10000% worth the drive from anywhere in town - maybe even out of town. So peaceful and magical when it's quiet on a weekday. Can't even imagine how great it must be to own a boat and step right off to eat at a place as beautiful as this. Just went on a busy Sunday night for a birthday party, and after a miscommunication within our party after having been sat a table, we thought it was a free-for-all table situation and we could move to another table, scanning the QR code to order. Not so. The other patron came up within 20 seconds of us trying to grab the other table, saying he had been waiting on it. We went back to our original table, apologizing profusely to him, in a situation that took all of about 3 minutes or less from start to finish. Not only did I quickly realize the host staff had clocked the entire thing and didn't say anything to us (leaving the other patron to do so instead) and as if we weren't embarrassed enough by making the mistake ourselves, the grimacing passive aggressive looks that the hostesses proceeded to give us for the rest of the two hours we were there started to veer into a seriously absurd level of pettiness. One of my family members even mentioned they walked by and heard the hostesses actively talking bad about us. That was VERY clear to me after being able to see them sending horrible vibes our way the rest of the time! You would think we had stood up on the tables and screamed bloody murder for an hour, or made their jobs impossible for hours on end. We are kind, respectful people and spent good money - which for a family of very humble means, was a very special occasion celebrating our grandmothers 78th birthday. We went out of our way to apologize to the hosts specifically for any inconvenience and confusion we may have caused, and all I can say is.... as native Austinites, this is not the kind of hospitality I would ever expect at a MML restaurant, or a longtime local institution, but ESPECIALLY a place where people are shirtless, kids are running around - a place that seemingly aims to be laid back or unpretentious. My dad used to come here in the 80s and I just left feeling so icky on his behalf, as he was the one who heard the hosts talking bad about our family, and it is a big deal for him to go out and spend $15 on a beer. When we apologized on our way out, all we got from the hostesses was an air of thinly veiled contempt and snobbiness that made me understand the criticisms of this place now catering to a certain level of elites. We were told that sometimes it's seat-yourself, sometimes it's not, depending on how busy they are. Seems like a pretty reasonable, (maybe even common) mistake then......?! I get that we screwed up, and as a former hostess I know you're just trying to do your job (and it's a hard job in a sprawling place like this on a busy night) but honestly, was this THAT serious? All that said, the food runners absolutely killed it and were anticipating our needs left and right. They were working so hard and were really helpful. The food was so flavorful and fresh. The waitstaff also helped us intercept a sundae we ordered also that we could add candles to it, and they sang happy birthday, which somehow felt especially generous after the hostile vibes I was picking up on up to that point. I'll be back because natural places like this are so hard to come by, but seriously wish the maturity of the (hostess') service could reflect Austin culture and values. A little more humility might go a long way - especially to justify those high-class prices. read more

Met some friends as part of a meet up group here a week or so ago. The weather was chilly in the morning so they had turned on the fire pits, which were really nicely done. I hung out for a couple of hours. Parking situation is horrible on a busy day! All the street signs say no parking and their lot is tiny. We drove around for 15-20 min before we eventually found a spot we kind of made work in their lot. I enjoyed some chicken tenders and friends and a yummy coconut based cocktail that I really enjoyed. It's a beautiful location with decent, but expensive food options. Great place to hang out if you have a boat and need a pit stop! read more

Ski Shores Cafe - coconut cocktial - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Restaurant is overpriced -- yet another Austin restaurant priced for tourists. The food was mediocre, the design was fun, and the location was great. read more

Got some appetizers and the lobster roll. The real draw was boating there! Definitely fun for visitors. We did this as a work trip. Service was great. Food was good for the most part! read more

Ski Shores Cafe - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Texas

Amazing ambiance on the water. Very casual but the burgers and queso we had were really good. Worth the drive from Austin!!

