The Good Knight

What? The Good Night is closed? Bummed. This was the perfect place to grab some nice comfort food and drinks before a show at East Side Drive In.

The cocktails are awesome, food is superb but it’s fairly noisy and the service is confusing. Ordered a cheese plate, fried green tomatoes, salad and meat loaf. The entrée came first?! Weird.
The food is great drinks rock, try it out!

We got in right before 7 on a weekday, and they had a few appetizers that were half price. I ordered two of them, the Hors d’oeuvresr plate and the fried tomatoes. Both were good, but I much preferred the Hors d’oeuvres. At half price, they’re both a downright steal.
I ordered the nut and cheese loaf. I was expecting to be underwhelmed by the one vegetarian entre on the menu, but it was flipping fantastic. It wasn’t gooey cheesy and didn’t have offensive nuts like wallnuts. Cashews, baby.
For desert, I had a Pot de Crème. It was phenomenal. I would have never guessed that bergamot chocolate would be the bomb. It is.
Overall, it’s a quirky place with some interesting and delicious food.

I went there as part of a bachelor party.
It’s a fine place — drinks are all right (on the medium to pricey side, and my drink with three alcohols in it tasted like there was none – that either means they were stingy or the bartender does a great job… I think it was a mix of the two). The Wagyu steak was fantastic. The service was right in line with what you’d expect for an East 6^th bar that’s crowded on a Saturday night.
I give 3 stars only because of my burger. The waitstaff told me that the kitchen would not cook it cooler than medium. Fine, I suppose, but if you don’t trust your hamburger source enough to cook a medium rare burger, I guess I should have rethought my order.
I got it, and it wasn’t medium. It was well done. Except not well done.
For doneness, it was grey all the way through. No red, no pink, no nothing. And that’d be OK if it at least had a little char flavor, or a good rub, or any seasoning at all. It really didn’t. It was just a lifeless piece of ground meat with a pretty decent bun around it. And everyone else’s burger was just the same.
Get the steak; it’s worth it (though you need at least an appetizer — it’s a small portion style, which is fine, but not exactly what you’re expecting during a bachelor party guy-​fest).
I was hoping that I could put Good Knight on my «Best Burger in Austin» list, but I most definitely cannot. But at least my order got a «best burger» discussion going. That was almost as delicious as the food could have been.

When you’ve had a long and drawn out history with an ex, alcohol is required to hash out your quasi-​relationship.
I knew coming to Austin was going to be interesting. I haven’t seen the ex since the last time I was in town, where we managed to fight 99.99 999% of the time I was there. Why? The whole «I’m not going to talk about my feelings» thing. Apparently it’s part of the guy code. Or so he tells me.
But I digress.
The Good Knight made the night good. A little booth where we talked about anything and everything. I called him on his breaking my heart, he reminded I broke his, I got tipsy, he got drunk. The drinks kept flowing (Aviation for him, Daiquiri for me), and the bill wasn’t as high as it would have been if I had been in SF. A pub-​like feel.
–0.5 star for having a seat cushion that would not stay put; the person in the booth next to ours would lean back and toss me into the table.
–0.5 for only one bathroom that was exceptionally cold.
What can I say? It was a great first date with a man who I have known for 15 years.

