Mongers Market + Kitchen

Best dish I have ever had. Fresh fish and veggies.
Owners seems like a pretty good dude. I had the grilled flounder with Gulf shrimp. Amazing

My husband had been talking about this place for months and telling me about how fresh their seafood is, freshly caught, etc. So… he surprised me here on my birthday.
We arrived (it was still cold when we went) and sat outside to enjoy a glass of wine while we waited for a tent covered spot to sit in opened up — which it did thankfully my hubby jumped on it.
appetizers: fresh oysters– yum and to die for, along with some kind of seafood dip. also yummy
Dinner: my hubby ordered the night special — a lobster roll. so good
I ordered the ahi poke (which I think was also under the app section but it was what I wanted —) and the waiter corrected me how to say it) but should have advised that it came riddled with onions that was not listed as an ingredient on the description (or I wouldn’t have ordered it) and I spent so much time picking it out.
so why 3 stars? the service
Service: the guy threw the menus at us, had zero personality and just stood there waiting for us to order, never spoke. really? this is my birthday and usually we spend $ 200+ for dinners on birthdays but I couldn’t wait to get out of there, felt so bad for my spouse, it wasn’t his fault this guy was our waiter with his weird mustache and bad attitude.
we never saw him again after food came out (entrees) and some girl came out and took over for him. It wasn’t her fault he was so bad. But it still left a sour note and every time I pass by I remember what a horrible night it was, battling the elements just to eat here — but when I drive by usually people look like they are having a good time — and I am glad for them — just wasnt for me.

The food wasn’t bad but it wasn’t amazing either. The lobster roll was extremely over priced at $ 26 (and was the special of the day) The hamachi crudo was amazing but very small portions. Also the seafood gumbo lacked any oomf… It was a watery consistency… The seafood wasn’t plentiful, it was hardly served with any rice or toasted/​crusted bread to eat. Overall the meal wasn’t bad… But nothing to write home about.

I came here for the Poké and Poké alone. Heard from a friend and coming from SoCal, I had to try it.
It is kind of disappointing how small the Poké portion is but it is currently the only place to get it in Austin. It’s more of an appetizer than an entrée over rice which is what I hoped it was. It tastes great, but at $ 16 for about 4 bites, it is quite expensive.
The clam chowder was good, and their oysters were very fresh and well shucked. Kudos for those too.

I took my husband here for his birthday dinner, and we cannot wait to go again!
In short, the food was absolutely delicious, the waiter was super knowledgeable and friendly and helped us pair some wonderful wines with our meal, and it has a cute, quaint atmosphere.
We ordered oysters to begin — some of each kind so we could find our favorites, and they were all delicious. We also ordered the hamachi crudo appetizer which was my favorite thing on the menu. Absolutely delicious. We loved our mahi and snapper entrees and felt like there was a good amount of food.
It’s a bit of a splurge for us, but we found the whole thing to be well worth it. We want to check out their happy hour — we might be able to go more often that way!
Either way, we’ll be back. So good!

Wait was only a few minutes and as I was alone it was not excessive. I ordered scallops. Real disappointment. Very salty! Service there but not attentive. I left wanting dessert somewhere else.

Can’t say my experience here was bad.. . but for the price it did not live up to expectations. It’s hard to find a good fish place in Austin that doesn’t cost you a paycheck to eat at. Nevertheless, this place dishes more high prices than quality food. Their fish tacos are pretty steeply priced, and their scallops plate is nothing special — certainly not at the price point they charge. Most of their food is unsalted, which is understandable. The flavors are pretty subdued, and it seems they prefer to keep patrons’ focus on the quality of their fresh fish rather than the creativity and boldness of flavorings the chef embellishes them with.
Service here is good. It is a nice place in East Austin, and I doubt you’d have a bad experience if you ended up going. The tables are quite small, so order in waves or be prepared to do some interesting tetris-​like shuffling to keep everything in front of you.

