Uncle Billys Brew & Que

I found this cool restaurant and concert venue one evening when we brought some out-​of-​town guests to see the spectacle that is The Oasis. We took a detour around the perpetual line, headed up the stairs, and went straight into Uncle Billy’s. There was virtually no wait!
The restaurant is huge inside and has a lake-​view deck that sits parallel to the overloaded one of its gaudy big sister next door. There are plenty of indoor tables, but we headed out back to sit on the deck. I felt positively sneaky that we had landed a table so quickly while people stood in cue next door. This must be the best kept secret on the lake.
Uncle Billy’s offers a BBQ menu and an array of somewhat offbeat appetizers (white queso, fried pickles, etc.) and the usual Tex-​Mex fare. The food is good, as in better than next door’s. Then there are the beers… Uncle Billy is apparently a microbrewer, as well. There are a number of beers on tap, a sampler to try several at a time, and some that are unlisted (see the chalkboard at the door).
Whereas the aforementioned next-​door place books cover bands, Billy’s seems to book the local original acts. I saw Ian Moore, Bob Schneider, Jimmy LaFave & Joe Ely on the upcoming list of shows posted in the restroom (which was very clean, btw). The concerts take place on the rooftop for an additional charge, but it didn’t seem exorbitant. They do serve food up there, and I haven’t yet tried out that arrangement, though I’ve recommended it to others with good results. Check out their website for more details.
I’m just excited to have such a cool Austin venue out here in the sticks. And now you’re in on the secret, too. Pass it on…
**update ¹²⁄₃: A quick review of Uncle Billy’s website says they’ve closed for the season, most likely meaning winter.

I am in Austin for the first time visiting from Chicago. After leaving Billy’s last night they were selling $ 5 beefs on the side of the road (probably should have been my first sign not to purchase), but being from Chicago I instantly got Italian beef and giardiniera flashing in my drunk mind so I purchased it.
It wasn’t very good, but I was starving so I ate it. Within an hour I got the worst stomach ache and kept, for lack of a better term, burping up the beef all night. It was so disgusting. I got the worst indigestion from their crap food and I had to drink water the rest of the night to settle my stomach.
Never again. I can’t even believe they would serve that to the public.
The rest of the bar is cool and the people that work there are so nice. Go for the drinks and move on to another place if you get the munchies.

Update: I will give credit where credit is due. Cara and Kerry bent over backwards to try to make it up to me. I went last night to see Bob again, had a reserved table, and some credit toward my bill. Due to circumstances beyond their control (hello, rain) the show was moved back inside, which caused my seats to suck again. So I heard Bob, but did not get to see him. If it had not rained, my seats would have been awesome! Service was super slow and I had to ask for the waitress a few times but it was packed with it being Bob and all. We had the roadkill which I enjoyed (nachos on homemade potato chips) and the pork sliders, which we chowed down because we were starving and it was 10 mins later before the sauce came, so I have no idea what the sauce taste like.
For beer I had the Bitchin Camaro which I found quite tasty. It is a darker beer with a little bit of bite to it.
So anyway, I state again this is not a place to see bands, but I have never had a place so into trying to make a situation right, so I bump my review to 3.
I’m not sure if I’m stupid or just too nice. I decided to give the music part another chance when I found out one of my favorite bands was playing here. Since they are one of my favorites I wanted VIP. Before I purchased the tickets I sent them an email asking if the set up was the same because seeing Bob here sucked giant monkey balls. I received an email back stating the show would be outside and the band visibility would be fine. So I spent $ 43 (a $ 6 processing fee? per ticket? Really???) per ticket for 4 tickets. The VIP includes a BBQ meal.
This was a complete and total RIP OFF! The VIP section is located on the patio to the right and BEHIND the stage. You can’t see the band at all! The view of the lake is amazing, but I paid to see the band! I would have had better visibilty with the $ 10 tickets. So of course I throw a hissy fit and am apologized to by someone from the booking agent but it still pisses me off that one of the managing partners flat out lied in his email to me.
So lets talk food. They brought us a large plate of BBQ that had brisket, ribs, and turkey on it as well as side dishes of potato salad and coleslaw. The only thing I liked was the turkey. The brisket is super salty and the ribs were burned. The slaw had a very weird bitter taste to it and the potato salad was just bland. I threw some BBQ sauce in there to liven it up some.
So, Uncle Billy’s, that is strike 2! Want to go for 3?
I received another email from the business manager and I believe we have worked out the issues.

