I've been here twice now and enjoyed it both times. Service was decent the first time (our server was obviously really busy but we still got what we needed when we needed it). The second time we came for happy hour and the service was spot on. Our server was very knowledgeable about the oysters and offered good drink suggestions. I'll definitely be back. read more

Parkside is not only one of our favorite restaurants in Austin, it is our go-to restaurant for taking out-of-town guests. You can't go wrong with Parkside; it impresses them every time! (And also demonstrates that there is more to Texas cuisine than BBQ and Mexican food. And yes, I realize many people are perfectly fine staying within those realms, but I don't care for either, so I'm really excited to have great eclectic non-BBQ, non-Mexican restaurants like Parkside!) I might as well start with those famous Parkside fries. Unlike certain other establishments that are famous for bafflingly blah fries (see my otherwise glowing review of a restaurant with the initials HPB&G), the fries at Parkside actually live up to their reputation. Covered with a garlicky aioli, they are crispy, nicely seasoned, and delicious! And as you know, I'm not a fry-lover, so that is high praise. Not being a fry-lover, I never actually order them myself, but my husband always does, and I inevitably end up taking more than a nibble of them. Moving on to my personal faves at Parkside: Soup: They only feature one soup on their ever-changing menu, but with one exception, all the soups I've tried are pretty much the best soups in the world. I'm talking about their pumpkin bisque (I wish they would keep it on the menu permanently!) and creamy butternut squash soup that comes topped with this amazing homemade savory marshmallow. Yes, you read that correctly. SAVORY marshmallow. It's indescribably yummy as it melts into the creamy frothiness of the soup. The one disappointing soup I've tried is the current one, billed as "spring potato soup". Too bad the waiter forgot to inform me, as I asked him about the soup, that it is chilled. I know hoity-toity foodies will probably think chilled potato soup is all creative and artistic, but to me --- it was gross. I mean, I like chilled fruity soups as much as the next person, but chilled potato soup just isn't right. However, now I've learned my lesson: before ordering untried soups at Parkside, I will make sure to ask if they're served warm or chilled. But the warm soups I've tried are all amazing and worth the trip alone. Gruyere Mac and Cheese: There are a bunch of restaurants that serve mac and cheese, advertising snazzy cheeses and extras (asiago, white cheddar, green chili, etc.), but very few actually deliver on the taste of those ingredients. Not so at Parkside. They advertise gruyere (and two other cheeses I can't remember --- maybe cheddar and something else?), and boy, I can actually taste that distinctive Gruyere. It's to die for. And bonus: it comes in this adorable little covered aluminum mini casserole dish that I want to take home with me. (I haven't!!!!! You know I wouldn't try slipping that into my purse! I'm classier than that! Now hotel shampoo is another story....). The macaroni is listed on the side item menu, but it's a really big serving and more than adequate for one person's meal. The Bread: I love restaurants that serve GOOD table bread. Most restaurants around here don't serve table bread at all (I guess chips and salsa are considered just as good by many folks. But not by me. i"m a "breadie"). And a lot of restaurants that do serve table bread serve very bland, stale, blah bread. Parkside's admittedly has the look of blah bread, despite its cute paper wrapper, but don't be fooled! It is fresh and delicious, with a flavorful, soft interior, and this delightfully shiny, yummy exterior (I don't generally like crusty artisan breads, but this bread avoids any threat of "dry" or really even "crusty"). I don't know what makes it so good, but it is addictively scrumptious. And perfect for dunking in that amazing soup mentioned above! Those are all of my favorites from Parkside. My husband often tries new things, but sometimes he sticks with old favorites like the bar steak (which he claims is better than the dinner-menu steak) and the cheeseburger. But he has also tried many of the seasonal entrees, such as chicken and pork ribs, and almost always finds them delicious. The best part is, they always come with really creative sides, so he's broadened his horizons by trying lots of stuff we never even knew existed, but turn out to be delish (roasted sunflower roots anyone?). Sorry if you read all the way to this point in the review waiting for me to get to the raw bar stuff only to find out I've never tried any of it! But then again, this is me we're talking about, and you should know me well enough by now to know that I am most definitely not a raw-anything sort of gal. (I mean, really --- I couldn't even handle cold potato soup! You think I'm really going to eat some sort of uncooked formerly-living thing?). Love the ambience at Parkside and the late-night dining hours. They also have convenient valet parking right outside. Altogether creative and delicious! Highly recommend! read more