I absolutely adore seafood, and this place is a happy surprise in Texas after having had seafood in the famous east and west coasts as well as Hawaii!
We got the poke, the hamachi crudo, and the soft shell crab sandwich, which was a special at the time. I absolutely loved everything. The way the flavors blend together to complement rather than mask the natural seafood flavors of each dish was magic. The poke was actually very very authentic to the ones in Hawaii. The crudo was deliciously spicy, which added so much texture to the already high quality sashimi. The soft shell crab sandwich was awesome! Juicy and delicious. We also got the fried Brussel sprouts, which I loved. My boyfriend who usually hates Brussel sprouts even liked them!
Overall, you cannot go wrong with anything on this menu. Definitely will be back!

Food: Good ⁴⁄₅ |
Service: Good ⁴⁄₅ |
Ambience: Good ⁴⁄₅ |
Overall: ⁴⁄₅ |
Comments: Great Hamachi crudo and good Poke

I was so impressed with this place! Best chowder I have ever had and our entire table said that. We loved everything from the lobster roll, to the red snapper, to the red snapper tacos, to the 44 farms chuck steak that literally melted in my mouth. The small onions that came with it were literally to die for and a side of brussel sprouts is a must! It’s got a great vibe and somehow is not yet «discovered» so we got a table straight away. Can’t wait to go back!

I was really debating whether to rate this 3.5 or 4 stars. Ultimately decided on the 3 stars because I couldn’t give it 3.5 and couldn’t justify 4 stars.
First off, they do have a small parking lot. Their dining area is small, but they do have a patio. It wasnt too busy for a sat night. We got there around 6:15 and the inside was empty. The patio was full though.
Our server wasn’t horrible, but she didn’t act like she wanted to be there, no enthusiasm. When she gave us the specials of the day, she read it off a tablet and wasn’t trying to sell them by her tone. There were about 7 – 8 specials. We remembered maybe 2 or 3 of them. My friends had to ask her to repeat them.
We ended up ordering 4 items from the specials: Oysters, ono poké, halibut, and monkfish. We ordered the snapper and pork cheeks from the regular menu.
For me, the best bite of the night was the ono poké. It was perfectly seasoned, fresh fish and just enough mayo. You can taste a hint of sesame and sriracha.
The first thing I noticed about my entrée (snapper) was it was warm. I love my food piping hot. The explanation, based on my observation, was how long it took to get our entrées. We noticed that waiters didn’t know which entrées go to which table. Our neighbor table kept getting entrees delivered to their table that they didn’t order. We also didn’t get one of our apps, the gumbo was given to another table. Our waitress apologized but we didn’t want another one because we didn’t want to wait another 20 min for it.
My friends agreed their food wasn’t hot either. The halibut and snapper were average. The fish tasted fresh, the sauce saved the dish. My friends didn’t like the monkfish and pork cheeks. All of us agreed the sauces on all the entrées were great.
We also didn’t get any desserts becuase we didn’t want to wait.
They were short staffed as later explained by our waitress. I really wanted to like this place. I want to give it another chance at a later time. I hope it would be on a good, fully staffed night.

This is a pretty neat little nautical-​themed seafood restaurant. Just a short drive from my new work. The atmosphere is pretty neat, and the food was pretty decent. I was not blown away, let me say that, but it was pretty cool just to eat there.
A short list of cons: the first coffee mug they brought to me was definitely dirty, and I had to send it back. Oysters, even the «cheap» ones, were like 2 dollars PER OYSTER. Maybe I just don’t eat raw oysters in a restaurant that much, but I do love oysters, and to have to shell out 12 bucks just for a taste seemed a little outrageous to me.
I also had the pulled pork sandwich, which was good, but again nothing amazing. I think this place’s real charm is its décor and its location.