This place has edible barbecue, drinkable brews, and a lovely view. I really can’t give it much more than A-​OK, because TBH, the best thing I had was the queso.
The queso is lovely, creamy, and flavorful. It came garnished with a smoky sauce on top that gave it a bit of extra kick. I didn’t care as much for the homemade potato chips – they were salty and there weren’t enough larger ones in the basket. I really prefer tortilla chips or better yet, fresh homemade tortillas. Mmmmm. Yes. Still, the homemade chips probably fit a BBQ restaurant a bit more.
The entirely a la carte menu is nice. I can get exactly what I want and nothing else. Eeeexcellent.
I had the lean brisket and jalapeño cheese sausage with a side of «elote-​style corn.» Both meats could’ve used more flavor. The brisket was perfectly tender – no knives necessary – but it didn’t have much flavor to it at all. No bark, no smoke, no nothin’. I got beef, but no indication that it was beef cooked in a special, fabulous way. At least it wasn’t chewy, tough, or over-​seasoned, so it was exactly… edible. Nothing more. It was also pretty moist for lean brisket, which I liked, but that means that the actual moist brisket would’ve probably been a bit much.
The jalapeño cheddar sausage just wasn’t hot enough for me, plus the cheese bits seemed like Velveeta in both flavor and texture somehow. I wanted more cheese, so I started dipping my sausage link in the queso. Mmmm… queso.
The elote-​style corn was perfect in every way, but getting a little cup that’s three times as pricey and a third of the size of an actual taco stand elote was a pretty stiff reminder that you’re paying for the view.
I got the habanero sauce to put on the elote and, well, everything I could. My table-​mates got a good whiff of pepper fumes, but I didn’t feel like it was that hot. It was thick and pulpy, which really let the sweetness of the habanero shine through. I probably should’ve ordered the habanero chicken wings instead of BBQ.
The beer was okay, but Billy’s brews were a somewhat limited selection of either lighter brews or IPAs. I was in the mood for something darker and heavier, but not ultra-​hoppy, and nope – they didn’t make one. I really liked the agave wit, though. My opinion of Billy’s beer has been saved by the buoyancy of citrus – that lightly sweet, citrusy agave wit really hit the spot.
They serve other breweries’ creations as well – including a mystery beer («brewmaster’s choice» or something like that?) for ultra-​cheap.
I hadn’t been to the Oasis before, and it’s quite a sight. It’s definitely a drive out through the middle of nowhere, and then you turn a corner and… what is this all doing out there?! It’s nice, but with all the build-​up around the lake, it almost seems more suburban than anything else. Oh well. View’s still nice. Food’s still edible.

They have a new menu. Have removed their chicken as an option, which is sad, because it was really good. Have removed all but two of their sauces. Food is just okay, but pricey for the portions. Still the same great atmosphere, however, so if you go, go for the atmosphere, not the food.

I received a nice a little note from Uncle billies when I posted this review. They apologized and offered to send me a $ 10.00 gift certificate to go back. I think that was nice. But if it were just one thing that were bad, If it were just the staff or just a bad plate but it was EVERYTHING! From hostess to waiters and waitresses, to the cooks, the horrendous food. They tried to seat us at a dirty table, ignored us, I had to get up and hunt people down a 2 hour monster mess. I would rather pay and get a good meal then eat a bad one for freel
Any way, I’m holding out hope that maybe in a year or so you guys will figure it out and they we may try it again, maybe.