We came to Austin for a wedding and had a free evening. The four of us are self-admitted Foodies, so I looked on-line for best restaurants. We found Parkside on a listing of Epicurious and made a reservation. I am so glad we did! The food is beautifully presented and is very imaginative. We loved the sweet potato soup with little meringue clouds dusted with chili powder! The scallops were also delicious and vegetables great. A bottle of Savignon Blanc went well with the meal. And the desserts! Absolutely beautiful and really good -- another example of great taste and beautiful presentation. What a talented chef! The food is as good as we've had in many more sophisticated places across the country. We had reservations through Open Table and were seated immediately. The service was great -- super friendly and good advice. We would definitely recommend Parkside and would love to try their little wine bar/pizza space, BackSide around the corner! The 6th Street neighborhood is mostly bars, but this place is a little gem worth finding! read more

This review is long over due as Parkside is one of my favorite restaurants to date. I consider Shawn Cirkiel the Jose Garces of Austin and I was so happy to find this place after moving from Philly to Austin. Practically everything I've tried on the menu has been incredible, including some exquisite desserts. This place is definitely high on my list as a place we like to hang out on our own, as well as a place to take friends from out of town. read more

My first time going to Parkside and it did not disappoint. I wasn't sure where to start but my waitress Brooke suggested a San Jacinto, which paired perfectly with the steak. My steak was cooked just to my liking and melted in my mouth not to mention the mac n cheese was some of the best I've ever had. The service was great and Brooke was super helpful. I will be recommending Parkside to my friends. read more

Parkside is one of my favorite restaurants in town. Always reliable and consistent food that is super delicious. There have only been a few dishes that I've had here and there that have not knocked it out of the park for me. Stay sweet, NEVER CHANGE! read more

I've been here twice and the food is orgasmic, especially the oysters. Service is slightly above average.

Excellent meal with friends. The server knew the wines, the appetizers were amazing:, we had crab fritters, oysters, and marrow bones. The entrees were smoked pork chops, gnocchi and the duck. All were very nice, all accompaniments were perfect. We rounded things off with a shard lemon tart, and espresso chocolate hazelnut amazing something. Very nice, lovely server and atmosphere. read more

Parkside - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The wonderful people at Parkside donated a gift to a teacher at Blackshear Elementary. The teacher will now get to spend a night at one of the finest spots in Austin! It was an incredible gesture. You'll love the food at Parkside, but feel happy that you are supporting a restaurant that supports the neighborhood. I'm with the Blackshear PTA, and I am grateful. read more

LOUD. Way too loud for a business gathering when busy. I would not go back unless the acoustics were improved. Food and drinks were as expected for this price point. read more

great atmosphere and good food. the servings were rather small, but definitely tasty. it's great to see restaurants popping up on 6th Street and moving away from the college bar crowd. i'd have liked to have sat on the upstairs balconey that overlooks the street, especially before it starts getting chilly, but that'll give me another reason to stop by another time. Great collection of types of oysters, if you're a fan, and some very eclectic cocktail suggestions by our server. read more

Food was good, but definitely overpriced. Wine selection by the glass is too generic (varietal listed only, no details). Wines by the bottles were approximately 3x the real cost. No beer on tap, only bottle. 6th street rent must be really high. read more

The food here is amazing. It is a bit pricier than most Austin restaurants, but very much worth the splurge. I highly recommend the ceviche, the flank steak and the oysters. read more

Yum. Eee. Excellent, unpretentious, totally cool setting and kitchen. Barmaids (in pearls!) know their drinks and the menu. Do the oysters (from all over); do a specialty cocktail or local craft beer; short but sweet wine list. Green garlic soup is a winner as is the light and satisfying blonde paté; evening special "Wreck" fish entrée rocked with cannelini beans in a savory panéed sauce with seasonal mushrooms, greens and watermelon radish. Bread (though in-house baked) was very sto-bought (like, from the sale bin at Fiesta) and should've been crusty and toothsome in order to meet standards of the rest of the meal. Otherwise, now def' on the the short list of fav' Austin food. read more