I happen to work down the street from this cool little place. Noticed they are serving lunch and popped in to see what was good. The first thing the waiter says is «We’ve got this amazing soup today.» and I was hooked. Can’t remember it exactly but it was some sort of chicken and tomato soup and a bunch of complicated additions. Either way it was exactly as he said, tasty deliciousness. I also ordered a salad and while I liked the mixed greens and the addition of dried cranberries, I felt like it had a bit too much dressing on it for my taste. Thankfully, it wasn’t a pungent dressing so it didn’t completely kill it and I enjoyed it.
Can’t wait to come back at night and try their cocktails.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this place. The interior is dimly lit with a combination of seating areas for your dining/​drinking pleasure. We chose one of two booths with a canopied curtain and self-​contained dimmable light. As bright (or not) as you want it. Sweet. The general feeling is that this is a bar that has food, not a restaurant with a bar. The old-​timey photos add to the atmosphere.
We had a $ 50 coupon, so we just went wild. I had an Old Fashioned, which I’ve never had but was a fun drink. He had a gin & tonic which was. .. a gin and tonic. But good. For food we started with the hors d’ouvres plate. This cornucopia of goodness included tapenade, pâté of the day (which was pork belly something, mighty fine), and mushroom cavier. There were also nuts, some brie wedges, and some salad greens. And some toast to spread the delectables upon. I loved this appetizer. Fun, variety, tastiness.
For our main courses, we got pork belly confit and meatloaf. But not just any meatloaf. Oh, no. This one included angus beef, bacon (on the side), a mini-​mountain of mashed potato goodness and Jack Daniels gravy. Yes, please. Delicious. Tender. Not a hint of ketchup. I’m not a meatloaf fan as a rule, but this is foodie meatloaf, praise be to the foodie gods.
The pork belly was delectable — tender, crispy, with some kind of delicious coating around the edges. OMG, I know it’s wrong, but it feels (and tastes) so right! The plentiful meat bits surrounded some salad greens in a lovely mustard vinaigrette (or something that tasted like that) and came with a plate of mustard and toast. I wasn’t sure what to do with that, so I made a couple of mini sandwiches. Fine, but unnecessary. No mustard or toast necessary, these savory bits stood all on their own. I didn’t leave a crumb — not a crumb!
We tried both of the regular desserts — a chocolate & earl grey custard (heck YEAH!) and a brulee coconut buttermilk pie with blueberry compote. And you could taste every, single ingredient — so very, very good. The custard had little bits which turned out to be chocolate microbes, melting delectably on the tongue. I’m not normally a dessert person, but both of these were terrific.
I debated whether to give a 4-​star or 5-​star review. But when we have a lovely evening and enjoyable experience, when I wouldn’t change anything about the meal that I just devoured, and when I can’t wait to go back and try everything on the menu (as well as some fun cocktail concoctions), I think a 5-​star review is merited. Go forth and be Knighted!

This place is so precious! Coming across it for the first time is kind of like finding gold, and you just want to keep it to yourself.
My friends and I went here this past Saturday on a double date. I hadn’t heard of it before, but my friends David and Kayla heard good things, so I went with their judgment.
We got there early around 6PM and the place was relatively empty. We opted for one of their two only booths that had just been cleared out. It was so quaint, adorned by drapes over the top, effecting what my boyfriend described as «a Victorian bed.» If you arrive early, opt for it! It makes for a very romantic setting.
Drinks were excellent. I ordered two Pimm’s Cups and didn’t try anything else because I’m such a stickler about change. My boyfriend made the rookie mistake of ordering the Old Fashioned. I should’ve warned him beforehand after reading the other Unilocal reviews, but I had no idea he was going for that one. He described it as, «All right,» because it was his first Old Fashioned ever, but it definitely wasn’t the best drink he ever had.
Kayla got herself a Fall Fashion, a seasonal drink, and a Mi Perro Blanco. I don’t know how they tasted but she effusively approved of both. David got himself the Aviator Cocktail, which he very much liked. His only complaint was that there was a crack in the glass. Before we had received our drinks, we heard a lot of glass breaking behind the bar, which left us feeling a little uncomfortable, but it sounded like they sorted everything out later on.
We started off with a pork belly pâté appetizer, which was just sumptuous in its creamy texture! However, our entrees left us waiting for what felt like 30 minutes. I’m not sure what took so long, but I imagine they were trying to get all the orders together so that we would receive them at once. David ordered the Pork Belly Confit, the boyfriend ordered the Shepherd’s Pie, and the girls both ordered the meat loaf. Despite the wait, «Yum,» was our consensus.
You have to love the interesting toss-​up of décor they have. Old black and white picture frames lining the walls, mismatched utensil sizes and plate designs, «His» and «Her» signs marking the bathrooms… it’s all so quirky, yet fashionable!
The bathrooms are singles though, so there can sometimes be a wait when the place gets full. I was in a line of three, and when the men’s room cleared out, the girl behind me gestured to the vacant bathroom, suggesting that I go in. I shook my head, and she just seized the opportunity, saying, «Well, if you’re not going, I’m going!» I didn’t stay to see if any guy lined up near the door to see her come out, but I imagine it would’ve been hilarious.
I have one small confession to make though… Even after this experience, I’m a little embarrassed to admit I still don’t know what a gastropub is.

