I was a bit astonished at the prices, but one bite of my border burger (jalepenos, guacamole, cheese, onions) and the view from the dock were well worth it. And the picnic-bench seating allows the restaurant to serve huge groups. When I visited, thirsty during a moped rally, the servers rushed to bring our group glasses of water before taking our orders. That's great service. read more

This place has so much potential; I wanted to love it. Amazing atmosphere, but the service. is. horrendous. Waited an hour and a half for food before we finally told them we just wanted to leave. Our server took forever to even get orders, drinks, etc. and barely gave us a shrug (multiple times) like "don't know what to tell ya, it's not ready." When we finally expressed that we'd just like to pay for drinks and leave, we got attitude from both the server and manager. We said we'd been waiting for an hour and a half for food and the server's response "it was actually an hour so that's still pretty good." By who's standards is an hour wait for food, "pretty good"? The manager's response was not much better: "no one told you it was going to be a long wait?" To give the server credit, he did tell us he understood our frustration, but he still made sure he wasn't to blame. They tried to get us to get the food to go (I'm sure they would've had us pay for it, too), but we weren't interested. No apologies from management, no offer to comp drinks (not that we even asked), no shits given. From the looks of other similar reviews, seems like this place needs to give up on being a full-service restaurant. Maybe just focus on (and improve on) serving drinks so people can enjoy the atmosphere and not wonder if they're ever going to get fed. read more

Personally I think this is the best place you can boat to on either Lake Austin or Travis. If I had to pick one it would be Ski Shores. Like the food here, like sitting on the water, like the amount of activity going on all around, like bringing a dog and tying her up to the picnic table, like the overall vibe of the trees and the building. Try the Border Burger. Its tits. They have TVs for sports and movies for kids too. For me this is an afternoon spot but they have brunch in the morning and bands at night. read more

The new management has really turned this place around in terms of design. It's SO much cleaner [which was not true before] and there's much more seating, covered area for when it rains, and a play area for the kiddos [and adults]. The first time I went the food was down right perfect. The second time, the burger wasn't AS good [it was still a damn good burger], but the staff was so open to suggestions. They really seemed like they cared and wanted to ensure they were doing it the right way. That goes a long way in my boat. Highly recommend this place. read more

We come for: The View - The kids play area - The bar. Maybe the fish tacos. The food fried and too salty. The service is just ok. It seems like a great bar ambiance. Our toddlers love the sandbox and playground area which are great because it means we can sit and relax and watch them play. The view feels tropical. It's a great place to take out of town guests. The drive from the East is gorgeous as well. I hope they change management and add better food and better service. We'll still come here but never for date night or to take foodie friends. read more

The new owner of Ski Shores (Austin Java crew) have done a great job and truly given Ski Shores a spiritual makeover. Service is drastically improved and there are some tasty new items on the menu. They are selling ice and some other lake necessities now too. read more

Burgers very good, queso, guac chips better than most. Plus water side is great. Meredith , waitstaff did an excellent job! read more

I'm really glad a place like this exists in Austin, and while it's not perfect, as others here have pointed out, it's still a pretty cool place. You just have to adopt a lake mentality, meaning try to relax and enjoy yourself. Went there on a Friday recently with our dog (yes, they are dog friendly, but they have limited pet-friendly seating; basically dogs are allowed at the picnic tables by the boat dock and not allowed on the patio). There was some sort of kids birthday party going on and the place was a bit of a madhouse at first. But it didn't take long to get a table, and one close to the water which was nice. We were warned that the kitchen was running behind, but honestly it didn't take long to get our food. The beers came out very fast, which was great, and the server brought us chips and queso for having to wait. The kids left or quieted down after a while. The sun went down and the night cooled off a bit. There was a live band playing in the distance. They started showing Alice and Wonderland (the Disney version) when the sun went down. We enjoyed a couple of decent burgers, fries and onion rings. Our dog was treated to a bowl of water and a lot of attention from nearby folks. He even got to play a little fetch on the grassy side yard. In my opinion, it was a solid 4-star experience. If you focus your expectations on the casual lake setting and easygoing lake mentality, you'll leave a happier person. read more

