The Syndicate Bar & Kitchen

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  Service was great, loved the bartender last night! Live music was fun. Food was ok, not stellar, but ok. Scallops were really salty, not sure if they were supposed to be like that or we just got an over salted plate. We ate them, not that big of a deal.
  Two things I didn't 'get'. 1) Half the dining room had real tables and chairs, the other half had silver aluminum patio furniture with table cloths over them. 2) the gigantic television in the bar showing ESPN. I get that it's a bar, and you almost have to have a tv in a bar. But just thought it strange to go to that much effort with the staff uniforms, decor, menu, etc . Then have this huge tv be such a prominent show piece in view from almost the entire place.
  Anyway, I'm glad I tried it out!

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  Posted on 07.21.13 Denise B.

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  I was in town on business and wanted to step out in the evening but didn't want to drive far from my hotel. The hotel suggested I try out the new restaurant bar down the road that recently opened.
  
  I almost got lazy and didn't go. Boy, am I glad I did because I had a very pleasant surprise. Although I love to visit Texas for it's GREAT b-b-q, this place wasn't what I would expect to find in Texas. It's a 1920's Prohibition themed restaurant and bar.
  Being from a coastal community, the Texas heat was making me melt. I really wanted an ice cream cocktail, but unfortunately the drink menu didn't have any.
  
  I was so happy when our waitress said, "Hold on, let me get the manager for you." The manager ended up being the owner, Michael (I believe). He said "no problem" and within 4 minutes I had a delicious and freezing cold cotton candy milkshake cocktail placed in front of me. It was sooooo good!!
  
  Before I left, the manager/owner asked me if the milkshake cocktail was to my satisfaction. I said I LOVED every molecule. He said that was good as the bar staff was considering adding milkshake cocktails to their summertime drink menu.
  
  If there is a god in the universe they will move forward with their decision because mine was the bomb!
  
  I'm coming back during my next visit and I hope to see cocktail milkshakes on the menu (maybe you can keep them all year?).
  
  P.S. Please tell chef Jessy that his Maryland crab cakes were the BEST I've ever tasted. And I know my crab cakes!

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  Posted on 07.19.13 Margaret O.

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  Took myself and a friend out to the Syndicate last night to celebrate a new promotion.  Mike and his staff have been keeping busy and are updating the menu to reflect what sells well and what doesn't sell the best.
  
  As good as always - but they did something amazing recently.  Working overnight, I am simply unable to make it in for lunch.  Lucky me, they added the Syndicate Burger from their lunch menu to the all-day offerings.
  
  You have not had a burger until you have had this.  I can't even BEGIN to describe this glorious piece of heaven on a bun.  Chef Jesse has gone above and beyond with this offering.  The bacon is crisp and thick.  The cheese is outstanding.  The meat was fresh, medium rare, and the most flavorful thing I have ever put in my mouth hole.
  
  Look.  I love my lady friend.  But if the building was on fire, and all that was left to get out was her, and my Syndicate Burger?  Well, she is a really good runner.  I'm just saying.

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  Posted on 07.18.13 Dustin B.

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  This place is straight coolth.  
  
  Let me begin by saying the soft opening was a wreck, but hey, it was a soft opening.  That aside...
  
  Since the opening I have been to The Syndicate 2 additional times.  Both times the staff was sweet, welcoming, charming, and some of them down right sexy.  The prohibition theme is cool, and the jazz acts are solid.  In regards to the prohibition theme, they serve prohibition style beers and I will most definitely recommend the Belgian Style Abbey Ales.  Since we are talking about drinks, do yourself a favor and save room for the Apple Crisp Cocktail, it is my favorite item on the menu.
  
  The food.  Simply phenomenal.  The spaghetti is outstanding.  The Cesaer salad is different, but good.  The lamb is delicious.  The pretzel is gigantic and comes with homemade spicy mustard and fondue.  Both dips are delicious and super complementary.  Last food item I can remember is the steak.  It's out of this world.  
  There is also a VIP menu in which you can acquire dishes not listed in the regular menu.  I also hear that the lunch menu is ridiculously tasty.  I haven't tried it yet, but I will soon.
  
  Mike the owner has come over to me and introduced himself each time I have been there which leads me to believe he cares big time about his establishment, patrons, and staff.  He seems a very sweet man.
  
  All in all, you're gonna wanna take a hot date, or a a couple of friends.  You'll easily spend 40$ a person if you're gonna do it right.  
  
  Keep it jazzy.

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  Posted on 07.17.13 Chase F.

