Neighborhood Spat Ruffles Some Feathers

SOUTH AUSTIN, TX -- A neighborhood spat in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood is really ruffling some feathers.

The community has long grown accustomed to a flock of free-roaming peacocks in their neighborhood, a distinctive feature on the grounds of the Green Pastures restaurant for the past six decades. But one resident’s complaint now could force the restaurant owner to keep the birds contained, KVUE-TV reports.

The Green Pastures restaurant—along with its roaming peacocks—have long been an Austin fixture. The 64-year-old establishment housed in a converted Victorian home harkens to an otherwise bygone era imbued with southern hospitality.

Reviewers previously have taken notice of the idyllic setting, the Austin Chronicle calling the eatery the “grande dame of Austin restaurants.” For its part, the Austin American-Statesman gushed “it’s hard to imagine a more romantic place for dinner.”

The peacocks have their own fan base, including some 160 neighbors signing a petition to allow the birds to roam free.

The restaurant was cited by animal control officers following the lone bird hater, and the business owner is working with his attorney in the hopes of keeping the animals uncaged.