One word: Carla. My guys were completely smitten with her and the GREAT service she provided to our table. No, she did not do a table dance, people! It was better than that! Carla was our friendly, gorgeous, helpful "menu dancer". Every recommendation from the fried oysters and crab cakes appetizers to the pork chop and scallops entrée were perfect and delicious. I love the valet service! It always makes me feel special and pampered. Last Saturday it was raining and I'd already thrown a small fit about hubby not carrying an umbrella in his car. Okay, I get it. It's Austin and we are in a kind of drought. When we pulled up curbside, I was able to hop out and scoot right in the door. Try the Goat Cheese Custard and Ginger Doughnuts after you've indulged in a lovely plate of food. Or, for a late night pick me up, just go for coffee and dessert. Sit by the window and watch the world of Sixth Street unfold. read more

Great happy hour from 5-6:30pm. All drinks except wine are half off! Bar food is half off. We had the burger and fries, steak and fries, and calamari which was great! I also had the drink "attitude adjustment" which was good. read more

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Wednesdays are my new favorite days. Half price bubbles and champagne, with some of THE best oysters in town, has to be the best happy hour in town read more

Don't come hungry as the portions are very small, however if you are hungry, secure a loan from your bank before coming because while the portions are tiny the price isn't. Also as a warning, your sides are ordered as ala carte and not included in the price. I have nothing against expensive or fancy small portions, however the atmosphere feels like a very casual restaurant and I wasn't expecting the small portions. Seeing someone sitting at the bar eating a burger and fries might have thrown me off. read more

Bone marrow was exceptional. Service and ambience were very accommodating. They stayed open for us even though we arrived 30 mins prior to close. read more

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I really wanted to like Parkside, but sadly they came up way too short. First thing to know, your menu is worthless. Minimalism can work in architecture, but not so much on a menu. The three to four word 'description' of the food isn't even enough to get your imagination going, but don't worry the waitstaff will explain everything during their 20 minute lecture on the subject of what food you might enjoy and how to combine things on the menu. It was exhausting to listen to it all plus it really didn't help matters as no one at our table could recall the first 15 minutes of the talk. If I ever return, I must remember to take notes. The service from the kitchen was sporadic and this was a rather calm Thursday night. No food showed up for about 40-minutes, then half our our table's appetizers along with half of our entrees came at the same time. We received the remaining portions of our meal over the next 25-minutes. Oddly enough, an appetizer was the last thing to arrive. How postmodern of them. No pricing or brand information on the wine list. No prices on the drink menu at all (other then sake). I don't think I'm cheap, but I do like to know how much one of their Red Dawn cocktails will cost me (r.i.p. Patrick Swayze) before the bill arrives. Kill the TVs. Really, get rid of the TVs. TVs and the fine dining experience they are trying to create do not go together at all and seems to suggest that they are not sure what kind of restaurant they want to be. But all this could be forgiven if the meal was outstanding or at least memorable. Sadly, that did not happen. Nothing was garbage, but for $20+ a plate, you should really hope for more. The small platter of oysters were okay, even if gritty, the marrow bones were so-so and calamari was just horrible (think chewy and tasteless with a topping of freezer burn). That said, there was one dish that did work as the pork jowels were amazing. Just melted in the mouth and full of flavor. If anything else was even half as good as this, there would be more stars coming their way. Sadly, nothing else came close. One more positive was our waitress. She was very nice and apologized for the issues with the kitchen. Overall, I think that Parkside has the potential to do something great for the Austin food scene, but they must make some changes. They need to rework their menu to make it less confusing, get their kitchen in sync and either lower their prices or improve their food (I hope they go this direction). If they don't, I'm afraid their only patrons will be conventioneers on the company card. read more

Had an awesome experience at Parkside - our waitress was amazing! First off, bragging rights on the service. Sam was super attentive and just all-around awesome. She made our experience 5 stars. She was super knowledgable about the menu and helped us pick... The raw bass - if you like ceviche this is kinda like next level! Bone marrow - absolute must. I love salty sows bone marrow and this one absolutely competes. 5 stars. The duck - my absolute favorite! The salmon - also really really great! read more

Forget for a moment the location... I was lucky enough to endure Parkside on someone else's dime. Actually, the pretentious staff would have been more tolerable if I didn't know, absolutely, that we were being gouged for second rate food. What's so painful about Parkside is knowing that there is truly authentic food within walking distance, but your car is stuck with their parking service. Skip Parkside and head over to Perla's. You won't be sorry. read more