Where am I? Somewhere in the gentrified neighborhood of East 6^th street, a friend suggests we try this place out.
The walls and ceiling are darkly faux painted which provides a cavern feeling. Windows are covered with black out curtains to prevent both seeing the bars on the windows and knowing if it is day or night. Old family photos cover the walls and aside from the restaurant issue tables, the remaining furniture is mismatched chairs. The juke box was playing Willie Nelson.
Sitting down at a table next to a curtain covering the window, the chairs were like those from a men’s smoking parlor and backed to the next table with less than 6 inches between the table to work at shimmying your way into (note to self… get a curtained booth or a table in the middle of the floor next time… if there is one).
The food menu, limited but affordable. Kind of like pub food met a guy that went to culinary school while reading Lord of the Rings, or something. I had the cheese burger, my friend ordered the mushroom pâté. Both very good.
They had a decent wine list which included prosecco. You could even purchase a bottle of bubbles (Cristalino Rose) for $ 21… very affordable.
Dining in the midst of this cave with a jukebox that went from Willie and the boys to heavy metal and then dinner music… I had to ask the question. Is this a lounge or a restaurant? Believe it or not, the waiter said restaurant…
If you want an interesting, affordable lounge on the east side with an eclectic mix of jukebox music, AND happen to be hungry… this will fit the bill. The staff is friendly and attentive, the food is good, and I hear they mix some great cocktails as well.

The first thing we noticed when we entered the door from the blazing summer sun was how dark it was inside. After our eyes adjusted, we located a suitable table for our party of five and ordered our first round of drinks. My strawberry caipirinha ($ 12) was microscopic in size, and it didn’t blow me away, so I can’t recommend it. But others seemed to enjoy The Good Knight cocktail ($ 8), and the Pimm’s cup ($ 6) was more cost effective.
Our waitress wasn’t the most attentive, and she even took away silverware after our first course and never came back with replacements. But the food quality was appreciated. The fried tomatoes (green and red, $ 7.50 or $ 3.75 during happy hour from 5−7pm) were accompanied by an aioli and some fresh salad greens were decent, and the pork belly confit ($ 12) was quite enjoyable. I wish they brought more bread for the pork belly, though.
The verdict: The Good Knight hasn’t made it into my regular haunts list given its performance tonight. I’d much rather visit Parkside or Péché if I’m in the downtown area.

Why do they call this place the Good Knight, I don’t know but it probably has something to do with needing some protection just to get into this neighborhood! Honestly though, once you past a few blocks by the expressway you’re good (getting home is another story).
The Good Knight is one of those, you can’t really decide if it’s one of those swanky underground locations or a dark overpriced dungeon. From the outside, the building looks like it could be a prison at night. Inside, it’s even darker with pretty much only candle light to see your way. The vibe from both the crowd and the staff reflects this uneasy feeling or the opposite, laid-​back with a confident attitude. Either way, no one seemed to fit in which was interesting to watch. The Good Knight advertises themselves as «Classic cocktails and fine comfort food», the cocktails they got spot on. It was St. Germaine and Pimm’s cups all around, plus they have a fine selection of imported beers. They make other «classic cocktails» such as Lion’s Tail, Manhattan, Hanky Panky, and the Sidecar.
As for the «fine» in comfort food, they mean fine as in fine dinning I think. Maybe it’s the Queen of England’s version of comfort food but not really mine. Things like mushroom caviar, cheese plates, and Pork Belly Confit. Don’t get me wrong the food is very good, but it’s just not what I would expect for comfort food nor what you would pay for «comfort food». Yes, bring the large wallet on this trip.
Cheese plate — selection of two cheeses, served with honey, edible flowers, Marcona almonds, and grilled bread. I would go with the Gruyère for one.
Mushroom Caviar — shiitake mushroom pté served on grilled bread with pickled butternut squash
Fried Tomatoes — red and green tomatoes served with aioli and salad greens
Flammekueche (flah-​muh-​koosh) — rustic flatbread pizza with caramelized onions, crème fraiche, house-​smoked bacon
Pissaladière– rustic flatbread pizza baked with melted onions, niçoise olives and anchovies
I would go back again, just like the crowd the food is eclectic and very interesting!

