Paradise Cafe

While I have rated this establishment 1 star, it should be noted that the quality of the food is significantly better than one would find at MacDonalds.

Not really anything special about this place. It’s usually fairly empty but they have really great bartenders. The drinks are strong and reasonably priced. One of the only clear bright sides to Paradise is the upstairs balcony over looking 6^th. Its a great spot to «people watch» from.

really bad food. came with a party of 9 and nobody liked their meal.
had THE Sandwich — breakfast sandwich of ham, cheese, fried egg on sourdough. it was pathetic looking and ok tasting. maybe if it cost $ 3 instead of $ 8 i’d feel better about it.

Stopped in here for a couple of drinks (my blended piña colada was the best I’ve EVER had), and enjoyed excellent service. It was a little loud (there was a decent jazz band playing pretty early in the evening), but in a good way. I peeked at their balcony upstairs and it looked like there were quite a few tables and some couches outside.

This place is so far from what I think of when I hear the word «Paradise.»
My friend and I went to Paradise during SXSW for lunch. The restaurant was empty around 1pm on the convention’s opening day… we got excited by this prospect because we wanted to eat outside and they had a few tables on their balcony free. Well, once we got upstairs, our excitement about being at Paradise was quickly reduced to disappointment.
Of the three servers upstairs, none of them cleared or wiped down our table after they had us sit at a dirty table. Very odd. It took far too long for our drinks to come out. And my friend’s lunch salad entrée literally was a dinner side salad (literally, that was how it was listed on our bill), so incredibly small that it was non-​existent. I will admit my French Dip was very good, though it looked quite unappetizing. Also, we had to ask for silverware… none was brought to us even after our food was served.
Very poor service. Very disappointing experience overall.

Very very fast and good late late night food.

Well, I think it’s safe to say that not much has changed (some, but not much) in the past several years: it’s a spartan but functional setup, and you’re at least semi-​likely to catch a haphazard blues act or the like warbling away in the corner as you lean your ice cold brew just so.
Paradise lives up to its 6^th street locale, and by and large with a few notable exceptions that means that what you may find may be at best fine, not much more, and at least Paradise has it’s head screwed on pretty straight regarding what it purports to be: namely, a beer-​forward bar with a salt-​shakers worth of live music and lots of proximity to whatever may be happening on the streets outside. And if you drop by during the day, you can also see your way through to a hot meal while you’re at it. And that’s something, especially as the fall and winter winds occasionally make their way through downtown.

The service was horrible — I was surprised to see that many people there. Good curly fries, especially with the cajun seasoning, but the portions were really small. I was there to see a Harry Potter comedy show, which was awesome. But I won’t go back here unless another friend has a show there.

I’m surprised by the low rating but can see where some of the comments came from. This is not the most exciting place to eat and drink but it does provide a calm and little more upmarket oasis from the madness of 6^th St.
I must have struck lucky on my visit because I have nothing but good to say about Molly who was on duty behind the bar that night. Friendly welcome, great, attentive service and, most importantly to me, a killer recommendation on what to have in my Garden Burger.
The locals were friendly (hi Ken), the music was cool and relaxing, the service charming (thanks Molly) and it served decent enough food at a OK price.
From now on that version of burger with blue cheese, fresh chilis and hot sauce, among other lovely things, should be called a Molly Burger. Try it, it’s delish!

In Austin for work for a few days, I roamed out of my hotel on a rainy night last week, looking for a beer and a decent dinner. And that’s exactly what I found here. A nice chicken sandwich and a pint, a friendly, competent bartender, a relaxed vibe. Unlike most of the places on 6^th Street, I’d go back.

I haven’t eaten here before but I was upstairs at the bar. It was pretty dead and boring. Didn’t enjoy myself too much.

Don’t eat here. Just trust me on this one. I went here for lunch with a friend while we were at SXSW Interactive. We skipped the keynote speaker and had about an hour and a half before our next panel. That should have been plenty of time, right? Wrong! It took over an hour to get our food after we placed our order. Granted, the server warned us it was about a 25 minute wait for food, but 25 minutes is a lot different than 70 minutes. Then to top it off, our entire order was messed up and the food wasn’t even that good. We ended up getting the meal for free, but I still wouldn’t eat here again.

This is an A-​OK place. The downstairs seems really boring and not that poppin… but upstairs has a great balcony view to watch all the drunks running around on 6^th. I think upstairs is just fun if there is some type of party hosted up there. The drinks are okay. The long island tasted really tangy than the other long islands that I have drank on 6^th. Overall, like I said… it is an A-​OK place!

Got a call from the organizer, Leo Welder, after the event… I was thinking he would offer an apology for not delivering what was promised and maybe offer to fix the situation.
I was dead wrong.
Lot’s of f bombs and hateful, hateful things were said. — I was astonished but the best parts came via email and I think it’s important to know what folks are dealing with at Paradise. The organizer wanted me to know that Paradise and Third Base and all of the bars on West sixth are linked… And since I had the gall to suggest they botched this party, I’m being blacklisted from all of them (I guess???).
Here are a few clips from the organizers emails:
[snip1]
If I never see you again, it will be too soon. Please … don’t ever attend anything that I’m at. If I see you, I will speak to whoever is hosting the event and do my best to get you thrown the f%$k out.
[end snip1]
[snip2]
«I forgot to mention, the guys how own Paradise also own all the Third Bases and are friends with the guys who own all of the bars on West 6^th street. I probably can’t get you locked out (only because it would be too difficult to make sure the door guys don’t let you in), but if you ever need a favor or have any issues, everyone will know who you are and you will get nothing.»
[end snip2]
I’m not kidding folks, I can’t make this stuff up. I’m wide open to hearing from the owner of paradise if this guy is out of line and doesn’t speak for them. — So far, haven’t heard anything.
In the meantime, I’m happy to stick with Donn’s and the Mean Eyed cat. I’m so bummed I’m not welcome at the Ranch anymore! — Damn!

grabbed a bite to eat on 6^th street. great location since it’s in the middle of everything.
good service, café-​life food, fairly good variety of dishes.
had meatloaf with steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes. meatloaf was tasty with a bbq-​like sauce on top.
totally recommend this chill place to eat.

