I went on a Friday evening a group of friend from my Meetup group. Â They place is very nice, great atmosphere, staff is friendly, outgoing and have great personalities.
House wine is decent and reasonable price. Â Wine list is very extensive and is good for experienced wine drinkers. Â I really can't rate their food because all I got was the Krave Fries from the Happy Hour menu but the sauce they give you is "ish" - it is a few pieces of cheese cut off and warmed up in the microwave.
Happy Hour is from 4pm to 6pm - they really need to extend it in till at least 7pm to give folks that get off later enough time to take advantage of.
Staff seemed a little disorganized at times when more of my Meetup group showed up.
Overall experience was well and I am likely to return.
Great selection of wines, well thought out and represented accurately on the menu. Â The bartenders are top notch and this is definitely a sit at the bar type of place. Â Our waiter Kevin was great with our large group (even though the management wanted a "fee" to reserve space for us--like our $900 bar tab wasn't enough) but Kevin did lack a sense of humor and managed to annoy several in our group
I'd say go for the wine and great ambiance (you can hear the music from Junior's next door if you sit on the patio, replete with mister fans!) but avoid the food.  The pizzas are ok for the price but very greasy and the rest of the food is way over priced.  The $5 bruschetta at Happy Hour --three small slices of toasted french bread  with a dab of tomato and basil was particularly frustrating.  If you're there for happy hour and absolutely must eat, the hummus/queso combo seemed reasonable and was tasty.
I'll go back, but it won't be for the tiny $12 salad
The only reasons they even get 2 stars is because of the location, the ONE bartender who was nice and talked to us (this guy wasn't even OUR bartender) and it lead us to The Brass Tap right across the street. Our bartender was some middle aged woman with a suuuper "cool" moon tattoo on her damn head behind her ear. Not sure what the 'tude was for but damn maybe she was bummed we didn't order wine. Â If you don't want to serve draft beer then maybe don't provide it and stick with wine. The other female bartender with brown hair and I think a nose ring, was mean mugging and unfriendly too. Â I found out they were the only place nearby that sold 512 wit so that is the only reason we headed over there. I happen to love wine but that wasn't what I wanted that evening and now I'll never know what their wine options taste like (nor do I care). Â I noticed majority of the crowd consisted of older people and there were some women who were in their 40's/50's trying to look 21 again. The whole place just isn't our scene. Â We won't be back.
Review Source:Went on a Monday for a friend's birthday. Â I feel that the food is overpriced for what it is and the service was sub-par. Â There were only two servers working on a Monday night. Â I would have been more understanding if the server had come to the table and offered an explanation or apologized, but I only knew this from overhearing her complain to someone else. Â Half of the table was finished with their meal before the other half had received their food. Â
If I am at an "upscale" wine bar, I do not want to be watching Sports Center on TV like a sports bar.
Lovely place for a date night. Â Their kitchen closes at 11 PM on Saturday night. Â Lovely ambiance with indie music (very Postal Service that night). Â We enjoyed the Krave Board which is a customizable antipasti platter. Â They were out of the Salmon entree, so I ended up going with the Seared Ahi entree. Â It was pretty tasty, but the risotto that came with it was a little overly sour in lemon for me. Â Husband got the steak which was prepared very well - although be forewarned that if you're not a bleu cheese fan, the bleu cheese could be overpowering. Â Overall, we enjoyed this bistro. Â I'd love to come back and check out the rest of their menu.
Review Source:I wish the people who envisioned Krave would make up their minds about the food. Pick something and stick with it. I really want to like this place, but their is an air of pretentiousness that sours the experience. Yes wine bars are usually a bit snobby, but there are plenty of people who might not dress or look like the "types"they want, but our money is good. Personally, being that I have extensive wine knowledge and have been a chef for 14 years adds to the credibility of my review. I see the need for improvement. First thing, get new kitchen staff. Those guys can't cook. And don't even say they are chefs.... Their cheap labor. Get real chefs with talent. Fix your front of house, especially the hostesses and the way some of your staff ignore people if they feel like they wont get tipped. And, last but not least, I really hope i don't see an owner sitting at the end of the bar, look up at us, and stick her nose back into her laptop, not even giving us any attention.
