Eating on Lake or waterway. (Austin, Hurst: appointed, hotel, houses)

[Momof3OK]

HI

Are there any good places to eat on the water or beside the water with great views in or around Austin? (Willing to drive an hour in any direction) We just moved here and back in our old town there was a cafe on the lake. Great place to grab fish or burger and watch waves, animals and sunsets. Are there any food/cafe/restaurants like that around Austin?

Thanks

[CptnRn]

There is a new place opened up on Hurst Creek Shades Cafe
Also on Hurst Creek, Lake Travis is Johnny Fins Johnny Fins - Home

But there is no question for the best views The Oasis high on top of the cliffs above Lake Travis beats them all. The OASIS Restaurant- Sunset Capital of Texas

The http://www.iguanagrillaustin.com/ is also high above the lake with great views.

[G Grasshopper]

Although the Oasis has not been know for its great food, I just read that they have a new head chef who is wanting to upgrade the menu and cooking, so it will be interesting to see how that comes out.

[TexasHorseLady]

Wow. I don't know what I'd think if the Oasis actually had decent food!

[G Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Wow. I don't know what I'd think if the Oasis actually had decent food!

Here are the details (as read in Community Impact Newspaper, August 6.)
The Oasis has gotten a new executive chef, whose name is Morris Buck, who received his training at Le Cordon Bueu College of Culinary Arts. They said he would be reviewing the main menu and developing new specials every two weeks. The article says that the owner admits that "the food was not always as good as it is now." Although the goal is not to make it a "fine dining establishment", but to serve "good, afordable, fun food." Well, that's my little synopsis, but there does appear to be hope for an improved eating experience.

[10scoachrick]

It's hard to schedule; but, if you can go on a partly cloudy afternoon, it's more enjoyable, IMO. You can absolutely get cooked watching a clear sunset while trying to enjoy the views. 'No free lunch', as they say. Last time we went to Iguana Grill(food wasn't bad, service was strange), we needed sunglasses, visors, umbrella, whatever...until the sun finally dropped behind the horizon. Beautiful sight otherwise!

[HappyTexan]

When it comes to the Oasis..it's drinks with munchie food..not full course meals.
Go there with low expectations on the food and you won't be disappointed.
The Oasis is all about the view and ambiance.

[cjbailey]

Steiner Ranch Steakhouse, great views of Lake Travis. High quality music nightly, good food...pricey but fair. The Oasis- for the view and yes they are tweaking the menu. Hula Hut is fun, and right on Lake Austin. That may not be such a good view now (in light of the flooding).

[atxcio]

Most people are mentioning just the Lake Travis restaurants... And that's where you'll get the most breathtaking views because of the hills. However, there are MANY restaurants on the water in Austin, if you just want to be next to the water, watch boaters, or maybe pull up in a boat. No waves though, unless you up your driving time to 3.5 hours and go to the coast!

On Ladybird Lake (technically a lake, but really a river adjacent to downtown), you have some hotel restaurants along the banks. A couple are:
fine dining and lady bird lake view in austin, texas | Shoreline Grill by the Four Seasons
Southwest Bistro at the Hyatt - Austin, TX

Just upstream, on Lake Austin, in Tarrytown (just 2 miles from DT) you have Oyster Landing. That's a little place right on the lake that houses a coffee shop and 2 restaurants right on the water... you can sit out on piers, drive up on boats, watch the jet skiers, etc.
Mozart's Coffee Roasters, specialty coffee, Austin, Texas.
Abels on the Lake | Austin, Texas | Home *burgers
Hula Hut - Lake Austin - Austin, Texas

Other places along Lake Austin include Ski Shores Cafe (twisty, interesting drive to get there)
SKI SHORES 2010 *burgers

And not on the main body of the lake, but on a little tributary (bull creek) is the County Line "On the Lake" BBQ: The County Line BBQ-come see us for great food & fun! (http://www.countyline.com/comeseeus.asp#Austin%20%28On%20the%20Lake%29 - broken link)

There are also many more on Lake Travis a little farther out. Certainly within an hour's drive, you can find tons of them!

But as the previous posters have mentioned, the most popular one (and probably the best views) is the Oasis. That definitely needs to be on your list if you've never gone.

[Momof3OK]

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions.