SAF Wine Bar & Nosh

35 wines by the glass, live music most nights, and salsa lessons twice a month through June

SAF Wine Bar & Nosh has been pouring in Lakeway Town Center since 2025, but the place you'll walk into today isn't the one that opened then. It shut down in December for a remodel and came back in May with a different mission: less transactional wine counter, more neighborhood living room.

The story. In December 2025, Graham decided to remodel the wine bar with an emphasis on creating a space for the community, and in May, SAF Wine Bar & Nosh officially reopened. The original version worked fine as a business, but owner Jon Graham — who moved to Lakeway from Maui in late 2022 and has experience running restaurants around the globe — found it was missing the point. "Business was fine, but it didn't accomplish what we set out to do, which was to meet the community," Graham said. "People would place an order online, pick it up and leave … that's not why we did this."

The vibe. The reopened version aims lower-key and louder at the same time. "The whole concept here was to create a completely unpretentious wine bar," Graham said. "People are here to have fun and enjoy themselves… . When a new person walks in, people welcome them… . It's almost a 'Cheers'-like atmosphere." That's backed up by regulars: "It seems like there was a need for a spot like this," Graham said. "When somebody walks in that's never been in before … it's the craziest thing, people will turn around and welcome them." The room pours 35 wines by the glass and 90 by the bottle, focused on low-production, boutique wines from wineries across France, South Africa, Spain, Italy, South America, Portugal and the United States — plus beers on tap, "frosé," or frozen rosé, and canned drinks for anyone not in a wine mood. The outdoor patio can hold a crowd — seasonal events there accommodate nearly 150 people with a band, Graham said — and live music featuring local musicians runs five nights a week, with sets ranging from 1960s standards to country to Sinatra. From October through June, SAF also hosts bi-weekly salsa classes on Fridays.

What to order. By the glass, favorites lean toward the brighter end of the list — customer favorites include Spanish cava and sauvignon blancs, Graham said. On the current list that means things like the Raventós i Blanc De Nit Rosat cava from Spain ($17.70/glass) or the Cyprien Perchaud Sauvignon Blanc from France ($12.50/glass). On the food side, the menu is built for sharing: a Nosh Board (small $20, large $38), a Flatbread ($14) in meat, veggie or caprese, Whipped Brie with Blueberries & Honey ($20), and Hummus ($12). Community Impact also notes the kitchen does steak filets and truffle fries, though those weren't on the online menu at the time of writing.

Good to know. SAF sits in the same Town Center 2 strip it's occupied since opening, a block of small shops near the lake side of Lakeway. It's a wine bar first — don't expect a full dinner menu — and it's closed Mondays.