Food: 4/5 Service: 1/5 As first time diners, our waitress didn't offer any recommendations as we perused the menu nor did she ask if we had any questions about menu items. Service was just terrible with limited diners on a Tuesday night at 9. For appetizers, we ordered the oyster platter which was DELICIOUS, but it took about as long to arrive as our entrees. The crab fritters were fantastic. The Caesar salad was tasty, but one of the most difficult things to eat. Entrees were 4/5. Scallops were tender, but I've had better. The beer braised pork jowl was great minus the bitter collard greens. Side dishes were 4/5. The macaroni was one of the greatest dishes. It is a must get for all diners. Truly 5/5. The bbq green beans were good, but left something to be desired. Dessert was 5/5. The hazelnut ganache was divine. Don't let the name fool you because the highlight was actually the raspberry sorbet. The ganache was barely noticeable albeit it was a tasty touch. SERVICE: Never received any food or beverage recommendations before or during the meal to pair with our entrees. Only one server explained a single dish. The other eight dishes were just deposited on our table without any commentary. After receiving the entrees, our waitress never asked how anything tasted. We were just baffled at how long (30 min) it took for a small oyster platter to arrive. We felt more welcome and taken care of by the VALET than our server. read more

Whoa whoa whoa. Who would expect such a fancy-schmancy delish place in the middle of durrrrrty 6th? My good friend Mollie E. loves this place, and I had been wanting to try it so the H and I did for our 6 month wedding anniversary. We went early on a Sunday evening and it happened to be happy hour, which made me happy! Drinks and app's were half off, so we schmorgasboard'd it up by ordering not one but two appetizers (whoa, what kind of people do they think they are ordering a whole TWO appetizers?) But to skip to the good stuff, for drinks we ordered the strawberry sunshine and siberian donkey, and for food we ordered: crab fritters, fried oysters, seared scallops, and grilled steak. We were very pleased with all of it and were kicking ourselves afterwards for not going here sooner! read more

Excellent food and drink, arrived at happy hour and had the best bacon cheeseburger, gulf crab lettuce wrap and oysters at half price!! Would pay full price as flavor was home run. Highly recommend read more

Tonight I hit up parkside with a good friend of mine for their wednesday Oyster/Champagne specials. I'll preface this review with an epiphany I had soon after the meal: Turns out I'm not an Oyster man. That being said, I did have a pleasant experience over all. Trevor, our waiter, was very attentive, funny, and all around a nice guy, very helpful for the two novices he was serving. We had a dozen Rappahanock and a dozen Blue Point oysters, which were pretty sizeable, about 2.5 to 3.5 inches, on average, so fairly meaty and filling. Not to be immature, but, that's what she said. We also shared a bottle of Chapmagne, the Bisol Prosecco, which, at half price, was delectable. The wine chiller came out a bit late (turns out they were short, so no biggie, but poor planning on their part), but Trevor or one of his cohorts was on top of the game throughout our meal when it came to the champagne glasses. I can't say the meal was remarkable, as my low-intensity review shows, but it wasn't a bad experience. The service was rock solid, the food was decent, and the price tag was bearable, although looking at the entrees on the menu, I don't know that I'd go back for a full blown meal. read more

Second time coming out to Parkside, and not my last... Started with the bone marrows (my fav dish at Parkside, like buttah), ceviche (excellent), and a dozen oysters (nice variety). This time I ordered up the scallops for my entree (nicely seared with bits of carmelization on the edges - sweet and slight taste of the sea), and had fried okra, and brussels sprouts and bacon for sides (both sides were great -but the okra was better of the two)... Service was great. Atmoshpere was buzzy, and lively. Enjoyed the entire experience! read more

Good place for client/parent dinners. It's fun to be able to watch people on dirty sixth from the safety of a nice restaurant. I will say that every time I've been there the service hasn't been THAT great. Just sort of meh. But food is delicious and ambiance is good. read more

I got excited about the review in the chronicle and decided to go. I am thinking if you like oysters and champagne you should go on Wednesday as that would be the most cost effective. Why? Because oysters and champagne are 1/2 price on Wednesdays. Why does that matter you say? Well because overall the restaurant is pretty darn expensive for what you get. The service was outstanding I must admit. Our server was very knowledgeable and excited about the food. She explained how the tilefish on the menu was confiscated from poachers and ended up in their hands because well someone had to take the fish. The breakdown: Better Chard: very lovely, but a small baby portion at $11/glass Apps: crab fritters: lovely panko breading, inside kind of mushy served with a very thin aioli. Bread: super soft, moist delishousness and room temp butter Main: tilefish w/jalapenos and grilled pineapple: fish very mild, flaky (you know the story), but I think some of the flavor gets lost in the broth and maybe too much pineapple My Side: mac and cheese which was the highlight (besides the wine). It was herby and rich and super yummy Date's Main: New York strip: seasoning was way under par, however cooked exactly as he requested Date's Side: Potato Gratin: For the most part, it was ok. It was a little thin, but the flavor was good Overall, a good meal but too expensive for what you get and I found seasoning to be somewhat inconsistent I may go back, but it would be a drinkless lunch. read more

