If I could give ten stars I would. From the moment I submitted the request to the last step off the Pub a month later, every interaction and step in the process was top notch. From Brandon, to Captain John, to staff and crew - everyone was amazing to work with. The day of the event was perfect and seamless. I could not have asked for anything to have been different. Everyone had a great time and raved about the day. We ordered food through them and it was delicious and high quality. We had a professional chef as a party attendant on the boat and he gave high marks. Some with dietary restrictions were impressed with options and accommodations - all that of that was coordinated through Lake Austin Riverboats - everything was perfect. The crew was amazing and so welcoming to the guests and truly contributed to the experience. Book your event - you will not be disappointed. read more

I was invited to an event at Quince, which included a boat ride with Austin Riverboat. The restaurant's staff was outstanding--welcoming, friendly, and highly professional. That level of service carried over to most of the staff on the boat, making the experience even more enjoyable. During the event, I was introduced to Paul, who was seated with a group of friends. He was introduced to me as the boat owner and came across as relaxed and not at all pushy--qualities I appreciate when considering a business, especially since part of my motivation for attending was to explore options for my birthday celebration. Unfortunately, Paul's friends left a negative impression. A couple of them outright refused to acknowledge me, turning away when a gentleman attempted to introduce me. Others made inappropriate jokes about my accent in a condescending and offensive manner. One individual even made vulgar comments, implying that Paul should get my phone number to discuss event planning details later, which was completely unprofessional and inappropriate. While the event itself was enjoyable, the boat ride interesting, the behavior of those around the boat owner and the fact that the boat owner never replied to my text message trying to discuss my event, was disappointing and detracted from my overall experience. This experience left me with a negative impression of the boat's management, and I strongly feel that they are not welcoming to immigrants. The group consisted of older white men whose behavior was filled with prejudice and hostility. And for that reason I felt compelled to post a review discouraging people like me- and those against this type of behavior - to stay away and make better choices. We can use our money to invest in a much better experience elsewhere I left the boat traumatized and truly disgusted by those old men behaviors. Do better! read more

I got married on the Commodores Pup and everything was so perfect. The crew was beyond friendly, helpful, and delightful to be with. Brandon was easy to book with and communicate details with. I loved everything about working with this company. read more

See all

We held a wedding reception on the Commodore in March, and it was a wonderful experience. We toured the boat a few times prior to the date which helped us to plan. All the setup was ready when we arrived, and the team was awesome. It was a pleasure working with them and the event was memorable. Thanks to the captain and team!! read more

Wow! The staff was great and very accommodating. We loved sitting at the bistro tables with a fantastic view of the lake. The views of the homes were gorgeous. It was well worth the trip. read more

In a word; unforgettable. TL;DR Summary at the bottom. My wife and I got married aboard The Commodore with just under 100 of our closest family and friends in attendance. Lake Austin Riverboats (LAR) managed everything. They organized and managed the open beer and wine bar, the fajitas catered by the hula Hut, and the table set up. They also offer full liquor service for a nominal fee. 1. Friendly, hardworking, and professional staff. 2. Beautiful and unique venue that your guests will never forget. 3. Extremely flexible to suit any sort of gatherings from small parties aboard their smaller boat or company Christmas parties with over 200 attendees. 4. Kid friendly 5. Free parking at the near by LCRA Parking Lot and garage. ONE SMALL TIP - If you book LAR for your event, make sure that you make it very clear to your attendees that parking will be across the street and that they will need to cross Lake Austin Blvd to reach the boat landing next to the Hula Hut. My older family members were totally lost and confused. ------TL;DR Summary------ Turn key, inexpensive, fun, unique, and flexible event venue with AMAZING staff. Parking is awkward but easily managed with a little prep. read more

Man... we had such a great experience with Scout and his team. We had 108 guests on a Saturday night as a party the night before our wedding, and the guests are still raving. Scout agreed to meet us on the boat one day a few months prior so that we could check everything out. The Commodore is a bit older but is well maintained. If you've never been on the lake, it's impressive. There are beautiful homes to see in addition to a fantastic breeze. We had Hula Hut cater which Scout and his team coordinated 100%, and we opted to bring our own alcohol with a nominal corkage fee. The food was excellent, the staff was friendly and as a testament nobody wanted to get off the boat! Everyone asked if we could take another 2-hour tour! Guests tended to congregate on the front area. If I did it again, I might consider a 2 1/2 hour cruise and perhaps a DJ as the speakers were a little quiet. Our biggest thanks to the team at Lake Austin Riverboats who were so easy to work with. read more

I don't know about the last (2) bad reviews, but my wife and I went with another couple, and we all had an absolutely great time! The food was good, seating was fine, staff was great. The only thing a little sub par was the restroom, but if the guests would just figure out how to operate the facilities, that would have been fine too. I don't know where there would be any flea's on the boat, I didn't see any carpet or places for bugs to hide out, no one in our party experienced any bug bites. The boat looked reasonably clean and well maintained. We will likely do this again sometime in the future, it was a fun time read more

