The Oasis Restaurant on Lake Travis

If you think central Texas just consists of buildings upon buildings in Austin and Dallas, you are wrong. There’s a beautiful lake, Lake Travis, that is nothing but views all around. It’s a place many families go for vacationing because it’s worth the trip. Lake Travis is even worthy enough where they built a lakeside restaurant and it is GORGEOUS. That, my friends, is the Oasis restaurant.

Where is it?

The Oasis restaurant is located on Lake Travis which is about a 30 minute drive (North West) from downtown Austin. If you’ve got your car or a rental, it’s definitely worth the drive. It’s a short enough drive to either spend a few hours at the restaurant and then come back or to spend the entire day on the lake before heading back. The location is pretty ideal.

How’s the parking?

Once you get there, you’ll find the parking easily. Plus, it’s free! There’s no need to worry about that part!

 

Are the views really that good?

Sometimes I see pictures and just assume that they’re overly edited. It is true that many travelers, including myself, may add filters to their pictures but let me tell you… Lake Travis is REALLY as gorgeous as every picture you see. When I was at the Oasis I kept telling myself that the pictures weren’t doing it justice. It will surprise you that central Texas can be that beautiful.

 

What about the food? Is it expensive?

First off, let me state… they have WHITE queso. I have an obsession with queso blanco so anytime a restaurant has some it automatically gets at least one star from me. So if you’re as much as a queso fan as me… they’ve got you covered.

Other than the queso, the Oasis’s food was pretty good. Me and my roommate both liked what we got (shown in the picture). My roommate even went back for lunch shortly after we went because he loved the food and view combination so much.

As for prices, it was normal priced for a sit down restaurant. You can check out the menu prices here.

BUTTTTT, I will give you this advice: skip the hurricane drinks unless you just want the cup as a souvenir. They’re $12 each and there’s a limit of 2 per person. Due to the limit, I assumed it was because it contained too much alcohol. This wasn’t the case. By the time I finished it I felt like I had just finished a milkshake instead. Turns out you get to the keep the cup… which is now why I think it costs so much and has a limit (because honestly they’re nice cups). So if you don’t want the cup… skip the drink! No worries though, keep reading for my tip on where to get some alcohol.  

 

What about drinking?

So like I said, skip the hurricane drinks. Actually… skip the drinks at the Oasis in general. The Oasis is made to eat but the Oasis Texas Brewing Company is made for drinking.

They have a variety of craft beers and ALL the beers are only $3 during happy hour (T-F 2-6PM). So you could eat lunch around 1-1:30 and then head up to the brewery for some drinks! Note: This was the happy hour deal whenever I visited. This can of course change at any time. 

You can check out their available beers here.

If you’re not into running around, Oasis Texas Brewing Company actually has it’s own menu of food also. I personally didn’t try any of their food but I have read that it’s pretty decent. If you try it out… let us know what you thought in the comments!

Oh… and I forgot to mention… the view at Oasis Texas Brewing Company is actually better than the view at the Oasis. This is because the Oasis Texas Brewing Company is located up another set of stairs off to the side of the restaurant. This gives you a higher view of the lake along with a view of the entire Oasis which looks pretty sweet in my opinion (check out the picture above)!

 

What’s up with all these locks?

This is just a fun thing I though I’d mention. They offer a cute opportunity to buy a lock (or possibly bring your own?) to lock on their railings. You then throw the key into a fountain there at the restaurant. It’s a nice footprint for yourself, especially if you end up going again!

 

What else is there to do in the area?

Lake Travis is amazing but it definitely isn’t the only thing worth seeing in the Austin area. Be sure to also check out the Hamilton Pool located in Dripping Springs, Texas. The Hamilton Pool is a pool preserve located 30 minutes away from the Oasis. It’s also a must see!

Not into nature? That’s fine. There’s also the Blanton Museum of Art located in Austin. They have fantastic art exhibits and is home to the famous “Austin” by Ellsworth Kelly and “Stacked Waters” by Teresita Fernandez.

 

 

Have you been to the Oasis restaurant on Lake Travis? Tell us about what you thought about it below!

 

Haven’t been to Texas yet? Looks like it’s time to Buy the Plane Ticket!