever had. I had the steak, which was cooked to perfection. The sides were mashed potatoes and broccoli. The mashed potatoes were a little bland, but I prefer to spice up my mashed potatoes. I had the cheesecake for dessert. That was amazing. The cranberry sauce with it was delicious, but very sweet. When I received my check, it was $80+ bill before tip. So I will keep this place in mind when I want to celebrate something. But I will continue to look for a cheaper place to have dinner for 1. Also, next time I won't come in right after work. I had a feeling that's a more semi-formal atmosphere. I was told and seen other posts talk about sushi night on Wednesdays. So I'll definitely check that out and see how good that is. I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

Atmosphere 10/10 overall. 6/10 at our table. We had a group of 7 so they put us in a semi-private corner next to lots of stacks of inventory next to the kitchen. Workers talked extremely loudly behind us throughout the evening while we were trying to have a quiet, relaxing meal. This caused the atmosphere to nose dive. Service 5/10 Our server was very nice, but not very efficient. She never checked back on our drinks (thankfully there was water on the table), and there were several times we needed something and after waiting 10-15 minutes for a steak knife, or tea, I had to hunt someone down only to be told to wait because they were busy doing something else. She seemed super stressed. Again, when trying to have a relaxing meal, continually having to hunt down what we needed, trying to talk over loud servers near the kitchen, and feeling bad asking for what we needed so we don't stress out the server- it's just not great. One of the worst things was trying to discreetly discuss for which of the guests I was paying. When we first arrived, I attempted to let them know immediately so there would be no awkwardness when the bill came. Two different ladies came over and loudly started pointing and asking whose meals were going on my ticket and making a big deal about how confusing it was. It was so embarrassing. A got up and asked if she could step aside to discuss it with me. I wanted to quietly pay for 5 of the 7 guests. It just felt very low-class for such a nice place. Food: Smoked salmon appetizer 10/10 Crab cakes 8/10 a little heavy for me, but that's a personal preference. I e read reviews of other stating it's the best they e ever had. I prefer lighter crab cakes I've had in Columbus. (I don't think I can name other restaurants in a review) Salmon dinner 7/10. Seemed a bit overcooked House salad with vinaigrette- 9/10. Field greens. Very tasty. No choice on dressings. It's this or Caesar. Luckily it was very good. Sea bass 10/10 Perfect and delicious Pork chop - 8/10 Beautiful presentation but tasted average. Filet Mignon - 9/10 Extremely tender. Would give a 10 with more seasoning. Very good, though. Rib-eye 7/10 Disappointing. Not bad, but I've had better at average family steakhouse chains. All meals were served with garlic mashed potatoes that were very good, and yellow broccolini, which was also good. We wished there were options on the sides, but there are not. French bread - very good, warm and crusty. Real butter. Overall, for the amount of money we spent (around $600 for 7 people), I would prefer service to be better. Or at least not harried and loud. Staff REALLY needs training. This is however, a small town. If I were in Dallas or Houston, I'd expect impeccable service. I will return and sit in a different location and know what not to order. Business seemed to be good and I wish them all the best.

We are regulars at this wonderful spot. It is our go-to when we need great food, friendly service, and a small, reliably excellent wine list. Highly recommended and well worth the drive to get there!

Stopped in while waiting for pizza next door , enjoyed a beverage -who would of thought this place would be in Flatonia Texas -what a find, and the French bread is outstanding

An Oasis ! Truly A fine hand in spice and highest quality in ingredients give so much to nourish us . Thank you for your dedication and love of what you both do .

Every aspect of my first experience at The Red Vault Bistro was amazing, from the atmosphere, hospitality, service, and obviously the food. This dining experience is well worth the trip! Bravo!

Cute place just off I-10, great atmosphere and great service. The wine is good and beyond reasonably priced. Basic menu, but all looked good when seen on other plates being served. We split Salmon and each had a salad. Everything was scrumptious. A must see, smell and taste if in this little town.

We came here on a local's recommendation. Nice atmosphere, friendly service. French bistro style dining. Food could have been better. $120 for two and no wine or alcohol ordered. The best part of our meal was the bruschetta appetizer. I don't mind paying a premium for a quality, well prepared, memorable meal. That's just it though, it wasn't memorable. I've had a better meal at a chain restaurant. The most memorable part of the meal, the horseradish sauce that came with the "smoked" steak tasted like plain sour cream.

