First impression walking into the restaurant was definitely clean and simple. They had a cute "chalkboard" by the front with daily specials and happy hour timings. The menu was small and simple with all the traditional seafood options. The hush puppies were a good starter. I got the fish and chips which were very flaky and crispy. The brownie was fudgey with a crunchy toffee topping. Overall I think this place is worth a try if your looking for a casual seafood restaurant for dinner. I recommend coming during happy hour so that you can order appetizers at a discount. The meals are a little pricey for what you receive. I would come again but only during happy hour. read more

Salt Traders Zilker - Fish and chips - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Get it to go and eat it the next day. It tastes much better! Why? This ain't no "salt trader" instead it's red pepper wreck! Everything including the butter has red pepper. The hush puppies fired up but edible. The shrimp & grits way over red pepper down to the texture! The cioppino - same thing gritty red pepper sludge. That one- not good anytime. I love Jack Allen's but this concept bombed for me. No desire to return. Even the desserts- looks were deceiving. Particularly the key lime. You'll find better in the H‑E‑B freezer. Oh the grilled oyster! Over seasoned with a lot of grainy Dijon mustard. How lazy! Whats up chef? Taste buds gone with Covid? Smoking too much? Going for texture? Nice try but those seasoning kill your attempt. What's good? Once you sit down service is pretty good. Getting past the airheads while they try to tell you they can't find your name, you don't have a rezy . Now that's another problem. Not welcoming at all! read more

So from the moment that I walked into the place, the vibes and energy in this establishment was great very welcoming very calm. I really enjoyed my time here. The waiters bartenders and waitress that we had for our large group were extremely accommodating to anything that we asked for and needed, the food was by for some of the best food that I've had an awesome Texas in a long time in Austin Texas in a long time! I've been here a few times, and I haven't had this type of experience not to say that I've had bad experiences, but I've had lackluster experiences when I've been here before, but this occasion was amazing! I really enjoyed every dish that I had and I would probably go back and get more of the same stuff so please come here. Sal traders at Zilker is an amazing restaurant. read more

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Went recently to grab a quick bite and a drink while I waited for traffic to die down. So definitely not a full meal review. Quick notes I sat at the bar. Seats were open but not two many was around 4:30pm Bartender took drink order within decent amount of time. Easy whiskey drink Had the happy hour oysters and tostada both were good. Was surprised that they didn't off crackers or hot sauce when they dropped off oysters. Had to flag someone down. Which took a bit. Thought was just oversight but noticed other folks at the bar hadn't been provided crackers either. Ambience Was ok I guess very loud with tons of conversation between staff. Like I was talking with a friend and could hear complete parts of staff's conversations about people in the restaurant. (I assumed were staff that just clocked out) Over all it's a great spot to grab a quick bite to wait for traffic to die down but I don't think I would venture to this restaurant on purpose to have a fun night catching up with friends. read more

This is one of our favorite spots. The food is always delicious and fresh. The atmosphere is great and they have wonderful cocktails! read more

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Delicious! Slightly overpriced for what you receive. The atmosphere is wonderful, comfortable, and easy to hear in.

I had originally booked our anniversary dinner reservation for another restaurant, but decided to change it after reading recent reviews from my fellow Yelpers - shout out to you! I decided to check out Salt Traders for our anniversary and I couldn't have been much more pleased with the experience. I let them know when I made the reservation that it was our anniversary, which they acknowledged when we arrived. My coworker was sneaky and bought us champagne that was brought out nearly immediately. Our server admitted he was having an off-night, but was very friendly nonetheless. He made great recommendations based off of our questions. We opted to make our meal from appetizers and the raw bar. We enjoyed little crab legs, salmon belly nigiri, raw scallops on the half shell, oysters, blue cheese chips, clam chowda (sic), shrimp cocktail and mac n cheese with crab. We were a little surprised to find the shrimp cocktail was IN the cocktail sauce, but was still good, the salmon belly was extremely buttery (naturally, not buttered), the clam chowda was creamy, crab legs were as expected, hubby loved the oysters and the mac n cheese was so good! They finished the evening with a complimentary dessert. We opted for the brownie. It had toffee ice cream and a side of caramel sauce. It was so rich and delicious! My only tip for them is to save themselves some money on the caramel sauce and not give so much because it was A LOT! I highly recommend spending your hard-earned dollars with Salt Traders! read more

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I experienced the best customer service here. I was welcomed with a smoked fish dip sampler - it was creamy and delicious. Then I savored the grilled redfish with white wine butter, broccolini, and sun-dried tomato rice. It needed more sauce but the fish was cooked perfectly. My server then brought me a toffee dessert to end the night, which was rich and decadent. The food is very fresh and enjoyable. read more