Very interesting food, well prepared. Not a raw bar fan, so choices were, for me, limited. Extremely noisy, particularly on a friday night. The middle of 6th street is not conducive to a relaxing dinner experience. read more

This place is lovely if you are looking for something a bit more upmarket on 6th street among all the indie bars and taco places. It is also helpfully open late and serving food late. I had a great white fish dish with potatoes and 'sea foam'. I am not sure what the sea foam really contributed to the overall dish but it was still good. The wine list boasted wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy and then 'France'... Anyway, the wait staff were great and we did really enjoy it. read more

My mouth still waters thinking about my time at Parkside. Their gnocchi and ceviche are--hands down--the best I've had.

It was a special occasion. So my husband and I decided to try a new restaurant. Having both worked at 5 star Italian restaurants. We were dellighted to see they had gnocchi as an appetizer. We unfortunately received a plate of 8 unidentifiable snail looking pieces of so called gnocci, in a circle around the edge of the plate swimming in a soysauce tasting brown sauce. It was frankly. UNEDIBLE. The service was so poor we coouldnt even find our hostess/waiter to complain. So we paid the exhorbitant price and left. We dont see how this place stays in business. Robin Georgia read more

I think the food here is amazing! Location is a little suspect but the food makes up for bad location...

hmph. This was an interesting study for me. Usually when Bff and I go anywhere together, it's AWESOME! Something about sharing anything with your favorite buddy makes everything that much rosier. I always wondered, in fact, if that was coloring my opinions and my reviews of certain businesses. Parkside demonstrated for me that you can definitely overcome that rosiness with some meh food and drinks. We'd been planning this outing for my birthday for weeks. We'd pored over the online Happy Hour drinks and apps menus like kids with the Sears Christmas catalog. Maybe we over-hyped it to ourselves? They have about 20 interesting drinks and a generous amount of apps, half priced for HH. We were to discover that almost everything we tried was just aiight at best. The highlight? Definitely the ceviche. Described as salmon belly and striped bass, I would describe it as little bits of heaven in a not too overpowering citrus marinade. Unfortunately, it was served with packages of saltines which proved to be Keri-proof. Bff had to open several for me so I could get that goodness in my mouth. Also the fried okra was a hit. It was sliced on the diagonal and fried crunchy with just the right amount of salt, rendering the accompanying "house ranch" unnecessary, thankfully as it was too bitter and tangy anyway. And Bff loved the blond pate which was foie and duck (?) blended with a cream (?? I'm pretty pate ignorant so forgive the crappy description). It was a huge healthy serving that he got to eat all by hisself, cause no matter how hard I try, I just can't get past that livery wang. blech. The calamari was bland served with an "aioli" that resembled and tasted like nothing more than a tart butter sauce. And the crab fritters were mostly gooey breading inside. Drinkwise, the Oaxacan Dreamsicle that held so much promise as tequila, vanilla, jalapeno and OJ tasted like just OJ, and no matter how much I tried to "muddle" my slice of jalapeno with my straw, it never added much heat. The best drink was the Siberian Donkey (absolut peppar, ginger beer, and lime). It was definitely out of my comfort zone, but packed a huge kick of ginger. Altho at first I wasn't crazy about it, after squirting in some lime juice and adding the accompanying very spicy pickled jalapeno, that drink grew on me like a wild hair. About 3/4ths into it I looked at Bff and said, "This is great, but you know what it needs??" Without hesitation, he replied correctly, "More of it." Yup these drinks were tiny. At $4.50 or so a pop, no complaints. No WAY I"d pay full price for them. It would be insulting. Just an aside, the wines by the glass are only listed by varietal, "pinot noir", "chardonnay", and a notation of region, but no indication of producer. I also found that insulting somehow. We really liked the ambiance at the bar. Our server was very polite and helpful and easy on the eyes, and they were playing a nice eclectic mix of music, from Arcade Fire to Louis Armstrong. But then, you walk out into the reality of 6th St with it's mid evening drunks accosting you down the street (literally latching onto my arm). I can't help but think this was a poor choice of location for this restaurant and with the blah food, not really worth the hassle of a return trip. I would be inclined to give two stars, but my rosy glasses bump it to three. read more

