An Austin original, Amy's Ice Creams has grown from one store on Guadalupe to twelve in Austin as well as locations in Houston and San Antonio. Luckily, Amy's website has a feature to enter your zip code to find the location nearest you. The friendly and fun staff pound a variety of treats into delicious high butterfat ice cream. Amy's Ice Cream is a perennial winner in the Austin Chronicle Restaurant Poll for “Best Ice Cream.”
Artz Rib House barbeque in Austin TX serves up mesquite smoked BBQ and charbroiled hamburgers along with baked potatoes, potato salad, pinto beans and all the other traditional fixings in South Austin on Lamar Boulevard. Artz Rib House has been a part of the South Austin community for many years. Owner Art Blondin started out with a restaurant in an old caboose in the downtown area of Austin. His BBQ began to win awards for in competition for both baby back and country style ribs. As Artz Rib House grew, it moved to the present location on South Lamar. Artz Ribhouse is also a favorite spot for local musicians to play as well as eat. Artz Ribhouse has no cover live music seven days a week. Artz Rib House also serves a vegetarian burger.
David "D.T." Terrell has been catering mouth-watering BBQ for Central Texas events from weddings to Rib-O-Rama to South by Southwest for over 35 years. The catering specialties at Austin BBQ include beef brisket, pulled pork, beef and pork ribs, lamb, fajitas. sausage, chicken, turkey, duck, whole salmon, rainbow trout, authentic Cajun dishes, fresh vegetarian dishes, black bean chili, barbecue beans, six-bean bbq beans, various potato salads, smoked corn and Texas cole slaw.
Black's Barbecue is located 30 miles outside of Austin in Lockhart, one of several self proclaimed barbecue capitals of Texas, and is the oldest barbecue restaurant in Texas continuously owned by the same family. Four generations of the Black family serve up smoked meats, homemade sausage and barbecue sauces every day of the week except Thanksgiving day and Christmas. Black's Barbecue has been featured in The New York Times, Southern Living, Texas Monthly, Bon Appetit, Gourmet, The Food Network, Money Magazine and The Travel Channel.
Voted best burgers in Austin several years running in the Austin Chronicle Best of polls, Casino El Camino is a late night Austin favorite open until 2 AM. These hamburgers Austin Texas have been featured on the Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives with Guy Fieri. Opened in 1994, this Austin burger joint serves some of the biggest best burgers in Austin along with skin on fries. Located in the downtown Sixth Street entertainment district, Casino El Camino is also one of Austin's notable dive bars.
Austin Bar B Que restaurant The County Line first opened in 1975 and in the years since then has been the subject of numerous magazine and newspapers articles as well as profiles on television shows. The County Line features wood smoked brisket and ribs. Set in old lake lodge on Bull Creek Road off of Lake Austin Boulevard, Austin TX BBQ restaurant the County Line on the Lake has been well known for many years as the place in Austin to take out-of-town guests. There is a large redwood deck overlooking the Lake Austin at the County Line On the Lake. The original County Line On the Hill is located in an historic building with a 20 mile view of the Texas Hill Country on Bee Cave Road just past 360. Sunsets are popular at the original County Line On the Hill.
Rob Balon is a well respected food critic in Austin for 590 KLBJ-AM and KVUE 24 TV. His website Dining Out With Rob Balon" has the latest restaurant reviews and commentary, the latest restaurant openings and closings, downloadable menus and all the news from the Austin restaurant scene.
A popular Mexican restaurant in Austin late night after hours is El Taquito. El Taquito Mexican Restaurant on East Riverside Drive serves Mexican food and tacos in Austin TX after hours seven days a week. El Taquito is open until 3:30 AM on Mondays, until 3 AM on Tuesdays, until 4 AM Wednesdays through Fridays and stays open until 4:30 AM on Saturdays. One of the best Austin restaurants after a late night downtown, the authentic Mexican tacos include barbacoa, carne asada, tripitas, carnitas, and al pastor. The salsa bar has a wide variety of salsas including tomatillo and tamarindo salsas. El Taquito also opens early at 7:30 AM serving breakfast tacos and breakfast plates.
