Woodland

I love the Woodland, it is one of the best things to happen to S.Congress in a long time. The interior is hip and inviting. The staff is friendly and helpful. The food is delicious. Certainly in a rush any small restaurant is bound to get backed up. But when the drinks are that good, what 45 minutes among friends. If you want everything to come out fast and mass-produced go to tx land and cattle. And to the people who said they were discriminated against: Give me a break, both of the Managers are in their mid to late thirties. I eat and drink at the woodland all of the time and I always take out of towners there. Haven't had a compliant so far. Check it out, you won't be sorry. Pros: Everything Cons: What cons? more

Some friends of mine called me on a Friday night and asked if I would like to meet them at Woodland for dinner. They arrived a bit before me and phoned me to inform me to hurry up because Woodlands will not seat partial parties. (which is fine because I was sure they don't want you camping out). We arrived and waited 15 minutes to be seated. My friends ordered food/drinks & I ordered a drink.We got our drinks & waited & waited for the food to arrive. Our server explained that a lot of people are ordering burgers & that there is only one cook in the back that can cook burgers so the kitchen is backed up. We din't order burgers by the way. We waited more and a female server came by and explained the exact same thing and that they are short in the kitchen. Finally after 1.5 hrs of waiting we asked for a manager. He came by and explained that the kitchen is not short handed and didnt know why someone one would say this. He was very defensive. We all exchanged words about the poor service & he went to the kitchen and brought out one of the orders. My friend ate his until it was cold and his appetite was ruined. We asked for the manager again because the other plate never arrived. It has now been 1 hour and 45 minutes. My friend is now P.O'ed. He had talked to the manager and the manager kept on defending the kitchen and that things are busy and proceeded to give excuse after excuse. We told him we don't want to hear excuses that he was being very unprofessional which he was. He was the rudest and worst manager I have ever seen. Then he forced us to pay for the 3 lousy drinks after waiting close to 2 hours then he was overly polite to rub it in our face. I cannot believe that someone like this is still employed. A business that has people like this representing it does not deserve to serve the public in any shape or form. There are too many other restaurants in Austin with great food and courteous service. Please seek them out... Pros: Its not near my house Cons: Everything we experienced more

My wife and I came into the Woodland on a Sunday morning, about eleven-o-clock, for brunch. Everything was excellent, from the service (a friendly young man who the receipt identified as Wiseman) to the drinks and the food. The Bloody Mary I had was very spicy and rich-tasting, which is exactly how I like it. My wife had ""The Morning Wood,"" which was as delicious (in her estimation) as the name is quirky and fun. In fact, quirky and fun are as good of descriptors as I can find to accompany this review. Highly, highly recommended. Oh, and getting a table was a breeze - it did not take longer than 5 minutes, though from the street it looked like it could have taken up to half-an-hour (which I would wait, if I had to, since the output is so good). Very efficient, and enjoyable, especially if you get to sit by a window. Like I mentioned above, the waiter was quick on his feet and very knowledgeable about the menu. He came to the table often (but not too often) and made sure our food and drinks were to taste. He had a professional, and at the same time, fun, demeanor, which seems to be a rule, rather than an exception, in the restaurant, as all of the waiters, waitresses, and even the manager, seemed to be having a good time while also efficiently doing their jobs. Anyway, I ramble. Go try it! Pros: Great service, great food. Cons: I don't think there are any! more

I just moved to Austin and have been out an d about trying new things. Woodland definately takes the cake! Or in my case the apple pie! Some friends of mine and I have been here a couple of times and absolutely loved it. The first time I came in I shared the mac n' cheese and a salad with cranberries and goat cheese with a friend. I was sold. For dinner I got a fat pork chop. The second time I came in things got even better. It was a Sunday night and to my surprise every bottle of wine they had was half price! (I am not sure if they are still doing this, but our waitress told us it was every Sunday) Well that started my night off right. I have been back several times since and every experience has been positive. The waitstaff is very friendly and I have yet to experience a problem with service. Once or twice I have arrived on a very busy night, but even then the service was still up to par. One of the waitresses their is an absolute doll and has gone out of her way to provide really amazing service to me and my friends on occasion. Honestly I love the Woodland. Hey I'll give you guys 6 stars for some free pie! any takers? Pros: soooo tasty, awesome people watching Cons: just don't expect a quiet romantic meal during dinner time on a Saturday night more

