Austin Recommendations

[ChiLoyalNTrue]

Heading to Austin for the game this weekend. First time down there for a gameday. I'm sure I could ask this on other boards, but wanted to get the Cowboy perspective first from any Pokes that have visited on a game day before.

Best places to eat?
Best places to get a beer?
Best areas for visitor friendly tailgating?
Any other Austin tips?

Let 'er rip!

 

[PokeSaladAnnie]

6th Street is where all the restaurants and bars are near campus. Large alumni group from OSU live or work in Austin and they will be tailgating and OSU Alumni Association should have a tailgate party.

 

[OSUinTX]

Heading to Austin for the game this weekend. First time down there for a gameday. I'm sure I could ask this on other boards, but wanted to get the Cowboy perspective first from any Pokes that have visited on a game day before.

Best places to eat?
Best places to get a beer?
Best areas for visitor friendly tailgating?
Any other Austin tips?

Let 'er rip!

Not an austinite, but travel there relatively frequently.

Food
East Side Pies has great pizza. Little hole-in-the-wall joints with limited seating, scary employees, but great pizza.

My preference for BBQ is Cooper's. Franklin's gets the PR and is good, but almost always stupid crowded. Stubb's is good also, but also a tourist trap.

Guerrero's on Congress Ave for Mexican.

Food trucks. Hundreds of them at permanent locations such as on Congress Avenue. Get a map, go online as they are all over. Not food truck crap food for contractors but artisan stuff that you would be hard pressed to not find something everyone likes.

Never drank much down there but if you can, Antone's for blues. Gary Clark Jr. is now a part owner.

My biggest piece of advice....it takes forever to get anywhere in Austin. Allow plenty of time.

 

[oSuAusTex]

You'll LOVE the traffic !!!

 

[Rack]

Not an austinite, but travel there relatively frequently.

Food
East Side Pies has great pizza. Little hole-in-the-wall joints with limited seating, scary employees, but great pizza.

My preference for BBQ is Cooper's. Franklin's gets the PR and is good, but almost always stupid crowded. Stubb's is good also, but also a tourist trap.

Guerrero's on Congress Ave for Mexican.

Food trucks. Hundreds of them at permanent locations such as on Congress Avenue. Get a map, go online as they are all over. Not food truck crap food for contractors but artisan stuff that you would be hard pressed to not find something everyone likes.

Never drank much down there but if you can, Antone's for blues. Gary Clark Jr. is now a part owner.

My biggest piece of advice....it takes forever to get anywhere in Austin. Allow plenty of time.

Your last point plus the fact that Austin real estate is crazy loco expensive...it really surprises me that the whole state of Texas seems to want to live/retire there...weird, IMHO.

 

[ORANGE AN BLACK]

 

[ORANGE AN BLACK]

On a serious note: make sure you get some tuna tacos from Ralph Gilmore aka turf n surf po boy!

 

[osupsycho]

My personal favorite, must get food item when in Austin area is TacoDeli for breakfast burrito. Their steak and egg breakfast burrito is the best I have ever had.

 

[TexanCowboy]

Margaritas: El Alma - They'll hit you hard. Food is also solid, especially the tacos.

Drinking Spots: Check out Rainey St. Will be much more tame than E. 6th. West 6th. is also really nice with lots of bar options. Key is to find a place in the A/C.

BBQ: La BBQ is who I'd recommend. Owner came up through Franklin's and is definitely that caliber, you can pre-order and skip the line. Going to disagree with the poster above on Cooper's. It's much better out of their Llano location.

Mexican: Matt's El Rancho is always a good time. Food won't be top but way better than you'll get anywhere north of the Red River.

Pizza: If you're on Rainey Street check out the Detroit Style Pizza trailer in the back of Craft Pride. It's called Via 313.

 

[TexanCowboy]

Heading to Austin for the game this weekend. First time down there for a gameday. I'm sure I could ask this on other boards, but wanted to get the Cowboy perspective first from any Pokes that have visited on a game day before.