Well balanced flavors, friendly service, good drinks. The portions are smaller, which can be a good thing if that's what you're looking for. The menu was just a little confusing with the family sides, but everything else was great. read more

Boy, am I glad that my boss picked Parkside for our team dinner. I've been wanting to go to Parkside for a while; it's always been the outlier on Dirty Sixth in comparison to Malaia, Aquarium, and Bling Pig. The fact that it was on my boss' tab and that he insisted we go all out and get everything we wanted made it all the better. The food kept coming out, the drinks were flowing, and it was such a great experience overall. I would definitely return. We started off with quite a few appetizers that we shared around, and among my favorites were lamb pastrami, ceviche, and the fried oysters. The lamb pastrami was so flavorful and was also a little fatty which made it all the more delicious. The ceviche was the table favorite and we had to order another because it was so popular - definitely really fresh. We also ordered other appetizers that were a miss - I would stay away from the crispy calamari, crab fritters, and potato gnocchi. There was just nothing special about these items and it was lacking in flavor. The potato gnocchi wasn't light and pillowy the way it should be and the calamari was a bit rubbery. No thanks. One of my coworkers and I also shared a dozen oysters (I told you we were going all out) and they were DELICIOUS. We ordered the Blue Point, NY oysters and they were EXTREMELY fresh. Apparently, they get their oysters flown in every morning. Happy hour is probably the best time to come to enjoy their oysters as a dozen is only $14!! That's such a steal!! For my main course, I ordered the seared scallops and they were absolutely delicious!! The white gazpacho at the bottom of the plate with the scallops was such a great pairing. One of my other coworkers got the branzini and was in love with it as well. We were all so busy eating that our table was so silent - the food was that good. Also, I'm a sucker for mac n cheese. Especially good mac n cheese. And no, I'm not talking about that Kraft or Stouffer's stuff guys. This was soooooo goood and incredibly rich. It was topped with gruyere and cheddar and after everyone tried a bite of mine, they ordered their own. Don't worry, I got a bite of everyone's to make up for my lost mac n cheese. Mmmm. And nope, we didn't stop there. Next was dessert. I have no idea how, but I managed to finish a dessert after all of this food. My boss' wife was so insistent we couldn't say no, and I'm glad she was. I ordered the frozen goat cheese mousse. I know it sounds weird, but it also sounds like something that someone would make on Top Chef which is exactly why I got it. And if that is what food/dessert is like on Top Chef, I don't know how Padma Lakshmi hasn't gained 20 pounds over the course of a season. That mouse was delicious!! It came with basil ice cream (that was to die for!!!) and raspberry jelly that was an interesting contrast to the other flavors - I was a fan. The service was exceptional. We were a group of six and ordered quite a bit of food - everything was brought out promptly, the waitress ensured that our drinks were filled, and she offered great recommendations of items she thought we would like. We actually liked her recommendations more than the items we picked ourselves, which doesn't always happen since waitresses at other restaurants sometimes just push the most expensive item. It was such a great dining experience and the service made it even better. read more

I was really excited about eating at Parkside, so when we went our expectations were high. We definitely left disappointed. The food was great, the atmosphere was great, but the service was less than ordinary. We are not high maintenance customers at all, but the service was somewhat offensive considering the amount of money we spent tonight. Our empty plates were left sitting in front of us for long periods of time for all three courses. Our waiter had two tables, yet sometimes she wouldn't check on us for 10 minutes. We continuously had to track down the runners to get our basic needs met. When our cappuccinos arrived there were puddles sitting at the bottom of our saucers and the drinks continued to overflow as our waitress set them down in front of us. Now, any one of the issues we had tonight wouldn't normally be that bad, but collectively there were many problems. The service was down right sloppy. I felt like I was waited on by a young college student who just started waiting tables. We felt like the forgotten table. On the flip side - I really liked the portion sizes. Some would say they are too small, but I thought they were just right. Very good ceviche. Great scallop and skate entrees. And if you have room for dessert, you have to try the doughnut holes. If the service was 100% better it would have been an exceptional experience. I hope you don't get the waiter we had! read more

