South Lamar is where a lot of Austin actually eats. Not the downtown strip built for visitors, not the chain row by the highway. The stretch of South Lamar Boulevard just south of the river is where locals go for Saturday brunch, a weekday happy hour, a birthday dinner, and a meal before the movie.
The center of that stretch is Lamar Union, at 1100 South Lamar. It is one block, it has the Alamo Drafthouse at one end, free garage parking underneath, and Zilker Park less than a mile away. If you are trying to figure out where to eat on South Lamar, this is the block to start with.
Here is how a local uses it.
Where the South Lamar restaurant stretch is
Lamar Union sits at 1100 South Lamar Boulevard in the 78704, just south of Lady Bird Lake and a short drive from downtown. The block has apartments above, the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, a courtyard, and a run of restaurants and bars at street level.
TLC Austin is in Suite 1150. Put 1100 S Lamar Blvd in your maps app and you will land in the right place. Once you are parked, everything on the block is on foot.
What to eat on South Lamar, by occasion
The honest answer to "where should I eat on South Lamar" depends on what the meal is for. Here is how it breaks down at TLC, the seafood spot on the block.
Weekend brunch
Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 3pm. Oysters on ice, a small seafood boil for the middle of the table, a Crab & Shrimp Scramble, Shrimp & Grits, and Texas-sized cocktails. It is brunch that goes beyond eggs and toast, and it is the busiest service of the week. Here is the case for a seafood brunch in South Austin, and the full brunch menu.
Happy hour
Monday through Friday, 2 to 6pm, at the bar and on the patio. $1 Gulf oysters, $1 off every draft, and $7 bites and sips. If you are looking for happy hour on South Lamar, this is the one built for people who want to eat. More on how to do happy hour in South Austin, or see the happy hour menu.
Dinner
Open daily until 10pm. The build-your-own seafood boil is the reason most people come the first time: pick the catch, pick the heat, pick the sauce, with Texas corn and red potatoes always in the pot. The oyster bar runs wild-caught Gulf oysters, raw or charbroiled. And the rest of the menu covers the people who did not come for seafood, from chicken fried ribeye to shrimp and grits.
Big groups and celebrations
The long community tables are built for groups, and the private events spaces handle 15 to 250 guests, from semi-private dinners to a full buyout. If you are planning a birthday, here is how to plan and book a birthday dinner in Austin. For work dinners and team outings, the large-group guide breaks it down by group size. And for December, see holiday party venues on South Lamar.
Gluten free
The kitchen runs 99% gluten free with a dedicated fryer, and the raw bar is naturally gluten free. If that is you, here is how to tell a safe kitchen from a "friendly" one.
Restaurants near the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar
Dinner and a movie is the most South Lamar plan there is, and at Lamar Union you do not have to move the car to do it.
Book a table for an hour and a half before your showtime. Get a dozen oysters and a boil for the table, or keep it light at the raw bar if you plan on ordering at your seat in the theater. Walk across the block to the Drafthouse. Afterward, the bar at TLC is open until 10, and the patio is right there if the night is still going.
If you are catching a weekday matinee, time it with happy hour: $1 oysters at 4pm, a 6pm show, done.
Where to park on South Lamar
This is the question everybody asks first. Parking is free in the Lamar Union garage. Enter off South Lamar. There is plenty of space on nights and weekends, and the elevator drops you about twenty feet from the TLC host stand.
A few other ways in:
- Rideshare: drop-off and pickup at the Lamar Union main entrance on the Lamar side.
- Transit and bikes: Capital Metro runs along South Lamar, and it is an easy bike ride from Zilker.
- Big groups: if you are hosting a large party, the events team can coordinate reserved garage parking. Ask when you book.
Two ways to spend a day on South Lamar
The daytime loop
Start at Zilker Park or Barton Springs Pool in the morning. Paddle, swim, walk the trail. Zilker is less than a mile from Lamar Union, so walk it, bike it, or drive over and park in the garage.
Get to South Lamar around noon. The dog-friendly patio has water bowls and shade, so the dog can come too. Order the boil for the table, or work through the raw bar. On weekends, that is brunch until 3pm.
After lunch, wander the courtyard or catch an afternoon show at the Drafthouse. You have had a full Austin day and moved the car once.
The evening loop
Slide into the bar at 4:30 on a weekday for happy hour. $1 Gulf oysters, a draft beer, no rush.
Dinner at 7, same table or out on the patio if the weather is right. The boil if you are settling in, the raw bar plus a couple of plates if you are keeping it light. Then walk across the block for a 9pm movie, or skip the movie and stay at the long table. It is that kind of room.
For groups of four or more on a Friday or Saturday, reserve on OpenTable. Smaller parties can usually find a seat at the bar.
For visitors
If you are staying downtown, South Lamar is a short rideshare across the river. The crowd on this block is mostly locals, which is the point: it is the closest a visitor gets to seeing how Austinites actually spend a weekend.
A few notes for a trip. The patio is dog friendly. Weekend brunch is busiest from noon to 1:30, so come before or after. Happy hour is a real value if you are watching the budget. And during ACL weekend, Lamar Union is walking distance from Zilker, so get there early. The patio fills up first.
Common questions
What are the best restaurants on South Lamar?
South Lamar is one of Austin's main local dining strips, and the Lamar Union block at 1100 South Lamar is a good place to start. TLC Austin is the seafood spot on the block, with a build-your-own seafood boil, an oyster bar, weekend brunch, weekday happy hour, and a dog-friendly patio.
What restaurants are near the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar?
TLC Austin is on the same Lamar Union block as the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, so dinner and a movie takes no driving. Book a table about ninety minutes before your showtime, then walk across the block.
Where do I park for restaurants at Lamar Union?
Parking is free in the Lamar Union garage, entered off South Lamar. There is plenty of space on nights and weekends, and the elevator drops you about twenty feet from the TLC host stand.
Is there happy hour on South Lamar?
Yes. TLC Austin runs happy hour Monday through Friday, 2 to 6pm, at the bar and on the patio: $1 Gulf oysters, $1 off all drafts, and $7 bites and sips.
How far is Lamar Union from Zilker Park?
Less than a mile. You can walk, bike, or take Capital Metro, which makes South Lamar the easy lunch after a morning at Zilker Park or Barton Springs Pool.
The block does not advertise itself the way Rainey Street or Sixth Street do. It does not need to. The people who eat here are the ones who already know.
Now you do too.
