Austin, Texas, USA

 Favorite eating and drinking

In alphabetical order. Includes ratings of 3.5 and above, 5 = a perfect place. Date = most recent date of visit with rating in mind. Last revised: 2021-08-03

  • 24 Diner - Chicken and waffle is yummy. Rating: 3.5

  • Apis - Restaurant and apiary outside of Austin. New American. Date: 2016–11–24 Rating: 3.5

  • Austin Beerworks - Hang out and cool off after a bike ride. Rating: 3.5

  • Barley Swine - Known for beer and pork dishes. Date: 2019-08-27 Rating: 4.5

  • Batch - Craft beer, bottle shop, coffee, and fresh kolaches. Lovely atmosphere and outdoor space. Rating: 4

  • Bufalina - Great atmosphere and good pizza. Date: 2017-09-03 Rating: 3.5

  • China Family Restaurant - Take out, great mapo tofu and green beans. Date: 2021-08-03 Rating 3.5

  • Cherrywood Coffeehouse - Local hangout, great for a happy hour or beers with a group of friends. Get the chorizo taco. Rating: 3.5

  • Contigo - Rating: 3.5

  • Coopers BBQ - The one in Llano is far better than the downtown Austin one. It has a very Texas “wood shack” vibe. Rating: 4

  • Dai Due - Try Centex Breakfast, Tallow Coffee, Stonefruit Shrub, Cinnamon babka. Date: 2016–10–02 Rating: 4

  • Dee Dee - Hyper spicy, very tasty northern Thai food. Rating: 4

  • dipdipdip Tatsu-Ya - Rating: 4

  • Discada - Food truck serving tacos de discada. Your choice of 1, 5, or 8 tacos. Rating: 4

  • Dope Chinese - Old Thousand number 2, great takeout for date night. Rating: 3.5

  • Draught House: Neighborhood brewery and pub. Great laid back hang out. Rating: 3.5

  • East Side King - Paul Qui’s food trucks. Rating: 3.5

  • Emmer and Rye - Features in Austin Chronicle as having great bread from fresh-milled grains. Rating: 3.5

  • Fleet Coffee - Tiny space, excellent coffee. Rating: 4.5

  • Hopfields - Beer and French-inspired food. Gets very busy. Rating: 4.5

  • Hunan Bistro - Do the more interesting parts of the menu, like Hunan Sichuan Style. Rating: 4

  • Foreign and Domestic - Nose-to-tail and local. Consistently excellent. Rating: 4.5

  • Fukumoto - Yakitori, Pork belly yakitori. Date: 2017-06 Rating: 3.5

  • Gelateria Gemelli - Chocolate is always the best, orange cardamom, earl grey, really anything. Don’t forget a negroni or bitters to go with the gelato. Date: 2017–02–12 Rating: 5

  • Homeslice Pizza - Delicious NY-style pizza, great neighborhood hangout, family friendly. Nice Martinis. Rating: 4

  • Jacoby’s - Ranch-to-table on E. Cesar Chavez. Recommended for brunch and back porch. Rating: 3.5

  • Kemuri Tatsuya - Tex-Japanese Izakaya, small plates and alcoholic drinks. Most seating is at an outdoor patio. Rating: 3.5

  • Komé - Okonomiyaki, agedashi tofu, and other tasty things. Rating: 4

  • Laundrette - Highly recommended, many small plates for sharing, great flavor and texture combinations, and best pastry chef in town. Date: 2020-02-29 Rating: 5

  • Le Bleu - Brick and mortar from the Saigon le Vendeur folks. Get the OG banh mi and try the green mango salad. Vegetarian noodle bowl is also fantastic. Rating: 4

  • Le Politique - French brasserie and patisserie. Rating: 4

  • Lenoir - Local seasonal focus, prix-fixe menu. Outdoor wine bar in back. Rating: 4.5

  • Licha’s Cantina - Tex-Mex, relaxed atmosphere, delicious. Have the ceviche and a margarita. Date: 2016–10–29 Rating: 4

  • Micklethwait Craft Meats - Brisket, sausage and some of the best sides. Rating: 4.5

  • Nasha - Funky Tex-Mex Indian food. Comforting. Rating: 3.5

  • New Fortune Chinese Seafood Restaurant - Weekend dim sum in a large hall with carts. Rating 3.5

  • Nixta Taqueria - Incredible corn flavor in their tortillas, excellent flavor and texture combinations with creative ingredients. Date: 2020-07 Rating: 4.5

  • Odd Duck – Texas farm-to-table, lunch, brunch or dinner. Go for the Low Country Benedict. Rating: 4

  • Olamaie – Modern Southern food with delicious vegetable dishes. Date: 2019-09-13 Rating: 4

  • Old Thousand - Fancy Chinese, playful spins on hyper regional specialties. Rating: 3.5

  • Patrizi’s - “The” Italian food truck, home-made pasta and all. Rating: 4

  • Peached Tortilla - Japanese, Chinese, Malaysian and Southern US. Rating: 3.5

  • Pieous Pies - Good to pair with a trip to Jester King brewery. Good pizzas. Excellent pastrami. Date: 2016–11–26 Rating: 3.5

  • Pinthouse Pizza - Excellent pizza, craft beer, long tables and occasional quiz nights. Rating: 3.5

  • Proof and Copper - Fried chicken, nice outdoor space. Rating: 3.5

  • Pueblo Viejo - Tacos. Rating: 4

  • Ramen Tatsu-ya - Ramen shop. Rating: 3.5

  • Saigon le Vendeur - Banh mi food truck. Rating: 3.5

  • Salt and Time butcher shop - Chicken fried steak biscuit and gravy. Rating: 4

  • Salty Sow - Meat-heavy and generally heavy. Try triple fried duck fat fries. Good charcuterie board and happy hour. Date: 2017–04 Rating: 3.5

  • Sa-Ten - Japanese food and coffee. Get the tonkatsu with curry. Rating: 3.5

  • Sour Duck Market - Excellent pastries. Good outdoor evening hang out with food and beer. Rating (for pastries): 4.5

  • Terry Blacks BBQ - Really good sausage and brisket. Big space that’s good for groups, quick service even when there’s a line. Sell frozen briskets, excellent for a party. Rating: 4

  • Texas French Bread - French-inspired, a nice breakfast spot. Rating: 3.5

  • Tumble 22 - Hot chicken, yummy. Hot is tasty fried chicken and easy. “Mo’ Hot!” is good, but will kick it up a one more to “Dang Hot!” next time.

  • Tyson’s Tacos - Tacos 24 hours a day, (almost) always great. Try “The Rage.” Rating: 3.5

  • Vivian’s Boulangerie - An inspired buttery combination of Texas and France with the technique and finesse that Austin didn’t know it was missing. Rating: 5

  • Wu Chow - For dumplings and dim sum. Try - Shanghai soup dumpling, yu xiang eggplant, salt & pepper squid, mapo tofu. Date: 2016–08–21 Rating: 4

  • Xian Fresh - Pulled noodles, always the Dan Dan noodles with Pappardelle. Date: 2017–01–07 Rating: 4