Even on a busy weekend they were able to seat us right away! Ordering on the app was a little strange but at the same time, allowed me to make substitutions that I would have been annoying to ask of the waiter (La Piña Tocino, Sub Veggie Patty, No Bacon, No Swiss Cheese). Loved the shade of the large cypress which made whole area cool on a hot day. There was a view right into the water of fish and turtles. They also had a nice little field for kids to get their zoomies out. A small place like this having a delicious house made veggie burger was a welcome surprise and I really liked my switch up for ordering the pineapple burger vegetarian. Very good! I think the only big bummer was the small and tight parking lot. I think lines to mark the spots would really help people to make better use of the lot. read more

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Big summer camp vibes. So cute and the views are lovely, you can sit right up to the water. Mixed advice on whether you can swim, but the waitstaff say yes so I take their word for it. I didn't see anyone swimming, but it's possible that people do at less busy times. The food is very standard, you're really there for the environment. But pricing wasn't too bad. read more

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Highly recommend!! Absolutely stunning location on the water, the patio is massive, great area to host a big friend group. Start was friendly, courteous! Food was delicious. 10/10!! read more

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I'm new to Austin and my first visit to Ski Shores. Atmosphere and location were beautiful. Aside from that my fried fish dinner was slightly undercooked and most disappointing was the total lack of seasoning. My son agreed that his wings also had zero seasoning. My daughter in law liked her club sandwich once she finally got it after both me and my son had finished ours. Most likely won't be back. read more

Great little spot on lake Austin for cocktails and food. It's the perfect pit stop leaving Emma long park. Had burgers, fries and pina colada's. All satisfied me after a day on the lake. It's nice to sit on the water and enjoy life. This is a great place to do that. read more

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Gather around, children, while ol' MeeMaw tells you about the hot summer afternoons back in the day, when we would end up at the old Ski Shores after a day of skiing in Lake Austin. Well, the place has changed with lots of upgrades, but the hamburgers are just as satisfying and the ambiance is still Lake Austin cool. We spent a couple of quiet hours there, people watching and enjoying the pretty day. Service was quick and with a smile. And the crowd there was just as chill as I remembered. read more

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I've been going to Ski Shores since 1991, "great place" next to the water. It's changed hands throughout the years and was still acceptable, "not great". Today was a "great disappointment!" WILL NOT GO BACK. Four of us went for breakfast. The only way to order was through their QR Code so don't forget your phone. Ordering individually so each could pay turned out a fiasco as each person's order came out at different times. It was not busy, so some food came out before we all ordered. When one of us ordered a side... it came out 10 min after the main dish. Why we asked, the server who explained that the bacon was made in a different station of the kitchen...what the???? Coffee was impossible to get before or with your meal as it took even longer and forget about refills unless you ask 2 or 3 times to various staff. And forget about ordering something later since you have to start the whole process over. Food quality was inferior..my bacon, egg & cheese (they forgot the cheese) $7 taco served with 1/4" tsp. of salsa was flavorless with maybe 2 tiny pieces of fatty bacon in it. I had ordered it with corn tortilla and about 3 mins later a "side" of corn tortillas came out and I had to explain what I wanted. One good thing, one of our party ordered the same taco which came out waaay after we were all finished eating and was missing the bacon. She mentioned it to the server who told her she needed to verify by the email confirmation of the order that bacon was too be included on the taco. Well, there was no email, so the server had to verify the order in the kitchen. She came back and agreed there should have been bacon, and offered a side of bacon (which was a much better choice as the bacon was crispy, not fatty) To our surprise, the manager showed up and comped the taco. Evidentially whoever came up with this process of ordering has never eaten there to see how that process actually works. And it doesn't help the servers get better tips since this mess of a system is not their fault not to mention the lack of flavor and value of the food. Better to go for the view and a drink. read more

A fantastic place to spend a Saturday lunch and people watch as the boats come to the dock! The drinks are fantastic and the bartenders are very friendly! The scene is very fun and upbeat with music and lots of people, there to relax and have fun!! read more

Great service, location and the food was so good! Prices were high but the ambiance and view made up for it. Burger was tasty, salads were super fresh, the seafood was delicious and sitting outside in the shade made dir an ideal afternoon lunch. read more

