At the Grove at Southpark Meadows, you can sit with a cold beer and watch kids frolic in…read moreessentially the same spot that at one time hosted bands such as The Police, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Pearl Jam, Metallica, Phish, Rage Against the Machine, Aerosmith, Dave Matthews Band, Sonic Youth, and many more. Obviously, the former concert venue no longer exists...well, certainly not to the extent it once did.
Nope. Now it's a playground surrounded by mostly chain restaurants. And while this does kind of sadden me in a bittersweet "what happened to the good 'ole days?" sort of way, I can take solace in the fact that I'll be frequenting this spot much more than I would have otherwise. Because, as I mentioned in the first line, you can sit with a cold beer and watch the kids frolic. Or, sit with a cold beer and read a book while you ignore the kids. Or, spread out a blanket and lie on the grassy slope while drinking a cold beer. I do recommend glancing up every 5 minutes or so, though, to make sure the kids haven't been kidnapped. So, while I may have taken in two or three shows a year in the former incarnation, I'm likely to visit at least a couple times a month now.
Sandwiches, wings, burgers, Mexican, Asian, coffee, ice cream, smoothies and sushi can all be had here. The selection is wide. I've tried three or four of the places, and will probably eventually review them all, since I do and will be frequenting this spot often. And as long as they have edible food and beer, they're all guaranteed a minimum of 3 stars. Cuz that's the way I roll.
I gotta give props to the designers for keeping the music component alive, as there's a stage area just across from the playground. They had a summer concert series there last year, Southpark Before Dark, and I'm sure they'll do something similar this year. The playground itself is pretty large, and has plenty of fun diversions for the kids...but not quite the chaotic mess that is the playground at Barton Springs. Plenty of strategic spots from which you can keep an eye on the monkeys. They even pipe in decent (for the most part) music through speakers that surround the playground. And for the summertime, there are little water fountains around the stage area for kids to get wet and stay cool.
Bottom line - if you live south of the river - or anywhere in the vicinity, really - and have kids, you should check this place out, because there's nothing comparable in BubbaLand.