Johnny Fins

I’m not sure why no one has flagged this place as CLOSED. I drove out there last weekend and the restaurant is completely gone. When I say gone, I’m not exaggerating. This is a floating restaurant. When the water disappeared in this part of the lake due to the drought, they physically moved the restaurant somewhere until the water returns. The harbor/​marina located next to it (Hurst Harbor) is also closed due to drought.
It’s really sad to see what’s happened to these once thriving businesses. The lake here is not low, it is totally dry. There is a big dry, grass covered canyon where there was once a lake. In a couple spots you can see an abandoned boat lying out in the canyon and an abandoned dock out there. Of course we knew there was a drought since we live in Austin, and we knew the lake was low, but we had no idea that there were parts that had turned into grass covered canyons. It was a mind blower.
Anyway, I am writing this to alert others and hopefully save you a wasted drive out there. The phone number for the restaurant is also disconnected. It was a decent place so I hope they can resurrect the place if/​when the drought ends. Good luck to all the affected businesses.

Great place to come when the lake isn’t almost empty. I love to come in the evenings when they have live music so I can get my drink AND dance on. Nothing memorable about the food. The atmosphere is fun for adults and children alike.

Much more casual than expected. Probably not good for families and not handicap accessible. Way more casual than we were looking for and all the ducks confirmed it. No a/​c inside tonight. Ten minute wait for ice tea but the sangria swirl was great. We decided to eat dinner elsewhere. Customer service was great and we felt like they cared. This place would be great for adults wearing a swimsuit wanting a casual place for drinks and a casual meal.

Went to Johnny Fin’s for the first time last weekend. I have passed this place many times while out on the water the past few months and decided to go check it out.
The restaurant actually has a fair amount of ambiance. The live band was decent, though a little loud while sitting outside.
Since the water level is so low, there is a very long walk from the parking lot down a walkway to the restaurant. That’s something they don’t have any control over.
Things they do have control over are food and service, both of which are lacking in quality.
We were seated promptly, but then did not see a waiter or anyone for 10 minutes. Eventually, we got our beers and then food. Since I was on the water, I was in a seafood type of mood. Yes, I know that Austin is landlocked and seafood probably should not have been my first choice. Both the shrimp and fish were inedible. My friend likened it to day old Long John Silver’s.
So, we waited for another 15 minutes to flag down our waitress for a check. I informed her that I wasn’t pleased with the meal and was surprised that they did nothing to try and remedy the situation. Granted, our tab was only $ 50, but still… I would have had a few more drinks if we had prompt service.
Definitely will pass this place by in the future…

My wife and I ate lunch here in early May. The food was ok (the popcorn shrimp was VERY overpriced). From the outdoor sitting area, we could see ducks, turtles and huge carp. We were seated within 5 feet of a giant fan. The live band was ok and not too loud. Might come again, knowing what to expect.

The ambiance of this floating restaurant was fun. The food was mediocre. I had the special, which was a buffalo chicken sandwich. I was surprised when I got it that they just used white sandwich bread… okay…
The best part, by far, was sitting next to the water and throwing our leftovers over the side and watching the ducks and catfish «fight» for them. You’d be surprised how entertaining that can be. And since the food was nothing to write home about, I didn’t mind ditching a bunch of it over the side.

Pretty good burger with an other wordly bun.

Need a place to get off the water (boat docks) for a little while and have a drink and maybe something to eat? I dont think you can go wrong here. The «Voice» was playing old 70’s tunes to boot. Our fish tacos were good, the beer was cold and the scenery was stellar. I have no problem stopping over anytime! People, dont expect the Oasis, expect a great place to chill with friends and enjoy what the lake has to offer.

Fun place. It’d unique. The food is just ok. The beer is warm. The music is local stuff. The service is good and friendly.

I used to go to this place as a kid in the ‘80s back when it was called «Vincent’s on the Lake»… so I’ve got very rosy memories of this place. Like most of the lakefront dining restaurants on Lake Travis, this one is just solidly OK. Nothing special or unexpected. It is neat to eat on a floating restaurant, though! :) Waitstaff is perennially clueless, but all of that is made up for by the festive atmosphere, often live music, views, etc.

I came here this past weekend to have a few drinks and get some queso on the recommendation of my dad. This place did not disappoint. It is rather strange in that you can either drive to it or if you’re on the lake in a boat you can just dock at the marina or at the actual restaurant and come on in.
It sits directly on the lake on top of the pier. They have live music playing outdoors, though we sat inside since it was way too hot for late June.
The food we received was excellent. The queso with fajita meat was excellent and I highly recommend it.
I will be back.

