I'm one of those people who researches the menu before I go to a place, so I already knew what I wanted to order. Our waiter Mo did a great job of telling us about the menu, confusing me on Prosecco, and overall being jovial and attentive. It probably didn't hurt that I purposefully made the reservation for 6:30, before the crowds would be showing up. Starting off we had two incredibly strong cocktails: the Dirty Tito (Tito's Vodka, olive juice, dry vermouth) and the Wild Basil (Leblon Cachaca, Pernod, grapefruit, and basil). They were good, but because they were so strong we moved on to Old Speckled Hen beer (for him) and Prosecco (for me) when our cocktails were finished. My first course consisted of diced raw salmon belly, pineapple, and mint, topped with a caramelized pineapple chip and green onion shavings. It was a little sweeter than I had expected, but it was a very light and refreshing way to start off the night. In contrast, my husband had braised baby back ribs served with sofrito (tomato and onion sauce) and a cilantro-onion salad. Next up was a surprise - the chef sent out butternut squash soup with brown sugar (brown butter? I can't remember!) swirl, topped with a bacon marshmallow. Now, I adore butternut squash, so I might be a teensy bit biased, but this was my favorite dish of the night. For my main course I chose the braised pork jowl with ras el hanout spices, polenta, and micro greens. The pork was so wonderfully tender and buttery that I had no problem eating the entire thing. It did seem a little heavy on the salt, but that was easily cut with the simple polenta. My husband had what my other choice would have been the venison steak served with brown lentils and bacon lardons. We each tried the other's dish and declared our own the best. Also not pictured were the Brussels sprouts with bacon, which came in a completely adorable mini Le Creuset cassarole. The thing I appreciated most about the sprouts is that they came late. Why is that a good thing? Because our original order was held back - they weren't up to the chef's standards. And for something as simple as Brussels sprouts, I think that says a lot about the quality of the kitchen. We ended with dessert consisting of a chocolate-peanut butter concoction (I can't remember the name, sorry!) and milk sorbet. Chocolate and peanut butter are a favorite combination, and this didn't disappoint. It was a great finish to one of the few and far between date nights we get. I definitely plan to return. read more

Mr. Smidgens and his lovely lady QB were heading downtown to catch Young the Giant and Cold War Kids at the Parish. The evening started off with the parking Gods saving us a space right on the corner of 5th and Brazos. SHHHUUUUUWEEEEEEET!! We knew we wanted to eat before the show and it was 7pm. Prime time baby!! I suggested Parkside since it was right in front of us and we had never been there. We stroll inside and get the once over from the crowd. I was wearing a hipster hoodie. Sorry folks. I like hoodies. I wanted to wear my bear head instead but opted out. Anywhoo the lovely hostess tells us it will be 20 to 30 minutes. I look at QB and say sure. Ten minutes later we are seated and we order our drinks. White wine for me lady and what's this?!!! Monday MARTINI Madness!!!! Hang on to your olives boys and girls...we are going for a ride!! I order the Dirty Tito with extra olives. Our server Roseanna was great. She asked if I had ever been to Rio Rita and I said no. She said they make the best Bloody Marys and that it's like a meal because of all the fixins you can have them put in your Mary. WOW!! Thanks Roseanna!! We order the calamari which was your standard calamari. It was a trap. We should have listened to Admiral Akbar. Oh well. We squeezed and soaked the lemon juice into the calamari and then dipped it into this very tasty butterlike sauce. It worked!! We moved onto the ceviche, pickled mushroom risotto, and the butternut squash salad. The Ceviche was spot on!! With the fish nicely cooked from the lemon juice and the fresh avocado slivers to put on the tiny saltine crackers. Just enough crackers to finish the dish. They must have perfected the amount served with the crackers with years and years of testing!! I normally don't like mushrooms but the pickled mushrooms with that taste of brine in the risotto were delicious. The butternut squash salad was..was...you will just have to try it for yourself!!! Everything was awesome!! The service, the food, and the drinks For this Mr. Smidgens gives Parkside 5 glorious stars!! read more

