McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant

This place. This place. Have been going here so long a review at this point in the experience seems overkill. Have been a fan since this location came to be and have always referenced it when we have food non-​extravagant guests in town or we just want some M & S.
The food is reliable, that I actually do like. The drinks, well, there’s a reason everyone loves HH. The price, we take advantage of the HH menu and prices. Really great deals. I think the last time we did this, we spent $ 50 for two people with 2 drinks each and more than enough food. The staff is great. We found one of our favorite songstresses here, Ms Kat Edmonson, who sang at our wedding.
Lunch is awesome. Dinner items for cheaper, and their salads are great. The most humorous thing about this place is the curtained dining tables in the main dining room. It’s funny to see people shut the curtain. We’ve done it ourselves and every time we eat in there, someone closes it. Kind of makes people feel ‘famous’ or exclusive to be able to shut out the whole room.
Enjoy this place will continue to visit as long as it keeps rockin’ it.

As of January 1^st, this location is closed. Why?!
oh, right, the place was never really that busy except during happy hour

I didn’t even think that i need to review McCormick because I do not think they need it. They are already doing everything right to make a customer like me HAPPY! This is another favorite high end restaurant and happy hour place for us.
fresh menu printed daily. The service can be slow at times but the supperrr fresh tasty food will replace the service imperfection. Happy hr good at the bar only but very cheap. Kid friendly place and nice kid menu. This review is for the downtown restaurant but I will posting the same review for the one at the Domain. We are a valued customer of both location.

Amazing food HH. I usually only sit in the bar area, even for lunch. The girls are not only pretty but sweet too. They have helped me many times with my after work wine cravings.
They have also helped out with last minute to go orders, even during their peak hours.

This is the Austin Happy Hour best kept secret! Delicious items, lengthy hours, and you get to pick from a special menu on game days.
I’m not going to try to sway you to pick one thing or the other, but try the sliders and order a hand crafted mixed drink from the bartenders. And… go to happy hour!

Good thing I didn’t Pay, or I’d be upset.
My fav kind of waiter; ”what you want to drink?”…Yeah sure, I’m doing good, thanks., come on, you can at least say ”hi”, instaed of that crap, specially for the kind of place this is supposed to be, besides his apron was filthy, really dirty. If you are going to wear white aprons, at least be careuful. Meh.
I wanted to have a drink, but nah, I wanted to get the f out of there asap, I asked for a tea that never arrived, whatever.
I ordered a soup, it was ok, we got the calamares, pretty bland.
I got some kind of Rainbow Fish with Almonds, half of the almonds were burned, I didn’t eat it. My friend had some fish topped w shrimp, it was good, we ended up sharing that plate.
We were going to have dessert, but before even the sucker waiter clear the plates, he dropped the check.
If you want to be treated like crap and have crappy food as well, rush into M&S. I’ll never go back.

I’ve actually had some pretty solid business lunches at M & S in the past. Today was my bday and my seafood adverse hubby decided to take me here for lunch. That was a sweet gesture, but I assured him they would have some non-​seafood items.
We ended up in the bar being served by the most harried waitress ever. She reminded of me of a dark haired Flo from Mel’s diner– not somenoe who would work here. She was rushing all over the place and made us seem pretty uncomfortable. She literally came up to the table to take our order taping her foot and said, «What’ll it be». By this point we were all pretty flustered.
My crab bisque was luke warm and served over a bed of rice and crab meat. The bisque was very, very thick and almost roux like. It just tasted of crustacean stock– not a rich crab flavor.
My land loving husband ordered the burger and was very underwhelmed by the unseasoned chuck patty served on days old stale bread. His fries also tasted very fishy. I know this is a seafodd restaurant, but they should definitely cook the fries in a separate vat of oil. Also my scallops tasted a little off and not so fresh.
The waitress noticed that he wasn’t eating his burger and insisted that she have another one made. Were they going to bake new bread? We were sort of in a rush for me to get back to work and mentioned this, but we paid the bill and waited for the burger. And waited. Finally we just left $ 60 poorer and won’t be going back anytime soon. My poor hubby feels so bad about my less than stellar bday lunch and I feel sorry for him that he is still hungry.

