Gusto

Reviews 9

A

A Private User

I have dined there the self-imposed, requisite 3 times, before writing this review, and must say, it has actually gone slightly downhill with every visit. The pizza, which is usually my go-to at Gusto, has a tasty, albeit, slightly buttery flavored crust, that browns nicely in the ovens. However, they have only 4 or 5 types of pizza, and the last time I ordered a pizza, 2 of the 4 ingredients were missing, and rather than informing me that they were gone before ordering, the pizza came with a substitution for one ingredient, and without the other entirely. Not a deal-breaker per-se, as the pizza was still pretty good, and reasonably priced. It would have been nice to have been made awares of the missing ingredients so we could have either, picked the substitute ingredient of our choice, or order another pizza entirely. Pastas are on the heavier side and lean heavily on stewed meats and anise and fennel flavors. Pretty tasty in my book, but definitely not what most folks are going to be expecting at a Trattoria style restaurant. Salads and apps are a bit of an afterthought. Prosciutto is pre-sliced (too thick) and a bit dry. Salads are swimming in dressing, and might be better served by having the dressings accompany the greens on the side.

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JA

Jamie Fitch

Missed the mark. A relatively new locale, I had high hopes. We passed up Mandolas to check it out. Upon entering I was impressed - the atmosphere was great. The lighting, decor, and wall stencils were very appealing. Unfortunately the food did not live up to the ambience. We began with an appetizer - polenta fries - and were underwhelmed. The polenta wasnt seasoned at all and the frying batter barely was. It led to bland and unappealing polenta sticks. The dipping sauce was watery and didnt provide enough flavor to bring it up. We got a pizza and a beet salad after. The salad was delicious but appetizer size at a full salad price. There wasnt any meat so theres no reason to charge 8 dollars for it given that it was about 15 pieces of lettuce, half of a beet, and 4 candied walnuts (plus a crostini w/ goat cheese). The pizza wasnt bad but the sourdough was overly soured, which indicates the dough sat too long. It also tasted salty, which Im not sure was due to the excessive souring or something else. I want to go back and might alter this review after they work the kinks out but for now if youre looking for Italian drive the extra half mile for Mandolas.

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Ryan Hartje

After a UT game, its hard to find a restaurant near downtown that isnt flooded with people. Our favorite restaurants were booked with 30 minute waits, so we stopped into Gustos to try it out, and we were so happy we did. Gusto features a full service bar including delicious microbrew drafts such as Live Oak, to a long list of delicious Wines that you can order per glass or per bottle. We tried the antipasti app, which came with toasted bread, large sheets of calabrese salami, home pickled olives with a name I cant pronounce with little chunks of spicy garlic, whole grain mustard, and crostinis. This was good with wine, we will try the cheese plate next as it sounds awesome. The service and staff were great, making great recommendations on wine, entrees and more. Their specials sounded amazing, including a Mushroom Risotto with veal reduction sauce. The pasta was delicious, as was the desert which included a salty caramel gelato (a must try), and whip cream on top of a flourless chocolate cake. We will definitely be back, and as soon as possible. I would highly recommend this restaurant. Great atmosphere for a date or a family meal.

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GA

Gary Hwu

I came here during Austin Restaurant Week. Wait lets back up a little. Gusto competed in the Austin Meatball Festival back in November 2013 and they won. I know because I voted for them! Seriously their meatball was delicious! Alright back to Austin Restaurant Week. I was excited to try those award winning meatballs again. However the meatballs tasted different from what I remember. I know my memory could be wrong, but Im pretty sure the meatball I had didnt taste mostly of lamb. I know theres lamb in it, but there was just too much lamb the second time around. #lambhater I thought the Risotto with Salmon was good. The salmon was crisp and flavorful. The Chicken Saltimbocca was just ok. The Tiramisu dessert was heavy and rich. I guess the overall experience just didnt impress me, especially the food. The servers were excellent...but I come here for the food, and Gusto just didnt leave a good lasting impression.

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HA

Haley Peck

The food at Gusto Italian Kitchen was absolutely superb. The menu is seasonal and much of the ingredients are locally sourced. The menu may change, however, a cheeseboard and the brussel sprouts are a great start. Try the spinach and ricotta ravioli with pulled chicken and cream sauce. It has this lovely, intense mushroom flavor that I loved. My seasonal desert of peach tart may not be on the menu year round, but it was divine and the tiramisu was a decadent, and well executed classic. Gusto has an extensive wine selection both single and by the bottle and would be a great place for individuals or groups. The dining room layout is well designed with romantic lighting and unique artwork all over the walls. Tables feel quiet and intimate. Its location is easy to get to, but parking can be difficult. You can park at Rosedale Village Shopping Center.

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Shauna Gugler

I really hate leaving a negative review of any establishment but I had to say something. My husband and I decided to have dinner at Gusto the other night and the food was amazing!! Our experience was quite frankly ruined by one of the managers. I used to work in the food service industry and I felt bad for all of the staff that had to endure this man on a daily basis. Cameron was his name I believe and he was so rude it made our whole experience miserable. I overheard the way he was speaking to one of the servers and I was embarrassed for him. I would definitely recommend this establishment, just make sure its Camerons day off!!!

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JE

Jennifer N

The food was delicious, came here on a game day and it was fairly empty when we walked it so it was nice to not have a reservation, but I can assume that it gets busy. There is plenty of parking next to it, so that is nice, there is a tiny tiny lot in front as well. The meatballs are very delicious, they just fall apart with moistness. The bread is okay as well. The lasanga is very decadent, but filling and delicious. The Rotini alla Creama is very very good. All are super filling and delicious. Was not a fan of the dessert though however. Not the best item of the night.

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Jennifer Peatross

Loved this charming little place. We started with the polenta fries, which we really loved. Despite the fact that all pizzas are half off on Tuesdays, we didnt get pizza because the other dishes just sounded so good! I got a chicken cream pasta that was delicious, and my husband got the pork shoulder, which he loved. We also got a lovely bottle of wine that our server recommended (to great success). The orange olive oil cake we got for dessert was also great, and came with a lit sparkler in it, which was extra special since we were there for my birthday.

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WH

Whitney Magnuson

Stopped by recently for happy hour. I LOVE the decor--art pop paintings of classic Italian scenes like Roman Holiday, the Mona Lisa, etc. We ordered a bottle of wine, which was 25% off during happy hour, as well as the bruschetta and the four cheese pizza. The only disappointment was the bruschetta, which for some bizarre reason, was 2 parts raw onion to 1 part tomato. It was inedible, but the waiter was very gracious offering to remake it, and when we declined, taking it off our bill. Overall, a good experience.

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