Ranch 616

4.6

1067 Reviews

$30 and under

Southwest

Top Tags:

South Texas Ice House, "Texas Cuisine" Products from the Texas Gulf to the Texas Hill Country.

"The huge snake logo on the outside of an otherwise nondescript building -- created by Bob "Daddy-O" Wade, best known for the oversize boots that front San Antonio's North Star Mall -- is your first hint that this place might be a bit, well, different. Inside, cowboy kitsch, 1950s diner decor, and Mexican folk art mingle, as do workers from the nearby county offices, local movers and shakers, and anyone else looking for terrific food that, like the decor, defies easy categorization.

Call it South Texas gourmet. You can really taste the chipotle chilies in the tartar sauce that comes with some of the best crispy oysters this side of the Mason-Dixon Line, and the Gulf fish tacos are gussied up with chili lime aioli and Tabasco jalapeño onions. You get the idea -- lots of spicy dishes."

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Jul 1, 2022

7:00 PM

Booked 64 times today

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Cuisines
Southwest, Wild Game, Contemporary American
Hours of operation
Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(512) 479-7616
Website
http://theranch616.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Kevin Williamson
Private party facilities
Restaurant is available for buy outs.
Private party contact
Preston Nagel: (512) 479-7616

Location
616 Nueces Austin, TX 78701
Neighborhood
Downtown
Cross street
7th
Parking details
Surface and Garage Parking available nearby.
Additional
Bar Dining, Beer, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

Quesadilla of the Day$12.00
meat or vegetables, roasted corn, pico de gallo, black beans, ranch cheese
Fried or Grilled Frog Legs$18.00
served over roasted poblano mashed potatoes with spiced honey dipping sauce
Calamari$16.00
served with chipotle tartar sauce & green goddess
Crispy Oysters$20.00
Named by Southern Living as "The Best Oysters in the South". A dozen crispy gulf oysters served with chipotle tartar sauce, green goddess
Texas Gulf Coast Crab Cake$18.00
served on a bed of crab & corn salad, homemade thousand island dressing
Camarones Rellenos$21.00
applewood-smoke bacon-wrapped gulf-coast shrimp stuffed with ranch cheese, served with chipotle tartar & green goddess
The Don Combo$20.00
crispy oysters and calamari served with chipotle tartar sauce & green goddess dressing
Funeral Eggs$12.00
deviled eggs, mixed greens, pickled green beans
Fried Green Beans$9.00
green goddess dressing
Ranch Slice of Ice$12.00
¼ wedge of iceberg served with ranch, bleu cheese, candied pickled red onion, cherry tomatoes, carrots
616 Chop$16.00
applewood-smoked bacon, black bean, chopped egg, Texas pecans, blue cheese, avocado, tomato, corn, pickled onion & choice of dressing
Caesar Salad$13.00
heart of romaine, chipotle caesar dressing and shaved parmesan
Caldo de Pollo$10.00
hearty chunks of chicken breast with fresh vegetables in a steaming broth, served with lime and tomatillo sauce
Patron Platter$60.00
calamari, crispy oysters, camarones rellenos, fried green beans, quail

Sides

Spiced Green Beans with Crumbled Blue Cheese$9.00
Ranch Cheese and Bacon Mashed Potatoes$9.00
616 Tobacco Onion Rings$9.00
Southern Greens$9.00
French Fries$9.00
Cheesy Grits$9.00