i’m a poor student so this kind of joint would not come up on my usual food radar. BUT, a got a 20 dollar gift certificate so I decided to splurge on a decadent meal with a friend. I am not a seafood buff so I usually have no fraking idea what to order. Thankfully, our server was super nice and helpful and made recommendations right away for us.
He suggested
calamari for appetizer $ 12 ish
stuffed salmon (entrée) $ 24 ish
tilapia with crab meat (entrée) $ 21
side: gargonzola macaroni and cheese $ 4.9
Seafood generally tends to be pricey so I was only planning on getting an entrée, but since my friend is such a baller (engineer) he said we need to go all out… considering he’s 5 times more loaded than I am, I didn’t put up much of a fight.
Everything tasted really amazing. The calamari was good-​not the best I’ve ever had. but good. I don’t know if I would order this again
tilapia– very tasty. again, I don’t know much about seafood so I cant judge this against anything I’ve had before
stuffed salmon: friend «this is amazing»
mac and cheese: it’s not very «cheesy» it’s a very classy version of mac and cheese. I typically hate gargonzola cheese, but it actually tasted all right.
DESSERT: Double baked apple pie with mexican vanilla ice cream
The pie was pretty damn good., but it wasn’t very warm. So minus points for that
For a night of decadence, this place really did hit the spot!

It’s fun to watch people (dressed so elegantly) eat at an overpriced Red Lobster with fancy desserts!
Nothing to scream about.

I had lunch here last Thursday w/​some colleagues. It’s a nice place for a business lunch downtown.
Seafood Corn Chowder: ⁴⁄₅
Beef Filet Medallions: ⁴⁄₅ — The medallions were grilled & topped w/​a mixed mushroom demi served w/​garlic mashed & broccoli.
Service: ⁴⁄₅
Ambience: ⁴⁄₅

We’re huge fans of McCormick & Schmick’s, dining with the chain for the first time in Portland, OR. Their happy hour can’t be beat and is usually why we stop here.
+$ 2.95 happy hour cheeseburger & fries
+$ 4.95 happy hour calamari
+Preferred Guest program provides a lot of rewards!
The downtown Austin location was as expected, we only wished it was cooler so we could have dined outside.

We had a great dinner here while attending SXSWi. I will say, I was a bit disappointed upon arrival– the bar was packed and the dining room was fairly empty. No one was working the host stand and I had to ask the bartender finally to send someone up there. That surprised me for this restaurant. Once we were seated, our server made sure that we were taken care of in every way. Recommended some fantastic wine. We had the calamari to start with which was delicious. We both had relatively simple orders– steak and potatoes– but, everything arrived in a timely manner and cooked to perfection.
Dessert– wow. The flourless chocolate cake is DIVINE. I couldn’t finish it due to it being so rich, and that’s rare for me! Cappuccinos are HUGE and perfectly made.