Great! We had raw oysters. Very cold and excellent!Addl appetizers were crab balls and Brussel sprouts which were to die for!My bride had the cheese burger which was very large and she shared it with my daughter. Again excellent. My daughter in law had the bar steak which also was very very good. I had pork oso buco which is some of the best I have ever had. Definitely I great restaurant. Very pricey but worth it. Go on happy hour the entire menus is half price. I will definitely go again. read more

Perhaps I would dish out more stars if I went for the Wednesday night specials? However I consider myself rather critical of what qualifies as a 'good dining experience'. That said, here are my suggestions to Parkside folks- I1.) LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION- what the heck is this place doing on 6th street? It seems out of place next to sleazy bars and I'm sure they don't get much "drop in" business from 6th street patrons. 2.) TV is not for fine dining- Two TVs above the bar- why? It doesn't seem like the sort of place people would come to catch the game and have a beer. 3.) The Menu (style)- I get what they're going for with the simple notebook style...but it's not working. The waitstaff shouldn't have to give 20 minute descriptions, just write it down on the menu already! 4.) The Menu (food)- I just don't understand the combination of wonderful offal dishes, a superb raw bar and...a hamburger. It seems disjointed, much like the place overall. I appreciate what Parkside seems to be attempting (finally moving Austin ahead in terms of gastronomy) but they aren't really succeeding. read more

Parkside is good any day of the week. If you don't want to blow an entire pay check in one go, no worries, go on Wednesday! Sure, Monday is the day when all of their delicious cocktails are $3, but Wednesday is the best day. It's half price oysters and champagne day! CLAAAAAASSY! Get a platter of oysters (it's a mix and match) or just go with the Blue Points (so good!) and then get some stuff from the raw bar (usually a ceviche type of thing). Then get an expensive bottle of champagne because it's half off! If you like raw food (which I def. do), the steak tartare is amazing. I've never gone to Parkside and NOT ordered the Macaroni and Cheese. Upscale mac and chee is the best! Seriously it's so good here. But watch out cause that shit is HOT when they bring it out. Don't get too excited or you'll burn your mouth and be sad for two days. I've tried a lot of stuff on this menu. Bone marrow! Sounds gross, taste like meat butter (i.e. spectacular). The burger is made from that same delicious meat that's in the tartare, it's heavenly. THE NEW YORK STRIP OH MY GOD! It has this blue cheese sauce drizzled on it and is cooked to perfection. It's big enough to split between two people and they'll even slice it up and split the plates for you. The desserts are great, but I'm usually too full to eat it at that point. If you need a cocktail, the cucumber rosemary one is divine. So is everything else. They make a mean dirty titos martini! Eat here. It's good. And it's a nice little tucked away place on 6th street. read more

I just got back from Parkside and wanted to write a real, unabashed review of the meal and experience my wife and I, along with four friends had at Parkside. I write this as the putrid taste of salt and squash foam still fouls my mouth. Outside of the friendly, attractive hostess the evening was a series of disappointments. Walk away....no RUN away from this over-hyped,over-priced, restaurant. An experience that sets a new standard for mediocrity in Austin. \u000d The booths are small, uncomfortable. Loud? You bet. The acoustics of a high school gymnasium bathroom make an intimate conversation impossible. The service is snotty, arrogant, unfriendly and inattentive. I could have not felt less welcome. The oysters were fine; fresh, well chilled and a great selection offered. Congratulations! Geniuses, you really know how to keep your shellfish cold. If you like your Calamari to taste like a cellophane wrapped salt-plum from an ice-house in San Antonio do yourself a favor and order this. When it comes, throw the salt encrusted squid at your uncaring waiter and pass spoons around to sample the excellent aoli that accompanies the calamari. The entrees are minuscule and appetizer -size at best. The scallops I ordered were $24 dollars and were well prepared. They were accompanied by perhaps one ounce of parsnips, a few shreds of arugula and a nondescript foam. $8 to $12 at best at a Ramada Inn or strip-center Bennigans would be the equivalent. How about some salty, watery, macaroni and cheese? The drop of truffle oil does little to mute the outcry of terribleness here. Offensive by any standard. Even the chocolate donuts were over-salted! Yes, this year's cool accessory to all foods hip....salt, is the most prevalent taste at Parkside; that and the bitter bile that arises when the bill is presented. I can truly say that I have not been this disappointed in a restaurant in years. read more