LOVE this place! Definitely my choice for dinner when I'm in town. Fantastic raw menu (the bass with lime and chili is dangerously devine). Great cocktail list. Good place for a single diner in town for business. Great small plates (my usual choice in place of 1 large meal; and every one of theirs is excellent). Joe was my kind and attentive bartender/server, and count yourself lucky if you get the chance to meet him. Looking forward to coming back soon :-) read more

One of my favorite Happy Hour places. So far I vote this restaurant with the best fries in Austin. The location is a little confusing as it faces Dirty 6th, but I guess Parkside is just keeping it classy. Food: For Happy Hour, I strongly recommend the Parkside Fries ($3). The aioli sauce is delicious. I also recommend the salmon ($5) (their menu changes frequently so they may not have this item). The desserts are also very good, especially chocolate soup, or nutmeg doughnut. read more

Wonderful food and staff - an awesome find for good eats on 6th street. Minimal decor - not too flashy, not too bare. Food is uber-yum. I started with the crab fritters and they were excellent - definitely more crab than fritter, which is always nice. My friend had the crispy sweetbreads and was nice enough to share a few bites. I'd never had them before but they were ridiculously good, albeit very, very rich. On to the entree - I went with the NY strip. What? No ribeye? I KNOW! They didn't have one, but I wanted a steak so the strip it was. Perfectly medium rare, really nicely seasoned and the accompaniments were perfect - sweet potato gnocchi and brussel sprouts with bacon. No dessert for us that night, but I can tell you Monday is $5 martini night and depending on your taste you can get your sweet fix in a liquid form. read more

So, I'm a professed food snob and had no idea this place existed. What it is doing on dirty 6th street, I have no idea, but thank the gods that my friends told me about it. I went with two girls from work after a Friday happy hour that left us tipsy and ready for a long, relaxing, fine dining experience. As I understand it, Parkside's chef is from New York and brings an eclectic influence to his gourmet menue. There is a raw bar with some fantastic concoctions and a good 9 or 10 different types of oysters. We had a "Small Platter" which was 3 shot glasses of 3 different items from the raw bar and 3 trios of different kind of oysters. It was fantastic. We also had some pork cheeks with creamy polenta that I would probably kill for if I had to, a beet salad with goat cheese, sweatbreads, an incredible mushroom risotto...I could go on. The wine selections were excellent and we found a couple of reasonably priced bottles and a few glasses as well that were perfect with the food. I was totally happy with every single element of the meal: the flavor profiles, the wines, the menu, the ambiance, everything. Service was a bit too intrusive but nonetheless professional...all in all I gave it a 5 because a 4 didn't do it justice. We dropped $300 for the three of us, which I think was fair for what we got. Awesome experience that I will repeat. read more

We've been wanting to try this place for a while, and learning that Wednesdays they have 1/2 price oysters and sparkling wines made the decision easy. We valeted (is that a word?) the car and were met at the door by a woman who immediately led us inside for a table -- at 6:30 not yet too busy although there were groups at the bar clearly enjoying themselves. GM Eddie was also working at the front and we noticed he was quite engaged with patrons throughout the restaurant during the evening. He was familiar with Yelpers so I can assume some of the earlier reviews re: service may have made a difference here. Quickly seated at a comfy banquette, presented with bar and dinner menus. Contrary to other reviewers here, i found the service more than adequate and actually quite good. Attentive, know the food, and unobtrusive. On to the important stuff - the oysters and bubbles. Our server was quite knowledgeable about the flavors, textures and provenance of the oysters (or ersters, depending on YOUR provenance); when I asked her about putting a couple of different kinds together for my meal, she talked to the chef to get his opinion about the best flavors together. Combined with a lovely, cold glass of Prosecco, my little mollusk feast was deeeevine. Hubby's fried oysters were quickly cooked, in a light, almost tempura-like batter, and tender. Yes. We both had oysters. And no, none of your business about that other stuff.....(happy knowing smile here). Parkside is the only place in town I've found that serves up the perfect little black dress for oysters, mignonette sauce. Ahhh. So yes, we will return to Parkside to try more things - they feature a Martini Monday that made my ears perk up, and there's plenty of fun things on the menu left to try. Maybe we'll see you there? We'll be the happy couple in the corner, eating oysters and giggling. read more

