The Oasis on Lake Travis

Great patio/​sunset watching venue in Austin, TX.
Fun bar food to pair with your favorite libation; great place to chillax.
On the list of things to do when in Austin.

The views are good, but you can see similar views by just driving up here. Came here on a Sunday and everything was closed, there was nothing really to do. Not worth the longer drive out in my opinion.

After hearing chatter about how The Oasis is really about the «View» and perhaps drinks and not about the food or service, I was still interested in experiencing the Oasis for myself. My final conclusion is that the «chatter» is basically correct. While the food wasn’t great, it wasn’t bad either and our waitress was actually very good.
I expected a small place, but the Oasis is actually pretty big with lots of tables and room. The view is amazing and it seems to be tucked away in the hills. I like that the Oasis kind of takes you away to another place. It doesn’t feel like Texas or Austin and has a upscale vibe to it. I’m sure this is the kind of place where each visit is slightly different whether its the service or food or drinks, but overall it’s a beautiful spot with tons of potential and I can definitely see this as one of my new «chill spots.»

Super duper awesome service, spectacular view, but maybe you shouldn’t really eat here.
My relative ordered a side of sweet potato fries and it was a very sad and tiny basket. Everything else looked just ok– it’s definitely a place where you are paying more for the view or atmosphere than food. We did get complimentary chips and salsa with our drinks though. I also realized they don’t have too many beers on tap here, but again, it doesn’t seem like that sort of place.

You don’t go to the Oasis for the food, you go for the view.
The restaurant is built as a series of terraces to maximize the view, especially at sunset. I recommend checking the sunset time in your weather application and showing up some 30 minutes earlier.
There are a number of interesting shops around the restaurant, a concert/​party terrace, and another restaurant, Soleil, that serves pretty good food, but was closed this time.
The food was OK. We had the fajitas. My daughter had the burger which was slightly above average. They have good margaritas and a good selection of beer. Service is quite good too.
We had the sopapillas for dessert, courtesy of the restaurant because of a birthday, and they were delicious. If we were not so full we would have ordered more. You must try them. Next time we might just order drinks and dessert.

Jason was great. Drinks were tasty enough. Views, patio, and atmosphere all get a thumbs up. The sunset was pretty darn gorgeous. We shared appetizers… chips and dip/​lettuce wraps… don’t go for the food for sure. Go for the scenic views and the relaxing vibe.

The only good thing about this place is the view. And I think that’s sad because it already has the view!!! It obviously has bad management and needs new employees with some knowledge of customer service. If the employees aren’t totally rude, they just don’t care about their job.
This place needs to be swept out and refilled with good employees, consistent décor, signs to direct people where to go, new menus, new food options, music always playing, more hustle and bustle! I’ve been here 4 times and every time I walk in I’m weirded out by how dead and vacant this place is. It just needs a little TLC and it will be a huge money maker!

Austin is one of my favorite cities in US!
The Oasis is located on Lake Travis — amazing view! The food, not so much. Service wasn’t all that either. Our server was working with 10 other tables so we barely got any attention — order was delayed, water came after 15 mins, food was delayed, etc.
There’s lots of great tex-​mex places in Austin I’d rather go to, and come to Oasis to watch the sunset. Maybe grab a drink there.

Gorgeous place!
The lake view is stunning. Definitely worth the stop if you are visiting Austin.

Don’t be phased by all the haters!
So… here is the lowdown. Like many others, I have been meaning to head to the Oasis but couldn’t quite convince myself to head there because of all the terrible reviews. But, it was a beautiful Sunday, and I just NEEDED to cross this place off my list.
When we got there — I was immediately blown away. What a cute little getaway! We put our names down and during the 30 minute wait went upstairs and picked up some AMAZING hot sauce and jerky.
We were seated right around sunset at an amazing table. Bring warm clothes because the space heaters don’t do much.
The chips and salsa were fresh and delicious. I would give this 4 stars alone. The waiter was attentive and prompt. I had the Ahi Tuna Salad which was pretty okay — like Panera Bread quality food and the bf had the pulled pork enchiladas which he liked. The margaritas were also nice, but next time I may skip the queso.
All in all — the food was a bit overpriced for what it was but the view was totally worth it.
I definitely recommend going — but perhaps go to have chips/​salsa and a drink, watch the sunset, and head elsewhere for dinner.