I came with friends for a Birthday dinner expectations were high. We had made reservations earlier in the week and our arrival was expected and we were flawlessly lead from stand to table and seated.
When I come to a restaurant that is supposed to be finer dining I expect cretin things. The first: that the server be professional, knowledgeable, and helpful. That’s all. Not my buddy or a cheerleader. Ours came very close to being both which was a running distraction through the meal. Second, the environment. Over ambitious bussers and whiney servers did that one in for us.
Appetizers and Drinks
We had a bottle of white.
After the wine I moved on to Ice Tea and the Boys moved to Long Islands. We had to ask the server between apps. So I took points off for not being offered anything more than water and wine. (Or was I not aware Jesus was in the bar this evening?)
Appetizers: Large Sampler of Oysters.
This was delicious. Four of the featured Oysters came from Prince Edward Island!
Wellfleet, Nova Scotia Canada: My second favorite of the evening. It’s a narrow oyster and the meet is a bit thicker, the salty liquor was superb, you can really taste the difference.
Pine Island, Long Island Sound, Conn., USA: My favorite of the evening. These particular oysters where much more circular than the rest on the tray with lighter meat. They had a unique and salty taste of ocean and iron.
Escargot: Was baked in garlic herb butter and Parmesan. Each bite was tasty the Parmesan though is covering the dish and there is much more than can be placed on the four pieces of toast provided. I enjoyed experiencing this dish, but have had escargot done much more agreeably. The actual escargot was a bit well-​done and with all of the garlic herb and cheese you really lost the earthy taste of the snail. So this dish was a mixed bag. I would go as far as to say sub-​par.
Entrees:
Atlantic Salmon Stuffed with Texas Blue Crab, Bay Shrimp, and Brie Cheese.
This was my dish and I really did enjoy it for the most part. The salmon was prepared perfectly to medium rare. The flesh was a very light pink. The salty flesh along with the Crab and Brie created a smooth and strong bite. I could taste each of the separate ingredients and I really did enjoy how consistent the entire dish was.
My disappointments with this dish.
On top of the Brie, crab, and shrimp encircle by salmon a type of butter lemon sauce was drizzled over. It was nearly tragic. With the Lemon sauce there was just too much pop. Without sauce the dish was subtle and light the bites with sauce turned into a lemony fish which went weirdly Asian.
Oven Roasted Flounder and Stuffed with Lump Crab and Topped with an Imperial Sauce.
Birthday Boys order. From all indications he really did enjoy the meal and this is from a person who is not a fan of food in general. The dish came with a side of the house spaetzle, which they ran out of and substituted with macaroni. The running out cost them points, but the sauce that covered the macaroni was a highlight of the evening and everyone enjoyed more than a spoonful, and because of the misstep was taken off the ticket.
Perfect Filet & Crab Combination 6 oz. Filet with King Crab sections.
Medium rare filet and was well seasoned. I remember thinking that first. The next was that it was good but not melt in my mouth good. Observed and was told by the person eating that the crab was a bit overcooked.
Desert:
Desert was a surprise and was the star of the evening. A Belgian chocolate tea cup, a white champagne chocolate mousse filled the cup which had Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and cherries. This heaven was topped with whipped cream and raspberry sauce and topped with a birthday candle. The mouse was fantastic as it hit my tongue I could feel the fizzy from the Champaign and the richness of the chocolate. Each different berry brought a variation to the taste of the dish that really made me pause.
After the mousse had been scooped up we destroyed the chocolate cup. Divine.
I ordered coffee and just wanted to note that real cream was brought to the table which I always find to be a treat. The coffee was decent. The issue for this point in the evening was that it took me asking the manager to get a second cup.
I see so many great reviews for M&S but I’m just not convinced yet. I really would like to go back and check out Happy Hour and the Fish and Chips. Quality seafood that just needs to be accompanied by superb service. The atmosphere is fantastic and we really want to sit at one of the private tables the next time we come.

Through circumstances beyond my control, this place has become the traditional place for me, my mom, my BF, and his parents to come for Christmas eve dinner. If I had my druthers, I’d float around a bit more and try out some new places, but my tendency for experimentation is the minority vote, so… this is where we go.
However, it isn’t a bad thing, because it’s a perfectly nice restaurant. It doesn’t feel too much like a chain, and the staff is pleasant and they seem to have actual personalities as opposed to scripts. The food is fine– on my last visit I had a good seafood and roasted corn chowder and a perfectly acceptable (although not excellent) lobster ravioli. My BF really likes the lobster bisque.
I wish they had a valet parking service, though… it would be helpful, as parking is hard to come by down there.

The day my husband proposed he had a limo drive our party to M&S.
The staff was very attentive and did a great job. Apparently, my husband had called ahead because the menus were inscribed, «Congratulations Chris and Angelica!!!» How sweet is that? Customer Service is A++++
The food is great and the drinks are pretty good, too. I hear happy hour rocks. (Never been during happy hour) A little pricey.