I am going to try to be impartial in my review, but it is kind of hard with the gut churning experience of ceviche still lingering in my bowels. The hostesses were friendly and quick to seat me. That was cool. The waitress was no less than incredible. She was funny, personable, gave me just enough time to consider what i was going to order. These are all good things. The food. Meh. The fried oysters were good, I guess? The sauce was bland. The cheeseburger was ordered medium and delivered "Well" and "Dry". So, there's that. Now, on to the ceviche. It was bland, colorless, and fairly certain it made me sick that night. I was actually tempted to order the raw oysters, but now I'm glad I did not. I will not go back to this place. Simply because of the food. Too expensive for a "meh" experience. I MISS DAN MCCLUSKEY'S!!!!!!! read more

Incredible food and gracious atmosphere! We had my birthday fest there and shared a bunch of plates with four people. We tried the starters-marrow bone, the gnocchi, the steak main, and the steak tartare. They were all delicious and we also found a nice bottle of wine. The food was quality & service was topnotch! read more

1/2 priceOysters and champagne on Wednesdays. Doesn't that say it all right there? But there's also half price apps during happy hour, which we made a meal of. The Fried egg sandwich was delicious and huge, plenty to share. The Fried green tomatoes were a first try for me and I really liked them. The Fried calamari was lightly breaded so the flavor came through wonderfully. We were seated in a booth by the front window so people watching added to the experience. Service was friendly and efficient. I really liked this place. It earned all the positive reviews it's gotten. read more

OK, aside from the hipster waiter with the awesome chest hair spilling over his v-neck t-shirt, this place sucked. The ceviche I ordered, hamachi with pineapple etc., was overly sweet and didn't lend any flavor to the fish, instead drowning out all flavor to pineapple. Lastly, the portion size for the $12 they charged for a 50/50 mix of pineapple and hamachi was extremely laughable (because I wasn't paying) no more than 3 oz, and I'm being generous here. The Sushi Den in Denver doesn't even charge that much. The fried okra I ordered was great but the mystery green sauce that tasted like ranch with pureed parsley that came with it wasn't even on par with what I could get at McDonalds. Not that I eat there, mind you. Additionally, I have to say that the prices far exceed that which they should be. For instance, the same kind of oysters can be purchased in Denver (much farther from the source for those of us less geographically inclined) for less than or equal to the prices listed here. Basically, unless you go in there and order the chicken sandwich and a water you are going to be spending well over $20 to get anything substantial, and even then I wouldn't trust it enough to make a second go at it. read more

This has got to be the best happy hour on 6th St! 1/2 price craft cocktails & craft beer (mostly Tx too). I stopped in on a Thurs eve and had the Parkside 78 & a $10 bar steak & fries. My server was attentive & made a nice cocktail. I did have a wait on my steak, which finally came perfectly cooked, slightly tough, but very good flavor. All in all this is one of the classier places in this stretch of 6th. HH is Mon-Fri till 6:30 & they don't open till 5. read more

Parkside - Parkside 78 - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

What a refreshing addition to 6th Street! A friend and I went to Parkside last night before an event at the Alamo and had a wonderful experience. For starters, the remodel is beautiful and simple and the brand concept is really cool and fun. They also have an upstairs deck which would be perfect for enjoying a cocktail and watching the madness unfold on 6th. The restaurant serves food late, 'til 12, and the bar, I think, is open even later. They employ a bouncer to keep out the "unsavories" that might spoil your grown-up night. To the food...we started with the oyster platter which was immaculate. The selection was wonderful - oysters from the northeast, northwest and Canada - and they were clean and tasty. We agreed that we could've eaten our weight in oysters. Next we both had Caesar salads, which were beautifully presented and tasty. My only complaint would be that the dressing was lacking a little acidity. It just needs a little punch-up to be great. My friend then had the onion and goat cheese tart as an entree, and I had the scallops with oranges. Both were terrific. The mushrooms served with the scallops were really tasty. A great dish. We ended with the donut holes. Perfectly adorable and warm and tasty. Total whimsical comfort food. The service was friendly and attentive - the servers clearly believe in this place and want it to succeed. I do, too. read more

