By Meghan McCarron | September 4, 2014
Tipsters, readers, friends and family of Eater Austin always want to know: Where should I eat right now? What are the buzziest new restaurants? What haven't I heard of? What's everyone talking about?
To answer those questions, behold the 39th edition of the Eater Austin Heatmap. Fall brings a fresh crop of new restaurants: locally-obsessed Dai Due, ranch to table Jacoby's Restaurant and Mercantile, and long-anticipated modern Southern Olamaie.
http://austin.eater.com/archives/2014/09/04/where-to-eat-in-austin-right-now-september-14.php
By Meghan McCarron | September 4, 2014
Jacoby's Restaurant and Mercantile .
Newly opened
http://austin.eater.com/archives/2014/09/04/ranch-to-table.php
is deeply rooted
in Texas ranching and small-town culture
the path owner Adam Jacoby took from his family ranch and
The Chronicle traces
restaurant in Melvin to a hot new East Austin restaurant.
[Chronicle]
By Ane Urquiola | September 2, 2014
Austin’s new restaurant scene shows no symptoms of slowing down. Case in point: Jacoby’s Restaurant & Mercantile, a new farm to table restaurant serving up rustic food, many of the ingredients being sourced directly from the Jacoby family’s business that includes their own Jacoby beef (more on that in a second!).
Jacoby’s Exterior
Lovely sitting area at the front of the restaurant . I was able to go a few nights after they officially opened, and I was incredibly pleased. Upon walking in, you feel like you’re walking into the family’s ranch house in Melvin, Texas. Although rustic in its design, they have really paid a lot of attention to detail (thanks to Kris Swift), evidenced by their decorative touches like beautifully colored Texas Hill Country flowers at every table, vintage ball mason jars to hold your ice-cold water, cascading succulents that greet you when you walk
outside, and other pastoral elements throughout the restaurant that makes everything feel unfussy yet chic.
Jacoby’s dining room
Adam Jacoby visiting with Andrew after we walked in Beautiful sitting area – I must have these chairs for my home!! They’ve made great use of their space, having about the same amount of seats indoors as they do
outdoors. This place reminds me a bit of Contigo, only it has an outdoor area overlooking the water and they’ve paid more attention to detail.
Outdoor sitting area, great for cocktails and appetizers Backyard sitting area overlooking the water
I love all the rustic, vintage elements
Texas Hill Country wild flowers and blue mason jars
Outdoor sitting/picnic area overlooking the water
Ok–on to the food!! Remember the Jacoby Beef I mentioned? Well, their burgers may have been some of the best I’ve ever tried, certainly in the running for best burger in Austin!! Holy moly the beefy flavor and juiciness of each burger is marvelous, with each bite you wonder how they can pack so much flavor in one patty. I guess it does help that the beef they raise is bred, and processed in Central Texas, and the Jacoby family feeds the cattle their own proprietary feed, and pasture raise the cattle as well. They also bake their own brioche buns for the burgers, which adds a whole other buttery element to the ultimate burger.
Because we were at an event, they teased us with a slider version of their delicious burger. Andrew had 4 of them.
Jacoby’s deviled eggs
Other noteworthy and southern inspired dishes were their delicious deviled eggs. I’m a big fan of simplicity and big flavor, and these deviled eggs didn’t disappoint. They’re served with some pickled
radish and a sprinkle of dill, and let the eggs speak for themselves.
While we’re on the topic of southern things, I’d be a horrible person if I didn’t tell you about their
version of the Moscow Mule (making me drool just thinking about it right now). Called the Melvin Mule, this little guy packs so much punch and flavor that you’ll want to drink this all night. They concoct this with Ancho Reyes, an ancho chile liqueur, lime, and tangy ginger beer. It’s the perfect cocktail for sitting outside on their beautiful patio, enjoying the late afternoon sun while sitting
under one of their plentiful fans and enjoying the Texas heat. The Melvin Mule, I wanted to drink 9 of them
Entering the Mercantile portion of Jacoby’s from the restaurant
When you head to Jacoby’s Restaurant & Mercantile, don’t forget to visit the Mercantile portion of the place, it’s amazing!! As you walk in, you feel like you just hit the Roundtop jackpot, having all
the fabulous antiques and goods in one small space. If Kris is there, make sure to ask him about the goods they have for sale, he does a phenomenal job of curating all the merchandise, and some are so popular (like the candles) that the mercantile sold out just a few days after opening!!
