Where to Eat on Lake Austin
Written by Staff   

Hula Hut on Lake Austin
Hula Hut on Lake Austin

Shoreside and area restaurants around Lake Austin.

Even though downtown Austin is only minutes away, a day on the lake is usually best capped with meal on the lake. Not to mention the need for a quick bite during lunch to keep your stamina up through a day of water skiing. Be it that quick bite or a white linen, multi-course meal, a string of great eateries dots the Lake Austin area. Below is an ever-growing list of your options. (Restaurants marked with * denote access available by boat.)

Hula Hut
Since 1983 this “Mexonesian” restaurant has offered Austinites bites of coconut shrimp, Hawaiian fajitas, and delicious drinks served in a fish bowl. With decks perched over the waters of Lake Austin just past Tom Miller Dam (which separates Lake Austin from Lady Bird Lake), this eatery is hard to drive by without stopping in. Meals are ranged from $5-$15, drinks from $4-$10. While the food is irresistible, much of the draw is the exotic atmosphere. Only minutes from downtown, an outing at Hula Hut feels like you’ve been transported to an exotic island. Case in point: a mango margarita under a thatched-roof, waterside tiki bar. The owners of Hula Hut also own Chuy’s and Shady Grove—two other Austin faves.

Ski Shores on Lake AustinSki Shores Waterfront Café*
This café is definitely off the beaten path, as equal number of patrons arrive by boat as by land. Tucked back in the rolling hills of the Texas Hill Country, Ski Shores offers some of the best burgers, fries and beers in town. Kick back on the grass in a lawn chair gazing at the waves as they gently crash on the boat docks or grab a picnic table and listen up for some live tunes on stage. For you veggie lovers, Ski Shores has a veggie burger that will knock your socks off. This burger joint has been kickin’ for over 50 years and will continue to shine as one of the locals’ favorite places to eat, drink, and relax.