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Despite others, I actually liked that we ordered through the QR code. I liked being able to order what we wanted when we wanted it and didn't have to wait for the server. My food always comes out last so this time it came out first! It is very pricey but it's also delicious. I got the fried shrimp with an extra tartar and the fried pickles. I liked that the pickles were rounds and not spears. The only thing that could use some work is the bathroom. Only two stalls for the women. Make more stalls. Overall the restaurant is really nice. Order the pina colada with a dark rum floater. So yummy. read more

Ski Shores Cafe - Fried Shrimp - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Texas

Very cute cafe on lake austin. they stop serving brunch at 11am and their lunch menu is mainly burgers and tacos. the frozen margaritas were very good and refreshing on a hot summer day. we showed up around 1230, and parking was a mess so get ready to waiting around. service was pretty much self serve, you order online and they deliver your food/drinks as you order. would recommend this place, it's definitely different from anywhere ive been to before. read more

Ski Shores Cafe - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Food came out super scattered. Service wasn't great. Waters came out slow but there isn't an option to order them on the online purchase from what I can see. Food is mid. Don't get the shrimp tacos even the people that left behind us didn't eat theirs. Cute environment though read more

Ski Shores Cafe - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Texas

Ordered the rootbeer float, niña colada, ahi tuna tostadas, and la piña tocino burger. Although pricy, the food was excellent and came out quickly. Only wish the serving size was larger. My favorite part about visiting was the beautiful scenery, the river, and open space. Food was serviced through a QR-code, so could order whenever interested. Enjoyed my time here, would come again. read more

Ski Shores Cafe - Ahi tuna tostada - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Great spot! I mean let's be honest, it was a gorgeous day, but that aside it's a great location on the "lake". Seriously cool vintage vibes as it was opened in 1954. The service is very attentive and prompt. I had a mixed cocktail off the signature menu. Well mixed and delicious. They used a LOT of ice so there was not too much drink. At $16 it was a bit disappointing. Next I just ordered a glass of Rosè. That was a normal pour. I also ordered a protein bowl with both seared tuna and grilled shrimp. That was great! Substantial portion and very tasty. I took over half home. I love this spot and will visit more often. Pretty drive up the hill and down to the "lake" to get there. It gets pretty busy with boats and folks so I go in the middle of the week. read more

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No printed menu and no Budweiser. They can't seem to get it together. Used to be a great place.

It was okay; decor is quite old inside where we ate. Did go out onto the patio to look after which was nice but busy. Very pricy for what you get and small portion so had to order hash brown as side because I was hungry. read more

Ski Shores Cafe - Breakfast sandwich; hash brown - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Texas

We're kind of surprised by the low rating that this place has because we had a pretty fun time with our friends here when we checked it out for the first time this past weekend. Can't believe that it's taken us over 10 years to finally enjoy this Austin institution, but it was worth the wait. A couple things to know: parking is a nightmare! We were lucky to squeeze our car into the last available spot, but just be warned. We really loved the set up and lucked out with a large table in the shade. You can tell that the place has been MML'ed, but better that than nothing because it still retains lots of charm and it's so nice to be on the water. We love that they have a little play area for kids as well. One of us stuck with beer for the night, but the other one got both the frozen marg and one on the rocks. Our daughter got a watermelon aqua fresca that tasted OK but like the watermelon was past its prime. Both were perfect on a hot day. We got the dips app as well as fried pickles, and again, no complaints. We really loved the pimento cheese, actually because it wasn't hard as a rock and had a good amount of spice. The pickles were wonderfully crisp. For a meal, we shared the shrimp tacos, and while they weren't mind-blowing, they were good, and came out hot. We would have appreciate *a* side with them considering the price point. And pricey it all is, but we expected that going in, so it is what it is. They have a QR system for ordering, which we HATE (main reason for the four stars), but all of the servers were really nice. Nobody bothered us for sitting there for several hours hanging out, and one even brought out some old/stale fries so the kids could feed the fish, which was really thoughtful. We left at just the right time because it looked like the super drunk party scene starts to show up around 8:00 pm, so it was time for us to get out of there before our rosy opinion of the place changed. So, overall, great vibes and food/drinks, but be prepared to spend $$$. We do think it's worth it because this feels like a special place, and we'd be happy to be back soon. read more

