By Ane Urquiola | September 2, 2014
Austin’s new restaurant scene shows no symptoms of slowing down. Case in point: Jacoby’s Restaurant & Mercantile, a new farm to table restaurant serving up rustic food, many of the ingredients being sourced directly from the Jacoby family’s business that includes their own Jacoby beef (more on that in a second!).
Jacoby’s Exterior
Lovely sitting area at the front of the restaurant . I was able to go a few nights after they officially opened, and I was incredibly pleased. Upon walking in, you feel like you’re walking into the family’s ranch house in Melvin, Texas. Although rustic in its design, they have really paid a lot of attention to detail (thanks to Kris Swift), evidenced by their decorative touches like beautifully colored Texas Hill Country flowers at every table, vintage ball mason jars to hold your ice-cold water, cascading succulents that greet you when you walk
outside, and other pastoral elements throughout the restaurant that makes everything feel unfussy yet chic.
Jacoby’s dining room
Adam Jacoby visiting with Andrew after we walked in Beautiful sitting area – I must have these chairs for my home!! They’ve made great use of their space, having about the same amount of seats indoors as they do
outdoors. This place reminds me a bit of Contigo, only it has an outdoor area overlooking the water and they’ve paid more attention to detail.
Outdoor sitting area, great for cocktails and appetizers Backyard sitting area overlooking the water
I love all the rustic, vintage elements
Texas Hill Country wild flowers and blue mason jars
Outdoor sitting/picnic area overlooking the water
Ok–on to the food!! Remember the Jacoby Beef I mentioned? Well, their burgers may have been some of the best I’ve ever tried, certainly in the running for best burger in Austin!! Holy moly the beefy flavor and juiciness of each burger is marvelous, with each bite you wonder how they can pack so much flavor in one patty. I guess it does help that the beef they raise is bred, and processed in Central Texas, and the Jacoby family feeds the cattle their own proprietary feed, and pasture raise the cattle as well. They also bake their own brioche buns for the burgers, which adds a whole other buttery element to the ultimate burger.
Because we were at an event, they teased us with a slider version of their delicious burger. Andrew had 4 of them.
Jacoby’s deviled eggs
Other noteworthy and southern inspired dishes were their delicious deviled eggs. I’m a big fan of simplicity and big flavor, and these deviled eggs didn’t disappoint. They’re served with some pickled
radish and a sprinkle of dill, and let the eggs speak for themselves.
While we’re on the topic of southern things, I’d be a horrible person if I didn’t tell you about their
version of the Moscow Mule (making me drool just thinking about it right now). Called the Melvin Mule, this little guy packs so much punch and flavor that you’ll want to drink this all night. They concoct this with Ancho Reyes, an ancho chile liqueur, lime, and tangy ginger beer. It’s the perfect cocktail for sitting outside on their beautiful patio, enjoying the late afternoon sun while sitting
under one of their plentiful fans and enjoying the Texas heat. The Melvin Mule, I wanted to drink 9 of them
Entering the Mercantile portion of Jacoby’s from the restaurant
When you head to Jacoby’s Restaurant & Mercantile, don’t forget to visit the Mercantile portion of the place, it’s amazing!! As you walk in, you feel like you just hit the Roundtop jackpot, having all
the fabulous antiques and goods in one small space. If Kris is there, make sure to ask him about the goods they have for sale, he does a phenomenal job of curating all the merchandise, and some are so popular (like the candles) that the mercantile sold out just a few days after opening!!
Table of goods: candles, cake stand, flowers, vases – you name it
While you’re in there, make sure to peek in the fridge to get a look at some other yummy things they have on hand, along with the Jacoby family’s beef and other cuts of meat. They’ll be incorporating other cuts of meat into the restaurant’s menu throughout the year, and while you can take it home and cook it yourself, I highly recommend you make sure to try it there so you know what it’s supposed to taste like ;). To get more info about the restaurant as well as it’s hours and where it’s located, you can get that info here.
http://hungrygirlaustin.com/jacobys/