Austin, Texas: a local shares what to eat and where to try

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10 things to know about Austin cuisine
Where to eat in Austin
Where to stay in Austin
Day trip to Fredericksburg

What to eat in Austin, Texas

Food trucks

We love food trucks. Most of the flagship restaurants in Austin started as food trucks. Before he opened Barley Swine, Bryce Gilmore had a food truck called Odd Duck which he ran with his brother that was so successful he could open a bricks and mortar restaurant. The trucks usually set up at these large patio spaces, which are typically breweries. For example, Meanwhile Brewing is a newer one that has an excellent line-up of food trucks at it.

Farm-to-table

We really want to shorten the gap between restaurant and farm. We’ve actually partnered with our local farm, Trosi Farms. They collect our compost, use it to grow produce for us, and some of my team even volunteer to work on the farm because they love being part of the whole cycle. The shorter the journey from the soil to your plate, the better it tastes. We get to have conversations about the kind of produce we want and we can make a promise to use everything they grow for us.

Peaches

Texas has some really delicious peaches which thrive due to the hot, dry summers and mild winters. Just a little over an hour from Austin you’ll find Fredericksburg, which is famous for growing them. In season, you can drive through and see plenty of peach trees and peach stands selling them. We’re also one of the largest producers of melons, specifically watermelons.

Wagyu beef

Texas has got really smart with breeding. Farmers found that they could crossbreed Black Angus cattle with Japanese Wagyu cattle to get these bigger Wagyu cattle and that’s become really popular on menus. At Emmer & Rye we use Iron Table Wagyu, which is 100% Wagyu cattle, raised in Texas. It’s a smaller breed but has the high density of fat marbling that is so prized.

Texas barbecue

Texas is famous for beef barbecue. Brisket, beef ribs and even whole animal barbacoa, which is the influence of Mexico coming in. The rub here is very simple, usually just salt and pepper – the important thing is the smoke they use and the relationship that has with the beef. Most barbecue in Austin is first-come, first-served, so you have to wait in line and if they run out they’re done for the day. And don’t expect to get BBQ on a Monday – Sunday is most people’s day off so the smokers don’t get lit.

Lunch Tray pork ribs, smoked turkey, sausage, brisket & pulled pork.

Speakeasies

Austin has a great cocktail bar scene and there are lots of speakeasies tucked behind unmarked doors or behind fake storefronts. I really like a place called Small Victory which is hidden behind what looks like the entrance to a multi-level parking garage. I get the Painkiller, which is a pineapple, coconut and rum cocktail served in a very tall glass.

Food festivals

We love a festival in Austin. There’s the Austin Food & Wine Festival which is a big one. There’s also Hot Luck, a grilling fest where chefs cook everything over live fire so you can taste the wood and the smoke. There’s also times when music coincides with food like Austin City Limits. There’s multiple stages across downtown parks as well as fields and fields of food vendors.

Austin Food & Wine Festival 2023. Credit to Dusana Risovic. Exp July 2027 (15) copy

Distilleries

There are lots of great distilleries in Austin. Still Austin is probably one of my favourites (it was also the first distillery opened within Austin city limits since prohibition). They do gin and whiskey which is made mainly with local heirloom heritage grains. The botanicals for their gins are usually grown in Texas as well, so a lot of wildflowers and citrus. They give their spent grain from making spirits to cattle ranchers, too, so you also have very happy cattle.

Farmers’ markets

Farmers’ markets happen at different places all week – you have Mueller farmers’ market on Sunday, downtown Austin twice a week and another at Barton Creek. Mueller market even built an indoor section so people could get out of the blazing heat of summer. The farmers we buy from will drive into the city to do the markets, then drop off deliveries for us so it makes it much easier for both consumers and restaurants to get high-quality local produce.

The Michelin Guide

We’re all pretending not to care but we’re secretly excited about Michelin coming to Texas. They announced that they had started reviewing at the beginning of this year and the stars will be awarded at the end of the year. So there’s a lot of chefs waiting to hear. I’m not sure Austin really needs the Michelin Guide though – what’s special about the food scene is its chefs who are just really passionate about Austin itself. (Ed’s note: In November 2024 seven Austin restaurants were awarded Michelin stars; Emmer & Rye was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand and a Michelin Green Star.)