What the hell is this place doing on 6th street? It's amazing. The menu here has a lot of variety, is very tasty, and surprisingly healthy. Everything from seafood to raw food. Great cocktails as well. I do think though that my favorite thing was watching the sushi chef work. He had a sweet headband. I love a man in a headband. It says, "I may be a sushi chef but I'm also a badass. Yeah, that's right. I rock sushi so hard that I sweat. Bitch." You know who else wears a headband? That dude from Royal Tenenbaums. He was a badass too. Obama should get a headband. read more

I usually don't give out 5s, but this restaurant deserves one. Came here a couple of weeks ago with a large group and even though the place is sort of small, they were able to fit us comfortably near the bar. Our waitress was very nice, sweet and knowledgeable with the menu. If we had any questions she didn't know, she made sure to find out. Love that. But let's talk about the food! We began our journey with an oyster platter that contained 3 types of oysters from: Rhode Island, Virginia and Prince Edward Island. All three were different tastewise and all three went in my tummy happily. My favorite was the Prince Edward's though. My entree: The NY strip steak, medium-rare (only way to eat it). I was served a very generous portion of the steak, cooked exactly the way I'd expect it to be. It came with a red wine reduction sauce that complimented the steak very well. The texas corn trio was a cute and tasty sidekick to the main event. Other noteworthy reviews from eating off my friends' plates: Mac&Cheese here rocks. Fried okra was good, but not much better than other places. However, I did like how they sliced it, so it was like eating chips dipped in ranch... mmm... I took a bite of some basil risotto, which tasted very good. I would definitely come back here to try the rest of the menu, or to just get more oysters. It's right on 6th street, so when you're done eating, the drink-fest can begin. What more do you want? read more

Upon entrance, I felt a business but cozy vibe to the place, with a long walkway and spacious bar seating for cocktail socialites and commoners alike. I started off with the oyster platter (1/2 off on Mondays!) and thought the selection of oysters was delicious and briny. I also ordered the steak tartare, which was not bad flavor wise but not the best I've had. Was going to say this place was a solid 3.5 but knocking off a star because it took them 30 minutes to bring out the oysters and another 15 after that for the steak tartare... service seemed friendly but oddly not very attentive. Maybe an off night? I might be back on a Monday for the 1/2 off bar menu but probably wouldn't recommend this as a first choice given the many options nearby downtown. read more

Parkside - steak tartare- mediocre - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

The happy hour is amazing! And the waitstaff is great - friendly and helpful. We split a burger for their happy hour and they even cut the burger in half and gave us two plates. Definitely recommend read more

Parkside, oh my god. Very unexpecting location, an old warehouse. i did the prix fixe menu, and i feel the need to talk about dessert first. the warm el ray chocolate brownie was so good that one bit of it made me jolt in shock of goodness and not stop shutting up to my company about how good it was. i had the salmon as a main course, and honestly, it was the best grilled salmon i have ever eaten. perfectly rarely done, an amazing just-the-right-about- of a crispness and saltiness on top. overall, so glad i picked this place. very unusual items on the menu that im curious to try as well. seafood was all incredibly fresh, anything here looks like a safe bet. would give it 5 stars, but it did take 2 hours for our meal- slightly slow service, and waitress could have been more attentive, but this place is DAMNNNN GOOD. read more

Talk about a place that is helping wash the dirty off the dirty 6th. If you went there just for their bar you'd be happy but their food is exceptional. Their menu is constantly changing but if oysters are in season they will certainly have them and you'll think you were by the sea they're so fresh. Why you should go here: The menu is fun, always changing, the food is innovative, fresh and presented extremely well by people who look like they're from Austin. The design of the place is open and airy and always has a fun feel to it. The cocktail list is fun and uses stuff you wouldnt expect. And, they're not shy on the pour... Why your visiting parents will not like it: If you have conservative, stodgy, meat and potatoes visitors, they may not like Parkside. I've seen some standard fare on the menu here and there but for the most part, this is a place for people who are into food, interesting, creative food. Picky eaters, fussy orderers, will make themselves, you and the servers miserable. The closer: While parking is a pain if you don't valet, if you can get there for happy hour, you'll be well rewarded with insanely good specials that are cheap and super tasty. read more