P.S. i bet the owners don't really read these reviews. their heads are in the clouds. But i'm sure they have a little cult that will keep them afloat.....for the time being.
Had a great girls' night at Krave. One of my girlfriends lives in Round Rock and it's one of her favorite places -- I can see why.
To begin with, when we sat down she described to our server a wine she'd had there previously. Her description was something kinda ridiculous like "red but kinda bubbly and also juicy" and based on this he produced the exact bottle she was thinking of. He's a savant!
We split appetizers -- the ahi tuna was delicious. I'm not into cheese, but my girlfriends made yummy sounds at the cheese board. And the calamari was perfect to me, not overly peppered or rubbery or oily, just perfect.
If you're in Round Rock and you're looking for a special place for a girls' night or a date, something a little bit elevated, Krave is a great choice. Two pieces of advice: 1) all the tables at Krave are tall tables with tall chairs, so if you hate that then this place is not for you, and 2) there is a free parking garage next door to Krave. Yes, that garage is free and open to the public. You're welcome.
My husband and I live in Round Rock but had never stopped in at Krave until today. We're more beer than wine people so we usually hit up Junior's next door; however, it was closed today during Round Rock's Centennial celebration. So, not being in the mood for "fair food", we gave Krave a try for lunch.
It was super hot and sunny out so we just got salads. Husband got the Sugar and Spice and I got the Chef Salad. We were very pleased with both. The ingredients were fresh and there was ample "good stuff" on my chef salad (grilled chicken, bacon, avocado, etc.) along with mixed baby greens. I washed my salad down with a pink sangria (did I mention it was really hot out?) and it was very refreshing and not too sweet. I was assured it was made with white wine and not white zinfandel, which is good because white zinfandel is an abomination before the Lord. Even a beer drinker like me knows that. Could have used a bit more fruit in the glass maybe, but overall it was nice and I'd order it again on a hot summer day. Husband ordered a cocktail that I believe was called a Bee and Honey and he said it was very good, but that I would not have liked it because it was quite sweet.
Service was prompt and friendly and the interior of the place is very relaxing, all dark and moody which had a nice cooling effect on a hot day. I eat paleo and it looks like there are several options for that on the menu, particularly the dinner menu, which we definitely plan to go back and try!
I'm one of those people that loves to try new places and do my research before I go... so based on the pictures of this place I was very hopeful.....even though the reviews were hot and cold.
The best part about this place is the ambiance and decor....it's stylish and oozing with class... sadly, that's where it ends for me. Â :-(
I checked out the menu online and saw several hopefuls but nothing that really grabbed me. Â I noticed that the happy hour ended at 7pm and it was 6:50pm at the time...but I set out anyway.....guess I can handle a non-happy hour beer once in a while.
I was offered seating at a table or the bar but chose the bar since I was flying solo. Â The bartender was quick to welcome me and bring me some water. Â Upon requesting a menu I was provided that rather promptly as well...so far, so good.
The wine list is extensive and I was quite happy to see a good mix of local and foreign but I was more in the mood for beer. Â The offered 512 on tap and I'm a fan so I asked for a sample of the stout was was happily provided an ample one. Â Proved delicious so I ordered a pint.
I asked about specials not on the menu and was told about a blackened pork something-or-other or steamed clams/mussels. Â I'm rather a big fan of bivalves so I ordered them up. Â When they arrived they were perfectly presented... Â 10-12 of the beauties basking luxuriously in a pool of white wine garlic broth. Â Propped against the side were 4 slices of french bread to dipping...YUM!
Sadly, this is where my great experience ends. Â Â The clams/mussels were just ok although the broth was a little better. Â The bread would have been better if it has been brushed with butter and toasted a bit but it was just sliced and placed from what I can tell.
My second choice to try was the calamari which was read to be "lightly floured" and fried..... Â it arrived and was more of a "heavily-battered" and fried version...and rather greasy too. Â I can tolerate both of those but it was also VERY tough and rubbery. Â I had also used my original plate to put my clam/mussel shells on and wasn't provided another one when the calamari arrived.....so when one of the pieces was a bit large I didn't have anywhere to try and cut it up....and when I attempted to bite it in half it deemed impossible....too tough....so I ended up ungraciously shoving the whole thing in my mouth and pushing the rest away.
