Another longtime Austin restaurant says downtown just isn't the same

A popular seafood spot in Central Texas has shut its doors after more a decade in business. Turf N' Surf has closed its walk-up window for shrimp po'boys and grilled fish inside Lavaca Street Bar in downtown Austin.

In a message to its customers, Turf N' Surf thanked its customers on its website, "for 16 great years" at its former Austin location. However, the beloved seafood kitchen teased another new restaurant is currently in the works.

Turf N' Surf owner Ralph Gilmore said in a Facebook post that he decided to close the spot due to "high food costs" combined with a lack of sales downtown due to the closed Austin Convention Center. Last year, the city demolished the building to build a new $1.26 billion renovated convention center slated to be completed by the end of 2028.

"We did not get them people that was huge for downtown along with office not working in [their] office working from home, but thanks for all them people I met over the years and showed the love that means alot," he wrote in the post.  

Gilmore first launched Turf N' Surf as a food trailer parked on a lot that is now the JW Marriott in downtown Austin. After three years, he opened his kitchen inside Lavaca Street Bar, where he operated the spot for 13 years before shuttering. 

Turf N' Surf was known as one of Austin's best seafood spots, not only for its highly praised seafood tacos, po'boys and salads, but also for its convenience of being located inside a bar in the middle of downtown. 

The Austin-American Statesman reports that Gilmore closed Turf N' Surf and moved to Rockport, where he's planning to open Hook House Kitchen. Turf N' Surf's website invited fans to visit Hook House, which will be "coming soon" to 210 Gulf Gate Road in Aransas Pass. 

"We're getting the kitchen ready," the Hook House website says.

Hook House will serve steaks and fresh, gulf seafood, where customers can also bring what they catch on the Texas Coast to be grilled, blackened or fried with their choice of sides. In addition to having a full-service bar, the restaurant will specialize in cooking fish like red drum, black drum, snapper, mahi and tuna. 

Gilmore said that at his new Rockport restaurant on the water, he will be paying less in rent than his former downtown Austin outpost. Turf N' Surf marks the city's fifth business loss this month after a Michelin-starred eatery, longstanding taqueria, a Southwestern-inspired restaurant and beloved winery's tasting room all announced sudden closures in July.  

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