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  My first time on lake Travis since living in Austin.
  awesome scenery and had some awesome eating!
  
  awesome atmosphere and chill 1920's vibe going on.
  staff were in flapper dresses and the men were in their fedora's and ties. very cool. loved the dedication!
  
  awesome menu!
  chef Jesse really has an awesome imagination and talent in the kitchen. fried deviled eggs and hot wings for appetizer.
  homemade spaghetti and meatballs and the deconstructed beef wellington for entree.
  (super excited about the beef wellington, especially since ive only ever seen one on food network!!)
  
  funnel cake topped with cotton candy ice cream for dessert. oh my.
  
  i wanted to try all of it! especially the braised lamb ribs but i definetely plan to be back friday when the live jazz bands are in full swing and get another round at the menu!!
  
  wide selection of beers and wines.
  and full bar as weel of course.
  strongest long island that's ever touched these lips.
  and ive tried plenty at almost every location ;p
  
  super friendly staff-- the owner mike, great guy, pleasured to meet him!
  
  love this spot. cant wait to be back!

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  Posted on 06.26.13 Kenna N.

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  Flappers, dappers and jazz oh my! I love Syndicate's 1920's theme and sexy atmosphere. They have a stage featuring live jazz on the weekends. However wonderful it sounds, they were clearly not prepared opening weekend. This was a hard review for me to write because I love the atmosphere and had a blast with our friends at the Syndicate. But considering the lack of service, absent alcohol in the expensive fancy drinks and unimpressive food I cannot justify more than 2 stars.
  
  I started off with one if their "vintage" cocktails, Speakeasy. The Speakeasy is described as having Hendricks Gin, lemon juice, mint, cucumber and champagne. I received a mason jar filled with delicious refreshing cucumber and lemon juice. There was no sign of alcohol in my drink at all. I tasted 3 of my friends' drinks, one tasted of champagne (was the same drink I ordered but looked at tasted different), and the other two seemed to have no alcohol either. Later the table behind us asked Jesse if our drinks were really weak so apparently we were not alone. After the first round I believe everyone in our group switched to wine and/or their prohibition style beers. After two of the people in our group sat for 30 minutes with empty glasses, most of us started ordering from the bar as getting our waitresses attention was impossible. I felt for the waitstaff. Considering it was opening weekend managers should have been checking on tables making sure guests were happy and taken care of and assist the waitstaff as needed.
  
  Our table also ordered several small plates:
  
  Crab stuffed mushrooms - 3 small caps of lackluster crab $11? I would happily pay the price despite portion if it actually tasted of sweet crab meat.
  
  Cheese Plate - Swoon! Their cheese plate is a selection of Antonellis cheeses, jams and toast.
  
  Crostini - Besides the cheese plate this was my favorite. It came with 3 types of crostini, the duck confit with jam was rich and flavorful, roasted mushrooms paired perfectly with a creamy herbed goat cheese and the white bean and garlic.
  
  Fried Devil Eggs - the egg didn't taste like much of anything, it may have been temperature. I did however  find the chive crème fraîche it was served with delicious.
  
  Fried Pickles - I like pickled anything but the vinegar was wayyy too strong. It was also served in a very soggy tempura. Least appetizing dish.
  
  Marinated Olives and Candied Nuts - A great little bar snack, I would order it again.
  
  Duck Fat Fingerling Potatoes - I can't really speak to this dish. I attempted to try this only after it had gotten cold and  the cold duck fat caused the potatoes to stick together. At least one person at our table said they were great when first served so the key here is to eat them quickly.
  
  I saw a few intriguing food items that I will be sure to try next time. Like the oyster Rockefeller, steamed mussels and the duck ravioli.
  
  Some say it is harsh to review a new establishment opening weekend and in some cases that may be true. But I know Syndicate has great potential and in a month from now when they have had some time to work out the kinks I will be back and in  turn update my review.

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  Posted on 06.21.13 AMY D.

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  Pssst, hey Bub.  Know where I can get a drink round here??
  
  I've been asking LOLF (Lil Ole Lady Friend) that for years up thar in Lakeway, only I don't usually call her "Bub"...sometimes just "hey" or "hey bitch" depending on her attitude that day...either way I usually need a drink around her and we've hit up most of the barslashrestaurants in the area.  Always nice to have new digs to try out!
  
  So a group of us checked out The Syndicate on its second nite of opening and we (all good Yelpers) decided to give them the benefit of the doubt on several things, those being the slow service (where most of us just got our drinks at the bar instead of waiting for a waitress), the inconsistencies of the drinks (my Speakeasy was way more tart and fizzy than a friends), and the temperature of the food (fried devilled eggs SOUNDS like a good idea, but could they at least be warm??).  These things can be worked out and according to The Syndicate's FB page, they have listened to complaints and are working on them.  Kudos to the management for that.
  