It was ROT Rally weekend, my Mom was in town, my Aunt and Uncle were in town visiting my cousin, and we needed a place to get together and discuss our weekend plans, away from all the chaos and the tourists. I was afraid, given the reviews, but I had been here many years ago, and felt like it was worth the risk. I had also been here, when it was literally a counter cafe. But, from the beginning, the staff was friendly at the Host station, our first bartender was great for our first drink, and our waitress, who was training a new guy, was stupendous. Don't get me wrong, the food isn't the best, but you're paying for the privilege of being in a place, with patrons, who are basically on vacation, the moment they arrive. This is a place where boats dock at the edge of the dining dock. There's a play scape far removed from the eating area, but an eye shot, and there's a guy playing guitar and singing old folksy songs. read more

I was running some errands with two of my kids, and decided to swing by Ski Shores, since I've heard they have great burgers and views. I agree on both counts - I went with the Scooter Burger (two 1/3 lb. patties, cheese, mayo, jalapenos,lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles) and it was delicious - gigantic and gluttonous as expected. Very nice service, and the fun to watch the boats come in and out. Old school arcade games and a playscape for the kids were a bonus. One thing that would be nice would be some fans/misters. read more

I vowed never to return to ski shores as previous management treated their customers like shit. The one manager dude was a complete ass. Guess what, those idiots are gone. And I'm back. Viva Ski Shores under nice management, read more

Great place to stop and hang out for a little bit while out on the lake. Great patio area right there on the lake. High priced beer, but being that you are on the lake that's not much of a surprise. Food is good, I had the fish tacos and they were pretty tasty. Boat slips are popular so come early or be prepared to wait. I'm inclined to agree with some of the other reviewers, it is a three star place but convenience and location plus view bumps it up to the next level. read more

In any other world this place would get 3 or maybe 3.5 stars but it holds a certain place in my heart. I have been coming here since way before the remodel (I assume it is because of a new owner). My girlfriend and I came here on our first date and return every year on our anniversary as a tradition. The fried pickles were the best thing about our meal today, they are nicely fried with a good spice to them. The fries are pretty good but weren't especially warm, seems like our burgers may have been sitting a bit to give us time to eat our appetizer which, if that's the case, isn't cool to do. I always get the scooter burger, two 1/3 patties, cheese, jalapenos and all the fixin's with today being no different. I think my past visits have been more enjoyable but it wasn't bad today either. One thing I noticed they recently changed their burger buns and I'm undecided whether that was a good change or not. I think that if the bun was warmer it would have been more enjoyable but it was "room" temperature. My girlfriend picked a lot of the breading off of the top bun because she felt it was too much, so there you have it. Nice place to enjoy being outside, the wind is always blowing nicely and the shade trees and shade from the deck keep the temperature tolerable. Not gonna lie though, I miss ordering at the counter and picking up the food at the window but I guess to attract more business it is a good move to add a bar and waiter service but I feel it has lost some of the charm it had previously. Also, there used to be an older gentlemen (i suspect the previous owner or manager) who was always around and looked like Jimmy Buffett, he was a nice touch to the shaggy burger stand on the water. Everyone know's Jimmy love burgers, maybe this was his side project! haha I know it wasn't him but it was funny to talk about. Haven't seen him since the remodel so I suspect he was part of the old that they outted. read more

Wish I could review the food. Waited 15 minutes to meet a waiter. Ordered a drink and lunch. Waited ten minutes when I was told they were out of the beer I had selected. Finally got a beer. Never got lunch. So I left after 45 minutes. Pros: location Cons: service. Can't comment on the the food This review like do many, reviews the service. What a drag! Consider this if you go on Saturday afternoon. read more

Unbelievable!!!! Ski Shores experience. Even though it was cold and rainy, the staff at Ski Shores warmed up our hearts today. The food was great, but the service was unbelievable. Thank you for making our experience one true to remember for days to come. FYI whoever the owner is, you need to give your staff a raise since they have to deal with unprofessional, threatening and hostile people towards them just for enforcing masks. Congratulations boys and girls from Ski Shores staff for being professional and overall amazing!!!! read more

