PrintNeed Great Austin Eats!
I'll be visiting Austin, Texas in April and have started to scout some spots for the 5 day jaunt. What are some great central city eats? I'm looking for low-key, funky places for dinner, as well as great breakfast joints. Maybe a couple of places that are good for groups too. And if anyone wants to throw in some bars with good music and beers, I'd love some tips. Thanks!
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12 Comments:
posted this on another Austin thread here a while back
See chowhound threads on Austin tacos and Mexican food in general.
I was just in Austin last week, Madam Mam's south is great Thai, Taqueria Arrandas (any location, I prefer East 7th), Mi Madre's on Manor, Salt Lick is great barbecue but near San Antonio drive to Lockhart first and eat at Kreuz's, Smitty's, or Black's before anywhere else. Sam's Barbecue in East Austin for some barbecue mutton.
Dan's Hamburgers on Manchaca or Dirty's on Guadalupe for good burgers.
Mr. Naturals for some kick ass vegan mexican food and you can do some yoga in spanish and get visit the herberia at the same time.
For a real South Austin time, go to Maria's on S. Lamar for tacos and music and say hello to my parents who are all too often sitting on the patio. It has been way over hyped in recent years but for good reason.
Castle Hill in Austin for excellent unpretentious fine dining. I often think of my meal at La Reve in San Antonio and just the memory takes me to a really lovely place. Dear god it was good.
I lived in Austin for 27 years and could only be dragged to places like Magnolia or Kerbey Lane, boring, blah, diner food and often not well prepared. Never appealed to me for food, but I do enjoy their charm and people I liked to see occasionally wanted to meet there, but I would almost never eat.
Bouldin Creek is an excellent coffee shop (mostly due to the coffee from Texas Coffee Traders, and the excellent atmosphere) but the food is hit or miss and the service is hippy/hipster coffee shop abyssmal, but at least everyone is nice. I drank coffee there 4 times a week or more for years.
Walk down Barton Springs Rd. w/ Chuys, Shady Grove (owned by the same people), have a drink, but eat elsewhere. Go eat anywhere of South 1st, or Lambert's (new downtown, close to the lake, excellent if expensive for me [10-15 per plate], locally sourced food and meat, heirloom variety barbecue, one of the best cooks in Austin for years and finally making it]
God bless Tito's Vodka, of course I am still partial to a 6 pack of Lone Star Tall Boys.
intheyearofthepig at 5:19PM on 02/29/08
Okay, pretty much everything that intheyearofthepig said. I also have to add that -- while the food is very, very bland and sometimes verging on inedible -- you have to go to The Oasis, for the view alone. It's built into the cliffs overlooking Lake Travis. Make sure you get there in time to catch the sunset and just content yourself with some beers, since the food is really blah. Plus, the drive out to The Oasis through the hills can't be beat.
Congress Ave. is a good spot for people-watching during the day (both celebrities and politicians frequent the restaurants at lunchtime). Just take a walk down from the capitol building and see what takes your fancy.
Barton Springs really does have some fantastic restaurants, but make sure to get to Shady Grove early since it fills up FAST. Austin Java in particular is a fun place to grab breakfast. I miss going there so much...
Fun bars with music can be found practically anywhere -- this is the live music capital, after all -- but if you're looking for something accessible and not crowded with frat boys getting into fights and puking on your shoes, head over to 4th Street at night. NOT 6th Street. Halcyon (coffee shop) is a nice respite from the bars afterwards and they have a wicked cigar shop.
Just off 4th Street is Cuba Libre, a neat Cuban restaurant by day/hip lounge by night. Nighttime is an especially fun time to go. Have a mojito and people-watch. It's a very see-and-be-seen place.
