Some argue that Valentine’s Day is the worst dining night of the year — from pricey prix fixe menus trying too hard to include obligatory “aphrodisiac” foods to panic around snagging reservations. It’s easy to see why the day gets a bad rap. But this year, since the February holiday takes place in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic, people are encouraged to order in and stay home.
So whether romance is in the air or you’re looking for something different that weekend, Eater is here with picks for takeout Valentine’s Day specials, prix fixe meals, and meal kits from Austin restaurants plus places to score sweets and other inspirational guides.
The clock is ticking — book those orders now, because many of these meals will sell out soon.
Takeout Valentine’s Day Meals in Austin
| Type of Meal | Cuisine | Restaurant | Details | Menu information | Price | Address | Neighborhood | How to Book | Deadline | Pickup and Delivery Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of Meal | Cuisine | Restaurant | Details | Menu information | Price | Address | Neighborhood | How to Book | Deadline | Pickup and Delivery Details |
| Prix fixe | American | 34th Street Cafe | The American restaurant is offering two prix fixe menus that come with a bottle of rosé | View menu online | The four-course meal with smoked beef tenderloin is $135 and the five-course one with hot smoked salmon is $120, both for two people | 1005 West 34th Street | Old West Austin | Email [email protected] or call (512) 415-1752 | Wednesday, February 10 by noon | Pickups and deliveries are avaiable on Sunday, February 14 |
| Prix fixe | Mediterranean | Aba | The Austin location of the Chicago restaurant is offering two-person to-go dinners. There are options to add on wine, cocktails, dishes for children, and even a plant from local shop Tropic of Capicorn. | View menu online | $119.95 for two people | 1011 South Congress Avenue | Travis Heights | Pickup orders can be placed online; there are third-party deliveries available (Uber Eats, Favor, DoorDash) | Saturday, February 13 by 3 p.m. | Pickup and deliveries are available Friday to Sunday, February 12 to 14, 4 to 9 p.m. |
| Single entree + bread and dessert | Spanish | Con’ Olio | Chef Fer Candil of Paellas, Tapas, & More is cooking up freshly made seafood paella as part of the olive oil shop’s takeout meal, with wine bottle add-ons | Seafood paella with lobster; bottle of Con’ Olio vinaigrette, bread, aioli, gluten-free chocolate tarte de Santiago with strawberries | $60 for two servings; $100 | 10000 Research Boulevard, Suite 130; 3500 Farm-to-Market 620 South, Suite F400 | Arboretum; Bee Cave | Online | Tuesday, February 9 | Curbside pickups on Saturday, February 13 at Arboretum from 1 to 3 p.m., and Bee Cave from 2 to 4 p.m. |
| Prix fixe, heat-and-serve, | New American/Texan | Dai Due | The butcher shop/restaurant is putting together four-course single-serving meals for Valentine’s Day. There’s a wild game package and a vegetarian-friendly one, plus options to add the cookie box and bottles of wine. | View menus online | The wild game package for one person is $82; vegetable package for one person is $72 | 2406 Manor Road | Cherrywood | Online | None noted | Pickups are available Saturday to Sunday, February 13 to 14, from 1 to 5 p.m. |
| Prix fixe | Seafood | Garbo’s | The New England seafood restaurant is offering lobster and Delysia chocolates, with options to add butter, lemons, soups, and whole ciritus-based pies | Two whole lobsters from Maine, an ounce of hackleback caviar with creme fraiche and kettle chips, truffled Caesar salad, Delysia chocolate truffles | $250 for two people | 12709 North Mopac | Parmer Point | Online | Thursday, February 4 | Saturday, February 13, 11 a.m. |
| Prix fixe | Russian | Russian House | The Russian restaurant’s offering three different prix fixe meals: meat, seafood, and vegeterian, as well as additional caviar options | View menus online | Single-serving prix fixe meals are all $67.50; caviar is $130 for two people or $700 | 307 East Fifth Street | Downtown | Online | None noted | Pickups and deliveries are available |
| Bento, reheatable | Japanese | Sa-Ten | The Japanese cafe put together a bento centered on the egg omlette with ketchup fried rice dish, plus sides. | Omurice, sides | $12 per person | 4917 Airport Boulevard | North Loop | Online | None noted | Pickups available on Sunday, February 14 |