A pretty darn good burger. The prices are pretty steep for a burger but I guess you pay for the view. After a day on the lake, and few beers in ya, you will probably love the food. They do have occassionaly have a band that plays, so it can be a really fun time. read more

I love my neighborhood bar and grill. It is only 1 min from my house and they deliver! +++ for me especially with a 4 year old. They have a great playscape for the kiddos and the scenery isn't half bad. Beware family night. My 1st experience this year lead to me yelling at a bunch of rude kids whose parents let them run a muck while they got happy on their margaritas. Not Ski Shores problem but it does get a bit crowded Friday and Saturday night because of this. I wish they could add a kids' burger to the menu. That's is all my son will eat there and paying full price for him to eat half of it just isn't worth it. The fried pickles and burgers are my fav though. I'll miss the convenience of this place when we move out of Greenshores. read more

Ski Shores is a great summer place. Mostly, because they are closed during the winter and you'd probably get arrested for trespassing if you tried to eat there then. But also because of the flip-flops, tank-top, suntan lotion lakeness of it all. It's situated right on Lake Austin and does indeed make you start reorganizing the finances in your head to see if you can't afford a boat (you can't) just so you could ride up in your swim trunks and sit down for a beer. This is another place where I basically stick to one thing on the menu, not because the other stuff is bad, but because it's so ridiculously good and I dare not risk disappointment. That thing is the Border Burger (a choir is singing in my head right now). This burger puts to shame any other burger in Austin. Guacamole, jalapenos, grilled onions on a delicious patty make for divine eatin' while wondering who the hell can afford the houses on the other side of the lake. The fries, onion rings and drinks (bottled cokes) are all a bit substandard. The prices are all probably a few dollars more than they should be, but hey, you're paying for ambience. So, if you're in the mood for a delicious spicy burger while taking in some scenery, check this place out. read more

I wasn't sure what to expect after seeing the reviews, but I was pleasantly surprised! The atmosphere was great! Right on the lake! Several patrons had thier dogs - all well behaved. I like to ask my server what they recommend when I try someplace new. Our waitress was brand new, and she didn't have any suggestions, other than she wasn't a fan of the salads. I decided to order the fried catfish basket - and I thought it was wonderful !! Service was slow, but friendly, and with the relaxed atmosphere it didn't bother me. I had kind of prepared myself for slow service after seeing the other YELP reviews. I found the portion of my dinner to be ample, but then, I am a girl and I like to watch portion control. On a side note - one of the other waitstaff continually checked on us since our waitress was new! read more

Good service, food and a wonderful location. Much better than fighting the crowds at the more popular places by the damn....and much better boat parking. read more

Ski Shores Cafe - A view of the bar and indoor/outdoor seating. - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Texas

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No problem. You're told 35 minute wait... turns out more like 45... no problem... get your table.... told uh oh kitchen's backed up... it'll be another 45 minutes...now it's a problem. read more

Nice view. Pleasant environment. Could've used some ambiance music if not a live musician. Otherwise the place was clean. The service was good but I'm pretty sure that's because our server was also one of the business partners or co-owners. Regardless, he did a great job. Really patient while our ladies tried to decide between the cole slaw or the potato salad then changed their minds after finding out us guys had already told him we wanted french fries. Go figure! ;-) Beer selection from the local microbreweries was good but could definitely be expanded what with all the new ones opening up around Austin. I think he said they were working on that. The fried catfish was good but some pieces were a bit undercooked. I liked the corn meal they used for batter. The fried shrimp had a bad smell/taste but once we brought it to our server's attention he immediately replaced them (we got the 4/4 platter, 4 fish fillets, 4 fried shrimp) with a basket full of hot, freshly-fried shrimp from a different batch. Very tasty! The french fries tasted like they were cooked in leftover fish grease and the fried okra was hot and tasty but a little squishy for my taste. Nothing wrong with it, I just like my fried okra (and bacon) a little crispier. Like the other reviewers on here, we had to wait over an hour to get our food. Really? The place was half empty on a Tuesday night. Did you have to catch the fish from the river before you dipped it in the fryer? Do you have a garden out back where you pick your okra by hand? C'mon, guys, get it together! I think there's hope for this place if the fellow who served us can train his kitchen staff to prepare the food quicker. I've worked in commercial kitchens before and it doesn't take an engineering degree. If not, this place should just stick to beer and appetizers. read more