Frank hot dog restaurant serves Austin late night best hot dogs until 2 AM on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The menu features a wide variety of combinations for the Chicago style hot dogs and pork is available on many items from cocktails to desserts. The Pork It splits a hot dog, stuffs it with cheese, wraps it with bacon and then drops it in a deep fry. The hotdogs served at Frank are made in-house or locally for Frank by Hudson Sausage Company. Chicago style waffle fries with skins on, pepper and kosher salt are a good choice to go with the hotdogs and cold beer. Frank also has a full bar and is located in a renovated warehouse in downtown Austin. Some vegetarian options at this Austin restaurant. Lunch delivery is also available.
Franklin Barbecue was recently named "The Best BBQ Restaurant in America" by Bon Appetit magazine. Franklin Barbecue sells sandwiches, BBQ plates and brisket, sausage, pork ribs and pulled pork barbeque in Austin TX by the pound. The brisket at Franklin Barbecue is oak smoked Angus brisket with a peppery crust and thick smoke ring. This best BBQ restaurant Austin Texas started as a trailer on the east side of IH-35 and 34th Street. Owner Aaron Franklin began his BBQ career when his parents owned a BBQ joint for a few years when he was a kid. After rekindling his love of BBQ in his own backyard, he worked for John Mueller at his BBQ restaurant on Manor Road before it closed. A few years later the owner of Owl Tree Roasting suggested he move a trailer to sell BBQ into the parking lot of Owl Tree and Franklin was an immediate hit with BBQ connoisseurs in Austin who say they no longer have to drive to Taylor or Lockhart for outstanding Austin Bar B Que. Franklin Barbecue is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 AM until they sell out daily (usually around 2 PM), so it is not unusual to see BBQ lovers lining up before they open.
Green Mesquite barbecue in Austin Texas is a green mesquite wood smoked BBQ joint close to Zilker Park that has been featured on the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" show. A favorite is the 3 meat plate with selections such as brisket, ribs or pulled pork. Green Mesquite BBQ has live music Thursdays through Sundays. The atmosphere is down home Texas charm. There is also an outside area picnic tables giving the feeling of a backyard Austin Bar B Que.
Wedged between a laundromat and a head shop off Oltorf on the east side of IH-35, Hai Ky serves Pho soup, Vietnamese specials. egg rolls, spring rolls and other stir fry. A south central Austin favorite, Hai Ky generally has a friendly neighborhood atmosphere.
Hoboken Pie located in the Austin Red River entertainment district next to Headhunters and across from Stubbs BBQ is open late night until 2:30 AM seven days a week. The Hoboken Pie pizza menu is Jersey style New York pizza with vegetarian and vegan options. This Austin TX pizza Italian restaurant also has pastas, spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna and fountain Dublin Dr. Pepper and Boylans vintage soda pop. Hoboken Pie Italian Austin restaurant serves whole pie, by the slice and has a downtown Austin delivery service. There are a few tables for sit down service as well as walk up service. Locally owned, Hoboken Pie is hand tossed and provides some of the best Italian late night food in downtown Austin.
Home Slice Pizza is a dine-in South Austin Italian restaurant open until 11 PM Sunday through Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. The authentic homemade hand tossed New York style pizza is served by the slice or by the pizza pie and is considered by many to be the best pizza in Austin. The More HomeSlice pizzeria takeout located next door at 1421 South Congress stays open late night until 3 AM on Fridays and Saturdays and serves takeout or by the slice. HomeSlice has a patio in back to eat pizza from the pizza restaurant or pizza ordered next door at More Home Slice. There is no service on the patio. The thin crust, crispy pizza at Home Slice was won Best Pizza in Austin published in the Austin Chronicle Readers Poll and has also been featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. No pizza delivery service is available at Home Slice.
Iron Works BBQ is located inside the location of the Weigl Iron Works, a family operated ornamental iron works company operating in Austin during the 1930's through the 1970's. The building was converted into The Iron Works BBQ in 1978 and it was not long after that the State Historical Commission registered the property as a historical site. The weather vane located on the peak of the Iron Works BBQ roof was made by Lee Weigl in 1922 at the age of 13. Examples of Weigl Iron Works craftsmanship can be seen in the halls of the State Capital, Laguna Gloria Art Museum and many of the historical homes around Austin. Iron Works BBQ is located on Red River right around the corner for the convention center and stays busy during the March SXSW convention and other big conventions throughout the year.
