Shady Grove

An Austin institution with a great location and ambiance but only average service. The burgers here are the stuff of legend — Shady Grove is one of the few burger places that will actually cook it the way you order it. The onion rings are great but skip the forgettable fries. Whatever you do, don’t be seduced by the non-​burger options on the menu. This is a burger joint first and foremost. And that’s nothing to apologize for.

We love eating here when we visit Austin. Excellent food and fair prices. Perfect place for a family to enjoy!

Arriving: A smokey haze filled the air as my mouth watered with anticipation. There was a large multiracial crowd murmuring outside. There was great seating outside although there was heavy traffic 20 yards away. Being a party of two, we were seated immediately. Come at any time if you’re taking a date!
Seated: The seats are comfortable although they are plastic green chairs. The table was clean and pristine, but crows were flocking around us looking for scraps to masticate. Fearful, I felt like the birds could give me an «ice cream paint job» at any moment. Service was prompt, but the food came out later than expected. It was a little chilly outside, but this place doesn’t have a thermometer outside so I didn’t know I would be cold.
Eating: Their fountain drinks were crisp and full of flavor, not watered down. When the food arrived I was immediately taken aback. There was a cup of butter on my plate. It’s disapointing that in today’s modern age Americans are still stereotyped. The burger I got was average. The first bite was great, but I felt like it lost heat way too quickly, and I could tell that it looked more appetizing to the birds. The fries were made from potatoes so that was okay. Nothing special.
Digesting: My stomach wasn’t angry, but it wasn’t happy either. I felt like crows were crawling around my ankles.
Atmosphere: ⁸⁄₁₀
Taste: 6.5÷10
Service: ⁹⁄₁₀
Bunbelly Scale: 3.5÷10
Post-​Meal Cigarette: ⁴⁄₁₀

We visited for lunch and I had the fried shrimp, hubby had their chicken tacos and my kiddo had the corn dog. This place was kick’n it! The best part was the Oreo Ice Cream Pie they had for today. «So DELISH»!!! Spacious parking and friendly service

I go to Shady Grove too much. It isn’t too much because it is expensive or because I don’t enjoy it. Quite the opposite. It is so reasonable and enjoyable that it makes me lazy and easily becomes one of my Austin go-​to habits.
PRO-​TIP: If eating alone, bypass the host line and slide up to the bar where a full menu and a friendly bartender is available to you.
So I slide up to the bar. It is cold and wet out, so the comfortable lodge atmosphere is just what the doctor ordered. I get a delicious Bacon Cheeseburger with some fries. They come out quickly and beautifully cooked. And even though I am stuffed, I opt for a taste of peach cobbler. I certainly regret the additional calories but that warm, buttery cobbler with vanilla ice cream will never be a regretful choice.
The service is prompt and friendly, but not overly cloying. Prices are crazy reasonable and the servings are generous.
It can get crazy on a nice day when you want to hang in their namesake patio, and rightly so. But don’t forget about them on the dreary days. They certainly do a great job of making a dreary day much warmer and happier.

First time at Shady Grove, and in short — it was amazing !!
You never know when trying something new… But rest assured, if you choose to go to the Shady Grove you will be very satisfied with the food and the bill.
I ordered the pork chop and twice baked potato… and I’ll be returning to have it again… yes, it was THAT good!
Enjoy!

Meh. Very weak drinks. Bland salsa. Very slow service. We waited for a table for 45 mins then sat there for 20 mins before getting service. Had to ask for water 3 times. Had to ask for napkins 3 other separate times. Food was just ok. The dated, dusty, drab interior of the restaurant reminds me of Pennsylvania.

Queso and catfish. Two perfect foods on one plate. Need I say more?
OK, I will.
Went here earlier in the year with a group from work for a relaxing dinner after a day of hard conferencing. You know how grueling those sessions can be hour after hour.
Parking is hassle-​free, and shaded, as the name implies. The patio is awesome with all the fans going to disrupt the flight paths of those nasty bugs that want to steal your queso before you can eat it.
I remember something about a margarita. Maybe two. Horny toad? That rings a bell. Well, they don’t call them mind-​erasers for nothing.
The menu is pretty varied for a beer-​burgers-​music place, and you’ll have a really hard time choosing your death-​by entrée from their broad selection. Their seafood selections really impressed me. I’ve already spilled the queso about what I consumed, but there’s so much more here just waiting to be eaten.
Our service was decent, given that we were really slow to decide on our orders. The restroom trailer is a trip. You’ll think you drank more than you did due to the bouncy-​house flooring.
I can’t wait to go here again. In fact, I had plans to do just that a few weeks ago. My date planned a diversion. That was a sad moment. But it won’t happen again, if you know what I mean.
So who’s up for Shady Grove? Bwhahahahaha!

Nice place for lunch but a little to pricey for me. We both had burgers, cheese for me and green chili for hubby. The outdoor grill taste was good.
Two things threw this experience off: 1) 2 burgers and 2 soft drinks (no sides) were $ 30 with tip and 2) flies, flies and more flies.

Cool casual atmosphere. Was in the area so decided to give this well known spot a try. Shady grove has a nice large patio area for outdoor seating, so this is a good place for nice days. I wasn’t a fan of sitting by the bar and restroom area however, but if you get a good spot I’m sure your experience will be better. Service was friendly and quick also.
Thai grilled shrimp salad: light and refreshing. A nice large size as well, so pretty filling for a salad. Their other salads and entrees looked good too.
Drinks are good and a fair price, with nice happy hour specials as well. I would recommend this as a very casual family spot! I heard unplugged at the grove on Thursday nights is also very fun.