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Great local Austin restaurant (though I believe the are expanding outside of the Austin area. Outstanding food, great service, comfortable restaurant. Enjoyable experience read more

One of my favorite happy hours in Austin. It's a great value in a spacious, beautiful setting. I particularly loved the raw gulf oysters and the chowder fries. To sum it up: fantastic drinks, straightforward and delicious food, professional and kind staff. There's plenty of seating in the dining room and at the bar. Can't wait to come back to Salt Trader soon! read more

Salt Traders Zilker - Fantastic gulf oysters - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

I popped in to get some gift cards. The woman who waited on me at the bar was very friendly. If you spent $50 you got another $10! That's a good deal! read more

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Check your receipts! They charged more than the menu was showing. Either they need to update the menu or they are just flat making their prices changes to you after couple of drinks . Not a big fan of this! read more

Had a very nice business lunch here. I had the burger with no bun. The place was packed. I would suggest you try and get a reservation.

This place really does not get enough attention, because it's SO good! The crab wedge salad is delicious. The gumbo was super flavorful and had tons of oysters (a pinch spicy). Overall, have been twice and both were great experiences and can't wait to go back. read more

Bright restaurant with an open air feel. Generally a low wait time for getting seated (though parking in the lot can be a bit of a challenge). Food here is not extravagant - it's just solid seafood. Oysters are good and no complaints about the soup. Fish tacos are go to's as are the simple grilled fish and seared scallops. Service is always pleasant and the restaurant is also welcoming to kids. read more

This is a great place with quality food. It has great seafood options and even non-seafood is great. I really like this place. Larger groups can be a challenge but our last experience we had 2 wait staff helping us out. It was a pleasant experience. Food is definitely quality and tastes great. read more

TL, DR: the coconut mouse dessert is worth saving room for, the crab cake is Top 5 of your lifetime, and the risotto would be worth an "arm and a leg"upcharge. --------- Driving across Texas to head over to Carlsbad Caverns, a stop in Austin to get a "postCARd" and a fast Yelp search has us on the coast for dinner. First impressions, thankfully, CAN be overcome- because the initial welcome we received not having a reservation (waking it as apparently the shift if just starting at 4 on a Saturday) had us feeling like our being here was an inconvenience. One of the hostesses walked off to go ask a server if he wanted to have us in his section, and the other wasn't able to answer a question I had about the menu (and didn't seem included to find out, either, as she went back to cleaning menus and ignored us until we were sat). And being sat at the farthest back table in the private dining room _really_ made us feel unwelcome. Good news is coming though, the hostess went back to their stand, and we got great food (and service) from that point on. Tom, our server, was knowledgeable about the menu, prompt to refill our drinks, and made some great accommodations for seafood-picky-yours-truly. As he delivered our drinks, he also dropped of a small plate of smoked fish dip as a "try it" from the kitchen. We could see why the waitstaff is addicted to it, because just those two little bites were really tasty. But, we had already placed an order for the crab cake: "it's 95% crab meat and about the size of Hockey puc". He was right on all accounts. It's not breaded. VERY meaty. The tartar sauce is a perfect compliment. The small salad has a nice palette cleansing zest to it. Hubs has said twice: "I might order another one for dessert. I'm not kidding " Dinner for me tonight- Simple fish special: grilled mahi with risotto in a cream sauce. (For a none fish person, y'all, this was like comfort food. My compliments to the chef.) For hubs- BBQ glazed wood fired salmon with chilled potato salad, grilled asparagus, and crispy onion rings. Tom has dropped by again, and promised us dessert on him (since we're first timers). That's a problem, though, because the meal is so satisfying and I don't want to save any room! But we did- we went for his favorite- a tropical coconut mouse with pineapple sorbet on the side. (I'm already envisioning the delightful vacation vibes I'm sure this is going to put off!) And it totally did. This dessert is worth driving back over from Houston for. Really, the entire meal is worth the drive. From the first bite to the last, this is top notch! read more

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Went to have lunch with my family and I have to say my waitress Jordan went up and beyond on everything. It was my little sister's birthday and she made it very special for her and she loved her dessert. Then I have to give a shout out to Patrick the manager who also went up and beyond for my sister on her special day. I love coming to this place and these showed me exactly why. Will be back and will bring my family back also read more

Salt Traders Zilker - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

I ordered crab Louie salad which was great. Lots of fresh crab. Crunchy lettuce, good tomatoes and various vegetables. Service was attentive. They made good coffee. Lots of room and easy parking. read more

Delicious seafood at a reasonable price, plenty of seating and not too loud. The STAR is the cheapest count mousse dessert!!! read more

First time in and welcomed with incredible service from entire staff. The dishes we had were tasty and the oysters were fresh. We will certainly be back read more

