Auden's Kitchen

The staff was friendly and sociable. This place has a cool atmosphere. Not close to my job, I wish it was.
Feb 19th, 2018

Ok, I don't know what the haters are taking about. The ambient is layed back. The staff is cool and knowledgeable, they went above and beyond with tasteful hints. Now to the food. Scotch Egg!!!!!! Awesome with the jalapeno n garlic hollandaise side, and please ask for the chipotle hollandaise... Screaming with flavor. The artichoke spinach dip as you hope to expect busting with flavor with crispy pita. Believe it or not there is more.... We ordered the roasted Trout and chicken marsala. The roasted trout was as good as the sides, potatos backed and crispy, I didn't know if I was eating French fries, mashed or baked... All the flavors were there in a buttery garlic infusion. If you think you don't like kale, you haven't tried the way they make it.... I can continue but i want to get to the dessert, chocolate chip bundt cake with vanilla bean ice cream drizzled with toffee cream.... Enough said..... But the meal is only as good as the company, and I had great company to share it with.
Jun 5th, 2013

Good food but too expensive to be a good value. Service needs improvement in the restaurant. I also tried calling for takeout tonight but got voice mail during a 5 min period. You do want business, right?
Aug 29th, 2012

Jul 22nd, 2003

I guess it's probably understandable for a new restaurant to spend a couple of months trying to find what works and get the service under control. I didn't have any of the hiccups of the other reviewers, though. I visited on a Sunday lunchtime, which confined me to the brunch menu. The brunch special is a pretty good deal - for $16 you get any of the regular plates plus a cup of fruit and two glasses of wine. Certainly the wine is not the top shelf stuff, but it got the job done for a brunch. My main dish was the duck and corn hash; the menu describes it as "duck confit, corn, potato, pork belly, arugula, fried eggs and zinfandel barbeque sauce." With the presentation and the help of the "barbecue sauce," a sweet and full-flavored offering, the duck was almost like pulled pork. The pig was represented with little bits of pork belly that were hidden under the fried eggs like little flavor grenades that provided contrasting texture to the rest of the dish when you were lucky enough to find one. The dish provided several contrasting flavors and textures, and was very fulfilling. When perusing the menus from home, the Scotch egg caught my eye, because it seemed like they were pushing that as an accompaniment to every other dish. It piqued my interest, and I ordered one with my brunch. The hard boiled egg, homemade sausage, and perfectly-fried exterior was a treat, and worthy of being tried during every visit. The jalapeno garlic aioli was thicker than most aiolis I've tried, but Wikipedia informs me that "[m]any restaurants refer to any flavored mayonnaise as an aioli," so far be it from me to correct the chef. The flavor wasn't as spicy as you would expect, though there was a hint of spiciness that worked well with the egg. Another reviewer mentioned the dutiful and helpful service of Amy, and I must echo the sentiments. The restaurant was on its way to being busy when I visited (PROTIP: arrive before noon to avoid the ridiculous traffic jams of the weekend drivers/churchgoers) but I had an impressively short wait for everything but the Scotch egg, which came out a little later into my meal, and for which Amy politely apologized. With regards to the ambiance, I think the upscale design versus casual dress is a valid point, but not so much as a criticism but rather indicative of the unwillingness of San Antonio to dress up for all but the fanciest of restaurants. No sense in blaming the designer for giving the city what they want. When the James Beard-nominated chef of Biga on the Banks opens a new and affordable restaurant in Stone Oak, it's worth a visit. Many restaurants have growing pains, and, had I visited during any other day of the week for any other menu, I might have experienced some of those shortcomings. For my Sunday brunch, however, it couldn't have been better.
May 15th, 2002