This place is hilarious. It is trying sooo hard to be sooo cool on nasty old drunken 6th street. At a recent birthday dinner, our table sat utterly confused by the menu. One could have a boring sandwich for $10 or tiny portion of inventive seafood for $30. Our server was great. He was accommodating and fun. The kitchen messed up and to make up for it, they brought us extra sides. They came over to the table and cracked jokes. The drinks are top notch. The food reminds me of a starter restaurant for a Bravo Top Chef competitor. Trying too hard to be innovative that it just lands as pretentious. I would go there for drinks and oysters, but I wouldn't go back for dinner. read more

Excellent all the way around - Had the venison, shank, Mac and cheese, calamari, grits, a few cocktails, wine and the apple pie as well fritters for desert. Service was fast and efficient. Food was awesome, outside the dessert which was just great (the deconstructed nature took something out of the taste). I will definitely visit again when in Austin. read more

Very disappointing. So, we stopped by late Saturday afternoon to catch the end of their (presumably) excellent happy hour. We arrived to an empty restaurant and a crowded bar. Can we order from the happy hour menu even if we can't get a seat at the bar, I asked the hostess. "Absolutely," came the reply. As we made our way into the restaurant, we were stopped by a different hostess. "Where are you going? Do you have a reservation? What name is it under?!?" No, we just wanted to grab a few drinks and oy-oy. "Well, every table in the entire restuarant is reserved. You will have to sit upstairs." Against our better judgment we followed a waitress up to the roof. 100% empty. Not a single person. Regardless, we gravitated towards one of the tables overlooking Sixth Street. "I'm sorry! Where are you going! Those are for parties of four or more!." We were then offered a dirty table by the top of the stairs, under the sun and away from the shade and people watching. Can't we sit at one of the nicer tables? "Oh, no. We have to save those in case it gets busy. Saturday night, ya know!!" We left. Two stars because the food can be good (when you are permitted to order it). read more

SHORT REVIEW Waitperson Amanda: Yes Oysters: Yes Caesar: Yes, but dressing on side or 'easy' LONG REVIEW I would like to say that our waitperson, Amanda, did a great job..... I told the restaurant this on their comment card, and I paid for it in my tip. Since there's been a bunch of talk about the service.. I wanted to address this issue first. She was very knowledgeable about all the dishes, some wine pairings, and was pleasant to be around... and she definitely didn't hover, which was nice. For a good time, ask for Amanda. Also.. I learned that Wednesday night is HALF PRICE on the oysters. This is a really big deal because they have 14 different types of oysters. We had the sampler platter which comes with tons of oysters and you can try some of the other raw appetizers. My advice is just get oysters, and then if one of the raw appetizers piques your interest.. get a full order. Half price is a good deal.. we'll go back for this alone (I'm looking at youuuuuuuu Kumamotos) I felt that the lump crab appetizer was kind of weird/nasty.. and I love crab. I think it's b/c the chefs put mayonaise with it. bleh. The caesar salad was good, but not great. The dressing is homemade there at the restaurant, and the romaine leaves were long and crisp. Ask for the dressing on the side, or 'easy' or you might get drowning lettuce. Overall, though, the salad was good. The anchovies rocked. House cured I think....... FINAL THOUGHT I like that this place is trying to 'reclaim' the drunky part of sixth street a little. It's a decent spot, but they need to bump it up a notch, in my opinion. What will save this place is have EXCELLENT food. Not just four star food, but FIVE star food to get my ass down to the hood, get vibed, etc. read more

I went to this place this spring, and it still stands out in my mind as an uncommonly bad dining experience. I had some time to kill before meeting people downtown one evening and decided to treat myself to oysters. I went in and sat at the bar. The decor seemed a bit sterile, but I guess it hit the personality-free mark that a lot of businesses aiming at this would-be-upscale part of the market go for. It was not remotely crowded, though people did start coming in over the course of my interminable visit. There were usually at least two people at the bar, yet no one approached me. I finally got someone's attention and asked for a menu. I made my selection quickly, closed the menu, and waited. No service. The bartenders were walking around looking busy but there was almost no one at the bar and not many people at tables. Finally I got someone to take my order and got a drink. More people seemed to be coming in and sitting at the bar by this point, but that's no excuse for the abysmal service. I waited 25 minutes without getting my half-plate of oysters. This was especially annoying because the oysters were RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME behind the bar, and periodically I watched a guy come over, put together somebody else's plate, and walk off. Finally I managed again to get another bartender's attention, and the raw-bar guy went in and out several more times before she finally asked him about my plate and I got my oysters. I was absolutely stunned that I had to wait over half an hour for a plate of RAW OYSTERS. All they had to do was open the shells! They get the one star because the oysters were decent. As if I wasn't annoyed enough, I could not have gotten anyone's attention to get my check if my life depended on it. And of course now I was running late to meet my friends. The people next to me were having the same problem and finally just left their money on the bar and walked out. I did the same. Unbelievable. That's what I get for patronizing this ridiculously poor match for Sixth Street. read more

