Pappadeaux is a family favorite and always our go-to for a special night out in Austin. We came on…read morea busy Friday evening with reservations and, as always, the food delivered. The house salad with honey bacon is a must, the oysters are consistently fresh and incredible, and the Pappadeaux platter never disappoints. Unfortunately, this visit was a rare miss on service , slow all around, no refills, and they were out of several staples. It was frustrating because the service here is usually just as good as the food. We're not giving up on this place, one off night won't undo years of great experiences, but hopefully just a fluke. Can't wait to be back when they're firing on all cylinders!

It started off rough when our waitress, Ashley, completely ignored us. We were seated immediately…read moreand were told Ashley was our waitress and would be with us shortly with menus. About 5-7 minutes go by and nothing. We started eating the crackers at the table because we were hungry. A male waiter nearby noticed we had not been helped so he brought us menus and said Ashley was our waitress and he would see where she was. Another 10 minutes go by and nothing. We noticed an Ashley nearby waiting on the 3 tables surrounding us and she never acknowledged us. She showed 1 table some dessert options, she assisted another table with to go containers, and checked on the other after they received their food. All while walking right passed our table multiple times. I kept looking around and we were about to walk out when Mark, another waiter, stopped to check in on us. He apologized about the wait. He said Ashley was our waitress but he would get our drink order started. I thanked him and told him we were actually ready to order. He then asked what we would like. We placed our drink order and food order. Mark was very friendly and professional. He said his tables were elsewhere but he would be taking over our table too. I was glad to hear. I'm not sure if this was a miscommunication issue or what but it seemed that everyone nearby knew we were at Ashley's table but Ashley herself. Interestingly enough, after the 3 tables near us cleared out, so did Ashley. We didn't see her again. Kudos to Mark!! He was observant and noticed we hadn't been helped and jumped right in. If it wasn't for Mark we were going to walk out and dine elsewhere. A manager even stopped by to apologize. He heard what happened and offered us a free dessert. He checked in against later to see how things were. Mark and the manager are a 10/10. The food was just okay. A bit over priced for the quality and portion. The bread was dry. 7/10 The Ceasar salad was so good! 10/10

We stopped by after buying clothes for a trip. The service was absolutely excellent. Daniel, the…read morewaiter, was attentive and informative. We ordered the Lobster and Shrimp pasta, and the rainbow trout with potatoes. Every night was a joy. Delicious. This is a great place; I will go back again. Super nice people, fun setting and decorations, with amazing food.

The staff were very friendly and attentive. There is a huge boat skeleton in the area that we sat…read moreand I thought it was pretty cool. came here early as our toddler sleeps at 7pm but in doing so, we are able to catch their happy hour. I had the golden beets, oysters and fish tacos. All were yummy. We did order a kids salmon meal (not pictured) and our son liked the salmon. The other items were too hard / sugary for a 14 month old - gummies and raw carrots. Would be nice if they served the kids meal with cooked soft carrots and rice. :)

I had a wonderful early lunch at Freda's with a friend on a recent weekday. We arrived around 11:30…read moream and left around 1 pm. During that time, only a few tables were filled. I certainly hope they got more customers later in the day, because (based on my limited experience) the food, service, and atmosphere are all great. Freda's has been around for about 25 years. Longevity like that is earned. We opted to order from the lunch menu, which has enough choices to suit most people. I got the trout and shrimp ($19), which was nicely plated over seasoned rice and green beans. The lemon/butter/caper sauce was scrumptious. The trout was lightly breaded and crispy, and the shrimp (while slightly overcooked) were very tasty. The green beans were fresh and perfectly cooked. The overall portion size was just right. Before the meal arrived, a wonderful warm homemade cornbread was served with whipped butter. Service was excellent, and everyone was very friendly and welcoming. The interior of the restaurant is on the dark side. There's a separate bar area, and outdoor seating is available in better weather. I look forward to my next visit to Freda's!

Had a good meal at Freda's! We'd come back for a nice evening. The meal was a bit more expensive…read morethan we'd hoped for and at times felt like some of the items ordered didn't meet the expectation. The surf and turf was solid. 5/5. Medium rare steak, nice potato, big shrimp. Crawfish dishes were good too, but you could tell they weren't fresh. What do you expect when you order crawfish in February. However, the portion was good size and garlic bread was delicious. The miss of the evening was the gumbo. It was significantly thicker than usual and had large pieces of pepper in them. Didn't enjoy it for the price point. Service was friendly and advised nicely on what to do.

Very fresh seafood selections. The paella had chorizo so it…read morewas a tad on the greasy side for my gut. You get a small cup of soup to start. And chips. I'll try the ceviche next time. David had great drink suggestions.

