This is a list of different restaurants, bars, things to do, places with incredible views, and many more items that I have visited and deemed as a “Must Visit” when you come to visit Austin, Texas.
If you already live here, perfect, go check out these places today! (And tag me [@ATXFYI] on your posts of your first-time explorations!)
Each place has a link to their website if you click on the name to find out more information.
I will constantly update this post whenever I find new places.
This post has been updated last January 10, 2024.
RESTAURANTS
🍴
RESTAURANTS 🍴
TACOS
7 Estrellas (north atx)
authentic late-night tacos
an atx FYI: get the al pastor & jalapenoDiscada (east atx)
La Santa Barbacha (dt atx)
Ensenada (east atx) seafood tacos
Nixta (east atx)
Paprika (north atx)
Matador @ lustre pearl south (south atx)
an atx FYI: go on tues to try the granny tacosPapalote (south lamar, SoCo, & southwest)
Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ (south atx)
Tejas Birria (sochac district & buda)
Cuantos Tacos (east atx)
Velvet Taco (Domain & DT)
Veracruz (5 locations!)
The Peached Tortilla (north atx)
Torchy’s Tacos
it’s touristy but you’ve got to go to say you’ve gone! get the queso!
BREAKFAST TACOS
Paco’s Tacos (mueller)
Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ (south atx)
Tacodeli (7 locations)
Juan in a Million (east atx)
[ Get the Don Juan- El Taco Grande, if you dare! ]
BRUNCH + BREAKFAST
Sawyer & Co (east atx)
Tillery Kitchen & Bar (east atx)
Geraldine’s (rainey)
Paperboy (east atx)
Snooze A.M. Eatery (3 locations)
Better Half (dt)
Revelry Kitchen + Bar (east atx)
Barley Bean (south lamar)
Oasthouse (northwest atx)
Cenote (east & north atx)
Eastside Tavern (east atx)
Austin Java (south atx)
AMERICAN CUISINE
🍕
AMERICAN CUISINE 🍕
barbecue
Franklin Barbecue (east atx)
be prepared to get there around 6 or 7am and wait until they open at 10:59am. the line varies on the day of the week and the weather.
IT IS WORTH THE WAIT
LeRoy and Lewis (south congress)
barbacoa, beef cheeks, burger, pork hash, barbacado, & akaushi brisket (sat&sun only)Interstellar BBQ (far north austin)
Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ (south atx)
Loro (south lamar)
Japanese Smokehouse
an atx FYI: get brisket sandwich and oak grilled snap peas!SLAB BBQ (north, south, west atx)
best nachos in ATX / dope bbq sandwichesFreedman’s BBQ — R.I.P.
Other places I haven’t visited but have heard great things about: Coopers Old Town, and Lamberts.
Kerlaches - bbq kolaches!
See my post about Battle of the BBQ
burgers
LeRoy & Lewis (SoCo)
two words: brisket burgerBad Larry Burger Club
pop-up - keep eye on their IGSour Duck Market (east atx)
Salt & Time (east atx)
NADC (rainey)
Perla’s (SoCo)
Two Hands (SoCo)
Phil’s Icehouse (north atx & south lamar)
P. Terry’s (fast food)
Top Notch (N.ATX)
you might recognize this place from the film, Dazed and Confused ;)Whataburger
Because… Texas.
steak
Intero (east atx)
yes, an italian place has provided the BEST steak I’ve had in austinSalt & Time Butcher and Salumeria (east atx)
J. Carver (dt atx)
SEAFOOD
Canje (east atx)
my current favorite restaurant
upscale Caribbean foodGarbo’s (north atx)
wonderful lobster roll!Salt Trader’s (zilker + RR)
from the owner of Jack Allen’s!
Being from Florida, this is a hard category to satisfy what I’m used to eating fresh from the Gulf!
LATIN AMERICAN
Habana SoCo | cuban (SoCo)
Tamale House East (east atx)
Plaza Colombian Cafe (south atx)
La Condesa (dt)
Cruzteca 512 (south atx)
Four Brothers | venezuelan (barton springs mall)
Iska’s Secrets | cuban (sochac district)
pizza
Pedroso’s Pizza (north atx) NY Style
Feral Pizza (northloop) NY Style
Sammataro (east atx) NY Style
Little Deli (north atx) NJ Style
side eye pie (southeast atx)
Austin Beer Garden Brewery Company (ABGB) (south atx)
Toss Pizzeria & Pub (south atx) NY style
Home Slice Pizza (north atx & SoCo)
NY StylePieous (southwest atx)
Make sure to get their charcuterie board too!
subs
sandwiches
hoagies
Home Slice Pizza (north atx & SoCo)
TRUST ME! - get a cold subPapi’s Hoagies (east atx)
get their original Italian hoagieR&B’s Steak & Fries (east atx)
my favorite cheesesteak in austinLittle Deli (north atx)
get one of their Italian subsAustin Daily Press (east & south lamar)
an atx FYI: get lucille torta + jalapeno hushpuppies!
Buenos Aires Cafe (east atx & bee cave)
an atx FYI: get the lomito beef sandwich!Easy Tiger (north, south, & east atx)
modern american
Eberly (south lamar)
Hestia (downtown) - higher pricepoint but INCREDIBLE dining experience - great special occasion spot
Hank’s (north east atx)
Salty Sow (north east atx)
Culinary Dropout (domain)
The Peached Tortilla (north atx)
Bar Peached (downtown)
Oasthouse Kitchen + Bar (steiner & south atx)
WINGS
Wingzup (north atx)
an atx FYI: try their smoked or grilled wings!