Entrees

Divorced Quail$18.00
award-winning quail, one buttermilk-battered and fried with ranchero, one sugar-cured and grilled with tomatillo, poblano mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables
Pork Tenderloin 616$24.00
ancho honey glazed medallions served over poblano mashers and topped with roasted corn, Texas mushrooms
Ranch Ribeye*$56.00
Black-Pepper-crusted Ribeye with demi glace, bacon-cheddar mashed potatoes, green beens
Texas Black Angus Tenderloin and Crab*$45.00
Texas filet topped with 'Sweet' crab meat, southern greens, cheesy grits
South Texas Mixed Grill$47.00
venison sausage, quail & petite chicken fried steak over poblano mashed potatoes & green beans with a side of demi
Chicken Fried Steak$22.00
buttermilk-fried tenderloin served over bacon and ranch cheese mashers with house gravy, green beans
Jalapeno Maize Trout or Chicken$24.00
two trout filets or an 8oz chicken breast encrusted with tortilla chips, sautéed with jalapenos, garlic and cilantro, topped with chipotle tartar sauce, served with Spanish rice
Fish or Shrimp Tacos$18.00
three soft tacos with crispy fish or tiger shrimp piled with shredded cabbage, lettuce and chili lime aioli with Spanish rice and tobacco jalapeno onion rings
Grilled Market Fish$45.00
Texas red fish with prawns, coconut rice, veg with Paula's Orange buerre blanc

What 1,067 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.7Service
4.7Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Austin
Hot Spot
Austin
Hot Spot

