Dessert Review: 5 + stars! Food/Service Review: 4 stars Combined: 4.5 stars The ambiance of Parkside is North-Western industrial meets Country Kitsch. Sounds weird, but it works. The crowd here is fairly young and a good amount of the patrons looked like they had just moved to Austin and were trying to be "trendy." That didn't distract me from the food however or the overall experience. Our waitress was adequate, not stellar but not bad. I appreciated that they didn't treat us like they wanted to shuffle us back out the door, but a few drink refills and table check-ins without asking would have been nice. We had the chicken, the lamb duo, the angus steak, the fried okra, the mac n cheese and the candy bar dessert. All of the entrees were delicious and cooked perfectly, though I wish the accompanying sides to the protein were more adequate. The fried okra was the BEST i've ever had, and I've gotten after a ton of okra in my lifetime. The mac n cheese wasn't the best I've had, but it was very good and the gruyere gave it a nice depth of flavor. The best part of the meal by far was dessert. I kept saying "I can't believe how good this is!" I wished we had ordered 2. I would come back here just for the dessert. They should rename it the CRACK candy bar. I'm still fawning over it :) read more

Management was able to smooth things over after the waiting incident.

First time having oysters! This place is great. I love love the atmosphere, food, dessert and service!

Hands down the best meal I had on my most recent trip to Austin. I am not a big fish person, but my parents ordered the ceviche and bass from the raw bar, which they said was delicious. I ordered the pan seared pork chop on the recommendation of the waitress and she was soot on. This pork chop was unbelievable. The flavors of the grilled plums, corn and cucumber yogurt salad went perfectly with the pork chop - I highly recommend it. Service was good but the food really wowed me. read more

It reminds me of some of the best farm to table restaurants in NYC. Delicious menus (decent portions too) with seasonal dishes and great cocktails. I was suprised to see the location (over looking 6th street), but we went early in the evening and enjoyed the view without the drunken crowds. Great spot to take out of towners or family. read more

I came into Austin with two of my girlfriends and we stumbled upon Parkside due to the high ratings. The ratings were right on and the food was delicious! I loved the atmosphere and aesthetics of the restaurant. I split the salmon and arugula salad and it was the perfect mix. This will be on my new rotation of Austin restaurants when I come to visit! read more

I loved their bread, the seared salmon, the butternut squash, and the strawberry Sunshine martini! A laid back restaurant with a casual but elegant appeal for 6th street. read more

Went to Parkside with my husband and another couple - specifically for the oysters. They were amazing as were the other appetizers we got (ceviche and bass). The presentations of the oysters by the wait staff was amazing - educating us on each one we chose and what flavor they would have. It was a great experience and we will definitely be back. Drinks were great, too. read more

Let's start with I'm visiting austin from Fairfield county ct. I saw such amazing reviews on this restaurant that I decided to try it with my family. If I lived here I would never return. The service was good... The server was perfectly nice and helpful along with other staff. The drinks were fine (kind of pricey) but the food is highly over rated. The appetizers were tiny and the entrée's were appetizer size. I had the salmon which was not cooked well and had poor sides. Family had beet salad (not good and very small) scallops (ok but very small on a large plate) calamari and gnocchi which were both over cooked and flavorless). Overall not a great eating experience. read more

Very underwhelming. Fried green tomatoes were good but not out of the world. Duck is not good. It's bad. It comes with white beans (flavorless) and some green sauce (also lacks flavor and salt). Extremely underwhelming considering the price. The cocktail is good. That's it. Probably not coming back. read more

Rating solely based on the fact that I was served packets of saltines with the ceviche. Shows a severe lack of self respect.

