{"id":298187,"date":"2026-05-18T14:03:34","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T14:03:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/298187\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T14:03:34","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T14:03:34","slug":"april-bloomfield-revamps-austins-historic-driskill-grill-restaurant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/298187\/","title":{"rendered":"April Bloomfield Revamps Austin\u2019s Historic Driskill Grill Restaurant"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\"\"Austin\u2019s historic Driskill Grill and Bar reopens today. Justin Cook<\/p>\n

MML Hospitality<\/a> will debut its revamp of Austin\u2019s historic Driskill Grill and Bar<\/a> today (Monday, May 18), with a deep focus on Texas beef alongside an all-over-the-map cooking sensibility from chef April Bloomfield<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt always comes back to what\u2019s in Austin, what\u2019s the market,\u201d MML co-founder Larry McGuire<\/a> tells Observer. \u201cIt seems like the capital of Texas should have an independent, grand, badass steakhouse. It\u2019s never really had that. We\u2019ve wanted to do that for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cProcuring Texas beef was a No. 1 priority,\u201d Bloomfield tells Observer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So at a restaurant space that dates back to 1930, inside a hotel that debuted in 1886, the Driskill Grill is serving Dean & Peeler<\/a> beef that\u2019s raised, finished and dry-aged in Texas while Bloomfield nods at everything from legendary New York steakhouses to her British cooking roots to a recent trip to Egypt.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"April Bloomfield and Nick Erven. Justin Cook<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really just about taking a chef-driven approach to it, where you\u2019re just modernizing how we think about menus and seasonality and produce and applying that to the steakhouse model,\u201d McGuire says. \u201cI think April\u2019s the perfect person to do that because she\u2019s known for her meat cooking, but she\u2019s also amazing at vegetables and unexpected flavors.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Bloomfield\u2019s version of steakhouse bacon, she\u2019s dry-rubbing the bacon with dried Mexican chiles, sugar and salt, before smoking it and then heavily searing it.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Bloomfield\u2019s take on steakhouse bacon. Justin Cook<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get a little kiss of char, a little sweet caramelization,\u201d Bloomfield tells Observer. And then, to complement the sweet, smoky, salty bacon, \u201cWe made a pickle of charred green tomatoes with lots of pickled onions,\u201d Bloomfield adds.<\/p>\n

Like New York\u2019s Keens<\/a>, a steakhouse that McGuire loves, the Driskill Grill is serving its steaks with a roasted red pepper. Prime rib, meanwhile, is carved tableside and comes with Yorkshire pudding.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou go to a steakhouse because you want it to feel grand,\u201d Bloomfield, who joined MML Hospitality as executive chef in 2025 to put her stamp on multiple restaurants, says. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing more grand than somebody coming around and slicing a 14-ounce piece of perfectly cooked prime rib.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Sourcing Texas beef was the number one priority. Justin Cook<\/p>\n

Bloomfield and Driskill Grill and Bar executive chef Nick Erven<\/a> have collaborated on a menu where the side dishes are as chef-driven as the main courses.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing from England, I love potatoes,\u201d Bloomfield says. \u201cAnd we\u2019ve got three kinds of potatoes.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are house-made fries, twice-baked potatoes with a cacio e pepe crumble and mashed potatoes that are baked and mixed with hot milk, cream and butter, then topped with chive butter.<\/p>\n

Beyond potatoes, side dishes include braised peas with mint poblano pesto. A stewed okra dish with tomatoes sounds like a Southern classic, but it was inspired by a trip Bloomfield took to Egypt, where she was \u201cblown away with the okra they do there.\u201d The okra-and-tomato dish at the Driskill Grill is stewed with slow-cooked onions, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, coriander and chiles.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"The sides are given as much attention as the main dishes. Justin Cook<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s tangy and spicy,\u201d Bloomfield says. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to have things that are a bit more punchy next to the beef.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Driskill Grill\u2019s creamed spinach is made with lots of Taleggio cream, along with Parmesan, basil, braised lemon zest, garlic, thyme and black peppercorns, and is finished with lemon juice for extra brightness.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve definitely made a menu that\u2019s familiar but a bit refreshed,\u201d Bloomfield says.<\/p>\n

Guests who visit the Driskill Bar can order off the entire steakhouse menu, and Bloomfield is working on a burger and some snacks specifically for the bar.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"The burger will be specifically for the bar. Justin Cook<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing better than sitting at a beautiful bar, having a cocktail and eating a big fat steak or a nice burger,\u201d Bloomfield says. \u201cI think that\u2019s just a lovely thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Along with the 24-ounce strips and 16-ounce Akaushi wagyu rib-eyes on the menu, there\u2019s grandeur all-around at the Driskill Grill, which boasts old photos, Texas art, taxidermy and a history of A-list guests.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lore is that LBJ and Lady Bird had their first date at the Grill,\u201d McGuire says. \u201cThere\u2019s all this amazing photography and all these events that have happened in the space. I\u2019ve wanted to do a steakhouse interior for a long time. We totally tricked out the interior with leather and fine materials and big, comfortable booths. It\u2019s kind of like a fever dream of what we would want a steakhouse to be. We have a bar room with a big new bar, and we kept a lot of elements that were there, like cheesy cut glass from the last renovation and wood paneling that\u2019s kind of over-the-top. We were able to really create some layering.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"The Lady Bird Room. Justin Cook<\/p>\n

McGuire remembers the Driskill Grill from his youth, when it was a traditional fine dining destination. He\u2019s excited about reimagining the space for the next generation, at the first restaurant where he has an in-house dry-aging program, while continuing to be inspired by the past.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always spent time in New York and eaten at Peter Luger<\/a> and Keens<\/a>, and it\u2019s like, \u2018Why isn\u2019t there this 100-year-old steakhouse in Austin?\u2019\u201d McGuire says. \u201cSo now we\u2019re getting to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Driskill Grill & Bar is located at 117 E. 7th St., Austin, Texas 78701. The Driskill Grill will be open for dinner seven days a week from 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and for lunch Thursday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Driskill Bar will be open Sunday-Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Thursday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.<\/p>\n

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