Gabbi Hall
Traveling—in many ways—is about eating and drinking in different places. I recently traveled to Austin, Texas, to visit my younger sister, who works in finance there. My friend, Hilary, flew in from Salt Lake City to join in on the fun.
Austin, Texas, might be one of the best places for drinking and eating in the U.S. There is a lot of eating and drinking to be done, and I’ve really only scraped the surface at this point and let me tell you, the surface tastes REAL good.
Coffee Shops and Breakfast in Austin, TX
Do you also have siblings who don’t drink coffee? Then, you will need to find some coffee shops to get you kickstarted in the morning. Here’s where I ended up.
Get Caffeinated at Houndstooth Coffee
I walked into Houndstooth Coffee randomly while my sister was getting her hair done. I needed a place with wifi and good coffee and this fit the bill (Thanks, Yelp!). I went to their location on North Lamar St. but they do have multiple Austin locations including downtown.
It doesn’t get trendier than this. Lots of bright natural light, Instagrammable lattes in mugs, bright blue walls and wood panels and baristas in bow ties. It’s clearly a local favorite because it was very busy with students and freelancers on laptops, but I still managed to find a table to work at for a couple of hours.
The coffee was pricey—similar to what you’d pay at Starbucks—but good. So, in my mind, it was worth it to go somewhere local.
Grab Breakfast at Caffe Medici and Tacodeli
Caffe Medici was my sister’s recommendation—not just for coffee. They also get a stock pile of Tacodeli breakfast tacos in the morning. Tacodeli was founded in 1999 in Austin by a man from Mexico City, so as the kids say, “It’s legit.” They now have locations all across Texas, and my sister raved about the tacos from the time I landed.
When you order the breakfast tacos, they are all good, but my favorite was the Migas with scrambled eggs, tomato, onion, jalapeño, tortilla chips and jack cheese. I didn’t expect it to be my favorite, but it was the surprise winner. Caffe Medici itself has locations around Austin, both downtown and in the suburbs. Coffee-wise, I preferred Houndstooth, but it’s hard to beat the Tacodeli breakfast tacos!
Enjoy the River View at Mozart’s Coffee
Mozart’s Coffee sits outside the city near Terrytown and Westfield along the Colorado River. You come here for the peaceful ambiance. With tons of deck seating on the water, it’s quiet and beautiful. They are a bakery so come for the croissants and other sweet treats. They do have breakfast tacos, but they didn’t stand up to the Tacodeli ones. Of course, that’s not a reason not to visit! Just a recommendation to indulge in scone.
Delicious Restaurants in Austin, TX
Refuel with Lunch at Eureka
Sure, it’s a chain. That doesn’t mean this place on Sixth St. isn’t f***ing tasty. After walking 15,000 steps along the river, we deserved burgers and beers. My sister—who lives in Austin—warned us, “It’s really good, but it’s a chain.” Eureka is all about craft beer, small batch spirits and burgers—that’s a chain I can get on board with.
I ordered the Cowboy Burger with shoestring onion rings, bacon, cheddar and beer barbeque sauce. My vegetarian friend had the house made red beet and kidney bean patty, house pickles, tomato, red onion, arugula and lemon vinaigrette, so yay! There’s something for everyone!
I also had a flight of beers—generous pours from their rotating list of beers on tap. I selected fruity beers, and I am now very angry at myself for not writing down the names of the beers for you! But since they are rotation, I suppose it doesn’t matter! Just enjoy the adventure and ask your waiter or waitress for recommendations.
Guac and Talk at the Iron Cactus
After we got tattoos on Sixth St (that story is below), we needed a snack and a cocktail! Fun fact: I had actually been to Iron Cactus on a past trip to Austin nearly 4 years ago and didn’t know it until I walked in. So anyway, we popped in to sit on the deck, which is covered so you can sit out there even if it’s raining. From the deck, you can hear live music coming from the bar across the street.
We didn’t order main dishes, but we did order cocktails. The blood orange margarita and the Paloma were both fantastic. And then, of course, we need a snack, so we ordered chips and guacamole. It’s nacho average chips and guac. They make the guacamole tableside complete with all the fixings to mix in and squished to your preference. This isn’t the most extra or instagrammable or extravagant experience, but oh man, it was so tasty!
