The best food, top restaurants, & my favorite spots in Austin & environs…
NOTE: All establishments are worth a trip. ** = best choices for 1-2 day stay.
BBQ
In Austin: **Franklin BBQ, **J. Mueller’s, Live Oak Barbecue & Beer, Ironworks, Sam’s BBQ, Rudy’s Country Store, Mann’s Smokehouse, Lambert’s, The Shed BBQ Trailer
Outside Austin: **Salt Lick (Driftwood), **Smitty’s, Kreuz Market, Black’s (Lockhart), **Louie Mueller’s, Taylor Cafe (Taylor), City Market (Luling), Snow’s (Lexington), Cooper’s (Llano)
Mexican
TACOS: **Izzoz Tacos, Tacos La Flor, Polvo’s, El Borrego De Oro, Tacodeli, El Norteno Taco Truck, La Guera Taco Truck, Taqueria Pachangas, Curra’s Grill, , La Mexicana Bakery, Las Cazuelas, Mi Madre’s, Taco Mex, Juanita’s, Angie’s, Joe’s Bakery & Mexican Food, Juan in a Million, La Cocina de Consuelo, La Cocinita, Torchy’s, Habanero Cafe, El Tacorrido
**BREAKFAST TACOS: **Taco Mex, **Polvo’s, **La Cocina de Consuelo, or any of these locations
FISH TACOS: Izzoz Tacos, Foodheads, El Chile, Tacodeli
UPSCALE: Fonda San Miguel, El Naranjo, La Condesa, Papi Tino’s, Manuel’s (only at happy hour)
Mid-Range & Upscale
**Uchi, **Uchiko, **Barley Swine, **Foreign & Domestic, **Congress, **East Side Show Room, Wink, Olivia, Justine’s, Enoteca Vespaio, Parkside, Haddington’s, TRACE, Contigo, Chez Nous, Driskill Grill, Lambert’s, Cafe Josie, FINO, Jeffrey’s, The Carillon, Annie’s, South Congress Cafe, Elizabeth St. Cafe, Perla’s, Hillside Farmacy, Easy Tiger, Lenoir
International
Japanese: **Uchi, **Uchiko, Tomodachi, Kome, Love Balls Bus, Musashino, Sushi Niichi, Tomo Sushi
Indian: Whip In, Swad, G’Raj Mahal Cafe, Clay Pit, Tarka Indian Kitchen, Bombay Express
Vietnamese: Sunflower, Kim Phung, Pho Saigon, Le Soleil, Lulu B’s, Elizabeth St. Cafe
Thai: Thai Kitchen, Titaya’s, Thai Fresh, Madam Mam’s, Sala Thai Drinks, Subsin’s Thai
Chinese: Chen’s Noodle House, Asia Cafe, A+A Sichuan, Din Ho, Veggie Heaven
African: Aster’s Ethiopian, Karibu, Wasota African Cuisine
Breakfast & Brunch
**BREAKFAST TACOS/MEXICAN BREAKFAST: any of these locations
**MIGAS: Cocina de Consuelo, Polvo’s, Magnolia Cafe, Joe’s Bakery & Mexican Food
BREAKFAST (daily): Counter Cafe, Casa de Luz, Bouldin Creek Cafe, Magnolia Cafe, South Congress Cafe, Annie’s, Blue Dahlia Bistro
WEEKEND BRUNCH: Fonda San Miguel, Olivia, South Congress Cafe, Green Pastures, La Condesa, Manuel’s, Enoteca Vespaio, Lambert’s, Moonshine, Taverna, Chez Zee, Woodland
More Miscellany
FOOD TRUCKS & TRAILERS: **Gourdough’s, **East Side King, Counter Culture, Love Balls Bus, El Naranjo, Veracruz All Natural, Sushi A Go Go, Three Little Pigs, G’Raj Mahal, Seedling Truck, Little Thai Food, The Shed BBQ Trailer, Kebabalicious, Best Wurst, Bananarchy, GoodPop, Vegan Yacht, Wasota African Cuisine