I really, really, really wanted to give this joint five stars. I did. But I couldn’t.
The cocktails are just absolutely exquisite. As far as I know, this is the only place in town to get a proper Aviation or Pimm’s Cup. And they are DAMN tasty. Every time I’ve been here, I have been thoroughly impressed with the drinks, as has everyone I’ve brought with me. Ditto the food, though I’ve only tried the Fried Tomatoes.
The problem? Every time I go, the service sucks. The best the service has been is mediocre. At worst, I had to flag down a waiter after fifteen minutes of being ignored, who took my drink order, and then hadn’t returned yet another fifteen minutes later. A joint that sells $ 6−10/glass cocktails should never, ever have this problem.
I love the atmosphere — very Parisian dive bar, and suitable for dates AND friendly get-​togethers. It’s dark and candle-​lit, so this isn’t the place for crazy parties, but the conversation is somewhat rowdy, and you’ll have a good time.
I agree with basically what everyone said — the drinks are great. The food is great, though the portions are a bit small (really, one tomato for $ 7.50?). But the service is mediocre at best, and outstandingly shitty at worst.
I’ll keep coming for lack of alternatives to this quality of mixology, but if there is one, rest assured I’ll move on.

So me and some peeps decided to have an East Siiiide Bar Crawl last nite and it was my brilliant idea to start here for some pre-​drinkin belly waddin. I absolutely love the ambiance of this place. It’s completely unexpected on E 6^th St. It’s like what I would imagine an old gin joint or French Flophouse would look like… all red walls, low lighting, and a couple of recessed tables with what looks like bed curtains for private and cozy dining. It’s tiny, but we got there at 8:30 and were there a coupla hours and there was never NOT an empty table. On a bad note, tho, it got super hot in there as the nite went on.
We were excited to try some old timey cocktails. Thank God for the resurgence of well-​made, fresh ingredient-​old-​school-​made-​new drinks in this town! Hubby and I now feel like connoisseurs in this area, so I ordered the Bees Knees and he got an Old Fashioned. He followed that up with a Pimms Cup. I felt they were tasty and interesting and definitely a product of the ambiance, very European. But in my opinion they fell short of some other places in town (ahem, Peche).
Food-​wise, I was looking forward to trying the Flammekueche (yes I had to look that one up) which is basically a fancy bacon pizza. At 8:30, they were out. The rest of the food was kinda hit or miss. My chicken pot pie was so good I was glad they served it in that little crock or I might have embarrassed myself trying to lick a plate clean. But the lentil soup was so overly-​nutmegged I couldn’t eat it. I love the taste of lentils otherwise I wouldn’t have ordered LENTIL soup! Don’t cover that up please! Hubby’s fried tomatoes, he felt, were tasty but cut too thick and could use more aioli on the side.
All in all I think we would go back if we find ourselves trampin around E 6^th again, which is rare for Cedar Parkites. Don’t think we’d make a special trip tho.

I was incredibly conflicted when deciding on my rating for the Good Knight. The drinks are 5-​star drinks; the food is 4-​star food; the value is 2, maybe 3 stars. Sure the menu is tasty, but I had the flammekueche and don’t try to tell me that a quarter-​cup of flour with a tablespoon of onions and crème fraîche on top is worth whatever I paid for it. I think I actually blocked out whatever I paid for it on account of heinous-​osity. Heinousness?
My boyfriend had the chicken pot pie and yes – it’s very good – but if you’re a 6′ male, you’ll probably want to order three of them. I love the idea of «small» food and trying several things, but smaller food correlates to smaller prices, at least in my world. Not so much at the Good Knight.
On the flip side, the bartender made me the best Manhattan I’ve ever drank in my entire life. I’m not a huge fan of rye so I asked for Sam Houston bourbon instead – it was a near-​orgasmic experience. Even my boyfriend, a staunch scotch drinker, expressed his delight with this drink. He also had a fresh watermelon margarita that was a watermelon lover’s dream, but probably not worth the $ 13 he paid for it.
We’ll be back, but I may just stick to the Manhattans and Old-Fashioned’s next time. There’s a good jukebox, a nice vibe, and a bartender in a bow-​tie; all of those things really help offset the questionable «value» factor. :)