Ate here on December 18th. Props to Chef Victor, Chef Derek, and Keep Paul for the awesome food and drinks. I order Manhattans pretty much everywhere, and this one had to be one of the best. read more

This was a great experience from the moment we arrived to the moment we left the restaurant. Our server, Jessica, was incredibly helpful in providing menu recommendations and was very attentive with her service. Her recommendation for the scallops was spot on! They were delicious (as was the risotto, salmon, potato gnocchi appetizer and calamari). We were a party made up of out of town guests, so Jessica also gave us additional recommendations to do/see while here! Great service and food! Would recommend coming here! read more

You know, I am not going to complain about the small portions because, frankly, it was refreshing. I get tired of lugging To Go boxes around because the portions are monster-size.. I think the portions at Parkside are perfect size. We had a dozen oysters, an order of ribs for appetizers We split a Spanish-style marlin dish cooked with tomatoes and olives for the entree and topped it off with dough nut holes for dessert. Everything was good, especially the marlin and grand total was only $55 with tip. Both of us left perfectly full and happy. The waiter was outstanding.. Very, very attentive, professional and knowledgeable. The menu is very interesting and it took a while to decide which tasty dish to choose. Normally, I find 1 or 2 that seem interesting on an entire menu, but not here.. There were a dozen dishes that looked interesting to me.. While I was there I didn't even remember I was on 6th street.. Definitely recommend to anyone. read more

I love Parkside! Great downtown weekly happy hour and they have good/drinks specials on that menu. Their service is always top notch and I highly recommend the oysters. Also, my fiancé and I have been to a rehearsal dinner here on their upstairs patio and loved it so much we are having our dinner here too! Check this place out if you're downtown Austin! read more

The food was great at this restaurant. Service was extremely poor. I've never in my life had to wait 30 minutes to get a glass of wine. The food came out over an hour after we ordered. Service made you feel extremely uncomfortable. We had a larger group (7) so gratuity was already added but feel like since that was a given, we were not treated the way we should have been since waiter knew they were receiving a good tip. This also was not mentioned to us until we got the bill at the end of the meal. Very disappointed. Will not be returning and not recommending to others. read more

Finally got a chance to try Parkside and I was not disappointed. Even though they are located on 6th street (don't be skurred!) they have all but shed any apprehensions you might have once you step inside. The decor is unassuming and stays true to the original old Texas architecture, even incorporating the fraying paint into the design. The food is unassuming and I know that many people like a more descriptive menu, but out waiter was more than happy to help us make selections and even sampled us a few wines because we were unsure in our choices. But enough about that and onto the food. Oysters- either you like 'em or you don't and Parkside serves up a nice, fresh variety. But the raw plates- whew- that's where it's at. Had the snapper and it was melt in your mouth delish- and I could have easily eaten it by myself and next time probably will, as it is a little on the small side. The scallops were Tasty- that is with a capital T, y'all- and the sirloin was not only cooked to perfection, but the actual meat was an excellent cut. However, the highlight of the meal had to be dessert. The butternut squash ice cream with the panna cotta was transcendent. So well paired with the ginger cookie that I could have also eaten that by myself and next time I will know better. Seriously, this dessert was the best last course I have had in a long time and a perfect end to a great meal. read more