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DZ
DianaZ
Austin
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 1 day ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Have missed Ranch since it was closed for more than a year due to frozen pipes flooding the restaurant. The food was great, drinks, excellent. so glad to have one of our longtime favorites back!
MM
MelodyM
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 1 day ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Dinner and drinks was more than we expected. The food was fantastic!
CC
CCATX
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 2 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Simply the best. Better than all the rest. Seriously, we love this place and are so happy it's back.
L
Longtalltexican
Central Texas
23 reviews
vip
4.0
23 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
overall4food4service4ambience5
Praise the lord that nothing has changed since The Ranch closed a couple of years ago but is now reopened. So many great, cool places close or have remodeled but not here and "that's a good thing". One of the best spots in Austin!
A
Ajaaaaay
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined 5 days ago
overall1food1service2ambience1
Extremely loud, like overly loud in there. Could barely hear our waiter. Food was subpar but the prices were outrageous. $22 for a poorly seasoned chicken fried steak is insanity. Would not recommend & will not be returning.
OT
OpenTable Diner
New Orleans
1 review
vip
2.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
overall2food2service3ambience2
Too much AC, music way too loud, food was mediocre at best. This used to be a great place to eat but no longer. Waste of time and money.
j
jennih
New York Area
7 reviews
vip
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on June 21, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great as always! Great food, amazing service, fun atmosphere.
T
Thursday
Austin
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on June 18, 2022
overall1food2service1ambience1
Reservation was made far in advance for 4 for 7:15. Waitperson was disappointed that we requested paper menu, asked if we were ready to order entrees 5 min after we were seated. Entrees delivered before starters were finished. Food was just ok. Waitperson came back at 8:30 to tell us that next reservation was here and handed us our check. We explained were were not finished and would like to consider dessert. Asst Mgr came by and explained that if reservation was made on OpenTable for 4 or less on weekends, dinning was limited to 90 mln. This is the first we heard of this policy. In terms of ambiance, You could not hear your own voice. Disappointed in 616 that they used OpenTable as an excuse to rush us & make us leave.
KG
KristinG
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 16, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Took the recommendation of a bar-tender to come here. The Ranch Waters were perfect for the hot afternoon. The fried oysters were on point as were the calamari. Everyone enjoyed their meal—I loved the beer can chicken and Thai spiced green beans. Our waitress was super sweet, attentive, and knowledgeable.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Austin
9 reviews
vip
3.0
9 reviews
Dined on June 16, 2022
overall3food4service4ambience4
Good food, service felt rushed and the noise level was so loud we could hardly carry on a conversation at a small 4 top.
MH
MarkH
San Francisco
11 reviews
vip
2.0
11 reviews
Dined on June 16, 2022
overall2food2service5ambience4
I was really looking forward to lunch at Ranch 616. I hadn't been there since before the pandemic and the new owners. I invited a friend who's new to Austin to meet me there. While the service was outstanding, the food was mediocre. Perhaps my memory of the place before the pandemic is faulty -- or, it might have been what we ordered -- but the oyster sandwich and fried chicken sandwich were underwhelming to say the least. Ditto for the fries, and the onion rings should be avoided. We both left a lot of food on the table. Even our server confided that the fries are mediocre in their (gender neutral pronoun) opinion. Maybe y'all will have better luck with other dishes. There are too many other great lunch options for a return visit.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Austin
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on June 12, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Loved every bit of it!
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on June 12, 2022
overall4food4service5ambience5
Food was really good. Only thing that I was upset was that I ordered the ribeye off the menu and got a chuck eye steak.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
10 reviews
vip
5.0
10 reviews
Dined on June 7, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Appreciated the service, atmosphere and great food.
LG
LloydG
Exclusive
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on June 6, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Home of the original Ranch Water. Always fabulous food and atmosphere. It's my favorite place to take folks from out of town to share the unique fusion of Hill Country Ranch style/Tex-mex cuisine.
S
Sarah
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on June 5, 2022
overall4food5service4ambience4
My friends and I went to Ranch 616 for dinner while visitng Austin for a Bachelorette party. The food was very delicious and the Fire in the Hole shots were fun!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Austin
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 2, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The market fish was incredible! Everyone loved their food. We’ve loved ranch 616 for years, it never fails.
CS
CalebS
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 1, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Service was great, food was amazing, great cover from the Texas heat, thank you for making my 25th an amazing experience!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Austin
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 30, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
They were short staffed and still provided excellent and quick service. The staff was friendly and multiple staff members checked on us throughout our dinner. They were accommodating and very pleasant! The food was 10/10 - sooo good!! We’re definitely adding Ranch 616 to our rotation.
JS
JennaS
Austin
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 29, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The service was incredible and they were so accommodating. I accidentally made the reservation incorrectly and they didn’t skip a beat to adjust and make it a special experience for our group. Such a great, iconic place and so glad they’re open again!!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Exclusive
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on May 27, 2022
overall4food4service4ambience5
Haven’t been to 616 in a few years…nice to be back. Can never go wrong with a Ranch Water and the Don Combo.
OT
OpenTable Diner
New England
4 reviews
vip
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on May 27, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food and incredible staff. Very accommodating and on top of it!
MS
MonikaS
San Francisco
4 reviews
vip
3.0
4 reviews
Dined on May 26, 2022
overall3food2service5ambience5
The food unfortunately is not what it used to be years ago. Love the Ranch water and atmosphere. Food is way overpriced for the quality. Service was good.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Dallas
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 26, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always great!
D
Diners99
Dallas
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on May 23, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
What a fantastic dinner! Service was impeccable and the atmosphere fun. Sat outside and loved all of it
SS
ScottyS
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 23, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent experience. Great service, good food and they accommodated our seating request.
CC
CaitlynC
Nashville
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 21, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
We love Ranch 616! We had our first date here 4 years ago and were so excited when we heard it was back open after the pandemic. Great & unique food, fun drinks, and energetic atmosphere!
D
Dudekidwow
New England
3 reviews
3.0
3 reviews
Dined on May 20, 2022
overall3food3service4ambience4
Great vibe & service. Food was good but not a great value.
RC
RandyC
Austin
7 reviews
vip
3.0
7 reviews
Dined on May 17, 2022
overall3food3service4ambience4
Been going to R616 for nearly 20 years since it opened-new owners are making a few tweaks so don’t expect it to be the same old same old. Still a fun evening.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Austin
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 14, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Nothing better than a night at The Ranch
OT
OpenTable Diner
Austin
1 review
vip
4.0
1 review
Dined on May 14, 2022
overall4food3service5ambience5
It was too loud. And the food wasn’t nearly as good as before it closed
MK
MarkK
Austin
8 reviews
vip
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on May 14, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Hasn’t skipped a beat. Still the best place to dine on a Friday night.
J
Joanie
Austin
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 12, 2022
overall5food4service5ambience2
It was vary loud but the food was vary good and we had fun
JF
JenF
Washington DC
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on May 12, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent service, food and vibe … as always!!
L
Lincolndiner
New York Area
14 reviews
vip
3.0
14 reviews
Dined on May 9, 2022
overall3food3service4ambience5
This place is a fun vibe and crowded and loud always. Great drinks (the ranch waters are terrific) and really great fried oysters (we ordered a second platter). The service was pretty good; they were struggling to meet demand but making an effort. All the appetizer plates when we first sat down were dirty and we had to ask them to take them back to the dishwasher and bring us clean ones. They forgot part of my order entirely, and the Caldo de Pollo, which three of us ordered because it sounded so good, was one of the saltiest things I have ever tasted anywhere. None of us could eat it, altho we tried, which was a shame because we could tell it would have been really fabulous, great concept, great chicken stock, without the salt. I’m glad they’ve reopened and they need to work out a few kinks yet. We will try again in a month or so and see how they are doing then.
PK
PaigeK
Austin
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on May 9, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Fun atmosphere, so happy they are back open again!
R
Regents
Austin
2 reviews
vip
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on May 8, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The food was outstanding. It is too noisy in the restaurant; need some sound attenuation. Might be better to sit outside on the patio if you want to have a conversation.
KN
KellyN
Austin
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on May 2, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Amazing food, service and beverages! Brought out of state guests - first visit to Austin and they loved it! So happy for the re-opening and will be back!
ZR
ZachR
Austin
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 25, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Love this place! Jess, Caleb and Scott are the friggin’ BEST! Go get y’all some med rare steaks and fire in the hole shots!
M
Msjs
Seattle
4 reviews
3.0
4 reviews
Dined on April 25, 2022
overall3food3service4ambience4
We were excited to try this restaurant while visiting Austin. We were disappointed with our experience. The food was VERY overpriced for what we got, they did not have items available that were on the menu and we were charged more for an item than what it was listed for on the menu. The food and drinks tasted good, just not worth the money.

