Let me just start off with the fact that my most vivid recollection of yesterday's dinner at Nutty Brown was SLOW SERVICE.  Our waitress had an attitude, did not smile once.  After she brought our drinks and took our food order, she never came back to the table once until she brought out the food.  In fact, I barely saw her in the room checking on the other tables either.  Food took awhile.....This was a Sunday evening so it was not as busy as  I've seen it before.  In fact the family at the table next to us was so frustrated that they decided to get up and leave the restaurant instead of continuing to wait for their meal (and dealing with the waitress).   Yep, it was that awkward.
On a good note, our food was good. Â We both had fried chicken dishes. Â We might be back for the food. Â But if the service is just as bad, we probably won't be returning at all.
I think the Nut is one of the best places around for a good chicken fried steak. Peppery with gravy, just the right amount of crust. The sides are good too, especially the jalapeño hushpuppies.
Also worth mentioning is their Sunday brunch. I was stunned at the selection and variety, not to mention exceptional price. For about $12 it is all you can eat (and frankly beats the much higher priced Jack Allen's). I also love the casual feeling of the brunch... you can sit outside and let the kiddos run all over the place without creating mayhem for other diners.
Finally, a thumbs up for the fact that drinks are served in reusable cups (plus lids if you ask). Our kitchen cabinet is full of this "fine china".
My only knock so far is that the dining room can get LOUD, especially if you're seated next to a table of drunk ladies. Definitely don't go here expecting intimate, romantic dining. Also strange is the restroom situation - you have to go outside to a very dirty "rest stop like" facility. My advice is to hold it if you can.
Went to a fund-raising benefit today and of course the venue was fantastic for live music, socializing, adult beverages and just a great time. Â However, being the somewhat self-proclaimed chicken fried steak snob that I am, please stay away from this menu choice!!! Â It was actually a steak, dipped in batter and deep fried. Â When the breading was peeled away, it stuck out at least a good inch beyond the meat, all the way around. Â
The biggest problem was the meat itself. Â It wasn't a classic chicken fried steak. Â Chicken fried steak is to be pounded, hammered flat, tenderized and ends up thin and light (how light can deep fried meat be, but anyway). Â Love Nutty Brown, just don't order the chicken fried steak. Â Still searching for the perfect one, I know it's out there!!
Food was pretty good. Everything else about Nutty Brown was awful.
Terrible service. Terrible prices. Terrible location. Terrible seating. Terrible air conditioning. Terrible atmosphere.
Don't bother. This place may have been good at some point, but is now thoroughly mediocre.
If you want a burger, go to their other restaurant, Big Daddy's. That has bad service and it's louder, but, everything else about it is better.
Nutty Brown is a staple on many people's lists when they are looking for a unique experience when they visit Austin for the first time. I've been living here for almost 2 years now and this is my first nutty experience!
The outdoor area is fantastic (aside from all of the squirrels running around - they will literally eat right out of your hand - minus the rabies if you are careful...); it is quite large and there are several areas for on-the-spot bar setups. The food menu looks pretty decent as well. There is an area for dancing and a stage for bands. They host many events here, including weddings.
It is off the beaten Austin path though and is located about 25 minutes from downtown Austin.
Our server was a little slow, though we didn't mind because we were only having drinks until my car got fixed. It was a pleasant experience and I will definately be back to try the food and listen to some good music.
I had a lot of fun. Â Nice huge place with lots to do. Â Well at least that's what I observed. Â People were constantly going in and out of the inside restaurant part doing who knows what. Â They were making me sea sick. Â What happened to people actually sitting down, eating their meal and then getting up to go do something else? Â Plenty of tables out side with the stage. Â I just loved the caged parrot outside. Â He was so funny. Â We talked for a bit. Â Lol. Â The food was so good. Â The staff was friendly and outgoing. Â Nice band playing. I will return.
Review Source:Meh is my best descirption for this place. Â Service was meh, the food was meh, the drinks were meh, Â and the back deck on a Saturday was meh+
It's in the  middle of nowhere, I get that, but you can try a bit harder than that Nutty Brown.
This is a one and done place for me. Â Thanks though.