Parkside has an amazing happy hour and an incredible half-off deal for champagne and oysters on Wednesdays. This is one of the splurge nights that I have with my girlfriends every so often, and until last Wednesday, I would have been in the 4-5 star range. But apparently their service doesn't extend beyond the circumference of the table where you're seated. After spending several hundred dollars and having one too many champagnes, I went to the folks at the front desk of the restaurant to ask if they'd call a cab. One of our party had her bike with her, and I said we'd all over-indulged a bit to make a bike ride home safe for her, so asked if they could call us a cab but request a minivan. I was met with blank stares by the two women at the table, and the man, straightfaced, instructed me to send her home ON THE BUS. Now, I'd taken the bus up there, and I'm all for public transportation, but a restaurant that charges those prices for entrees should be able to pick up a phone and call a cab for a customer if she needs to get her girlfriends home safe and sound. After seeing my surprise at being told to strap my friend's bike on a bus and send her on her merry way late-night and alone, the guy just kept repeating Yellow Cab's phone number to me, like that would summon the cab I was looking for. I've got Yellow Cab on my phone, thank you. But service is service, and Parkside should know better. The whole experience was so bizarre and so careless, and as another reviewer said "too cool for school," that I don't think we'll go back again. It just soured the experience for us. It's so easy to make that tiny little bit of extra effort, but apparently Parkside hasn't gotten that memo yet... read more

My boyfriend and I went here for a nice dinner before going out in Austin. We arrived a little early for our reservation time and instead of offering for us to go to the bar the hostess had us wait. There was no other party waiting at the time. Then we were seated and found it very loud. I asked the waiter what an item was on the appetizer menu since I was a vegetarian and he reassured me it was not sausage. It came out and was clearly meat, apparently the waiter was very confused about my concern. The rest of our dinner, dessert, and wine were great though. The kitchen did a great job, the service was not so good. read more

Had a group dinner here with 7 people. The service was terrible and we waited over 1.5 hours for our food. Once the food arrived it was not even hot. Additionally, the food was extremely salty and lacked taste. I would not recommend this restaurant. read more

a group of friends and I were in late Tuesday night. the host, manager on duty and our server brian were so accommodating. the food & service was amazing! we will definitely be back just because of brian! read more

On the 6th there are very few good restaurants just burger and bar food joints mostly. Nestled between the dive bars with their great live music this restaurant is a safe bet. Its casual setting and good food, I had the chicken it was excellent. The servers were friendly attentive and gave some good informed menu direction. read more

oh. my. goodness. I went to Parkside for the first time tonight after all the wonderful things I've heard about it. It was even better than it was built up to be AND what I'm saying is: I'm suuuuper picky. I thought the service was on point and the food could not have been any more delicious! I went with a small group of friends and we tried a little of everything. I thought we'd for sure have a "not a favorite" dish, but EVERYTHING was fantastic! From the raw bass with watermelons to the rack of lamb and pureed potatoes to the peach tart with raspberry sorbet. I cannot even describe how light and wonderful all the flavors were. I'll definitely be back! I had a great time with my friends and loved the cool atmosphere. GO GO GO to Parkside!!! read more

This restaurant is just not very good for the price. The food was bland and the atmosphere is dull. I honestly don't understand why the oysters have such a following, as I was quite unimpressed. Maybe the owners will learn more about the culture of Austin and adjust their ambiance and quality accordingly. read more

Gosh, I wanted to love this place but for the $270 price tag and blah service I've got to say pass. We went for NYE and while the menu looked awesome the food was less than spectacular. It was all okay, but nothing I would recommend. And to top it off the kitchen was moving way too fast. To start we ordered cocktails and the wine pairing menu for our 4 course meal. However, the first course came out first with a glass of wine for my boyfriend and it took about ten minutes more for my glass to arrive. All this time we sat an awkwardly stared at our meal waiting for the drinks. Plus the cocktails never even arrived, so we canceled that order by course 2. The whole meal continued in this unsynchronized fashion and our waitress never even bothered to explain our dishes as they came out. Also, one of my pieces of raw tuna tasted a bit off (fishy) and all the plates were okay, the pasta seemed cold or some meat seemed like it had been sitting too long. If you're looking for New American cuisine I highly recommend Barley Swine or Odd Duck up the street. Those guys have flavors and execution down to a science, and its a much more fun dining experience. read more

Worst service I've ever had at a restaurant. Over half the meal was comped. Then I got food poisoning from the parasites in the oysters and was bed-ridden for days. read more

