Freddie's on a Sunday afternoon

I know it must be because I think like a kid and enjoy the simple pleasures of dogs performing like circus elephants, colorful talking birds, and hearing live renditions of the National Anthem on the accordion that I want to share this.

I was invited out to spend to enjoy a playdate with babes and grownups at the Zilker park playground. I could not turn down an opportunity to see my nephews, Frank, Tom, and Dan, and swim in an oasis of family quality time amidst the hectic tangle of work and school that is life these days. So there we are, grazing in the shade, watching the boys hop and climb and I'm holding baby Frank, who is drooling long yo-yos of spit down my arm when some friends of my sister suggested Freddie's for lunch.


I was hungry so I seemed pretty pleased with the idea even though I had already visited this south Austin restaurant once and hadn't been too impressed. It had been for Freddie's Happy Hour, which happens Tues-Thurs. It's infamy has to be due to the fact that not only do they serve cheap drinks (which, as a scrappy college student used to $2 pints/$2 you call its, didn't seem too cheap to me) but they also set up a station where friendly Freddie's employees hand out free brisket and flour tortillas at 6. You can go there and make a light dinner out of happy hour. While I can't deny the goodness of free meat and tortillas, and cheap beer, I must have been anxious about money, or maybe I didn't eat last time I went because Freddie's didn't stick out in my mind as a place I'd return to.

I'm glad to say that what I saw today helped me figure out the whole idea of Freddie's. This restaurant encapsulates the originality and lightheartedness of the south Austin lifestyle. In case there were any doubts, I'd just like to remind you that there's something to be said for the 78704 zip code. South Austinites are so proud I've seen some cars sport bumper stickers with these digits. I think 78704 when I see that there is a separate entrance for people who have decided to bring their dogs to lunch. Dogs are expected to be on leashes, but that doesn't stop them from poking around, licking baby faces, and having a good time. Always looking for a laugh, I found the servers shirts pretty amusing: on the back of a plain black tee, "F.U. Fred University, "Ice Cold Waitresses, Good-Looking Beers." I also noticed that nearly all of the seating is located outside on a wooden deck. At one end lies the playground and a couple of big picnic tables where our group ate today. In the back left corner next to the playground is a small covered stage, where singers and performers play, according to the Freddie's website, at least 3 if not 4 nights a week.

Today we were witness to a one man circus. We had watched this guy, an average looking character wearing a casual button down and khakis, unload his car while we were waiting for our burgers. In one hand he clutched the leashes of his posse, his lead performers, three good looking mutts with big smiles. These animals were the stars of the show. He started off his show with a song or two on the accordion, which he ended up telling the three toddlers in front of him (and me too, when I couldn't help but get a closer look, if not to stop a tiny blonde girl from robbing the tip bucket), the reasons for his playing accordion. It had started with a joke he thought was hilarious: what Darth Vader would sound like on the accordion. I didn't get it. But from this guy's nonchalant manner, I could tell he wasn't telling these toddlers jokes for laughs. He could have been telling these jokes to people waiting at the bus stop for all he cared, it seemed. For what he lacked in his stand up, he definitely made up for in the show put on by his trained assistants. He had these dogs stand up on their hind quarters, and with a loud BANG with his finger pointed like a gun, they'd fall on the ground and roll over dead. The tricks, especially while Circus accordion playing man* jumped rope with his dog, appropriately named Jumping Jacks, had the attention of children and parents alike. We marveled, we cheered, we put more ketchup on our french fries. It was just plain fun. Afterwards, when the little ones found the slide more interesting than the accordion man's jokes, he closed up the show and made balloon animals for anyone who asked. Even though I really wanted a pink balloon sword, I couldn't get up the nerve to go up... plus, I didn't even have two bucks for a tip.

There are few places that I can vouch for here, a handful of eateries that have impressed me with a friendly, laidback environment that I enjoy. I mean, food, kiddos and dogs. Does life get any better than that that? Freddie's is definitely one of those places I'd like to visit again probably for another Sunday, just to see what other tricks those precocious canines have learned.

*Despite some online research, I could not for the life of me track down the name of this guy. He sang a song that was basically just the name of his circus (to help us remember) and the url to his website but I swear, the url was so long it was laughable.