Where to find the best tacos in Austin (and much more)
“Well there’s nothing quite like Texas on a Saturday night,
Nothin’ can compare to it no matter how you try”
Willie Nelson – Texas on a Saturday Night
I was told that I would likely want to pick up my bags and move down to Austin after visiting… and they weren’t wrong. Austin is weird, wild, hot, gritty, and beautiful all at the same time. I’ve only been for a long weekend so far but boy did I love it. I’ll outline below some highlights of the trip.
Things to Do:
One of the coolest parts of Austin is the HOPE Outdoor Graffiti Gallery where you can see beautiful murals left by local artists and graffiti done by people of all ages and stages. Bring a can of graffiti to leave your mark. Walk around the area and stop by some cool local shops and check out the headquarters of Whole Foods.
Next, head over to South Congress where you’ll find plenty of local restaurants and cool shops to browse in. You’ll see the famous “I Love You So Much” mural, and see the most hip spots in town.
If you’re looking for some outdoorsy things to do, head to Mount Bonnell where you’ll find some trails overlooking the Colorado River. It’s a nice escape from the city and is really peaceful. You can also combine the outdoors, good food and drinks at Topgolf, an indoor/outdoor golfing range that makes golf fun for anyone. It isn’t exclusive to Austin, but is a fun way to spend an afternoon nonetheless.
If you’re looking for some history or something to do indoors, go to the Texas State Capitol where you can learn all about the state and get a tour of the beautiful building.
Things to Eat:
Where do I begin?! Austin food is full of southern and Mexican influence, but with a modern flair and plenty of international cuisines as well. One of the best things about Austin is the amount of Food Trucks they have. Follow the link to find a map of some of the best food trucks in town and eat your little heart out.
When you’re on South Congress, be sure to head to Torchy’s Tacos for the best tacos you’ll ever have. And don’t forget to leave room for some BBQ while in Austin. There are plenty of options, but we headed to Terry Black’s BBQ and boy oh boy was my tummy happy. You really don’t need any sauce for their meat, it’s just that good.
Things to Drink:
I’m not sure what’s more famous in Austin – the food or the places to drink. There are so many areas in Austin to drink your way through, it really is fantastic. The city is perfectly set up for bar crawls and day drinking, and we did all of the above.
Rainey Street- this is the best spot for a day drinking bar crawl. It’s a small street full of houses-turned-bars that have live music and food. One of my favorites was Icenhauer’s, a cool old home with a back patio and great cocktails. Try their sangria to cool off from the hot Texas sun. We also went to Banger’s Sausage House and Beer Garden for a Manmosa (a bottle of champagne and a splash of OJ). Finally, we headed to Container Bar which is a cool bar made of shipping containers with great views of Downtown Austin.
East Sixth- this area is full of super-hip spots that are great for cocktails and conversations. We first stopped at Mezcaleria Tobala, a multi-level mezcal bar that’s very chic and intimate. We sat out on the patio and enjoyed the food trucks parked outside. After getting our fill here, we went to Lazarus Brewery where we played some games, had some great beers, and hung out in their open, living room atmosphere. We then headed to Ah Sing Den, an Asian opium den inspired cocktail bar that threw you right back to the 70’s. It had great cocktails and was so intimate and cozy inside. They even had incense burning in the bathroom!
Dirty Sixth – Ahhhh Dirty Sixth. Where to begin? I like to describe this area as East Sixth’s younger sibling who’s still in college and wants to do cheap well tequila shots and grind on the dance floor. The first time I headed down to ATX, we didn’t get a chance to go out in this area. It didn’t seem like my scene, and to be frank I was happy to miss out on it. But after heading back, I had to check it out. And boy did I have a blast. We started out with some classy cocktails at the unique speakeasy Firehouse which is through the bookcase at the hostel it’s inside. We then wandered down Sixth to Shakespeare’s where we danced and had some cheap drinks. We proceeded to walk down Sixth and walk in wherever we heard good music playing and saw the crowds. You really can’t go wrong, and most bars have a similar vibe.
Overall, Austin left me wanting to come back as soon as possible. With more and more flights flying direct to their airport, I know I’ll be there soon 🙂