I don't know what people are complaining about. I go all the time and have never gotten bad service or bad food. The burgers are amazing, the appetizers are addictive, and the salads are big and satisfying. You have to try the oysters--some of the best I've ever had, and I'm from Louisiana! And it is loud and energetic--that's part of the fun on a Friday night, right? It isn't a fine dining experience, it's an upscale comfort food grandma's-kitchen joint. Just appreciate it for what it is! Pros: Food, fun atmosphere Cons: I can't eat there every day! more

A very mediocre experience at Woodland on a Friday night. Good food, but lazy and distracted service. The food was good and overall a good value, especially on otherwise pricey SoCo. We were greeted by a pleasant hostess who took us to a dirty table and told us water was on its way; after she wiped down the table and a bit of a wait, water was finally brought by a sullen dude who didn't say a word. Our waiter seemed like a competent, pleasant guy, but so much for appearances. He forgot the appetizer; he had a lame excuse about not being able to switch out side dishes because ""the guy who makes that is gone for the weekend and we only have enough to go with the regular dish"", he did agree to substitute another side - more on that later. After figuring out that our appetizer was not coming, he appeared with the salads - and about 2 minutes later someone else appeared with the entrees. At some point the waiter asked if we wanted a second round of drinks; I guess he was simply curious because he never brought them, and never offered wine, etc. After we juggled our plates and started on the entrees, we realized we ended up with the menu side dish, not the substitution. I pointed that out to the waiter (the one time he proactively checked on how our meal was); he disappeared, returned to tell us that he couldn't do anything because the kitchen was shutting down. He left and then came back and offered to comp one of our drinks (completely failing to notice that our drinks were, and hand been, empty). He left without clearing the empty glasses or the salad plates. At one point my companion asked for water; he got a refill while my 1/3 empty glass stayed that way. Insult to injury: he forgot to comp the drink! Again, food was good and as a local I like the idea of a comfort food place on SoCo - but this is not it. If the service is going to suffer as the night goes on, charge less. Pros: Overall good food and good value Cons: Lazy, distracted service to the point of ruining the experience more

We decided to try this place on a Saturday evening, despite the negative reviews below; I'd heard a different story from friends who ate at Woodland & enjoyed their visit. We were glad we ignored the negative reviews, because the food here was quite good, and well-priced for what you get. My husband had the potpie; theirs was an excellent version with a really nice crust. I had the sloppy Joe; my only complaint is that the bun was described as being toasted, and it clearly was not, causing the bun to become a bit soggy from the sandwich filling. But the filling was so good that I didn't care too much about the bun! The sandwich came with fries, which were perfectly done and nicely seasoned. I also had a house salad, which was good. My one complaint about the salad was that the ""balsamic vinaigrette"" was just a little cup of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The vinegar settled to the bottom and due to the cup container, I was unable to get the oil and vinegar to come together, and only succeeded in pouring oil on my salad. To the Woodland, I would suggest serving the oil & vinegar separately, or at least in a shakeable container. The drink selection was quite creative, I had a ""Berry Basil"" which consisted of blueberry puree, rum, and basil leaves. It was different, and delicious! For dessert, I had a piece of the peanut butter pie. It was a bit fluffier than I normally prefer, but it was good nonetheless. Next time I plan to try another one of their pies. The prices were very affordable; a sandwich and house salad will cost $10-$15 depending what you get. For those who care about portion size, the portions are all medium to large (especially the house salad and sandwiches). The service was definitely Austin-style - casual and not overly friendly, but they got the job done. At these prices I wouldn't expect white-glove service anyways. I will definitely return to Woodland! more

I was reading the reviews below and realized how whiney people can be! You don't get discriminated because you are in your 30's.....it's all in your head! I had nothing but good experiences and great food at the Woodland. Yeah it was a little noisy and fun, but I think it reflects Austin and South Congress...I don' t think it is suppose to be a romantic getaway. ""SoCo"" as they call it now was never filled with highend snobby resturants but rather eclectic ones.... but I guess now that's what some people feel you have to be. What a shame......What ever happened to keeping Austin weird? Pros: fun atmosphere Cons: not open late enough more