Best fish and chips I have had in a while. The bluepoint oysters were a favorite of the day. Now dessert. Coconut pannacotta with a coconut twill- we shared one between 6 of us but I really wish I had gotten one of my own! Try the coconut mojito, hibiscus Paloma, or grapefruit Rita for a treat. They have a great daily HH and specials, so each trip can be a whole new experience! read more

Salt Traders Zilker - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

Chef Jack Allen's take on Gulf coastal cuisine has a special place in my stomach. We stopped in for lunch on an icy day in Austin. We ordered a few small bites and made that our meal. The drinks were fantastic and the server was attentive. The salmon chicharron was fantastic! read more

Salt Traders Zilker - Raw Scallops - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

Salt Traders is a nice place if you're looking for your seafood fix. We made reservations for 8p and seated as soon as we got to the restaurant. For apps we ordered three different kinds of oysters and ceviche. All were fantastic and came out very quickly with crackers.my favorite was the James river oysters. I ordered the trout salad for my entree and was surprised by the size! I ended taking some of it home. Highly recommend ordering the dressing on the size. It is very rich and creamy. Overall not a bad place for a seafood dinner! read more

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Customer service was awesome. Even the manager came by and checked' oysters were clean and fresh ice cold Drinks were on the spot they didn't scrap (adult beverages) Sushi and eggrolls were very fresh on the spot Recommend for a dinner date ! My girls were heavy read more

I'm actually a big Salt Trader's fan, but today I was terribly disappointed in my meal. Just posting this as warning to anyone who might consider ordering the shrimp or oyster poor boy at lunch. I did not read the menu closely enough to notice that they've added a Nashville hot sauce to the poor boy. This unpleasant surprise makes the sandwich almost inedible. The spicy barbeque sauce completely overwhelms the delicate flavor of the oysters and the shrimp (both were ordered at our table). In fact my dining companion got a big dose of hot sauce in her first bite and almost choked. Her face got red and she had to drink a quite a bit of water to wash away the heat. This hot sauce on fish is not a good combo. Please bring back the roumalade sauce and get rid of the Nashville mess. read more

Let me start with the fact that Hailey was the best server we could have asked for as it was our first time here. She was so personable and friendly. The food and drinks were amazing, I wish I took pictures. Get the pot stickers! Happy hour on Monday is awesome too. read more

Great happy hour. You can't beat $1 oysters. Great service. Food is amazeballs. Will be back again and again!

We dined here last night .... What a great experience! I have to start with our server Brandon. He was very knowledgeable of the menu and offered several recommendations of his favorites. He was professional, fun and knew just when to be there without hovering. We had the mussels appetizer, lobster and shrimp pappardelle and the red fish chalkboard special. They were all amazing and hard to choose a favorite. For dessert we had the stout chocolate cake with Baileys ice cream. Sooo good! This was our first time here but won't be our last. read more

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I expected Salt Traders to have a plethora of exotic, fresh seafood being traded from a fish market. Instead, I got exactly everything I did not wish for... It may look like an adults-only restaurant from the outside, but the food served here is essentially ideal for a toddler with a sophisticated palette... I ordered the Shrimp & Lobster Roll because my choices were limited to either that or pasta, tacos, burgers or fish & chips. The shrimp overpowered the lobster in terms of portion for what I assume due to cost efficiency. The pickled celery in the roll was intended to "spice things up", but instead, tasted like it was sprinkled on top as garnish. read more

Salt Traders Zilker - Shrimp & Lobster Roll - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

Had been wanted to try this for years and just happened to finish an appointment in the area and decided to stop in. It was very busy which, I hoped, was a good sign. I got a seat at the packed bar and ordered. They brought out a sampling of the smoked fish with kettle chips. Not my thing at all. It was like canned tuna with capers. Gin martini - Was okay but didn't come anywhere close to filling the glass. Buy glasses that are the appropriate size for your pours. Nigiri - Last night's fish was salmon. This was quite repulsive. The salmon was thin (closer to sashimi serving vs nigiri) and warm. There was a massive amount of MUSHY, unseasoned rice. I get that this is not a sushi place but it shouldn't be highlighted on your "market" printed menu. It was nasty. Hush puppies - HP are one of my favorite things ever. These were cakey and had random whole kernels throughout (which is a personal preference dislike - understand that some like this). But the texture was just not what a HP should be. BBQ Shrimp - These were bad but weren't that great, either. Shrimp was overcooked. Did not have the typical NOLA BBQ shrimp flavor; was VERY rosemary-y. The bread was delicious, however. Steak Quesadilla - I ended up taking this to go and eating it today (the day after). This was, sadly, the best thing of it all. Nothing spectacular but good. Probably wouldn't try again since it seemed that everything was quite underwhelming. read more