They have very Bad customer service. We stopped by this place on our Austin trip. The Oasis has a very good view of the lake, but that’s about it. The food sucks, the customer service sucks. The waitress set us down on the 3^rd floor on a table outside by the patio. Granted by the fact that we asked to be seated outside, we immediate realized that we didn’t have a good view. I came back downstair to ask the front receptionist to be transferred to a lower level and was asked by a blunt comment:
«What’s wrong with the spot you seated?»
I responded: «Everything! I didn’t like it up there, is it possible we be seated on the 2^nd floor?»
Then we were taken to a spot by the sun. We asked if they can put up an umbrella to block out the sun and got a response:
«No we don’t put up umbrellas!»
We ordered Nachos, a beer, and a margaritas. The food was ‘eh’, wasn’t impressive, but we knew what we were getting so that was the reason why we ordered just the Nachos. We left after that. Food sucks, customer service sucks, great view. They were banking on the view anyhow. I may come back, but just for a quick rest stop.

Great space set on some prime property. It was quite the trek to get up here but we had a good time. We sat in the starlight lounge and there was a great band playing. Theres a dance floor and huge outside patio. We came here for the sunset and drinks. We only offered chips and gauc so I can’t say much about the food. Overall, it’s a great place to bring people from out of town, like myself. The service is very spotty though.

The Oasis on Lake Travis is a tourist destination off Lake Travis in Austin where you’ll restaurants, shopping, & one of the best sunset views in Texas. Yes, it’s nothing like what it used to be: a charming, Tex-​Mex restaurant with average food and an amazing view. Now it’s a huge tourist complex with average food & an amazing view. I get it. If you’re here, you’re here for the view. If you want good food, downtown Austin in 30 minutes away.
My Overall Rating — 3 Stars (Atmosphere, Service, Food, Return)
Atmosphere — The Oasis on Lake Travis has more of a theme park feel than a cozy restaurant. There’s now a huge multi-​level parking complex, valet parking, shopping, and multiple restaurants/​floors with live music on most nights. Oh year, it also happens to overlook the west side of Lake Travis, meaning if you’re here during the evening you may get a spectacular view. I don’t know how much I want to stress this, it’s an awesome view. And if you’ve come all this way, this is what you want to experience. 1 Star.
Service — I was here for a private party and we had a dedicated space with our own staff. They were extremely nice and helpful, doing everything from managing the bar, coordinating dinner, and of course serving our dinner. Not sure what service is like in the normal restaurant by my experience was great. 1 Star.
Food — We had a catered dinner that consisted of a great, nicely seasoned shrimp cocktail along with a fried snapper with salad. Who am I kidding, the food was good but not great. Again, understand you’re here for the view, and if you really are here for the food someone has tricked you. ½ Star.
Will I Return? — Only with other tourists. The Oasis on Lake Travis is a GREAT location to visit if you want to wow someone with a great view. Throw in live music & a party atmosphere and it should make any tourist happy. I would take my out of state relatives here. I would come for a private party, but I would never come here on my own if food was the reason why. Keep that in mind if you ever visit. ½ Star.
My Unilocal Rating Scale (Sum of all parts):
1 Star — Atmosphere — Is it a cool dive? Perhaps an upscale place? No matter the type, atmosphere plays a big part and I’ll give a star if I like it or thinks it has great charm.
1 Star — Service — You can have a great meal with bad service. But that’s also what can make a five star joint drop to four. It’s important to the dining experience that service is great and on point.
2 Stars — Food — I’ll award up to two stars for the food, since this is the main reason we dine out. Sometimes the extra star is given for value, but it’s really all about the food.
1 Star — Will I come back? — If I know for a fact I’ll return, I’ll give this a star. A place has to make an impression for me to return.
Each Category can be given up to 1 star except food (2 stars) because I consider all these categories important to the overall dining experience. I will sum them up to provide my final Unilocal score.

Despite all the bad reviews, we decided to risk coming here even just for the view. We were pleasantly surprised that we got great service, great food, and of course great views.
We were seated in less than 10 minutes. Our server John was very friendly and attentive. And we loved the free chips and salsa! Both the chicken and shrimp diablo were good (shrimp diablo a bit overpriced at $ 25 for a plate of 5 shrimp) and the tortilla soup was good too. The food came out very quickly, maybe 5 – 10 minutes from when we ordered.
Enjoyed the margaritas and my Corona-​rita too!
We came at around 6:45 before the lines got crazy.