Fantastically local for families if you're looking for a lakeside cafe in the beautiful hills of Austin, dine no further!! Just the winding drive on the 2222 alone is beautiful and will have you anticipating the yummy meal that waits for you. A little pricy for fish tacos, but you are getting quality flounder and not frozen tilapia or the like. It's a great place to watch the boats and riders going by. Pickleball court is a bonus!! First come first serve, no court reservations required OR accepted read more

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Been here so many times over the years. Views and service generally good. Today the service was terrible though. My breakfast burrito took forever, at least 15 minutes after everyone else's breakfast order. I was told these "take longer" and if i didn't like the service to "take it up with the owners". I would advise anyone to avoid tipping in advance here on their terrible app. read more

Ski Shores Cafe - Nice cool spot to come by boat - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Texas

The atmosphere of this spot is great! You get to see boats cruise by as you enjoy a meal and (strong) drinks with friends/family. The food was great specifically the fried catfish and wings were super yum! Major con however is service or lack of I should say. You order from a QR code, everyone gets their food at different times, you don't have a specific person assisting the table I guess. Everyone had gotten their food except myself, after about 20 minutes I finally was able to see a worker pass by and ask about my order and turns out they never put it in and when I did finally get it was wrong. read more

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This place is nestled in the hills west of Austin on the shores of beautiful Lake Austin. If you're looking for a great spot for lunch with natural ambiance next to water, you'll probably love Ski Shores. When we visited, we sat on their patio out by the water feet from the lake. It was a gorgeous spring day. The service was good, and the wait staff was good as well. We ordered some nachos for the table and a burger to split as well as some cocktails. Everything we got was good but definitely not worth how much we paid. Yes, the prices here are high, so be prepared to pay more than you usually would for average food. What you're paying for here is gorgeous ambiance, and if that's worth it to you, then you'll love it! I would return for drinks by the lake but probably not for a full meal. read more

Ski Shores Cafe - Ski Burger - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Everyone is talking about the new higher prices but can we talk about the food? It's 100x better than what it was before! Came here for the weekend breakfast and everything was delicious. The scrambled eggs, hash browns were perfectly cooked and portions were generous. The breakfast Bahn mi was fine (not really a banh mi tho) and burrito was also delicious. My kids loved the almond croissant. Food came out super quick and service was prompted. Best of all you get a magnificent view. Downside and room for improvement was the kids play area. That has shrunk since previous years but they added a pickle ball court. My kids still had fun tho. read more

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You're coming for the atmosphere, not necessarily the food. We got lucky and were able to park in the front parking lot no problem. It's walk ups only, and we came on a Saturday 6pm so the weight was about 40 mins. We were able to get a drink at the bar outside and sit at one of the tables so waiting was fine. I got a frozen passion fruit margarita and it was amazing. We split the chips and guac/pub cheese dip and enjoyed. I got the Cali mushroom burger with a side of fries. I enjoyed mine, but the common complaint of this place is definitely the price point. Service was fast, I did enjoy my food and the setting was great, but for the price point/quality this is more of a once a summer place or come by when you're boating. read more

Ski Shores Cafe - View from outside - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Great spot to eat and hang out on the lake. It's an always summer vibe. Tasty food and friendly service too.

45 minutes wait on a Sunday afternoon but u can order drinks from the bar. Love the vibe with music, you can bring your fur baby. And the lobster roll topped it all. For drinks we had the banana cocktail and the bikini drink. Chill crowd. Love it! read more

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Great food in a scenic location. The Lake Austin location is easy to find. Enjoy the scenic drive to get there.

