After work yesterday, the lads and I popped over to the relatively new Billy’s On Burnet for a couple of beers and a burger or two. The Chronicle reviewed the place about a month ago and was more or less on target. The one thing they didn’t mention was the lack of parking. Billy’s is located on the southwest corner of Burnet and Hancock and their parking lot can only accommodate roughly 10 cars. After that, you’re going to have to go hunting because the lots of other businesses around the restaurant apparently tow at all hours. I ended up on a residential street across Burnet and a little bit north of Hancock.

There’s a fair-sized deck with picnic tables on the east side of the buliding. More than half of the tables were full when I arrived at 6:30pm. The tables inside were also mostly full with families and guys just off work taking advantage of the $1.50 Lone Star pints, a Tuesday special. Domestic pints are $1.50 on Mondays and happy hour lasts from 2-7pm. Billy’s is smoke free and encourages a family atmosphere. I got the feeling that at least some of the patrons were from the surrounding neighborhood. There’s no shortage of televisions at Billy’s. One widescreen flat-panel dominates the main room and there were at least three other sets scattered throughout the rest of the bar.

The food was decent. I opted for the Shults burger, which features bacon and jack cheese. I’d place it somewhere in the middle of the burgers that I’ve had around Austin. One of my compatriots ordered the Frito Pie and seemed satisfied with his decision. The beer selection is moderate. In contrast with the Draught House which is roughly ten blocks away, Billy’s has a smaller selection of beer, but better food. The staff was friendly and the food was served in a reasonable amount of time. It wasn’t out immediately, but you won’t wait as long as you would at Casino El Camino. All in all, a welcome addition to the relatively barren reaches of north central Austin when it comes to finding a place to grab a beer and something to eat after work.