Ranch 616
"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."
Popular dishes
Jalapeño Maize Chicken
8oz Chicken Breast Encrusted with Tortilla Chips, Jalapenos, Garlic, and Cilantro / Topped with Chipotle Tartar / Spanish Rice / Sauteed Mixed Veggies
6 reviews
Calamari
Buttermilk Battered Calamari / Chipotle Tartar / Green Goddess / Baby Mixed Field Greens Garnish
3 reviews
Crispy Oysters
Named by Southern Living Magazine as "The Best Oysters in the South" / Chipotle Tartar / Green Goddess / Baby Mixed Field Greens Garnish
3 reviews
Ranch water is the best drink in Austin. The margaritas are the best margaritas in Austin.
There is no competition for these drinks. Can't wait to go back next week for my weekly visit to Ranch 616.
Ranch 616 is a reliable go-to for refined comfort food in a great atmosphere, with great service!
If you arrived in south Texas in the 1950's, you would find Ranch 616. This great Austin establishment provides the hospitality, cuisine, and ethos of Texas that was lost many years ago. We are lucky to have The Ranch to remind us of what it was like when life was simple, and sharing a good meal with friends was one of the most important things you could do. Experience this great time capsule for yourself.
Ranch 616 has an amazing drink menu to go along with their delicious food menu! We enjoyed apps, the original Ranch Waters (came with the kiddos or would’ve had fire in the hole shots too, ha), amazing quail, steak, and chicken! Sat inside this time but we really enjoy their patio too! Can’t recommend it enough!
We love Ranch 616. My husband always says it’s where he would take out of town guests to get a feel for Austin. The atmosphere is funky and casual but well done. The food is interesting and delicious. The drinks are good. Our service was excellent. We really love having the outdoor seating option at this point in time!
They always treat us with great respect and the food is always perfect.
Didn’t have their fast ball this night. Food was underwhelming. Service was great as always.
Great food, better atmosphere. Best ranch water I've ever had.
Great food from a varied menu.
Great spot. Get the Ranch Water as your Cocktail.
We ate there twice this week already, and have a reservation for this evening. Our waiters, John (the bass player) and Nick were very friendly and attentive. The food was prepared exactly as we requested. Their music background playlist was popular, yet non-intrusive.
I love how safe and clean I felt going to eat at 616. We haven’t been back since before covid.
If you’ve been to Ranch 616, you know their front patio is obviously the fun, colorful, artistic front facing downtown. It has the views, the restaurant name in bright lights, and other fun aspects. I made a reservation about a month before with a note that we wanted to sit on the front patio. I also confirmed this with someone over the phone. However, when we arrived, they told us we were sitting on the side patio. Which they said they called the front patio. I don’t believe that’s true... it was just busy and I think they overbooked. It was my sisters birthday and they were sassy about it. Anyways, we sat on the side patio and it ended up being a great, yummy, fun night! But definitely a bummer start.
Fun. And nice patio.
One of the best places in austin. We love billy and the entire stiff. Very fun experience and they make the best ranch water.
Amazing service tonite. Very accommodating and did a great job!
Really happy that this place has opened up again for lunch...excellent food and service!
Very nice evening. Food was served in less than 10 minutes after ordering. Extremely quick as there were only a handful of guest there. Great social distancing observed and kind waitstaff.
Love the vibe at Ranch 616 and the food, and especially the service, were great!
Love it love it love it. Feels like Texas version of Cheers
We hd lunch there. The food and service was great. Plus, cannot beat the decor!
Birthday lunch
The food and service were spectacular, as always.
At first, I was worried about social distancing and the restaurant seemed a bit crowded as we arrived. However, our host was wonderful and addressed my concerns by giving us a table far off to the corner ( the J"ay-Z table") which is truly apart from all the rest.
Ranch 616 has always been and will remain my favorite place for special group occasions or an intimate dinner with my spouse.
CJM
Great food. Great service. Great experience!
The Jalapeno Maize chicken and trout are great, and something you can't get elsewhere - it is what keeps us coming back. Also appreciate the willingness to substitute sides.
Been WAY too long since our last trip the The Ranch. Fried oysters are still the best in town and our server was happy to create some special Mezcal Palomas. Really tasty. Great patio and great food. Easy to see why this place has been here and so successful for so long.
it was good! loved the ranch water
Awesome as always! Amazing ! Funnest place in austin
Exceptional food and service. When friends come to visit Austin, we always take them to Ranch 616 for upscale dining With a sophisticated Texan flair.
Best crispy oysters I've ever had. i could eat them every day.
Anytime someone from out of town visits Austin, I bring them to Ranch 616. The staff is incredibly friendly and accomodating. The food is fantastic and authentic. I always have a great experience at Ranch 616!
Ranch 616 is my go to place to give out-of-towners a true Austin experience. The service and food is always great. Get a Don combo and Ranch Water
Great food, Great Service … A great place to have dinner with friends.
Food, service, drinks & energy/vibes of the restaurant were all amazing!!! Recommend ordering a bunch of things - the kitchen put them all on large platters for us & we got to try a bit of everything. Truly the best welcome into Austin.
Amazing restaurant with the best staff! Always enjoy my time here and take out of town friends whenever I can! They must try the food, plus get a Ranch Water and a Fire in the Hole! Highly recommend!
The popularity of this gem is getting the best of itself.. these days, anywhere central to downtown pretty much requires reservations for an evening dinner out. That’s ok, just schedule in advance and make the most of it. Ranch 616 has the character of old Austin, and serves up fine food. One of my local favs for years now and still going strong.
Our appetizer was an hour late and they tried to kick us out of the restaurant bc they needed the table before we had ordered desert and we still had full drinks. Said it was because Open Table has a 1.5 hour limit for tables. We use OT all the time and have never experienced this in over a decade. Manager was incredibly rude. We did not vacate the table. Manager’s name is Billy. We eat there all the time and bring a lot of people in for work events. We were treated horribly and told it was “our fault that Billy had to pay for half the bill of the table who was waiting for us to leave.” He was unaware our appetizer took an hour to arrive. He also accused us of being rude to the waiter which we never were. In fact, we tipped him $100 for standing by us in our refusal to leave the table. We were shaken by this experience to say the least.
Great food and service! A little too loud to talk to everyone if you have a larger group.
Awesome as always! A fan for 9 years now.
FAQs
Ranch 616 is rated 4.9 stars by 1046 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.