Speakeasy is one of my favorite places to go for live music, since they have a great rooftop bar where you can go to escape and relax if the scene inside gets too hectic. The entrance is in a shady-looking back alley off 4th Street, between Colorado and Congress. You'll know it when you see it. :)
Have fun! Austin is a great town -- you'll never want to leave!
sheeats at 5:33PM on 02/29/08
Oh! And how could I forget Mozart's Coffee Roasters? Seriously great coffee, delicious pastries, free wi-fi, live music and a beautiful view over the lake. They have an enormous deck with picnic tables, great for a group coffee outing. :) There are also several other restaurants nestled alongside Mozart's (on Lake Austin Blvd.), all of which would be good for groups.
sheeats at 5:38PM on 02/29/08
MARS Restaurant. I actually haven't been in a couple years, but they used to be reliably tasty. The atmosphere is very funky! www.marsaustin.com
GumbeauxGal at 9:49PM on 02/29/08
I recommend Tam Deli on North Lamar (past Research Blvd) for delicious, genuine Vietnamese sandwiches, and Azul (whose address I forget now, but it's pretty far south) for MORE delicious sandwiches!
And for the best Italian I've had anywhere, with reasonable prices, check out Vespaio and its little sister deli, Enoteca Vespaio, on South Congress Ave.
Christina at 11:33PM on 02/29/08
Thanks so much for the great suggestions. I'll be reporting back on my blog www.readkitchen.blogspot.com in April with my finds!
lesliepariseau at 5:11PM on 03/01/08
You should check out the Broken Spoke. It's a honky tonk and serves food: get your chicken fried steak and your two-step on.
Definitely search the chowhound Austin board. There are some serious aficionados of the Austin taco-trucks, local and beyond barbecue, etc., etc.
Avoid being talked into Hut's Hamburgers. It's famous, but I went there last week and it was truly terrible. Likewise with Threadgill's.
On 6th street, try Jackelope if you're into tattoos and illegal smoking. They also serve some respectable burgers, etc. Most of 6th street is for 20 year olds, otherwise. But if you're out there late, look for the Best Wurst cart: great 2am food.
Otherwise, I agree with the 4th street rec, but not about Halycon. Every time I pass that place it is unbelievably packed (ie, shoulder to shoulder).
renzata at 8:28PM on 03/01/08
i lived down the street from the broken spoke the year i lived in austin. i still miss it...
cybercita at 8:54PM on 03/01/08
What about P. Terry's, a wonderful organic burger place on Barton Springs Rd., and Flip Happy Crepes, a wandering crepe cart that's somewhere behind P. Terry's.
Christina at 9:53PM on 03/01/08
If you're around on a weekend, try Chinatown restaurant (the north location on greystone) for some of the yummiest dim sum dishes I've seen anywhere. I lived in NYC last year and am based in Boston now and can't find anything like it on the east coast. They have desserts that are shaped like little mice for the year of the rat! Definitely try the coffee ribs too...they actually come in a coffee mug.
AshinCambridge at 1:52PM on 03/03/08
Lulu Bs is a new trailer at Oltorf and South Lamar with Bahn Mi, Summer rolls and vermicelli. Hot Dog King at 8th and Red River at night kicks serious butt as well. Torchy's Tacos (Two locations on South First, one on West 6th) has decent tacos, Whole Foods Market at 6th and Lamar is amazing as well (and has a little bit of everything). The afore mentioned P. Terry's and Flip Happy are also great places.
For fancy stuff, Uchi is great but will probably have long waits, Starlite on Colorado is outstanding, as are Restaurant Jezebel on Congress and Aquarelle on (I'm not sure...West maybe?).
Azul, the sandwich place is now closed, but Azul Tequila, an interior Mexican place, is supposed to be good. Sazon on South Lamar is awesome for Mexican too.
thefoodporncess at 8:24PM on 03/05/08
Thanks to all for the suggestions! Here's a little write-up on what I found:
http://readkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/04/now-serving-austin.html
I especially loved Bouldin Creek Cafe and Lamberts. I wasn't able to write about Longhouse or Club de Ville, but they were fabulous bars hidden away from all of the hubub. Wish I'd had more time to explore the nooks and crannies a bit more, but perhaps next time!
lesliepariseau at 4:41PM on 04/14/08