Olamaie

Michelin Guide expanded to Texas in November 2024, and Olamaie was one of 7 Austin restaurants to earn the prestigious one-star rating. Known for its modern interpretations of Southern cuisine, I was eager to see if it lived up to the hype. We had a 9 PM reservation at the bar and wrapped up by around 11:30 PM after trying six different dishes. Here's the breakdown:STANDOUTS - MUST ORDER---Buttermilk Biscuits with Sturgeon Caviar & Crème Fraîche (Add-on): Olamaie bakes these Southern biscuits in-house (they even had a separate biscuit shop--Little Ola's Biscuits), and they are absolute buttery perfection. Flaky on the outside, soft on the inside, and rich with flavor. The caviar and crème fraîche add-on elevated it to the next level.---Strawberry Layer Cake: Think strawberry tres leches meets layered sponge cake--this was a dream. Soft sponge, white chocolate ganache, strawberry mousse, fresh strawberries, and whipped cream made for a dessert that was light, balanced, and not overly sweet. I originally wanted to try the Texas Bake (rum cake with meringue) but couldn't due to nut allergies--so glad this new addition was on the menu!GOOD - WORTH TRYING---Lamb Tartare: Served with two chicharrón crackers and puffed rye in the tartare, this was a light and flavorful appetizer--good for sharing if you just want a bite.---Oysters Rockafella (1 per order): Tasted like an elevated artichoke dip meets oyster--solid but not mind-blowing.---Braised Short Rib: The short rib was decent and fairly lean, but the grits and thinly sliced white turnips were forgettable--no real flavor to elevate the dish.CAN SKIP---Smoked Cabbage: This dish is supposed to be a unique take on a vegetable dish with a smoky flavor profile, but I just didn't see it. Objectively, the texture was fine--not mushy, not too crunchy. But it was literally a massive head of cabbage that you have to dissect like a steak. If you love cabbage or are vegetarian, it might be worth it. Otherwise... why?AMBIANCE: Set in a charming white clapboard house with black shutters, Olamaie offers a cozy yet sophisticated atmosphere. SERVICE: The staff was attentive, carefully accommodating my allergy restrictions.Final Thoughts: While a few dishes didn't wow me, overall, it's a great spot for elevated Southern fare. Would I go back? Yes--but I'd stick to the standouts and explore more of the menu. PS Why don't restaurants serve bread in a bread warmer? It would be a game-changer!

I had high hopes for this Michelin-starred restaurant, expecting an unforgettable meal that justified the price. Unfortunately, it fell far short of expectations.The food was mediocre at best. The pork chop was so dry we couldn't even finish it. The ribs had good flavor, but that was about it. The fried catfish was crispy and savory, I did enjoy the creamy rice with caviar, but still, nothing special or impressive enough, certainly not worth the premium price tag.Surprisingly, the best thing I ate wasn't even an entrée--it was the buttermilk biscuit. It was everything a biscuit should be: crispy on the outside, soft and juicy inside, paired with a sweet, smooth butter that was absolute perfection. If it weren't for this, I would've given the place a solid two stars.The red rice calas appetizer was strange and unimpressive. If given the choice, I'd take a classic hush puppy over this any day.To make matters worse, the service was lackluster. At other Michelin-starred restaurants I've visited, water glasses were constantly refilled, and tables were cleared promptly. Here, our waiter barely checked on us, and by the end of the meal, our bread basket was still sitting on the table, untouched by staff.If the meal had cost half of what we paid, I might have left feeling differently. But at this price point, the experience should have been better. Instead, it left much to be desired.

Pro Tip: Michelin 1 star. Earlier reservations feel like you have the place to yourself and it's much quieter. As expected, an exquisitely exceptional experience. There will be a service charge that it's included, and anything additional is greatly appreciated. Listen, their service is worth the additional tip. Careful attention and delivery of menu recommendations and table service. Claps to Daniel for leading the way through the menu, starting us off with two orders of the Class (you'll need one for each person) and the Cauliflower for starters, and then two entrees with a side of biscuits. I went with the Golden Fried Catfish and was not at all disappointed. Will. Get. Again. Perfectly crisped and finished with a beurre blanc sauce with caviar. Table service will include a small bottle of Tabasco to cut and balance the flavors with some acidity. And the Biscuits? Oh my. Best in town. Period. While their small biscuit shop, Lil Ola, has needed to unexpectedly close down, they do look forward to revisiting the concept. They are that good. I look forward to returning and trying some new options, including their cocktails and desserts.

Ummmmm okay so this place has a Michelin star!!! I have never been to a Michelin star restaurant and a few in Austin were recently awarded one. Many of them were BBQ - which because I'm vegetarian I won't be trying but this place did have a vegetarian option for me to check out!I got the gumbo and it was delicious, with just the right amount of spice to give it a kick without being overwhelming. The flavors were rich and hearty, and the mushrooms added a wonderful texture and earthy depth to the dish. It was a satisfying and tasty meal all around!We also had the cabbage and the rum cake for dessert. I would not normally think of cabbage as being tasty but this one was. The rum cake was a little stronger than you would think it would be, but it was good that way. It was pricey but I had fun here and I'm glad I tried it!!