Best places to eat?
Best places to get a beer?
Best areas for visitor friendly tailgating?
Any other Austin tips?

Let 'er rip!

Tailgating is quite spread out. Nothing really centrally located. I'd recommend chilling at a bar before the game if you're gong.

See above post for eating/drinking and such.

 

[SunshinePoke]

Joe’s bakery or Habanero Cafe (cash only) for Mexican food, Micklethwaits for bbq, and Veracruz all Natural for tacos. OSU alumni association will be having a noonish pregame at the Blind Pig Pub on 6th. Tailgating is kind of wide open as it starts at 15th street and goes all the way up to Dean Keaton.

 

[OSUmigl]

Breakfast tacos at pretty much any non-chain Mexican restaurants are a must. If you find yourself down south, you've got to get to Valentina's BBQ for breakfast AND lunch. Also, I know it's a bit of a tourist trap now, but I'll never get over the Don Juan taco at Juan in a Million.

As others have said, La Barbeque is just as good to me as Franklin's and a shorter wait. If you're north of downtown I'd reccomend Stiles Switch BBQ.

Not much of a drinker anymore, so can't say much on that front. Rainey Street used to be my area, but that's blown up like the rest of Austin.

And FYI, the Pecan Street Festival is going on this weekend. So all weekend most of 6th Street is going to be filled with crafts and art booths, live music, food, etc. Could make for a good detour is you're willing to handle all the traffic added on to the norm.

Tailgating is spread throughout random parking lots and grassy areas near the stadium. Were always friendly to me in the past and the harshest insults I've gotten are that I'm wearing the wrong shade of orange.

 

[TypicalGooner]

Breakfast: Kerbey Lane cafe should be on your docket. Don’t skimp the queso and chips even for breakfast. Best queso in town. Add the guacamole. You’ll thank me later (or probably not.. cuz.. I’m me).

Juan in a Million is the best breakfast in town. Real Mexican food. Not stupid texmex stuff. The real deal. Order a Don Juan breakfast taco with extra tortillas. It’s packed so full everything falls out and boom... ya got another taco.

Lunch/dinner: The Salty Sow has the best happy hour in town. The entire menu is discounted and the drinks and food are redonkulous. Don’t miss the duck fat fries and the Moscow Sow (their version of the mule). Also their entire charcuterie board is made in house.

Food trucks: go there. Go to any you can find. If you can’t speak Spanish, at least learn to speak taco. If the people there can’t speak English, then you’re in for a treat. The trucks/stands are heavily regulated and are all up to code. I went to a pastor stand off the east end of congress last time I was three. No one spoke a lick of English. Pastor was carved straight off a vertical spit and there was one guy whose job was solely to clean. This ain’t your grandpas food trucks or stands. Go for it.


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[The conman]

Breakfast: Kerbey Lane cafe should be on your docket. Don’t skimp the queso and chips even for breakfast. Best queso in town. Add the guacamole. You’ll thank me later (or probably not.. cuz.. I’m me).

Juan in a Million is the best breakfast in town. Real Mexican food. Not stupid texmex stuff. The real deal. Order a Don Juan breakfast taco with extra tortillas. It’s packed so full everything falls out and boom... ya got another taco.

Lunch/dinner: The Salty Sow has the best happy hour in town. The entire menu is discounted and the drinks and food are redonkulous. Don’t miss the duck fat fries and the Moscow Sow (their version of the mule). Also their entire charcuterie board is made in house.

Food trucks: go there. Go to any you can find. If you can’t speak Spanish, at least learn to speak taco. If the people there can’t speak English, then you’re in for a treat. The trucks/stands are heavily regulated and are all up to code. I went to a pastor stand off the east end of congress last time I was three. No one spoke a lick of English. Pastor was carved straight off a vertical spit and there was one guy whose job was solely to clean. This ain’t your grandpas food trucks or stands. Go for it.


