Never pass up an invitation to go to Freddie’s. It’s like a neighborhood block party, drawing all the fun-loving South Austin folks and kids and dogs. The place is part restaurant, part live music venue (most nights of the week), part movie theater (kids’ movies outdoors on warm evenings), and part sports bar (washers tournaments; Monday Night Football or Longhorns games on the big screen). From its verdant tract of land on the banks of Bouldin Creek, with multi-colored Christmas lights strung up in the trees, conversations buzzing through the air, and the warm, happy-go-lucky attitude of the staff, it’s hard not to feel at home here.

The thing is, when it comes to food, we think some of our own backyard buddies can do a better job than this. Queso and strong margaritas are serviceable, as are large salads. There’s a list of elaborate burgers on square, thin patties—you can’t cook these puppies medium-rare, but they don’t have that saving charcoal-flavored grace of most short-order burgers, either. We do like the many accoutrements, like banana peppers, hot wing sauce, and nine kinds of cheese. Fries are homemade in the skin-on, thick-cut style, but they’re underseasoned. Saturdays and Sundays, you can build your own Bloody Mary from a buffet of sauces and wilty pickles and vegetables—hey, who’s complaining?