Attended a wedding here today and the guys were super helpful ! They have a bigger covered boat because of rain / engine issues they were having. It was a very DIY wedding and the crew helped all of us set up the food. Friendly and chill. The boat wasn't the fanciest of all time but it is a cool place for an event especially with two levels and covered / uncovered spaces. read more

I had my wedding ceremony and party on the Commodore. My family, friends, husband and I had so much fun. Everyone talked about how great it was for days after. The chose Winston's kitchen and the pies for dessert, which accommodated the vegetarians and meat eaters well. The staff was so kind, and worked hard to make sure everything was set up perfectly. The team were great at keeping in contact with me and reassuring me when I started to worry about space or rain. We had about 70 people and the size was perfect, and having everything in one place was great. And couldn't beat the price. read more

Just used them this past weekend and they were wonderful! The boat was there early and prepared, the staff was amazing and had everything ready and helped us with anything we needed. They even told us about some of the houses we passed on the cruise that were owned by celebrities and such. The cruise and boat was beautiful and it lasted plenty of time! I would definitely recommend this company to anyone! read more

Lake Austin Riverboats - Looking down from the top deck onto the tables on the lower deck. - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

My girlfriend and I decided on a whim to go on the Riverboat Brunch today and it was the best decision we've made since moving to Austin 7 years ago. I can't rate this high enough. The staff were exceedingly welcoming, the bar service was fantastic, and the views were spectacular. I'd recommend this to anyone who just wants a nice day out on the lake with some drinks, brunch and breeze off of the water. read more

Lake Austin Riverboats - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

The rehearsal dinner given for our son's wedding was fantastic. The guests were still talking about it at the wedding. We had 90 guests on The Commodore's Pup and never felt crowded. The Hula Hut appetizers were great, especially the ribs. The scenery shows a different side of Austin that the out-of-town guests loved to see. We had an excellent New Orleans style jazz band, La Grosse Tete, that were the finishing touch. Scout and his crew are extremely organized and ultra professional. Having a rehearsal dinner here instead of a conventional restaurant was referred to as "A stroke of genius" by the Father of the Bride. We didn't buy quite enough beer, but the crew had a spare case, saving the day. I guess that happens often. The cost was so reasonable, too. read more

Lake Austin Riverboats - La Grosse Tete Jazz Band on The Commodore's Pup - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

We cannot recommend Lake Austin riverboats enough! We hosted the ceremony & dinner portion of our wedding on the Commodore (with 140 guests). Working with Scout was a breeze, and he was so resourceful! They were able to have hula hut cater and it was DELISH! The scenery was beautiful & the staff was above and beyond incredible! Our guests remarked, it was the most fun they ever had at a wedding! read more

Booked Lake Austin Riverboats for our rehearsal dinner and they were AMAZING!! People are still telling us how much fun they had on the boat. The staff was very nice and helpful! Do yourself a favor and get the Hula Hut package if you are providing dinner... All of our guests LOVED the food! read more

I had to google twice to make sure this is the same Riverboat that the other users are giving 5 stars. Maybe it was a matter of expectations but I found this Riverboat tour terrible. We were given a groupon for the tour with dinner and drinks. Perhaps it would have been more tolerable if it weren't for the fact they clearly over sold it. No where to sit, long lines to get drinks and food out of a tin pan. They should consider limiting to half of the crowd they had on there and it might improve the quality of the experience...to a 2 star review. steer clear of this, mates. read more

I used the Commodore's Pup for a surprise birthday party and the event came off flawlessly. First of all , Scout , the person who handles the booking is outstanding, very accommodating. The process from the very beginning was very easy. The crew on the boat was just as service oriented, made sure I was having a good time as well as all of my guests. I opted for the fajita menu. Have to say living in Austin , one eats a lot of fajitas. These were great. Guests made a point of commenting on the quality of the food including the fresh flour tortillas. I brought a birthday cake on board, the crew had a separate table set up for the cake including forks and napkins. And at cake time the served the cake We had some guests from Austin , some from our of town and some from our of state, the cruise on Lake Austin was an incredible treat for all. Looking forward to using LARB in the future. read more

We had a great experience once we got on the boat. But their website is one of the worst I have ever encountered. It has no information on where to park or where the boat actually takes off from! When you asked for directions it gives you directions to its business headquarters!Pretty useless! But other than that it was a great experience read more

What a fun experience! We booked the Commodore's Pup for a rehearsal dinner cruise and our guests enjoyed themselves immensely. The food was excellent (fajitas catered by Hula Hut) and special accommodation was made for the vegetarians in our group. Being on the river at sunset was an added bonus! Thank you to all the Lake Austin Riverboat staff for a special night! read more