We had dinner at Parkside last night... It was our first night in Austin. Wow we were so disappointed at the service from the hostess all the way to management. We had reservations at 730pm we check in at 7pm. They had open tables in the dinning room but the hostess refused to seat us early. She sent us to the bar area and said your table will be ready at 730pm. I didn't understand but didn't want to argue so we went to the bar and ordered drinks and french fries because we were starving. After we ordered another hostess came to us and said your table is ready. I was shocked since the first hostess made it clear to me two times that our table will be ready at 730pm. But was just so happy to sit down and order because we hadn't ate all day and were looking forward to a nice dinner. So we ordered the best salad, scallops and NY steak as recommended by our server. We enjoyed the salad the scallops however the NY steak was flavorless and dry. My husband tried a few bits and traded my plates for the scallops. Then I took a bit and agreed with him. So I complained to the server that we didn't like the dish. He responded that you ordered it med well that's why it's dry and then took my dish away with an attitude. Then the manger came to our table and apologized and said he will send us out a free dessert which was so nice. After we got the yummy desert we got our bill. Wow I was so shock to see they actual charged us for the steak we complained about and had returned mid meal. So I questioned the manager and he stated well you ate 1/2 the steak so that why I charged you. I then replied really, be took a few bits each to try it and you took back my plate half full and then the manager argued back and said how about I charge you for 1/2 the steak since you ate 1/2? Wow really !!!! I didn't want to argue I just want to get the hell out of that restaurant!!!! What customer service ... This would never happen in LA!!!! read more

PLEASE read the other one and two star reviews on this place. I don't have much more to add other than: 1. they were out of two major menu items on an already very limited menu, on a Saturday night! 2. they ran out of the liquor I was drinking, on a Saturday night! 3. unfriendly, VERY slow wait staff 4. bland, VERY small portions 5. way too expensive read more

So last night I met up with my roommate and a friend i hadn't seen in a while. They said the manager promised them free ceviche. We went and it's kinda swanky in that people dress fancy. I was not. No problem. We sat upstairs on the patio and it was a great night for it. They sent out the ceviche and blonde pate'. WOW, that blond pate' was AMAZING. The ceviche was pretty good but, i think i had better. I ordered the crab fritters and goat cheese tart. The crab fritters were delicious and fresh. They seriously made me feel like i was back on the MS gulf coast! The goat cheese tart was quite tasty as well. We shared a bottle of sparkling rose' and it was quite good as well. I ended up getting the bar steak and man, it was beyond good but, i had no room left. Our server Trevor was amazing as well. I think they have great specials throughout the week and make it totally worthwhile. read more

I have been here twice, and the oysters and raw bar are the reasons to go. The oysters, both the selection and quality, are the best I have had in Austin. The raw salmon and amberjack are incredibly fresh -- the fish rivals that of the best quality sushi. I had the flounder (capers and a light butter sauce) for dinner during my last visit, and I thought it was good but not spectacular. The bf enjoyed his lamb. Another one of my dinner companions had the scallops, which she generously shared with the table. While they were large and perfectly cooked, they were super salty. I also found the presentation of the scallops (two sauces with fried bits and sauteed mushrooms on top) to be unnecessarily heavy, completely overpowering the delicate flavor of the scallop. The lime tart we had for dessert had its moments (yummy watermelon sorbet being one of them), but the overly soft curd filling did not pair well with the crust. The service is mostly attentive and knowledgeable, if slightly too familiar for my taste. Overall though, what Parkside does well (raw fish and oysters), it does very well. Given the veritable dearth of good modern fine dining in Austin, this is one of the better options. read more

I love that this place is open late. I'm always weary of hitting up places on "dirty" Sixth, but some places give me a reason to make exceptions. This is one. Romantic, dim-lighted setting makes it a wonderful date restaurant, but don't let that fool you! There's an upstairs that somehow often gets forgotten; great for accommodating medium (less than 100) parties and reception type events. The service is always friendly and fast, and apologetic when the kitchen isn't so fast. But I would rather have a well cooked meal while I wait a little than a poorly put together meal on the quick. I've been here only a handful of times but loved sitting at the bar watching them shuck my assorted dozen oysters. I am generally a fan of restaurants that have a rotating or semi-rotating menu because I like trying new things without truly being the guinea pig. The food always come so delicately plated, making this place appealing to all senses. The only thing is that their menu may seem limited (in options), but it's really not. At least, not to me, it's the perfect number and variety of choices. read more