I really like the food at Olive & June. Knowing that Parkside is owned by the same folks that run O&J, I just assumed it would be just as good. That was a bad assumption to make because Parkside is just not all that good. We had a ton of stuff and all of it was just okay. It certainly wasn't worth the premium prices you pay. I had the chicken, and it was very mediocre and bordering on straight up Bad. I also had some whiskey drink called the Braveheart. With a name like that I imagined something that would make me want to paint my face with warpaint and stab something with a spear... unfortunately the flavor was so sweet I felt like I should be picking flowers and petting bunny rabbits. Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed and I won't be back. read more

What a delicious and artful find! While not expecting seafood to be so delicious in Austin, Parkside had this beach-goer's tastebuds in awe over the delicious concoctions. We started with a ceviche made with salmon - who knew red fish in ceviche could be more flavorful than the normal white fish??? Followed by the shrimp & scallops as the main course that was creatively displayed on the plate with a sauce that was sublime. As amazing all of that was, the true game changer to the meal was the side order of carrots. I'm not even sure how to describe these carrots, mixed with a couple other veggies as garnishes & finished with a chimichurri-like-but-not sauce. Pure heaven!!! read more

Parkside - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

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If you care about quality food (even at happy hour), Parkside has one of the best happy hours in town from 5-7pm. Here's what I recommend (from the happy hour bar menu): + Oyster Platter - Awesome. 12 oysters. Chef's Choice. $14. Totally worth it. + Ceviche - Two types of fish served with onions, cherry tomatoes, and avocado. Easily one of the best ceviches in town. + Fried Okra - I'm not usually a fan of okra, but the fried okra here is legit. Lightly fried, a tad bit on the salty side, but tasty and very good overall. + Fried Egg Sandwich - A fried egg sandwich served on a toasted bun featuring cheddar cheese, bacon, and Parkside's special sauce. (Bonus: The fried egg sandwich comes with Parkside Fries.) + Parkside Fries - Good fries served with aioli sauce, but nothing remarkable. Still, worth ordering and sharing. Not on the happy hour menu, but also worth mentioning: + Parkside's Raw Bar. Like others have mentioned, it's hard to go wrong if you order off their "raw bar" menu. If I wasn't doing happy hour, I'd definitely go raw bar. + Dessert: Their frozen goat cheese moose paired with basil ice-cream was a delightful treat. Presentation was spot on. Lots of unique and complementary flavors. One of my favorite desserts! Pro Tips: 1. Making reservations is definitely helpful for parties of 5 or more. 2. Can't get enough of oysters? If it's a Wednesday, you're in luck! Oysters are only half price Wednesdays. All day! Enjoy! read more

I want to give this place a great review because the food and atmosphere is WONDERFUL. I mean really top notch dining. However, I had an experience with a waiter that will keep me from bringing my loved ones to Parkside again. My parents came in for the weekend, and I make it a tradition that I take them somewhere tasty. Parkside! So we sit down and the waiter is slammed. We don't mind, we are here to enjoy each other. However, the waiter is strangely rude to my parents. My parents are older and are always excited to go somewhere new. When my mom was asking what an ingredient in the risotto was she pointed her finger to the menu and before she could ask what it was he responded "uhhhh its risotto..." No shit, sir she asked because she didn't know what it was not because she can't read. Then when we were ordering he rushed us, and got our order wrong. While the food was good the waiter was a total jerk, and I did not like the way he spoke to my family. We will not be going back no matter how good the food is. read more