Which one of you asshats deleted my review again? Yes, I’m sure I wrote one.
Still a tourist trap and always expect to wait an hour on any given weekend. Here will be even busier now that a few neighboring restaurants have closed their doors. What’s that? Do I smell a slow dying death like Highland Mall?
The surroundings are very cheery for the mood conscious people. You can get a little therapy here and after you’ve absorbed enough you get back in your vehicle, drive down the steep winding roads for 10 minutes and save you a lot of money but nobody comes here for a bargain right? (Yes, I know the roads are not that steep here, I’m from Houston where there is nothing but flats).
Let’s see, the other 3 times I have eaten here I can remember that the service is nominal (they are usually busy and have a lot of tables).
The burgers and fries were usually greasy and the chips for salsa were a little stale. On a parallel note, this place will probably never die because there is always an influx of out of towners like me that are willing to pay a premium for bad food and service.
If you are a first timer here, you must at least try here one time for the experience. It’s really not that bad… until you’ve been here about 3 times.

I wish I were mega-​rich, so I could open up a cashcow of a craptastic joint. Seriously, other than the view… what’s the point of this place?
Shitty food
Shitty drinks
Shitty service
Such a shame.

OK short and sweet and to the point:
VIEW: AMAZZZINNNGG! Best I have seen of Travis. Sunset was beautiful.
ATMOSPHERE: Great. Loved the wide open space and the balcony. Also loved that there was a huge stage with live music playing. The band was even good. BUT music was ridicuosly loud. Could not hear anyone at my table throughout our whole meal. Add on stores was strange and like a ghost town…
SERVICE: Ok not gonna lie, as in all reviews it sucked. Waitress took her time. never got my drink refill, highchair i needed, extra tortilla’s I ordered, etc, etc…
FOOD: So we ordered two orders of fajitas to split (the big ones fit for two people) There was four of us and there was alot of food. The chicken one were great. Wasn’t really a fan of the rice and beans though. Didn’t try the steak ones. i was told by my mother that the steak was dry…
ALL IN ALL: I would return on a not so busy night… and get another mango margerita. because that was pretty damn good

BEFORE I lived in Austin, The Oasis was a must do on each visit. Now, I only live a few miles away and have no desire to go. The Oasis used to be so cool! The «sunset capital of Texas» was very fitting. Even though the food was subpar and the drinks were expensive (both still true) sitting on one of the many small levels off decks overlooking Lake Travis made it all worth it.
THEN there was the fire in 2005. A lot of changes made during the rebuild; however, it still had great charm with its dolphin statues, huge outdoor wooden deck with stage, and great seating.
NOW the owner has turned it into a disgustingly egregious, over-​the-​top touristy piece of rubbish! He and a partner tried to expand even further by building and leasing other retail and restaurants venues onsite = HUGE FAILURE! Restaurants are closed and, with the exception of a jerky shop and a small winery, all of the retail spots are empty. Ghost town.
Some may attribute the demise to the drought that poor Lake Travis is currently suffering; however, the downfall began well before the Lake started to disappear.
Tip: Go to the Iguana Grill just a short drive down 620. The foods a little better, the drinks are a little less expensive, and you still get that great view — without all the tourists and rude waiters.

«You have to see the sunset,» they said. «You have to try the drinks,» they said. So we did!
We managed to make it out west on a Sunday night and to our surprise it was Salsa night! The wait was about half an hour but we managed to snag a little patio set that had the perfect view and was conveniently located next to a bar. The staff still waited on us and even helped us get a table on the third floor in the Salsa room.
Solamente!
The place was packed. How did I miss this memo? Every Sunday, with a live band. There were lots of groups seated; glad to see that this is an option for a fun group outing.
Be sure to try The Sipper — Tito’s and grapefruit soda with a splash of elder flower liqueur. You won’t be disappointed.

Go for the drinks, stay for the sunset, and DO NOT eat the food!
I can’t say I was not warned (thank you Austin Unilocal friends). The setting and restaurant are absolutely gorgeous. There are a ton of different patios to choose from to soak in the sun. The statues and gardens were happy, bright, and well maintained.
Tip: bring your camera for amazing pictures for fun memories with your friends and family.