This falls into the 3.5 star category for me. The service was excellent and I like the casual nautical themed ambiance, which pushed the review to a 4-​star. We tried various dishes on the menu. Some were better than others. Really if you come here, stick to the seafood courses.
There is a decent selection of oysters on the half shell, and they were as fresh as to be expected living here in Austin. The ménage-​a-​raw was a hit with our boys. They especially liked the poke and tuna ceviche. The must order item on the menu is definitely the Angels on Horseback. This was the one dish that everyone in our group agreed was their favorite. The clam chowder was good, but more bacon-​y than clam-​y. The short rib sweet potato hash was just odd to me. It tasted like a gooey mash and vaguely like a sweet jarred BBQ sauce.
Overall, a fine place to get your seafood fix if you are in area. I hope they expand their drink offerings.

I went here a few months ago, and I am definitely still a fan. I can remember our meal vividly.
The food was so good, the restaurant was expertly decorated, and the atmosphere was relaxed but upscale. I’m always wary about eating seafood more than 4 hours away from a coast, but the oysters on the half shell were very fresh. They also made me special fish tacos (without the batter) that were insanely good. We eyed another table’s dessert, but had more wine instead! The waiter’s wine recommendation was spot on, and I thought it was reasonably priced. Our waiter was actually overall great, and so helpful with the menu.
I would highly recommend this as a first, third, or fourth date (a second date is activity based, amiright?), a nice dinner with a small group of friends (four to six maximum), or somewhere to bring your fancy parents.

Went here for lunch with some friends. They had a list of specials off the original menu that I had to try!!!
1) dungeoness crab: they give you half of a dungeoness crab in a garlic butter sauce. This combination could take over the world! It was so good. A must order. Warning: don’t eat the burnt bread on the side
2) razor clams: in a garlic butter sauce. Cooked perfectly! I believe it’s the same garlic butter as the dungeoness crab, it was finger licking good!
3) lobster roll: this was ok. Not the best lobster roll I’ve had. Nothing to brag about.
4) BBQ: best BBQ shrimp in Austin! Perfectly cooked as well with just the right amount of BBQ.
5) pork cheeks: the pork was very tender! The flavor was good and it was nice and moist. Just how I like my pork cheeks!
6) ahi tuna: eh… It’s ok
But there was enough dishes I liked for me to come back!

I can’t believe this place got into a magazine and they’re supposed to supply seafood to Perla’s. They’re definitely nowhere near on par with some of the fine establishments where their seafood goes, even if it is very fresh.
We came here on Halloween and there was no wait whatsoever. This place seemed rather empty, and in general the atmosphere was a little dull. The waiter was ok, and the oysters were the only standout item of the night. Everything from the fish tacos to the gumbo and their «famous» fish dip was a disappointment.
I would definitely pass on this place and head to Perla’s instead.

After moving to Central Texas, being born in Los Angeles and coming from NYC, finding fresh seafood became the bane of my existence. And yes I’ll go to that extreme because for the first time I was landlocked and seafood took a backseat to BBQ.
Uchi/​uchiko might have their fish flown in from around the globe and yes there’s a time and place when I want to splurge on sushi. But Mongers is where I go to take care of my practical seafood fix. They also get fish from all over the world like New Zealand Ora King Salmon or their Hamachi, but the backbone of their business revolves around what the gulf provides. What is even better is that their menu changes on the market’s availability. This is what needs to happen to the restaurant industry; conscious owners and chefs who take into account the ecosystem that their business relies so heavily on, and take on the responsibility of being a steward and practice sustainability.
So not only is the product consciously bought and fresh, it’s prepared wonderfully. Each dish is familiar but has that special nuance that elevates it past comfort food. The tuna ceviche with sesame oil, the beet salad with puffed faro, the New England style clam chowder that’s packed with flavor but not thick or heavy, blue cheese in the short rib sandwich (just try it).
Now about my experience:
Walking in you see the freshly cut fish and oysters on display in the market section, where Roberto who is super friendly greets you. If you’re interested in anything having to do with gulf seafood he’s a wealth of knowledge. What surprised me was that although you’re in an enclosed dining space, somehow it doesn’t smell like a fish market. The interior is, as everyone in the reviews have mentioned, simply beautiful. The beach theme is obviously there, however, doesn’t come off as tacky which is hard to pull off. Props to their interior designer.
I brought my family here for brunch when they were visiting from LA. My mom’s a big seafoodie and she loved all the flavors and gives her stamp of approval. My dad didn’t believe they got fresh fish from the gulf since it’s about a 3 hour drive, but when he tasted it he believed it. He’s also isn’t a big GPS person and kept bugging our server Gary about directions to museums we were visiting later. Gary was more than a good sport about it and in addition to verbalizing directions he pulled up a map on his phone to show my dad. Anyone who can handle, let alone stand my dad, gets extra points because he’s the kind of person you can’t take anywhere since he’s such a chatterbox.
Don’t take my word for it: taste it to believe it.