Stopped here because it looked like a great place to grab a decent burger (brew and ‘que usually go hand-​in-​hand). I sat at the inside bar, which was not busy with only 3 apparent regulars seated. It took a good 10 minutes before «Teri» the bartender even acknowledged me. No worries, I wasn’t in too big of a hurry, but the experience progressed with little to no service, and my burger took 20 minutes to arrive. When it did, it was so burned on one side that it was like eating a piece of charcoal.
Neither bartender bothered to ask if the meal was ok (this is usually food-​service 101) and whether or not I wanted a refill on my Iced Tea. Overall summary: Bad service and bad food. Next time I’m in Austin I’ll definitely spend my money elsewhere.

This review is only for the bar because we only had drinks there before trekking down to Solais.
My friend and I got to the bar, browsed what was around us for a few minutes and ordered. I asked if they had Mojitos and the bartender said no. I then asked if they had Bloody Marys as well as celery salt promptly getting a yes but the celery salt was mixed in the Bloody Mary mix which was fine with me. My friend ordered a Jack and Diet Coke. We preceded to the deck to over look the beautiful lake (Travis). The drinks we agreed were a little weak and we are not heavy drinkers but the taste at least my Bloody Mary was good, just no «hit» as which the same comment for my friends Jack and Diet.
Service, prompt, friendly, informative. I did not get the bartender’s name but he was cordial and made our visit to the bar pleasurable. However, because this was our first drink after coming all the way from Houston the disappointment factor set in but will not hinder us or at least me from a return.
They had some interesting named beers that I wanted to try but that will be on the next go around. Keep it up Uncle Billy things look good but please let your bartenders squeeze in another ½ ounce of happiness into our drinks next time.

Billy’s is average bbq. They have average beverages, minus a few extra fancy beers. Their string beans were strangely above average. The service on my first time here was fairly good, but the second time, dismal. Making it overall, you know.
Average.
However — this Billy’s is built right next to the Oasis, which, like Billy’s, has the crazy great view of Lake Travis. Billy’s also has electronically adjustable vertical drop-​down shades in case the sun starts whackin’ on your party, plus the fans with Mega-​Misting™ built in.
Ergo, if you want to experience a killer view with beverages and better outside cooling than Oasis (and food that is several clicks above those guys as well) Billy’s will suit you.

I’ve eaten here twice. Once on a New Year’s Eve Special Dinner last year and again tonight. If you’ve read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde then that’s what you need to know about this place. The special menu at New Year’s was enjoyable, albeit a 3.5−4 stars at best. I’m not reviewing that night at Uncle BIlly’s because the menu was special and pricey, but almost worth it.
Tonight I had their ordinary menu with a large group of people. I ordered the Two Meat plate with ribs and jalapeño cheese sausage. The sausage was cold and flavorless. It lacked any resemblance to jalapeño or cheese. The ribs were slightly warmer and were good, especially because they came so easily off the bone. I imagine at normal temperature they could have been really good if not for the bland barbecue sauce. The person across from me also ordered ribs, but her ribs did not resemble mine and looked very stuck to the bone.
I was in a large group of about 10 people. The server or kitchen confused our orders and while about 7 people in our group were served, 3 had to re-​order and wait about 25 minutes and after the others finished their food. When we received our food, it was room temperature. I enjoyed the onion rings and fried okra, but let’s be real: I can make good onion rings and fried okra at home. I got the okra with habanero ranch. Basically, it is ranch with a drizzle of hot sauce on top. While the presentation appealed to the eye, I prefer the ranch to appear to be more than ranch even if it isn’t. In essence, make the ranch more habanero and just stir it in.
I was going to order the Mac and Cheese, but I passed on it after seeing someone else in my group receive it. I was deterred by how it looked and when I asked them how it tasted, their expression saved me from ordering it.
Our group was charged an 18 percent gratuity that was not marked on the menu as being extra for large groups. I would have given no gratuity otherwise because it was not good service. I felt this was an unfair practice as I did not see it on the menu. It’s possible I missed it, but I checked.
It’s a good thing Uncle Billy’s has beer and a great view because they have so little going for it otherwise.
To make up for and try to forget this meal, I drove down the road to Sobani (also on 620) for dessert and had another delightful experience. Check out my review for Sobani. I would highly recommend going to the Oasis for sunset, having a drink and then going to eat at Sobani. Skip the food and don’t waste your money on it. Go for the sunset. Or if you must eat before sunset or at the same time, go to Soleil. It’s quality food and good tastes, though not as good as Sobani.

