Doc’s Backyard

I have been here several more times since this last review. This place has definitely grown on me. The service is hit or miss. The food for the most part has been good. I love the Hybrids (drink). It’s a great place to sit outside and relax.

We have been going to Doc’s for years. We used to live behind the original one off Congress. This holiday season when we were shopping and went to this location twice. I usually get the fried avocado. For some reason this time it wasn’t as good as I remember. The second time I got the ½ order of Fajita Chicken Nachos. The nachos were three large chips with beans, cheese and chicken on them for $ 8.99. I think it is a bit high for what it was. It only cost $ 5 for happy hour which is a better price. My husband got a burger once and a Lone Star sandwich another time. This location has a nice patio area. The staff is always friendly at Doc’s. A ton of TVs to watch your game. I do think the food has dipped a bit in quality. If the quality does improve it will get the last star.

I’m not sure if they hired more people or provided more training but I’ve now had excellent service, three visits in a row. It’s nice to have a basic neighborhood bar that I can count on.

The only thing that makes this place okay, is the city playground close by so crazy kiddos can wear themselves out. We came here visiting from Dallas looking for a nice kid friendly lunch, what we got instead was soggy, low quality food most comparable to the freezer section Chilis cuisine you find at your local supermarket. Not to mention the miserable zombiesqe waiters who looked sleepy and angry, I mean it makes sense they were probably digesting the aweful food they serve there. Don’t make my mistake, save your Benjamins and eat somewhere where the food is delicious and served with a smile!

1. Sat for 45 minutes (and it’s not overly busy) with nobody coming to ask us what we’d like. So we are patient, go get beers from the bar and sit back down to wait. Finally at 1 hour the waitress comes over and does her little intro and proceeds to tell us «this is my section and they’d prefer if you order drinks from the server instead of the bar.» Well-​we would have loved to if you would have came!
2. Lots of kids, which kind of sucks if you’re looking for a night out.
Pro– the band

I actually just left this restaurant and I’m not exactly sure what the hell was going on but my roommate and I were treated like f*cking lepers. The server never told us their name, didn’t ask us if we were ready to order, no drink refills and at one point I literally raised my hand as if I were in a classroom to get someones attention. I watched people come in, order, pay AND LEAVE before I even got a chance to order. I was really hoping to like this place because apparently on Sundays they have build your own Bloody Mary’s but since I was made to feel persona non grata, I don’t think I will be returning. I will give them the 2 stars at least because the have a pretty bitchin drink menu.

Decent sports bar

Got some wings during happy hour. They were ok, not the best. The outdoor seating and playground were awesome. My 3 years old daughter loved it. Wish there weren’t people smoking around us though. We will return again for drinks.

PACKED! We came in on a Friday around 6 p.m. When we opened the door it was as loud as a live concert, so we asked to be seated outside. Much more pleasant out there, besides the smokers they allow to smoke right by the tables people sit at to eat. There’s a little playground for the kids to play at as well. I had their wings which were on HH untiol 7. 5 for 5 bucks. They were «dryer» than I like my wings, but my girlfriend said they were some of the better wings she’s had. They only offer one flavor and it’s buffalo sauce, meh. I had their Blackened Jalapeño Cheddar Burger w/​fries The burger was more than enough to fill me up! I ordered it medium rare with all the toppings. It was good, but not the best I’ve had. I told my girlfriend I felt it could have had more a sweet ingredient in it to balance out the spice. None the less, I finished it all and I felt satisfied. Our waitress was friendly enough. She did take a while to come check back in on us while were were eating and I desperately needed napkins. They have a full bar and it seems like a good spot to bring a bunch of friends. The outside seating area is good for family. Parking is kind of a pain. With all of the other venues. there weren’t a lot of available spots.

