Caroline & Alexander
Things To Do
South Congress
South of Town Lake which divides Austin into North and South, the iconic South Congress Avenue offers a gorgeous view of the Texas Capitol, and some of the best shopping, dining and people-watching in town. South Congress, dubbed by locals as SoCo, is nationally known for eclectic retail offerings, a constant stream of live music, and an array of dining options. Visitng South Congress is a must-do in Austin!
Zilker Park & Town Lake Trail
Zilker Park is Austin's oldest metropolitan park. The park is located at the juncture of Barton Creek and Town Lake and comprises more than 350 acres of publicly owned land. The park serves as a hub for many recreational activities and is a great place to get a view of the skyline and get a starting point onto Town Lake Trail.
Barton Springs
Barton Springs Pool is a recreational outdoor swimming pool in Austin, Texas, that is filled entirely with water from nearby natural springs. Right next to Zilker Park, Barton Springs is a favorite for people in Austin, especially when it's hot outside as the springs water is very chilly. Admission is $10 per person and all funds go to preservation of the Springs and Barton Creek Greenbelt area. If you're not feeling up to taking the plunge into Barton Springs (like we did in the photo on our Save the Date) there are many trails along the greenbelt that start out of that Barton Springs pool area which are beautiful!
Austin Bat Bridge
Austin is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America known as the Congress Bridge Bats. This colony is estimated at 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats. Each night (30-60 minutes before sunset) from mid-March to early November, the Austin Bats emerge from under the bridge to blanket the sky.
University of Texas at Austin
We had to put it on here! If you have time and are interested in seeing the University of Texas, then click the link to see the self-guided tour (and Hook Em'). Campus should be relatively quiet as graduation will have been the weekend before.
Black's Barbecue Austin
Casual/quick BBQ place. Not to be mistaken with Terry Black's on the other side of town off Barton Springs Road. The Original Black's BBQ is one of Caroline's favorite spots. They have excellent brisket and no frills. There is normally no line, and you can order right at the counter.
Matt's El Rancho
Matt's is an Austin staple, having opened in 1952. Most commonly people go for dinner but they also serve lunch. They do not take reservations, so there is normally a wait. But you can get drinks at the bar in the meanwhile, they are known for their knockout martinis.
Carpenters Hall
Carpenters Hall is one of our favorite spots as it's down the block from our apartment! Carpenters Hall is a former Carpenter's union which has been repurposed into a restaurant, coffee shop, and hotel. They have done an amazing job maintaining the history of the building. The coffee shop is a great place to sit in or outside before walking the bridge or trails right across the street. And the restaurant serves lunch and dinner accompanied by a great bar that is open all day!
Sour Duck Market
Austin Eastside Neighborhood Bakery, Café, Bar, and Beer Garden. Sour Duck, owned by upscale restaurant Odd Duck, offers fresh baked goods, sandwiches, and snacks made from locally sourced ingredients, sustainable coffee, craft cocktails, and a killer selection of beer and wine.
JuiceLand
We have a JuiceLand right next to our apartment so are consistently stopping in for a smoothie or a bowl. However, there are a handful of locations around Austin and they always seem to hit the spot, especially as it gets warmer!
Bouldin Creek Cafe
Bouldin Creek Cafe is an eclectic vegetarian and vegan restaurant in the South First district which embodies "old Austin." Interestingly, Bouldin Creek Cafe has done a lot in regard to promoting a living wage for servers, no tips are expected here as cafe employees are not on a tip-based wage model.
Home Slice Pizza
Casual pizza spot. You can sit down and order or head next door to 'More Home Slice' and order at the counter to go. They serve lunch and dinner. Restaurant is located right on South Congress Avenue so it's a great spot to go and hang out before or after as well.
Loro Austin
Loro is a great dinner option. It is an asian smokehouse that is a joint venture between two heralded chefs in Austin, the head chef at Uchi the sushi restaurant, and the head chef at Franklin's BBQ. You order right at the counter and find a place to sit among the indoor/outdoor options! This is a great hack to getting Franklin's famous BBQ as it comes from the same smoker without having to wait in line for hours.
Magnolia Cafe
Magnolia's is another Austin staple. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner all day. You can't help but love this place. If you decide to stop by and you will notice many others feel similarly. Therefore, they often have a decent wait. Don't fret, you can throw your name on the list and do some shopping/walking along South Congress.
Juan in a Million
Juan in a Million has been serving Mexican breakfast and lunch in East Austin since 1980. Opened by two school teachers, Juan and Myrna Meza, the restaurant values its homemade recipes and welcomes everyone like family. Juan still shakes hands with everyone who walks through the doors.
Lin Asian Bar + Dim Sum
Dinner only sit-down restaurant. This is a great asian place situated slightly west of downtown. The restaurant has a visible kitchen so you can see the behind the scenes of the making of dim sum! Lin is in a small converted house, so it's highly recommended that you make a reservation if you plan on eating here due to capacity constraints.
Desnudo Coffee
Arguably the best coffee in Austin with the friendliest baristas. They do really inventive lattes and drinks but have excellent straight black coffee and espressos. All beans are sourced from independent farmers in Colombia. This is the their original location in East Austin there is another one located downtown.
Crown & Anchor Pub
A favorite spot in the Hyde Park/University area. It's a bit of a dive that has great burgers and a wide selection of beer. Situated right off campus within view of the UT's stadium.
Mozart's Coffee Roasters
Mozart's is nestled into Tarrytown a beautiful and historic neighborhood right on the bank of Lake Austin. Mozart's is a great place to get a coffee or some light food and sit next to the water. Fun Fact- this was Caroline's favorite places to study when at UT.
Nate's Baked Goods & Coffee
Tucked off West 5th street, you'd miss it if you weren't looking for it. This little shop has excellent coffee and baked goods. We recommend the super bun breakfast sandwich (pro tip: get it with brisket)!
Donn's Depot
Donn's is an old-school piano bar with live music every night, 2 dance floors and a friendly atmosphere. Friday nights Donn himself plays until close. (No food is sold and have to be 21+)
Güero's Taco Bar
Gueros, open for over 30 years is housed in a landmark building off South Congress. Gueros serves great tex-mex accompanied by live music next door in the oak garden.