Brussel Sprouts Seafood Risotto
Dinner for Everyone at Revue
I found Revue on Open Table without realizing it was in the Fairmont Hotel. It had good reviews on the app, but when our Uber pulled into the Fairmont, I was a little disappointed to find out we were eating in a hotel.
That said, it’s a gorgeous hotel and the restaurant was a very good. It was four kitchens with four cuisines in one setting, meaning my sister could have a Korean bowl, I could have seafood risotto, and my friend could have pizza. So, while a hotel not might be the coolest ambiance, this is a great option if you have a group of people who can’t agree on a cuisine.
Spice Up Your Night at G’Raj Mahal
Of all the places you should try in Austin, TX, this is where you need to make a reservation. Located on Rainey St., the G’Raj Mahal used to be a food truck and turned into a funky hotspot in the midst of iconic Austin bars. Aside from Tacodeli, this was my sister’s must-visit restaurant.
Sit outside on the back deck. Oh, and make a reservation. It gets busy! Now, the tikka masala is a classic Indian dish and came highly recommended. However, I went for the Malabar curry with chicken with a medium spiciness. Holy cow, you guys! It did not disappoint. Paired with an order of garlic naan, and you’ll be going straight to heaven.
Cool Bars in Austin, TX
Blood Orange Margarita at Anthem
Anthem is a really cute spot in the bottom of an apartment building on the end of Rainey St. It’s got a beachy vibe with yellow leather stools at the bar. I only sat for one drink and had the Blood Orange Margarita—a blended beverage that was perfectly refreshing for a hot day. At $6.50, it was strong, refreshing and delicious.
Deep Eddy Grapefruit Vodka and Soda at Native Bar & Hostel
Native Bar & Hostel is my sister’s favorite bar, and it has a wicked cool vibe. There were multiple bars and a good crowd of people. Mostly young 20- and 30-somethings out for the night. That particular night was their 2-year anniversary and they threw a 90s style kegger in their back warehouse/event space. Had I been in a mood to get white-girl wasted, I would have been so on board with that party! But we stuck to the regular bars and it was perfect. The DJ played great music and the couches were comfortable.
When you’re here there’s a lot of good drinks, but I recommend getting Deep Eddy Grapefruit Vodka with soda and lime. If you haven’t had Deep Eddy vodkas, you’re missing out. They are awesome and perfect for summer drinking!
P.S. Yes, this is also a hostel!
Beer and Games at Lustre Pearl
Okay, there’s more than beer here. There’s a full bar. But It’s the kind of bar where you’d drink a beer and play corn hole. It’s more low-key than a lot of the bars on Rainey St. You can hula hoop. Sit at picnic table and actually have a conversation instead of being overwhelmed by the noise.
Things to See and Do in Austin, TX
Get a Tattoo at All Saints Tattoo on Sixth St
We came to Austin knowing we were going to get tattoos. My sister and I wanted matching tattoos—just something simple since it was her first tattoo. Hilary was getting her dad’s signature. And we spent a ton of time looking for artists and considering making appointments. Then, we said, “F*** it. We’ll walk in somewhere.” So, we went to Yelp and found the highly-rated All Saints Tattoo on Sixth St.
We walked in right after they opened at noon on a Friday and the artist Sandy was able to squeeze us all in. Sandy was amazing and really nice to my sister during her first tattoo experience. The shop was clean. The people were nice. So, if you’re ready to get a tattoo (or decide to be spontaneous and get one), this is a good spot.
Walk Along Lady Bird Lake
If you want a little exercise and gorgeous views of the city, walking along Lady Bird Lake—a section of the Colorado River—is a great way to spend some time. It’s a dirt trail for most the way, so bring the right footwear. It’s a gorgeous walk and a great way to spend time talking with friends in the sunshine.
You can see a full trail map here.
Wow, this might be my longest blog post, and I didn’t even cover it all! I’ll have to do round two when I go back to visit my sister.