Super cute East Side seafood restaurant and market. We came for a late lunch around 3, and it was empty and we had our pick of seats.
The restaurant is gorgeous — white shiplap on the walls, white marble counters on the tables — it’s beautiful and coastal!
The service was very good — we were one of two tables inside though — so I can’t speak to service during busier hours.
They brought a big jug of ice water for our table, which was great, because their very cute water glasses are quite small and would have required refilling every five minutes!
We started with the ahi poke, which was our favorite thing we ate. It was refreshing, and light, and really vibrant.
We also shared a special — fish and chips, and the crab sammy — both of which we liked, but didn’t love. The fish of the fish and chips was beautifully fried — the batter was so light and crispy, and the fish itself was flaky and not a bit dry. The crab sandwich with fried green tomatoes tasted very strongly of the crab, which is great. I can’t believe I’m going to say this (because I LOVE fried green tomatoes), but I’m not sure the tomatoes belong on the sandwich. Texturally, it just wasn’t something that worked for me with the crab.
All in all, a good meal in a great East Side location! Would try it again.

I came here with a group of friends for Sunday brunch and we all agreed on the beautiful nautical design, nice, but inconsistent service, and sub-​par seafood.
For the food, we ordered:
Peel and eat shrimp
–These had little to no flavor and didn’t taste very fresh.
Angles on Horseback
–The table favorite and really the only thing we had that was good.
A dozen east coast oysters
–We did the chef’s special which included 4 of each of the 3 varieties of east coast oysters they had. Of the 3, 1 was great, the other 2 we did not like very much.
Fried shrimp chilaquiles
–Not vary flavorful and barely any shrimp. We all agreed that this dish would fit in with a more run of the mill chain Tex Mex type of restaurant rather than here.
They were out of the smoked fish dip which apparently is really tasty. Overall the quality and flavor of the seafood was disappointing for a place that seems to pride itself on their seafood. There are plenty more places in town where you can get quality oysters and at a fraction of the price for the ones here which weren’t even that great to begin with.
Service was fast at the beginning, but it seemed like when the restaurant got less busy, our service slowed down noticeably too.
I’m glad we tried it, but it is highly unlikely I’ll be making a return trip.

I love seafood. Like in the biblical sense. So I pretty much wanted to order the whole left side of the menu. Everything on this menu looks amazing. Made it reaaaaaaly hard to decide. We settled on the smoked fish dip, red snapper, fish blt, and peel and eat shrimp. I mist say that everything was amazingly fresh. The snapper (subbed for the Alaskan halibut they were out of) was the winner of the night. And the peel and eat shrimp were season crafts style with some of the best cocktail sauce I’ve had. Totally homemade. The smoked fish dip left me wanting though… if you have ever had the smoked fish dip at Garbos then this will leave you underwhelmed. As the smoked dip at Garbos is one you’d want to bathe in.
They have a great patio and beautiful interior. You’ll feel like you’re on the coast. The dining room is really loud though so it could use some sound absorbing material to improve the dining experience. After 10 minutes I was done hearing every detail about Mr. Flourescent Loafer Loud Talker’s day.
Oh and a brief but great wine list. So all in all a solid dinner. Still looking for that blow you away entrée, know what I mean? Guess that means I’ll just have to come back… gladly!