In the meantime, a lady (clearly a regular) came in and sat down at the bar near me where I heard one of the manager or owners (I presume) telling her that it was "ladies night" and happy hour had been extended until 9pm. Â Oh. Â Really? Â All these drink specials and I had no idea. Â Might have been nice to know.
Oh..and by the way...the first 5 appetizers are also on sale for happy hour. Â Lovely. Â If I had known that I might have opted for something other than the tire-tread calamari I had instead.
Ok, whatever. Â I can deal..... let's just move on to dessert becuase that makes everything better!
I decided on the Crème brûlée as it's one of my VERY favorites and it seems there are few places that do a traditional one...it's always mango infused and coconut dusted blah blah blah..... not that I'm not into fusion food....  but there is a time and a place and sometimes you just want your Crème brûlée the way it was meant to be.
It arrived and I was so hopeful! Â Beautifully served on a chocolate drizzled plate with 3 fresh strawberries on the side, also drizzled with chocolate. Â At first glance I was a bit concerned about the top as it was just wee bit darker than I'm used to......and turns out I was right. Â The custard was a bit too soft and lacking the firmness you'd expect from a custard.... it was more like vanilla pudding. Â The caramelized crust was indeed burned which pretty much overpowered and ruined the whole dish.....it's like a marshmallow...there is a fine line between browned and burnt to a crisp...but a huge difference in taste!
When it was all said and done my bill was about $50 which I sadly only got to leave a 18% tip due to the servers lack of communication regarding happy hour specials and failure to delivery plates when needed.
However the biggest disappointment here was definitely the food. Â Looked amazing....however taste wasn't all that great.
I will definitely give this place another try...everyone has an off night.... Â but I'm not too hopeful thus far.
It might be that this place is just good for a great glass of wine and a cheese plate....and there's always a place in my world for a place like that. Â I just might not be back for a real meal.
My wife and I had dinner at Krave on 23FEB2013. Â
We were surprised as many reviewers have noted that Krave does not allow reservations. Â I am often confused why restaurants do this, I can only assume that they believe it will result in idle tables.
However, we venture to Krave without a reservation and were promptly seated outside. Â It was a bit chilly and the heater next to our table was not working. Â The noise level from the live band next door was also a bit loud. Â We opted to try our hand at a table inside. Â A table was not immediately ready, so we grabbed seats at the bar where we ended up having our food as well.
Location: Â The locations of Krave is great. Â It is located in downtown Round Rock which is picturesque and a great place to grab a bite.
Drinks: I was pleased that Krave offered several selections of local craft brewed beer. Â I had the Rogness Holiday and a 512 Wit. Â Both were great.
The whole point of Krave is that it is a wine bar. Â My wife opted to have two of their wine flights. Â The first was "the godfather" and the name of the second eludes me but it was three glasses of white wine from California. Â I did not sample any but she seemed pleased with all of them.
Food: Â Our original intent was to have several small plates from the "Krave Bites" portion of their menu. Â However, when we attempted to order they did not have the Baja Tacos or the Ahi tuna. Â I assume that they must not have received their delivery of seafood.
We audibled and ended up with the Spicy Sweet Potato fries which were excellent, and the Pulled pork sliders which were only ok. Â The pulled pork was a bit on the dry side as if it had been slow cooked for too long.
For my main course I had the Krave Salad which was excellent. Â My wife had their shrimp special that they were offering that evening. Â I was not a fan but she enjoyed it. Â One thing I don't understand is how they can have a shrimp special, but not have the shrimp for the baja tacos?
Overall the experience was ok. Â For a close to $100 dinner I was not overly impresses. Â The final gripe I have is the location and number of restrooms. Â I may be nitpicking here but hey that's what reviews are for. Â There is only one women's stall, not an issue for me, however my wife had to stand in line for the restroom. Â Normally not an issue but the restroom is located right in the middle of the dinning area, so if you're in line then you are standing in the middle of the dinning area.
We will certainly give Krave another try, but I am skeptical if it is worth the prices you pay.