Pros– I enjoyed their cocktails– especially a grape & basil mojito. Their service was awesome– as should be expected at a fine dining establishment.
Food– The food was seriously lacking. My rockfish entrée was cooked incorrectly and had passable flavor. The seafood quality and freshness was respectable. But, much better seafood can be had at Eddie V’s, Roy’s and even PF Chang’s oolong sea bass. Their steak, for the price, was not at the level of other steaks of similar pricing. Of course it beats an Outback steak anyday. The desserts were not very creative. Your basic apple crumble, crème brûlée, cheesecake, and chocolate and fruit. My biggest pro was that the calamari was cooked to perfection.
Décor– It was more «old world» dark décor.
Overall– It was ok. In truth it’s a 3 if you don’t care about price, but for the money you can have much better experiences in this city. I would go back for lunch/​dinner on someone else’s dollar. I will probably go back for Happy Hour as I really enjoyed their cocktails.

What else can I say that hasn’t already been said about McCorkmick & Schmick’s happy hour in the 56 reviews before me? The food is good, and it’s really decently priced. The atmosphere downtown is very inviting.
However, the reason I gave it three stars is because of their drinks.
1) For a happy hour, they sure don’t have many drink specials. I think their domestic drafts were priced at $ 3.50 and their martinis were priced at $ 5.50. That doesn’t seem like much of a drink deal to me.
2) The two drinks that we did order were incredibly weak.
If you’re coming here for happy hour, just stick with the food because you’re not gonna get a deal on the drinks.

Me: M&S has awesome burgers and fries for $ 1.95 during both their happy hours!
Friend: Really? So, are they like specialty hamburgers?
Me: No.
Friend: Are the fries gourmet or something?
Me: No.
Friend: Then what the hell is so awesome about ‘em???
Me: Uh, I guess you didn’t hear the first time. They’re $ 1 freakin’ 95!!!
Friend: (- :
So no, these ½ lb beefy burger and a side of fries aren’t anything that’ll knock your socks off. But, for two specials that’ll fill you to the gills, a tea, a water, and happy hour dessert totaling to just a little over $ 6, well slap my ass and call me happy cause you ain’t gonna find a better deal than that in town!
And PS:
Get the $ 1.95 happy hour dessert! We shared the «Tropical Mojito Rum crème brûlée» (which came sans the promised whipped cream, hence the minus one star) and well it was just like a little piece of heaven in muh mouth!
(This review was for the Domain location and although we did know our waitress, and she was very nice to us, and she gave us our iced tea for free, this did not in any way reflect on the number of stars given in my review.)

Every time I try to experience fine dining in Austin, I am disappointed. With the singular exception of Uchi, the waiters all want to be my buddy.
I took two friends to McCormick and Schmick’s Saturday evening. I called ahead for reservations. I was dressed in slacks and a dress shirt, as were my compatriots. I ordered my wine decisively (the La Crema Pinot Noir — it was fantastic), was polite but not friendly with the waiter, and presented myself properly.
In return, I received a waiter who was chummy and made jokes. I paid $ 70 a head for my dining experience. I do not want you to be my friend. I want you to unobtrusively provide service. Don’t be relaxed, don’t patronize, and most especially, do not attempt to amuse me with your asinine anecdotes.
Notably, the waiter did recommend a good wine for my Riesling-​drinking friend, and accommodated all our friends rather. odd. food requests.
Other than that, I do very much enjoy McCormick and Schmicks. The food is always tasty — try the Cape oysters! — and the wine selection always sufficient.
I’d recommend it, and I’ll be returning, but if the service happens again, I’m complaining to a manager. If I wanted friends, I’d get on Unilocal

(review is Domain Location)
So normally, I don’t feel compelled to review chains. But these guys deserve it.
First, they treat you right on a special occasion: I took my hubby here for his birthday yesterday, and we were seated in a corner booth, close to the kitchen (but not too close). That and the menu with Happy Birthday written on it are worth a star in and of themselves.
Our server was incredibly attentive (without being cloying) and we hadn’t been there more than 10 minutes when the manager stopped by to check in. Excellent service.
The food was great… I had crab cakes and my husband got the special, which included a small filet, shrimp stuffed with crabmeat, and crème brûlée. Everything was very delicous and attractively prepared.
The prices are kinda high but the quality and service is worth it. We still walked out for under $ 100 after two entrees, two drinks and dessert.
Minus one star because it took our drinks ten minutes to get there. That happy hour must be really, really popular! We’ll be back to check that out next time!