Over the weekend, Nate and I had a chance to stop by Eastside Tavern on E Cesar Chavez for a bite. The restaurant is described as “modern and rustic,” but I would drop the rustic and just say that it’s modern and trendy!
Cade Mercer (who used to be at Lamberts BBQ Downtown) is the master of meats. The BBQ pit lives in the parking lot, so you’ll smell the smoky, tantalizing scent upon stepping out of your car. I sampled a half pound of the brisket and picked one (oh, but it was so hard to choose just one!) item off the appetizer list: Brisket + Cheddar Tater Tots.
Keeping up with its “modern” theme, Eastside Tavern focuses on cocktails in addition to draft beer, rather than going with the conventional “bbq and beer” feel that you’d expect from a typical smoky bbq joint. Some of the cocktails are on tap, like the Eastside Margarita: LUNAZUL TEQUILA, SOLERNO, FRESH LIME + AGAVE NECTAR. TOPPED WITH AN ANCHO REYES BIG RED FLOATER.
The desserts pair perfectly with their modern bbq concept: yummy and southern, with a little bit of a twist. I loved the “Smoked Banana Pudding.” It had just a little bit a of a smoky flavor for a different take on a classic southern dessert!
One of my favorite parts of this pretty restaurant is the rooftop patio! It’s a big, open space that overlooks the corner of E. Cesar Chavez and Comal Street. The high-top and picnic tables are spaced under the twinkly lights, and I can imagine bringing a group of girlfriends here for a fun Friday night of dinner + drinks!
It’s such a cute place! And that’s not something would typically say about a BBQ restaurant…haha. The east side of Austin just keeps getting better and better!
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What are you up to today, friends? I have the morning off of teaching, so I’m checking a few last minute things off my wedding to-do list, like nailing down a date for my hair and makeup trial. (Ha – I really should have done this about 3 months ago..oops!). It’s crazy to me that our wedding is less than 6 weeks away! It feels surreal, and I’m so, so, so excited to start married life together with Nate.
I have to say, in regards to wedding planning, I’m totally at the end of my rope. I keep thinking, “can we just have the wedding already?!” I’m pretty much over all the decision making that goes into all of this, so there’s a good chance I’ll just close my eyes and point to make all the tiny decisions that need to be made over the next 6 weeks! Just saying….
Anyway, that’s what’s up with my life! Thanks as always for stopping by to say hi!
Kelsey
Mmm Eastside Tavern looks so good! 🙂 Y’all seem to find all the good Austin places…. The east side really is booming with the coolest places right now. It seems like you have the right idea about wedding planning! While I loved planning ours, I was definitely ready to just get married by about a month out too. It’s such a special day – when else can you throw a giant party where all of your family and circles of friends are together?
So true! I keep thinking about what a unique time it is – we’ll most likely never have this same group of friends/family ALL together at the same time!