Nestled right in the heart of Austin, the Shady Grove is a great spot to grab a bite to eat if you ever find yourself downtown or near Barton Creek road.

I went to the Shady Grove this past Sunday and I immediately noticed where the restaurant name came from. Shady Grove is under the shade of the pecan tree groves. I was a little alarmed by the amount of people that were there but I was seated relatively quickly and the service was great.

I ordered the famous hippie sandwich and it definitely lived up to the hype. My favorite part of the sandwich was definitely the bread. The bread was called “hippie bread” and I can’t pinpoint what was in it that made it so good but it was delicious! The hippie sandwich is a vegetarian sandwich with grilled eggplant, squash, zucchini, roasted pepper, arugula and mozzarella cheese.

Regardless of your dietary needs or eating preferences, the Shady Grove has an extremely versatile menu. Ranging from American favorites such as burgers and grilled cheese, to their famous Tex-Mex and vegetarian dishes.

The Shady Grove has cozy indoor seating along with beautiful outdoor seating. The Shady Grove is famous for their Unplugged program. During Unplugged, live performers come to perform on the large outdoor stage. The outdoor scenery is beautiful, in the evenings they light up lanterns all over the branches covering the seating area.

The Shady Grove is covered with massive canopies, making it feel as if you are in a cozy forested area when you are actually in the heart of downtown Austin. Whether you want a relaxing afternoon outdoors or a fun evening filled with good food and good music, the Shady Grove has something for everyone and is a great place to spend time in downtown Austin.