AUSTIN

BBQ

  • Remember to ask for the "moist" cut
  • BBQ is a morning meal because that’s when the meat is the freshest
  • Most places are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
  • Most places close in the early afternoon, or when they sell out
  • ⅓ pound is a decent amount of meat, especially if you’re eating sides too
FranklinI hate to admit it, but Franklin's is really, very, very good.... If you're with a large group, I highly recommend you preorder so you don't have to wait in line. The catch is that you have to order 5+ pounds and about (at least?) a week in advance. I think it's 100% worth it though.
Terry Black’sour Airbnb hosts said it’s sort of touristy, but I loved it both times
Rollin Smoke BBQPretty solid brisket. Not my favorite, but still very moist and tender.
Salt Licknot dry-rub covered, but sauce covered
Scotty’scame here as a last option; it was too dry and our least favorite
La BBQnot open when we went
Micklethwaitnot open when we went
OthersStiles Switch, Freedman’s, Valentina’s

Dessert

  • There is no ice cream scene
Gordough’s 🍩incredible donuts, reminiscent of funnel cake. Crispy on the outside, but doughy and fluffy on the inside. Each donut is huge, so I recommend making multiple visits
Prohibition CreameryBoozy ice creams! Pretty low ABV so don't worry about eating and driving
Dolce Nevesolid gelato. Probably the best ice cream you’ll get in Austin
Lick Ice Cream
Amy’s Ice Creamnot good if you have standards

Nature

  • Lady Bird Lake is actually a river
Barton Springs Roadnice walk after eating too much. Also runner and biker friendly
Barton Springs Poolpopular spring to wade in
“Secret” beachhttp://freefuninaustin.com/2013/08/secret-beach-new-roy-g-guerrero-park/

Activities

Whole Foodsflagship store has a bar, which people actually hang out in. We picked a few specialty beers to drink at our Airbnb
Batshttp://austinot.com/guide-bat-season-in-austin

Restaurants

  • Seating is abundant, and restaurants are spacious
  • Sit-down restaurants don’t tend to have a parking lot, but offer free valet

Waiter service

Odd Duck 🍳modern take on Southern food. My favorite meal during my first visit (brunch)
Uchirecommended to us by many friends, Asian and non-Asian. The food was low-quality and everything tasted monotonously of soy sauce

Counter service

South Congress Cafehighly rated on Yelp. Average diner food
Hopdoddypretty good burgers and milkshakes
Taco Jointinexpensive breakfast tacos, stuffed with eggs and meat. I would (and have) revisit in a heartbeat
Torchy's Tacosmore inexpensive and tasty breakfast tacos
Baton Creoleomfg the fried chicken here is so freaking incredible. It was so juicy and the skin was light and crispy. The sauce on the sandwich was just perfect. I think about this sandwich a lot.

Coffee

Houndstooth Coffeethere are a few locations, solid latte
TOMSdon’t roll your eyes, the cold brew is good

Bars

Rainey Streetfun 2 block strip of bars built in old homes. Drinks are much cheaper than in SF. Free parking at the Mexican American Cultural Center
Icenhauer’sTasty (but v sweet) cocktails & a great sangria deal. They also play hip hop on poppin nights
Half StepWow this place takes PRIDE in their cocktails. The line was so long because bartenders spent 5 minutes on each drink. It was pretty worth the waith though-- we all loved our drinks
AugustineChill bar with outdoor lawn games
Lucillefine cocktails (also v sweet) and seating in twinkly-lit outdoor yard
6th StThis is the "frat-ier" strips of bars. A little more grody than Rainey street
Shangri-LaChill bar with a huge outdoor patio
Soto - South Lamar(This is actually a restuarant but) We had great cocktails here. I loved the gin+yuzu+somethingelse drink I ordered