Sitting in the 150-year-old building at the corner of Waller and East 6th… it could be a Monday afternoon. A Sunday brunch. A stop for a good cocktail before catching a show at Mohawk. Or a comfort food fix. Whatever’s in front of you, be it solid or liquid, is drool-inducing deliciousness.
This is what happens when James Beard Award-winning pitmaster Aaron Franklin and music venue owner and marketing agency founder James Moody merge their talents and passions and preserve a historic building. The process of developing the restaurant and bar evolved as organically as Austin itself. After both had been eyeing the space for years, dreaming of the best way to bring it new life, the two teamed up to make something happen. The concept clicked over a couple of beers as the two sat on lawn chairs in the empty space between the original brick walls.
“We wanted the building to tell us what to do,” said Franklin, reflecting on Uptown’s beginnings. According to Moody, the feeling of nostalgia was a strong influence: “We both like nostalgia. This restaurant has a lot of that.” “Austin’s changing so fast,” Aaron adds. “Everybody's so quick to tear down and build new. The whole point of this project was to save an old building.”
As the ideas unfolded, maintaining vibes was a constant priority. The soul of what the business would become was even more important to the product than the food and drink itself (though with culinary mastermind Franklin behind it along with his vast network of local collaborators, the food and drink also proved to be top notch). That soul is that of your neighborhood spot; a place you can go any time of day (whether it’s brunch, a pre-show cocktail, or a place to spend a late night out), feeling any kind of way.
“I want people to come in here and feel at home, feel comfortable. If you want to read the newspaper and eat some steak and eggs, that's great. If you want to have a couple of drinks and make new friends, that's awesome, too. It should be kind of a choose your own adventure” says Franklin. “At the end of the day, I think there's a feeling of feeling at home, feeling warm.”
Comfy, vibes; check. But what about the food and drink? Again, Franklin and Moody drew the inspiration for the menu from the building itself. The New Orleans and Parisian-inspired architecture and the former lives of the businesses on-site led to the current iteration of Uptown Sports Club as a Texas Brasserie serving up Southern comfort food. Pulling from New Orleans and Creole cuisine with a Texas twist, with a dose of Midwest supper club, Franklin and Moody found a way to bring this all together cohesively without the limitations of a single, classic cuisine style.
For Franklin, this has not only been a fun, creative endeavor where the menu can evolve over time (he compares it to the changing eras of a great band), it has also been a full circle experience. Before being known for smoking meat, Franklin first got into cooking from his family in Southern Louisiana, making etouffees, roux, and gumbos (his “liquid brisket”). After sitting in it in those lawn chairs, they felt the building would agree: “we just thought the building would have this food.”
As for what to order, just like at home, eat whatever you’re feeling in the moment. You can’t go wrong. The burger is a fan favorite (how could you not explicitly trust a beef burger from Austin’s barbecue king?), and the po’boys are delicious. If you’re craving oysters and seafood, Uptown’s Raw Bar selection is making a case for some of the best in Austin. The gumbo’s sausage has that signature smoky taste you might recognize from that barbecue joint on 11th Street. Speaking of meat, Steak Tartare is a must-order. For drinks, you have everything from craft espresso drinks to craft cocktails, and all your classics in between.
Next up in Uptown Sports Club’s evolution: stay tuned for Sunday Supper Clubs serving “nostalgic steakhouse” fare (with that Aaron Franklin level of quality). Think: prime rib carts, scalloped potatoes, and all the whiskies. Moody advises to make your reservations early, as they are expected to sell out.
The ‘come as you are’ vibe, the creative culinary variety, and the menu choices for any mood or phase of your day, Uptown Sports Club feels like Austin; but not on purpose. While Franklin and Moody wanted the focus to be on the feel, “it just happened naturally,” said Franklin. “The classic Austin feel is about attitude and vibes.” They did a great job setting the table to allow the customers to take it from there. “If you have a comfy place to hang out, the people will finish the rest of it.”
“Austin’s changing so fast. Everybody's so quick to tear down and build new. The whole point of this project was to save an old building.”
“I want people to come in here and feel at home, feel comfortable. If you want to read the newspaper and eat some steak and eggs, that's great. If you want to have a couple of drinks and make new friends, that's awesome, too.”