the 16 best things to do in austin
A burgeoning and rapidly changing city known for bachelorette and bachelor parties, live music, barbeque, tacos, tech companies, and music festivals, Austin has quickly become not only a vacation hotspot but also a city to call home for thousands of Millennial transplants. However, there is much more to Austin than initially meets the eye. Here are the 16 best restaurants, bars, and stores to visit while in Austin, Texas.
P6 at the Line Hotel | Photo credit: Chase Daniel
the best places to grab food in austin
riverside / taco food truck / $
This unassuming taco truck is located in a parking lot of a strip mall in Riverside. Don’t let the random location fool you though - you get the real deal here. They have homemade flour and corn tortillas (which were so good I brought some back to NYC with me!) and everything from breakfast to late-night tacos.
airport corridor / taco food truck / $
This taco truck is also located a bit outside the city center. With an indoor and outdoor setup, there is plenty of seating to be had here. Try their horchata drink, you won’t regret it!
various locations / taco food truck / $
This Latina-owned, women-run family business dishes up authentic tacos from their various food trucks around the city. If you go to the location in South Austin, you will be able to bring your tacos to Radio Coffee + Beer (more on that below), where you will be able to enjoy cocktails and live music.
clarksville / asian fusion / $$
There are a surprising amount of Asian fusion places in Austin, and this is one of them. They have an adorable outdoor patio and beautiful interiors. With interesting food items like chili crab toast and pesto udon, Bar Peached is not your typical Asian fusion place.
soco / seafood / $$$
A modern and refined seafood restaurant located in the heart of SoCo, Perla’s offers quality fresh seafood with an interesting twist. (They have menu items like wood-grilled creole octopus and ahi tuna tostadas!)
menu maps instagram reservations
ice cream / $
With a short but hearty selection of both classic and new flavors, Amy’s is a reliable and local ice creamery worth visiting. Amy’s ice creams are not too sweet, perfectly creamy, and not too icy.
east austin / grilled cheese food truck / $
Located in a food truck lot on Rainey Street, this truck is well worth a special visit. I had the best grilled cheese of my life here. Get the Via 206, which is a cheddar and jack cheese grilled cheese on sourdough with balsamic apricot fig jam.
the best bars in austin
Image courtesy of Whisler’s. Photo credit: Mark Weatherford.
east austin / cocktail bar / $$
This was my favorite bar in Austin. There are multiple levels and areas to this spacious bar in East Austin. Don’t miss out on the intimate upstairs seating area, that’s reminiscent of a speakeasy. Serving drinks inspired by Quentin Tarantino films, they have concoctions like the Twisted Nerve - with house-infused hibiscus vodka, mandarin, passionfruit, and lemon.
This is one of the more laidback bars on Rainey Street. If you want a fun but chill bar, come here to enjoy their expansive backyard.
east austin / live music bar / $$
You could easily get lost wandering among the many rooms and outdoor space of this bar. With live music and laidback old school vibes, Hotel Vegas is perfect for a chill night out.
east austin / cocktails / $$
Yes, this is a fully operating hostel, but it also has a fun bar with an expansive area perfect for drinks and dancing (during pre-covid times of course.)
Photo credit: Chase Daniel
downtown / cocktails / $$$
This rooftop in downtown Austin has unbeatable views of the Colorado River and the skyline, and has the best vibes. You won’t be able to tell that it used to be a parking garage in the 1960’s (but how cool is that?) Intimate and filled with young professionals at happy hour, P6 has an intimate rooftop garden lounge that you will enjoy.
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south austin / coffee, cocktails + live music / $$
This community-oriented venue is a fun and low key place to enjoy excellent cocktails and live music.
the best boutiques in austin
United Apparel Liquidators is a treasure trove of designer finds for a quarter of the price you would find them in-season at another store. Like a boutique version of a Century 21, UAL is a must-visit for any fashion lover looking to add a unique find to her wardrobe. With brands like Zimmerman, Lela Sadoughi, and Rhode, UAL is high-end but reasonably priced. I can attest that myself and two friends have found items here that we LOVE. I wish they had another location in NYC, but probably better for my wallet this way, (although they do have an online shop.)
soco + market district / high end apparel, shoes, bags + accessories / $$$
With brands like Staud, Bottega Veneta, and The Row, ByGeorge has a featured curation of designer items in their minimalist boutique. They also carry coffee table books, jewelry, and beauty products.
soco / contemporary clothing / $$
This travel-inspired boutique has a wonderful assortment of vacation-ready clothing and accessories from brands like Paige, Saylor, and Misa. With two floors of artfully arranged items, there will be plenty to browse and shop in this boutique.