When did this place become Kids-​Zone Central?!?
Geez louise… don’t get me wrong, kids can be great but enjoying a cold beer and trying to watch the game with 6 – 15 children screaming and/​or yelling in the background doesn’t exactly make my Happy Hour … «Happy» anymore! Especially when a young man possibly 8 years old walks up and asks if he could have a handful of French fries…(ballsy, i’ll definitely give him that!!) Who’s kid is this?!? LOL
Another –1 Star is when other fellow patrons (parents most likely) asking others not to smoke while on the patio or not talk/​cuss loudly while their kids are around. But hey, I get it… I’m not completely oblivious to children picking up words like a little sponges… but again, you’re in a Bar. Yes, I know it serves good food, lots of alcohol, and has a giant playground outside — call me crazy, but is this place sending Mixed Signals here? IDK
For the parents out there with young children that like to play on a playground this may be your New Place!
But for the rest of the world, that either have older kids or no kids or don’t take their kids to bars… MEHH perhaps this isn’t your scene. I know I’ve definitely lost interest.
Service & Food quality: Always Great and Friendly!

The food is not great [I’ve had their burgers, tacos, fish & chips]. It’s not bad just not great.
But yet I’m giving it 4 stars anyway because it is my favorite place to enjoy a beer with a great atmosphere. Lots of tvs for the games, tons of beer on tap. Local stuff and big brewery stuff. It’s hard to not find a beer on tap that you will like.
And if the weather is nice you can walk outside and enjoy yourself in the patio area.

Cheese fries were amazing! They give you a huge portion. It’s loaded with queso, shredded cheese, bacon, and sour cream. We ordered two plates and it was more than enough for four people.
Buffalo sauce on the wings was average. Nobody at our table had a burger, but the people around us did and they looked great! Definitely getting one next time.

Playground is the best, my kids favorite. Food is alright, live music sometimes, small beer selection

The food is pretty rough, but the outdoor environment is great. Wait staff lacks personality and will make you wait forever for service. However, if you’ve got a decent sized group (not less than 4) and feel like sitting outside it’s perfect. If your group is smaller, you’ll get ignored.
Good place for getting together with friends, just eat at home.

Good cider choices. Food was mediocre and kind of overpriced. Still, the backyard and playground are where it’s at. This is a good place to get together with people with kids who are old enough to hang on the playground without their parents. Now that Freddie’s is closed, i think we’ll be here more often for kiddie time.
NOTE — Dogs are not allowed on the patio, which I thought was an Austin ordinance? Maybe it’s actually in Sunset Valley or something. Anyway, not a true substitute for Freddie’s.

I am Deaf myself, and we went by to this place to watch some college basketball few weeks ago. The manager REFUSED to turn on closed captions on the TV? I am not asking for all TVs to have CC, but just one?
BUT they called one of my friends and apologized to him and said that it will not happen again. I will probably come back and check it out one more time.

This place gets five stars for the playground alone. My kiddos had a great time playing and I had a great time enjoying the sunshine and an ice cold Shiner.
The playground is actually REALLY nice. Good times were had by all.
The food is decent. It is bar food. We enjoyed the cheese fries. The beer menu is impressive. The servers were friendly.
We will definitely be back :)

Food is mostly fried and edible at best. Wait staff usually unfriendly and doing you a favor by being there. Nail in coffin is there are no dogs allowed but kids everywhere. Many other places in Austin to get fried food and better service with mans best friend.
Won’t be back until dogs are allowed back!

I’ve been here a couple of times and enjoyed it every time. Bar feel with great IPA choices, try the 512 IPA.
I usually get the wings, but my friend gets the fish and chips and thought it was great.
Overall a cool, casual American food, beer lovers hangout.

It took me a while to figure out that Doc’s was hidden inside this shopping plaza. I knew about the PetSmart, and I love Tarka next door, but Doc’s was a pleasant surprise. The inside is fairly large for the area, and there are lots of long tables for big groups. The outdoor patio at this Doc’s is much nicer than the patio at its brother (sister?) restaurant on SoCo. There’s even a pretty sweet fire pit.
I’m always a little torn about Doc’s Happy Hour deals, though. The pie pan nachos are awesome, but many of the other options are not as good. I guess it’s all personal preference.
⁴⁄₅.