Where to eat and drink in Austin, Texas

Perla’s Seafood and Oyster Bar

Grab a coveted table on the giant oak-shaded patio overlooking South Congress Avenue and indulge in spankingly fresh seafood. As well as oysters on ice (there’s usually at least 12 varieties on offer) and seafood platters from the cold bar, you’ll find expert fish cooking with dishes such as Espelette shrimp and blue crab gumbo and crispy red snapper with lemon spinach. Order the draft paloma with a Tajín salt rim for a perfect aperitivo. perlasaustin.com

Prélude

Chef Matt Peters opened this cocktail and canapé lounge as a taster of his next fine dining restaurant, Maven, which will eventually occupy the second floor of this beautiful historic house in west downtown Austin. The luxe surroundings (think colour-drenched walls, plush velvet and seductive low lighting) are echoed by the craft cocktails and beautifully presented small plates. Cocktails are season- and ingredient-inspired – try the Pines & Miso with its complex mix of mezcal, pine-infused vermouth and miso caramel. Canapés are perfectly executed (large) bites designed with some playful touches like chicken nuggets with whipped dill crème fraîche and pickled green tomatoes or corn hushpuppies with iberico ham and black truffle mornay sauce. prelude-austin.com

Prelude. Courtesy of Prelude. Exp May 2027 (1) copy

Emmer & Rye

Tucked away at the end of Austin’s famous bar-lined Rainey Street is this cool, airy dining room which champions farm-to-table. The restaurant embraces heritage grains (hence the name) which are milled locally to make its pasta, fermentation and full-animal butchery, and menus change daily depending on that day’s farm deliveries. Inventive plates include ricotta-stuffed ravioli with parmesan whey sauce and fennel oil, and a rich smoked wagyu beef ragu with handmade pappardelle. The cocktail menu is concise and fun – try Le Vida Verde, a zingy mix of tequila, mezcal, cucumber, Serrano chilli and lime. emmerandrye.com

Garbo’s

This cute 10-seater counter restaurant was founded by three sisters who relocated from the east coast to Austin via a series of food trucks. Star of the menu is the lobster roll served either Connecticut-style (butter-poached and warm) or Maine-style (chilled with lemony mayo), both stuffed into a soft New England style bun. You can add a touch of luxe to either with an optional caviar topping. garboslobsteratx.com

Otoko x Watertrade

Located at the South Congress Hotel but housed in its own separate space hidden away at the top of a set of metal stairs, Otoko is the 12-seater restaurant where chef Yoshi Okai blends Tokyo and Kyoto cuisine into a multi-course omakase experience. For a more casual experience, Watertrade is the adjoining cocktail bar specialising in Japanese whiskies, sake and dramatic craft cocktails like Heaven and Earth – a heady mix of Banhez mezcal, Cynar and Campari which is served under a glass cloche filled with hickory smoke. The izakaya-style menu of bar snacks and small dishes includes raw plates like ocean trout crudo with cucumber, ocean pear and ponzu, and nasu (aubergine) frites with hamachi salt and tofu crème fraîche. otokoaustin.com

Where to stay in Austin, Texas

South Congress Hotel

One of Austin’s trendiest districts, South Congress (or SoCo) is a long avenue of traditional Austin low-rise buildings peppered with art galleries, music venues, restaurants and upmarket shops (as well as vintage clothing and cowboy boot stores). This boutique-style hotel sits bang in the centre and has enough going on to encourage guests to linger. There are six food and drink offerings – as well as the cool Lobby Bar there is a modern take on a chop house, Maie Day; an all-day Café No Sé; and Mañana, a coffee shop and bakery. Set apart from the main building is the Japanese-inspired Otoko x Watertrade. The stylish rooms are furnished in a cool, minimalist, mid-century modern style with plenty of dark wood and a muted colour palette as well as huge, comfortable beds. Bathrooms are sleek and luxurious with pale tile and bronze, and there are walk-in showers, deep bathtubs and covetable Ursa Major toiletries. The chic rooftop pool is serviced so you can enjoy a cocktail watching over the buzz of South Congress Avenue as the sun sets. southcongresshotel.com

Day trip to Fredericksburg

Just over an hour from Austin, Fredericksburg is a perfect blend of old-world charm and modern convenience. Famous for its wine – there are over 60 wineries in the area – Becker Vineyards is one of the oldest, housed in a stunning building surrounded by lavender fields, with daily tastings and charcuterie boards available. Nearby Halter Ranch offers dining and wine-matching experiences in Restaurant H, an airy vaulted-ceiling room with an open kitchen. If you want to stay close to the town, the Urban Wine Trail offers an easy way to explore downtown’s tasting rooms and sample local varietals without leaving Main Street (many of the venues offer great food as well). Main Street itself is a treasure trove of boutique shops, galleries, breweries and restaurants – ideal for a leisurely drinking and grazing exploration. If you fancy staying over, Hoffman Haus is a cosy, upmarket B&B retreat that combines modern amenities with Texas Hill Country warmth – with a fresh breakfast basket delivered to cabins each morning.

Halter Ranch-Tasting Room2 new (Matthew Niemann) copy

For more information visit traveltexas.com

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