We arrived at 1:30 for a light lunch on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. We were seated promptly by a friendly hostess. Our waiter was cordial and helpful with the limited menu that Woodland offers on Sundays. The interior is pleasing and comfortable, however It was quite loud. The music was shrill- lacking any bass or substance, which we should have taken as a sign of things to come. We ordered a Ruben sandwich and a Woodland Salad. To their credit, some things were done right- the sandwich was hot and the fries were excellent. Everything else was a train wreck. The food was very slow coming out of the kitchen. The Ruben was nearly inedible due to the tough, flavorless corned beef. The sauerkraut was missing in action, perhaps it was with the promised dressing that was missing as well. I did not finish the sandwich. The Woodland Salad came in a soup bowl. Yes, a soup bowl. Tiny. The listed ingredients, such as the peas and beets were apparently mis-labeled in the menu as they were in the plural form, however, in this little salad there were three chickpeas and one slice of a beet. \r \r The waiter never asked how the food was, which was probably a survival mechanism. \r \r Adding insult to injury, one of the managers went about the room giving wooden nickels for free drinks- but only to the 20-somethings. He openly sneered as he bypassed our table (we're in our late 30's) whilst passing out these little tokens. And you know what? It was a good thing that he didn't bother. We will never set foot in this restaurant again. We live in the neighborhood and like to support our local businesses. Too bad Woodland is openly and blatantly propagating the hipster-wannabe population that is sucking all the life out of South Congress. Don't bother. Pros: Nice interior. Fries were excellent. Service was acceptable. Great for hipster-wannabes Cons: Loud, shrill music. Food slow to come out of the kitchen, and when it did- flavorless. more

Went there with a group of girls for a fun night. The place smelled weird when we walked in, the waiter wasn't very attentive and the prices advertised on their website are not the same as those in the restaurant. We ordered onion rings as an app - they were very strange, extremely doughy, almost like a doughnut with a thin onion lining the inside. I ordered the stuffed tomato, as I thought it sounded healthy, only to be given a tomato submerged in what can only be called Cheese Soup. Great for the heart. Friends got the mac 'n cheese as a side and it was very bland - remnants of white cheese on top of over-cooked penne pasta; soul food this is not. I would not waste my time or money on this one again, way too many great SoCo restaurants nearby. Pros: Location Cons: everything else more

Oh, and the food was pretty good. The drawback was the loudness and it may be because we were seated in a two person table betweens the booths and the bar. If you go, wait for a table or booth if you want to have a real conversation. I had the spinach salad and the mac and cheese and both were good but nothing I would return for. My date had the stuffed tomato and he thought it was very different and surprisingly rich. Love the decor. Service was again, pretty good but not great. more

Woodlands has the potential to be a nice neighborhood restaurant, but need to fix a few basic things: turn down the music - it should be breakground music and not something you have to compete with to hear your friends; wait-time was pretty lenghy for food, including breakfast. Food was pretty good once it finally came, so hopefully the easy things can be fixed. Pros: good breakfast Cons: noisy more

After reading the reviews, I was pretty hesitant about going to the restaurant. In the end, I went just to see if it was as bad as all that, or still bad. And, I must say, that most of the negative reviews were about bad service, but we didn't have that experience. So that was cool. \r The decor was the next thing to notice and I must say it kept me distracted throughout the whole time. It was really nice, especially the lighting and the painting near the kitchen. It was a little loud though so my intimate experience I was hoping for didn't really happen. Perhaps other parts of the place would be more intimate but with the music and the seating, not so much. \r The food was pretty tasty, a good solid 7. I had the steak and veggies and my partner had the chicken pie (apparently citysearch won't let me use the word that goes in between this, ridiculous, but you know what I'm talking about). Both were good. The pricing was nice for the food items, as well. Pros: decor Cons: not good for romance more

We went here on Easter and expected a wait, but not as long as we had...I told our waitress that we wanted to order our food with our drinks since we had not eaten all day. Well, long story short, 1 hour later (plus 2 tables who were seated after us, ordered, ate and left!), we nicely asked our waitress when our food was coming and if maybe our ticket had been lost. She didn't say a word, left for about 10 minutes then came back only after I had to grab her attention again and told us that it would be another 10 or 15 minutes before our food arrived! I told her that we would need it to go since our baby had reached his capacity in sitting still and she left with no apology and very few words. It took me making a bit of a scene with the hostess to try and get the manager over or an apology from anyone. When the mgr finally did show up, he was gruff with my husband in initially, but after hearing our story asked if he could buy our NEXT meal when we eat there. All we wanted was an apology, but nonetheless, we're not going back to get that free meal. It took us 2 hours to finally eat our food! I could have made 2 sunny side up eggs in about 3 minutes. This is a shame. The food is decent and the ambiance is nice but the service was unfriendly and cold. And, after reading reviews, it seems to be a norm with this restaurant, not an exception. I used to work in the restaurant biz and was very patient, but this experience was terrible. We really wanted to like this place, but we aren't going back. Every single restaurant on S. Congress has wonderful service, this is the bad egg of the bunch. more

i showed up with a friend, the atmosphere is amazing, pretty pseudo hipster, real shishi swankster type of spot. The menu looked good but pretty genaric - burgers, meatloaf, etc... I ordered the meatloaf, it was underseasoned and came with almost like a tomato pico salsa, the only way i could eat it was with ketchup. It was seriously some of the worst i've ever had!!! the service is AWEFUL. Being such a small place you'd think it would be easier getting the wait staffs attention, think again! don't waist your time or money on this hyped new little bistro. Its VERY marginal!!! Pros: ambience Cons: food, service more