| Meal kits, prix fixe | New American/Texan | Salt & Time | The butcher shop put together a bunch of meal kits (with two different two-person prix fixe meal with steaks) and raw meat specials | View menus and items online | Steak prix meals are $200 or $225 for the dry-aged option; meats per pound and other goods range from $10 to $20 | 1912 East Seventh Street | East Austin | Online | None noted | Pickups take place on Saturday and Sunday, February 13 and 14 |
| Prix fixe | New American/Texan | Second Bar + Kitchen | The Archer Hotel restaurant is offering a four-course prix fixe menu with add-ons for bubble bottles, breakfast, and chocolate-covered strawberries. | View menu on Instagram | $125 for two people | 3121 Palm Way | Domain Northside | Online | Tuesday, February 9 before 2 p.m. | Saturday, February 13, 2 to 4 p.m. |
| Prix fixe | New American/Texan | The Carillon | The campus restaurant is offering a four-course meal, featuring breads (including a ciabatta or baguette from Easy Tiger), spreads, salads, entrees, and desserts | View menu online | $140 for two people | 1900 University Avenue | Campus | Call (512) 404-3654 | Tuesday, February 9 | Pickups take place on Saturday and Sunday, February 13 and 14 |
| Heat-and-serve, meal kit | New American/Texan | Word of Mouth | The catering company and bakery’s two dinner options — one with meat, the other vegeterian — are available as a meal kit or reheatable formats, with wine bottle add-ons available, plus there are additonal desserts (see below). | View menus online | The dinner with the beef tenderloin filet entree is $90; the vegetarian one is $72 | 917 West 12th Street | Downtown | Email [email protected] or call (512) 617-8411 | Wednesday, February 10 at noon | Curbside pickups and deliveries take place on Saturday, February 13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
Sweets
Opting for a table for two at home or looking for something extra to add to your Valentine’s Day evening? Check out these treats from Austin’s best purveyors of sweets and more and be sure to look over Eater’s picks for the city’s best candy and chocolate shops for more ideas.
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Austin Food & Wine Alliance’s Bake Sale
What: The Austin food nonprofit is hosting its regular bake sale for the holiday. The bake boxes will feature treats from local bakeries and restaurants including Abby Jane Bakeshop, Julie Myrtille Bakery, Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop, El Alma, and others.
Prices: Ranges from $12 to $45
How to Order: Online with a deadline of Tuesday, February 10.
Pickup and Delivery Information: Pickups take place at the Last Straw (1914 East Sixth Street, East Austin) on Sunday, February 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Deliveries are available that same day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cookbook Bakery
710 West Cesar Chavez Street, Downtown
What: The Austin Central Library restaurant is hosting a Valentine’s Day bake sale, featuring dozen strawberry cupcakes, cookie heart cakes available with customizable messages, raspberry sweet rolls, and mimosa kits.
Prices: Cupcakes are $36 for a dozen or $18 for half-dozen; cookie heart cakes are $10
How to Order: Online orders will be open starting on Tuesday, February 2; phone orders are being accepted through (512) 487-5166; as well as Instagram direct-messages. At least 24-hour advance notice.
Pickup Information: Curbside pickups take place from Friday through Sunday, February 12 to 14, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cookie Rich
2201 North Lamar Boulevard, West Campus
What: The cake-ish cookie sandwich company is putting together a Valentine’s Day Special. The strawberry-cheesecake cookie sandwiches are dipped in dark chocolate and then dusted with gold.
Price: $50 for a dozen cookies
How to Order: Online
Pickup and Delivery Information: Pickups and Door Dash deliveries are available from Wednesday through Sunday, February 10 to 14
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Dai Due
2406 Manor Road, Cherrywood
What: Along with its prix fixe heat-and-serve menu (see above), the butcher shop is also putting together a box of Valentine’s Day cookies. The 12-cookie-box includes gingersnaps, Yecora Rojo thumbprints made with a pineapple-guava jam, lemon-cardamom palmiers, and blackberry-pecan oat bars.
Price: $18
How to Order: Online
Pickup and Delivery Information: Pickups are available Saturday through Sunday, February 13 to 14
Delysia Chocolatier
2000 Windy Terrace, Suite 2C, Anderson Mill West
What: The chocolatier has a variety of Valentine’s Day-pegged truffle boxes available. There’s also a virtual wine and chocolate pairing taking place on Sunday, February 13.
