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    Lou’s - Barton Springs

    3.7 (94 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

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    LOU’S - BARTON SPRINGS ATMOSPHERE

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

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    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.

    Rotisserie Cobb Salad
    Bryana C.

    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!

    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

    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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    A portion of the selection
    A portion of the selection
    Entrance upstairs near the Zebra Gate at Q2
    Entrance upstairs near the Zebra Gate at Q2
    Full bar of patrons escaping the crushing heat during Willie's 4th of July Picnic 2022

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

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