Stumbled upon this place while on a short turn around trip to Austin. My wife and I were staying at the Driskill so only walked a couple of blocks. Love the concept and the food was executed nicely. Would definitely come back next time to sample more of the menu. read more

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Probably the best place for a small bite during happy hour- they have delicious small plates. Had the charcuterie board, calamari, and experimented steak tartar for the first time in my life (I actually enjoyed it- didn't think I would). NOTE: this place makes phenomenal old fashioneds. It was definitely one of the best I've had. read more

Potato Gnocchi 5/5 (very unusual but awesome) Oyster Platter 5/5 (best oysters in Texas) Scallops and Salsify 4/5 Marrow Bones 5/5 (always good) Sweetbreads 5/5 (better than most) Crab Fritters 5/5 Various Cocktails 4/5 (Very good but I have had better) Atmosphere 5/5 Service 5/5 (Attentive and professional) Parkside is my favorite restaurant in Austin due to it's upscale food but laid back atmosphere. Manager Kevin Pearce will do everything he can to insure you are happy with your experience. Next time i'm in Austin I will be trying more of the menu. read more

My husband and I stopped in for dinner last Friday night. We didn't have reservations, so they took our names and we grabbed a drink at another bar nearby in the meantime. We started off with oysters and crab fritters, both of which were delicious! That was my first time trying oysters. I didn't think I'd like it, but they were surprisingly good. The crab fritters were amazing; I especially liked the sauce. For dinner, my husband had a rice and tofu dish. He enjoyed it, but I'm not a fan of tofu. I had the duck, which I LOVED. It was so flavorful! The service was very good, as well. Our waitress gave us lots of recommendations and was very attentive. My only complaint from our visit was our drinks. Neither of us enjoyed their signature cocktails much. My husband finished his, but mine tasted like rubbing alcohol. Our server sent mine back without charge, which I wasn't expecting at all, but appreciated! Overall, it was a great visit! We'll definitely be back sometime. read more

This happened about a year ago but Parkside was just suggested to me as an option and I almost boiled over. There was a group of ten of us who sat down. We'd made a reservation and explained while ordering drinks a friend of mine who had just driven in from out of town was pregnant and super hungry. Ordered drinks and app and then food once the drinks were dropped off. About an hour passed before we checked back in to see what was happening and were assured it would be out in 15. 30 minutes later we tried to cancel our order so we could go grab a quick burger at p Terry's next store and be on our way. 15 minutes later the manager walked up explaining they hadn't cancelled our orders and our food would be out in 5 minutes. ANOTHER 30 minutes later we all got up and walked to the host stand asking for our check and saying we were leaving. After refusing to give us our checks for another 15 minutes they rushed ALL of our food out to the bar area we were standing in and said "oh but it's ready" needless to say we were all super late to our event already and didn't have time to eat. So after 3 1/2 hours we left. Hungry. Pissed off. Exhausted. The only words we got were "well we won't charge you for the food then". Used to love this place but after that I couldn't imagine recommending it to anyone who doesn't have 4 hours to sit at a table before being served. read more

Horrible experience from beginning to end (nye dinner) 1. Like other diners mentioned, there is no need to make a reservation. Apparently this holds true for NYE seating as we were seated late despite having reservation. First, we were told a table was being cleared for us in the dining room, but eventually were seated at the bar area with an explanation that "people who had a reservation arrived really late, so they took that table." Um, so our res is valued less? (The table was fine, but why even lie abt this?) Ok whatever... moving on... 2. Spent more time waiting for food than actually having plates on our table. We were seated at 10 (for our 945 res) and nothing came until 11. 11pm. For a 945 res. We were out by 1130. 3. Second course arrived before the first course an HOUR after we were seated, and was cold! Cold is gross. We received our first course alongside our second after inquiring with server. These were quickly whisked away. 4. Server also informed that all filet mignon is medium rare, no temperature adjustments permitted. Okay, fine. So why did I then receive the steak almost well done? I suppose my piece must have shrunk during the cooking process as well, as the diners on either side of me had normal sized cuts. 5. We received a "complimentary" sparkling wine (so I guess this is different than the cava on the pre fixe?) my glass was oily. Again, gross. 6. Dessert (mediocre) arrived at 1120 and we quickly tried to pay the check and move on. Server was not to be found so we brought check to bar. 7. Overall, the experience was just bad. If it had been just one thing, the dinner could have been salvaged. However so many things going wrong is indicative of a larger problem. We chose parkside for our nye dinner after doing careful research. After this, I would not recommend for any dinner - avoid at all costs (much less than the $180+ we paid (party of 2)). Cold food... oily glasses... gross. read more

