With an average temperature of 68-70 degrees F, Barton Springs Pool is a mainstay for Austinites to relax and cool off on a hot Texas summer day. Fed by natural springs and many old pecan trees to relax under, the pool is popular for all and is a great place to relax on a hot day. If you bring a snorkel and goggles, you might be able to capture a glimpse of one of the endangered Barton Springs Salamanders that call the springs home! We recommend parking on the south side of the pool off Azie Morton to avoid large lines to enter.
This is a fantastic barbecue place! Sometimes there is a wait, but not nearly as long as some barbecue places in Austin. Definitely order the brisket!
Awesome Austin Tacos! Make sure to try the migas!
Great craft beer with some guest selections including cider and wine for those that aren't beer drinkers. Have great hand-tossed style pizza and fresh salads that should please everyone.
The Greenbelt is one of the most amazing parts of Austin! Head here for a hike, a dip in one of the swimming holes, or a day rock climbing! If you use the Spyglass entrance, you can stop at Taco Deli before or after your hike to "fuel up"!
WE LOVE THIS BAKERY! When we lived in Austin, we went here practically every other weekend. Jon highly recommends the cream cheese Danish.
Austinites love good breakfast tacos and Tacodeli delivers the goods! They have multiple locations throughout Austin including the airport, so you don't have to go to the one on Congress. Jon's favorite salsa is the green doña salsa (hot). Erin likes the verde (mild) and the roja (medium).
Known as the best barbecue in Austin, some would say all of Texas, Franklin barbecue has amazing brisket and beef ribs. They are open for lunch until they sell out, which is every day. When the dining room is open, be ready for a multiple hour wait. Their meat can be ordered ahead of time but requires a minimum 3 lb purchase.
Jon says this is some of the best coffee you can get in Austin.
Erin and Jon's favorite treat-yo-self restaurant. An amazing farm to table restaurant that has an ever changing menu. Specializing in small sharable plates, they also have amazing cocktails. On the pricey side but worth it if you are wanting to celebrate something (like a wedding)!
If you want a Tex Mex spin on Austin BBQ, this is the place! Think tortillas instead of white bread (what's the deal with that anyway!) and a shorter wait than Franklin's! Definitely has some of the best sides of all BBQ joints in Austin.
Excellent Neapolitan style pizza with great starters. On the fancier side of the pizza spectrum.
With high quality Japanese food, Uchiko has one of the best happy hours in Austin. Get there around 15-20 min before it opens at happy hour to make sure you can get a table. The prices and quality cannot be beat. If you don't mind spending a little more, go there for an excellent dinner menu. Note: Erin and I have only experienced their happy hour though our friends note that their dinner menu is one of the best in Austin as well. If you are feeling especially frisky, check out their sister (and more expensive) restaurant south of the river on the same street, Uchi.
Jon says this is the other acceptable coffee place after Figure 8 and Houndstooth.
This place has some amazing Thai food in a cool atmosphere. The cocktails are really good also!
If you need a fast food fix, P. Terry's is better than Whataburger and is an Austin chain. Good burgers, fries and caramel shakes!
We lived two blocks from Spider House when we lived in Austin! It's a great venue for a causal drink and people watching. The cafe/bar is definitely Austin weird! We really enjoy chilling outside at the cafe/bar area with the eclectic decorations, but the ballroom/arcade is cool too! The shows here are usually pretty unique and highly entertaining! There's also typically a couple awesome food trucks.
Really cool limestone formation with a pool for swimming. Reservations are usually required to enter, so be sure to make those well ahead of your planned visit. Also note that sometimes swimming is not allowed due to bacteria levels and rocks falling (eek!). Still a cool place to visit!
Fantastic music venue! Both indoor and outdoor stages make for a cool, intimate vibe that can still support a sizable show. We've seen anything from the Black Pumas to Wolf Parade here!
The other legit ramen place in Austin. There are two locations, the one listed here is the restaurant. The other is take-out only.
Really cool pink granite formation between Llano and Fredricksburg. Nice short hikes around the domes and to the top also. If you bring a headlamp, you can find a cave to explore as well! For those rock climbers out there, there are some good trad and sport routes on the different formations. Great way to explore some of the hill country and while you are out here, you can stop at one of the many wineries around Fredricksburg.
Some great Neapolitan style pizza. They also make their own pastrami that is to die for! We recommend getting a salad with the pastrami on it, a pizza, and some beer!
The ABGB has some great pizza and great beers. Jon personally thinks their best beers are their light lagers but they have some excellent pale ales as well! They have good outdoor seating, which is nice since it can get a little loud inside.
One of the two mainstay ramen places in Austin. There are three locations in Austin. Expect a line but the ramen is legit!
A great Austin brewery!
Awesome vegetarian place with a fantastic brunch and a great South Austin vibe. Jon loves the migas for breakfast!
Another amazing barbecue joint/truck. This one is on the same level as Franklin, La Barbecue, and Valentina's.
Known by some as "the best barbecue you don't have to wait in line for", we have yet to find a Texas style barbecue joint outside the state of Texas that comes close to this place.
Jon says this one is acceptable if you don't go to Figure 8.
Cool indoor/outdoor bar with solid drinks and a laid back vibe!
If you're visiting Austin with Children, the Thinkery is a fantastic children's museum!
Small music venue for blues and soul. Lots of locals go here. Make sure to keep your group small as the space is tiny!
Small "classic Austin" music venue/bar with a good variety of music depending on the night. If you can, head here for Africa night - food, drinks, and awesome music!
Our go to place for two-stepping! This Austin honky-tonk has some fantastic history and there is almost always live music and dancing. If you're going to head here for a night out, make sure to check if there is a cover charge!
This little slice of Austin might not be around much longer! Rainey Street was historically known for the small homes that had been converted into casual bars with a chill vibe. These days, it's still a fun night life destination - just a little less "small town" than it once was.
If you want to be active and try out a local climbing gym, Austin Bouldering Project is a great place to start! It's fun and has lots of easy beginner routes if you're new to climbing (as well as the more advanced stuff). You can get a day pass and rent shoes at the gym. We also recommend grabbing a beer at Friends and Allies or a cider at Austin Eastciders just next door after your workout.
This taco chain has several locations across Austin (and now other cities)! It's a little different than our other favorite taco spots, but this chain started right here in Austin and we're proud to recommend it.
If you need a break from running around Austin and want to relax and catch a movie, this movie theater is very Austin cool! You can order food in the theater and we recommend their milkshakes. They often have very unique offerings and cult classics! We like the location at South Lamar, but there are several locations around town.
This amazing restaurant/butcher shop serves dinner and weekend brunch. The dinner menu features meats grilled over an open flame. The front of the space is a butcher shop while the back is the restaurant. Jon and Erin have only been fortunate enough to have experienced the dinner menu, which is spectacular. However, everyone we have talked to tell us the brunch is also amazing.
This bakery/beer garden is owned by the same group that owns Barley Swine. The bakery produces the baked goods sold at their other restaurants (e.g., Odd Duck, Barley Swine) as well as stuff that you can purchase on site. The beer garden has a great beer menu with some excellent house cocktails on tap. The dinner menu includes some great small bites as well as some larger dishes. The burger is pretty amazing and the happy hour price on Yellow Rose IPA cannot be beat.
An amazing location for happy hour, the cocktails are tasty and the small plates are excellent. Jon and Erin personally love the tacos, brussel sprouts, and fried chicken!