This once-sagging grande dame has cast off its musty furs (and industrial gray carpeting), and undergone a makeover of the rarest and unlikeliest sort: no freakish collagen swelling (relentless PR chest-thumping comes to mind), no invasive surgeries (local superstar commercial designers), and no cartoonish implants (a celebrity chef with little day-to-day control). Of course, the lack of alarms and bulldozers also means that Austin’s most exciting new food experience of the past year, sparked by the arrival of an exciting new chef at Jeffrey’s, has gone largely unnoticed.

We can’t overstate the resurrection that has occurred here. At the surface level, subtle updates like grayscale artwork and a pebble-dotted concrete floor keep Jeffrey’s labyrinth of low-ceilinged rooms homey, yet composed. On the other hand, there’s some geriatric feeling to the music, which we swear is “Fields of Gold” on repeat. But it is on the menu where the more important changes have occurred. Well, almost. Dubya’s favorite crispy oysters on yuca chips appease the loyalists, but they’ve come out soggy, and a better version is now done at Garrido’s. “Oysters Octavia,” which represent the new regime’s penchant for house-cured bacon, are a superior composition, with tangy tomato vinaigrette.

We’ve enjoyed steamed pork buns filled with melting pork belly and kimchi with a sweet-spicy fish sauce for dipping. But the absolute showstopper here is the burger, an express trip to the brain’s pleasure centers, with unapologetically boviney beef kissed by wood, smoke, sensational Veldhuizen Farm cheddar, and whack-you-over-the-head-with-flavor bacon, plus fries that must be fried in something illegal or immoral, they’re so good. Lard? Horse fat?

Perhaps pork. Jeffrey’s has, after all, become The Pig Whisperer; the kitchen understands the animal almost mystically. In other words, if it’s got pork in it, order it. Crispy pork shank is tender, with a light caramelized crust. Hill Country quail, often featured, is also always a standout. The kitchen deftly combines classic French and Southwestern flavors: from grenobloise to jalapeño roulade, flourishes are restrained and appropriate. For dessert, skip the “Chocolate Intemperance,” which is as boring as most old-guard Jeffrey’s dishes, and head for new classics from a seasonal menu, like properly date-sticky toffee pudding.

This is still one of the top wine programs in the city, thorough but uncompromising. Everyone from collectors to points chasers to natural wine geeks are going to find great choices at every price. We previously called for something closer to perfection for Jeffrey’s high bill of sale. We never dreamed we’d get it.

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