I have had many parties on both boats , always a great time !!! The BEST bang for the buck by far !!!! read more

See all

We hosted our low key wedding reception on the Commodore. This team is fantastic. We threw them some curve balls-- bringing cupcakes for 100 people, a guestbook, card box, favors, etc-- and they handled them with ease! I was so impressed by how quickly the guys got serving trays for the cupcakes. We dropped our own liquor off to stock the bar with margaritas and rum+pineapple juice, and they even froze some blends. They made up a fantastic recipe for the margaritas. It was perfect. read more

My husband and I got married on the Commodore's Pup & we will be cherishing the memories made for a lifetime! Thank you Lake Austin Riverboats for the beautiful event! read more

Highly recommend! Great venue for corporate events. Food and drink service was awesome.

If you're looking for a unique venue for your wedding rehearsal, ceremony, or reception, one that doubles as entertainment for your guests... LARB is THE venue. Thirty Day Dash has worked aboard both boats in the LARB fleet, coordinating weddings, and both are amazing. The LARB crew were super receptive to suggestions, and easily accommodated the wishes of our wedding couples. They include tables, chairs, linens, buffet equipment, and offer the flexibility to choose your own catering, custom bar package, and other vendors. Thirty Day Dash highly recommends them! read more

If your in search for a unique venue, Lake Austin Riverboats is it! Through this business, you can throw an awesome party and stay within a budget. There aren't any constraints, all information is given upfront(no disclosure), and your getting the best bang for your buck! The General Manager Scout is fantastic. Long story...short version- We planned an event and for unseen circumstances, our plans got cancelled. Mr. Scout, was incredibly understanding of our situation and worked with us financially. I was impressed with the level of communication he gave and how flexible he was. Furthermore, this manager is a people person and has the best attitude. In closing, I highly recommend this business! read more

I completely agree with Jeffrey S. We bought a Groupon (3 people)....I'm pretty sure we were on The Commodore....but we looked at the looooong line of people waiting to get on and wondered if we'd all fit. Figured they'd be organized and sit people according to how many was in the party....but nope, it was "grab whatever table you like"-style. Of course all the tables and seats on the outside of the boat were snatched up first and you see the handful of inconsiderate people putting 2 tables together when they only needed one. Thankfully we finally found an indoor table but there were many people left standing...one couple literally blocked the walkway with 2 chairs and the staff never said anything even though they passed by them often. Music was entertaining and not too loud and the scenery was nice if you like to drool over multi-million dollar mega-mansions. Food was decent but never announced. Only reason I happened to know it was ready was because I just happened to be there getting some chips/salsa. Food consisted of chips/salsa and main meal was fajitas with rice and beans. Tasty enough but the wait was long because everyone is trying to grab food at the same time....and it was a sauna in the room that the food was in. It was horrible. Drinks were complimentary so that was nice. The photos on Yelp and the website make it look really nice and food arranged nicely....but reality was, it was very basic and buffet style. The icing on the cake though was leaving the cruise with LITERALLY (yes, I counted) 13 flea bites on my feet/ankles. FLEA BITES!!!! I couldn't even believe it. I was on the upper deck, luckily (or unluckily?) grabbing a spot by the railing and enjoying the view while we headed back to the dock, and I kept feeling little things on my feet. I just thought they were the flying insects I kept swatting away just simply flying by my feet. Didn't itch right away and by the time I got home, my feet were dotted with bites. Doctor confirmed FLEA BITES!!!! Really?!?! On a cruise boat??? How?!?!?!?! I'm still baffled. A week later, the urge to scratch my feet raw has subsided. Nightmare. This riverboat tour was supposed to be a fun outing for my family...and it turned out to be quite the opposite. The staff were nice enough but they weren't hands on or making sure everyone had adequate seating or food or having a good time or anything. IF anything would have happened on that boat, it would have been utter chaos because I don't think the staff would have been able to handle it. My husband and I talked with a few people and we all thought the same thing so it's not just us. Very disappointing and I am annoyed that I paid $150 for this experience....thank goodness I didn't pay full price! read more