Holiday party #4 tonight...we met a friend of ours for a holiday party being held at Simar. While…read morethe Mexican seafood restaurant has been open for 4 years, this is the first time we have visited. The hostess provided tortilla chips along with ceviche, guacamole and salsa. We ate lightly as we were heading to a dinner holiday party. The appetizers were absolutely delicious. I got to speak with Chef Manny and and Carina, the general manager to gain some insights about the business. Mexican Cocina is based on the cooking method and seasonings. The foods can be cooked over fire, oven or in the stove. Their unique value proposition is that you can choose your seafood from the case and the restaurant staff prepares the food to your liking. The restaurant is very large with different size rooms for rental. For large party rentals the spend minimum is $1000 and during the week it is $800. Such a nice find relatively close to home...definitely will return...

As soon as we walked in, we were greeted super kindly and taken right to our table. The host/server…read moreimmediately acknowledged that my wife is pregnant and even offered different seating options to make sure she was comfortable -- really appreciated that. They told us about all the specials right away and brought our drinks out fast. The service here is top-notch every single time, and the seafood never disappoints. I had the fish and chips -- crispy batter, fresh fish, and the tartar sauce was amazing. My wife had the shrimp gumbo and said it was delicious. We also got a pound of crab legs, and they definitely didn't skimp, especially with the Monday special they were running. The ambience is really cool too -- big open layout, surrounding patio, and two large bars on each side of the restaurant. Great experience all around. Highly recommend!

Sam's Boat has officially lost the plot and it's name. This used to be my go-to: casual, simple…read moremenu, not pretentious, not pricey, and consistently good. Today? Fuhgeddaboudit. It's crawfish season (my favorite season), so it was time to revisit The Boat. I'll let the crawfish slide since it's early in the season, but the redfish? Overcooked, dry, and honestly should never have been served. The most flavorful thing on the table was the green beans that came with it. And the price? $26 for that sad little piece of fish. $26.00. I'm guessing the Domain-adjacent location is why the pricing is so outrageous, because the quality sure doesn't match it. Service was basically nonexistent -- having to go to the bar to grab my own beer is a real turn-off when I'm sitting in a dining room paying sit-down prices. This restaurant is understaffed, overly full of itself, and I've had my last meal here. I'll stick with places like Shoal Creek Saloon and Deckhands -- places that still know how to serve good food at reasonable prices.

Garbo's reminds me of the Boathouse in Orlando if the food was actually good. The staff was…read morecommunicative about my group of five's expected wait time, and the waiting area was open with comfortable lounge chairs. I'm certain I would have dozed off in one if we weren't called up. We sat outdoor alongside several other families with kids. The music wasn't super loud and the tables were generously spaced so we weren't close enough for other peoples' conversations to distract from our own. We then ordered the following: Smoked Fish Dip Maine Crab Cakes Brussels Sprouts Fish Sandwich Lobster Grilled Cheese Lobster Pot Pie The smoked fish dip was good but nothing crazy. My sister had suggested the fried calamari instead, but my love of bread overrode my familial devotion. The dip itself was moist with no excess liquid and spread easily onto the provided cuts of sourdough toast. My only critique is that the dip seems like it's missing something, but I'm not food-smart enough to know what. However, because of my bread bias, this is still a 4/5. The crab cakes on the other hand were amazing. There was no excess oil soaking the fried crust and the crab meat inside wasn't over-salted, as I've come to expect from most crab cakes. These were highly enjoyable with bites of avocado and mandarin in between to balance the fried elements. 4.5/5 The Brussels sprouts were well-roasted, with a nice vinaigrette coating their crispy outsides. I expect this level of quality for Brussels sprouts from American restaurants at this point, so no surprises, just good in general. 4/5 Skipping the fish sandwich as unfortunately I didn't get to try them, but it looked and smelled great. I had one bite of the lobster grilled cheese, so take this particular review with a grain of salt. The smokiness of the cheeses sits on top of everything else without overpowering, while the lobster, bacon, and tomatoes provide a great mix of fat and brine. This is a lowbrow surf and turf between bread, and it's perfect. 5/5 Finally, we come to my own order, the lobster pot pie. Unfortunately, I shared this with the aforementioned sister and didn't get the full experience. The dish came piping hot and fresh, and the puff pastry was flaky and not overbaked. Internals-wise, I could see myself eating just the cream sauce like a chowder. It was perfectly flavored with veggies and herbs, with regular chunks of lobster. Not too salty and absolutely decadent, would not share again. 5/5 Overall, this was a highly enjoyable experience with fast, not rushed, service and an amazing spread. This is an easy recommendation for a family-friendly restaurant with lowkey vibes, and I'll forsure visit again when I'm back in town.

Looking for Rocky Mountain oysters, this is the place. Horrible fish fillet. Still uncooked…read morebatter on it. The lobster is frozen and then thawed. Super chewy. And prices are off the scale expensive

My past interactions with seafood broils have not been positive so I had given up. The first was…read morewith a party and was meh but I'm finding out it was the stuff others picked out as well as the flavor( "butter") . The second time was at Joes crab Shack and the crab there was empty and they mixed up the flavors with the incredibly spicy one. Like the saying goes third times the charm. Came here with my fiancé over the weekend. First and foremost the service was great. Our server was very friendly and helpful. She also informed us that they had an all day happy hour so we ordered a pitcher of margarita. Everything came out fast, the flavors were great, and for the price the amount in the bag was great. Will definitely be coming back.