BEER: **Whip In, **Black Star Co-Op, **The Ginger Man, Live Oak, Austin Beer Works, Circle Brewing Company, Hops & Grain, Elephant Room, Dog & Duck Pub, Draught House, Flying Saucer, Cherrywood Coffeehouse, Thunderbird Coffee, Alamo Drafthouse
COFFEE: **Houndstooth Coffee, **Caffe Medici (West Lynn or Guadalupe), **Once Over Coffee Bar, Patika Coffee, La Boite, Green Muse Cafe, Thunderbird Coffee, Bouldin Creek Cafe, Cherrywood Coffeehouse, Progress Coffee
DESSERTS & SWEETS: **Gourdough’s, Lick Ice Cream, Thai Fresh, Sweet Ritual, Toy Joy, Bananarchy, Veracruz All Natural, Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop, Mr. Natural, Beets Living Foods Cafe, Counter Culture Food Cart, Casa de Luz, Good Pops, Uchi, Uchiko
24-HOUR: **Magnolia Cafe, La Mexicana Bakery, Kerbey Lane Cafe (original on Kerbey Ln is best), 24 Diner, Epoch Coffee, Bennu Coffee
LATE NIGHT: East Side Showroom, Justine’s, Las Cazuelas, East Side King, Best Wurst, Cheer Up Charlie’s/Vegan Yacht, El Tacorrido, Sam’s BBQ, Spider House Cafe, 888 Vietnamese
DIVE BARS (Old School): Horseshoe Lounge, Deep Eddy Cabaret, Mean Eyed Cat, Donn’s Depot, Broken Spoke, Lala’s Little Nugget, Ginny’s Little Longhorn (Chickenshit Bingo on Sundays!), Cloak Room
DIVE BARS (Hipster Dives): Shangri-La, Longbranch Inn, Scoot Inn, The Liberty, Volstead Lounge, Rio Rita, The White Horse, The Eastern, The Grackle, Swan Dive, Yellow Jacket Social Club
COCKTAILS: East Side Showroom, Bar Congress, The Highball, Volstead Lounge, Tigress Pub
BURGERS: **Hop Doddy, P. Terry’s Burger Stand, Stack Burger Bar, Wholly Cow Burgers
SANDWICHES: **Foodheads, Little Deli, Counter Culture, Three Little Pigs, Fricano’s Deli, Tam Deli
PIZZA: Home Slice, House Pizzeria, Backspace, East Side Pies, Red House
VEGETARIAN/VEGAN: **Counter Culture, Casa de Luz, Beets Living Foods Cafe, Veggie Heaven, Mr. Natural, Daily Juice, Borboleta Gourmet Living Cuisine, Bouldin Creek Cafe, Vegan Yacht
GROCERY: **Whole Foods, Wheatsville Co-op, Central Market, Antonelli’s Cheese Shop
FUN: **Alamo Drafthouse or Violet Crown Cinema (films + food), **Barton Springs (swimming), **The Broken Spoke or Donn’s Deport (two-stepping), Uncommon Objects (ephemera), Toy Joy (toys and vegan soft-serve), El Milagro (tortilla factory)
HOTELS: **Hotel Saint Cecilia, **Hotel San Jose, Austin Motel, The Driskill Hotel, KimberModern
LINKS: Where to see live music (Showlist Austin & Bill’s Map), Local Alt. Weekly (Austin Chronicle)
OUTSIDE AUSTIN
PLUGERVILLE: Cafe Mangu, Taste of Ethiopia
ROUND ROCK: Teji, Juarez Mexican Bakery, Yama Sushi, Johnny T’s BBQ
ELGIN: The Taco Stop, Southside Market, Meyer’s Elgin Smokehouse
MARFA: Food Shark, Miniature Rooster, Chinati Foundation, Ballroom Marfa, Tacos Del Norte, Carmen’s Cafe, Austin Street Cafe, Cochineal, Maiya’s, Get Go Grocery, Saturday Farmer’s Market, Thunderbird Hotel, Hotel Paisano, El Cosmico, Pizza Foundation
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