My 2 pennies
Gravy. I was in the mood for something covered in gravy. Nutty Brown is close to the BF's house, so we picked that. I had the chicken strips, mashed potatoes, and salad. The chicken was very hot and yummy, but the star on the plate was the mashed potatoes. They were creamy and buttery, but a bit lumpy. I like a few lumps and skins in my mashers, it gives it texture. They hit the spot. The gravy was nicely peppered and there was lots of it. The salad was fresh although it had my nemesis, iceberg in it. Still, crispy and adequate.
Date had chicken fried steak. It was huge. I did not taste it, cuz I don't eat cow. I took his word it was good. The breading looked like it was cooked "just right".
Waitress was friendly and efficient. Portions were huge, had leftovers. Prices were not unreasonable. I am looking forward to going back and checking out the music venue this spring.
We were out exploring the Texas Hill Country and wanted to stop off for lunch. Found this place on Yelp as it had the best vegetarian selection in the area. Since it was a lovely day we chose to sit outside and were pleasantly surprised to find a huge deck out back with lots of shade under the trees. We didn't realize this place held concerts but there was a large stage out back. The server was knowledgable about their craft beer selection. I had the Lobos lager and hubby had the Thirsty Goat Amber. Both were good. We ordered the Veggie Burger and Vegetarian Enchiladas. Both were really tasty!! This place was a great find!
Review Source:Good Music. Check.
Good Food. Check. (Gotta have me some Nutty Queso!)
Great Time. Check.
Awesome T-shirts. Check.
Tasty Drinks. Check.
Oh my goodness, do I miss living near this venue! But I do love driving there and visiting.
Best place in South Austin/Dripping Springs!!!
All in all: Recommend.
I enjoy myself every time I go here; regardless if it's a paid or a free show. I saw Eric Johnson here and it was fantastic, also caught Jason Boland as a part of the Texas Music series. It's worth the drive out here to catch a free show under the live oaks.
Good acoustics everywhere, although I typically stay close to the stage. There is some seating if you get there early, or pay for it (reserved tables), and as I understand, you can also bring it in.
I have never eaten here, I typical opt for food beforehand (perhaps at Salt Lick or Jack Allen's). I have snagged a beer from time to time (and the last time I was there, a shot of Fireball Whiskey - it really does taste JUST LIKE an Atomic Fireball) and I never remember feeling totally raped over pricing.
They score points for having enough restrooms to accommodate the ladies, don't think I've ever waited for than a couple minutes.
Plenty of parking, just make sure your car is dirt/rock road friendly.
Is it the best music venue in Austin? Maybe not, but it has delivered 5 stars for me.
I had been wanting to try this place for some time. Â As my daughter's volleyball tournament was right down the street, we finally got the opportunity.
We got to Nutty Brown during an off hour (4:00P.M.), so that may have had an impact on results. Â With 4 in the group, we had orders for 2 chicken fried steaks, 1 chicken strip, & 1 Kevin Fowler frito pie. Â It turned out that the frito pie was the big hit. Â The other meals seemed to be lacking something.
Service was outstanding. Â Also 1 of our group forgot their iphone when we left. Â The staff gave it to the manager, so we were able to pick it up when we returned. Â We want to give the manager a great big THANK YOU.
We will return to give this place another chance to move their rating from 3 to 4 or 5.
We went here for the Sunday Brunch and they had the usual items listed below on a previous viewers post. Â The food was good and tasty. Â The atmosphere is great where I never sat inside always outside under the huge oak trees. It is definitely a family friendly place where there is a big sandpit for the kids to play in and a macaw for the kids to view. A huge stage is also located in the back. Service is always excellent. Free wifi but never tried it. This is truly an iconic place and worth visiting for a meal or show.
One unusual thing about this place is that they have Listerine in the men's restroom for use.
Had I known that female country music fans were were this much fun to look at, I would have jumped on the country music band wagon YEARS ago!!!
I've once stated that female country music fans come in 3 distinct flavors. (Feel free to reference my Graham Central Station review for the breakdown) The same applies here at Nutty Brown, but with a slant toward the better end of the spectrum.
I can only speak to the outdoor venue, as I came here for a few shows. It's a surprisingly small venue, but even as crowded as it was, I never felt crowded. You know what I mean? Parking is free and plentiful. The sound is great. There are plenty of porta potties and beer lines never seemed to be excessive. Sure, you're going to take a second mortgage to pay for drinks, but it's a concert. I kind of expect that.
Granted, the drive from my North Austin 'hood can be a bit daunting, but the trade off is a great venue and a great time. I look forward to more shows here.
