Hidden Gem Restaurants In Austin (Tourists Need To Visit These!)
In the age of Google My Business a “hidden gem restaurant” doesn’t really exist anymore…but sometimes I still like to bring attention to some lesser-known Austin gems. While most people visit Austin and get the same 8-10 recommendations (MICHELIN-rated, the 30 all-time best restaurants in Austin, and then tourist-y spots like Salt Lick and Torchy’s), some of the best Austin vibes are flying under the radar. Here they are.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelsey Kennedy is a native Texan and a local Austin author, photographer, and blogger with a serious obsession for all things Austin. As the creator of four Texas-focused travel websites, her work has reached over 12 million readers in 38 countries, all searching for the coolest things to do in the hottest cities in Texas. For more insider tips on the capital city, check out her bestselling travel book, Austin Food Crawls: Touring the Neighborhoods One Bite and Libation at a Time.
Hidden Gem Restaurants in Austin
1. ABGB
I’m quite honestly shocked that every single tourist isn’t listing this first on their Austin Bucket List. ABGB was ranked best brewpub in America 3X in a row at the Great American Beer Festival, and they keep racking up awards for their crisp lagers and delicious pizza. But the best part? Excellent patio vibes and free live music every weekend. Conveniently located in South Austin, so it’s easy to Uber there from SOCO or downtown or wherever you’re staying in Austin.
WEBSITE | 1305 W Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704, United States
2. Buenos Aires Café
Locals know that, while new VC-funded spots keep popping up all over the trendy area of East Austin, one of the best places to get lunch or dinner is at locally-owned Argentinian restaurant Buenos Aires Café. Everything here is made authentically and with family recipes. Argentina has one of the best wine regions in the world, so the wine selection here is incredible! It’s a great date night spot.
WEBSITE | 1201 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702, United States
3. Texas Honey Ham
No, it’s not the same thing as the national chain Honey Baked Ham… Texas Honey Ham is a little family-owned restaurant in West Austin that has the BEST breakfast tacos. If you’re heading west (out toward Lake Travis for a day of boating or maybe toward the Hill Country wineries) this is the most amazing hidden gem for breakfast tacos in Austin.
WEBSITE | 3736 Bee Caves Rd #6, West Lake Hills, TX 78746, United States
4. Vic & Al’s
This Cajun restaurant actually started way back in the 1950s from the same family that owns Patrizi’s. It’s a beautiful restaurant on Manor Rd serving up some of the best dang Cajun food you’ve ever tried, but it’s somehow not on the “mainstream restaurant” radar. Do yourself a favor and stop by for lunch or happy hour to try their famous gumbo or red beans and rice.
WEBSITE | 2406 Manor Rd D, Austin, TX 78722, United States
5. El Chilito
No, it’s not ever going to get the same amount of buzz as Torchy’s Tacos or Tacodeli, but the tacos are honestly way better….and cheaper. El Chilito is the casual younger sister to El Chile, and it has two locations (south and east, near UT campus). Both have fast and delicious breakfast tacos that somehow fly under the Austin tourist radar, but they’re definitely worth getting.
WEBSITE | Multiple Address
6. Kinda Tropical
The name is vague, and Kinda Tropical is just far enough away from the buzz of east downtown to get overrun with tourists, but Kinda Tropical is one of the best patio restaurants for drinks, happy hour, and casual bites with friends. It’s a renovated gas station, which gives “east Austin” vibes, and they have all sorts of delicious “kinda tropical-inspired” frozen drinks, salads and burgers, curries, and other snacks things.
WEBSITE | 3501 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702, United States
7. Deckhand Oyster Bar
This is probably the best moderately-priced seafood restaurant in Austin. It doesn’t have the location and swankiness of places like Perla’s, Clark’s, or Salt Traders, but it’s an awesome family-run spot that has really good raw oysters, po’boys, grilled dishes, and Thai-inspired plates thanks to the owners’ cultural background.
WEBSITE | 701 W Louis Henna Blvd, Austin, TX 78728, United States
8. Otherside Deli
HOLY DELICIOUS. That’s all. Otherside’s housemade pastrami is going to absolutely rock your world and have you wondering why every tourist in Austin isn’t flocking to this central Austin lunchtime deli. It certainly has received plenty of positive press from major food publications in Austin, and locals visit again and again. But it somehow hasn’t ended up on the “MUST TRY” spots, and it should.
WEBSITE | 1104 W 34th St D, Austin, TX 78705, United States
9. Draught House Pub and Brewery
This is one of the coolest spots in Austin, and it’s tucked into a central Austin neighborhood and kind of off the radar from people who are looking at the most popular breweries in Austin like Meanwhile or Austin Beerworks. But Draught House, with all of its European charm and cask ale, is making a lot more beer every year than you might expect, and that’s thanks to locals who know just how good this place really is.
WEBSITE | 4112 Medical Pkwy, Austin, TX 78756, United States
10. Habañero Mexican Café
This family-run Mexican cafe serves the best Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine in south Austin. The only situation here is that it’s only open for breakfast and lunch, so a lot of visitors don’t know about it because they’re too busy going to Matt’s El Rancho. But it’s well worth a stop for a delicious breakfast plate or a lunch torta.
WEBSITE | 501 W Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704, United States
11. Arti Pasta
This food truck opened back in 2018 and they still have the best homemade, authentic Italian dishes in Austin. There’s also a brick-and-mortar location, but the little south Austin food truck has the best Austin vibes for a quick and delicious plate of tagliatelle with creamy mushroom sauce.
WEBSITE | Multiple Address
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