Kerbey Lane Cafe is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a week with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas. This original late night restaurant of the now five Kerbey Lanes in Austin is located among a triangle of unique shops off of 38th Street near Seton Hospital. An affordable, casual place to eat healthy food, Kerbey Lane was opened in 1980 by David Ayer and Patricia Atkinson. The night before opening, they made their first batch of the now famous Buttermilk Pancakes and the recipe hasn't changed since. Kirbey Lane Cafe offers locally grown produce whenever possible, including pesticide-free tomatoes, squash, okra, spinach, strawberries and field greens. Much of the produce comes from the farm of Cora and Bobby Lamar, who plant year round for Kerbey Lane Cafe on over 60 acres. The home grown tomatoes at Kerbey Lane are renown, as well as the always popular Kerbey Queso. Kerbey Lane Cafe also offers free range beef and pork, tasty regional selections, breakfasts, and many vegetarian-friendly choices.
Located on Guadalupe Street otherwise known as "The Drag," Kerbey Lane Cafe UT is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week directly across from the University of Texas campus.
Kreuz Market was started in 1900 by Charles Kreuz as a meat market and grocery store. The smoked meat was sold on butcher paper without sauce or utensils. Charles passed the business along to his sons and son-in-law who ran it until 1948, when Edgar Schmidt, who had worked there since 1936, bought the market from the Kruez family. In the sixties, Edgar closed the grocery store and kept the BBQ, later selling the business to his sons, Rick and Don Schmidt. The building itself was always owned by the Kruez family and in 1999 the Schmidt family lost its lease on the building and moved the business from its original home of 99 years to a bigger facility a quarter mile north of the old location. Meat is ordered by the pound in the smoke room and served on butcher paper without sauce.
La Mexicana Bakery is a family owned Mexican restaurant located in South Austin. Open 24 hours, they have lots of authentic mexican pastries, as well as a variety of restaurant dishes.
Lambert's Downtown Barbeque serves BBQ in an upscale style in the historic Schneider Brothers Building in downtown Austin close to Lady Bird Lake and the Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail. The J.P. Schneider Store is a historic building in downtown Austin built in 1873 that over the years has housed a mercantile storage, a saloon after prohibition, electrical and lumber companies and an art gallery. The Schneider Brothers Building is the only historic building in the area that has not been torn down and is adjacent the new City Hall. The Schneider Brothers Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Lambert's gives BBQ a gourmet twist with oak smoked and oak grilled beef, pork, chicken and seafood. Lambert's often has live music upstairs and has a small dance floor. Lambert's has been featured on the Food Network show "Meat and Potatoes" with host Rahm Fama.
Opened in 1949 in Taylor, Texas by Louie Mueller, Louie Mueller Barbecue made it's first appearance in Texas Monthly Magazine in 1976 and has been written about in countless magazine articles since. Louie Mueller Barbecue has been a set location for three feature films, profiled in several documentaries and featured in Food Network "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" with Guy Fieri. Louie Mueller Barbecue was also named "Official Best Barbecue in Texas" in 2008. Inside the smokey interior of Louie Mueller BBQ are meats sold by the slice or by the pound on butcher paper. BBQ sauce, sliced bread or crackers, pickels and onions are sides that come along with the meat. World famous Austin guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn and his older brother Jimmy Vaughn did a photo shoot for their album “Family Style” at Louie Mueller BBQ shortly before the untimely passing of Stevie Ray Vaughn in a helicopter crash in 1990.
Magnolia Cafe on South Congress Avenue is open 24 hours a day and serves a wide selection of salads, quesadillas, tacos, burgers, soups and sandwiches, as well as dailey blackboard specials featuring seafood, pasta and steaks. This coffee shop open 24 hours a day is also well known for it's breakfast any time of the day and it's “Sorry, We're Open” sign. Specialties include generous stacks of pancakes, with gingerbread, buttermilk, whole wheat and cornmeal varieties and omelettes like the Popeye with steamed spinach, red onion, bacon and cheese topped with sour cream. The menu also includes a number of vegetarian items, including Magnolia's trademark Love Veggies grilled in garlic and serrano Love Butter. Rotating art exhibits from local artists decorate the walls and the ceiling of Magnolia Cafe and there is also outdoor patio dining under large oak trees. The South Congress Magnolia Cafe is also associated with the gift shop Prima Dora next door. If there is a wait for a table, the PA system will call you either outside the cafe or in the gift shop.