We went to try this restaurant for the first time and we loved the location and atmosphere. It's very relaxing seeing the geese swimming around and turtles swimming by. We also saw some large fish swimming by! We forgot to take pictures of our food, but we ordered the Chips and Queso, guacamole and salsa. The cheese dip was too thick and not very tasty, the guacamole had too much cumin, I never knew of anyone putting cumin in guacamole, but it was okay. The salsa was good but not spicy at all. I ordered the Asian salad and it was delicious , it had breaded chicken breast with mixed greens and almonds and the dressing was excellent! I truly enjoyed my salad! My friends ordered the shrimp and they were okay. The only drawback is that they have mostly picnic tables and very uncomfortable when you want to relax or have a bad back you can't sit on them for too long. Our waitress was great and we will definitely be back! read more

I absolutely love this place and have been eating (and drinking) here for many years! I have been at this restaurant before and after it changed ownership and it does not feel as though much has really changed. There are many reviews for this place that are reviewing Ski Shores as if it is a 5 star steak house. You wouldn't judge a mcdonalds on its ability to be a Chili's, for example. So let's view Ski Shores for what it is, a lakeside spot to relax and have a beer and some food. With that said, the food is overpriced for what you get - a frozen party burger should not cost the same as a fresh burger from Hopdoddy, yet a plain burger with fries at Ski Shores will set you back $8.99. Don't get me started on the fries though. Those things are amazing! I highly recommend choosing French fries as your side with any entrée. The atmosphere at this place is unbeatable! It is especially perfect on warm and sunny days! Personally, I have never had an unreasonable wait time for food. It can get pretty packed on the weekends but on a Saturday afternoon I still got my food in 30 minutes or less. All in all, this place is pretty great! Try it out, but don't expect a 5 star steak dinner. read more

The food is not good but the atmosphere makes up for it. It seems I always end up here on the weekends during the Summer. Its a great place to pull the boat up and have a beer and if necessary (and only necessary) eat something. The best thing on the menu is the fried okra. The place is only ok, nothing close to spectacular at all but worth the atmosphere. read more

What a glorious last minute decision we made..."Let's try Ski Shores"....it was a Friday night in October, couldn't be nicer weather, could not be a better family friendly place on Lake Austin!!! Play scape, fire pit with s'mores, movie on a screen (Lego Movie our visit) and a sandy area for toys and toes. The staff were friendly and attentive, food was what you would expect but the location made it taste that much better. My ONLY complaint was some parents could not have cared less what their little darlings were up to...so kids were throwing rocks, and getting what I would consider "unfriendly" on the play scape. But that is to be found anywhere. We felt we found a real treasure and cannot wait to return! read more

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

The ambience here was great, you look out over the lake which was beautiful. You sit at picnic tables. There's a playground for the kiddos. However... The food was not good. No one was happy with what they got, and they got one girls order wrong twice. We were all done by then, so she just passed on it. The waitress was super nice and helpful, the manager was a total snit and pissed that that girl sent her order back and gave us major attitude. I had a salad. It was ok, but the tomatoes were mealy, the salad dressing was straight out of a bottle... just not appetizing. I think it's probably better as a place to hang and have beer/sangria (which the table enjoyed) and queso. Also, it was super expensive for the (less than) chili's quality of food. read more

Ski Shores Cafe - Lots of great outdoor seating. - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Texas

Food is subpar...do not go here for the food. But the location is great and I love feeding the ducks and turtles.