Great looking place, lots of potential and more personality than one expects in Round Rock. Very nice restrooms- that sort of attention should go into the overall service at the joint. But the food was cold, the portions were small, the service was slow, and the price was high. That's a bad combination of factors. I see that others have been more impressed, so maybe your experience will be better. I probably wont be back.
Review Source:I've reviewed this place before and noted its continuing decline. Â We returned after a long hiatus for lunch as we had some friends in town. Â Definite improvements in all respects. Â Revamped menu is very good. Â Wine selection still is good. Our sandwiches were great. Â The loud CW music has been replaced with classic rock--a definite improvement. Â Lisa our server was excellent and very attentive. Â We'll be back.
Review Source:I was there last night and was surprised how crowded it was on a Tuesday night. Â The food was good. Â The wine menu was "under construction"; which was quite funny as many things were crossed out or written over. Â With it being crowded; we were outside and next to what I guess is an exit because people kept leaving behind my chair which was kind of weird. Â (Plus I guess there's a garbage can on the other side of their fence; which I was glad it didn't smell.) Â There was a guy singing over pre-recorded music which I wasn't sure why he was bothering to sing. Â Waiter was good and attentive which I like.
Review Source:What a difference 7 months makes! Â Now they have nice, fancy menus that are laminated and organized and not stained. Â The best part is the staff. Â There is a hotty whose name I never remember, but Kevin is our man. He's hilarious and friendly and always recommends THE best wines. Â The place has made a complete conversion and, if you can get past the new "extras from the Smooth Criminal video hats" they've been required to wear, Krave is the place to go in Round Rock.
Review Source:Merlot - Galan....from Chile....$5 Yes!!!
I want to really love, love love this place. And I do, for the wine and food. The decor - perfect. The cleanest, nicest bathrooms in Round Rock that are not my own. We had the cutest, bubbliest little waitress that was right on time, and we hogged a table on the outdoor patio all night. She was awesome with a capital A!
The only drawback to this place is the live music right next door. To some that might actually be a plus, but it does hinder conversation at times. The inside area's acoustics are not the best either, but if you go and just realize it's going to be loud, you should be fine. It's not Vino Vino, but it has it's own charms.
This was the 2d time I've been here and I know it won't be long before I am back....
I've been there a dozen times or more with my husband and my girlfriends. Â I have always loved the cozy atmosphere. Â Krave has always been a great place to have good conversations over some fantastic wine. Â But I have to say, I was very disappointed last night.
I brought my girlfriend for the first time for diner last night, 10/16/12,after bragging it up. Â When we walked in about 6:15, we were told by the hostess that music would be starting at 7 in the back corner. Â Shocked by the fact that Krave had music, I asked if we could sit closer to the front of the restaurant. Â The hostess said, "no these tables are reseved for our parties of 4" and she sat us at a two-table right next to the band.
Once the music started, I couldn't hear a darn thing my friend was saying. Â It got very difficult to have any conversation. Â We finished our dinner quickly and left. Â It was a huge buzz kill having to down our wine so we could get out of there. Â What we hoped would be a relaxing night out with a friend away from the kids, turned out to be a night of frazzled nerves.
In my opinion, Krave is not the kind of place to have that kind of music. Â Had the music been outside or if it was a softer genre of music, it may have worked, but judging by the expressions of the women around me, we weren't the only ones that felt that way. Â It's too bad because the wine is phenomenal and the food is great!
If the music stays, we wont be back.
I do love this place! I have to say that the front staff (hosts) are not that great but the servers are top notch. My one beef is they don't take reservations. I find that annoying since the place is so small.
The food is awesome (pizza with truffle oil, amazing fried zucchini, yummy garlic fries, create your own meat and cheese boards). The wine selection is truly wonderful and the mixed drinks are yummy.
If you like wine, food, and a great place to hang out, this is it.
Just came here Friday night. My fiancee and I had this place bookmarked since trying Longhorn Cafe across the street. We thought it had live music but turns out that was coming from next door at junior's which was packed by the way.