This place is a toss up. I went with a group of friends recently, and it had me so back and forth I swear I nearly got whiplash. The bad: Most importantly in my book, the place has an identity crisis. The interior designer clearly never met with whoever did the graphics. I give them an A+ for the interior and a D- for the logo. The space is casually sophisticated and very well done. And then you glance at the logo-laden windows and forget where you are. Pizza parlor? Sports bar? It just doesn't fit. At all. The good: All of the food was really good but a little pricey. Especially with a logo like that. (I'm just sayin'.) But you can't beat half price champagne and oysters on Wednesdays. The bad: Our waitress was nice but awful. Competent but clueless. Slow but...slow. After a good two hours of sitting, waiting, eating, waiting, repeat, we tried to pay with 3 different credit cards. I get that places don't do separate checks, but she told us we couldn't even pay with separate cards. Since that seemed a little ridiculous, we asked for the manager who explained that she was confused because she was still in training and it wouldn't be a problem. But he mentioned the fact that she didn't really know what she was doing repeatedly, while she was standing right next to him. AWKWARD. The good: He was very apologetic and sent over complimentary champagne for the table. A nice gesture, but overall I'd say the experience was just a little weird. read more

I sat at the bar and the young girl who waited on me was excellent. She was smiling made oyster recommendations. I had the Shiny Sea- nice clean flavors, the accompaniments were spot on. I ordered the Osso Buco- fantastic one of my favorite dishes. Pork was perfect the jus was rich, velvety. It was a bonus to see you had Blanton's Bourbon read more

Parkside's Happy Hour is one of the best in town, especially now the El Alma's has gone to you-know-what. I particularly love their delectable oyster platter, which gives you a dozen oysters for just over a dollar a pop during happy hour. My last visit to Parkside was particularly heartwarming - and I do mean warming. It was freezing cold outside, and although there weren't any hot drinks on the menu, the friendly waitress Dylan had the bar prepare me a hot toddy and gave me a Happy Hour price for it. read more

What people don't know is that Parkside is actually the afrodisiac, not the raw bar, champagne and oysters. Cool atmosphere, really interesting cocktail menu, more oyster varieties than the ocean itself, and a friendly, helpful, really hott staff. Ummm.. the 1/2 priced champagne didn't hurt either. The pork shoulder and the scallops were great, but literally everything I saw on people's tables looked delicious. This just seemed like a place where, because they are so particular about their ingredients, no matter what you order, you can't go wrong. read more

I had a crazy craving for oysters late evening around 11pm. I had no idea where in the world they would be serving such at that late of a time and to my surprise I discoverd Parkside situatued right dab in middle of dirty sixth. I ordered the oyster platter and they were delicious. I couldn't imagine any better to satisfy my craving. Their martinis are awesome, I was completely stunned by the strawberry sunrise. Oysters were so good I had to order more. Definitely a place to try if you love oysters. read more

Quality and taste of food was excellent. Portion size of entree is embarrassingly small! Delicious but small indeed! Everyone at my table remarked at that. And for the price, I'd expect to leave with a fuller belly. Raw oysters are a good deal during happy hour. I'd go back again, but now I know what to expect. read more

Oh man it is hard to write about Parkside without getting really hungry. This is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in town and as many times I have been there I have yet to be disappointed. At first I was nervous about the restaurant as there have not been that many restaurants on 6th street that I have really loved, but that was before Parkside. The atmosphere of the restaurant does not fit the typical 6th street vibe, and there is an amazing patio on the roof where you can sit and watch all the people walk around. As far as the food.. I have tried most of the menu and it is all tasty. Some of my favorites include the mac and cheese...it has an amazing creaminess to it that makes it one classy mac and cheese, you can't go wrong with it. If you are into raw foods they have a huge selection ranging from tasty oysters to amazing ceviche. All the fish tastes fresh and has plenty of flavor that is truly satisfying. Their steak tartar is divine, but if you like your meat slightly cooked I highly recommend the burger. They are not afraid to cook the burger to the temperature you want...which means it is one tender burger full of delicious flavor. Their fries are garlic so pretty addictive. Their menu is great for everyone because it has some rare treats like bone marrow for the adventurous eater as well as the staples like burgers and steak for those traditional eaters, and it is ALL Tasty. But the hardest part of the restaurant is saving room for dessert. but you must because their donut holes are amazing. They come out hot and fresh with three different flavorful dipping sauces. Although any night of the week is perfect for Parkside Monday nights offer their $3 martinis....and they have a HUGE selection of tasty creations. (I wish I was drinking one right now) Or Wednesday night where they have half price Oysters and champagne. So as you can tell I am a Big fan of Parkside..so you should eat there too :) read more