Starlite, Starlite...not exactly stellar tonight! At least not while we were waiting in the Woodland. Showing up on South Congress at 9:30 on a Saturday night, you'd hope that the dinner rush was at least receding. Since the wait at South Congress Cafe was 45 minutes, we decided to try Woodland when we were told that there was ""no wait""...Hardly!! Thirty minutes after placing our order, we commandeered our waiter (who seemed to be conveniently unavailable at the time) and asked if he knew anything about our food. He said that the kitchen had been slammed by two large parties ahead of us (even though the place wasn't at all packed!) and admitted that he should have come by and said something sooner...at least he was cordial. The manager stopped over a few minutes later and asked how everything was...everything consisted of my date and I staring across an empty table at one another and wondering if the statuesque tree was at all edible! The food finally showed up after about 40 minutes and was so-so. I had the meatloaf, which was a little dried out and the texture was somewhat chewy. Next time I want meatloaf, I'll stick with Blue Star Cafe or Portabla. My date had the slightly overcooked pork chop (no hint of pink) and a somewhat bland butternut squash puree which had no identifiable seasoning. As far as ambiance, this is probably one of the LOUDEST restaurants you'll ever find...I've been at NFL football games where the crowd wasn't this loud. So, forget it for the romantic date night as you shout across the table at your dining companion. The decor is a somewhat kitschy portrayl of forest greens with an artificial tree sculpture in the middle of the room and comes off as more drab than comforting...like being trapped in the woods and wondering when and if your next meal is going to come or if you're going to get desparate and shoot Bambi yourself!\r Didn't try the desserts, so don't know. The food was adequate, not bad, but certainly not worth the wait! Pros: Quality free water Cons: Food wasn't worth the wait; service less than stellar! more

I love the ambience of the place; the decor is definitely original. However, the service was pretty ho-hum. Nothing to get angry about, but several annoying slip ups by the server (she kept forgetting things, including what we ordered, and charged us for a different, more expensive meal). There are very few vegetarian options on the menu, two of which revolve around falafel. Which is ok, since I love falafel, and their falafel sandwich is pretty creative and tasty. However, the menu is so limited for a vegetarian, that I doubt I'll ever be a frequent customer. Pros: cool decor, creative drink options Cons: limited vegetarian options, kinda crappy service more

This place fits right in with the whole South Congress area. It's all cute with an Austin kitschy diner style. It has a big fake leafless tree in the middle, which is just kind of...unusual. And it was BYOB, which I assume is just because they haven't gotten their liquor license yet. But you can grab a six-pack at the little farm-to-market grocery next door, which is convenient and cheap if you're with a group (or are thirsty).\r \r But let's get down to the real business. The appetizers looked great, from mac & cheese (which apparently is making a huge comeback these days) to fried oysters. But we passed and got straight to the meat of the meal, so to speak. I got the Pepper Crust, a black Angus burger with bacon and bleu cheese. Straight up?a pretty darn good burger. Bacon was perfect, lettuce and tomato were fresh and crisp. The bleu cheese was definitely prominent, so if you're not a fan, stick with something else. But overall, a terrific burger. And the potato salad on the side was pretty much some of the best I've ever had. Not that I'm a potato salad connoisseur, but it was very mild and creamy and delicious.\r \r The rest of the menu looks great too, and I intend to try several more items soon. It's all very rich, heavy, comfort-style food. Pot-pies, meat loaf, and ""spaghetti meatballs"" [sic]. They've also got fish, steak, pasta?pretty much something for everyone. And it's fairly well-priced, with most things in the $9-15 range. Oh, and the pies look delicious. I look forward to trying them...just as soon as the Marie Callender's $5.99 sale is over.\r \r So yeah...check out all the other typical stuff on South Congress, and then work up an appetite by walking a little further South. Before you know it, you'll be standing outside the Woodland, and I recommend you step inside and give it a try. Pros: The food is great Cons: The food took a while, the ""back room"" is a little dark and uninspiring more