We were on our way to San Antonio & hungry. Made a search & caught our attention the 5.0 clean rating, which is not common. We had the Cheese Platter for appetizer, then Fried Chicken, Fried Cod, Cole Slaw, Side Salad & Pomme Frites......every single thing was delicious & we endorse the 5 stars this place is a must in one's bucket list‼

THE RED VAULT BISTRO in Flatonia, TX is a excellent eatery and wine bar inside cozily quaint vintage 1890's Building on the Main Street of small Flatonia, TX. Co-owners, European-trained Chef Gabriel and Manager Elizabeth serve deliciously epicurean main dish entrees paired with tasty side dishes complimented by a warm, crusty loaf of French bread and butter. In addition, are a variety of appetizers from a savory bruchetta, crab cakes & other offerings to a tray of savory of cheeses to accompany a choice from a wide selection of high quality wines. A variety of desserts is also available If you still have room left to top of your meal. I've eaten at RED VAULT BISTRO many times & highly recommend it. Reviewed by R.A. Todd Koenig

Great food, lovely ambiance and the service is fantastic. So lucky to have this gem of a restaurant close by!

Charming family owned bistro. We love to stay at the Olle Hotel and be able to walk to lunch or dinner. Great food in an old renovated bank building. The wine is stored in the old bank vault.

The Red Vault is a hidden gem in Flatonia! We have been several times and quality and service are outstanding. Today we had the duck breast with port reduction and the grilled lamb - outstanding!

This is not for the culinary neophyte and the price is indicative of that as well. The food is cooked perfectly and with amazing taste. Expect a C note at the minimum for the bill for 2. But you really get what you pay for. The service is as expected. The crab cakes were absolutely perfect. Having had them on the Texas Coast, the mid Atlantic , and the Northeast... this Texas joint had them beat. Dessert was great ... the chicken was slightly over cooked, but with everything else the quality overwhelmed the one faux pas. Will come again.

Friendly staff, excellent food, local entrepreneur (hometown/Main Street hero), excellent wine, historic ambiance, fair price, memorable experience.

Fantastic food with the kindest owners. Would recommend to anyone in the area or passing through.

I really wanted to like this place. There are so few good places in the county. We went on Wednesday - sushi night. Seated quickly by the owner and he took our drink order. Drinks were brought out by someone who spoke no English, so asking for sweetener/sugar for tea was fruitless. 15 minutes go by and no one came by to take our orders. Looked around and did not see waitstaff and the owner was at the bar telling stories. I finally had to go to the bar and ask if we could place our order. He had to go in the kitchen and find the waitress - the only waitress working that night. Placed our order and asked for sweetener and silverware as my guest couldn't use chopsticks. Order came out reasonably fast, but no silverware or sweetener. Asked again. Food was average. I didn't expect great sushi in Flatonia, but this was just meh. Still no sweetener or silverware. 2 people, both drinking tea, 2 appetizers and 2 sushi plates = 62.00. Overall, it was disappointing. Poor service, uninspired food, and high prices. There wasn't anything about the experience that would bring me back here.

We saw historic as we were heading on a long trip. We got off I 10 for lunch. Don't let the surroundings stop you. Beautiful interior. The chef was in first class garb. We found out he had traveled the world and was classically trained. The food was worthy of a 2 star Michelin restaurant. The dessert was Devine. Do go there and support these wonderful professionals. Wish it was closer to where I live.

Absolutely a 5 star place. What a nice restaurant and excellent food. Rustic ambience and the folks here are also 5 star. We will definitely be back!!!

Amazing find! Just happened on this fabulous restaurant by chance. Everything is cooked to perfection, made from the finest ingredients. Don't miss it!!! The owners are so lovely.

Exceptional little gem tucked into a cute little square in Flatonia - just off I10. Wonderful service, great food and atmosphere. Reminded me of a 1920's speakeasy. We will be back!

Had a great meal tonight with Elizabeth at red vault tonight. The rib eye steak was very tender and cooked perfect. Peggy had the chicken marsala with was also great. We eat here every time going to south Texas in the winter. Beautiful restaurant and service is outstanding. We always enjoy the meal and visiting with Elizabeth.