We were at Stubb's for an LCD Soundsystem show and asked our friend Mark where would be a good place to go for our anniversary. We were excited to find this place was dark, romantic, and had wonderful food. I had the steak seasoned with nothing more than salt and pepper and it was tender and delicious. She had the sea bass and it was amazing as well. The waiter was great.... made food and drink suggestions and was very knowledgeable. He said that they flip their menu every season so I can't wait to go back in the fall and see what they will have next! read more

Great food, great service. Go here. Try the oysters, chicken, scallops, and the amereto sour. And our server Grant rocked it out.

Always a great place! I'm always surprised how good this place is when they are stuck on 6th street. I was there with my boss and some Austin 6th street crazy came up and started banging on the window. Obviously this is the "norm" for the waiters because our waiter was on it. He ran outside and chased the guy away. So we were able to enjoy our dinner in peace. Parkside you have never disappointed. Thank you! read more

oh man.... i ate here yesterday. I went back to read some of the yelp reviews... I am new to yelp and one of the employees was talking to her friend about it. It looks like a bunch of people are pretty pissed about the Best Wurst having to move off that corner. I am not sure what politics are involved in all of this, but I do know that the Best Wurst having to move has no impact on the quality of food and drinks served here. Looks to me like people are using Yelp as a vehicle to complain about a little guy being pushed out by a land owner. I dont know if parkside is to blame or not... but i enjoyed my dinner! and wine. lots of it. I only kept one star off because I feel like its over priced a touch. Our service was great. I thought that is what Yelp reviews were supposed to rate you on. read more

How the mighty have fallen. I used to love Parkside when my husband and I were living in Austin in 2014 (see previous glowing review). We were back in town for the holidays and were excited to go back to one of our favorite places. Our favorite dish is -- or, I guess I should say "was"-- the fried okra. It used to come in this metal bowl, super hot and crunchy, with dip on the side. Now it comes splatted on a plate ON TOP OF THE DIP so by the time it reaches your table, it's soggy (not crunchy). The okra inside is also soggy and slimy, not at all like I remember it. Our waiter was also really overbearing, despite the fact that we told him we were just there for drinks and appetizers. Maybe we should have sat at the bar. Anyway, probably skipping this place next time we're back in Austin. read more

By the raging hammer of Thor, this place is LOUD. Hearing the waiter, much less my dinner date, was incredibly difficult. And after the accolades for the food, especially the mac n cheese, I think my expectations were a bit skewed. The service was great, but I found my dewberry farms chicken lukewarm and the special pork steak equally underwhelming. The tartare appetizer was sizaeble and easily shared between two people, and the ginger donut dessert was delicious. I will have to try Parkside again, especially for the raw bar options which somehow escaped my eye. I just felt a bit harried in the din and tight quarters. read more

I highly recommend Parkside for dinner. It is in a central location right in the center of 6th street. The food is reasonably priced and delicious. I had 3 course meal for under $45.What a deal! For starters, I had beef tartare, which was phenomenal. The potato gnocchi was rather tasty as well. For entrees, I really enjoyed the seared tilefish. It is a mild fish served with risotto, sweet corn and arugula. I also tried the hill country rabbit which was bold and flavorful. It was served with garlic, potatoes and pesto. Yum! My friend ordered the grilled salmon with olives and artichokes and she loved her meal. I topped off the night with this chocolate lava cake which was to die for. Most of the combinations are rather unique and savory. The menu changes daily so you know the food is very fresh. The atmosphere is classy and laid back. You can't go wrong at Parkside. read more