FAQs

Ranch 616 is rated 4.6 stars by 1067 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Jul 1, 2022

7:00 PM

Booked 64 times today

616 Nueces Austin, TX 78701

Additional information

Cross street
7th
Neighborhood
Downtown
Hours of operation
Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
Cuisines
Southwest, Wild Game, Contemporary American
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Surface and Garage Parking available nearby.
Payment options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Executive chef
Kevin Williamson
Additional
Bar Dining, Beer, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://theranch616.com/
Phone number
(512) 479-7616
Private party facilities
Restaurant is available for buy outs.
Private party contact
Preston Nagel: (512) 479-7616

Ranch 616

Make a reservation

Additional information

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Starters

Quesadilla of the Day$12.00

Fried or Grilled Frog Legs$18.00

Calamari$16.00

Crispy Oysters$20.00

Texas Gulf Coast Crab Cake$18.00

Camarones Rellenos$21.00

The Don Combo$20.00

Funeral Eggs$12.00

Fried Green Beans$9.00

Ranch Slice of Ice$12.00

616 Chop$16.00

Caesar Salad$13.00

Caldo de Pollo$10.00

Patron Platter$60.00

Sides

Spiced Green Beans with Crumbled Blue Cheese$9.00

Ranch Cheese and Bacon Mashed Potatoes$9.00

616 Tobacco Onion Rings$9.00

Southern Greens$9.00

French Fries$9.00

Cheesy Grits$9.00

Entrees

Divorced Quail$18.00

Pork Tenderloin 616$24.00

Ranch Ribeye*$56.00

Texas Black Angus Tenderloin and Crab*$45.00

South Texas Mixed Grill$47.00

Chicken Fried Steak$22.00

Jalapeno Maize Trout or Chicken$24.00

Fish or Shrimp Tacos$18.00

Grilled Market Fish$45.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Sort by

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FAQs

How is Ranch 616 restaurant rated?

Is Ranch 616 currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information

Featured in

74 Austin Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

Austin’s Most Iconic Restaurants

The Best Brunch Restaurants in Austin