Odd Duck

By Leo Sipowicz

It's a warm Austin evening as you stroll into Odd Duck. You're greeted by friendly faces and warm smells of farm-to-table soul food inside of a beautifully eclectic home on South Lamar.

Besides a couple of classics, the redfish and cornbread stand out, the menu is ever changing. Every time I'm sitting at Odd Duck, I'm entirely confident in the kitchen's expertise. Every dish makes me ooh and ahh at the daring and creative flavor combinations. You’ll read the menu, see something like yogurt melon pork rinds with mint and think to yourself "there's just no way.” Then, like an acrobat twisting in the air at the circus, you’ll gaze in amazement as an amalgamation of tastes perfectly stick the landing.

And for all the incredible bites, the first thing I tell people when recommending Odd Duck is the service. It is the best in the world. Not because of pretentious fluffery, but because of attentive staff that care about their work and expertly course every dish so your fork is full at all the right times. I can’t recall a single dish coming out too quick or too slow at Odd Duck. It’s the kind of thing that’s easy to miss when it’s done right but can transform a meal into a real occasion.