Were driving on I-10 and checked Yelp for a place to eat. Flatonia TX is a super small town between San Antonio and Houston. Couldn't believe we found this place. Can't believe this restaurant exists. The food was outstanding. Really excellent! Salad was wonderful! Salmon & pork chop were excellent! We're amazed that this caliber of restaurant exist in such a small town. Big city fine dining in a small town at small town prices. We feel like we hit the jackpot. Dessert wasn't as good as dinner though. The cheesecake layer cake was frozen and the chocolate volcano cake was dry. The Italian Wedding Cake was superb; excellent! Wonderful restaurant! 6 outta 5 stars!!!!! Do yourself a favor, and if you're in the area or passing through, stop by. You won't regret it! Nice folks too.

Who would think great Sushi in Flatonia. I plan my trips to my farm to allow this on Wednesday. They were closed today due to what I think is spring break and what a disappointment. Counter is wild flowers are in bloom for one of the best seasons ever.

Finally, the Red Vault is bask from a near disaster of a electrical fire a few months ago. Had dinner there last night (new year eve) and the House was packed. The staff struggled a bit to keep up, but's it's well worth the wait. I had the ribeye steak, and you could cut it with a fork. The food there has always been outstanding, but if you are in a hurry, this isn't the place for you. It's very laid back and it's a great place to have a relaxing dinner and enjoy the conversations. Wednesday nights are for sushi, and it's fantastic In Flatonia? Sushi? I must be dreaming!

Delicious burgers and nice wine selection! This is a perfect stop for lunch! Beware, the dinner salads cost $5 and are TINY - only 3 bites! Everything else is incredible! A wonderful chef and a great place to eat!

Delicious food served with an upscale presentation in a delightful atmosphere. Mom and pop owned and ran with great service and attention to detail.

Absolutely fabulous lunch! Definitely will be our I-10 stop anytime we are headed toward San Antonio.

Awesome dining here in this quiet and cozy historic setting. The food was FABULOUS! (Don't skip the cheese platter / board!) We were a table of 4 and enjoyed the juicy pork chop, grilled salmon, smoked ribeye and the mahi-mahi special! Nice wine for the girls and cold beer for the guys. Worth the drive if you do not live in Flatonia...

This place is a treasure for a foodie like me. You'd never expect this place in a small town The menu is like a black silk dress...simple but elegant The proprietors are onsite and hands on The elevated culinary experience and well developed offerings are such a pleasant surprise The chef will stray from the menu and cook to your requests like a private four star chef, adapting his freshest ingredients to your personal taste desires to create absolute perfection. Hard to believe, but this place is famous for sushi on certain days of the week. I personally recommend the steaks....and wow....expect to be impressed.

Wow...wow...wow! We just left The Red Vault Bistro a few minutes ago, and we were so delighted with our experience that I am writing this review on our drive home! This place is a hidden gem for sure. My husband and I had an amazing double date with his parents, and we were VERY impressed by EVERYTHING we had, which is notable considering we tried the crabcakes, Cesar salad, ribeye, salmon, porkchop, Chilean seabass, chocolate lava cake, and Italian lemon cream cake...and 2 bottles of their amazing house wine!! We are stuffed to the brim and can't wait to go back!

This place was delicious. The crab cake appetizer was as good if not better than crab cakes in Maryland, and that is coming from a native from Maryland. I had the salmon, which was excellent and my husband had the ribeye, which was seasoned perfectly and cooked to the correct doneness. Absolutely will stop here again!

This place is a hidden gem! I must admit that I never expected to find a place like this in such a small town. I found myself in Flatonia for lunch on a Wednesday. After trying several other restaurants that were closed, I settled on this place. I wasn't excited because of the $$$ on Yelp, but it seemed to be the only option in town. Boy was I surprised! This place is located in a historic commercial block in a fabulous old building. The dinner prices may be steep (I didn't look), but the lunch prices were completely reasonable. There was a selection of sandwiches, salads, full plates, and salad. I settled on the turkey sandwich that came with fries. It was phenomenal! It was served on French bread and was fully loaded with turkey and extras. The fries were also just as good. I'm pretty sure they had Parmesan and truffle oil on them. My entire bill, with an iced tea, was only $11.