Toss Pizzeria & Pub (south atx)
The League Kitchen & Tavern
(3 locations)Chi'lantro (7 locations!)
Korean wings, yum!Wing Toss (at Love 312 Pizza) —- closed
healthy
True Food Kitchen (domain & dt)
RanchHand Organic Bowls
a food truck, currently located at Armadillo Den (sochac district)JuiceLand (several locations)
Honest Mary’s (north atx)
Modern Market (many locations)
ASIAN CUISINE
🍜
ASIAN CUISINE 🍜
indian
Biryani-N-Grill (north atx)
Clay Pit (downtown)
Dosa Shack (north)
KOREAN
Charm Korean BBQ (north atx)
Chi'Lantro BBQ (several locations!)
thai
Sap’s Fine Thai Cuisine (south atx)
Titaya Thai (north atx)
Tuk Tuk Thai Cafe (south atx)
VIETNAMESE
Pho With Us (south atx)
Pho Thaison (north atx)
Simply Pho (west atx)
Pho Craft (east atx)
DESSERTS
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DESSERTS 🧁
COLD TREATS
Jim Jim’s Water Ice (DT)
Besame | best ice cream (southeast atx)
Anti-Social Icecream Co. (north west atx)
Amy’s Ice Cream (many locations)
NadaMoo! Scoop Shop | Vegan (S.ATX) scoop shop temp closed
BAKERY
Capital City Bakery | Vegan (east atx)
Comadre Panaderia (east atx)
La Pâtisserie (south atx)
The Cake and Spoon | pick-up only or available at franklin bbq
DONUTS
Round Rock Donuts - BEST Donuts ever!
Little Lucy’s Mini Donuts (domain & rainey)
Bougie’s Donuts (sunset valley)
Duck’s Donuts (pflugerville)
made to order donuts!Gourdough’s (south atx)
The Salty Donut (SoCo)
Voodoo Doughnut (dt) [ Cash Only ]
[Interesting donuts to try]
NIGHTLIFE
🪩
NIGHTLIFE 🪩
cocktail bars
The Roosevelt Room (dt)
The Cavalier (east atx)
DuMont’s Down Low (dt)
Small Victory (dt)
Whisler’s (east atx)
an atx FYI: get an old fashionedSeven Grand (dt)
High Noon (east atx)
Kitty Cohen’s (east atx)
Cedar Tavern [ in Eberly ] (south lamar)
The Wheel (east atx)
Upstairs at Caroline (dt)
WINE BARS/WINERIES
Wanderlust Wine Co. (dt + east)
The Infinite Monkey Theorem (closed)
Winebelly (closed)
concert & show venues
Stubb’s BBQ (dt)
outside venue is awesome!Paramount Theater (dt)
best place to sit is anywhere on the lower levelMohawk Austin (dt)
Zilker Park (zilker)
Germania Insurance Amphitheater @ COTA (southeast atx)
BREWERIES
Meanwhile Brewing (south east atx)
Pinthouse Brewing (many locations)
Austin Beerworks (north atx)
Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. (south)
Celis Brewery (north atx)
Jester King Brewery (southwest atx)
CIDERY
Austin Eastciders Collaboratory (south)
DISTILLERIES
Still Austin Whiskey (south atx)
Fierce Whiskers (southeast atx)
Desert Door Sotol (driftwood - SW)
speakeasy lounges
Here Nor There (hidden)
Kinfolk (hidden)
Small Victory (hidden)
Firehouse Hostel & Lounge (behind a bookcase)
DuMont’s Down Low (dt)
Red Headed StepChild (dt)
hidden behind a business front of a repair of an outdated piece of technology. small bar, need to have a code to get in.
dance clubs
Summit Austin (dt)
Speakeasy Austin (dt)
not a speakeasy, but a fun, rooftop clubHangar Lounge (dt) - closed
Hen House (dt) - closed
LATE NIGHT EATS
Kerbey Lane Cafe (several locations)
Velvet Taco (domain & dt)
24 Diner (dt)
Here’s a link to my article with a list of Late Night spots: HERE
COFFEE SHOPS
Cuvée Coffee Bar (east atx)
Houndstooth Coffee Cafe (domain)
Merit Coffee (south lamar & triangle)
Bougie’s Donuts & Coffee (sw atx)
Barley Bean Coffee (south lamar)
Cenote (east + north atx)
Better Half Bar (dt)
GYMS
Big Tex Gym (north atx)
Castle Hill Fitness (west & south atx)
Black Swan Yoga (several locations)
TOURISTY FUN THINGS
Go on an ATX FYI Sunset Boat Cruise! (no current cruises right now)
Take photos with all the MURALS around town
Use my page to find them and their details HEREDuck Tour
look on Groupon to find discounted tickets!Hamilton Pool
30 miles west from downtown - you’ll need a reservationUncommon Objects
antiques and eclectic itemsWaterloo Records
incredible record store from 1982
SHOPPING
South Congress Avenue
Nellie St to W. Johanna St
MOVIE THEATERS
BEAUTIFUL VIEWS
Mount Bonnell
tallest point in AustinOasis Texas Brewing Company
has an incredible Lake Travis View
(avoid Oasis Restaurant, the food isn’t great, it’s more of a tourist trap)Gnarly Gar [Lake Travis View]
Emerald Point Bar and Grill (EPBG) Lake Travis View
(Used to be Ernie’s On The Lake)Hula Hut [Lake Austin View]
Austin Public Library
(Skyline views)
Thanks for checking my list out! If you have any other categories that you think are important, send me a message under “Contact Us” HERE or message me on any of my socials.
Cheers!