Well, the good news is that the food here is much better than the Barton Springs location…
The bad news is that the beers still suck. I ended up with the sixer sampler to get an idea of their offerings. Every beer was overly hoppy and floral… so much that each beer was barely discernible from the next. Particularly undrinkable was the Agave Wheat. Over spiced and bitter, it was likely the worse wheat I have ever tasted. The only palatable beer was one of the rotating brews, the Rye. It had the body one expects from a Rye… but it still suffered the fate of being a bit overly hoppy. Perhaps it’s just a matter of tweaking the beers here, since they are newly opened? I don’t know…
That aside, the view more than makes up for the shortcomings of the beers. Combine the incredibly beautiful setting with an attentive staff and a pretty solid white queso… spiked with smoked brisket… and I think Uncle Billy has the winning combination up on the hilltop!

A large group of us recently went to Billy’s on Lake Travis. It was like one giant collective Meh. Every meal we had took bland to a new extreme. Not offensively bad, but we’re talking Applebees level ribs here folks.
Considering the «bbq» is one half of the namesake, I expected better.
The beer on the other hand… oh, the beer. The agave wheat is flat-​out mind blowing. This is coming from a devout dark beer guy; whether you drink PBR while wearing your sister’s jeans, or stella artois with your pinky up, you owe it to yourself to try this beer. Pitchers are reasonable, I think. It was hard to tell after the third one. Their «back porch swing» was also a simplistically delicious, and deserves a sip or two.
That being said, let’s get to brass tacks. Once you get past the grandeur of Beau’s wonderland (and it really is pretty impressive), not much has changed around the Oasis in the past twenty years. You’re here for the view and the booze, not the food. Eat before you come, stick to the script, and no one gets hurt, especially not your taste buds.

To start this review, I would like to thank the management staff for contacting me after my previous review and offering me a $ 10 coupon to come back and give them another chance… I appreciated that a lot.
We brought a guest from out of town down to watch the sunset at, (albeit sadly barren) Lake Austin tonight. I was hoping to have a better experience… and overall I think we did, but there were still some massive issues.
The drinks were great… Lake Travis Lemonade and Sangrias. no complaints here.
We ordered the chicken strip basket with fries, and two turkey Rubens with onion rings which were all really excellent… we were much happier with the food this time around. There was only one exception to the great food, which was the peach cobbler. Not so much cobbler as peach surrounded in a thick peach gel with no crumble topping… dear god, take this off the menu, it’s awful!
Now I’d like to talk about the service we received. Frankly, I felt sorry for the guy, it seemed like he was carrying a lot of large tables, and the place seemed thinly staffed. We sat for a good ten minutes before he came over and asked us if anyone had helped us yet. It didn’t take long to get our food and drinks, but after that, service was really sparse. We had to flag the guy down for napkins, refills, dessert, and our check which was pretty uncool. But as I said, it looked like he was covering all 10 tables inside and just couldn’t keep up. I couldn’t help but notice that all of the tables around us were having a similar experience.
So all in all, I’m raising Billy’s a star for the much improved food experience, and the acknowledgement from management… but the service really needs to improve.

