ATXReview
Included In
If it’s not obvious by the valet line of Bentleys, Porsches, and G-Wagons parked in front of Jeffrey’s that you’re about to drop some serious coin on an extravagant dinner, maybe it’ll dawn on you when you look out over the rows of martini-topped white tablecloths across a dining room that looks it could have been the set for My Dinner With Andre. Jeffrey’s has been around in some form or another since 1975, and it’s never really missed a beat in that time. This is a restaurant that went to boarding school in Switzerland and studied fine dining at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris for a while, before eventually deciding to settle down on a quiet street corner in Clarksville. The end result is an impeccable steakhouse experience that sets the bar for fine dining in Austin.
photo credit: Richard Casteel
The first thing you’ll notice about the dining room here is that it's remarkably cozy. A wood-paneled hallway leads to an open but intimate dining room filled with long rows of red leather booths, decorated with dark green walls and stacks of old books. Servers seem like they have decades of experience, and at any moment, it feels like the candlesticks and clocks will sprout legs and spring into an organ-led rendition of “Be Our Guest.” This is where you want to be when you’re celebrating big milestones—like special anniversaries, promotions, or your car hitting 123,456 miles on the odometer. And if you want something that feels about 10% more casual, you can grab a spot in the lounge, complete with blue velvet couches, a wood-burning fireplace, a few tables, and a bar reserved for walk-ins.
photo credit: Richard Casteel
The menu is made up mostly of riffs on classic French dishes with a bit of southern flair. Expect to find appetizers like truffled deviled eggs or crispy fried gulf oysters. Much of the food is decadent and indulgent, but not in a way that ever feels like you’re being beaten over the head with a butter bat. These are dishes you’d order if you were celebrating something special, where foie gras and caviar are accent marks on delicately prepared plates of duck breast or lobster. And if you’ve ever wondered what nearly $50 worth of seafood risotto looks like, this is your chance to find out. But a meal here wouldn’t be complete without a steak. They’re grilled over live oak and finished in a broiler at roughly the melting point of aluminum—about 1200°, in case that ever comes up in trivia—and the steaks are tender enough to lead us to believe that these cows never worked a day in their lives.
At the end of your meal, order one of the soufflés for an admittedly indulgent dessert. They take about 20 minutes, which will give you plenty of time to treat yourself to a digestif or one last drink off the martini cart—a by request, tableside cocktail experience with definite James Bond vibes—and soak it all in. Because as expensive as a meal at Jeffrey’s might be, you’ll feel just as special walking out those doors as you did walking in.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Truffled Deviled Eggs
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Crispy Fried Gulf Oysters
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Pekin Duck Breast "Au Poivre"
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Dry Aged Bone-In Strip Steak
photo credit: Richard Casteel