We had a drink while waiting for our table indoors, which was fine but they couldnt add the drink to our table tab, which i thought was odd, but I know thats pretty standard at larger restaurants. This place is very quaint and a lot trendier than I ever pictured anywhere in Round Rock ever being.
They had a cute little sofas in btwn our table. unfortunately were didnt arrive at the right time to get that spot but it looked like a super cool place to chill and have a few glasses of wine and chill with a cheese platter. Which is exactly what we did.
FOOD: Had the cheese platter with 5 different kinds of cheese, and olive/crackers. Unfortunately the waitress/ server (neither of which) told us which kind was what so i'll never know what my favorite one was called is.
WINE: Had a glass of the Rosado.. delish. the flight I had Italian Stallion was ok. I would try something else next time I go.
This was definitely a cool place for date night. . not the kind of place for quiet intimate talk though. . kinda loud. Rowdy customers at the table next to us. not sure if it was just a bday or a bachelorette party. . but they all looked like they were hving a great time. which is always a good thing.
Went here last night, and I am still thinking about the Gnocchi I had. I woke up wanting it now! Sure, it's way noisy inside. But hey, it was Friday during Happy Hour, and boy, were people happy in there! DH and I started with the krave fries- loaded with fresh garlic and served with a bleu cheese dip- and the arancini, huge rice balls with a spicy dipping sauce. DH ordered the Chicken Picata, and it was delicous. Almost as good as homemade by an Italian Grandma. As previously mentioned, I had the Gnocchi- wonderful little pillows in a gorgonzola sauce with chunks of thick bacon, walnuts, and arugula. Luckily, it came with bread that saved me the indignity of picking up the bowl and licking it. And oh! what bread! Kinda dense and chewy, it was soo good.
And let us not forget about the wine. This is a wine bar, after all. They offer many choices in wine flights. Gotta love it when you get three glasses at once!
Can't wait to go back- but maybe we'll sit on the patio next time. And yes, they now have misters:)
My overall experience with Krave was not very good. Â First of all, I called on Tuesday the week before our planned Saturday "girls' night" and found Krave does not take reservations via a very stilted conversation with some guy who sounded like he was 15 (he kept saying "dude, like, um, yeah" but not spitting out the fact that they only do call-ahead). Â So, I duly called exactly two hours ahead as he had suggested on Saturday night, and again had a very confusing conversation with the young person who answered the phone - he asked for my name, then explained that they do, indeed, take reservations for large groups, so he was just checking to make sure I wasn't one of those parties (when I had just told him we were a party of three and that I'd been specifically told to call ahead). Â Ok, it was all finally sorted out and (I assumed) my name was written down for a table for three at 7 pm.
Well, my girlfriends and I get there at 7 pm and are told they don't have a table for us. Â Why did I bother to call ahead? Â They did have the corner couch and chair area available, so we opted for that because it was actually nicely tucked into the back corner slightly away from the main crush of tables. Â Turns out it's really hard to eat pasta from a coffee table when you're sitting on a couch!
The place was very hipster-ish, with club music absolutely blaring, such that we had to talk very loudly and lean in to hear each other. Â Most of the patrons were young and dressed up, while the wait staff were REALLY young (some didn't even look old enough to be serving alcohol) and wearing what I'd call trashy high school clothes (tank tops with cut-off shorts and flip flops). Â I wouldn't really care what the wait staff were wearing except it was so incongruous with the price / intended atmosphere of the place and the patrons. Â Thankfully, the wait staff were attentive and friendly, at least.
The food we had was fair at best. Â My friend had the seared Ahi appetizer, and it was overly encrusted in sesame seeds, such that it overwhelmed the fish. Â I had the chicken piccata with spaghetti. Â The chicken breast was extremely dry, like it had been cooked for 5 minutes or more too long, and like I said before, it was essentially impossible for me to eat my spaghetti from a coffee table while sitting on a low couch. Â For dessert, we shared the strawberry and chocolate dessert pizza, and it was reminiscent of something you'd get at TGI Fridays - not up to par for a nicer restaurant.
My take-away impression - this is a place to go for drinks / wine, not for food or conversation. Â I was happy that unlike other bars in Round Rock, smoking was not allowed, so I'll likely go back here for drinks before or after having dinner at the much preferable Main Street Grill across the street!
