Vince Young Steakhouse
Steak house · South Congress ·
Upscale chophouse with Southern twists & wine shakes
Upscale chophouse with Southern twists & wine shakes
"The Deal: All food items from the bar & lounge menu 50% off Vince Young Steakhouse might not offer much in the way of daily cheap drinks, but their food deals are worth a visit. Grab a seat at the bar and enjoy everything from fried calamari and crab cakes to wagyu brisket burgers and steak frites, all 50% off. Most of these items typically come in around $20-30, making this a solid spot for some discounted dinner." - nicolai mccrary, raphael brion
"You might think a downtown Austin steakhouse started by a famous Texas Longhorns quarterback (and now retired NFL player) would rely more on name recognition and a prime location than on the merits of its steaks alone. And you’d be right, at least partially. Because while Vince Young Steakhouse does offer a pretty nice atmosphere, the occasional Texas twist on classic dishes, and a stellar Happy Hour, a dinner here is ultimately a pretty forgettable experience. It feels like Vince Young typed “classic steakhouse menus” into ChatGPT to come up with theirs—it features standards like shrimp cocktails, seared foie gras, and crab cakes executed at about the level of a pretty nice hotel restaurant. Dishes like deep-fried Texas quail show the occasional Southern twist, but the bacon-infused tangerine marmalade it’s served with has a consistency closer to “some pulp” orange juice. The steaks lack any discernible crust but arrive cooked to a proper temperature, so they’re still somewhat enjoyable. Nothing here is outright bad, but you wish it were all just a little bit better. Despite all of this, there’s a reason that we keep coming back to Vince Young—it’s home to one of the best Happy Hour deals in the city. From 5-7pm every day that it’s open, Vince Young knocks the price of every item on its bar menu down to just $10, including the wagyu brisket burger served with house-made pickles and a side of fries, or the normally $30 steak frites with chimichurri. It won’t be the best steak you’ve ever had, but at roughly the price of a Big Mac meal, it feels like downright robbery." - Nicolai McCrary
"A downtown Austin fine-dining steakhouse opened by the Browns in 2010 and housed in the same building that hosted a Reality TV cast in 2005, this venue positions itself as a chic, local spot serving steaks, wines and desserts with attentive service. In late May 2020 the restaurant sparked controversy after one of the owners (identified as either executive chef Philip Brown or Laura McIngvale‑Brown) tweeted a clip of Lance Armstrong repeatedly saying “fuck you” and flipping the middle finger directed at the Austin mayor, criticizing the mayor’s attempt to extend a local stay‑home order and accusing him of contradicting the governor and state health offices and thus hurting small businesses; the account also defended that it was following government orders and safety measures. Most of the offending tweet and its replies were later deleted, and an apology note—saying the video contained offensive language not representative of the brand and apologizing to the mayor and guests—was posted and then removed the following day. The restaurant is named after a former University of Texas and NFL quarterback and emphasized that its reaction came from frustration over pandemic-related restrictions while operating under evolving local and state guidance (which at the time allowed takeout and limited 50% indoor dining under the governor’s reopening plan)." - Nadia Chaudhury
"The steakhouse’s off-menu treat is a wine shake made with ice cream and cabernet sauvignon. For extra indulgence, add the chocolate syrup." - Nadia Chaudhury
"The steakhouse adds an adult twist to the classic childhood favorite with its wine shakes. The off-menu beverage blends together vanilla ice cream and its very own label of cabernet sauvignon." - sommer-brugal