...now if you'll excuse me, I'm going shopping for some cowboy boots...
This review is 100% geared towards the sound system/man who ran the show last Saturday night. Â Let me also clarify that the band was great - but where we (and many others) were sitting in the table area, you could hardly hear a thing. Â I've read that they're having neighbor problems but ya shouldn't be charging folks $20 a ticket and have a PA set up like it's a club gig. Twice the main speakers went out and it was just overall poor quality. Â We had people at 3 tables next to us just get up and leave half way through the show. Â
It's a cool venue and both service and food were real good.  I'm just hoping it was just a bad night or a "sub" sound  guy that created the mess!
Atmosphere and Cleanliness : Well it's the Nutty Brown...what else is there to say...Its an Icon..
Service: WoW...the hostess needs a happy pill or something, seamed cheery with the other employees...As for our other waitress SERVER 291...She did great...Acknowledged us while headed to another table...This is a PLUS..
Food: Â Apps were Queso, Chips and Salsa...Frown on the charge for chips and Salsa but with as large of a venue they have??. Â .Either way it was good...Fresh Chips, Salsa and the Queso was packed with flavor...stayed creamy till the end...And this is HUGE with us...We both had the Chicken Fried Steak...NICE...Top Quality Black Angus...You can taste the quality...great peppery bite...Wife had the Ceasar Salad...Been awhile...Crisp and Tasty...and Queso Home Fries...Hot and loaded with cheese...For me, Jalapeno Hush Puppies....Little Dark, but DELISH, better with gravy...AND the wife is now a fan of hush puppies....and the Jalapeno Cream Corn...SAD for me, it was canned corn...great flavor...
Worth the Adventure: We were glad to add this to the list...The music venue looks awesome...And away WE go....
This was the second time to have Sunday brunch here and it was very good. Â It was definitely better the first time- simply because the buffet had tastier items. Â We went at 12:30pm and it wasn't very busy- which was nice. Â We sat inside this time and service was great and everyone was friendly- and a very important part... nice and comfortable AC. Â The first time I went- March 2012, we sat outside and listened to a jazz band that was at a perfect sound level for enjoying conversation and music. Â Brunch buffet was great and so was the service. Â They have quite a large patio area outside which is partly covered by trees. Â Parking is easy- they have more than one lot to accommodate everyone- including motorcycles.
Buffet items this time-
migas
mexican breakfast casserole
bacon and sausage
green beans
mushrooms
biscuits and gravy
pork loin in a cream sauce
brisket
waffle dogs
turkey wraps
hash browns
salmon with wild rice
veggie quiche
chicken penne in a tomato basil sauce
fruit
bagels
peach pecan cobbler
and made to order omelets and belgian waffles
"We don't have to go anywhere, we don't have to try something new," oh-oh-but you DO and you SHOULD! If you're an avid fan of live country music by some of the hottest, upcoming and greats in the country music industry, you're certain to enjoy Nutty Brown Café and Amphitheater. How many places can you say you can hear great music, enjoy great drinks and have a bite to eat inexpensively?
We have been numerous times, most recently to watch Randy Rogers, Jason Eady, Carter's Chord, and Eli Young Band perform. The place has been making some vast improvements, during Eli Young Band the joint was hotter than hell and dustier than ever; but they have since added more concrete and mulch and VIP areas. They also added port-o-nasty-potties to help with the limited bathrooms.
The Pro's:
1) Cheap live music; great bands.
2) Several outside bars (accepting cash/debit/credit).
3) Fairly inexpensive drinks.
4) Decent food.
5) Play-area for the rugrats.
6) Free parking (in the field).
7) Police.
8) KVET- FREE MUSIC SHOWS
The Con's:
1) Parking: $10 to park semi-close to the entrance; or park in a vastly large field with one way in and out for free.
2) Over-crowded venue: the place always sells out and is JAM packed; they could stand to open it up more.
3) The new VIP table-areas leave very little walk room.
4) Standing-only; good luck trying to take your own chairs.
5) 'Occasional' less-than friendly staff and promoters; constantly id'n even if you've stuck with the same bartender the entire night and are wearing a wrist-band. (I get they're doing their job, it's just HIGHLY annoying).
6) During concerts the café is not open aside from that to concert-goers.
