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    Lou’s - Barton Springs

    3.7 (96 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    LOU’S - BARTON SPRINGS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

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    Lemon Pepper Szechuan
    Airon A.

    Visited Lou's on Barton Springs for The Morning Jo's happy hour. They have free parking in the parking garage in back that is convenient. The happy hour runs from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. each day. I took advantage of the half price wings and half off frozen margaritas. You can either place your order at the bar or use the QR codes at the table. The server then brings the food out to you when it is ready. They have bar and indoor seating in the dining area. The dining area has a lot of TVs with a variety of sporting events broadcast. There was also an outdoor patio with picnic table seating as well. We decided to sit inside in the AC. I ordered the half price frozen margarita and added mango flavor with tajin. The cup size was a bit smaller than I was expecting, but the drink was good and hit the spot on a hot summer day. I ordered the half dozen of crispy chicken wings since they were half off for happy hour. They had a variety of sauces and dips to choose from. I ordered the Lemon Pepper Szechuan with ranch dipping sauce. The wings were very large size and had a very crispy texture but the chicken was cooked just right. They were served with a side of sliced carrots and celery. I have also been here on Wednesdays when they have their half price burger day. I tried the mushroom and provolone burger with mushrooms, provolone cheese, and garlic and black pepper aioli. You can add fries to the burger for $3. Overall enjoyed the food at Lou's especially with the happy hour value specials. The service is friendly and efficient and would visit again.

    Runner club members enjoying happy hour
    Fellman B.

    I went to Lou's for a happy hour (4:00-6:00pm) with my run club. When they mentioned half price wings, I was in! I love wings. I ordered 6 buffalo wings. When they arrived, I was so pleasantly surprised at the size of the wings! I've never seen such plump chicken wings. They come with a generous portion of celery and carrot sticks, with a choice of dipping sauce. They were so tasty, and 6 was enough for a meal! Along with the company of my fellow runners, the wings made for a very happy Happy Hour! We sat outside on the patio, a very pleasant space for socializing.

    Chips and Queso
    Ang F.

    Tried the custard, and custard only, with rainbow sprinkles. Maybe I'm not a custard fan, it was just meh. I appreciate the thickness, and it being served in a glass, but not quite the added price of the sprinkles.

    Loni M.

    Love Lou's for a casual dining spot! I've been a couple times and I like the vibe. There's plenty of outdoor seating which is what I prefer and the staff here are very attentive, cleaning up tables quickly. I also like how they provide a doggy water bowl when you bring a pet with you. In terms of the food, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu but my fav has to be the rotisserie chicken. I'm not usually a rotisserie fan but this one blew me away with the flavor and tenderness of the chicken. It's done to perfection! Also really love the roasted potatoes with the garlic confit. So delicious and I will keep coming back!

    Lejla I.

    It was good, nothing over the top. Not much service. But food is just good. I like the outside patio area and the fact they have their own parking

    Avocado Jalapeño burger with blue cheese and fries
    Nicholas M.

    Everything was good and mild: burger was tasty but it didn't taste like it had avocado and jalapeño in it even though it had both (not creamy nor spicy like I was hoping), fries we bland, ordering is done via QR (staff is pleasant), and the atmosphere is pleasantly beachy. The price feels a little high for the food, however, the location is great and comes with complementary parking. Had to hail a waiter down to get a water after my food was delivered. Thought it odd I wasn't offered a drink when food was delivered. Would recommend if you are looking for a casual spot to chow and have a beer or to carb up after swimming at Barton Springs or playing in Zilker Park. Otherwise, go elsewhere for better burgers and fries for the price.

    Two hot chicks in their moment of glory.
    Jennifer P.