My hubby and I had our wedding on the Commodore back in June and it was a blast!! It's such a fun and unique venue, our guests all loved it! Scout was a pleasure to work with to plan out the event. He had great tips and brought up little details I would have never thought of. We had about 100 guests and did the Hula Hut catering (Pro tip - The margarita machine is a MUST). There was plenty of room for everyone on the boat to mingle or sit and enjoy the gorgeous lake Austin views. We did a 3 hour trip and it really flew by, in retrospect I would probably add another 30 mins to an hour. The captain and crew were also fantastic, they got the boat to the 360 bridge right at golden hour like we planned, and it was great to have a crew to take care of clean up at the end of the trip. It was a challenge for us to set up decorations in the few hours before departure so either keep it super duper simple or bring a bunch of friends to knock it out quickly. That being said, my bridesmaid's still rocked the decorations after I had to leave early for hair and makeup, so much so that I almost started bawling when I saw it all set up. If I could recommend any other tips, make sure your guests show up extra early (my mother-in-law almost missed the boat!). One more word of advice if you're planning to get married on a boat - my nerves really enhanced that 'sea sick' feeling at first (so maybe bring some emergency dramamine?) but luckily it all melted away when I got to see my husband standing at the bow :) Thank you again to everyone at Lake Austin Riverboats we had an amazing time!!! read more

Lake Austin Riverboats - Our riverboat wedding! - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great way to spend an evening with my corporate team! Everyone was able to talk with each other while enjoying the beautiful scenery, good food, and smooth ride. BYOB kept the cost down and Luke was super helpful!! read more

What terrific management and crew! I was incredibly impressed with the responsiveness, friendliness and helpfulness of Scout, the General Manager, and his team. Thank you, Lake Austin Riverboats, for being proactive, kind and a pleasure to work with during the event planning process! read more

Our adult Sunday school class went on an evening cruise. The food was fantastic! The staff was attentive, friendly, kind and professional. The cruise was so scenic and very relaxing. The weather was perfect and enjoying our city was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday evening. Everyone had a TERRIFIC time and we will make it an annual event with Lake Austin Riverboats! I worked with Trace and Scout on all of the arrangements. They were so very kind to work with me on some special details that we needed for our class. They bent over backwards to help me on every detail and to create the perfect experience. I can't say enough about these fine people. They went above and beyond for us. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND them for any event. You can be sure it will turn out even better than you expected! Thank you Lake Austin Riverboats for an excellent evening! Gerri G. read more

We just had a team outing and everything was perfect. Relaxed, fun way to spend the day after being cooped up in conference rooms all day. Fun seeing all of the lovely homes on the water, gorgeous trees and landscapes and of course the iconic Pennybacker Bridge. They catered food from Hula Hut for us and it was yummy. Everything was great!!!! read more

We had a wonderful rehearsal dinner with 50 guests (full bar, wine, beer & margarita machine) on the Lake Austin Riverboat. To begin with, Scout was easy to work with, so helpful, available, flexible and friendly. Everything was exactly as we planned and the staff were very courteous, helpful, friendly and unobtrusive. The cruise was so enjoyable-even on one of the hottest days of the year it was so pleasant with the breeze of being underway. The scenery was incredible. Everyone that attended commented on what a great event it was, they had a wonderful time & it was so unique. Scout offered suggestions for catering and then took care of it all for us. We didn't have to do anything but show up. read more

Lake Austin Riverboats will help you plan the best event on Lake Austin! They are incredibly professional, wise, and easy to work with. We had our rehearsal dinner on the Commodore and it was so much fun! We were difficult customers and had a hard time deciding on our date - but Lake Austin Riverboats was kind to us through every step of the process and helped us make our decisions. We lucked out with perfect weather for our riverboat cruise, but even had it rained, their boats offer cover overhead so we knew it would be great, rain or shine. The staff onboard were excellent hosts, clearing plates and cups, answering questions, and making sure everyone had a good time. We made our toasts on the front of the boat and there was plenty of room for our guests to see and hear. We set up a slideshow inside the boat, which worked well and was projected onto a wall. I highly recommend the margarita machine! They tasted great and it's a fun option on a boat cruise. We had such a wonderful experience on the Commodore that we are already looking forward to anniversary parties on the boat! read more

Terrific Experience! Awesome Customer Service! We hosted a rehearsal dinner for our son and daughter in law recently with Lake Austin Riverboats on the Commodore Pup. The team was easy to work with from the beginning, very flexible and intent on ensuring the evening was just as we wanted. Everyone in attendance was just overwhelmed with the service, the boat, the food quality, the scenery! We chose the BYOB option and Hula Hut catered a fajita dinner. We will definitely be repeat customers. Thanks to Scout and his entire team for such a magical evening. I highly recommend!! read more

Extremely disappointed in the customer service this company offers. I called inquiring about their services and non-standard offerings. Instead of answering my questions, the guy hung up on me and then wouldn't answer the phone again. This type of unprofessionalism is something I would avoid as there are other riverboat companies in Austin. read more

I went on Lake Austin Riverboats' 4th of July Dinner Cruise which I heard about through Google Offers. We had an excellent live band, dinner provided by the Hula Hut, and an amazing fireworks display over Lake Austin. Although it was a very popular cruise, it was not overcrowded and we had excellent customer service and seating on the top deck. It was a fabulous evening! I would definitely recommend Lake Austin Riverboats! read more