Fantastic. I eat here nearly once a week with my boyfriend. The staff knows us by name and the chefs come out and socialize with us. Really, it's very nice to get this sort of service. So on to specifics: They have fantastic selections of drinks. I personally love both of their varieties of sangria. As for food, you can not beat the raw bar. Hands down, the raw bar is the best. i often order the salmon and amber jack and occasionally the fluke. The salmon is my favorite. It is accompanied by diced up pineapple and the subtlest hint of spice. The amber jack has miniature citrus slices and it, too, is fantastic. They really picked complimenting flavors. They also have yummy calamari that we occasionally order if we are simply in a snacking mood. For an actual dinner entree, we go with the the strip steak in red wine sauce and fries. Fantastic! Always cooked to perfection and the fries.... mmmmmm! For dessert, the donut holes are a must. They come 6 to a bag and have three varieties of dipping sauce. So delicious! I recommend this place for situations like trying to impress a date, having a graduation celebration for your son or daughter, or taking a business partner out. read more

Service was real slow plus The only thing our party can agree on was that the macornni was real good

My favorite spot for happy hour and lunch downtown! Parkside is so warm and welcoming, and the staff were super knowledgeable. Overall, great meal and drinks. Will be back again soon! read more

These are the best oysters we've ever had. I loved the oyster platter that sampled oysters around the country. Sooooo wonderful. I also loved the fried pork ears. I actually want to travel back to Austin just to experience both of these things! read more

God I just love it when places turn my guilty pleasures into fancy gourmet eats, and Parkside does just that! I was visiting Parkside for a banquet, and the first thing I noticed was the lovely decor. It's spacious and has homey brick walls that sort of soften the "nice restaurant" edge. The second floor has ample room for a banquet, in case you're considering holding an event here. And of course, the food was excellent. First came the salad - fresh greens and thin crispy and garlicky bread sticks with delicious and plump little mushrooms. Then came the most delicious chicken entree - the chicken was fried on top and was accompanied by thin potato slices and fried, crispy onions. I have never been so delighted with meat and potatoes! And finally, the carnival-esque dessert: caramel popcorn, tiny bits of poached pineapple, coconut ice cream, and an adorable little vanilla sugar donut. Perfect! Charmed by each course and the playfulness of the food, I left a happy customer and plan to come back for Wednesday's oyster special! read more

Oh, how much my gf and I love going here whenever we're in town. They always have a great selection of oysters, good drink menu, and their plates are always creative and delicious. Their raw plates are good too. I had the best piece of pork of my life here. It was a pork blade with fingerling potatoes and mushrooms. The next time I tasted it, it wasn't as good, but that first time was life changing. Also, go during happy hour. Some appetizers are half off, including the oyster platter. Also, wave to the people on 6th street walking by. read more

Awesome experience here. I was late for my reservation (traffic during Austin F1 weekend) and called. They were very nice on the phone and said they'd figure something out for me when I got there. I got there and they got me a table within a couple of minutes. Very friendly hostesses. The food was outstanding. I had some fresh oysters, then the kampachi with cashew, yuzu and mango -- amazing! Very light and fresh. Then I ordered the macaroni and cheese, a side dish. It was gourmet and really fantastic. Very adult mac-n-cheese, done really well. It was really filling - I stopped at that. The service, food and atmosphere were all really great. I would highly recommend this restaurant and I"ll definitely be back if I'm ever in Austin again. read more

We had a customer event here and it was a great experience. The upstairs area and patio are perfect for hosting guests and all the food was good. The only thing I didn't like was the dessert as it was far too sweet for me. read more

This is by far the best restaurant we have tried in Austin. Cait, our server, made recommendations that were awesome. Raw oyster platter was our starter along with ceviche. Both were fantastic. Beef tartare was also great. But the bone marrow was melt in your mouth incredible. Thanks to Cait for the recommendations and the chefs for the perfect execution. We will definitely be back next time in Austin. read more

the service was excellent -- the waiter was very knowledgeable about everything on the menu and gave great recommendations. The food-- the fried calamari, okra, mac + cheese, flounder, risotto, everything our group of 5 had was excellent. I just wish it was not on 6th street, I hate wading through the drunken crowds for this gem. So -1 star for location. Move to the second street area, s. Congress or Lamar! read more

I went there again this weekend and the food has gone downhill while the prices remained the same. Not very impressed. However, this was during SXSW so maybe they were a little busier than usual.... read more

