Located in the heart of Clarksville in Austin, Texas, Pecan Square Cafe is part of the MML hospitality group. With beautiful grounds for outside dining, fresh modern interior design, and a charming ambiance, this place should be a hot spot of gourmet cuisine for Austinites to enjoy, but honestly, it’s not.
Boasting a menu of a variety of options that includes pizzas, pasta, schnitzel, burgers, and even rabbit cacciatore, one would think that there would be an item that stands out and grabs your attention, but in reality, nothing does due to the lackluster descriptions and overall lack of cohesiveness of the menu.
My partner and I have eaten brunch here several times, always going back to try it again to see if anything has changed, but we always leave underwhelmed. We are huge fans of MML establishments, specifically Perla’s, Clark’s, and Sammie’s, and they do a great job at most locations, but Pecan Square leaves so much to be desired. They always come in right below the bar rather than elevating the experience.
Although the staff is generally attentive, they could be more prompt, rarely appealingly describe the specials, and often, it takes them too long to greet the table initially. The last two times we visited, the manager gave us a free appetizer to make up for it without us even mentioning the delay. So, I suspect management is aware of this issue but has yet to resolve it.
On our last brunch visit there in early December 2023, we ordered a couple of cocktails, the Pork Schnitzel and the Hand-cut Tagliatelle. We had tried the thinly pounded out, lightly battered, and deep fried schnitzel before and did enjoy it despite the overzealous helping of the caper aioli that is served on top, so we made sure to request that it be served on the side this time.
The pasta was merely adequate if I’m being honest. I wanted my tastebuds to explode with the tomatoes’ fresh, silky texture and a velvety kick from the olive oil, but it didn’t deliver. It was an uninspiring, bland tomato sauce over fresh noodles. However, the fresh mozzarella cheese and basil were a nice touch.
The free appetizer we were given was the sweet potato fritters, and I would order them again if we ever choose to go back. They were excellent and greatly appreciated.
The “Bad Moon” Cocktail made of 1876 Vodka, Violet Crown’ Midnight Marigold’, lemon, passion fruit, and Shacksbury x MML’ Bad Boy’ Cider was actually quite refreshing.
All of this is to ask the question: Why not turn Pecan Square into a Clark’s II? MML’s delicious oyster bar, which always impresses, is just yards from PS but is housed in a tiny building with limited seating. There is always a wait, and it is hard to get reservations. Utilizing the Pecan space for a secondary Clark’s location or overflow would be much more ideal for the hospitality group and Austinites who adore Clark’s. It’s a win/win!