9 Best Spots for Fresh Seafood in Austin
While not quite beachfront property, the prominence of seafood in Austin's culinary culture is undeniable. From oysters to sushi, to nautical takes on famous Texan cuisine, Austin features some of the best fresh seafood joints Texas has to offer.
Salt Traders Coastal Cooking
Inspired by the coastal adventures of the team behind Jack Allen’s Kitchen, Salt Traders Coastal Cooking offers menu items featuring seafood from the Gulf, East Coast, and even the Bahamas. Seafood on the menu is sourced sustainably from high-quality providers along the American coast, with a special feature on fisheries in the Texan Gulf. Try a satisfying plate meal such as the Seared Scallops, accompanied by herbed potatoes, asparagus and cremini mushrooms, or sample from Salt Traders very own raw bar.
Salt Traders Coastal Cooking is located at 1101 South Mopac Expy in Austin. They are open seven days a week: Sunday through Thursday from 11 AM to 9 PM, and Friday through Saturday from 11 AM to 10 PM.
Phone: +1 737-484-0095
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Mongers
Austin’s Mongers bills itself as a neighborhood fish market and upscale seafood eatery rolled into one. Featuring a raw bar and kitchen as well as a public fish market, Mongers’ mission is to provide fresh, delicious seafood to the local community. Their menu has been described by Austin Food Magazine as being “…both striking and verdant…it is a celestial if ephemeral eating experience.”
Menu items include fare such as buttermilk-fried shrimp with celeriac remoulade and lemon, or blue crab cake topped with smoke tomato aioli and chervil. Happy hours are available Tuesdays through Fridays from 4 to 6 PM, with featured discounts on items such as fried clam strips, crispy lochart quail and ahi poke tacos.
Reservations can be made for parties of up to 6. While walk-ins are welcome when possible, reservations are encouraged. Mongers is located at 4119 Guadalupe Street in Austin, with both dine-in and curbside options available. Hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 11:30 AM to 9:30 PM, and Friday through Saturday from 11:30 AM to 10 PM.
Phone: +1 512-215-8972
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Quality Seafood Market
Quality Seafood Market is Austin’s one-stop shop for local Gulf seafood, as well as retail fish and an oyster bar. An Austin staple since 1938, Quality Seafood began as a tiny stall in Starr’s Fruit and Vegetable Market, located near the state Capitol. In the decades since, it has evolved into an establishment where families can gather to enjoy fresh, healthy seafood caught as locally as the Texan Gulf, and as far away as the waters of Alaska. Ingredients are purchased from private, sustainable fishmongers, many of whom are qualified professional chefs.
Quality Seafood Market is located at 5621 Airport Blvd in Austin and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:30 AM to 8 PM.
Phone: +1 512-454-5827
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Pappadeux Seafood Kitchen
Pappadeux was founded in 1897 by H.D. Pappas, an immigrant from Greece who journeyed to America to follow his culinary passion. Today, Pappadeux Seafood Kitchen is one of America’s largest family-owned and operated restaurant companies, and two locations are available in the city of Austin. Menu items at Austin’s locations feature classics such as crab and spinach dip, “Louisana style” gumbo, blackened catfish and shrimp etouffee. Special, gluten-free menu items are also available.
Pappadeux is located at 6319 North Interstate Highway 35 in Austin, and dine-in/curbside options are available. The dining room is open daily: Monday through Thursday from 11 AM to 9 PM, Friday and Saturday from 11 AM to 10 PM, and Sundays from 10 AM to 9 PM.
Phone: +1 512-452-9363
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Garbo's
Garbos prides itself on a focus of New England Cuisine, with an added twist of Austin culture. Family-owned and operated by sisters Sam, Hannah and Heidi, Garbo’s draws inspiration from the cozy, authentic lobster shacks of the American east coast where the family grew up. Specials such as the Hatch Chile Lobster Roll and Shrimp & Corn Chowder bring the fresh flavors of New England to the land-locked city of Austin, where Garbo’s has sold more than 50,000 lobster rolls since its opening in 2015.
Garbo's is located at 12709 North Mopac Expy in Austin and is open Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 AM to 9 PM, and Thursdays through Fridays from 11 AM to 10 PM. Closed Sundays.
Phone: +1 512-350-9814
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Catfish Parlor South
Catfish Parlour South is a locally-owned seafood bar and grill, family-operated since 1974. The Parlour specializes in hushpuppies, catfish, jumbo shrimp, oysters and more. The venue's fully-stocked bar offers locally crafted spirits, wines and beers, and dishes are crafted with fresh, never-frozen seafood caught from the Gulf of Mexico. Menu items include seafood classics such as fried catfish, popcorn shrimp, fried oysters and grilled salmon. All entrees include homemade hush puppies and a choice of three sides, with options such as mashed potatoes, vinaigrette coleslaw and black-eyed peas.
Catfish Parlour operates locations in Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays and Travis counties. Their Austin venue is located at 4705 East Ben White Blvd and is open Monday through Thursday 11 AM to 8 PM, and Friday through Saturday 11 AM to 9 PM. Closed Sundays.
Phone: +1 512-443-1698
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Uchi
Those looking for fresh, unique sushi offerings need search no further than Uchi: spearheaded by award-winning Chef Tyson Cole. Named after the Japanese word for "House", Uchi welcomes guests with mouthwatering dishes such as machi cure with smoked yellowtail, yucca crisp and marcona almond. Sushi offerings include unagi (freshwater eel), sake toro with salmon belly, and akami with tuna loin.
Uchi is located at 801 South Lamar Blvd in Austin and is open seven days a week: 11 AM to 9 PM.
Phone: +1 512-916-4808
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Clark's Oyster Bar
Clark's Oyster Bar is a bright, upscale seafood restaurant offering an open kitchen, marble-topped counters and indoor/outdoor seating space. Specialized menus are available for lunch, brunch, dinner and dessert, with items such as Bibb and Watercress Salad, Crispy Skin Texas Gulf Striped Bass, Puffer Petites and Key Lime Pie.
Clark's also features a happy hour, Monday through Friday from 3-5 PM, featuring half-off prices on burgers as well as fifty cents off oysters. The restaurant is located at 1200 West 6th Street in Austin and is open daily from 11 AM to 10 PM.
Phone: +1 512-297-2525
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Truluck's Ocean's Finest Seafood and Crab
Situated in Austin’s bustling Warehouse District, Truluck’s Austin Downtown is an upscale seafood establishment within easy walking distance of the convention centre and State Capitol Building.
Truluck’s is the winner of the 2020 Traveler’s Choice Award by Tripadvisor, serving fresh seafood in a fine-dining atmosphere. Dishes are prepared using exclusively high-quality, sustainable seafood caught within Ocean Conservancy guidelines. Diners will find the origins of all seafood printed right on the menu. Truluck’s has employed its own personal crabbers for three generations, procuring their Florida Stone Crab in ethical and responsible ways. Menu items include offerings such as Crab Louie Cocktail, miso-glazed seabass and New England pan-seared scallops.
Truluck’s Ocean’s Finest Seafood and Crab is located at 300 Colorado Street in Austin. Dine-in and curbside pickup options are available, and reservations are required. An upscale dress code is enforced at Truluck’s: casual attire such as beachwear, gym or athletic apparel is not permitted. Truluck’s is open daily, 4:30-9 PM Sunday through Thursday, and 4:30-10 PM Friday and Saturday.
Phone: +1 512-482-9000
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What's your favorite go-to seafood dish? Let us know in the comments!