The late Matt Martinez, a former Golden Gloves boxing champions, opened Matt's El Rancho with his wife Janie in 1952 with ten tables in East Austin. Since then Tex-Mex favorites like enchiladas and margaritas that Matt's first began serving over fifty years ago have brought fame and celebrity to one of Austin's favorite Mexican food restaurants. The chile rellenos are said to have been a favorite of President Lyndon Johnson. Still family owned and operated, Matt's is now located in a beautiful hacienda style location in South Austin that includes an outdoor patio and a private party room.
The recipe for the famous Meyer's Elgin Sausage originally came from Germany with Henry Meyer in the late 1800s. Henry's son R.G. founded Meyer’s Sausage Company in 1949. Today, Meyer’s Sausage Company and Meyer’s Elgin Smokehouse is the self-proclaimed "Cue-topia of Texas" and is run by the fourth generation of the Meyer family. A favorite at Meyer's is the three-meat combo, which may include two links of beef sausage, a couple slices of smoked turkey, two pork ribs, barbecue sauce, German-style potato salad, very spicy beans, a pickle slice and a medium-sized drink for less than $12. Meyer’s Elgin Smokehouse is located on US Hwy 290, 24 miles east of Austin.
The breads at Moonlight Bakery are baked fresh daily and come out of the oven between 6:30 and 10:30 A.M. Monday through Saturday. Ciabatta rolls, focaccia, Italian bread, home-style white bread and baguettes are baked every day. Alpine 7 Grain bread is available Monday, Wednesday and Friday. German rye bread is available on Mondays only. Cinnamon raisin bread is available on Tuesdays and Saturdays and Challah is available on Fridays only. Other specialty breads can be baked on request such as crusty rolls and soft yeast rolls. Other available baked goods include cookies, muffins, kolaches,scones and other pastries. Moonlight Bakery also specializes in custom cakes for special occasions including weddings and birthdays.
The Onion pizzeria is a favorite downtown Austin late night dining spot especially known to answer the question where to eat in Austin for after hours pizza. The Onion is open late night until 3 AM Monday through Saturday. The Onion also delivers downtown only until 11 PM with a minimum $10 order. This restaurant in Austin TX serves soft, thin crust pizza paired with a spicy sauce by the pie or by the slice. The pizza rolls also make a good Austin late night snack. This Austin restaurant has limited seating, but late night patrons often eat standing up or walk outside to enjoy their pizza slices.
A long time University of Texas area favorite since 1988, Ruby's BBQ has pit smoked BBQ from natural all beef brisket. The pits at Ruby's BBQ in Austin TX are the only brick pits in Austin Texas still used to smoke BBQ. Ruby's BBQ also has vegetarian items and other non-traditional side dishes for BBQ.
Rudy's “Country Store” and Bar-B-Q began in the small community of Leon Springs outside of San Antonio in 1989. Rudy's Bar-B-Q is a dry spice rub BBQ style smoked with oak wood in pits.
The original Salt Lick in Driftwood, Texas is an internationally known Austin Bar B Que restaurant and has been featured numerous times on television programs on the Food Network and the Travel Channel. The Salt Lick was started in 1967 in the hill country outside of Austin by Thurman Roberts, Sr. and his wife Hisako T. Roberts on the ranch where Thurman Sr. was born. The Salt Lick has expanded over the years with space to accomodate weddings and corporate functions and is operated today by their son Scott. The famous Salt Lick BBQ menu is meat cooked slowly in a wood fired open pit accompanied by a sweet BBQ sauce and Asian style cole slaw. The original Salt Lick in Driftwood is about a 45 minute drive from downtown Austin. There can be an hour to two hour wait for seating and there is no alcohol license at the Driftwood restaurant, but you can bring your own and many patrons choose to pass the time waiting for a table sitting outdoors with an ice chest of libations. On weekends there is often live music.
Sam's Bar-B-Cue is open until 10 PM Sunday through Thursday and is open after hours Friday and Saturday nights until 3 AM. Besides being a downtown late night eatery on the east side, Sam's BBQ is also close to many Austin historical sites frequented by visitors during the day, including the Texas State Cemetary and the LBJ Library. Sam's Bar-B-Cue has been voted best barbecue in Austin over the years many times in the Austin Chronicle Reader's Poll and is known for it's brisket, ribs, chicken and mutton. Owner Dan Mays purchased Sam's Bar-B-Cue many years ago from the original Sam, who owned the nightclub next door. Mays was known as Sam ever since. His daughters Waunda and Kay run Sam's now. Besides the homemade barbecue sauce, plates are served with a sweet, Southern-style potato salad and spicy beans. The late guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan was a devoted Sam's customer, even making some long distance call in orders for Sam's specialties while he was on the road.