  What they do have going for them already is something the likes of which Lakeway has never seen...a cool place for some fantastic jazz/swing/Prohibition era music.  The band last weekend was superb and since we were around the corner from the stage, they provided the perfect, almost tinny background music to our evening.  I would have preferred to be front and center of the stage but that area looked to be solely two tops and not feasible for our group of 10.  Another issue of the place is the area we were in was so loud and not from the band, that we had to yell across the table at each other (and even then, I know I missed some things so those of you with me that nite, if I nodded and smiled when you told me your cat died or something, sorry!).  
  
  All things considered, I am actually looking forward to my next date with LOLF.  The Syndicate will soon be offering music on Sunday afternoons which will be perfect for us...we can drink and not have to talk about which of her friends died lately...or I'll just smile and nod if that happens.

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  Posted on 06.19.13 Keri B.

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  The food was actually amazing like others have said (this comes as a huge surprise to us since most restaurants that open in this area are horribly disappointing).  Everything we ordered we will order again and I recommend highly.   Foodie details in a moment, I promise.
  
  We had incredible service - very personable & attentive (thank you Stephan!).  Yes, we were there on a quiet Monday night (only the 4th night open) but based on other reviews, I'd guess that any service problems are a result of  having just opened a new restaurant and not due to the choice of personnel.  I feel pretty confident that they will quickly work out service issues.
  
  The owner, Michael, was there and came over to introduce himself, chat, and tell us all about the vision for the restaurant/club.  Living in the neighborhood, we also have a vision of The Syndicate being our local hangout for quality food, drinks and great music.  There is nothing else in the area at all like this; no playscape (aka, no kids bouncing off the walls), no tacos, no pizza (gasp!).  I couldn't be happier or more relieved.
  
  The theme of the restaurant (basically a Speakeasy) works well.  I think it will be most atmospheric at night with candles lit and a band playing. I'd even go just to hang out at the bar which is not something I'm really into.  The interior & exterior of the building are much improved from earlier restaurant incarnations at this location.  There is a fabulous patio with strings of lights.  Both inside & out feel like a place to linger and spend the entire night.
  
  OK.  Food.  Initially, the menu seemed small & a little lack-luster. Maybe the menu didn't fully describe the dishes (which might have sold us a bit more), but it left us feeling totally surprised when the food came out presented beautifully and with trendy/modern preparations.  Here's what we got & how we felt about it:
  
  1.  Caesar Salad:  Half of a romaine heart, grilled, with Parmesan cheese crisps and a great classic (homemade?) dressing.  I'm usually a Caesar traditionalist (why mess with a classic) but this was super.
  2.  Beet salad:  Served hot.  Roasted mixed beets with orange supremes, almonds & a balsamic.  Kind of addicting.
  3.  Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms:  Completely different than the greasy/cheesey standby.  These were light and fresh and I wished I could have had a full order to myself.  The tarragon made the dish.  
  4.  Mussels:  Small but delicious mussels.  They weren't full of grit, or fishy like too many places try to get away with.  The broth was excellent (it has a bit of bacon, but not too much).  We, of course, needed a spoon.
  5.  Scallops:  Perfectly seared and the sauce didn't overwhelm the scallop (which seems to happen more often than not).  Pretty presentation.  I savored each bite.  Cho's (ahem) should take a lesson in food quality from  this dish.
  7.  Funnel Cake with Cotton Candy Ice Cream:  It's just what it sounds like but seeing as how we inhaled it, it was tastier than we imagined.
  6.  We had a Bite the Bullet cocktail and a special-order, mocktail (for the pregnant lady).  Both were excellent and the mocktail (some kind of minty, grapefruit good-ness) made me feel like part of the human race again...
  
  I never do this but I'm thinking about taking a friend and going back again within the week.

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  Posted on 06.17.13 Carrie G.

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  This restaurant has a lot of potential. The menu is full of delicious delicacies and the theme is fun, but there is still much need for improvement.  I do realize that they have only been open for three days, but there is a lack of organization and the service here was lousy.
  
  We had to repeatedly ask about items that we ordered. Even getting a water delivered to the table took great effort.
  
  Getting the check was nearly impossible.  After twenty minutes, and three people from our table asking, eventually we gave up and went to the bar looking for management.
  
  After expressing that we had horrible service in general, and informing the chef that we never received one of our meals, we were assured that service would be better next time but, for us, I doubt there will be a next time.
  
  Its a shame, there are a LOT of great ideas here, and the food is actually AMAZING but there is no way I can justify four star prices for an establishment with two star (or less) service.

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  Posted on 06.15.13 Kat K.

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