I had dinner there Friday evening. We started our meal with some raw oysters along with their raw salmon with pineapple appetizers. These were both very good and fresh. Next, I had the short ribs with polenta while my wife ordered the sea scallops and we shared a side of spinach. The entrees were nothing to write home about. They'd be ok for people who love to lick salt. The worst part was that the scallops were cooked perfectly - but the saltiness in each bite made them almost inedible. While the short ribs and spinach weren't quite as bad, both dishes were still noticeably salty. Maybe the cooks just had colds that night and couldn't taste what they were sending out. But based on this meal, I'll probably stick to the raw bar next time I go. I will say the fresh bread is outstanding there. For dessert, we had the donut holes (which get served in a small brown paper bag) with 3 dipping sauces and they met my expectations. Five donut holes is probably not worth the $7 price tag - but they get points for their unique presentation. read more

I am definitely a fan. I am so happy I finally made it to this hidden gem- and I hope Parkside is here to stay! First, let me tell you that the service was impeccable! (5-star) I had a table to set up for the networking event and the hostess literally carried all my stuff upstairs for me (a HUGE box on a small luggage carrier). Kudos to her!! When I got upstairs, I was greeted by the friendliest bartender ever. His smile did not fade the couple hours I was there and he held down the bar solo through happy hour providing prompt, friendly service. The patio upstairs was very inviting and provided a great view. Perfect time of year for this! I wish I would have tried more food. Their Happy Hour menu is a great deal. However, I only tried the fries and calamari. Both were fantastic! The calamari especially- it was a "melt-in-your mouth" consistency and not chewy at all! I cannot wait to come back and try more of the great food and talked about cocktails! read more

A group of 11 of us came here for dinner last weekend. We made reservations and didn't have to wait too long for our table. 1st star - The food. I had the Basil Risotto, Fried Okra, Gruyere Mac N Cheese and Goat Cheese Cake. The Basil Risotto was quite good. The rice was green due to the basil and it wasn't overly buttery. The vegetables that came on the risotto were ok. The Fried Okra with ranch dip was just phenomenal. These were very very addicting. They used fresh okra. The Mac N Cheese was just okay. I like gruyere but didn't think it was anything special. The Goat Cheese cake was pretty darn good. As I look for healthier options, I think I prefer this to regular cheesecake. It came with basil ice cream which was different and good. 2nd star - Price - While I did not have the oysters or steaks, the prices for these were quite reasonable. For being downtown on 6th street and for being quite different and good, this place is a great deal. I'm sure they will raise prices at some point. 3rd star - Service - Our waitress was very attentive and took care of us. She had a cute German accent. Our food came promptly and water and drinks refilled well. We were having a celebration and they gave us Prosecco on the house which was very nice. 4th star - Fried Okra - The Fried Okra is $6 and is perfect. You will not be disappointed. Overall, a good restaurant and a great restaurant for the price! read more

There are much better places to be had in Austin for this price point. Steak was really tough and lacking flavor. Quail was just all right; nothing spectacular. Fries were actually the highlight of the evening; they were tender, crispy outside, buttery interior.. We did like their drinks- their take on moscow mule was fantastic. But we barely were able to order them. Our waiter was unable to wait, literally, five seconds for an answer to anything before he literally ran away. For the price point, the service sucked particularly hard. I don't mind spending on dinner but I like it when someplace convinces me it was worth it to pay $250+ for a meal for four. Parkside failed at this. read more

Almost compares to places like Uchi and Wink on a few of their dishes and much cheaper. We may make this place a regular for that reason. We started out with the Sea Bass sushi appetizer and it was awesome. wrapped around avocado and drizzled with a citrus sauce. Then we moved onto the Chicken & Collard greens. We love collard greens so were excited to see this. They were heavily cooked when we prefer lightly sauteed, but they had this really interesting sweet & sour flavor. Chicken was really moist. The sides are where they won us over. Their Mac & Cheese is made with gruyere & white cheddar and was great, but their okra is hands down the best okra in town. Fried with an unusual batter that we couldn't place, but gave it a much crunchier texture. The okra was sliced thin and diagonal (so it came out as ovals rather than wheels) and it had this incredible sauce. I was having lunch with Sharon from Whole Foods and she raved about their oysters and in particular their deep oyster knowledge. We're not oyster fans so we didn't get to experience it. read more