    I waited too long to write this review, but better late than never, right? Over the holidays, I walked with a friend to the Trail of Lights and on our way back we were STARVING! I myself was getting to the point of hanger where it was nearly impossible to make a decision on where to eat because my judgment was clouded. Somehow we decided on Lou's, and I'm really happy we did. While my friend went to use the bathroom, I was sitting at the bar looking at the menu. I could hardly read or comprehend anything because I needed food ASAP. The choice was between two of my trusty favorites-- a burger or fried chicken. I asked the friendly woman working at the bar what she recommended and she pointed out that the fried chicken was HALF OFF that night. Apparently, bone-in fried chicken is half off every Monday. Tip: check out their menu online because they have other daily specials and a happy hour. Plan your week accordingly. Fried chicken it was, then! My friend decided to order the same since it was such a great deal. Our level of hunger inspired up to each order our own full chicken, because what every woman needs in her life is an entire chicken to herself, right? We ordered at our table outside from our phones, which was quite convenient and left no room for error. Waiting for the chicken seemed like an eternity, although in reality, it wasn't. It was a very reasonable/normal amount of time, but again, hunger makes your mind do crazy things. When it came out, normally I would have dug right in, but it was a moment. This moment could not be ignored and needed to be captured in multiple photos. We just happened to sit outside next to the neon sign, so the photos turned out perfectly. I ordered the Tennessee hot chicken with buttermilk ranch. I've been obsessed with hot chicken ever since I had it for the first time in Nashville over a decade ago. Also, I am originally from Michigan, and ranch is a religion to us... it's most useful for dipping pizza and chicken. The chicken itself was juicy and tender with the perfect level of "hot". I am a dark meat gal, but I must say that the breasts weren't dry, which they can often be. Kudos to Lou's for that. The pickles were divine and the bread is... bread. It's the standard of what comes with that type of chicken and it's perfect for soaking up the grease in your stomach. (Please note, their fried chicken is not abnormally greasy. ALL fried chicken comes with a certain level of grease. It is what it is.) As you can probably imagine, we were not able to eat as much as we had planned, but that was perfect because I'm not embarrassed to say that I took that chicken home and ate FOR DAYS. I have nothing to complain about here. A great deal, friendly staff, delicious chicken and multiple days of leftovers. Have I convinced you to go to Lou's yet? If not, here's your message: go get the fried chicken on Monday when it's half off. You're welcome.

    Patio
    Beth P.

    Tastyyyy oh my. You walk in and sit wherever you like and order through at QR code. This is kinda nice cause you won't have any interruptions but I also like being able to ask the server what they recommend. I always feel weird about tipping at places like this without a true server but I thought of it more as a bar level tip. The ambiance is pretty chill and I enjoyed the vibe. They validate parking for the garage. I got the cheese burger with bacon and DAMN it is a good burger. I think the price is reasonable for the quality. Got the Paloma to drink and it was delicious. They have patio seating and plenty of space inside. Definitely recommend trying it out if you're in the area. Overall a great experience.

    Dry spiced wings
    Mariel T.

    A happy hour go-to for me! $25/pitchers (normally $50 which is insane) and $9.50 for a dozen wings with your choice of 2 sauces. Drive into the parking garage, walk inside and seat yourself. Scan the QR code on the table (if you don't have service, Wi-Fi is listed at each table). Order and enjoy! Once you're done, grab a parking validation ticket on your way out

    Rotisserie Cobb Salad

    Here to de-influence you! As someone who LOVES salads, I had been excited to try this place after hearing the salads and salad portions are great. The salad portions were indeed the opposite. This was a $19 salad...I would say this is a tourist trap of Austin that charges an insane amount for mediocre food. On Barton Springs, I guess this shouldn't be a surprise. Two of us also ordered sweet teas that had absolutely no sweetness to them. There's no way they got both wrong so don't order a sweet tea unless what you really want is an unsweetened tea that's called a sweet tea. And reminder that there's no refills on teas or aguas Frescas, the cups they serve it in are small for the cost, and it's filled 75% of the way with ice. Do not go here for a salad, there are MANY other spots you should go to instead of here for that. Do go here if you want to pay a lot for okay food and drinks!

    Cobb salad
    Aude L.