I've been on a beef tartar kick - and I think we just found the best one in town. Rivals Wink and Justines, but in my opinion Parkside wins with the addition of yummy capers and cornichones. Will be back again for sure. read more

When I went back to Austin, this was definitely the restaurant I had to go back to. Glad I did. We enjoyed the Happy Hour. The portions and price are freaking awesome. You get more than what you pay for. Friends had the Steak and fries, looked delicious and was a huge portion for 9.50. Tried the fries again and this time they won me over. They were perfectly crisp and had the right amount of garlic. YUMMY!!! The house Blonde Pate was really good. The strawberries made it pop. The calamari was good. They did it right (nice and crispy) and tasted like they should. The oyster platter was nice. Had a nice mix of sweet and briny oysters. Served with the traditional accompaniments. Nothing beats vinegar, shallots and horseradish. Drinks: Enjoyed the Rosemary Cucumber and it tasted just as good as it did months before. Sipped on the Siberian Donkey for the first time and I must say I am a fan. They know how shake up a good cocktail here. Cant wait to visit Austin again. read more

Great tasting food. Could use a little bigger portions. Great mood in this place for a date you want to impress. (just eat a snack before you go :) ) read more

Really enjoyed the food. Stand outs for us were the Bass from the raw bar, the mac & cheese, and cinnamon and pecan doughnuts. All the food was really well done though. The service was very rushed however. Appetizers came out before cocktails, each course came out very fast leaving little time to actually enjoy the dining experience. I felt like because we started at 6:30 that we were being rushed through like happy hour diners. I think if we went back it would be for happy hour as opposed to a full dinner experience. Our server wasn't terribly friendly but was adequate. It just felt like her goal was to get us out. read more

This is one of those restaurants that you weigh over pay for the portions that you receive and it's all about the presentation the food is okay it's not great it's not bad but you're paying for the presentation on the play then afterwards you need to probably go buy a pizza so you can fill up because your meals going to cost you 250 to $200 and you'll still leave hungry. Also limited menu read more

A disappointing start to the new year. After being seated 30 minutes past our scheduled reservation on New Year's Eve, our party of 7 anticipated a multi-course prix fixe menu that looked promising. Unfortunately the acoustics in the room were so poor that our waiter had difficulty explaining the courses and taking our drink orders. Two in our party opted for the optional wine pairing. The trouble began when our server brought us three out of seven first courses. There was no assurance of bringing the remaining dishes; she simply disappeared. Fifteen minutes later she reappeared with the wine flights but seemed puzzled that we had not received our remaining first courses. Ok, it happens- she returned shortly with the missing plates. Inexplicably, the pattern was repeated for the remaining courses with the added annoyance of wine flights piling up with no accompanying courses. Our final dessert course was served sans wine and with no effort to renew our drink orders. Being told that three of the entree choices were no longer available only added to this faux foodie fiasco. Following the second course, I spoke to a manager who offered tired old rationalizations about being short-staffed and over-booked. Not good- prix fixe is a classic method for a restaurant to (in theory) efficiently handle busy holiday seatings. My wife tag-teamed with me by summoning the general manager (Nicole) and voicing our disappointment and embarrassment at having brought international guests to her restaurant. To her credit, our bill was fairly adjusted to reflect the problems and the staff voiced seemingly genuine apologies for their mistakes. Mercifully, there were flickers of potential brilliance in this fog of kitchen confusion: prawns with lobster mousse, sea urchin and salmon roe, Snapper crudo with jicama and grapefruit and venison tartare with sweet potato crisp. Yet sadly, it's as if a really talented chef brought a few well-conceived plates into the kitchen, while his friends and family members, never having worked in restaurants, became his staff for the night. read more