Nina Schmidt Sells established Smitty's Market in 1999 in the building that housed her father's Kreuz Market for more than 50 years. The market sits in the same location where barbecue has been sold in Lockhart since the turn of the last century. Smitty's Market features brisket, coarsely ground handmade sausage,pork chops and boneless prime rib. Meats are sold by the pound on butcher paper without sauce. Lockhart is about a 45 minute drive outside of Austin.
Southside Market & Barbeque was founded in 1882 and changed hands several times until 1968 when it was purchased by the Bracewell family. Since then, three generations of the Bracewell family have prepared the 100% beef coarse ground sausage with black pepper, and cayenne known as Elgin Hot Sausage. The hot in hot sausage refers to the way it's smoked, not it's spiciness. All of the meat at Southside Market & Barbeque is slow-cooked on a pit using real Texas Post Oak wood and served both by the pound on butcher paper and as part of a plated meal. The menu includes the famous Original Elgin Beef Sausage, beef brisket, beef ribs, beef steaks, pork spareribs, baby back pork ribs, pork steaks, chicken and mutton. After a meal a hand-dipped cone of Blue Bell ice cream is available at the ice cream counter. Elgin is a 45 minute drive from Austin.
Locally owned coffee shop Strange Brew is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week in South Austin close to the intersection of Manchaca and Stassey Lane.
Stubbs BBQ Restaurant is one face of the multi level entertainment corporation C-3, the same folks behind the Austin City Limits Festival. The original C.B. Stubblefield was a Black Korean War vet who opened a BBQ stand in Lubbock, Texas in 1968 across from the county fairgrounds. He apparently made some really good BBQ in the hickory pit behind his place and filled the jukebox with vintage blues music. Unfortunate circumstances led him to Austin, Texas in 1985 and he began to sell BBQ outside of Antone's Blues Nightclub and eventually opened a restaurant in Austin on Interstate 35 in 1986. After Stubblefield died in 1995 his name and likeness was purchased for the current incarnation of Stubbs BBQ Restaurant on Red River. Besides having indoor restaurant seating for the BBQ restaurant, Stubb's is also an 1800-seat stone ampitheatre that hosts a variety of rock, blue grass, punk, reggae and other music acts including such artists as Rebelution, Counting Crows, Blue October and Pete Yorn. Stubb's BBQ also has a separate indoor stage that often features Austin area musicians. Sundays there is a gospel brunch with live Gospel music and a southern-style buffet with grits, migas, fried catfish, and brisket.
The original Threadgill's was opened as a gas station on North Lamar by country music singer and yodeler Kenneth Threadgill in 1933. In that same year, Mr. Threadgill became the proud owner of the first liquor license in Travis County after the repeal of Prohibition and soon Threadgill's Tavern became a favorite spot for traveling musicians since it was open 24 hours for food, drinks, music and a fill-up. In the 1960's local folk musicians and students from the University of Texas became part of the clientele and it was at Threadgill's that then student Janis Joplin began to develop her unique singing style. When Mr. Threadgill decided to close Threadgill's after the death of his wife, Eddie Wilson, owner of the Armadillo World Headquarters, purchased it. The Armadillo closed on New Year's Eve of 1980 and the new Threadgill's, serving Southern style down home cooking, opened on New Year's Eve 1981. In 1996, Threadgill's World Headquarters was opened in south Austin next door to the location of the by-then demolished Armadillo World Headquarters. The theme of the north location is Austin between the 1930's and the 1960's. The south location features the history of the Armadillo and Austin in the 1970's. Both locations feature live music.
Trudy's Texas Star serves a full menu late night until 2 AM on Friday and Saturday nights. Trudy's Texas Star is the original of the now three Trudy's locations in Austin (the other two are one in far South Austin and the other in far North Austin)and opened in the University of Texas campus area in 1977.
A local hole in the wall, Vic's Bar-B-Que and Catering serves oak smoked chicken, ribs, brisket, Elgin sausage and daily meat specials on the southeast side of Austin. Vic's also serves breakfast tacos and caters.