Last Valentine's Day my (now)husband and I went to Parkside after he failed to make reservations ahead of time somewhere else. That had to be the best screw up my husband has ever made! Parkside is now one of our favorite restaurants in Austin. On our first visit we tried a sampler platter of osyters and raw mixtures. I probably wouldn't order that again, only because some types of oysters are pretty small and I like them bigger (I know, "that's what she said"). It was still good to get to try different things, and the drinks were amazing too. Now that we know what we like, we order oysters by the dozen and share a couple of side dishes. The brussel sprouts were rockin' here. read more

I have never had such awful service as I experienced at Parkside. The snotty girls that work there need to be slapped. We enjoyed a drink at the bar and were then seated. When asked if we wanted another drink, we were told it was no longer happy hour. Someone in my party asked how much the drinks were and the waitress laughed a snarky laugh and said " I don't know, nobody has ever asked me that before". Aside from the waitress never coming to the table, the menu prices are also extremely confusing. Normally if a menu states that a salad is listed $7 and a salad with chicken is listed $9, once wouldn't assume the salad with chicken is actually $16. When we got the bill and asked nicely about the extra charge explaining how we read the menu, she laughed in our face and said "absolutely not". the food is decent, but everything else about the place is fairly repulsive. read more

I had heard good things about Parkside before heading over there last Wednesday, but whoo hoo, I'll definitely be back. First of all, YAY, that there is finally a great place to walk to from work on 6th street of all places. I had to google the address twice, just to make sure I was going to the right place. We ventured there on a Wednesday for 1/2 price champagne and oysters. OMG. So good. Why did I not know about this special before? We shared a bottle of Processo and a sampler platter (1/3 off) with 12 oysters and three raw bar selections. I love oysters, but I actually think I enjoyed the raw bar more. The oysters were a mixed bag with three types of dipping sauces; soy, cocktail and garlic. The raw bar was a cerviche, salmon and my favorite, some kind of rake fish (?) It was the first time I had sampled that type of fish. I thought the service was just lovely and I liked the decor. I would like to hold an event on the outdoor patio. I've heard good things about their catering menu. GREAT place to meet up with girlfriends. I'll be back....maybe next week. read more

We have been wanting to try Parkside for a while. So many new restaurants and old favorites have kept us from going. We finally made it on a Saturday night. We are regulars at the DT Farmer's Market and have enjoyed Shawn Kirkiel's interesting and fresh tastings there. Our expectations were modestly high. Overall, would rate the experience "good" but not great. There were four of us so we sampled multiple small plates before the main course: oyster platter, ceviche, fried oyster po boy, gnocchi, and crab fritters. I didn't eat the raw oysters but my husband thought they were not as firm as really fresh oysters s/b. Probably shouldn't be ordering oysters in the summer months. The ceviche was a disappointment - too many tomatoes and not enough fish. Tasted more like a salsa. A very good salsa, but not a good ceviche. The oyster po boy was good (anything fried is good in my book) but the baguette it was served on was too soggy. The standout among the apps was the crab fritters. One of our friends grew up in the south and declared them the best fritters. Have not enjoyed as many fritters as I would like, but I agree, they were crisp, flavorful and delicious. Forgot to mention, the pre-dinner cocktails. Our waiter did not have much personality and clearly did not know his wines (he tasted tanin in a dusty plummy Spanish cab??) but his cocktail recos were spot on. The Rosemary Cucumber with gin, shaken with a cucumber puree - refreshing and tasty. For dinner, we couldn't find a bottle of wine so we ordered by the glass. The Malbec was very good. We we're pretty full from the apps so I'm not sure we were ready to fully enjoy the main course. I think if we had stopped there, we would have been fine. It was a Saturday night and they were out of several liqueurs and some of our first entree choices. Some bright moments but overall, could have been better. We'll keep it on our long list. read more

We stopped in for happy hour about three weeks ago. The drinks were inventive and interesting and the food was clever but lacking in execution. The calamari, which is something we eat regularly, was over-salted to the point of being inedible. Each piece appeared to be rolled in sea salt and it was just too much. The oyster po-boys were well presented but the remoulade over-rode the overall taste experience. The biggest complaint I have was with the bar staff. We were there for happy hour after work in the summer (5 PMish) and were basically treated like we were undesirables. As far as I can tell, there's no dress code posted for this 6th street establishment & shorts are pretty much de rigueur in Austin in June. When we asked about the seasoning of the calamari, the waitress/bartender scoffed and said: "That's the way calamari is served." Maybe over-salting food is a practice at Parkside but it's not one we're into when eating calamari. We'll skip the attitude and the salt in our future dining experiences. read more