Regardless of the con's they still score a 4-star from me; give them a shot if you haven't.
Nutty Brown is a great venue.
We ate here about 100 times when my folks were building their  house in DrippingSprings. It has ok to good food but has an awesome patio and concert area. We go for the KVET free music on Wednesdays and other Texas Country shows. We recently attended a washer tourney out there and had a blast (Yes i said Blast)
The bar area is a bit skethcy at times but overall I enoy good ol' Nutty Brown
Oh yea get the Frito Pie
I joined my mom and a few of her friends for dinner and a band at Nutty Brown last weekend and it was a blast!
First off, we sat in the dining room and ate dinner. I had the Nutty Brown Salad with grilled salmon. It was soooooo good. I can't recommend it enough. I watched others at my table down chicken fried chicken, chips and queso and other delicious nibbles too that all were met with high praise from them. Also, the service was great. Our party of 6 was accommodated and taken care of very well. Â
Then, we went exploring the grounds. The backyard area is fantastic. Potential for some really great concerts out there, though I've not been to one but their website looks like they book pretty good country and Americana type of acts, so I'll be keeping my eye on it to return.
We did, however, catch a show in the bar area after dinner. The band was great, the bar was packed. It's a fairly small space but set up for a surprising number of people. The waitress in the bar was beyond friendly and I was impressed that for a venue like this they actually had a couple craft beer options. The prices were great. I think my beer cost about $3, which is a very fair price for craft beer!
This place just keeps going downhill. Â Meals have gotten progressively worse until now I just can't go anymore. Â The only reason it doesn't get one star is because I do like the venue. Â
There were two things that used to be passable on the menu - a local raised Angus burger and a salmon BLT. Â Â Don't bother anymore.
There is no more farm raised or local or organic anything here anymore. Â They took local beef off the menu. Â
The Salmon BLT was horrible.  The fish was completely overcooked and hard.  There is really little worse than shoe leather salmon. The bread was stale  The whole thing was inedible.
The chips are from a bag. Â Salsa is terrible. Â Someone at our table got a turkey sandwich that was advertised as a big thick hearty sandwich. Â What he got was basically what my dad used to make for me in 3rd grade. Â A little sandwich, on sandwich bread, with a little turkey, cut on the diagonal. You could get a nicer sandwich out of a vending machine. Â I think it was $9. Â
The sides still come in tiny bowls.
This is just a disgusting place to eat. They simply have to get a new chef. Â They have to.
Kevin F*n Fowler - Kevin F*n Fowler... Oh wait - let me start over.
First the food... the food is good to ok depending on what you order. I really need to branch out and try a few more things but I am usually not visiting Good Ole' Nutty Brown to eat. I'll eventually sit down for a real meal and readdress this.
I am at Nutty Brown for the Shiner Beers, Fowler Fests, Wednesday Night Music series, Cory Morrow, or any other awesome TX venue that happens through this great place.
When Austin is as hot as it has been you will find yourself drinking beer like water. The outdoor venue is awesome (outside of the 105 degree Texas sun) and can hold a lot of people - ample parking! Â
I would highly recommend you come early, stay late, and enjoy the show... Apparently some neighbors decided to build houses around this place and complain now. Well you know what I say to those neighbors. You're an idiot -you built your house by an Amphitheater... WHAT DID YOU EXPECT!?
The have a presence on Twitter and Facebook to keep up with all the venues. Their posts are relevant and not "spammy" - get connected and get to the show!
There is not much that hasn't already been said about Nutty Brown Cafe, but I have one little nugget of advice for a Nutty Brown Cafe newbie such as myself.
I went out to NBC for the first time to see The Eggmen on a recent Friday night. I read up on Yelp to try to get an idea of what the seating would be like (not wanting to stand all night). What I didn't see from previous reviews is how exactly the outdoor seating and music shows were. First, there are two stages. When you first walk up the outdoor area, directly behind the hostess stand, there is a small stage for smaller but equally entertaining acts like The Eggmen.There is a smallish cement area directly in front of that for dancing. This area backs up against a large outdoor dining patio. Off to the right of the smaller stage and a farther back away from the dining area is a second, much larger stage with a much larger cement area in front for standing/dancing to accommodate bigger acts.