I had high expectations for Parkside based on the Yelp and Citysearch reviews. We made a reservation for 8:30. When we arrived, they gave us a great seat by the window across from the "Best Wurst" - an entertaining site to say the least! I was a bit surprised that the restaurant was sparsely filled and was missing the electricity I expected to find on a Sat night on 6th st. But it was a welcomed atmosphere after walking the shady stretch of sin street to get there. I ordered a glass of Chard (great but in too small glass and I prefer true wine glasses instead of orange juice glasses), a house salad, the Mahi and a side order of corn. I asked for some bread and the waiter brought about 6 slices laying on a large brown paper towel. No bread plates were given but that was not much of a problem. The salad was tasty but a bit on the lite side. Mahi was very very tasty but again, on the smaller side. I happened to like the portion. Sadly the corn came- it was on the cob- something that was not spelled out on the menu (or explained by the waiter). The worst part though was that it was doused with butter and ---blechhh cheese. I happen to think corn tastes pretty darn good on it's own and does not need to be doused with extra calories and artery clogging cholesterol to be complete. When I sent it back to be de-cheesed, it returned after a long wait only to be cold! So I ended up only having a dish of fish and felt a bit hungry without the corn. I felt the waiter could have offered to replace the corn with an alternate side (knowing I did not eat that much) but he just took it away and did not show much concern about the goof. Anyway, we finished the night off with a pretty darn good dessert. We ordered the donut holes and they were the best part of the dining experience. However, the dessert was not served with any plates or silverware. You were expected to take the holes with fingers and dip them into cups of sauce. It was a bit messy and I think the dish could have been presented a bit better. Overall, we had a good experience and a fun night out but I felt Parkside left alot to be desired in the end. It's close though and with some adjustments, it could be one of the better restaurants in Austin. Just not sure the mid-E 6th st location is going to attract the kind of clientele that can support a $30/ person dinner. I mean, it's pretty hard to compete with a $4 Bratwurst! :) Enjoy! www.nineten.net read more

Disappointed, since the food next door at Backspace is so much better. Service here is great but everything we had was too oily, including the smoked salmon (which really doesn't need oil added). It's a shame since I had high expectations. read more

Amazing drinks and wonderful service and atmosphere. Great apps too (had the crab fritters and gnocchi). The entrees were also delicious, but extra small for the price (3 scallops and NO sides for $25, 3 very small pieces of salmon for a similar price, etc.). Definitely a must for happy hour, though. read more

Happy hour. You must go and get yourself some great cocktails at half-price. I loved the Braveheart and I don't even like whisky. Order the oysters, caesar salad (with real anchovies), crab fritters, ceviche, and the bar steak and you'll have an amazing meal...for two...if you feel like sharing. Oh, the fries are also amazing crunchy, salty goodness. read more

I enjoyed the platter of oysters here. The fries were awesome too. Not so much a fan of the scallops. Although they were fat and fresh, the red curry didn't really make the scallops "pop". I'd recommend something else. If I were to return, I would probably try their non-seafood items. Great atmosphere.. read more

Nice place in the heart of Austin music district. I had the scallops with cream corn and it was done very well. The brioche bread is really good with the seasoned butter. We were there on a Wednesday night so they had seafood bar specials on Oysters and they were a home run too. Mac and cheese is better than most and the Salmon was also a hit with people at my table. I'm heading back to Austin in a couple weeks and will take my wife to Parkside. Service and decor were both excellent. read more

Wait staff and management was very rude. We had a large party of 16 people for dinner and 4 friends came to join us mid-way through dinner. The 4 friends didn't have anywhere to sit so they stood off to the side and chatted with other members of our party who got up to say hi to them. Wait staff and mgt asked gave them a very hard time and rudely asked them to leave on multiple occasions. Food may be great but they lacked class. read more

Went there as part of a group dinner. The food was fine, but I wasn't overwhelmed. As I told the daughter (who lives in the area): the Parkside is nice (and their rooftop patio is a nice location), the food at Moonshine is much better. read more

Probably one of the best tartares I've ever had! Great appetizers, solid staff, and awesome cocktails! You should definitely treat yourself!