The parking is bad unless you are on a boat. The food is good. And the environment is amazing. I just love this place. Expect boat house quality food and service. And that's perfect cause this place just feels like fun. We sat out at a table on the water watching the boats go by. It's always a little cooler there by the water. And it is fun to watch the boats and people going by. Warning: you may get boat envy when eating here. read more

Had a great day on the lake and then went to ski shores as we usually do. But this time I ordered a burger as usual but when I got it, it seemed like the salt shaker lid fell off when they were seasoning it and just said screw it. Tasted like I took a bight of sea weed. I thought I might of been my taste buds so I asked someone in my group to try it and they spit it out cause of the salty taste. When I told the waiter I couldn't eat it cause of the salty taste she replied "I'm sry I don't know what to tell you". I'm sry, my group has always loved ski Shores but after tonight with the food and all the random stuff added on to everyone's tab. We will never come back read more

Food was delicious and the staff was very nice. And the view... I can spend hours and hours there. It is amazing. Best location a cafe can have. This is a must try place. And I'm sure you'll become a regular. read more

When it's a hot summer day in Austin and you've been water-skiing on lake Austin all day, your options for food are limited. You've got Hula Hut and Lucy's Boatyard down on the south end of the lake and then you've got Ski Shores up on the north end. I pick Ski Shores any day for a vast number of reasons. The first of which is that it's reasonably hard to get to by land and easy to get to by water. This results in it not having an hour wait for food like the places mentioned above on a hot summer day. There's also something very satisfying about having a greasy burger and fries after you've been baking in the hot sun all day. The beer they have is always cold and you can't beat the view. The people that work there are also totally laid back and have even let me do things like dump the empty cans out of my boat into their trash/recycle. The only negative thing I can think to say about Ski Shores is that the boat parking isn't protected from the lake in any way. If you don't have a yacht, this means you have to tie your boat up extra tight so it doesn't bang against the dock. A small price to pay though for the wonderfulness that is Ski Shores. I'll definitely be back many more times. read more

This is a place on Lake Austin, and it matches what you would think. The food is very good. The hamburger was great, the Fish Tacos were very, very good, and the Pizza was surprisingly good. Kids food they all had chicken strips and corn dogs, hard to mess that up. The Margaritas were very good (we had frozen). There is a playground that is surrounded by fence (on the lake that's a good thing) and there was plenty of docking space. Guys came out to help moor the boat (wasn't necessary, but was nice) and you're in a really good spot kind of "Middle" of the lake from dam to dam. This is not a Steak and Sushi, so I'm not comparing the culinary skills to an upscale place. The food, atmosphere and service for a Lake Shore place was great. read more

Very beautiful location! I was a little hesitant to go because of some of the food and service reviews. Glad I didn't listen to them! I had the shrimp tacos and my husband had the fish tacos, both very yummy! The server was very nice and attentive as well. Perfect lunch spot on a beautiful day! read more

Ski Shores Cafe - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Texas

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No place is perfect, but this setting is. We've been coming for years and hamburgers have always been good and I love the Asian Crunch salad. My only complaint is that their water has so much of a chlorine taste that it is undrinkable. That bad water makes the tea bad too. Somebody please sell them a water filter! read more

I like this place but agree that the food could be better. Sometimes there are a lot of flies. Most of the time it's just so nice to relax and sit by the water, watch the boats go by or stop in. My kids love it. read more

Fun to sit by the water and watch the turtles and boats go by. The waiter was very helpful and competent. The chef salad was average, with some slimy greens. The shrimp tacos were tasty with possibility of gluten free tortillas. read more

Ski Shores Cafe - Turtle floating along edge of deck. - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Setting was awesome for our first visit in a couple of years. Great to have table service. The fried food (onion rings, pickles) was also good. Guacamole was even good. The chips, though, revealed to us that the overall quality is not high. They tasted like cardboard. The tortillas serving as the fish taco carriers must have come from the same place - they were tasteless and maybe even a little stale. In this part of the world, there is really no excuse for bad chips and tortillas. We were disappointed to have such weak food at such an iconic place and nice setting. I would not come back with out of town guests unless and until I have heard of major improvements. read more

I didn't even know about this place, until a lot of my teenage children's friends started working there. That said, the food is actually good and it's got such a great slacker vibe. Try it on a Sunday afternoon while watching the boaters zip by...it's a hoot. read more

I visited this place for lunch. It's a nice dog friendly restaurant. The atmosphere is nice for it to be so small. My pup enjoyed his hamburger. My food is okay but it could use more flavor. The service of the waitress was prompt and she was very nice. They only got three stars for the food. Also the alcoholic drink tasted like watered down juice. read more