PRICE:
Frommer's Recommended

This is the required spot for Austinites to take out-of-town guests at sunset. From the multilevel decks nestled into the hillside hundreds of feet above Lake Travis, visitors and locals alike cheer -- with toasts and applause -- as the fiery orb descends behind the hills on the opposite shores. No one ever leaves unimpressed by the sunset. The food is another matter entirely: At best, it's erratic. Although different owners have tried over the years, so far no one has succeeded in getting it right all the time. Keep it simple -- nachos, burgers (as opposed to, say, the crawfish étouffée enchiladas) -- and you'll be okay. Then add a margarita, and kick back. It doesn't get much mellower than this. On June 1, 2005, lightning struck the restaurant and burned most of the decking that extended across a good portion of the hillside, causing more than a million dollars in damage. Two days later the restaurant was back open, and after a year's worth of restoration, it has returned to its former glory. Those who have been there before will recognize that some of the decks have been reconfigured in an effort to improve the overall arrangement. But everything else is the same.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's San Antonio & Austin, 8th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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