As a Chef in Austin's food scene it is rare that I make it out anywhere to eat. Therefore, I almost never review anybody. However, reading the reviews on here made me feel like I do need to share my own experience at this establishment. First off in regards to the reviews posted recently: realize that 80% of the time, a dissatisfied customer is more likely to write a review than one who is happy. One's who are happy just come back, they're not about to go home and write about it. Taking that into account, despite the unhappy reviews, the fact that this place is still 4/5 stars makes every reader of Yelp need to take into account the number of happy diners who actually felt inclined to write/review about it. For my own experience, I went here on a double date a couple of weeks back and as a Chef all I can say is that I wish I would one day own a restaurant of this caliber. I had also tried Olive and June (their sister restaurant) a couple of weeks before that and both places impressed me. I'm not a layman in this industry by any means, and therefore I feel my professional opinion should hold weight. Shawn Cirkiel is amongst the best Chef's in Austin today and his food did not fail to excite my palate and open my own eyes as well as inspire my own cuisine. As a sushi chef in South Austin, I work with raw fish all the time and have almost never been impressed by many other's preparation of the same ingredients that I use. Shawn Cirkiels small but dynamic selection from his "Raw Bar" was an exception. Service was what I had expected due to type of restaurant as well as circumstances of the night. It was slow but in a timely fashion. I might have felt impatient if my night was going south but it wasn't by any means. The atmosphere was right, the timing suited me, and my water glass as well as alcohol was never lacking. As someone who works 70 hour work weeks, with my mind always on my career, I have to say the food, the company, and the atmosphere at Parkside allowed me one rare and valuable night of peace and comfort. Nobody is perfect, but everyone sure is opinionated, whether they are qualified to be so or not. But this is Yelp, everyone gets a say, right? read more

Awesome!!! I was there during F1 weekend and thought the service and food may be lacking because of how busy they were but everything was perfect. Portions are smaller but they are perfectly delicious. I would rather have smaller and perfect than bigger and ok. Loved every bite. read more

If you've never tried bone marrow try it here, it's incredible, buttery consistency and so tasty. Excellent staff hosted us to a wonderful evening. Oysters were awesome and the watermelon salad may have been my favorite of the night:) read more

Service so shockingly poor (on multiple occasions), that it renders the above average food offerings unpalatable. Completely unacceptable and I have seen no improvement on multiple visits (and the excuse that they're new doesn't hold water any more). In this economy, it's going to take more than inventive food to keep patrons coming. read more

Pleasantly surprised at my first trip to Parkside for dinner. Rock solid 4 stars. Started off with drinks...a Real Old Fashioned, Maker's Mark, muddled fruit, soda...A Meximartini, Cuervo, lime, olive...And my favorite for the evening, the Million Dollar Martini, Bombay Sapphire, sweet vermouth,pineapple. All were well made and fun to drink. For the appetizers we chose the Fried Oysters, Aioli 8.50 and the Baby Ribs, Sofrito 12.00 Hard to say which was best...both were fantastic. The ribs were incredibly tender and tasty. We went with fish for our meals and chose the Halibut, corn, bacon 23.00 and the Snapper, grilled pineapple 22.00 For the side order we had Macaroni, Gruyere, Cheddar 7.00 and Grilled asparagus, Parmesan 7.00 Again, both were very well prepared, presented and very tasty. The Halibut was light and tender. The asparagus was cooked well and was very good as was the Macaroni. Over all I really enjoyed Parkside. The music was a bit loud for my liking and we lost our waiter a few times but it seemed fairly busy for a Tuesday night and she was running around quite a bit. She was very pleasant however and very helpful in describing the menu choices. No problem coming back to Parkside in the future. Decent value for great quality of food and drinks. read more

