Ember Kitchen

Kevin Koonce 2 months ago

We love to eat, and love food. Simply put, our anniversary dinner at Ember was absolutely a Top 3 dining experience in our 26 years of marriage! The only thing that topped it was a one-off dinner at The James Beard House we were lucky enough to be a part of...and that is saying a LOT to just barely be runner-up to that! Not only was the food simply incredible (we had filet skewers, the seafood plate, and the mole pork chop...with roasted carrots and the potatoes as sides, and the flan for dessert) but it was the best service we've ever received. Not only from our server but the entire staff from chefs to managers to bartenders. You do not just get an incredibly attentive server, the entire restaurant staff seems attentive to your needs. To go deeper on what makes Ember so special, they cook nearly everything in a Mesquite coal Josper oven which is unique to ATX. It gives a distinct smoke to everything, but in no way overpowering. The culinary team at Ember then highlights the Josper with both incredibly complex dishes (pork chop with handmade mole that is deep, rich, complex, and delicious paired with sweetness via a sweet potato with honey drizzle and brightness of fresh ci

Lloyd Melnick 2 months ago

I thought it was good but the quality of the dishes was not always as great as they sounded on the menu. We started with four small plates. First was the caviar bites, which might have been the most disappointing. I found the masa overpowered the caviar, did not taste nearly as great as it looked. The octopus carpaccio was as good as advertised, lots of great and interesting flavors, and I am not normally a fan of octopus. I really enjoyed the morita shrimp, especially being able to use the flatbread to dip. We had two specials as our mains. The real highlight of the meal was the pork chop mole. The mole was good and the pork was great, perfect char from the Josper grill. I really like the whole red snapper, my friend not as much as he got frustrated with the bones and scales. Overall a lot of good dishes, a few great, but could use more consistency.

PJ Flowers 3 months ago

The service was probably the best service we had received in a very long time anywhere. Several members of the staff other than our waiter, stopped by our Table to check on us and wish us a happy anniversary. They also all signed a card which was really nice and gave us complementary shots and complementary dessert! Truly amazing service. We had the market fresh crudo and crabcake for appetizers. Both were very good and the crabcake was full of jumbo lump crab. My husband had the bone and ribeye and it was cooked too perfection. I had the Josper half chicken and it was super tasty. I would order all of the items we had again. The ambience is good and I’m sure it can be a lively place if that’s what you’re looking for. Since it was our 20 year anniversary we were seated upstairs away from the bar area. We could still see what was happening without it being as loud. Everything was perfect & we will definitely go back.

Jonelli McGinnis 4 months ago

Loved the live music and dining in the balcony area! Food was amazing! We ordered the braised short ribs, which was a special not on the menu. The morita shrimp appetizer was sooo delicious!! The have masa tortillas to dip instead of the bread if you are gluten free. The broccolini was also a great pairing with the short ribs! Megan was super helpful and knowledgeable serving us! My husband loved his drink as well!

Laura Lee 7 months ago

Ember absolutely blew me away. The short rib with polenta was hands-down the best meal I’ve ever had — melt-off-the-bone tender, rich, and perfectly balanced. Every bite was incredible. The food is on the pricier side, but it is 100% worth it for the quality and experience. My friend ordered a fish dish that was equally delicious and beautifully prepared. The staff was extremely attentive without being overbearing, and the atmosphere had such a great lounge vibe with music that made the whole evening feel special. The wine list is small but thoughtfully curated — we had the Malbec and it paired perfectly with dinner. I also really appreciated how gluten-free friendly the menu is — so refreshing to have so many options without feeling limited. We’ll absolutely be back. Ember is a gem.