I stopped there yesterday (05/10) for lunch. I had the catfish special and my wife had a cheeseburger. They were perfect. The best fries I've had in a very long time. The. Service was friendly and quick. Really very good experience all the way around. Highly recommended!

Terrific experience! Food was terrific! I had the Caesar and the croutons were so buttery and wonderful! My husband had the house salad. This balsamic house dressing is to die for! I had the burger with avocado and gruyere. It was amazing! The pom frittes were excellent. I know if seems silly to rave about fries, but the seasoning was so good you don't need ketchup. My uncle had the steak salad. It must have had an entire steak on it. Absolutely huge and he loved it! Then the desserts! We shared the Italian lemon wedding cake and lava cake. OMG! You have to save room for dessert! So worth the trip!

A gem of a restaurant in a quaint downtown area. Take a minute to drive off I-10 and it will not disappoint. While not terribly busy they took the time to accommodate us with outside seating since we were traveling with our dogs. Outstanding service followed by outstanding service and a beautiful wine list not to be missed!

Great menu, wine selection, friendly staff and owners. You will not be disappointed! Very clean and aware of health concerns.

We were driving from Houston to San Antonio and decided to see if we could find a local non-chain place to have lunch. In Flatonia, on the main drag of this small town, we found the Red Vault Bistro. This unassuming restaurant turned out to be one of the highlights of our Texas trip. Certainly the best lunch. The lunch menu offers the basics, and my wife and I each ordered hamburgers - mine with bacon and gruyere cheese; hers with thin slices of avocado. Perfectly cooked to order, presented in an artisan bun, and paired with amazing pomme frites, this was the best burger and French fry combo I have ever eaten in my life. And being 73, I've tasted a few! Our burgers were delivered to our table by Chef Gabriel. Don't be put off by the outward appearance of this establishment. Inside you will be eating in a delightful space highlighted by intriguing artwork that makes your stop here so worthwhile. The wine and dessert menus are extensive. The table service is friendly and helpful. Give it a try!

Found this jewel in Flatonia TX a month ago, thanks to Yelp. Located in the quaint old downtown area. The owner was our sever describing the menu items. We ended up with a fabulous gourmet lunch. We began with the crab cakes. My husband ordered a sandwich on French bread that is literally from France. My burger was too elegant to call it a "burger". My husband ordered the clam chowder, but I told my husband no way could we eat all that food. Thank goodness the owner brought us a sample of the chowder. We should have ordered the chowder!!!

Absolutely phenomenal place! Service was impeccable, food was high end restaurant worthy, and ambiance is small town friendly. The bruschetta was fresh and packed with loads of flavor. We had the wild mushroom ravioli and burger, both of which were perfect. We finished off with a Lemon Wedding Cake and it was by far the best we've ever had. I can't recommend this place enough!

So glad they were open for dining in VERY safely. Lunch catfish special was delicious - nice thin, crispy breading. Pomme frites seasoned perfectly. Staff was extremely friendly. Lovely, historic building.

We just happened across this charming place in Flatonia,Tx. after visiting the Railroad Switch and museum. The decor was rustic, had an interesting history. Our server was lovely and attentive. It was a very special lunch of salmon and crab cakes. The chef was definitely a true chef. They had a nice selection of wines and beers. What an enjoyable time we had!

This place is amazing came here for lunch for my sister in laws birthday and everything was perfect from start to finish we had the bruschetta which was to die for I had the rib eye steak sandwich and it was delicious I don't know what they do to those fries but they are the best I've ever had my sister had the mushroom ravioli and she jut about licked the plate. We finished our meal with the tiramisu and that was delish. Service was excellent will definitely be back and soon. Check this place out you won't regret it

I was looking for a new restaurant in the area and I came across this place while browsing yelp. The reviews and food pics looked awesome so I told my wife and daughter to get ready for a date night. When we arrived, we were blown away by the look and feel of the place. You definitely don't feel like you're in Flatonia, Tx... from the wine to the appetizers, the entree and dessert; it was all absolutely amazing. Service was exceptional. The chef even brought out our food himself and checked in on us during our meal. This place is a gem! We will be back regularly. It's the best restaurant in this area by far.

Amazing food and service. Can be a bit pricey but worth it. Go here on most holiday when we do not want to cook.