Do not go for the food. Go for the experience. I found the food fit for a frat boy. Lots of fried items. Burgers. Nachos. Big salads that are half iceberg lettuce. I ordered shrimp, the only grilled item on the menu. It came with two sides: a dinner salad (served halfway into the meal because there was a kitchen mishap) and red beans and rice (which turned out to be sausage and rice with 4 red beans). For lake food, it was passable.
This is a great place for people watching. Be sure to sit outside closer to the lake, well, actually you will be on the lake. This is a floating restaurant. A very large boat named «Better Now» pulled up while we waited for our meal. We studied the name and the couple on board and unanimously determined that it came right after the blonde’s breast enhancement. There were several families of lovely ducks floating on the lake waiting for food. Unfortunately, the band was loud so we had to work our conversation in and out of the crappy singing.
On the way home, I mentioned to my husband that I thought it was odd that I did not have a buzz from the margarita. Then I remember I had not ordered one. And he quipped, «You have developed a tolerance for not drinking margaritas.»

Last night, Wednesday, I met friends at Johnny Fins karoke night for the first time. Wow, what a great time I had! I love floating on the water, under a huge tent with colored lights, listening to some of the most amazing singers! The wait staff was very friendly as was every patron there. I was treated like I was a regular. One of the highlights of the evening came when a family of ducks, very deliberately and slowly, walked across the middle of the dance floor (like they owed it) over to a table by the water, where they were given a few morsels to eat. Then, without missing a beat, dove back into the water. I love this place and will definitely be back. Oh, I forgot, the food isn’t bad either!

Really really good highly reccomend

Get dem burgers… OH MAN, i cant even tell you how good the dang buns are, what in the world do they season them in honey or what, those are insane!
I dont know about anything else there, but them burgers great! And 5 or 6 bucks at a resturant, on the lake, is totally acceptable… The place floats!
Go there, get burgers, dont get anything else but burgers, and ENJOY!!!
Oh, wait, I lied, I had the Steak flautas and they were also quite good.

Compared to other Lake Travis establishments, Johnny Fins is easily above average. You don’t get the expansive view from up top, but instead the restaurant is actually on the lake which is really cool. Echoing everyone else’s sentiments, I wasn’t overly impressed by the food, but the ambiance and location is why you come here. I was with family friends who own a yacht on the lake, and they insist Johnny Fins has the best food on the lake. And it was actually pretty good. I enjoyed the blackened catfish with shrimp, and the fried catfish I sampled wasn’t bad, if not a little bland. The menu is very basic. I think the only non-​catfish fish entrée was a tilapia dish.
Good but not great food, excellent service, and an amazing atmosphere and location. Not a bad bet when you’re out at the lake.
Also, you may wanna check the current location of the restaurant, as it moves when the water levels change.

The food is average at best but that’s not why you go to Johnny Fins. Its about the experience, so sit outside and feed the ducks.

it was my first time dining at a lake. Johnny Fin’s did not make good first impression.
the wings were so-​so. i had sooo much better at hooters or even at TGIF. my h2b ordered chicken and shrimp grille and he was quite disappointed. chicken was bland but shrimp was good with salsa.
although, the venue was quite cool. i mean, as other reviewers mentioned, it’s a floating restaurant. i’m not sure if we have something like that in LA.

I can find this place via boat; but, if I ever have to drive a car here I’ll have to look up the directions. As John D. stated yes this «is a floating restaurant» and I too remember when it was Sam Hill.
This is my Bro-In-Law’s favorite place to eat on the lake because they got lots of parking and good pads for fast easy parking. As apposed to Hula Hut and Sea Shore Grill on Lake Austin where it takes 30 minutes to launch your own pads to protect the boat from getting banged up IF you can find a parking spot.
And they have good food; however, I do prefer Hula Hut’s food and Margaritas. But, heck they got great specials — on Mondays kids eat for a penny and Wednesday you can get 12 fried shrimp for the price of 6! And they have an Orange Creamcicle Shot that tastes just like it’s name sake — I would not normally ever recommend a sweet shot but this one is worth trying.
During the summer it gets very busy but they also offer some good live music so the wait is an easy wait with a cold adult beverage of choice.

Once upon a time, this place was called «Sam Hill». Now, it’s called Johnny Fins. I have no idea why the name change. It probably doesn’t matter since it’s still the same place, through and through.
Johnny Fins is a floating restaraunt. You have to walk down a dock a couple hundred feet to get to it depending on the level of the lake. There are oodles of boat docks surrounding the restaraunt, and it’s easy to see that a fair number of the patrons floated in on boats as opposed to the more conventional «car» method of transportation.
The food is decent — po boys, fish tacos, burgers. More affordable then the Oasis and Carlos and Charlies, I prefer Johnny Fins to both since it isn’t so huge. Plus, you can on occassion get a table that is literally right on the water. From said tables, your left over chips and fries are appreciated by the fish population nearby.
Many weekend nights, there is a band (usually a cover band) outside and the good times last well in to the night. There are lots of fruity, beach drinks on the menu but plenty of good beer as well and the staff is both friendly and competent, which is more then can be said for a number of lake-​spots.
However, in the winter months, Johnny Fins may as well be deserted. Even though they are open, you’re not likely to find more than a single waiter, a bartender, and only a couple other patrons munching on some food before heading home.
Between Memorial Day and Labor Day = A+, great time.
During football season and in to spring = B-​, decent place to grab a bite, but don’t expect too much.