Table of goods: candles, cake stand, flowers, vases – you name it
While you’re in there, make sure to peek in the fridge to get a look at some other yummy things they have on hand, along with the Jacoby family’s beef and other cuts of meat. They’ll be incorporating other cuts of meat into the restaurant’s menu throughout the year, and while you can take it home and cook it yourself, I highly recommend you make sure to try it there so you know what it’s supposed to taste like ;). To get more info about the restaurant as well as it’s hours and where it’s located, you can get that info here.
http://hungrygirlaustin.com/jacobys/
By Samantha Champion | September 1, 2014
Austin just gained something special, an exciting new addition to our city’s already impressive repertoire of dining and drinking options.
Jacoby’s Opens on Colorado River
Jacoby’s Restaurant & Mercantile opened its doors on August 20, 2014. Austinites are welcomed into a modern dining room with rustic overtones that leads out to an equally charming, breezy back porch. This ranch to table spot is located on East Cesar Chavez at the far east side of town, along the banks of the Colorado River.
With an exceptional view and backyard feel, the porch at Jacoby’s will definitely become one of Austin’s favorite places to kick back and hang out this fall.
The Jacoby family ranch is located in Melvin, a tiny town east of San Angelo in the heart of Texas. The Jacobys have built quite a name for themselves in Melvin. In addition to the ranch, the family owns Jacoby Feed and Seed, a rail center and a café. Austin’s own Jacoby’s Restaurant & Mercantile was born after one of their four sons, Adam, moved into town to attend UT and realized the capital city would make a perfect second home for the Jacoby business.
Quite simply, the restaurant and bar are absolutely beautiful. Exposed brick walls, wood-planked ceilings and stitched leather chairs are brightened up by huge windows, gallery-worthy photographs and tables set with wildflowers and bright blue mason jars. Let’s just say Creative Director and Interior Designer Kris Swift knows what he’s doing.
Dishes Inspired by Texas
I was lucky enough to attend an event at the restaurant the week it opened. I took it upon myself to taste everything in sight, in an effort to get the full Jacoby’s experience.
The Jacoby beef slider was unbelievable, with juicy beef, bread and butter pickles, complemented with garlic aioli. Try the full-size version on their Supper menu, or give the sirloin, strip or ribeye a
try. I stepped out of my former-vegetarian comfort zone and tried the beef carpaccio, a raw preparation of their famous meat that reminded me of a leaner, richer prosciutto.
Beyond beef, Jacoby’s serves up other Southern favorites like deviled eggs with radish and creamy pimiento cheese on kettle cooked chips. They also serve a sour cream and roggenier version of mac and cheese, as well as creamed corn with crimini mushrooms that I cannot wait to try.
The Jacobys can bake, too. The coconut cupcake I snagged was a not-too-sweet iteration that reminded me of Southern cornbread.
Beyond the Beef
The bartenders are friendly and fast, shaking up twists on familiar favorites such as Melvin Mules, West Texas Shandies and Mezcal Margaritas. Be sure to give the blackberry and basil Muskoka Smash a try, and definitely don’t leave out Shady Granny with lemon, strawberry and gin.
Jacoby’s blend of familiarity and freshness will easily draw people from all over town. Be sure to walk off your meal while strolling through the mercantile portion of Jacoby’s, filled with beautiful, handmade goods and specialty foods.
IMPACT ROUNDUP: Family ranch-to-table restaurant comes to East Austin
Jennifer C. | 8.27.14
What started as a family-owned feed and seed company has expanded to become Jacoby’s Restaurant and Mercantile, which opened Aug. 20 at 3235 E. Cesar Chavez St.
The ranch-to-table restaurant brings meats from Adam Jacoby’s family ranch, vegetables and Texas craft beers. In the mercantile portion, customers can go home with Jacoby’s meats, cheeses and produce.
There are chicken coops on-site, and the building materials, such as reclaimed wood, metal and brick, all come from the family’s ranch.
In addition, the business is located at 3235 E. Cesar Chavez St., which overlooks the Colorado River Wildlife Sanctuary. 512-366-5808. www.jacobysaustin.com
