Upscale Casual Dining with a Tropical Twist in East Austin
Uptown is a stylish restaurant and cocktail bar in East Austin that surprises first-time guests in the best way. From the outside, it may look unassuming, but inside you’ll find a welcoming team, a relaxed atmosphere, and a menu that goes well beyond standard bar food. It’s an easy choice for lunch, dinner, or a laid-back evening with friends, especially if you want a place that feels fun without trying too hard.
Guests rave about the fresh seafood and flavorful dishes, including yellowfin tuna, oysters with tasty toppings, smashburgers, steak fries, and chicken sandwiches. The drink program is another highlight, with strong cocktails that pair well with the vibe. One of the most memorable features is the back patio, which many describe as feeling like a tropical getaway right in the city. Even on a rainy night, the setting can turn into a perfect mood. Uptown also works well for entertaining visitors, thanks to its solid service and menu variety. If you’re looking for an East Austin restaurant with a cool patio, fresh seafood, and a more elevated casual dining feel, Uptown is an excellent choice.
✨ Review Highlights
Exceptional Freshness and Quality
Customers consistently praise the freshness and quality of the food, particularly highlighting the oysters and po boys as standout items.
Great Happy Hour Deals
The happy hour offerings are noted for their great value, with delicious options like beef tartare and fresh oysters.
Friendly and Attentive Service
Reviewers frequently mention the friendly and attentive service, with staff making a positive impression on visitors.
Pet-Friendly Environment
The restaurant is appreciated for being pet-friendly, allowing customers to bring their dogs while enjoying their meal.
Beautiful Venue
The interior and patio of the restaurant are described as beautiful and interesting, adding to the overall dining experience.
Inconsistent Food Quality and Value
Some diners found certain menu items, like the g&t and Caesar salad, lacking in flavor and value, particularly during happy hour.
Concerns About Raw Bar Placement
There are concerns about the raw bar's placement near a high-traffic area, potentially affecting the freshness and hygiene of the oysters.
Seating and Billing Issues
Some guests experienced discomfort with cramped seating arrangements and noted a billing error that could have been avoided with better accommodation and review processes.
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Lauren Pinkston
in the last weekWe went for happy hour! Great deals and very delicious. Super fresh oysters. Beef tartare was amazing.
Amanda Boutourline
in the last weekMy husband and I recently visited Uptown, both to satisfy our curiosity regarding a building that was vacant for my entire 20 year residency in Austin, and to (hopefully) have some delicious food and well crafted cocktails. The interior of the building looks beautiful and the back patio is very nice, but that was the best thing I can say about our visit. Immediately upon sitting, we were informed that we couldn't order any shrimp. Their menu is very small and shrimp is featured heavily. We were coming for happy hour and the fried shrimp basket was precisely what we had planned to order. So that was disappointing, but fine. The g&t was bland, small, and $12 for the HH menu. Crazy overpriced and under delivered. Poodle Dog makes a way better g&t and it's like $6 regularly and comes in a tall glass. My Cesar salad was absolutely nothing special, really reminded me of something you would get at the airport. Even the croutons were just so aggressively mid. Husband's burger tasted a bit off if I'm being honest, but he didn't seem to think so. The trout dip was basically just tuna salad made with what seemed to be canned trout. It was fine, but again, absolutely nothing special whatsoever. Served with homemade chips and Zesta crackers that were stale. Just a very underwhelming experience for the price and the hype, I would give this place a pass which is disappointing as it's in an interesting and historic building. I think this venue deserves better, tbh. As a side note, they have the raw bar situated right beside the back door, in the walkway where people are traveling in and out. Warm air and debris could easily spoil the oysters that they have sitting right on the counter with no glass partition to protect them from dirt, hair, whatever might blow in from outside and the constant flow of human traffic passing by. It's kind of gross, like, put a partition up or move that counter.
Victoria Russo
in the last weekAmazing po boy, great service, fresh food, great prices. Everything we had was fresh fresh fresh! Highly recommend
JAR
a week agoLoved the po boy! So fresh and the place is vibey!
Alexa Major
2 weeks agoWe put in an advance reservation for our group of four and two dogs. We were sat in a crammed corner of the patio where there wasn’t much moving room for the chair but also no room for the dogs, but the place is pet friendly. The table was blocking an entrance/ exit completely and decided to move to a better area ourselves. Could’ve had much better accommodation with a bit more effort. Our server was very friendly and so was the staff. The food came out perfect. Prices were fair. I do wish we would have had the chance to review our bill before paying, as we did end up getting charged for an extra drink.