You'd Like What With That? Here Are Austin's Noisiest Eateries

AUSTIN, TX — What with trendy design elements featuring hard surfaces, high ceilings and expansive, open dining rooms, restaurants across America are geeing louder. Not exempt from such architectural artifice, Austin has its share of noisy restaurants — including one so loud it's nearly the same as standing next to a blaring ambulance siren — according to a new report.

The high decibels of dining is especially challenging for individuals with hearing loss who often find such eateries among the most challenging environments to navigate. To determine just how noisy and difficult dining out might be, hearing aid manufacturer Oticon sent mystery diners out to five restaurants in Austin to take sound level readings during the Saturday dinner rush.

Researchers didn't limit themselves to Austin, testing decibel levels at 50 restaurants total, across 10 cities nationwide. For locals sensitive to noise, some good news: With an average noise level of 75.60 dB, Austin had the quietest dining scene out of any city measured in the study.

Of the five Austin restaurants measured, Lamberts Downtown Barbecue, 401 W 2nd St., was found to be the noisiest, with an average sound level of 82.08 decibels, researchers found. At times, researchers noted, noise levels at the popular eatery spiked as high as 113.5 dBs. Stated simply, that's almost the equivalent of standing next to a blaring ambulance siren that registers at 120 dBs.

Conversely, Gourdough’s Public House, 2700 S. Lamar Blvd., ranked the quietest in Austin with an average sound level of 67.50 dBs.

Oticon officials said the combination of background noises and multiple speakers found in restaurants and other public venues makes it difficult for individuals with hearing loss to follow conversations -- a scenario commonly referred to as "the restaurant dilemma."

The other restaurants tested for decibel levels were Swift's Attic, 315 Congress Ave.; Shady Grove, 1624 Barton Springs Rd.; and Corner, 110 E 2nd St. The infographic below shows how each restaurant fared:

THIS IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO USE ONE'S INSIDE VOICE WHEN DINING. Sorry, it's important to use one's inside voice when dining, just in case a person with sensitive hearing is in our midst. So bon appétit, and shhhhhh!

>>> Top image via Shutterstock, graphics courtesy of Oticon