Good food — reasonable price — Great atmoshpere.

micro brew = extremely awesome
‘que = pretty awesome
atmosphere = very awesome

Can it be true? That the sister restaurant of the original Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que is better than the original?! It is true… and well, the view, is 100X better than staring at a busy street.
This new brew-​b-​que location is ginormous; while we sat on the rail, we all wondered out loud how much it cost to build this gorgeous restaurant.
For the four of us, we ordered entirely too much food; 2 pounds of brisket, 2 pounds of turkey, 1 full sausage, full servings of mac and cheese, green beans, potato salad, and pinto beans. I AM A FATTY.
I actually preferred the food at this location over the Barton Springs location. The food we’ve had at the original location had a tendency to be over salted and dry, but the food we had here were all perfectly seasoned.
None of the house beers on tap that day were exceptional, but we did enjoy the Bitchin’ Camaro.
Besides enjoying our dinner and drinks, we especially enjoyed the fantastic view. UB’s deck is actually higher than the Oasis’ deck, which is impressive. If you are scared of heights, the top concert deck might not be the best place for you to enjoy your craft beer.
I will be taking plenty of out-​of-​towners here to enjoy the view and the craft beer!
P. S. That Oasis real estate development is out of control!

Killer deck and view of Lake Austin in all it’s glory, which it shares with it’s neighbor The Oasis.
My grilled chicken sandwich was tasty: hearty perfectly cooked breast meat, cheese, fresh avocado, lettuce, onions and tomatoes, on a wheat bun. A+. The onion rings however, needs an improved batter mix and a crispier coating. C-​.
The Bride of Zombie IPA did not disappoint.

I’ve gone to Oasis a number of times, and the food was OK. The view was beautiful.
I’ve been meaning to hit up the new restaurants next to Oasis, and I finally went to Uncle Billy’s tonight. We were immediately seated and had great service.
Bar-​B-​Q was great, and I loved the selection of beers. I got a pilsner, as well as the light and dark IPA’s.
The view is a little around the corner from Oasis and it was great. I tool a couple shots of the sun setting and then when it was down below the dam.
There weren’t any big games tonight, but it looks like a great spot to watch games, too.

This place is great. Awesome view and even though it is right next to Oasis you get a different view of Lake Travis. The place is very large and nice. The beers are great and our waiter was awesome.
The menu is slightly different from the Uncle Billy’s downtown and we were told something about not being able to serve Tex Mex as part of the agreement to be next to the Oasis This means their nachos aren’t called nachos and they are made with potato chips instead of corn. They were still very good.
I will be back often. I really like their beers and the food, throw in the great view and this place is perfect for me.

Just a note– THIS PLACE DOES NOT ALLOW DOGS!
Based on a previous reviews statement that she could bring her dogs, we took our girl. My guess is she accidentally reviewed the wrong location.
However, the location looks awesome, the doorguy was very nice and apologetic about them not accepting dogs.
Since we were headed to way south austin from our NW home, we decided to go ahead and check out the other location of Uncle Billy’s (which DOES allow dogs!)

Living and working North, I was excited to hear that Uncle Billy’s opened a second restaurant on Lake Travis. I stopped in for lunch today and must say I am pretty impressed. The restaurant is so open with large windows and opened doors, taking advantage of the great lake view. They are still working on the patio and 2^nd floor and it sounds like they have some great things in store. The second floor is going to have an area for bands to perform, a second bar, pool tables and a shuffle board. I LOVE shuffle board so I have a feeling I will frequent this new location.
The food menu is nearly the same but the bartender noted some minor differences that I do not recall (I think something about fried chicken or chicken fried steak?). They only serve their own beers on tap that they brew on site. As the south location, offer wine and bottled beer too. I had the coffee stout today and loved it.
I did not like the food I ordered for lunch today but it is definitely not their fault. I ordered food that I wouldn’t typically eat but I am sure I would have liked it if I stuck to my usual (veggie burger, jalapeño cheese sausage or salad).
Now if only they would bring the bloody Mary bar to this location (hint, hint).
I have some great memories of Uncle Billy’s south location from ACL festival to hitting up the bloody Mary bar during Honky Tonk Sundays. The North location is no replacement of the south location, the ambiance is a bit different from the South. But I plan to keep coming back and hopefully make some great memories at the North location too.