    This was my first time going to this Lou's location, although I've been to the location on the east side many times before. The menu is similar but has a couple small difference here and there. The most notable is the lack of frozen margs at this location. I highly recommend the spicy cucumber ranch water, which is very refreshing and tastes like a slightly less sweet marg. The wine selection is also great. My go at the other Lou's has always been the giant salads or the burgers. The sandwiches are good as well, but a little less exciting than the burgers and salads. I was a little dismayed to find little pieces of chicken bones in my salad this time, but once they picked them out, the rest of the salad was pretty solid. Definitely keep an eye out for the happy hour schedule (weekdays 4-6) and the specials on Mon-Tues-Wed! The free underground parking here is also a nice plus.

    Garlic parmesan fries

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    Very expensive margaritas that don't taste very good. Our food was okay but it wasn't anything special at all.

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    Ask the Community - Lou’s - Barton Springs

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    Really fantastic experience!…read more The cocktail menu is diverse and fun. The quality of drinks was excellent. My favorite part was the DJ was also playing electric guitar to accompany some of the songs in his lineup. It was really cool. I've never seen a DJ do that before. The whole time we were there the service and ambience and tastes were top-notch, but the DJ piece really created a memorable experience that leaves me wanting to come back.

    We got there on time and had to wait 20 mins to be sat. We were asked to leave our table promptly…read moreat the 90-minute mark from when our reservation was supposed to begin; not factoring the time we lost at the table due to it not being ready for us. But it was more important to the Powder Room that the next group got their table on time, apparently. The drinks took soooo long, we got ONE round in, and were asked to leave the table before our second round arrived. They had no issues when taking our second round order while we were seated, but we were asked to leave the table immediately after. This round also took forever and we drank it standing, crowded, in everyone's way. I was embarrassed as it was my birthday, and I was taking a group of 7 other people - new to Austin - here to check out what was one of my favorite spots. I was bragging about it and chose it over other spots on their list. They hated it. I'm disappointed. Our server was great to us and apologetic about the service bar.

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    Whisler's

    Whisler's

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    I went to Whisler's and had one of the worst bar experiences I've ever had…read more I had one drink. I was completely sober for all intents and purposes. The bartender claimed I was drunk and cut me off anyway. I was at the bar talking to a girl while waiting to get a drink (the wait was long because the service is very slow, despite the bar not being very busy at all). She was clearly into me, and the bartender kept jumping in trying to talk to her too (instead of doing his job making drinks). He was doing all sorts of things to try and flirt with her and make her laugh: pulling out and showing her buckets of pre mixed cocktails, running and sliding under the bar, etc. She was engaging with both of us , and right in the middle of that, I get cut off out of nowhere. No explanation other than claiming I looked drunk, which I very clearly wasn't. It felt very clear what was going on--he wanted me out of the way. I left and asked the bouncer on my way out if I seemed drunk. This was literally two minutes later. He said no, not at all, and asked me why I would even ask that. I then told him exactly what happened and asked him to let the owner or whoever was in charge know about this extremely unprofessional conduct so they can discipline the bartender. His response was that the bartender has discretion to cut anyone off, and let me know the bartender is supposedly married so he couldn't have been flirting with any of the customers. Well, sounds like his logic is flawed--not only COULD he flirt with his customers, he WAS, and was therefore cheating. I hope his wife finds out. This is perfectly representative of Austin customer service lately and not normal in other places. I was in Tampa for an entire month earlier this year and this would've been unthinkable there. I'm not coming back.

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    We stopped in on a quiet Wednesday about 7:00. Revenge is an elegant cocktail lounge that feels a…read morelittle like a neighborhood bar. It's a perfect place to stop after dinner to extend the evening with a couple of drinks. Service (James ) was perfect and the cocktails were tasty, elegant and just the right amount of liquor. As for the venue itself: The inside is spacious and elegant. The bar stools are extremely comfortable. In fact, I'd describe them as elevated loungers. The main area is a good size and shape for larger groups. I appreciated that the music was not too loud to chat with your date. The restrooms are very clean and nice. The outdoor area in back was the biggest surprise. They have a nice, covered area with new outdoor furniture that is equipped with a pool table. Revenge is a hidden treasure. I recommend it for a relaxed, elegant evening.

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    Lou’s - Barton Springs - tradamerican - Updated August 2026

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