With an expanded patio area and cooler weather hopefully on the horizon, Doc’s Backyard co-owner Charles Milligan said he is staffing for the coming football season.

A local bar and grill, Doc’s Backyard caters to those who want to eat a meal outside or who want to drink and watch a game in the bar, he said.

The restaurant’s outdoor component is a main draw, which is why the staff added 25 percent more capacity to the patio this spring. Trees cover most of the outdoor patio space, and five years ago the city of Sunset Valley installed a playground just beyond the property that children can use, he said.

“I never wanted to be a part of a strip mall, but when you’re here you don’t feel like you’re in one,” he said. “At night, when the weather’s nice and the trees are lit up, it’s a great spot.”

While not Milligan’s original location, Doc’s Backyard is now the local chain’s oldest location. A second location, Doc’s Motorworks, is open at 1106 W. 38th St., Austin.

“We lost our flagship store on Congress [Avenue] two years ago to future development, but our Backyard location is now our oldest and one of the oldest in Sunset Valley,” he said.

Some 80-100 regulars dine at the restaurant each month, while families and large groups take advantage of a happy hour that is “probably the best in town,” Milligan said.

“We have a large appetizer selection. If you come with a party, it’s easier just to order appetizers, almost like family-style dining,” he said.

The menu includes 22 appetizers for $6 each during happy hour from 3-7 p.m. on weekdays. Entrees include fare such as burgers, chicken sandwiches and fish tacos as well as breakfast all day. Original dishes, such as the Chicken Fried Avocado and Sunset Valley Salad, are also hits, Milligan said.

Fall is always peak season for the restaurant, but the turnout should be even bigger in 2018, he said. The Austin Chapter of the Texas Exes—the University of Texas alumni association—named Doc’s Backyard its official watch party location for UT away games for the 2018-19 season, he said. 

“It’s going to be huge,” he said. “They liked us because we offer an adult setting and the kids playground.”