We dined at Olamaie for our anniversary and had a great dinner. We were greeted with an anniversary card and small complementary drinks. The space is small and I enjoyed the intimate dining room. Our waitress was working her first night there but it didn't show, she gave great suggestions and provided good service. While we were mid-meal there, they were officially awarded a Michelin star, which was a cool experience. I expected more celebration but the staff played it cool. We ordered three apps, the biscuits, and two entrees which was probably one app too many. My favorite were the fish dip appetizer and the catfish entree. The rabbit was great but a bit salty for me. Overall I thought the food was good and different but not quite in my top meals in this city. The cocktails were good as well, the Fringe Contender was a stand out.

Austin boasts four fine-dining Michelin-recognized spots: Hestia and Barley Swine are incredible, Craft Omakase is on my list for next year, and then there's Olamaie.To start, they kindly brought out a complimentary cauliflower appetizer since we waited a bit for our table. It was tangy and creamy, but the richness became overwhelming after a few bites. From there, we ordered butter beans with sourdough, hoping for an elevated "beans on toast" moment, but it turned out to just be... a bowl of beans. While comforting to some, I couldn't help but feel disappointed.The lemongrass shrimp and grits were flavorful, with punchy spices and textures. It could have used more tomatoes to balance out the hearty grits. The pork chop came with a grilled apple that felt oddly boiled in texture, and the chop itself, though tender, tasted like cured ham. The highlight was their biscuits, which were warm, buttery, and truly perfect.Service at the table was excellent. Staff checked in often, were attentive, and very kind. Unfortunately, the experience soured at the end with billing issues. It took them three times to get the bill right and in the end, it was still wrong. First the complimentary cauliflower appeared on the bill, and then we were given the wrong table's check, and lastly they added someone else's random cocktail we didn't order. In the end, after three wrong checks, we left and ended up paying for that random cocktail.Overall, I left disappointed. The flavors didn't wow me like I hoped, and while the table service was stellar, the missteps in both the dishes and billing overshadowed the experience.

Was super excited to try Olamaie for one of their chef series dinners. We had the opportunity to have a collab between Chefs Dan and Amanda. It is a pre-set menu for these dinners so we had no idea what we were walking into for our 6 courses. There were some things we loved and some things that were good, but not great.We loved - Hamachi, Caviar Tater Tots, Pork Belly and their signature biscuits. Good but not great - Some of the sides or sauces that went with the mains were good, but not our favorite. I didn't love that food was accidentally spilled on my spouse, our anniversary wasn't recognized (on the resy) and that it was a bit difficult to order wine by the glass if you weren't doing the pairing. We also sat at big long tables right next to other guests. All of those things combined left me a bit surprised for a Michelin star restaurant. Definitely worth going back for their regular menu. I'd honestly just go for the biscuits and proteins, so will look forward to that!

Had a delicious meal at Olamaie. The restaurant is has a nice southern charm to it, and there was a street parking and a lot available nearby on a Friday evening. The service was excellent too. We started with the beef tartare which was honestly one of my favorite interpretations of the dish. There were small pieces of beets inside which enhanced the experience and texture! The beef was perfect! After that came the butter beans, which came with a tiny Tabasco sauce next to it. Adding it to the beans helped complete the dish. I would highly recommend the dish as it was quite comforting. For mains we got the rabbit roulade and the blackened dayboat fish. The rabbit roulade was something I wasn't expecting, but it was cooked perfectly, and the carrots and Dijon sauce that accompanied it went together well. The star of the night was the blackened dayboat fish, which was red snapper on top a delicious blue crab Carolina rice. This was soooooo good!! Overall highly recommend this restaurant if you are visiting or want to celebrate with a good meal!

Went for New Year's Eve and LOVED it!! The atmosphere was cozy and cute for a date night and the food was amazing!! We loved every bite and the ingenuity that went into everything!! Like adding beets to a beef tartare was so fresh and delicious. The star dish for us was the cat fish--the breading seasoning and composition was perfection!!

Came here for dinner with my son and husband and feel like it didn't warrant a $550 bill. We had the smoked fish and butter bean appetizer and must say the smoked fished appetizer was the best part of the meal. I ordered the pork chop for $47 and it as extremely underwhelming. My son ordered the chicken for $45 which was a pressed dark meat concoction with a rice side. My husband had the short rib and it was just ok for $54 with a small portion ofgrits. Had the lane cake for dessert and it was horrible with a lukewarm cup of coffee.Had much higher hopes for this restaurant as it was one my top 30 restaurants in Austin to visit. Would definitely not come back here.