I went into Krave having little expectations but was delightfully surprised. They have a great happy hour with $5 wines (not limited to just one red or one white) and $4 appetizers. They also have a Saturday happy hour that includes $3 flavored mimosas.
They have a large bar and ample tables. There is also a nice covered patio that could use some misters. The decor is warm and aesthetic.
I met up with Julie T. and we shared the bruschetta and the hummus on happy hour. The hummus was topped with finely cut cucumber, olives and feta cheese. The pita bread was served warm and had a flavorful seasoning. This was the fav of the two dishes. The bruschetta was chock full of fresh tomato, drizzled in balsamic and topped with a sliver of mozzarella. It was OK but I prefer bruschetta to have at least a hint of garlic. The Bogle Syrah was decent for $5 and Julie seemed to enjoy her mango mimosa.
If you have trouble parking in this area, there is a free parking Garage around the corner.
What a nice place!!
We've wanted to stop in & check it out since they opened and hadn't made it by yet, but we finally made it there today for Happy Hour (4-7pm). Â Our waiter Kevin made us feel right at home & was super helpful, friendly and upbeat... which was perfect for leaving behind all thoughts of the work week. In fact, it was evident that most (if not all) of the employees where not just there for a job but were genuinely having a good time... which is was infectious and made for a vibrant atmosphere..
We each enjoyed a few different wines and only had the Krave Fries, so I can't comment on the food. Â But one thing for sure, we'll be coming back!
It's refreshing to find a wine bar that's in downtown Round Rock. However, there are still a lot of kinks and growing pains they need to go through as a new business. Some examples are:
- Inconsistent service. The first time I went I was with a large party and it took forever to get a glass of wine, almost to the point where I thought we were purposely being ignored. The second time I went with a friend and service was great.
- Overpriced wines. Don't get me wrong, their wines are great, but the markup is quite steep. I understand there needs to be a markup for the restaurant to make a profit and to cover the overhead. I remember paying $14 for a glass of red wine only to find out the bottle can be purchased retail for $25ish (and probably less with wholesale).
The atmosphere is nice and they have a live band playing on certain days. Their happy hour specials are good too. I'd definitely go back and help support a local business...hopefully they keep improving!
I love this wine bar! Â Exactly what Round Rock needed and I am so glad that I do not have to drive all the way to Austin for a place like this. Â The interior atmosphere is great - decorations amazing! Â Wine great and most of the food has been wonderful. Â
Only a couple of things that I noticed that keep it from being a 5-star. Â First, our waiter did not know too much about wine so it was hard to ask questions (but it is a new place in town and I'm sure their knowledge will increase), Â and secondly, all our food was great except the bruschetta and that was disappointing so I would not suggest that appetizer (but highly suggest the Krave Fries).
We have taken out of town guests to the Wine bar and my husband and I have gone separately. Â Both occasions were great experiences and I highly suggest their happy hour with a group of girlfriends (my husband definitely was out numbered!).
Last night was my first time there. Â We had one of the boards as an appetizer with walnuts, chocolate, roast beef, salami, and grapes. Â It was a good combination of food and very tasty. Â
The atmosphere is great. Â They have a nice long bar to park yourself if you just want happy hour. Â As soon as you walk in there are several comfy chairs that make a nice lobby area to wait for your party or table. Â The ambiance is similar to the main street grill across the street; fancy if you want to dress up, but it's Round Rock so you certainly don't have to. Â I will say, I have never seen a cleaner, more elegant mens bathroom in my life. Â The tap and sink looked like a roman bath, and it was very nicely decorated. Â
The happy hour menu is very good. Â I chose a Viognier from the list and it was quite nice. Â They have a very big list of reds, smaller list of whites and bubbly. Â There is also a full bar and several beers on tap/bottle if you choose. Â
The main entree's are quite good. Â My friends had the spaghetti which was great, the rib-eye steak, which is phenomenal with it's truffle butter topping, and I had the spicy penne chicken special. Â The special was served with a marinara sauce that I kid you not would have been 5 peppers at a thai restaurant. Â I usually spice things up with some sriracha or red pepper flakes if eating italian and I've never had anything that hot. Â However, it was very tasty. Â
I was impressed with the service. Â Our waitress was very attentive and knowledgeable about wines and the food. Â I'll definitely go back.
