Thursday, January 8, 2009

Hooked On Fridays and a Cocktail


My friend, Julia, is hosting a "Hooked On Fridays" party, which means we can just blog about whatever we're hooked on. I figured this would be a good excuse to promote one of my favorite Austin restaurants.

There's a road in south Austin called Barton Springs Road, and there's a stretch along that road with some great and somewhat historical eateries. My favorite is Shady Grove.

Shady Grove opened in 1992, but the building appears to be older than that. While the stone facade is intriguing, of the many times I've eaten there, I have never sat inside.
The patio, featuring a flagstone floor and outdoor bar, is HUGE. The centerpiece of the space is the very old and large live oak tree. Campy Christmas lights string out from the tree in a hub and spoke fashion, so the outdoor atmosphere is great during the day and fun and festive at night.


As for the food, we like the hatch green chili burgers. Yum!

Now on to today's Friday cocktail...

I first heard this Austin-based band, nelo, perform on a local morning news show last summer. If you like bands like Sister Hazel and Hootie and the Blowfish, you'll like nelo (rhymes with yellow). Enjoy and Happy Friday!

18 comments:

Gigi said...

I think Austin must be the best. city. ever. It is at the top of my list of places to visit. So now I now where to eat! Thanks for sharing.

Danii said...

I lived in Austin and trust me, Shady Grove is THE place to be, inside (yes, I ate inside!) and outside!!!! If y'all have a chance, book a trip to Austin. Weekend is just fine to get the Austini vibe... 6th street, Hula Hat, just to name a few!!

Mia said...

If I ever travel to Texas, I will defenitely go there! :)

Anonymous said...

We just went through Texas and I love eating! I wish I knew about this earlier! Austin is a great city...MY SON IS NAMED AFTER IT! :) For Real!

Bring your review over to my blog on Tuesday for Tasty Tuesday!

trash talk said...

Yum-I'm on my way!! Only 3 hours away. Wish I could. Debbie

Anonymous said...

looks like an awesome restaurant. next time i'm in austin, i'll be on the lookout...

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

That looks like a place I would love to go! What is "hatch" green chili?

Julia @ Hooked on Houses said...

What a fun place! I love the way it looks, like it's been around forever, and I enjoyed the video, too. Thanks for joining my blog party, Sandra! I can always count on you to show us something good. :-)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this post, Sandra. Loved it.

I just saw your before and after post. Beautiful! Is your rug a Dash and Albert. We have one at the condo and love it. Thinking about buying another.

Cindy said...

Thanks for the reminder about Hooked on Fridays...I just linked my post to it!

forcryeye said...

My fave resturant closed. Boo hoo. I can't wait until we can eat outside on a patio again! Thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

What a fun restaurant. I have never been to Texas. I have a good friend from College who lives there now, and I may have to take a trip out to visit!

Free Art Printables said...

I love little bars like that. They are so friendly and warm!

Michelle said...

I love Shady Grove! You should've shown the trailer bathroom!! LOL

Anonymous said...

What a cool looking place! Austin is on my list of places I want to visit!

Amber Cargile said...

Really enjoyed Nelo...played it while I made dinner! Can't wait to experience Shady Grove this year.

cotedetexas said...

My favorite place!!! AWWWW,I wish i was in Austin. love the new header.

Judy Clark said...

Hi From Judy In GA. I think that I might have posted on the wrong comment section. So sorry especially if I posted twice. However, I just want to let you know that my Son Scott is a musician in Austin and is currently playing with several bands. The one that you would enjoy the most the RadioStar. They are an 80's cover band playing all over. Speakeasy, Cedar Street, Cool River...etc. They are up for the best cover band in Austin. If you have a chance, check out their webpage, and their schedule, and go see them. Tell Scott that his Mom sent you.
PS: Love your blog
Judy Clark