I visited Parkside with my husband for the second time last Friday. The first time was after a concert at the Paramount. The walk down 6th Street was a crass cultural slap upside the head after the elegance of our theatre experience, but once we walked through the unassuming doors of Parkside, adult sophistication reigned again. That night we indulged in raw oysters and their charcuterie plate. The oysters were briny and fresh, and the selection of pates and sausages were varied and tasty. On our second visit, we decided that we wanted to check out their rooftop patio. The hostess told us that it would take just a moment to set things up, as it had rained earlier. We were very pleasantly surprised to find a candlelit table waiting for us in the romantic lighting of the patio. The noise from 6th Street was audible, but the speakers on the patio provided a varied selection of music which sort of cancelled out the raucousness below. We enjoyed sipping on our Hendricks martinis (they actually can make a good martini here, unusual in this town in my opinion) in perfect solitude for awhile. One other couple was eventually seated, but their arrival didn't mar the romantic vibe. Our waitress was perky and professional and managed to bring the aforementioned martinis on a tray all the way up the stairs without spilling a drop. We had a few questions about the menu (it's a bit confusing) but my husband settled on a couple of sashimi dishes and I on the clams with fingerling potatoes. My husband said the sashimi was "ok" but my clams were very good. The broth was really tasty and the potatoes added a nice earthiness to the dish. The toasted bread that accompanied it was a little too charred, and there wasn't enough of it to soak up the delicious broth, but those are minor complaints. I do hope that their location does not do them a disservice, because Parkside is a nice addition to the Austin restaurant scene. The menu is varied, with sophisticated as well as rustic tastes, the atmosphere is subtle and refined and the martinis are just wonderful... it's definitely worth running the 6th Street gauntlet to get there. read more

Innovative menu, fresh seafood, friendly service, great bartenders. What more do you need to know? Ok, so it's going to be interesting to see if it survives on 6th Street. This is probably not where you're going to go if you're 20-something and have spent the evening downing Shiners and now need something to soak up the alcohol. Which is really what makes this place fascinating. Can a restaurant that actually has a chef and doesn't focus on quantity actually survive in Frat Party Central? The ultimate answer to that question will go a long way to determining whether 6th Street can transform itself into something bigger and more cultured and complex than Bourbon Street West, or whether many of us are doomed to have an entire area of downtown that you avoid like the plague if you live here. read more

Parkside is a great place for happy hour. The bar menu is half off (that includes appetizers, cocktails, and beer) and they have a new patio overlooking Sixth Street for people watching. I recommend the oyster platter, ceviche, quail, and bar steak. The bar steak is arguably the best deal on the menu for $9.50. I was not a fan of the tempura oyster mushrooms, there was too much breading and I wasn't really sure what I was eating since the food was cut up into tiny slivers. read more

Parkside - crab deliciousness - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

Parkside went from a place I've always wanted to try (and then finally tried) to, hands down, my favorite restaurant in town. Chef Shawn is not just talented but passionate about the food he serves. I've been here for both the happy hour and regular dinner service too many times (and I can't stop going back...) From the moment you walk in, you forget that you're in the heart of 6th street and you feel like you're at a nice place in NYC. If you're going for value, you can't beat going to Parkside on Wednesdays during happy hour - half priced beer, and bar menu (everyday during happy hour 5p-7p, and yes... they have a pretty mean burger with their to die for fries for around $5 - do yourself a favor and splurge and add a fried egg to it for an extra $1) and then also half priced oysters & champagne (Wednesdays only). All of the waiters are very knowledgable about their oysters - from flavor profiles to where they're from, I'm sure they can tell you all about any oyster on their menu. For the most part - everything that I've had at Parkside was spot on excellent. If you're looking for suggestions from the dinner menu, I'd suggest the marrow salad (it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoyed it). The fluke on the raw bar has always been a crowd favorite. If you have room for dessert, I'd recommend the goat cheesecake with the basil ice cream (wow - that ice cream is ridiculous) or the mascarpone filled donuts with honey ice cream (they had me at mascarpone). read more

This is what I had: Parkside fries: not the best french fries I have ever had, but they were descent and at least not boring. The garlic aioli was a little unimpressive and I could've done with just ketchup Mac and cheese: It was creamy but not so rich that it was impossible to eat. Really really really good especially since gruyere is one of my new favorite cheeses. Oyster Platter: was only 14$ for 12 oysters!!!! (go on wednesday for half price oysters and champagne). The platter included 3 different kinds of oysters and they were all really fresh which is probably most important when eating oysters. And the platter is an easy decision if you have no clue what you're doing or where you prefer your oysters to come from (which I generally don't) Goat cheesecake with Basil ice cream: This is AWESOME. The basil ice cream has to be one of the best ice creams I have ever had. The basil flavor was by no means subtle but it wasn't overwhelming either. The goat cheesecake was really extraordinary. The generous slice was little much though because the goat cheese makes it super rich. I couldn't finish the whole thing but it was definitely worth tasting. read more