Their clam chowder is way better than the gumbo. The shrimp pasta was really good as were the fish enchiladas. Didn't have much flavor in the bbq shrimp. Drinks were strong. Service was great as was the vibe of your typical big restaurant. I would recommend this spot if you like seafood. read more

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A fantastic experience! Service was fantastic! Food was yummy! Environment was perfectly fun! Gluten free menu brought us here but the rest of the experience is why the 5 star was awarded. Service was impeccable. The appetizers were amazing and on happy hour special. The drinks were fun and good. With a reservation you get in quickly. Recommend for small groups. read more

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Awesome as always. I go here when I need a treat, the customer service is very nice and the food is absolutely fantastic. Highly recommend!! read more

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From the moment we walked in the door, the service, the ambience, the cocktails, layers of edible beauty (various appetizers and dinner specials) exceeded our expectations... If I could give it 10 stars , I would! We love salt traders! read more

Someone told me this is the best happy hour in town so I made it over here on a Monday for their all day happy hour. Kind of a pain to get to as I almost missed the turn and ended up back on Mopac heading Downtown. Staff seemed a bit confused when I asked what the happy hour drinks were. I finally learned it was like $1 off beer? Not much of a deal when the beer was overpriced in the first place. I think they had a $6 Modelo as their cheapest beer, so $5 on happy hour. Wasn't impressed with their drink game. Had two food dishes... the mussels and the shrimp cocktail. Each were $8 on happy hour which was a decent deal. The mussels were OK, not a huge portion and nothing too special if you've had mussels before. The shrimp cocktail was super tasty but I'm not sure how much shrimp I actually consumed as it was very saucey. Overall, everything was fine, but this place was just a bit too chain-y for my tastes. Perhaps I missed something by not having a full meal here. read more

Salt Traders Zilker - Mussels - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Salt Traders is honestly my favorite place to get oysters in Texas so far!!! Ive been here a couple of times on their HH and its SO worth it! They have their $1 gulf oysters which are always sooo fresh and decently sized too! My favorite item here though is their raw scallops. Every time I come here I always end up ordering extra scallops because they're just amazing. I think they switch up their sauces sometimes but regardless they're scrumptious every time. I got their seafood tower once, the smaller one, and I believe it comes with their gulf oysters as well as a different variation of oysters (not sure which one), raw scallops, ceviche, and gulf shrimp! If you dont know what to order I highly recommend the seafood tower so you can get a little bit of everything. You wont be disappointed! They also have a good selection of beers on tap, wine, and a few cocktails. I believe I tried the electric jellyfish IPA (always a good one), a type of riesling, and then their grapefruit rita which was STRONG but yummy. Overall, if you're looking to get your seafood craving satiated, RUN to salt traders!! I guarantee you'll have a great experience :) read more

Salt Traders Zilker - Seafood tower! - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

Today was the first day of the new brunch menu, and it looks amazing. My Crab Mornay Poutine was excellent. It's basically a pile of wonderful fries, piled with blue crab meat, onions, jalapeños, a Mornay cheese sauce, and a couple of perfectly cooked eggs. As always, the Gulf oysters were great, and my BF said his shrimp platter had the best fried shrimp he'd ever had. Our server, Brandon, was perfect, always around when he needed him but never intrusive, with detailed answers to questions. When the Maple Bacon Beignets didn't live up to expectations, he was sympathetic and asked just the right questions about what wasn't working, then went to consult with the kitchen on getting it right, actually thanking me for my critique. To me, that's the real test of customer service. I just love this place. read more

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Food is consistently good! Wait staff is always pleasant and attentive. Great place for business meetings.

Stopped in at Salt Traders and had a absolutely wonderful experience due to one exceptional employee, Jacob Praytor! I was greeted with a welcome as soon as I entered, but Jacob is the reason that my experience was so memorable. I wasn't in the best of spirits when I arrived, but Jacob took the time to chat with me, actually listen, and make some recommendations based on what I was in the mood for. It wasn't so much the food (which was phenomenal, by the way), but that Jacob's energy and attention to detail made me feel so seen and appreciated. It's not every day you come across someone who genuinely wants to make your experience more pleasant, and Jacob did just that. His knowledge of the menu, his friendly mood, and his ability to make me feel like I was the only person in the room flipped my entire attitude around. I didn't just walk out of Salt Traders full, but I felt lighter, more uplifted, and more appreciative. It's incredible how one person's care and thoughtfulness can flip your entire day around, and for that, I am forever grateful. If you're ever at Salt Traders, do yourself a favor and ask for Jacob Praytor. He'll make your visit something special, just as he did for me. This place, and Jacob have definitely changed my life for the better! read more