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I live here, Don't listen to the goon on kerbey lane, the whole menu is overrated, unless you want go sit down somewhere and only eat queso.

 

[TypicalGooner]

It’s not a bad sit down restaurant. The queso is truly worth the price of admission. But if you’ve tied one on and looking for some late night eats, it’s nineteen thousand times better than drive thru anything or an IHOP. It is open 24 hours a day and the game kicks off at 6:30pm right?

Don’t eliminate your options, dawg....

Magnolia Cafe works too in the same respect.


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[OSUinTX]

The dolt up top that described food trucks as “where contractors go” obviously has zero experience with food trucks.

Reading is fundamental. I said these are NOT food trucks that serve up contractors and go on to state they are artisan. Maybe you should look up the definition of that word in regard to food.

 

[teachum]

If there are any Guy Clark fans, there's always the Chili Parlor. It will probably be too hot for a bowl of the red, cause it's for real. I made the mistake of having a bowl of this before walking around downtown at an art festival in 90 plus degree weather, and it was just not a good choice. You can always just opt for a Mad Dog margarita though.

 

[The conman]

It’s not a bad sit down restaurant. The queso is truly worth the price of admission. But if you’ve tied one on and looking for some late night eats, it’s nineteen thousand times better than drive thru anything or an IHOP. It is open 24 hours a day and the game kicks off at 6:30pm right?

Don’t eliminate your options, dawg....

Magnolia Cafe works too in the same respect.


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Nope, would rather have I hop than kerbey lane breakfast. but we all know you are the expert on everything, every subject, everywhere

 

[Burton Cummings]

Besplat BBQ hands down is Franklin, but it's hard to get into. Next best is Terry Black's on Barton Springs Road.
I've tried them all and these two are the best. Franklin's is a OMG good brisket, but Black's has great BBQ and it has a better line system so you don't have to wait for 3 hours.

Best tacos by far: Valentina's on Manchaca (S. Austin). The bbq brisket is to die for. And their burger was Guy's favorite on D,D and Ds.
Veracruz has a couple of truck locations (E. Austin, S. Austin near Radio Coffee and Beer). their tacos are awesome and award winning.

Best Pizza is Home Slice on S. Congress. Best in Austin. East Side Pies is meh.

Best breakfast: Juan In A Million, Magnolia Cafe (S. Congress and in Tarrytown).
Best breakfast taco: The Dirty Sanchez at Torchy's (all locations)

All around food: Jack Allen's
Best place to try: Odd Duck on S. Lamar. Really creative, awesome food.

Threadgill's on N. Burnett is the only place for Chicken Fried Steak. The South Austin store is gone.

Guerros', Matt's El Rancho, Juan In A Million (closes at 3pm), Maudie's for Tex-Mex. Guerro's has the best atmosphere.

Party on West 6th for a better looking crowd than Dirty 6th.
East Austin has the White Horse for some good, country dancing and also The Broken Spoke on S. Lamar is a classic honky-tonk.

That should keep you.

 

[Go Pokes]

Best craft coffee: Fleet (if you know, you know)

BBQ: Try La Barbecue ... it's getting busier all the time

Breakfast: Magnolia Cafe

Milkshake and a Beer (and maybe a movie): Alamo Draft House ... don't have to watch a movie to enjoy their amazing shakes and/or a barley pop

Jim-Jim's Water-Ice on 6th is an iconic little hole in the wall (literally just a service window) if you have kids wanting a treat or just crave a sno-cone in the Texas heat.

Cool place to have a beer: Yeti flagship store. Yeah, it's just the expensive tumblers and coolers, but a nice deck where you can drink a cold one. Just south of the bat bridge on Congress.

Beer: Ginger Man has tons of offerings and is a low-key place to hang out ... lots of other places off of 6th Street. Sixth is overrated, imo ... or maybe I'm getting old. But it's kind of a seedy dump. Better options not far away.

Banger's Sausage House on Rainey is really good no frills spot, but you may end up fighting the crowds as Rainey has become a super popular strip.