Fifteen years following the debut of Lonesome Dove Western Bistro in the historic stockyard district in Ft. Worth, TX, chef Tim Love now brings his signature urban western cuisine to the heart of downtown Austin (lonesomedoveaustin.com; 512.271.2474; 419 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701).
“I truly believe that Austin is one of the greatest cities in the country. The music, the architecture, the culture, and of course, the food, is out of this world. Austin feels like the perfect home for my style of cooking and opening a restaurant here has been a big dream of mine for a long time. I’m incredibly proud to be here alongside all the talented and creative chefs in the city and am excited to officially call Austin my second home.” —chef Tim Love
Lonesome Dove Austin highlights both the classic and new, with Austin-inspired dishes that showcase Love’s creative use of bold flavors, wild game, and signature wood-fired cooking techniques alongside a diverse wine program. The menu is divided into several sections, beginning with Love’s proprietary Wild Game Fettine, featuring a selection of cuts spit-roasted over open mesquite fire, such as Duck, Rabbit-Rattlesnake Sausage, Pistachios, and Quince; Elk, Pork Spinalis, Huckleberries, and Black Garlic; and Lamb, Quail, Texas Herbs, and Citrus-Chili Paste. The Fettine is followed by first, second, and main course offerings, as well as Hand Cut Steaks and sides. Menu highlights include:
Tim Love’s smoked antelope during ACL PHOTO: Hayden Walker
- Grilled New Zealand Langoustineswith cilantro-meyer lemon butter
- Elk-Foie Gras Sliders, Blueberry Jam
- Deviled Gulf Coast Blue Crabswith Lonesome Dove hot sauce
- Farro “Congee”with kale pesto, golden tomato, guanciale, and citrus-herb salad
- Butter Lettucewith red chili-buttermilk vinaigrette, lardoons, and pickled jalapeño
- Fideoswith crispy soft-shell crawfish, Spanish chorizo, and natural aioli
- Lamb Brisket Pazole Stewwith manchego, swiss chard, and cured egg
- Fireside Snapper En Papillotewith summer vegetables, mint, Texas extra-virgin olive oil, and lime
- Porcini-Crusted Spatchcock Guinea Fowlwith savory local oatmeal and chimichurri
- Rabbit Tenderloinwith confit shepherd’s pie and morel rings
- Grilled Asparaguswith citrus and toasted nori
- Burnt Carrotswith Texas honey, meyer lemon, and goat cheese
Love’s selection of Hand Cut Steaks are served with house-made Serrano Lime Butter, featuring cuts such as Beef Tenderloin (8 oz minimum), Prime New York Strip (14 oz minimum), and Buffalo Ribeye (14 oz minimum). To conclude the meal, the dessert menu features options like Tuaca Cappuccino Flan with chocolate espresso beans and chocolate pichira stick, and Banana Cream Pie with sugar cookie crust, bourbon marshmallow, and cookie crumble.
The wine list features an expansive collection of new world wines from California, Texas, and Oregon peppered with rustic old world selections from France, Spain, and Italy to match seamlessly with the food. Wines are stored in the climate-controlled wine room exclusive to the Austin location that features redwood shelving for the more than 3,000 bottles surrounding a bespoke maplewood table for private dining. Specialty cocktails including Love’s signature Jalapeño Cucumber Margarita with Love 22 Reposado tequila, jalapeño, cucumber, cointreau liqueur, house made margarita mix, salted rim, and a lime wedge and the Sarsaparilla Old Fashioned with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, cherry, orange, and Sarsaparilla Root Beer, anchor the drinks menu showcasing seasonal ingredients and inventive riffs on the classics. Additionally, a Frozen Shot of the Italian liqueur Tuaca holds a place on the menu as in Fort Worth, adding a kick to any meal in true Tim Love fashion. Craft beers are also available from brewers like Lone Star and Shiner Bock at the restaurant’s grandiose cottonwood bar, as well as a selection of local breweries including Austin Beer Works and Austin Eastciders.
Designed by Joel Mozersky Design, together with Dick Clark Architecture, Lonesome Dove Western Bistro combines a warm, Western aesthetic with industrial accents. With an exterior of charred wood and a custom logo sign cut from steel with antiqued lettering by lauded Austin painter Joel Swec, the blackened steel door opens to a dynamic, 150-seat space. Alongside pine wood tables, cowhide covers the banquettes and bar façade, while natural leathers make up the booths and chocolate-colored suede and antique brass detail the chairs and bar stools. Taxidermy from chef Tim Love’s personal collection is featured throughout the space, juxtaposed with brick, pine, and steel walls. The dining room is lit with large circular, double-tiered chandeliers that hang from exposed steel beams and the 20-seat bar features a 40-foot bar top made with just two cottonwood trees. A private dining room, complete with a retractable screen, is ideal for private events for parties up to 30. The wine room is also available for private events—the space is kept at cellar temperatures and guests are given shawls and suede vests to dine in Texas-style comfort. Joel Mozersky’s design team collaborated with local Austin artisans Warbach Design to create custom light fixtures for the bar and wine room, which feature bleached deer antlers, linen, and steel.
Tim Love is also the chef/owner of Woodshed Smokehouse, Love Shack, Queenie’s Steakhouse, and White Elephant Saloon, a founding partner of the Austin FOOD & WINE Festival (where he hosts the world’s largest hands-on grilling demo), and official chef of Austin City Limits. Love also serves as the official Food & Wine Contributor for CNBC and is a co-host of the network’s newest show, Restaurant Startup, where he and co-host Joe Bastianich vie against each other to invest their own money in restaurant concepts they believe will make them millions. Tim lives in Fort Worth, TX with his wife and three children with a second home in Austin.
Lonesome Dove Western Bistro Austin is open for dinner from 4pm – midnight and lunch 11am – 2:30pm, Monday through Saturday, and closed on Sundays. For more information or to make reservations visit lonesomedoveaustin.com.