My boyfriend and I were celebrating an anniversary and wanted to walk around downtown and hit some well-known happy hours. We thought we were going to eat dinner here, but were honestly ill-prepared with no reservation. When we walked up, we were told very nicely that we could be put on a waiting list, or sit at the bar when a seat opens up. Things could have gone wrong here - but we walked up just as two people were leaving. Yay! It was getting to be the end of happy hour (7 pm), so we hurried to order our drinks and foods. Again, our own ill-preparedness! Food: Phenomenal! We got the oyster platter and were very happy with the assortment and level of freshness. My boyfriend had yet to be converted to raw oysters, but he ate these! Second Yay! My favorite food had to be the classic ceviche. I found it fun to sit at the bar and watch the chef make it. It did take a little bit for the food, because it was completely packed and 6:55, so I think everyone had just ordered their last happy hour things. Drinks: Also 1/2 off for happy hour. I love spicy tequila drinks, so I just had to get the Mezcalita. It lived up to my Texan expectations. Yum. Go for happy hour. Make a reservation, or sit at the bar on a weeknight. Don't be ill-prepared like us! :) read more

We will star by admitting that Parkside wasn't even really a place on our radar but with some work friends in town and needing a new place to try, we stumbled upon it thanks to our fellow yelpers. Hard to believe such a nice place can be found among the craziness of dirty sixth. We made a reservation for 8 on a Thursday night. They require the whole party to be there in order to be seated but they were nice enough to sit us with 6. We started with some small oysters and a couple calamari dishes for the table. I believe we have said in other reviews that neither of us are huge calamari eaters but the one here was actually quite good, especially the dipping sauce it came with. She tried the strip steak cooked medium which had a pink middle for sure but was quite tasty. She noted it was a little chewy at spots but overall some delicious steak. I went with the pork chops which had a nice smoky flavor to them but for being described as coming with a sweet potato purée, I would have loved to have even more than that small amount on the plate. We got a great mix of sides including asparagus, brussel sprouts, mac n cheese and the house fries. All of them were quite good with the mac n cheese sticking out as our favorite. Was rich and creamy just be careful not to fill up on it. For dessert we had the lemon tart and what they call the espresso bar with the latter really shining as the favorite. The espresso grounds really stand out when you eat it. Overall Parkside seemed to be a hit with everyone at the table. No one could really say anything bad about what they ate. The minor complaints we might have is that the menu is somewhat limited in the selections, meaning if you aren't interested in one of the 5 or 6 main entrees you're probably out of luck. Also their website had a picture of a great looking burger that I could not find on the menu, may be seasonal or only at the bar? read more

