Canyon Grille

A Lakeway fixture gets a farm-to-table reboot above Rough Hollow Marina

There's a particular kind of restaurant every lake town has: the one everybody's driven past a hundred times, the one you half-remember from a work lunch years ago, the one you assume you already know. Canyon Grille is that place in Lakeway — except the version up on the hill above Rough Hollow Yacht Club right now isn't the one you remember. New ownership took over in August 2024, and this spring the whole operation shut down for a week and came back as something genuinely different: a farm-to-table kitchen pulling from Hill Country growers and the Gulf Coast, still sitting on the same bluff with the same sweep of Lake Travis below the patio.

The story. The reopening was deliberate, not cosmetic. Canyon Grille temporarily closed in April ahead of a weeklong transformation into a farm-to-table dining concept under new owner Haythem Dawlett. It was, by local food press accounts, a full rebrand — changing the concept, leadership, and ownership all at once, with the restaurant closing and reopening days later as a reworked version of itself. The new concept leans on ingredients from across Texas on a rotating seasonal menu, with Gulf Coast seafood sourced multiple times a week and an ambiance meant to welcome both residents and visitors.

The goal, in the owner's own words, was to "build something that truly reflects the local culture and culinary expectations—authenticity and fresh ingredients rooted in Texas," adding that the restaurant "was created as a place where people come together to enjoy great food, the lake, and time with friends and family. We are simply getting back to our roots." The kitchen today runs under Executive Chef Alex Foreman, with the front of house led by a team that's clearly settling into the new identity rather than just renaming the old menu.

The vibe. This is still, unmistakably, a neighborhood place — the kind with a furnicular at the end of the patio that drops you straight to the marina, and a dress code that stretches from bathing suit with a cover-up to country club casual. The dining room looks out over part of Lake Travis, and while the interior is handsome, the outdoor patio is the real draw for lunch or dinner. Go on a weekday afternoon and you'll likely have long stretches of that patio to yourself; come Friday or Saturday evening, or for Sunday brunch, and it fills in fast with families, boaters off the marina, and regulars who've been coming for years, new ownership or not. Pets are welcome on the patio if leashed, and valet parking is complimentary — tip your valet, he takes Venmo.

What to order. The new menu is bigger than a single theme, running from bar snacks to a genuine steakhouse cut, which makes it an easy place to order wrong — don't. Lean toward the Gulf seafood and the Thursday prime rib, and save room for brunch if you can swing a Sunday.

Good to know. Walk-ins are always welcome, and reservations are only requested for parties of eight or more — call ahead for anything bigger. Complimentary valet parking is available, with additional lot parking adjacent to the building. Kids are genuinely welcome — the owners are grandparents. Pets are allowed on the outdoor patio only, leashed and under control, unless they're certified service animals. Happy hour runs Tuesday through Friday, 3 to 6, with $2 off cocktails, wine by the glass, draft beer, and starters. Sunday brunch runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday is prime rib night. Rough Hollow residents get a 10% food discount with a key fob, though some exclusions apply during special events like the monthly wine dinners.

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