Food To Eat In Austin – I’m here to help you find the best lunch in Austin Texas! “Best” is different for all of us… and if you’re anything like me, it changes from day to day. The healthy lunch you crave in downtown Austin on Monday may not be enough on Friday afternoon when you really need a big, tasty burger. I’m covering all of Austin’s lunch options, from healthy eats to splurge-worthy treats!
Lunch, sadly, is the most underrepresented meal in Austin. We all know brunch is a great meal, and fancy weekend dinner restaurants get a lot of attention, but lunch gets overlooked. But we have tons of great downtown lunch spots in Austin, as well as great lunch spots all around the city.
Food To Eat In Austin
The blog post is divided into 6 groups. Feel free to scroll through to find what you need:
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Where to Eat Best Lunch in Austin Texas: Healthy Upscale / Casual Quick Bites Burgers + BBQ Outdoor Dining #foodporn
A brick-walled bakery and deli with the most delicious soups, sandwiches, salads and (my favorite) cookies! It’s a wonderful little place and perfect for a weekday girlfriend date.
If a healthy sushi lunch hits the spot, consider Komé: a North Austin sushi kitchen serving homestyle Japanese cuisine in a modern setting. Prices are very competitive compared to other trendy sushi spots in Austin. I love that I can order a huge sushi lunch for under $20.
The Cookbook is inside the massive Downtown Austin Public Library…super read! Enjoy bites like cabbage soup, chicken pot pie, and shrimp and chorizo lettuce wraps.
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Can clearly be listed under “outdoor dining” as this cute downtown cafe has a huge outdoor patio where they serve their signature New American plates, like Pick 2: Soup du Jour, Salad, or sandwich bread with gluten-free
BCC is a vegetarian favorite in Austin. The entire menu is meat-free, so you know you’ll be enjoying all the sandwiches, tacos, salads and other delicious foods in a cruelty-free environment. (Psst: grab an oatmeal cream pie. It’s listed in my guide to the best cookies in Austin Texas!)
This popular DC salad chain now has two locations in Austin: South Congress, and The Drag. You can pre-order through their app and pick up their delicious salads and bowls, or dine in the bright and airy restaurant space.
This cute Argentinian restaurant serves lots of grilled meats, flavorful chimichurri sauce, and homemade empanadas. I’m listing this under the “healthy” options because it can definitely be…. But if you want to splurge a little, you can also order melted, gooey burnt provolone cheese with oregano or a special homemade lemon pie.
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Acai bowl, anyone? Blenders and Bowls is the perfect place to go for fruity, refreshing, healthy smoothies and smoothie bowls on those hot, summer days.
Instagrammed…), Flower Child has won Austin over with her healthy meals that can accommodate almost any dietary restriction. This is a great place for a group!
TFK can also be listed under “upscale” eateries as it is a great place for a formal office/meeting lunch, but they also cater to healthy lifestyles and specific diets. I love their salads, poke and ancient grain bowls.
Malibu Poke offers the freshest sashimi-grade fish you can find in Austin! They have your own bowl where you order by touch screen (or forward online) with 63,000 possible combinations.
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They’ve got American comfort food served with a vintage flair. It’s a fun spot for lunch, happy hour, or late night!
Easy Tiger is easily one of the best lunch spots in East Austin with its house-made sausages, delicious sandwiches and great tap wall of craft beers. And now they have both South Austin and North Austin locations with huge outdoor patios!
I’m going to mention Freesa’s Chicken as a quick lunch option in Austin in just a moment, but it’s downtown. For now, consider the huge South First Street location, which has a huge outdoor patio under a giant live oak tree. They have delicious wood-grilled chicken, tacos, and healthy bowls that you can pair with fresh guac, salsa, and queso.
Perla is a casual seafood restaurant with a cozy, luxurious outdoor patio overlooking South Congress. Dine on fresh fish, oysters and surf ‘n’ turf under the big Austin sky.
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Don’t be fooled by the name… Better Half does much more than coffee and cocktails. Enjoy options like chopped salads, cheeseburgers, or pastrami sandwiches in the large, shaded backyard. Bonus: It’s one of the few places in town with free parking.
