District Kitchen + Cocktails

June 22, 2019 Bianca Delmar

District might be in need of a refresh to match the experience and quality of its newer sister restaurant, Oasthouse. Luckily, it has the support from a very reputable restaurant owner.

The Austin Chronicle brought me to District Kitchen + Cocktails thanks to their article, 100 Restaurants Defining Austin Dining Now, which includes a theme each year to help them decide on their list. This year’s theme, brainstormed by Jessi Cape, was The World on a Plate (she includes a nice tribute to the world’s beloved Anthony Bourdain… R.I.P to a brilliant human).

I was going to have to make a last minute reservation somewhere and realized that it was Father’s Day so it was probably going to be pretty tough to accomplish this. After a lot of searching, I found District (Circle C location) and they had the time I wanted available, plus many other times (shout out to Resy.com, a website that makes it so easy to reserve time slots at your favorite restaurants. Also, co-founded by a favorite of mine, Gary Vaynerchuk).

Okay, on to the stuff y’all care about… the food and the experience…

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We arrived at around 2:30pm and the parking lot was empty, no one was on the patio and there were only a few tables full of patrons. When we sat down, we were greeted by a server who asked us if we wanted lunch or brunch since brunch was about to end, we said lunch. We didn’t see this server for about 15 minutes after that encounter. Maybe he was waiting for brunch to end? Not too sure what happened there but eventually he came back with a lunch menu.

At this time, I realized that this place was owned by the same gentleman (Amir Hajimaleki) who owns one of my favorite restaurants in the Austin area, Oasthouse Kitchen + Bar. Oasthouse is in the Steiner Ranch area, used to have the best flatbreads ever (they took them off the menu, for some sad reason) and was the saint who introduced me to the Woodford Julep (mint julep with Woodford Reserve bourbon… you’re welcome.) Oasthouse operates as a tightly run ship, always has the best customer service and friendly faces along with some incredible dishes, so to say that I was excited to eat at a sister restaurant, is an understatement.

The restaurant is dimly lit, holding an intimate and beautiful ambiance. The main dining room is surrounded by beautiful wood planks except the flooring. Walking through the dining room, you get to the bar area which is a little dimmer than the dining room with high top tables and hardwood booths on the outside perimeter.

Above Exterior+Interior photo credit: District Kitchen + Cocktails Facebook

Drinks

Our friend came to join us for a late lunch together and I decided to order a drink. Since Oasthouse introduced me to the Woodford Julep, I made the assumption that this place would also provide me with a wonderful julep experience… I was gravely mistaken. I made sure to ask, “Can the bartender make me a mint julep?” because I don’t want to be a guinea pig for the bartender’s first attempt at a drink. The server replied with a yes and I specified that I wanted it made with Woodford.

Twenty minutes later, I see a silver cup coming my way, which a mint julep is typically served in, but with a lime slice on the side and a very watery consistency of a drink. After taking my first sip, I was shocked by lime juice, tequila, bourbon and sweetness. After searching “mint julep” online I noticed there was a “mint julep margarita” and I think the bartender went with that recipe because he clearly didn’t know what a mint julep was.

On to the food, I ordered the Spring Pasta [$13] with a side of blackened shrimp [Additional $8]. The pasta at Oasthouse is freshly made from scratch, so I had the same expectations from District. My expectations were a mistake because the pasta was kind of thin and soggy met with a bland sauce and shrimp that weren’t exactly “blackened.” Unfortunately, this wasn’t a $21 dish... well, I paid that much but I don’t believe I received that in worth. My fiance ordered the Happy Hour portion of Street Tacos [HH: $6/Regular: $12*] and King Crab + Avocado [$18*] which he was delighted by both of these dishes. The tacos came with three tacos, a choice of chicken or pulled pork on corn tortillas and the king crab + avocado was in a yuzu aioli with avocado, cucumber, celery and masago. The tacos were a lot for only six dollars and the crab and avocado was almost like a ceviche, very refreshing.

* This is the price when I checked prices in June of 2019.

Food

Spring Pasta + Blackened Shrimp

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Final Thoughts

Overall, I was shocked to find out that District was older than Oasthouse, so it sounds like they need a refresh and revamp in order to match Oasthouse’s incredible dining experience. I’m hoping that I came in on an off-day because I’ve seen the great reviews online but I believe that they could pay more attention to detail by improving their customer service, match the quality of food with Oasthouse and not be afraid to tell a customer that they do not know what a particular drink is and start a conversation to build rapport with the patron. When the temperature cools down, hanging out on the patio might be more enticing along with ordering one of their signature drinks that they’ve done hundreds of times instead of something not on the menu. I suggest coming during Happy Hour if you make it to District since they’ve got really great deals on that menu..

Let me know if you have been to this location and what your experience entailed.

Cheers!

HOURS:

Mon - Thurs 3:30pm - 10:00pm
Fri & Sat 11:00am - 12:00am
Sun 10:30am - 10:00pm

Brunch:
Sat & Sun 10:30am - 3:00pm

Happy Hour:
Mon - Sat 3:30 - 7:00pm

District Late Night

Mon - Thurs 9:00pm - Close

Fri & Sat 10:00pm - 12:00am

Sunday Friday 2:00pm - Close