First trip to Austin

6th Street for live music. Opportunities everywhere.

 

This place is always fun to go to for boots...

http://www.allensboots.com

To understand how nice Austin can be I suggest taking a quick drive over to this....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Bonnell

About 15-20 min from city and a quick walk to the top but it really shows you why everyone talks about the Hill Country...That view for me is kind of the front door to the hill country.

Take a quick walk to this hotel, its right next to where you are staying. Built in 1886 and has a good strong Texas vibe. The restaurant they have inside is pretty good to.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driskill_Hotel

Ferrari of Austin is right down the road from where you are staying. About 15 min depending on traffic.

If you need some coffee on the water go to Mozarts. Its right next to Mt. Bonnell listed above so you can hit them both in a few hours. Great View.

http://www.mozartscoffee.com


Its a nice walk up to the capitol in the evening from where you are staying as well. Worth doing at least once....

If you like art theres some good museums on the UT campus. About 5 min from where you are staying.

Ill leave music and food to Big Tex, hopefully he will chime in.

I did have a good steak at Vince Youngs steak house a few weeks ago. I was hesitant to go because I always find restaurants named after somewhat celebs to be a bit cheesy but it actually wasn't that bad. Vince Young is a big part of recent Austin history though so worth checking out at least once I think. As a fellow Longhorn i felt obligated to go at least once lol....

 

Personally, I don't think Franklin's is worth the multi hour wait in line. Especially if I had a precious few days. And, not in July. Google "Texas Monthly Top Barbecue". All the places in and near Austin are great, not just Franklin's.

 

I have never tried Franklin's, but no food is worth waiting in line for hours, particularly BBQ, particularly in Texas, where if you can't find great BBQ, you're lost.

 

I agree. For me the hole in the wall places are always better than the popular spots.

 

Give Lamberts a look, it's on West 2nd. It's the antithesis of a down home Texas bbq joint, but they have some pretty imaginative & tasty cocktails, the que is good, they often have live music, and it's a nice sit down place to take the significant other.

BTW, the Texas State Museum is very nice.

Upscale interior Mexican food at Fonda San Miguel. I prefer hole in the wall Tex Mex joints, but FSM was great. Duck enchiladas!

Bulgogi burger at Burger Tex. When I was there they'd let you dial in the heat. Just make sure when you ask for medium heat, specify medium AMERICAN heat level, not Korean! Unless, of course, you really like spicy! 😀

Safe travels.

T

 

Capital Grill or Vince Young's steak house for a nice dinner.
Agree, Not Franklins, too long a wait. 30 minutes outside Austin is the one and only Saltlick bbq, for a real favor of Austin. Or Stubbs downtown for food and music.

Oasis on lake Travis, bar food, but the best lake view in town.




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Unless you want to wait from 7am till 11am for Franklins... you probably have better things to do. It's great, but worth the wait? Sometimes not really. There are other alternatives downtown too. (not an exaggeration - friends did this on Friday, arrived at 7:10, were third in line)

Steak? A few places, of course Ruth's Chris is down there, but I personally love the fillet at Roaring Fork, along with their Green Chili Mac & Cheese. It's on Congress Ave, next to the Paramount.

Also as Ryan said, go to Allens boots. There's one right on South Congress. Anything from mid range, to high end. There's also a few bespoke places, but not too familiar with what is current, so you'll need to search or ask around.

Drop me a line when you plan on being in town, could join for drinks or show you a few gems depending on your appetite and what you prefer.

Skip the Oasis on Lake Travis. However, there's Oasis Brewing upstairs. Same view, better beer.

 

Drive 30 minutes to Lockhart for Kreuz Market BBQ. It's the best I've ever had, period. I eat myself sick there and make time for it every time I'm in Austin.

 

^ that's more like it. A few gems down in Lockhart.

 

Black's and Smitty's are very good, but Kreuz is better IMO. Also, in that vicinity, Louie Mueller's in Taylor. If you want the best of the best, little town of Elgin, Southside Market, best sausage in Texas, case closed, end of discussion, which therefore means best sausage anywhere. 😉

T

 

I say, "why choose?" When we have out of town guests, I often do a little tour of Lockhart barbecue for them. All three are pretty close to each other (you can walk between Black's and Smitty's), so if you pace yourself you can try brisket, sausage, and ribs at each and decide for yourself!

 

Wise man! The "pace yourself" part could be challenging!
T

 

If you are coming down I35 from Ft Hood, a good local place for steak is Johnny's Steakhouse and BBQ in Salado. Nothing fancy, in fact, just the opposite. If you order the ribeye, expect just the center piece, if you want the surrounding fatty parts, that is a separate item on the menu. Here is the link to their website.

Johnny's Steaks & Bar-Be-Que, Temple, Texas, Dining In, Catering, Private Parties

 

+1 to a trip to the Oasis. best view of Travis Lake and decent food.
But, if you are interested in more than food and drinks, and is willing to do something interesting and outdoorsy....I have two sugestions.
- rent a canoe near Zilker Park and row down the creek and into City Lake. Crystal clear water, shade and you both will enjoy this.
- Drive west to Fredericksburg and look for GPS directions to Enchanted Rock park. it is an easy hike to the top of this gigantic rounded rock, where most folks go for the sunset, but at this time of the year it is late in the day. Lunch in Fredericksburg is great too.

enjoy Austin.

 

Make sure you get a matching belt to go with your boots!

 

And a Texas-sized belt buckle!
T

 

One the best BBQ places in Waco.

Mama & Papa B's BBQ  
525 S 8th St, Waco, TX 76706

 

We're moving to Austin in a month, after a lifetime in Houston. This thread is helpful, thanks!
Greg

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Job? (BTW, we know each other, right?)