Parkside has one of the best happy hours in town, when judged on the price you pay versus the quality of food and drinks you are getting. My party was really impressed with the volume we ordered for being so cheap (relatively). The website says they open around "5ish" but valet doesn't start until about 5:30, just in case you are counting on that. Yelp lists the dress code as casual but there are so many people from downtown eating here after work that it is a bit dressier overall. Service wise Parkside is pretty meh. Our server was not talkative at all, didn't have any menu recommendations and had not even tried a lot of the menu. The pacing of the dishes was completely off so if you are planning on ordering a few dishes you essentially have to time them yourself because otherwise they will all just show up together whenever they are ready. They also don't do any cleaning/dish replacement/silverware replacement in between dishes, so your table may become a mess. Finished dishes also can sit for a while on the table empty. Just little things that you notice at other restaurants that are absent at Parkside. Happy Hour Bar Menu: Oyster Platter: -12 oysters, 3 different kinds. They come with dressings including horseradish and cocktail sauce. Enjoyable and a good way to tiptoe into Parkside's extensive oyster offering. Classic Ceviche, Avocado -As a general rule all of the raw dishes at Parkside were generally better. This was no exception. Parkside's take on this dish has strong citrus notes. There is a little spice in the sauce but you get mostly taste the avocado/salmon/onion enhanced by the citrus. Crispy Calamari, Smoked Paprika, aioli -Parkside's aioli is thick and luscious. There was barely enough of this for the massive amount of calamari. The calamari was a little disappointing though. It wasn't crispy enough and there was not enough paprika on top either. Blond Pate, Strawberry relish, crostini -Pretty decent pate, it was a bit salty but not overpowering. The meat taste was similar, not too strong but definitely there. I think they did this dish right but it wasn't that special for me. Cheeseburger with fried egg added -Yummy cheeseburger with a clear emphasis on the meat. The burger does not come with any kind of sauce and there is likewise very little cheese. This is OK though since the beef had great flavor. The seasoned fries with aioli were the highlight of the plate however. It was hard to tell what seasonings were used but there was definitely a bright garlic taste among others. Raw Bar: Salmon, compressed watermelon, thai chili, cilantro -Another Parkside raw winner. Not much to say other than definitely try this dish. Fluke, lemon, almonds, chive -A staff favorite for good reason. There are just three tiny portions but you will wish for more. The mix of textures is just right, highlighted by the crunchy almonds. Marrow bones, herb salad -Three big cross cut pieces of bone. Best dish for me. I could eat the grilled toast by itself all night, The grill gave it a surprisingly unique smoky taste that was enjoyable. The herb salad was chives, tarragon, and another herb that I forget. The herb salad had a creamy oil dressing that was nice. This dish has a primal/basic presentation allowing the strong flavors to do all of the talking, and that is often all that is needed as it proved. Steak tartar with egg yolk and dijon mustard -Another good raw dish although it needed more dijon mustard because without the mustard the flavors were not complete. They just give you two tiny mustard dots in a ying yang pattern. Desserts: First off Parkside has hands down the best fruit sorbet in town. Other restaurants need to pay attention because this is exactly how you do them right, even down to straining out the seeds from the sorbet. Cinnamon sugar doughnut, poached rhubarb, mascarpone, almond soil, strawberry sorbet -The doughnuts were fresh and hot, a perfect dish. The strawberry sorbet is a wonderful binder. Chocolate crunch bar, hazelnut, caramel, pretzel ice cream, caramelized banana -Best dessert I had at Parkside. The caramel really defines this dish despite the other flavors. It is not an overbearing chocolate tasting dish at all, allowing non-chocolate lovers to enjoy it equally. The pretzels give it a nice salty flavor. My only complaint was the lack of more bananas but I don't even think the dish needed them so that is fine. Sweet corn flan, corn streusel, basil foam, blackberry sorbet -This dish is just a miss with the exception of the blackberry sorbet by itself. Skip the flan and get the sweet corn at Uchiko instead. Overall Parkside definitely has some issues but many I am willing to look past for how cheap it is during happy hour. I would likely not come here during normal hours. Drinks - 4 stars Food - 3 stars Desserts - 4 stars Service - 3 stars Pricing - 5 stars (during happy hour) read more

When you try to eat somewhere three times over about a year, and its never possible, you just quit trying. From a rude hostess barking at us that its over an hour wait (honestly, I didn't see anyone else waiting, and did see a few open tables), to the final and last effort, New Years, reservation for 8. We even waited two hours! It's not until we are leaving that they 'figured out' a solution. One we'd offered an hour into our wait, btw. Honestly I think it's the front of the house that's the issue. I can't tell who's a hostess or a manager. Not that it usually matters, but I think it does when customers can't be sat no matter how many times they come in. This is a huge difference from Backspace, the sister restaurant just on the literal backside of Parkside. And that location is much smaller, yet we've never had a problem. I won't try again, I won't be back, I won't suggest this place. Just too much headache for something that should be enjoyable and relaxing. read more

I've tried Parkside twice and I've been under-whelmed both times. It's a great location with a good vibe and an ambitious menu. Unfortunately the food never meets the expectation set by the ambiance and price. Our calamari was cold and rubbery. The wine was nothing special at $100 a bottle. One of our guests sent her food back to kitchen because it was cold. And my salmon was dry and slightly warm. The bathrooms smell awful, and that could just be the Dirty Sixth effect, but a classy place shouldn't smell like sewer. read more

