Sundancer Grill

Lakeside tables on Stewart Road, a courtesy boat dock, and weekday happy hour from 4 to 6

Some weeks you don't want the newest thing in town. You want a table outside, a cold drink, and Lake Travis right in front of you. That's Sundancer Grill, the waterfront restaurant at the Sail & Ski Yacht Club on Stewart Road in Lakeway, and it's been doing exactly that since 2014.

Why it's this week's craving. Plenty of places around here have a patio. Sundancer has a lake. The seating looks straight out over the water, and you can skip the drive entirely: there's a complimentary courtesy dock on the back side of Sail & Ski for boaters (the restaurant warns the water there runs shallow, so come in slow). Show up between 4 and 6 on a weekday and happy hour takes some of the sting out of the tab.

The story. Sundancer opened in July 2014 in the lakeside spot that used to be Shades Cafe. Co-owners Ben Nathan and Pete Clark had worked together at Cafe Blue in the Hill Country Galleria, and they brought some of that crew with them. Nathan, the chef, describes the location simply: you can't recreate it. The restaurant has ridden out two floods since opening and is still here, still pouring margaritas over the water. The menu calls itself American bistro with a Caribbean flair, which in practice means seafood, jerk spice and Cajun touches next to a solid lineup of burgers.

Good to know. Weekday happy hour (Monday–Friday, 4–6 p.m.) brings $1 off mixed drinks, $2 off frozen margaritas, $3 domestic beers, and half-price wine by the glass and appetizers. The weekly specials are worth planning around: kids 12 and under eat free with an adult entrée on Mondays, Tuesday is buy-one-get-one burgers, and Wednesday is that catfish deal (all dine-in only). Brunch runs Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. — eggs Benedict, a Southwest crab omelet and stuffed French toast — and early birds on Saturday (9–11 a.m.) get buy-one-get-one brunch plates. Online ordering runs through Toast if you're grabbing food for the boat. On a hot weekend, the outdoor tables go first; come early or come at sunset and be patient.