I didnt know what to expect from the good knight… but once my eyes adjusted to the gloom the old place worked its charm. It’s like walking into your grandmother’s house that randomly turned into a restaurant. It keeps in the grand tradition of the east side and doesnt muss or fuss with silly things like changing out wallpaper or matching tables.
Their menu was varied and interesting. The pâté of the day was rainbow trout which was surprising. I didnt try it but if i like fish enough, i wouldve been all over it. We got a bacon and carmelized onion pizza which was crispy and fabulous and complex. Also the lady at the bar talked me into a gin fizz which added to its old timey appeal. The lost star is due to the pricing although my guess is that they’re trying to remain a little exclusive.
Stop in, grab some apps, then head to Rio Rita (down the street) for some cheap champagne and electronic battleship.

If you weren’t looking for it, you probably wouldn’t know The Good Knight was there.
Due to a review in the Austin Chronicle that caught the eye of a friend, we ended up at The Good Knight. So, yeah, I’m definitely a fan of the run down interior that is covered in berry paint and golden fabric and random pictures of people from bygone times. The mismatched chairs, plates, tables. Love. Love. Love.
The waitress was wonderful and made many suggestions. I hadn’t ever tried a Pimms Cup before and when I wasn’t a fan she suggested something else that I loved! We got the cheese plate (honey and warm brie were a highlight), a salad (local greens), two chicken pot pies (wonderfully warm) and my companion got buttermilk pie/​tart blueberry thingie for dessert.
The food was great. The drinks were wonderfully old-​fashioned whilst being inventive at the same time. I sound like an idiot, but if you check out their cocktail list, you will know what I mean.
The only complaint I had was the temperature. Holy smokes it was hot in there! Especially when the east side hipster crowd piled in around 9:00 PM.
Glad to see this place doing so well and so warmly received by my fellow Unilocalers. I will definitely be back!

With a great jukebox, good chow and a scruffy, anti-​chain feel going on, The Good Knight could be an Eastside barfly’s best friend.
One of my (few) friends and I ventured in on a weeknight. She was a bit concerned by the burglar-​proof front door but once we entered, all her fears were gone. Inside was a dark, red room with mismatched chairs, great music playing and welcoming staff — a boho vibe that was genuine and not contrived.
I had the flammekueche (an Alsatian flatbread pizza with onions, bacon and cream). She had the chicken pot pie. Both were smallish in size but were made with ingredients that were delish. For dessert, we shared a pot de crème made with Earl Grey tea. Also very good.
The Good Knight renews my faith in Austin. A ‘new’ Austin with ugly, high rise ‘luxury’ condos, overpriced boutiques and an abundance of craptastic chain restaurants. It’s a genuine place. Try it. Four stars (maybe more next time). High yang experience (caution ladies). Recommended.

No windmill chasing here — just good drinks and surprisingly tasty food in what looks like (from the outside) a pawn shop you’d go in for the sole purpose of purchasing a firearm with a duct-​taped grip.
Inside its another matter — you’ll just have to see it. And do yourself a favor and try the meatloaf.

He turned to me and said, you know, it really does feel European. Dark lighting, pictures on the wall, good beer, small portions, and your dollar doesn’t go that far.
What the Good Knight lacks in a value menu they recoup in the form of ambiance. Moody, delicate, attractive, and sexy (but that was just my waiter). So please, get another round. I think I’m staying a little bit longer.

Bathed in a rich red, the semi-​ambient hues visible via dimming but simple candleabras, the Good Knight *feels* warm upon entry. It’s a deceptively simple setup, with booths hidden by drapes, a few tables, a cozy bar tucked in one corner. I haven’t spent much time with the cocktail menu upon either of my trips in, but I have sampled some of the beer selections, and I’ve been pretty happy with the way that those turned out.
Service was friendly and quick with a pour, and as seems to be the standard in a good east side joint, the jukebox boasted a keen selection of tracks that made hanging out easy. Some nights, the experience is as rich as the accoutrements. That’ll cure what ails ya.