When it’s way too hot or way too rainy or you just want a new indoor play place to explore, here are some good ones.
It’s hard to keep up with all the new restaurants opening in Austin! Use this guide + map to find something new to try near you.
When I get asked what it’s like to live in Austin, I always start with the truth: it’s HOT. And not like, hot sauce and BBQ and spicy tacos hot…I mean sweaty, sunny, I-need-to-jump-in-a-pool hot. So if you’re visiting Austin this summer and you need a full day of fun stuff to do, this guide…
When the weather is absolutely freaking gorgeous, everyone in Austin is going to want to drink or dine on a beautiful outdoor patio. Honestly, it’s almost easier to list places without patios than with, because nearly every restaurant and bar in Austin has outdoor seating. But where are the best patios in Austin? Use the…
South Austin restaurants have never been better. Just when you think you’ve hit up all of the great places to eat and drink in south Austin, another great restaurant opens. And this restaurant scene is quite different from the new restaurants that are opening in downtown Austin, which are often multi-million dollar build outs at…
There’s a wide variety in this city, so here are the 20 best tacos in Austin, including everything from cheap street tacos to James Beard Award-Winning fancy tacos.
Austin is a brunch city, and here’s a map of all the best brunch spots you need to check out.
South First Street is a powerhouse of amazing restaurants in Austin. It runs parallel to the popular South Congress Ave, but unlike the tourist destination that SOCO has become, South First is mostly full of locals who have found their favorite neighborhood restaurant or bar. After years of living walking distance to these restaurants, I’m…
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),…
Tucked into the heart of downtown Austin is an unassuming park of dirt mounds and hills. You might drive by it a few times without noticing it (especially if it’s empty), but if you head to 9th Street and North Lamar on a weekend, dozens of BMX bikers of all ages and skill levels will…
Sandwiches in Austin (unfairly) don’t have the same hype that they get in a lot of other cities. I mean, it’s not like we have the same claim to fame as NYC deli markets or the New Orleans po’boy scene. (Granted, we totally own the market on tacos and barbecue.) But I’m on a mission to showcase…
Austin is known for its food scene, but those restaurant tabs can add up pretty quickly The solution? Austin happy hours! You can often try the same amazing menu items at a fraction of the cost. Plus, happy hour is just…happy. PS: weekend-specific happy hours in Austin are here. powered by Proxi ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kelsey…
Sure, downtown Austin and east Austin are probably where you’ll find the biggest clusters of award-winning Austin restaurants. But the sprawling area of west Austin (from Westlake to Lakeway to Bee Caves, and even closer to the city like Tarrytown and Rollingwood) has lots of residents. So where are all the west Austin restaurants?? Actually,…
Cold front in Austin? Cue all the cozy foods! There aren’t many snow storms or cold, blustery days here in Austin, but when they hit us, they hit us HARD. Those freezing wind chills and ice-cold temps are brutal (no thanks to the fact that none of us own a proper winter wardrobe…), but you…
I am not a world-renowned mixologist or sommelier, but I know my way around a cocktail menu. A decade of food writing and city blogging has given me a front seat at some of the hottest cocktail bars in Austin and beyond. But do you know what I keep discovering, over and over again? It’s…
The Austin Bats are the largest urban colony of bats in the WORLD! So yes, if you’re visiting Austin Texas, you absolutely must go see the bats emerging from the Congress bridge. It’s actually very, very cool. What’s the best way to see the Austin bats? It’s pretty simple. They sleep all day under…
West Austin is a beautiful, resident-filled section of Austin that has rolling hills, views of downtown, and lots of gorgeous hiking and boating opportunities. Do you know what else it has? Good coffee shops! Yep. Just a few years ago, you could hardly find any locally-owned west Austin coffee shops. It was all big-name brands…
Let’s start by making something really clear: the beaches in Austin are lake beaches and river beaches. Obviously, sure, but it’s nice to just clear things up from the beginning. There are no oceans in Austin, TX. Shocker. However, there are some really great sandy beach areas, clean, cold water, and beautiful places to enjoy…
When the weekend rolls around, you’re more likely to want to go out for a happy hour in Austin! Weekday happy hours are fun, but you still have to wake up the next day and go to work. If you can find great weekend happy hours in Austin, you can enjoy heading out around 4…
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…
Sometimes you want incredible food, and sometimes you want a kid-friendly restaurant, and sometimes you just want to try whatever is new and notable….but every now and then, the main criterion in your restaurant search is: make it pretty. What are the prettiest restaurants in Austin? We’re talking about unique architecture, vaulted ceilings, big windows,…
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…
Think of this as a brainstorming session to find a good downtown Austin lunch restaurant. These aren’t necessarily narrowed down to the best lunch restaurants in Austin. Rather, we’re providing a big, broad list + map of places you can eat lunch in downtown Austin so you can find a location near you and the…
Here’s your guide to some of the best casual restaurants in Austin. When you’ve been working from home all day in sweatpants and a messy bun and you’re not in the mood to wear makeup or put on “real” clothes, use this list to find a casual Austin restaurant near you. Because we’ve all been…
First off, don’t be weird and call it “cheese dip.” Queso is a BIG thing in Austin, and there’s no quicker way to show you don’t belong than by saying “let’s go get some burritos and cheese dip!” This spectacular appetizer (and sometimes a full meal…come on, everyone’s done it at least once) is one…
It’s a running joke in Austin Texas that the weather can fluctuate on a dime. You’ll wake up in the morning and put on a pair of jeans, a long-sleeve shirt, and a coat, and by lunchtime, you’re wishing you were wearing a t-shirt and sandals and paddle boarding out on the lake…even in the…
We’ve talked about Q2 Stadium plenty over here at The Austin Things. It’s a GORGEOUS soccer stadium that was built in 2020 to provide a home base for Austin FC, Austin’s MLS team. There are plenty of reasons why Q2 Stadium is the ultimate destination for soccer fans, but, one of the big reasons why…
Austin FC’s third season is kicking off, and with that comes a lot of anticipation from the fan base about upcoming changes to Q2 Stadium in north Austin. After all, a big part of attending the games and cheering on Los Verdes is the match day experience. And it just so happens that Q2 stadium…
Austin, Texas public library system isn’t the biggest in the country, but that just means the pressure’s on to make it really great! The Austin Public Library system has a lot of branches scattered throughout the city, and one absolutely phenomenal central library that’s been nationally recognized. Many of these Austin public libraries offer kids…
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…