It is hard to find a good Seafood Broil place and it is a little sad I have to drive do far to get…read moreit, but it is worth the drive! If you have a large group, you definitely need to make a reservation in advance. Especially on the weekend! Parking is decent since it's in a shopping center, but on the weekends it is a little difficult. When walking in the atmosphere is great! With a beach vibe and the smell of deliciousness in the air. They are a great drink selection, but the show stopper is the food! From appetizers to the boils! They are all delicious! And the service is usually great! So if you are in the mood for great seafood and good drinks, then look no further because Hook & Reel has it all!

Visiting Austin and loving all the choices for all things FOOD! Found this place and decided to…read moregive it a try, very great idea! Conveniently located in a shopping strip, Burnet & Anderson. We missed lunch specials by 5 minutes but it was all good. I ordered the Boudin Balls with shrimp fried rice as my side, my daughter had fried catfish with fries and my son had the grilled catfish with cilantro rice and steamed vegetables. Everything was so good, I mean all of our plates were filled with such deliciousness. Upon entering walk to the counter to place your order, a number is provided to you as placement on your table, your order is brought to your table. There are TV's all around and nifty decor being all things Austin. We will be a returning to try other menu items.

I'm so glad I stopped by here today! I was looking for black owned restaurants in the city and this…read moreone came up a few times. I also saw my friend mention it as the restaurant for her graduation luncheon so I figured it must be good! Lo and behold I met the owner Brandon and learned he's actually my friend's cousin! Small world! lol Brandon recommended the salt and pepper wings and shrimp since it was my first time and it was served with fried rice and a slice of bread. I really liked the crispiness of the food and batter that was used to fry it. You can taste the the flavor all in the skin. I would say the actual chicken inside the skin could use a tad bit more salt but also that could be a preference thing for me. I loved the jalapeño ranch dipping sauce which took the shrimp up a notch. The fried rice tasted like Chinese takeout rice which I believe the owner mentioned was part of the concept of the business, as it reminded him of the restaurant he had back home. I had a sweet tea for my drink which was really good as well, not too sweet. Can't wait to come back and try other menu items!

Recently reopened under new ownership. I'm 99% certain that the new owners used to run the now…read moreclosed Mandala Kitchen on South Lamar. They brought a lot of their old menu with them which is great because I loved their viet food. The banh khot (turmeric pancakes) are still delicious, and their "chef's special" which is a very generous portion of fried fish filets in a tamarind sauce is a phenomenal dish, one that I'd come just to eat. The fish is fried super well and the sauce is incredibly flavorful. Don't sleep on the wings either. Good size, cooked perfectly (crispy and not dry). They're still transitioning from the old juicy claws menu so not everything on the old menu is available yet. But what is available is fantastic. The service is also friendly and kind. They're still clearly working out some kinks at the moment but give them some grace and you'll be rewarded with a really fantastic meal.

My girlfriend and I have been coming here for the last few weeks and it is officially our new…read morefavorite restaurant. It's a small family owned place with charming service and a staff that shows genuine care and passion for what they do. We always get a seafood boil. Either crab or crawfish or both, and we absolutely love it. It's reasonably priced, and they have a fully stocked bar so we very much enjoy coming here for a seafood boil and day drinking. We ordered takeout from here today and received the biggest crawfish we had ever seen. The quality did not range whatsoever from dining in vs. taking out. We will be back very soon!!

Had a great Saturday lunch at Salt Traders. The food was really good across the board, and the…read morevalue for the portion sizes stood out. The tuna tacos (a special) were easily the best thing we had--so good they should be a permanent menu item. The ceviche was fresh and flavorful, and the $1 oysters during Saturday happy hour were an awesome deal. The Gulf shrimp cocktail was solid and exactly what you'd expect, while the burger was filling and a great value. Service was fast and friendly, and the whole experience felt smooth and easy. The ambiance is clean and modern with a relaxed coastal oyster bar vibe, making it a great spot for a casual lunch. Overall, a very good meal and definitely a place I'll be coming back to.

Salt Traders in Round Rock has become one of our go-to spots, and it never disappoints. The food…read moreand service are consistently excellent, which keeps us coming back. From the amazing sourdough bread to the smoked fish appetizer, everything starts off strong. For mains, you really can't go wrong--whether it's the shrimp and lobster roll or the classic fish and chips, every dish hits the mark. We also highly recommend the crab fried rice. I can't remember a visit where we haven't ordered andextra one for leftovers. It's a great spot no matter the time of day. Whether you're stopping in for brunch, lunch, or dinner, Salt Traders is always a solid choice when you're craving delicious, well-prepared seafood.