I love half priced Happy Hours at swanky places in downtown Austin. When I found out Parkside had half priced raw oysters and champagne all night on Wednesday I was sold! Parkside is a cute bar / restaurant on 6th St. without being stuffy and pretentious. We enjoyed half of their bar menu over the three hours we chatted with friends. They had a good selection of bottled beers from New Belgium to Independence. You could spend as little or as much as you wanted on the champagne. Half price the cheapest bottles came in at $17. The cocktails were also fun and refreshing. I enjoyed the Strawberry Sunshine and it was delicious without being overpoweringly sweet. The food was also a big hit. How can you got wrong with raw oysters? They were fresh and delicious and we got to sample three different varieties. The garlic fries are to die for! Crispy shoe string fries with delicious minced garlic sprinkled on top. The calamari was interesting. I agree with another review that said they are pretty salty. Our table decided they tasted like pork rinds or chicharones. Bacon flavored calamari, I kid you not! I don't think I'd order again, but it was definitely interesting. The ceviche was also fantastic. Nice pieces of fish were dispersed throughout out the not overly acidic mix of onions and tomatoes. I love the avocado that came with. It was a nice touch of butteriness that ceviches sometimes need. Our friends enjoyed the streak which was well cooked and very tender and juicy. I mean who has a steak on their happy hour bar menu? Awesome! The ceasar salad was also good. For those of you that don't like real anchovies you may want to steer clear as they had two nice fillets laying on top. The service was good considering how long we sat there. I did fell like she was pushing us to order more faster, but she always kept our glasses full which what I look for in good service. We will definitely be going back to the all night Wednesday half priced oysters and champagne. Coming from Florida I LOVE fresh seafood so any place that can pull that off at a reasonable price in Austin makes me happy. The happy hour is also fun and runs daily from 5pm-7pm with good options if you want to turn it into a dinner before going out downtown. read more

The half-price happy hour is pretty nice. The venue looks like a really swank bar, and everything is presented well. However, I don't get this place's preoccupation with butter. They had some really nice bread, then served it with some over-salted butter. Even my french fries came with butter, and I had to ask for ketchup. Did you forget they were already fried in oil? This place seems to be a lot of pretense, but when it comes down to it, the food just misses the mark. read more

I took my boyfriend to Parkside last night to celebrate his birthday. We consider ourselves foodies and can be judgmental on restaurants - we both thoroughly enjoyed Parkside! We had eaten a late lunch at a fancy burger shop on Congress around 2 o'clock so I don't think we were nearly as hungry as we should have been to enjoy Parkside at 8 PM. We started off with a half dozen Blue Point, CT oysters from the raw bar. Having had blue point oysters previously and found them fantastic, I was slightly disappointed to find them a tad salty. For our main course my BF had the salmon and I had the scallops. I'm not a big salmon fan but the taste I had was delicious! BF said it was cooked to perfection and I don't think there was one morsel left on his plate. My scallops were divine; cooked perfectly and the cous cous and apple accompaniments were fantastic as well. I had arranged for dessert back at home for the birthday boy, but once John heard it was his birthday he brought us out a dessert! He knew we had something at home so he brought us the lightest one they had - a citrus tart with lemon grass ice cream. Oh. Em. Gee. We did not make it to the chocolate ganache I had at home because we filled up on this yummy dessert! Our waiter John was absolutely fantastic. We were slightly needed with our wine selection - a white wine that was not overtly citrus and yet not a chardonnay- and he absolutely helped us find a great Albarino that we will definitely be having again. He had a great balance of checking in when needed, making sure we had everything and leaving us alone to dine. Too often in nicer restaurants I feel either smothered or abandoned and John definitely was in tune with us. My only gripe, and the reason why I have rated it a 4 star instead of 5, is that we called to notify the hostess that we were running behind for our reservation and she said it would be no problem. What I didn't realize was that the no problem part was that instead of being seated in the dining room, we were seated at a table by the bar. The noise of the room and people bustling around the bar drinking cocktails while they waited for a table definitely hampered any romantic atmosphere we could have otherwise felt. I look forward to returning to Parkside in the future! Some things I have my eye on are definitely the bone marrow, Gruyere mac & cheese and the donuts for dessert.... read more