Fail on my part for not posting this before... I ate a parkside a while ago and had one of the best meals I've had in Austin. Highlights: - First time trying oysters--waitress was incredibly knowledgeable, tried two different varieties. Presentation was fun, great make it yourself cocktail sauce. YUM. - I was having trouble deciding what to eat because the menu had such great options. I asked for recommendations, the waitress said if I was up for it, the pork jowl dish was unreal. HOLY COW was she right!! Pork jowls w/ polenta, delicate sauce. Spot on portion size (it looked small, but because the dish was so rich, I still had plenty left. A case of my eyes being bigger than stomach) - DOUGHNUT HOLES! with dipping sauce. so cute--they come out in a paper bag. all the sauces were stellar. Parkside is a little on the expensive side, but the depth of the dishes and experience that the wait staff and chefs provided made it worth the cost. I will return for sure!! read more

parkside was a great way to kick off my birthWEEK celebrations! and although parking downtown always sucks, it wasn't so bad for a monday night. inside was nice but laid back at the same time. unfortunately it was a little too dimly lit for my dinky camera to take decent pictures... we started off with their garlic fries which came with an aioli sauce, making it doubly garlicky. the fried okra came with a house ranch sauce which was a little more watery than your bottled hidden valley. fries and okra were tasty! but a little too salty, imo. i'm no oyster guru, so any one of the types of oysters probably would've tasted the same to me. like an oyster. the waiter seemed knowledgeable but as he's trying to describe all the different flavors and textures of each, i couldn't help but think of jerry seinfeld- "yeah. ok. *shrug* whatever. sounds good to me." i picked the cameron shoals b/c i liked the name. well... tasted like a good "fresh" oyster to me. no muddy taste or gritty texture here! from the "raw bar"- bass/lime/chili/avocado. i had no idea what "raw bar" entailed but i assumed i was going to get something that didn't pass through heat. yup. and it was delish. presentation and portion size reminded me of another "sushi" place in this town i was to be visiting on another day this week... (but i still don't get where BAR comes from...) don't do raw? the seared salmon with carmelized cauliflower is a good pick! a slightly sweet and crunchy coat on a perfectly cooked filet of salmon. yumm... read more

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Will not return or recommend. The first complaint I will address in my review is with the hostess. It was Friday night, 8/2/2013, and we expected there to be a wait considering it was Friday night and we didn't have reservations. I checked in with the host about 9:20, she informed me that there was going to be an hour wait but that we could leave our number and she would text us when our table was ready. "GREAT" we thought.... We went and walked around for a little over an hour and decided to go back to the restaurant to see what was up with our table. To our disbelief, when we arrived back at the restaurant there were several open tables. The hostess promptly remembered my name and seated us right away. Her reaction when we came back lead me to believe that she didn't expect us to come back and never text me because obviously she had expected us to find somewhere else to eat. If we knew that this was going to be what we were coming back to I assure you that we would have stopped off at one of the several places that we passed while walking around waiting for our table at Parkside. After being seated I got up to use the bathroom which was disgusting. The bathroom smelled horrible and was dirty. My fiancé said the mens was horrible as well. My fiancé ordered the grilled New York Strip we are pretty sure that it was cooked correctly but with the amount of lighting that they have in the place you'd never be able to actually see. He's had much better cuts of meat and it wasn't what I would have expected for an upscale restaurant as well as it was doused in lemon juice, but we would have said it was fine if that was our only complaint. I ordered the Branzini dinner, which is a lighter meal, and I very much enjoyed the sauce. We also ordered a side of asparagus which looked great in the dish it was served to us in, but when dished them out on to our plates the bottom sides were burn black. I reluctantly sent them back, the waiter was very nice and assured me that it was the cooks fault and that it would be fine. The next plate if asparagus he brought out was equally burnt, which I said nothing about. I am giving this a 2 star rating rather than a 1 star solely because of the excellent sauce that was served with the Branzini meal, and I guess the fact that despite how awful the hostess was accompanied by the rest of the annoying situations, our server wasn't bad, which can make up for a little. Over all would I ever in a million years return to this restaurant? Hell no. Would I ever tell anyone it wasn't that bad and that they should try it? Again, hell no. There are so many places to eat in Austin, don't waste your time, patience, or money here. read more

Parkside - Burnt asparagus - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