Round Rock really needed a place with the fun, eclectic atmosphere of Krave. It's the perfect place for a romantic Date Night, or to enjoy an evening out with friends. When I've had a rough day at work, this is where my boyfriend takes me - STAT.
They've done a great job in creating a cool vibe. It's upscale, but relaxed so I can dress up and be "sparkly and girly" or be comfy in jeans.
The food is fantastic, and the wine list is a lovely adventure. We've tried several of the dishes and loved them all - but my boyfriend always comes back to the spaghetti and meatballs and my go-to favorite is the steak. Yes, the insanely tender steak with a generous dollop of TRUFFLE BUTTER. Need I say more?? Thank you chef Dustin!!!
The staff is simply great. We try to make it in at least once a week, so we've had a chance to meet almost all of the servers and the crew behind the bar. They're all friendly, helpful with recommendations and truly add to the positive experience. As is typical with any new venue, there were initially a couple of folks that just didn't work out, however the current Krave team is fantastic. They love working there and it shows.
I've been in the marketing/corporate meeting industry for many years, and I would enthusiastically recommend Krave again and again.
Been twice, once for lunch and another for drinks. Â I enjoyed my lunch; Rib-eye salad with a lemon vinagerette and a nice glass of cabernet. Â It was a late lunch so the server was excellent and knowledgable. Â
The second was for drinks, again this was later (10pm) so the dinner crowd but the place was humming along with people both inside and outside (patio).  The bartenders were very friendly, and out-going offering assistance and samples to help with my wine selection.  I enjoyed their recommendations and look forward to visiting  again. Had a dance to meet the owner and she was very friendly and was generally interested in our opinions and thoughts on how this can become a RR institution. Â
Both the food and wine menus offer a variety of choices (apps, sous/salads, pizza, sandwiches, meat, pasta, fish, etc) and it is my understanding that they will be adding more wines by the glass and bottle. Â As a side note they do offer a full bar for those looking for something different then the grapes.
First, let me preface my review by saying that this place just opened about a month and half ago. If they hadn't been a new business still working out the kinks I would not have given a 3 star.
We arrive at 7pm on a Saturday night and the place was packed! Seems everyone from all of the nearby suburbs was there. Â We got our name on the list and were told it would be about a 35 minute wait. This really nice waitress Brandy got us a drink and we stood around waiting... and waiting... and waiting she kept checking on us and was wonderful. Over an hour later we were FINALLY seated. After being seated at a tiny table that felt like it had been shoved into the room because they thought they had enough space. We sat there for over 10 minutes before anyone even acknowledged we were there, I later found out that none of the servers have set tables so that could have been why it took so long.
We ordered the hummus as an appetizer, it arrived with a huge glob of hummus and 4 slivers of pita bread. The hummus wasn't anything special it was super thick, had to be spread with a knife and had no flavor. Â
For our entrees I ordered the carbonara and my husband originally ordered the fettuccine with bolognese only to be told they were out of bolognese, really? he ordered the margarita pizza instead. My carbonara was actually really except that it came to the table kind of cold and was a TINY portion. My husbands pizza was also pretty good but equally cold.
The two things that saved this night were our initial waitress while we were waiting for a table, customer service goes a long way! Also, the owner came by our table and was really sweet, she offered wine suggestions and made sure we had everything we needed. I also mentioned to her about the slow service and unbeknownst to us she ended up comping a round of drinks.
We will be back to try it again but we will give them some time to work out their kinks.
Abraham Lincoln once said, "All my life I have tried to pluck a thistle and plant a flower wherever the flower would grow in thought and mind."
I have often complained about the Round Rockian culinary hinterlands, a typical suburb populated both with shiny, consistently bland franchise restaurants and the unimaginative customer-base to patronize them. Seekers of the unique and notable must all too often make the 25 minute trek down Mopac into Austin. Wouldn't it be nice to stay local? Wouldn't it be great if there were less thistles and more flowers in the stony soil of Round Rock?