If you want to sit at one of those outdoor tables, you have to order food, and the reviews here on Yelp for the food are not so hot. But fear not, Yelpers who do not want to order food! YOU CAN TAKE LAWN CHAIRS. Oh yes, you can!!! We arrived only about 15 minutes before The Eggmen were set to begin, and were given an hour wait for a table (which seemed unlikely as most everyone was there to see the band). I heard the hostess mention to another wait-lister that you had to order food to get a table, and we'd already eaten and only wanted a couple of beers. So I asked her if we could bring in our lawn chairs, and she said sure! We were able to set up our chairs at the edge of the small cement dance floor and had a great view and easy access to the dancing. And there was lots of dancing! We were also very close to the walk-up bar.
Whether or not you want to sit at the outdoor dining patio, or just see the band, you had to pay a $5 cover. But The Eggmen were totally worth it.
If you haven't already seen The Eggmen, I highly recommend catching them at Nutty Brown, as I understand they play there regularly. It's a great band for all ages, and there's lots of room for kids to get up and dance, or to run and play over in the empty area in front of the larger stage.
Nutty Brown is something that I've been vaguely curious about since the first year in Austin but the stars never aligned or it was too far away or something happened so I've never been here. Happily, my friend gave me the scoop on a concert here that was a must see so I hopped in the old (old) 4runner and made the trek.
And how happy I am that I did! This is so much better than Hills for these free music shows! I wasn't sure what to expect but the wide open spaces were welcome and fantastic. We drove (all the way) down here to see the multi-talented Roger Creager. After parking -- which incidentally takes FOREVER because the parking lot is really really huge and dirty and dusty -- we walked up to the line. It moved quickly, we were inside and soon halfway into our second 16 oz miller lite.
Didnt get a chance to try the food but the porta potties were plentiful, there's a kids playground, the food smelled okay (though after the reviews I wasn't expecting much) and generally there's enough space for us all to two step and sway and maybe even fall over. A great stop in my book -- and one you should make this summer if you have an errant Wednesday night off.
I stopped here on a whim with my boyfriend after an unsuccessful day of fishing at Pedernales. I had driven by this place before and the most interesting thing I found about it was the name, Nutty Brown. Unfortunately, it usually reminded me of the phrase, "nuttier than squirrel poo," which is not an association you want your establishment to make, especially if it is a restaurant. Or cafe.
Anyhow, it was a Saturday night, and we sat inside where it was almost empty. I noted that there was a huge patio out back and that's where most of the people were. Inside, where we were, album covers and vinyl decorated the wooden walls, and it reminded me of Magnolia Cafe, if Mag had a love child with the Broken Spoke.
The food was classic Texas diner fare, some Tex-Mex, fried stuff, chicken fried stuff, chili, etc. I had the blackened catfish with jalepeno cream corn and Greg's green beans. The boyfriend ordered chicken with jalepeno hush puppies and some slaw. While waiting for our food, we heard other tables compliment the waitress on the food, so that was a good sign. Service was a bit slow, probably due to all the action going on out back.
When our food actually arrived, it didn't disappoint. Well maybe a little. The blackened catfish was way salty, but everything else was A-OK. The jalepeno cream corn was good, but I'm pretty sure it was canned cream corn with more heavy whipping cream added and some jalepenos. Greg's green beans were nice but heavy on the pepper. The chicken breast, which I thought was going to be dry and tasteless, was surprisingly neither.
We skipped dessert because we were both full but I think they should have a dessert called Squirrel Poo. Now that I've ruined your appetite...enjoy your next meal there!
Time for Rooster's biannual review of Nutty Brown. Went here today for some show and tell. Dad has a few degrees which none are affiliated with any college. He kills almost everything that walks. The only thing his truck can't pass is a gas station. Lunch felt like pawn stars Hays County.
The old man knows arrowheads. Dug since he was well a little toot.. Today even at his age he still can distinguish multiple points without issue. There was so much distinguishing that the waitress had issues with us ordering.
I finally intervened with some chips and salsa. Colleagues denoted the hint of chili powder. Little Rooster colored on the connect the dots hoping to make the stage out back. The kids menu even quoted adult prices for the same fare. Is this the happy hour menu at your live music events? I'll have the dino nuggets and a dos XX.
I opted for the baja style shrimp tacos. Can't really say anything bad about the entree except the refrigerator cold beans. All components worked except the beans. That is until you factor in the waitress dumping the kiddo's grilled cheese into the booth behind us. It took fifteen minutes for his new meal to arrive. The rest of the bunch had to be asked to move the collection aside to receive the food.