After browsing through more than a dozen Austin Restaurant Week menus for places I hadn't been before but wanted to try, Parkside stood out. It's not often you can get oysters, sashimi, duck, dark chocolate, and donut holes on the same pre-fixe menu for $35, right? Our ARW dinner was Sunday early evening - a good time to go to Parkside because its 6th Street location makes parking a nightmare on the other two weekend nights. Interior was clean, spacious and airy - lots of brick and rough metal. Nothing particularly interesting design-wise - just your typical simple renovated 6th Street space. Noisy with all the hard surfaces, so not a place to bring your hard-of-hearing elderly relatives. (They will like Chez Nous around the corner better anyway.) Dinner started with salted cod fritters and a tasting plate of raw salmon with pineapple, ceviche, and two oysters. The fritters were excellent - hot and tasty, mostly fish and very little filling. The tasting plate was a mixed bag - the salmon and ceviche were great, and so was one of the oysters, but the other oyster (definitely another species from the other) was small and mealy. It should not have been served. The starters came with saltines in little packets, which were unfortunately stale, even inside their wrappers. How old were those things? For the main dishes, we got a pork tenderloin with lentils and a grilled duck breast with huckleberries and greens. The tenderloin was pretty decent, and the side lentils a nice compliment. But sadly, the duck was not so good. Tough, served barely warm, and the skin was thick with fat and rubbery. If you are going to serve duck skin, the fat should be melted away and the thin layer left behind should be crisp. The nice huckleberry sauce and greens couldn't make up for the rest. The desserts ended up being the best part of the meal. Hot donut holes served with three dipping sauces (brandy is the best) were amazing, and the "chocolate crunch" with popcorn and cinnamon ice cream was a great mixture of textures, flavors, and cutely constructed to boot. Six thumbs up on the desserts. Service was brisk, efficient and friendly, napkins were cute red-striped dish clothes. I found myself idly wiping down the table with them between courses - sort of a Pavlovian response to having a dish cloth in my hands, I guess. Overall, a mixed experience. Glad we tried it during ARW, but given their regular menu prices, and the fact that there is so much other great food in Austin (oysters at Perla's, I mean you), not sure I'll be going back. If I am in the 6th Street area and suddenly want a high-end meal, maybe.... Or more likely, I'll just go to Chez Nous. read more

Sho... letz me tell you silly people EXACTLY what happened. I schwaz working schway to late on a wednezday night with my coworkers. We were like, OMFG it's 10pm and we are all like shtill in this office. Sho I schnatched my iGadget and OpenTabled dinnnerzzz nearby. Parkside appearz out of NOWHERE with a reservation at 10:30-o'clock. We stuff ourselves into da car and arrive at ze res-tau-rant. When we getz inside der are like all dez beautiful peoplz everywhere eating oysterz and DELICIOUS looking foodz. Sho immediately we are like "WE CAN HAZ SOME OF DEZ FOODZ PLEAZE?" De drinkz comez out and dey is so sweet and delicious. Den dey bring out like dis hole trey of 1/2 price oysterz. Ze butternut squash soup has bacon in de marshmallows - wowzzzz!!!! Den de steak and ze blood AHHH!!! Finally dey bring outz de donuts. OOOO zit was like dey waz made of god'z love and baby unicorsnz. Dis plaze is shooo goodz itz makez me go crazy. read more

I visited Parkside for Happy Hour, so I was looking for great drinks and plenty o' snacks to keep everyone full and bubbly. It's great that they have happy hour every day from 5-7, meaning half price specialty cocktails and bar menu items. It took me less than 2 seconds for my eye to find the Rosemary Cucumber cocktail, made with Hendrick's. I love herbal drinks that aren't too sweet, and this sounded perfect! It wasn't. The drink was served with a salt rim and that was a BAD decision by someone. All you could taste was salt if you got even the smallest bit of it with your sip. The rosemary was missing, unless 3 individual rosemary leaves floating in the drink count. Did I mention the rosemary didn't look fresh? It was turning brown in places. Cucumber puree added plenty of flavor, though Hendrick's tastes of cucumber anyway, but the texture was pulpy. Salty pulpy mess. Skip it--or if you can't help ordering it like I couldn't, at least request one without the salt rim. Next I tried the Classic Manhattan, which they make with rye (a plus) and it tasted fine but they committed what I consider a cardinal sin of cocktails: they shook the bejesus out if it. It was frothy (should be crystal clear) and filled with a ton of those tiny little ice chips. But it was tasty, so this simply gets on my list of "Places to ask for it stirred, not shaken". I finally settled on the Wild Basil cocktail and was perfectly happy with it. Like the rosemary one, the basil was hardly there other than a piece floating in it, but the occasional bite out of that piece solved that prob! So the food: it was good, but I'd have died if it wasn't all half off. The crab fritters were bland and lacked texture. The server recommended the burger, which was more like a slider on steroids than a full burger, and it was delicious and juicy, and tasted like a steakburger. The meat really made a difference. I didn't choose any oysters (I know, I know) but I did get the fried okra. Three times. They were bias cut, pan fried, and served with "house ranch" (which was just ranch with added basil and parsley and deliciousness) and they were so fabulous, my group couldn't get enough. They were enough the make the whole trip worth it. Mmm. The staff were helpful, the server was very nice. They happily accommodated my party of 6 on a Friday night. All in all, it was a decent happy hour experience, but I still found it to be expensive for what we got. I'll go back for dinner sometime, but probably won't put it into the HH rotation. read more