The Park at the Domain Makes Weekend Brunch All About the Atmosphere

The Park at the Domain (Credit: Eric Highland)

Is brunch about the type of food you eat, or is it about the experience? For General Manager Robert Van Delden and the rest of the team at The Park at the Domain, it’s definitely the latter. This Austin-based restaurant has a mission to cultivate a relaxing, memorable brunch atmosphere every weekend in North Austin, and at their second location on South Lamar. Fortunately, the importance of delicious comfort food isn’t forgotten along the way.

Brunch Buffet or Regular Menu

Fill your plates at the Sunday brunch buffet (Credit: Eric Highland)

My husband and I went to The Park expecting to indulge in the Sunday buffet. This decadent brunch spread is served from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for $16, and includes staples like French toast, migas, and biscuits and gravy. After you get your fix of the traditional, you’ll be surprised by inventive items you wouldn’t normally expect from a brunch buffet, like chicken fried chicken, and green chile mac and cheese.

Naturally, dessert is including with the brunch buffet (Credit: Eric Highland)

The regular menu is also served during brunch hours, and Van Delden insisted we try some of The Park’s most popular items. How could we refuse?

Here’s what we sampled:

The guacamole especial is made fresh daily with pomegranate seeds and pineapple for a light, refreshing flavor (Credit: Eric Highland)

The Slider Trio contains mini versions of three of The Park’s sirloin burgers: the Rebel, Juanito and Go-To
(Credit: Eric Highland)

The Angry Chicken Penne is served with grilled chicken, chipotle cream, jalapeno sausage, corn and bell pepper (Credit: Eric Highland)

Only consume The Bypass is you have a cardiac surgeon in your dining party! (Credit: Eric Highland)

By the time we were finished with our taste test, we had zero room left for the brunch buffet. Guess that leaves us with an excuse to go back soon!

Don’t Forget the Mimosas and Bloody Mary Bar

Rainbow of mimosa flavors (Credit: Eric Highland)

The Park at the Domain has some tantalizing drink specials during Sunday brunch. There are five mimosa flavors to choose from, creating a tropical rainbow of weekend relaxation. The flavors are:

Classic orange
Strawberry citrus
Prickly pear
Mango ginger
Pineapple basil

Load up your glass at the $5 Bloody Mary bar (Credit: Eric Highland)

If you prefer to make your own drinks, the $5 Grey Goose Bloody Mary bar will be your speed. With 60 ingredients available, you won’t reach the end of the possible combinations despite a lifetime of brunches.

Know Before You Go

The Park at the Domain caters to various Sunday priorities. If you want to relax and talk with friends, try the outdoor patio. There are misters to cool you down, even on the hottest summer days. If Sunday is all about football for you, The Park always presents the NFL Sunday ticket and you won’t have trouble getting a good seat to watch the game.

You should know that it often gets busy on Sundays, and reservations are not accepted that day. The wait was 10-20 minutes for 2-4 people during our lunch hour visit. Once you’re seated, you may have to wait in a short line for the buffet.

If you prefer brunch on Saturday, there’s a separate menu available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with no buffet.

I appreciate Van Delden’s philosophy about brunch. He says brunch is about the atmosphere, not the type of food you eat. While other meals can be more “procedural”–you sit, you order, you eat–brunch is a casual time to relax. If this philosophy appeals to you, then The Park may become your go-to brunch spot in Austin.

11601 Domain Dr. #200 and 4024 S. Lamar Blvd. – Website

@theAustinot wants to know:

What’s more important to you: brunch food or the brunch experience?

Disclosure: My husband and I were treated to brunch at The Park at the Domain for the purposes of this review. All opinions are my own.