I didn't hear any complaints from the other diners. Frankly they were discussing ancient business. Meanwhile I went the waiter station to grab a tea pitcher; waitress has a few more tables than she could handle. Little Rooster ate well from my plate including the cold beans, chips, and some fries from a friends plate.
This place hasn't changed much. I haven't had a meal here in years that I didn't regret spending the $$ elsewhere thinking of the better places I could have went. Austin has spoiled me. I finally admit it. Se ya in two years Nutty Brown.
I sure do not know why I never think to go here more... they have a spectacular outdoor patio and great venue for live music. They manage to attract some pretty great local talent. The outdoor venue is a cross between Stubbs and Salt Lick with better seating.
The food is just ok, but then again, I am not a fan of comfort food. If you are, they make a Chicken Fried Steak that will make you do a double take as it seems larger than the plate it is served upon. I had to take 2/3 of it home last time I ordered it.
The wine selection is limited, but I can find a decent wine or two on their list. I do not go here for their culinary and sommelier offerings, I go here to listen to music and music I shall have.
I saw the Eggmen here last week and loved the eclectic mix of folks in the crowd. You won't find any hipsters here, it is too far from East Austin for their mopeds and bicycles and they really do not cater to that crowd's music style.
They also have a pretty extensive Sunday Brunch buffet complete with many Southern offerings only Paula Deen could top.
It's a great hipster-free zone. Check them out!
Well documented by Michelle, Kevin, and James F., but I have to go with 2 stars = "MEH, I've experienced better" as the appropriate category for this place. I really do like the outdoor seating, great music venue with lots of room for kiddos to run around, play, dance, get balloons, face painting, and just bounce.
We attended the 4-7 PM Kids Fun Fest ($20 per family) on Sunday, 10/17/10 and arrived at 5:30pm. We thought this was not a bad price (they listed several musicians playing Ben Kweller, Sarah Sharp, Guy Forsyth and Wammo (I believe this is the only group we saw), but the only thing they offered incremental to any other Sunday for the $$ was some "kids/games". Â All we saw for the 'games' was a bean bag toss and a ladder golf game - neither of which any kids were interested in.
As usual, the food is not bad = very average - which is vexing in a place with such great atmosphere.  Service at the bar was spotty - which was only  a bit offputting - but we were truly bitter when the music ended at 6:35pm. This would have normally been OK, but it was not as advertised and was a long, 'quiet' wait for our food to arrive.
Overall, we won't be back unless there is a crowd of friends headed there or a musician worth paying to see - because, sadly, Â you don't go to 'the Nut' for the food.
A great place to visit if you want to experience "real Texas" (according to my friend's dad), listen to country music, have some drinks and eat good food. From what I hear this place is a classic, and gets some well-known musicians to play here every now and then. We went this past Friday for a friend's wedding rehearsal dinner. Â It was definitely a different type of place to have a rehearsal dinner, but everyone enjoyed the laid-back/casual feel. They had a local country band playing, with a few patrons dancing, a large outdoor stage for big shows, plenty of seating.
As for the food, we had a huge buffet spread, catered by Nutty Brown Cafe. I grew up eating southern food like this, and everyone was raving about it. I tried everything they had and nothing disappointed: chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, sawmill gravy, sausage, fried catfish, bread, etc. The fried catfish, most agreed, was the best. It was lightly battered and the flavor was perfect. I'd go back for the food and to have a beer, and would love to see a show there when a major act stops in. I'm glad to have experienced the place.
"Hey, want to come help me sell hot rod shift knobs at a classic car show/rockabilly concert?"
If I had a dollar for every time someone has asked me to do this, I'd have a buck by now. Then I'd be retired and writing this from a private island, where I'd have a hidden lair, be planning worldwide obliteration, and laughing while stroking a white Persian cat. And no, that isn't a euphemism.
Said statement came from my big brother, a hot rod enthusiast as well as the best bro a ho could ask for. Having promised myself that I'd do more things outside my sad little comfort zone, I opted in. I'd just come from playing tennis, so I was dressed perfectly for rockabilly and could blend right in.
We got set up and people starting coming around. Within a few hours, I had a new appreciation for the Rockabilly crowd. Everyone seemed to be having a great time, the looks and tats were cool as hell, and there wasn't a jerk in the bunch. No one gave me attitude for looking like I just came from a country club tennis tournament.