I'm not talking about mediocre, half-assed small businesses seeking to filch a few crumbs from the leavings of the corporate conglomerates. I am talking about the bold and inventive; those who aspire to create something great, not just eek out an existence with middling, uninspiring food and depressing sweat pant family ambience.
The bar is high, and breaking the mold is expensive and risky. Creating a unique space is ridiculously expensive. Crafting a great menu using fresh ingredients is a different ballgame than churning out frozen Sysco garbage. And when the paint has all dried and the doors are opened, will the suburban customers even give a damn? Would they continue trod the beaten path to wait an hour for a table at Tgi McOliveGardenBees. Another life savings down the drain, and another flower withers and dies.
I salute the proprietors of Krave Wine Bar for carving out a space and taking a chance in a downtown Round Rock that is starting to show some signs of life. A hollow shell of a historic limestone building now hosts an interesting, upscale scene. I love the concept, and Krave is on the right track. Dining here on Valentines was, however, a slightly flawed experience.
Dinner was good, knocking on the door of great. If only my perfectly-cooked ribeye had any salt on it at all. The fettucine boscaiola was well-balanced, with nice creamy and smoky notes and what seemed to be freshly-made pasta. I appreciate the spirit of the Texas-heavy wine list, but I'm uninspired by the idea of paying restaurant markup for wines I know to be a step behind the rest of the world.
I'm a Krave fan, if not an enthusiastic cheerleader at this point. One less thistle is always welcome, and the Round Rock culinary scene is enriched by the emergence of Krave. Here's to a bright future and improvement from good to great.
I really, really wanted to like Krave. A wine bar and bistro in Round Rock, yes please! Sadly, it was not to par. We attempted to go twice when they were newly opened but were unable to get seated and ended up leaving. The third try we got in and ordered a mussels and clams appetizer, a glass of Prosecco and a glass of Sauvignon blanc. The drinks were delicious but the shellfish were gritty, overcooked, and the butter sauce was too heavily salted. The bread we received before the meal was doughy and bland and could have been toasted or grilled, like the bread we received with the shellfish. Our server apparently had better things to do, as it took an extraordinarily long time for her to check on us, issue a check, and then even longer before she came back to give me my change and receipt. I had to ask another server to find her for us.
Like I said, I eagerly anticipated this new addition to downtown Round Rock, but sadly they let us down.
A risky move but it has clearly paid off judging by the constant crowd. I was thoroughly impressed coming in less than a week after the they opened their doors. The pizza, humus, spaghetti pomodoro, & all the wine we tried was excellent.
Don't be too hard on them, it's the owners first wine bar, & they haven't even been open barely a month. They need time to work out their kinks. But for where they're at & how they're handling the immediate success, they're doing amazing. I've been twice. I've been to a few "Austin wine bars" and I'd still rather come here.
Food is good & high quality, wine is delicious, staff is extremely friendly, and they've done an amazing job decorating. It's very inviting & a great atmosphere.
Swanky wine bar & bistro with a full bar, cheese and antipasto plate type stuff, and pizza, pasta dishes for heartier meal choices. I think they are still working out some kinks with service and facilitating the flow of clientele. The front of the house hostess was a bit slow and disoriented when we had a party of six to be seated, even though they only had maybe 5 customers in the whole place at the time we walked in.
Had the RR pizza, it was tasty, hummus plate and calamari were also delightful. Also ordered the bruschetta which came out as 3 parts: plain, toasted bread, a small dish of roasted red peppers, and a small dish of tomato that was not well mixed with basil. You only get 4 pieces of bread for 7 bucks, so not exactly a steal there and would not recommend. Friends had the ravioli which they raved about as well as the spaghetti carbonara. Friend also praised the strawberry tiramisu dessert which came out fittingly presented in a champagne flute.
Decor was kind of blingy, but elegant and cozy. Not too familiar w the other downtown RR offerings, but this place will probably make a profit as there does not seem to be a plethora of wine bars or sophisticated, classy, "wine bar" style places around the area.
Also, there is only one bathroom stall for each of the men and women's restroom. So if you have a small bladder like me, be prepared to wait in a line if it's a busy night.
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