Prices: Ranges from $25.95 to $125.95
How to Order: Online
Pickup and Delivery Information: Both are available.
FoliePop
13420 Galleria Circle, Suite A140, Bee Cave
What: The French bakery has two Valentine’s Day offers on hand. First is the French Kiss Cake made with vanilla mousse and strawberry jelly. Then there are boxes of its tartelettes in flavors such as chocolate-hazelnut, raspberry, or peanut butter.
Prices: $25 for two cakes; tartelette boxes are $23 for 12 and $8 for four
How to Order: Online
Pickup Information: Cakes are available for pickups on Saturday through Sunday, February 13 to 14. Tartelettes are also available for walk-in orders.
Lick Honest Ice Creams
Multiple locations
What: The local ice cream makers are whipping up a Valentine’s Day-pegged ice cream cake. The resulting gluten-free Love Ice Cream cake is made with strawberry ice cream plus graham crumbles and dark chocolate.
Price: $45
How to Order: Online. Preorders are being accepted through Sunday, February 7.
Pickup and Delivery Information: Pickups available on Friday through Sunday, February 12 to 14. Deliveries through Goldbelly are also available.
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Maggie Louise Confections
1017 East Sixth Street, East Austin
What: This high-end chocolate shop sells intricately designed swoon-worthy chocolates. There’s an entire Valentine’s Day section.
Prices: Ranges from $5.25 to $85
How to Order: Online
Pickup and Delivery Information: Shipping is available.
Mozart’s Cafe
3825 Lake Austin Boulevard, West Austin
What: The lakeside coffee shop is selling boxes of Valentine’s Day-decorated shortbread cookies.
Price: $31.95
How to Order: Online.
Pickup and Delivery Information: There are pickups, plus deliveries on Friday, January 29; Friday, February 5; Friday, February 12; and Sunday, February 14
Scull House Sweets
What: The home bakery is offering a Valentine’s Day box full of raspberry and dark chocolate hand pies, triple-chocolate brownies, chocolate chip cookie sandwiches, and blood orange pound cake.
Price: TBD
How to Order: Online, but the box isn’t live yet.
Pickup Information: TBD
Tiny Pies
Multiple locations
What: Saying it with pie is always a good idea. For the holiday, the pastry shop has pie love letters, heart-shaped pies, and a box of assorted tiny pies.
Prices: Ranges from $6.50 to $33
How to Order: Order.
Pickup Information: Pickups are available Friday through Sunday, February 12 to 14
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Unicorniverse Vegan Bakery at Dear Diary Coffeehouse
1212 Chicon Street, Central East Austin
What: The new vegan bakery is hosting a bake sale at the vegan coffee shop. Think cakes, macarons, and pastries.
Prices: TBD
How to Order: Preorders are being accepted over email at [email protected] and there is in-person ordering.
Pickup Information: It takes place on Sunday, February 14 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Vivian’s Boulangerie
What: The bakery’s punny Valentine’s Day baked goods and baked good sets include the I Choux Choux Choose You eclairs and the I Am Fine Thank You set with chocolate chip cookies, mac and cheese kolache, and glittery shortbread cookies.
Prices: Ranges from $2 to $100
How to Order: Online. 24 to 48-hour advance notice
Pickup and Delivery Information: Pickup and deliveries take place on Friday through Sunday, February 12 to 14
Word of Mouth
917 West 12th Street, Downtown
What: The catering company and bakery’s dessert options (along with its prix fixe meals, see above) include cute conversational heat cakes made with either sour cream and berries or chocolate with a salted caramel ganache (you can even request your own message and colors) and tins of cookies and sweets such as house-made almond joys, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and cookies.
Price: Cakes are $35; customized cakes are $45; tins are $48
How to Order: Email [email protected] or call (512) 617-8411.
Pickup Information: Available starting on Monday, February 8 at noon with 48-hour notice.
Something Different & More Ideas
Find more Valentine’s inspiration by checking out Eater’s picks for other takeout options: pastries, chocolates and candies, barbecue, sushi, finer-dining, take-and-bake meals/meal kits, wine, cocktails, and beer.