Came here for some drinks while boating and we ordered a couple of things to share. We've been here before and while some things on the menu are a hit or miss we absolutely loved the tuna tostadas - they were so good and super tasty. Next was the fish tacos - super fresh and the toppings were so flavorful. Highly recommend if you're looking to grab a couple of drinks & food quickly + the atmosphere is great too! read more

Ski Shores Cafe - Fish Tacos - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Absolutely horrible to see how worthless a visit to this once wonderful place has become!!! We've been coming here for more than thirty years. The first time we came the owner came out personally to thank us because we were probably the first minority person to visit this place. We think we had a role in popularizing this place! Now there is nothing good about this place at all except the God given view. All the human upgrades have just made this an overly commercialized and overpriced place with the sole intention of making you rid yourself of as much of your money as possible -- and that too paired with atrocious customer service. It's very hard to get a fork or an extra napkin or to get a question answered about a menu item!! Sad to say but now I have to say -- DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE AT ALL!! read more

Outdoors by the water. Soothing to watch the swans swim and enjoyed a nice lunch with drinks and family.

This is a destination spot, but delicious if you're in the area or coming from the lake. They have great views, open air, and fantastic staff. read more

It's ok. The food is good, but overpriced. You're really paying for the lake-side seating. The service model sucks. It's really the no-service model. You are your own waiter and put your order into the system via a QR code. Like in the olden COVID days when we all used to socially distance. I've always loved Ski Shores. It has changed owners several times. This current iteration is backed by some big money, you can tell by the Instragrammy neon signs and shiny new paint. But it all falls apart when there's no server anywhere to be found. We ordered: -- 2 orders of Ahi Tostadas. ($22 each) -- Overpriced $11-bowl of fried pickle slice rounds. -- Fried okra--also a very small bowl ($8) -- Lake House Salad with Ahi Tuna ($31!), dressing has too much oil, and there was too much dressing on the salad We ordered the tostadas without mayo. One of the Ahi Tostada orders came out with no tuna. There was no server to be found anywhere. I finally had to walk my plate inside to have the issue addressed. They corrected the issue and brought me the order with tuna. There was no attempt at service recovery. Refills on ice tea also require a walk to the bar or you have to find a food runner or bus boy. Ski Shores functions with a service model of a fast-casual restaurant, but it fails. And, it's overpriced. Which sucks because I love this place. Or at least I used to. read more

Terrible! Location is the only thing this restaurant has going for it. As for the food, it is 'lake food'; meaning it is similar to other establishments on the lake. The burgers we ordered were inedible and the fries were tasteless. They were not even high end frozen fries. The service is non-existent except for the people delivering food. You are seated at a table, given a QR code to scan, then order and pay. Then before paying you are asked to give a tip. Give a TIP on SERVICE YOU HAVEN'T HAD! What greedy person came up with this idea. I WILL NEVER COME BACK! read more

Came by boat for lunch after a Sunday afternoon on Lake Austin. Lovely setting on the water. Efficient service - order by QR code, food came out quickly though everything cane at different times. Had the ahi tostadas which were decent, not amazing - but you come to ski shores foe the atmosphere read more

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This place is a bit of an enigma because your enjoyment seems to be hinged on what you expect from this place. Luckily, this place meet (possibly slightly exceeded) my expectations. This is a lakeside bar and grill. Thats what you have to go in with. Its for the cool dudes and dudettes who bring their fancy boats and eat a $30 cheeseburger. Its Vineyard Vines meets Jersey Shore. With that being said, I thought the food and drinks were actually pretty good. They could have skimped on the quality, but they didn't. The Mai Tai that I had was excellent. I got the fried shrimp basket which was exactly what I wanted! The service was also surprisingly excellent. This place looks like it could become a cluster#$%# real quickly, but they have a pretty sound waitlist and the bartenders seem friendly. You order at your table via QR code which takes a little away from the personal connection, but they can get you food faster and get you on your way. I really liked the host stand people! The only "downside" has already been mentioned. The food here is overpriced. My shrimp basket was $27. Did I love it? Of course which is why I am ok with paying a little more for good food and good vibes. Its a resort destination so it being expensive shouldn't be that surprising. Hell yes I will be back! We did a little boat tour before and after so I will recommend doing that since parking can be a bit dodgy at this place! read more

For the smallest, most expensive brownie dessert, this place wins. Prices have gotten supper expensive and the food quality has gotten worse. Service and location of course this place is super! read more