After seeing previous bad reviews I thought I could lighten up the atmosphere due to many wonderful experiences.
My friends and I enjoy Paradise for a couple of reasons.
1) Amidst all the loud and abnoxious 6^th street crazyness, there is a cozy and rather quiet place called Paradise.
2) They have really delicious drinks, and the service there has always been pleasant.
Might I suggest a house-​made Long Island Ice Tea for only 3 bucks?! Yes… it is house made and yes… it is only 3 dollars! House made means real liquor (not that pre-​mixed crap all over 6^th) and house squeezed and mixed sweet ‘n sour made with real lemons. It took us a while, and a question to our amazing bartender, but she told us how they make their own mixes. At first we thought it was bread or old sweet ‘n sour mix, but after tasting and inquiring, we discovered the grand truth!
A lazy Saturday afternoon in the newly renovated upstairs bar is just what the doctor ordered! We will be back for sure!

This place drives me nuts. I’ve had both good and bad both experiences, but mostly it’s been mediocre.
The things I like: The Magic Shot. Seeing Leslie come by and bus tables or smoke outside.
The things I don’t like: The inconsistent service. The food.
During the weekends, the sixth street crowd can settle in, which is sort of annoying for a local. During the day, it’s slow. I went once for lunch and we were the only ones there. We asked for flavored frozen margaritas and the waiter actually suggested against it, saying it would taste better if we got the regular margarita. So we did. Nothing special. We ordered water with our drinks and he failed to bring it. We ordered food and when he brought it out we asked for our water. He didn’t come back. We look over to him, and he’s standing by the bar drinking water. At that point, I get up and ask the bartender for some water. She then asks him to bring us some, and another two or three minutes goes by until we get it.
So, I would really only recommend it for stopping in for a Magic Shot while you are bar hopping.

I liked Paradise sooo much, I went back again the same day.
Lunch (a comfort-​filled open-​faced roast beef sandwich with garlic mashed potatoes) was quick, friendly and yummy. Regulars are thankful that the place was purchased just to save it as is. The joint was hopping that night and the harried (but kind-​hearted) waitstaff took care of us like a doting grandma.

Jefe, I feel badly about dissing on your neighborhood bar, but I’m going to anyway. Sorry, man.
It’s probably my own damn fault for deciding to get food from a bar on 6^th Street in broad daylight. But this place seemed really creepy to me. The place was a ghost town when I walked in around 11:45 on a Monday. I was literally the only customer in there. I ordered a garden burger to go from the bartender. Then I thought I’d grab a seat on the couch by the door and wait. But after I sat down, I noticed that the couch was FILTHY. I don’t mean just kind of dingy, it was FILTHY.
Now, I’ve lived in some craptastic places in my life, including a 100-​person co-​op and a 7-​bedroom house with all men except me. I’ve worked in a bar that served $ 1 pitchers of beer. So let’s just say my tolerance for nasty surroundings is pretty high. But this was absolutely disgusting. If I had seen this couch sitting for free on the side of the road at a time in my life when I had no money at all, I would not have picked it up. One of the arms was so black that I couldn’t see the pattern underneath. I seriously wondered whether it was mildewed over from the ghosts of beers past that had been set there.
Anyway, I get my garden burger and rush my ass outta there. And honestly, the garden burger wasn’t bad. I’ve had worse. The fruit that was served with it was a little sad, though — a very withered looking orange smile, a very light slice of watermelon, and a not-​so-​ripe looking slice of cantaloupe.
Oh, did I mention this meal cost me almost $ 9 before gratuity?
This sure as hell ain’t MY paradise.
——
EDIT, 11÷13÷07: OK, so the manager of this place just called me… to tell me I’d left behind my beloved leather portfolio (in my haste to get up off that couch, no doubt). Of course, I thought he was calling about my review, so I acted all guilty! Anyway, I think I’m going to have to add a star because I’m so grateful that he took the time to figure out whose it was and call me to let me know it was there. Good management counts for something, even if your furniture belongs in the dumpster.

Paradise Café is an average eatery smack dab in the middle of everything. Located on the 50 Yard Line of the 6^th Street Entertainment District (6^th and Trinity), Paradise is a quick and easy stop for a bite to eat before heading out to tear up the town.
Overall the food is fairly average, I have had just about everything on the menu and nothing truly stands out as «amazing» but everything is certainly «decent» and edible. The drinks here are poured well by a friendly bar staff, who also doubles as your waiter at times.
The décor is a little strange but you can quickly get over that after a drink or two. I am not at all sure what this place is like late at night but I do know that during dinner hours this is a decent place to grab a bite. If you don’t mind waiting for a table I would suggest Iron Cactus, but if you don’t want to wait head across the street to Paradise.