Then came the only bump in the road.
They were vending two types of food, the stuff that came from the kitchen, and some burgers and fries in Sterno containers. In a move that will haunt me THE REST OF MY LIFE, I chose the latter. Pretty grim, indeed. Burger bun was steamed wet and clung to the patty like a drowning rat. Tasted exactly like it, too. Don't be a gimp like me. Order off the real people menu.
The night was ended perfectly by the Reverend Horton Heat, who put on one of the best live shows I've ever seen. Go see him if you haven't.
Nutty Brown, you offered up one of the most memorable nights I've had in years. The way I see it, we'll be peeps from here on in. Providing, of course, that you get rid of the grim warming plate fare at events.
You're way, way better than that.
While the Nutty Brown Cafe doesn't fully deliver on the food front, the food isn't bad, and the very "old-Austin-y" ambience and their spacious outdoor amphitheater make it a great place to see a concert and enjoy a meal.
I was here recently to see my neighbor's son play an orchestral set with the Eggmen, a great Beatles cover band. Â The venue was perfect for the show - very reminiscent of the old Backyard (may it rest in peace...sigh). Â Unfortunately, I don't think that Nutty Brown Cafe (or "the Nut," as folks are apparently wont to call it) was really prepared for the crowd that came out for this show. Â We got there just as the show was about to start, and probably ended up waiting close to two hours for a table (which was the only approved way to get food while watching the show). Â I am positive there were quite a few people who arrived after us and never got to eat.
As a whole, the food was marginally better than I expected, although this isn't saying much. Â We had a basket of chips and salsa, which were at least extremely plentiful (they'd better be, for $3.45), and the salsa tasted house-made, as it was super, super fresh. Â We also had an order of the Nutty Shrimp Wontons (4 for $9.95), which were shrimp, bacon, cheese, and jalapeno wrapped with wonton shells and deep fried. Â I would NEVER have chosen this dish, and I was immediately reminded why after tasting it. Â Wonton shells are just not made to be wrapped around bacon and shrimp and deep fried. Â It's unnatural.
For my entree, I had a chicken salad sandwich ($7.45), which came with my choice of one side. Â Their selection of sides is excellent, and includes rarely-seen side choices like lima beans, jalapeno hush puppies, and queso home fries. Â I was boring and got a dinner salad as my side, but I appreciated the wide variety of offerings. Â The sandwich was enormous and quite good; the chicken salad was chock full of pecans and celery and fresh dill, which made it a refreshing choice for an outdoor meal (particularly after eating those 10,000-calorie wonton abominations). Â
I'd say the food averages about 3.5 stars; they're at least trying to keep it varied and interesting, which is no small undertaking given the volume of customers they had between the restaurant and the amphitheater. Â Outdoor live music venues like these are too few and far between, so five stars for atmosphere, landing the Nut a four star overall rating.
First of all, I have to honestly admit that the perpetual adolescent in me gets a slight giggle out of any place that is most comfortable going by it's nickname, 'The Nut'...but that said, over the few times I've been, I've regularly found this place to be a casually resplendent spot to catch some decent acts and gnosh on a burger or some home-cooking fare under the canopy of trees. Â
It seems like a pretty good place for parents with little ones to hang without leaving their childless pals behind. Â The outdoor bar sits cozy next to an extended seating area, with some play areas and sand boxes for the wee ones if they're into that kinda thing. Â They book decent acts pretty regularly here, and I caught a David Garza show a few years back that has managed to stay with me as one of the more fun, more intimate shows I've seen. Â The fare is decent (though certainly not exemplary), and seems to fit the overall mojo of this place pretty well. Â If you're on your way out to the Hill Country and looking for a spot to soak in a little Texan culture with a cold one and side of hearty eats to boot, you could do worse than The Nut.
Guess we didn't notice a cussing parrot, just stopped in because of the funny  name on our way to Fredericksburg from Austin to get something peachy. Â
I had the chicken fried chicken whose breading beat a lot of places we've been to recently! Â Sure loved those breaded fries too! Â My wife had the big ol' chicken salad sandwich and couldn't finish it, but it sure was tasty! Â
Just a little way farther out we ran into the Sculpture Ranch... free and open 10-6 every day.
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