This cute little East Austin market is an offshoot of popular South Austin restaurant Odd Duck. They have many of the same farm-to-table options for lunch, but you can enjoy them in a more casual, outdoor setting.
Masterminds Tyson Cole (Uchi) and Aaron Franklin (Franklin BBQ) teamed up to create an Asian-BBQ fusion restaurant where diners can enjoy the best of both worlds, such as beef brisket smoked with Thai herbs, char Save pork belly, and candy kettle corn. Brisket with burnt ends and togorashi.
Frisa’s serves wood-grilled chicken at both of its locations, but the downtown drive-thru spot is your best bet for a quick, healthy lunch without even getting out of the car.
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Soup Peddler offers about 8 made-from-scratch soup options each day that are preheated and ready to be served to you when you order. If you have a few extra minutes to wait, you can order a hot and melty cheese sandwich to enjoy with that hot cup of soup.
Torchy’s has crazy, innovative tacos and some of the best queso in Austin, and you can order ahead so all you have to do is walk in and pick it up!
Everyone needs a good drive through taco spot from time to time, and El Tacorido’s South First location is the perfect place for a quick order of pastor tacos, chips and queso, and a Mexican Coke.
The flagship location of “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” is in the heart of downtown Austin, and Next Level Burger offers everything from a self-serve salad bar and hot food bar to upscale veggie burgers. It is the best place to enjoy. standing up
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40 North has this crazy decadent burger that’s worth every calorie! It’s a small wood-fired pizza restaurant, but many people come just for the burgers. (Try the pizza, too! It’s one of my favorites in Austin.)
JewBoy Burgers The new brick and mortar on Airport Blvd is one of my favorite places to send people to lunch in Austin. Their big, juicy burgers are made to order and served on martinis potato rolls. The menu includes many other delicious options, such as cheese coney dogs, fried latkes, and barbacoa burritos.
The line can get pretty long at lunchtime at this craft meat smokehouse/trailer, so try to get there around 11 to get your food a little faster. But even if you have to wait? Worth it for those smoked sausages and brisket!
Terry Black’s is another fantastic option for getting some of the best BBQ in Austin. They have a large indoor restaurant, but the line will still wrap around the building on weekends!
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Terry’s Burger Stand can also be listed under “quick bites” because all of their locations have drive-thru options. This is one of Austin’s largest (and best) burger chains for burgers, fries, chicken sandwiches, and root beer milkshakes!
This East Austin cafe serves delicious, locally sourced breakfast and lunch fare (and one of the best burgers in Austin.)
Fantastic sandwiches (try the Rowdy Rudy pictured above) both hot and cold. It’s a small, hole-in-the-wall restaurant that started as a food truck before opening its brick-and-mortar. Very good!
24 Diners wins for serving comfort food sourced from nearby farms. It’s local, delicious, and (presumably) healthy, with many gluten-free options. Or you can just order the Chili Paneer Fries and forget all the health efforts.
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Phoebe’s Diner is a throwback to the 1950s diner era with mint green checkered floors, vinyl booths, and long counters for single diners. It’s quaint and cozy and offers all the classics like burgers, pancakes and pies.
Hopfields is a gastropub serving craft beer and French-inspired food in a charming, rustic setting. I think their Pascal Burger is one of the best burgers in Austin.
This Jewish deli is a great little place to pop in for a delicious sandwich, bagel or salad. They have a few locations around Austin, and they’re all great places to grab a bite to eat, eat alone, or meet a friend for a lunch date.
Uncle Nicky’s is an all-day dining restaurant inspired by Northern Italian cafes. Pop in for a quick sandwich, pan tostato, and homemade gelato.
Austin City Guide
Qi Austin is a modern Asian kitchen in downtown Austin (Chef Wu worked at Chu!). Their lunch specials are perfect for someone looking for a quick lunch in a slightly more upscale setting. Be sure to order some soup dumplings!
Swift’s Attic is a stylish New American restaurant.
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