Parkside has been one of my favorites since it opened. I am almost never disappointed from the culinary choices of a CIA trained chef and am always very happy with any visit to this restaurant. I love their Wednesday night special: half priced champagne and oysters. That is a really exquisite deal! I visit often and, hey, if someone doesn't like or won't venture to have the raw oysters (which I find that non-foodies often won't), the sparkling wine selection and cocktail list is great. So, no one ever suffers at Parkside. Their raw dishes, such as the ceviche or, one of my personal favorites, the fluke, almonds and lemon dish, are always amazing. Five stars to Parkside, a locally owned restaurant and bar by a great CIA trained chef that I will never stop recommending to friends and visitors alike. read more

I thoroughly enjoyed the service, food and atmosphere here, but the price range is a little high for me and I felt a little out of my league. We had the potato gnocchi for our appetizer, which was refreshing, light and tasty. I ordered the pan seared salmon for my entree and devoured every last bite. My cocktail, the name escapes me, was made martini style and was a bit strong for me. Although we were stuffed, we split the cinnamon doughnut three ways for dessert and loved it! I'm interested in going back to try the oysters, although I've never had oysters in my life. Parkside is an odd find in the middle of the Dirty 6th, but a lovely place. 3 stars for me. read more

I love this place more and more every time I go in. My first experience was with a large group of friends so we did the whole "order a ton of oysters and appetizers" thing. Everything we had was delicious and I finally tried marrow. I definitely wasn't disappointed! I went back just a few weeks later for a date with my girlfriend and enjoyed a more focused meal, sharing one appetizer and each ordering an entree. Again, everything was tasty and the staff pleasant and attentive. My favorites are definitely the marrow bones and the blonde pate from the starter menu. All the oysters I've had were tasty and high quality. I really REALLY enjoyed the roasted chicken and if you like desserts, I highly recommend ordering whatever donut they have on the menu at any given time. Amazing. They're cocktail menu is also worth checking out. I love gin, so I typically go with the Ginger Rollins. I'll definitely be making more visits to Parkside! read more

So, we went here for a friend's birthday with a large party. Not everyone shows up on time. We need x number of people to be seated. Ok, fine. X number of people get there, we tell the hostess, but now it is x+2 number of people now...get it straight guys. Onto the food... Beet salad was good. Then they brought out on the house fried crab balls...terrible. It was more fried than actual crab, am I at the Texas state fair here?? Main course... The risotto was possibly the worst I've ever had. The rice was too hard and just bland. Huge disappointment considering they even featured this dish during Restaurant Week. read more

Pros: VERY nice staff pretty atmosphere good wine clean bathrooms Cons: Um, that's no gnocchi. That's mashed potatoes in a tube shape. mushy and gross. Fried green tomato comes with gross sauce and some sweet, pie filling like stuff on top! Wha...? No one ever asked us if we wanted another glass of wine. It was Freeeeeezing in there. Why? because it was 40 degrees outside, the door was opening and closing, and they had the FANS on. Crazy expensive for what it is. You can eat so much better and yummier at Justine's or even Backspace (round the corner from Parkside) for 2/3 the cost. We will not be back. :( read more

We eat here any time we are in Austin and are never disappointed. Great food, service, and ambience. This last visit I had the curry cauliflower soup which arrived a little on the cooler side (not a problem for me as I don't really care for very hot food). It was a very interesting soup and was served creatively. I also had the smoked pork chop (amazing) and my husband and I shared the crispy brussels and asparagus (both delish). Our server was very helpful and recommended a great wine for me based on my preferences. All in all a very nice and enjoyable experience. read more

This place has the best ceviche and cocktails that I have had in a long time. Another plus is that there were one of the only places we were able to find on 6th Street that was open for dinner after 10pm. I really recommend the Strawberry Sunshine - a strawberry vodka martini. read more

We were pleasantly surprised by this gem of a restaurant in the heart of the Sixth Street bar district. The seafood we had (prawns and cerviche) was suburb. My dirty martini was a bit too vermouth heavy for my taste, but my dining partner's old fashioned was very good. Our server surprised with a tasty dessert. Would make a trip back for this eatery. read more

Yummm! It's hard to get vegetarian food right and this place nails it ! The rotolo; the risotto, the okra and gnocchi- top notch ! Kudos to the chef to get the taste, texture and presentation right. The okra was fired perfect, the gnocchi was tasting great and the rotolo is a creation that's unique. Great classy food in the busy college kids infested 6th street. read more