Why does anyone come here?
Terrible, terrible food… lackluster service… only «ok» outdoor seating. Yet another «famous Austin» joint that needs to go away.

Shady grove is a real Austin experience. Sitting under the big tree and drinking a cold beer. Can life get any better I submit it can not. There was a wait when we got there so we went to the bar and got a beer. But you don’t mind waiting because it’s so nice just to sit there and have a beer. We started by ordering the French fries with the queso and green chilies. I ordered the catfish with the queso. It was really good but what I really enjoyed was my side item I chose the jalapeño potato oh my you have to get this if you go to Shady grove. My husband ordered the grilled chicken breast with the hatch chilies and cheese he enjoyed it. For dessert they had cobbler. the cobbler is great don’t miss out on it. The waitstaff is really great Looking forward to going back when the weather gets cooler and sit outside.

Went here last Saturday, and sat on the patio.
Food, I’d give 3 stars, patio/​ambience, 4 – 5, and service was a five.
The patio, even on a hot August day, was comfortable. Plenty of umbrellas and big fans to keep you cool.
In our group, we had the glazed pork chop and chicken fried steak, with slaw, fries, and sauteed veggies on the side.
The pork chop was really good, though overly salty. It mixed well with the crunchy, fresh veggies, which the server recommended. The slaw was fresh, with quite a kick. Thought it had too many red peppers, though, which overpowered the other flavors.
My friend enjoyed the CFS, with pecans in the breading, but I thought the pecans were out of place. Another powerful flavor that took away from the meat. Fries were homemade and fresh, but nothing to write home about.
My friend then had the chocolate chip pecan pie. Way too rich for me, but she liked it. They still didn’t have Blue Bell ice cream, so we did without any ice cream.
Overall, recommended, though I’d stick with the specialties.

This place is a quintessential Austin place with the outdoor seating and laid back attitude. I really enjoy the outdoor seating when it’s not summer time, but yesterday was great. We sat near the bar and the breeze and fans really made it enjoyable, even in August. We love the people watching and it also gives you a good opportunity to see the food come out to the tables and decide what looks good to you that day. I had the green chili grilled chicken which was good with the chili’s cheese and bacon. I still like the chicken fried chicken with either the gravy or green chili and cheese better. We also had the queso catfish, which has a great crust and really pairs well with the queso. The green chili and cheese fries are outstanding. I’ve come here just to have those with a cold pint. We had a great time.

Free music on Thursday nights this summer and the best burger with bacon that I tryed in Austin until now! Amazing taste. When I think in a really good burger with bacon… I remember that place!
Frozen sangria on Thursday is a good option to drink enjoying live music sitting on the grass! Many people ordering food in the same time so it can take some time to be ready.

Service was slightly slow but the food was excellent as always. I got a half order of pulled pork nachos and was only able to eat ½ of what was on the plate. I loved these nachos and would have them again!

Shady Grove its been too long! We visited Shady Grove over the July 4^th weekend while visiting with family and I’ve forgotten just how great this place is.
If you love Onion Rings you MUST try these, honestly I think they are the best I’ve EVER eaten and this girl has eaten a few ‘rings throughout the years so I would consider myself an Onion Ring Aficionado (AKA) great judge of Onion Rings.
The Cheese Burger (yes, this is definitely a diet-​BLOW OUT lunch) I had was super delicious as well, from the bun, to the meat, and the fixin’s it was nothing short of delish!

This place is hip, hip, hip! Very busy for a Friday @ 2:00, that tells you it’s good.
We had burgers and sandwiches and one was better than the other.
We had pies for dessert, pecan and chocolate cream that were fantastic .
It a little noisy but in a happy party way .
They have a large outside sitting area if the weather is good and the wait staff were great.

Next to Zilker, tons of outdoor seating, lit up ambiance.
This place is great!
The hostess station was outside when we went, and we gave them our name and told us it would be about 40 minutes for outdoor seating, which we were willing to wait because it was OH so nice out.
We headed to the outdoor bar and started with the bright and delicious Prickly Pear Margarita. Before we sat down we got a Texas Martini. That was the golden ticket!
We got seated outside on the patio in a cute little corner near the awesome bathroom trailer. Yes, a trailer! One of the nicest bathrooms I’ve been in at a not-​so-​fancy place.
I got the Veggie Plate which had TONS of super fresh vegetables including squash, spinach, carrots, mushrooms and broccoli. The dish had a lot of summery flavors, and the garlic mashed were devine. I had to be a little bad, right?!
My friends got a veggie nachos and green chili fries. Both came out with an abundance of stuff on them, just the way you’d expect when you order something like that. I tried the nachos, and they were perfectly cheesy, jalapenoed awesomeness.
The service was also awesome. Our waiter was super friendly and attentive.
We will be back!

I apologize, Shady Grove, for giving you such an abysmal review a few years ago. You see, I wasn’t in great company, and my sandwich was soggy. So, yeah. I’ve been back several times since and your service and food have been great.
Soggy sandwich aside (say that 5 times fast, mwahaha), they have killer margaritas here, and the queso catfish is by far a super unique dish that should be a must try for Austinites and tourists alike.
The patio is hoppin, and if there’s a long wait just order a drink at the outside bar and bask on the lawn in the sunshine.