I was mired in the heat and dirt and street food of SXSW, looking for a respite from pizza and brats. Parkside was the answer. Stepping into this simply decorated and very open restaurant was like taking a breath of fresh air after leaving a smoky, dimly lit club - back when smoking inside was still legal. The people working there were incredibly nice. Our server, Rachelle, was one of the best I have ever had. She was engaging and informative about the menu and also had that rare quality of knowing when we needed something and knowing when to leave us alone. Although it's a little pricey and some may think the serving sizes are too small, I felt the food was perfect. Everything was in a portion size that you could eat without stuffing yourself to the gills. And it was delicious! They have lots of raw bar/seafood stuff, but you can also go casual and get a simple cheeseburger with fries if that's what you're looking for. My favorite part though had to be the homemade doughnut holes served with 3 types of dipping sauce. It was so good, my friend and I went twice in the 6 days we were in Austin. read more

this review is for the oysters only. we went during wednesday (half off oysters and champagne) happy hour (5pm-7pm half off bar menu). i tried every oyster on the menu and was sufficiently satisfied, but nothing really blew my mind. i made notes in case anyone's interested. Atlantic American rappahannock VA - strong fleshy taste barcat VA - light taste, good for those new to oysters cotuit MA - medium taste, light finish beavertail RI - strong brine, light finish umami RI - really briney, light finish delaware bay NJ - mildly briney, no finish. taste just drops off. weird. Canadian pipers point PEI - strong taste, light finish, very smooth shiney seas PEI - same as pipers point malpeque PEI - really briney, abrupt finish caraquette NB - briney and sweet and sour at the same time. complex! strong aftertaste canada cup PEI - mild brine, spicy, strong finish malagash NS - sour and strong, mild finish Pacific American kumamoto WA - briney, tastes like rocks/metallic, really strong sulphuric aftertaste my favorites were the pipers points and the canada cups. the most disappointing was the kumamoto. maybe i had a bad batch, i dunno. but i was expecting a lot from the only WA oyster on the menu, as my favorite oyster in the world is a washington state oyster (snow creek). next time i go i'll review the non-oyster items. oh btw, our server, Erin, was very knowledgeable on every single one of the oysters. great job. read more

Parkside - every oyster on the menu. - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I want to marry their beef shortribs ( to have and eat and love forever). I want to have love affair with their rosemary cucumber and gin drink (tastes like a refreshing salad, but spiked with essences of divinity -- hendricks). I want to court their lovely (blonde, smiley and helpful) waitresses. I want to offer their kitchen staff jobs in my kitchen (when I happen to happen upon one that's larger than my apartment's). Parkside, please say Yes. read more

The standouts are for sure the side of roasted potatoes and classic ceviche. The ceviche has avocado and comes with the saltines but I definitely did not touch them as the ceviche was so perfect and I didn't want crackers to interfere. Also - the roasted potatoes. If potatoes had protein, this could have been my main meal. It's made with some cold egg sauce? This is probably the slowest meal I have eaten in history because every bite was INCREDIBLE. (I normally eat like a Lion King hyena. No offense to the hyenas!) I will officially struggle to eat anything else forever. read more

The best oyster selection I have seen in a while and great raws and ceviche. Bummer: I like to try a few different selections when I try a new restaurant, but the wine list encourages bottle purchasing... the 'by the glass' menu was served in a regular glass as opposed to a stemmed wine glass. I got a "look" from the waiter when I requested a stem. Overall the food was nice but for the atmosphere and price, I would have expected better service. I thought the attitude from our server, Trevor, was just my imagination until after he walked away from our table, my dinner companion asked me, "what is this guy's problem?" We joined a larger group of friends and they seemed to be his favorite table, but he mostly ignored us. He also overlooked us on the end of the table when it came time to refill drinks and order dessert. Trevor was heavy on the attitude so I was light on the gratuity. Boo. Disappointing. I really like seafood, but this wasn't really worth it. read more