I went to Parkside one night because I had picked up a to go menu once and was totally intrigued with it. My experience there was fantastic and I will be going back as soon as I can. I sat at the raw bar and started with some excellent oysters(can't remember which type) and some Fluke with a lemon essence. Both dishes were on point and the oysters simply tasted like the ocean. Some of the best I have ever had. The fluke melted in my mouth but was slightly over powered by the lemon concoction. That was my only real beef of the entire meal. After a few more beers, I received my marrow bones. For those of you that have never had the pleasure of sampling this delicacy, I suggest you go to Parkside right this minute and order this dish. Decadent, rich, creamy yet still somehow meaty marrow is one of my favorites. This one comes with classic Gremolata and toast points. Unbeatable. I finished off my meal with an order of the homemade head cheese with fried egg. Once again, amazing. If you are into pates and force meats you simply must try this one. I was waited on by the bartender and the raw bar chef and they were both extremely cool and knowledgeable. I know that many of the reviews on here say that the service is lame but that is to be expected with just about any new restaurant. Alright, enough said. Go to Parkside and order adventurously and I assure you it will be a unique and high quality culinary experience for you. I personally think that going during the week is better so as to avoid the crowds. You might even get a seat at the raw bar so you can yuck it up with the chef and barkeeps. If you are a foodie, pick the chefs brain about what this place is all about. Great food, hip atmosphere and personalized service. What more could you want? read more

One of my favorite restaurants in Austin. Very pricey but very good as well. Some things I've tasted that I liked was their quail, snapper, hamburgers and calamari. It is a nice restaurant but at the same time you don't have to be super dressy since it is in the middle of 6th street, but that doesn't mean to go in there and eat in super casual clothes. I would absolutely tell all my friends and well, everyone on Yelp to try Parkside! It's good and our service was good too. This is the place to go if you want to drop extra money on a gooood meal. read more

What a nice respite from the ridiculousness that is 6th. Their drinks are strong; some personal faves include the dark and stormy, schnapple and cherry limeade. while they do serve food, i'm kind of iffy about it. their cheeseburger was featured in texas monthly as one of the top burgers in texas, i left feeling a little underwhelmed. read more

YUMMY!!! They have 1/2 price oysters and champagne every Wednesday. It's like I died and went to heaven. I could eat oysters everyday. If you like sweet breads, those are done really nicely too. I can't say I have ever had a bad meal here. It's a little pricey but you are getting interesting quality food so you get what you pay for. The decor is a little drab but I think they want you to concentrate on your plate and that works for me. It's a "pearl of a place for sure. read more

Parkside is a hidden gem on "dirty sixth". I have eaten at Parkside on 3 or 4 occasions, and have always been impressed with the food and service. This time was no exception. I went with a small group during their happy hour on Friday. Easily one of the best happy hour values in Austin. Half price drink menu, half price bar menu - which includes a full list of cocktail creations, local Austin taps, an expertly prepared tri-tip steak, and a smattering of appetizers. We started with a couple Mexican martinis (not on the menu but available for HH upon request) and the calamari. The calamari was just the right mix of crunchy and chewy - be sure to juice the lemon included on the platter as it really brings the other seasonings to life. Mexi-marts were tangy with just enough bite to suggest that it is maybe a bit stronger than your taste buds would leave you to believe at first. For the second round of drinks, we opted to be more adventurous and try the Siberian Donkey per the waiter's recommendation. Not a favorite, which the waiter noticed and very graciously replaced all our drinks at no charge. For the main course, I ordered the cheeseburger. I will try not to gush, but it is in my opinion the best cheeseburger in Austin. Elegant in its simplicity, the Parkside burger is a thick and well-seasoned beef patty topped with the burger basics and sitting on a hearty white roll. Forget the ketchup and mustard - you won't even miss them. Served with a side of garlic fries, Parkside somehow takes the staple of casual dining and transforms it into something worthy of an upscale restaurant. And for $5 during happy hour, I can't see myself ever eating a fast food burger ever again. read more