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The most family-fun dining experience in Austin, TX – Ski Shores Café

7/2/19

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Family-friendly and family fun dining in Austin, Texas at Ski Shores Cafe on the lake

We received complimentary meals from Ski Shores for review purposes. The opinions are my own. I was not financially compensated for this post.

If you’re looking for family-friendly places to eat in Austin, look no further than Ski Shores Café for your next family date night! Or if you’re traveling to Austin with your kids and looking for good restaurants with that laid-back Austin vibe, add Ski Shores to your list! Celebrating it’s 65th year, Ski Shores Café has been a staple for both Austinites and travelers alike over the course of its long history. While it’s fabulous for adults, too, today I’m sharing why Ski Shores is the most family-fun dining experience in ATX, including information on their awesome outdoor family movie nights!

Swan at Ski Shores Cafe in Austin, TX

Wildlife at your tableside

One of the first things anyone will notice at Ski Shores is the wildlife. Located on the lake (and I mean right on the lake – you can actually take your boat to come eat at Ski Shores), you see swans, turtles, fish, and ducks right from your table on the patio. The kids absolutely love watching the fish and turtles beg for bits of tortilla chips and fries!

A turtle begging for scraps at Ski Shores Cafe in Austin, TX
Feeding the fish, ducks, and turtle at Ski Shores - so fun for kids!
Feeding the turtles, ducks, and fish is a fun way to pass the time while waiting for your family-friendly dinner at Ski Shores Café in Austin
Family-friendly dining in Austin - Ski Shores Cafe
Sawyer had so much fun when the fish and turtles grabbed the scraps he threw to them!
Fried pickles at Ski Shores in Austin, TX
The fried pickles appetizer at Ski Shores is one of their most popular menu items

Delicious family-recipe comfort food

Truly, the ambiance at Ski Shores Café makes it worth the visit alone – dining lakeside while watching animals and water skiers go by is so much fun! But the fact that their food is absolutely delicious makes it even better! Between old family recipes from the owners like Fried Catfish and Tex-Mex treats like queso and amazing fish tacos, Ski Shores’ menu does not disappoint! I recommend starting with their fried pickles and fried okra. The kids loved the generous portions on the kids menu, too.

Fried okra appetizer at Ski Shores Cafe in Austin
We always get the fried okra appetizer at Ski Shores
Signature cocktails at Ski Shores Cafe in Austin, TX
I know this post is about family fun, but that includes the parents, too! Ski Shores Café has a great signature cocktail menu with delicious choices like The Ruby Sipper, Laid Back Lemonade, and Whiskey Ginger that you see here.
Shrimp Tacos at Ski Shores Cafe - one of their delicious menu items
The Shrimp Tacos at Ski Shores are something else! Street-style tacos with queso fresco and a mango-cilantro salsa. YUM!
Combination Catfish and Shrimp Basket at Ski Shores, Café in Austin, TX
Combination Catfish & Shrimp Basket at Ski Shores, Café in Austin, TX
catfish and shrim basket at ski shores
My oldest very much approved of the kid’s burger at Ski Shores – especially after adding bacon! My little foodie knows what he likes!
Sand pit for kids at Ski Shores Cafe in Austin

Built-in activities for kids

If the animals and kid-friendly food wasn’t enough, Ski Shores Café makes sure kids have a good time while dining there! With a shaded playscape, a sand pit, and a room with vintage video games (plus air hockey and foosball!), your kids will be able to entertain themselves if there’s a wait for dinner, or while waiting for their meals to arrive.

Playscape for kid-friendly dining fun at Ski Shores in Austin
The shaded playscape at Ski Shores Café
family friendly dining in Austin - Ski Shores Cafe
The sand pit at Ski Shores is a fun way for kids to pass the time while waiting for their food
Free family movie night every Friday night at Ski Shores Cafe in Austin

Free Family Movie Night at Ski Shores Café

Probably our favorite family-fun feature at Ski Shores is their Family Movie Night every Friday! At dusk they play a free movie and break out the s’mores fixins’ for kids to enjoy around the firepit in front of a projection screen. We saw an old favorite, Disney/Pixar Cars, the last time we went. Such a great way for families to spend a Friday evening in Austin while overlooking the lake!

Family movie night at Ski Shores is one of our favorite things to do in Austin with kids
Best restaurants for kids in Austin, TX - Ski Shores Cafe on the lake
Ski Shores Café provides a free outdoor movie viewing and s’more fixings for kids every Friday night at dusk
Sawyer is one of those kids that likes his marshmallows burnt to a crisp
Family-fun dinners in Austin: Ski Shores
This one, on the other hand, like to slow roast his marshmallows before making his “perfect” s’more
Free s'mores for kids during family movie night at Ski Shores Cafe in Austin, TX
That’s the stuff!

Convinced yet? Be sure to add Ski Shores to your list of places to go with kids in Austin (especially on a Friday night for Family Movie Night), and let me know what your family thinks!

Related Posts:

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  • Legit New York-Style Pizza in Austin, Texas: 3 Train Pizzeria
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