Popular Places To Eat In Austin – After a whole year of closure and a loss of some of Austin’s most notable restaurants, in 2020, the city has fully reopened for business and people are eating out again.
One question I get asked more than almost any other is, “what is my favorite restaurant in Austin?” While this is not the guide to the best restaurants in Austin, I found it prudent to offer a guide to Austin’s most popular spots.
Popular Places To Eat In Austin
This guide features a list of restaurants that helped put Austin on the map and are frequented by visitors and locals alike. From world-famous Central Texas BBQ, to authentic Mexican interiors, to Detroit-style pizza, some of these spots were Austin staples before Elon Musk and Google knew Austin was cool.
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| Franklin Barbecue is the place that changed everything about modern barbecue in Austin and around Texas. Their well-earned reputation as Austin’s go-to place for barbecue is beyond legendary. Every modern BBQ spot in the nation and around the world has been inspired by Aaron Franklin’s model for smoking meat success. The legendary line does not just last for four hours out of complete randomness. The smoked brisket alone is quintessential and worth the pilgrimage. If you plan to eat here, plan to arrive between 6 am – 8 am and be prepared to wait. Bring your coffee, a chair, and a cooler, and be prepared to wait.
| When the weather isn’t blazing hot or at the point of freezing, Austin has a plethora of excellent patio dining spots. Since 2013, Contigo has been one of Austin’s most popular spots for an al fresco experience. The patios and decks offer casual and comfortable Southwestern ranch dining paired with refreshing craft cocktails, shared bites and plenty of space for events or backyard games.
SkyHouse, 51 Rainey St #110 | With Owner and Executive Chef Kevin Fink and Partner Tavel Bristol-Joseph at the helm, Emmer & Rye boasts seasonal and rustic inspired cuisine, built around local farmer’s produce and a menu that changes daily. Heirloom grains are ground fresh for house-made pastas, breads, and desserts, whole animals are butchered on-site, and an extensive in-house fermentation program captures the flavors of the peaks and preserves them for the season.
Multiple Locations in Austin | Via313’s pizza defines the beauty of Detroit-style pie. Brothers Brandon and Zane Hunt make the thick, airy crust and grind it in-house with cold-fermented dough, allowing a delicious texture in the crunch to give a layer of caramelized cheese covering all four corners of the pie. Baked in a square, silver pan pulled from the oven, this buttery square is topped with two blobs of freshly crushed tomato sauce, drizzled after baking, on top of melted cheese. Every bite is a baker’s triumph and pizza lover’s delight.
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2613 S Lamar Blvd. | Matt’s El Rancho has been an Austin-based Tex-Mex restaurant since 1952. They are one of Austin’s top volume serving restaurants, presenting an exceptional experience to a long and loyal guest base that returns year after year. Matt’s has been recognized by nearly every magazine and publication in Austin and many others across the country. Photo Credit – Matt’s El Rancho Facebook
1800 E 6th St | Founded in Austin, Texas, by restaurateur Sam Hellman-Mass, Suerte believes that a good meal begins with delicious food but always includes genuine hospitality and a celebration of time shared at the table. The restaurant combines its obsession for homemade masa with refined cooking techniques and ingredients from local farmers to present an inspiring and unexpected journey into Mexican interior cuisine.
2330 W North Loop Blvd. | Since opening in the 1970s, the restaurant’s reputation has been one of the most celebrated and popular spots in Texas. The restaurant has been known to host notable visitors and celebrities throughout the years, including Presidents Lyndon Johnson and George W. Bush. Considered by many as “Austin’s most beautiful restaurant,” the collection of museum-quality artwork, exotic plants, and international decor have made Fonda San Miguel an ideal place for an exquisite dining experience. The restaurant itself is a celebration of this different cuisine and it’s rich colorful history.
1201 S Lamar Blvd. | Founded by acclaimed chef Bryce Gilmore, Odd Duck is one of Austin’s most celebrated restaurants featuring an artisanal approach to cooking, a culture of creativity from the staff and produce from amazing local farmers. Locally sourced ingredients form the seasonal, ever-changing menu, accompanied by creative cocktails, craft beers and approachable wines.
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| Translated as “son of Uchi” from Japanese, Uchiko opened in 2010 as a follow-up to executive chef and sushi master Tyson Cole’s critically acclaimed Uchi. The Uchiko menu presents a selection of composite dishes and sushi, taken from the original idea created in Uchi, presenting the same style of innovative, fresh cuisine. Highlights include hot and cold tastings, grilled items, greens, the Omakase, sushi and sashimi, makimono, and award-winning desserts.
2027 E Cesar Chavez St | La Barbecue has been making outstanding BBQ since they started serving out of their trailer in 2012 down in south Austin. They use all-natural USDA prime beef, which offers the most abundant marbling of muscle. The result offers a taste that is perfectly moist and a richness of taste, something they have perfected. You can expect nothing less from owner LeAnne Mueller and her crew.
| This casual spot on Rainey Street offers a fun and easy dining experience with plenty of outdoor seating. Founder Ben Siegel and chef Ted Prater offer an impressive selection of homemade sausages, from Chinese barbecue, currywurst, jalapeno cheddar brat, and drunk chicken, to the state’s largest selection of draft beer, the restaurant has become a haven for the locals and visitors alike.
| Home Slice Pizza is one of Austin’s most legendary neighborhood pizzerias serving up authentic New York-style pizza—by the pie or by the slice—for cool people like you. From their original and popular location on South Congress and 2nd location on the North Loop, they offer homemade, hand-tossed pies that are great for either dine-in or take-out.
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Cooking is honest-to-goodness good Texas home cooking and soul food, for 16 years running in the heart of East Austin.
Map of Austin | With its signature menu of ramen bowls and bombs, small bites like the popular Sweet & Sour Yodas, rice bowls and sweets, Ramen Tatsu-ya is a local sensation, garnering accolades from locals and national publications alike. All three Austin locations are open for dine-in and takeout.
Two Places | Juliet Italian Kitchen, located in the heart of Austin’s beloved Zilker Park neighborhood, strives to be a destination for anyone looking for a relaxed Italian spot for a date night, business lunch or casual weekend brunch. Juliet embodies community and camaraderie through shared meals.
6610 N Lamar Blvd. | In Stiles Switch you will arrive for the daily specials and stay for the chest, which has seen an evolution from being good to absolute greatness. The north Austin barbecue gem has been a staple in the city since 2012 led by pitmaster Lance Kirkpatrick, who trained under the legendary Bob Mueller of Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor. You won’t find anyone standing in line for three hours because it always moves quickly and efficiently, offering a level of service that makes it a go-to place for quality central Texas style barbecue.
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Six Places | Chi’Lantro is an award-winning restaurant, mobile food truck and full-service catering company known for creating a variety of Korean BBQ-inspired cuisine. The name “Chi’Lantro” is a combination of the words “kimchi” and “cilantro”. The company is known for its signature dish, Original Kimchi Fries made with caramelized Korean BBQ kimchi, topped with cilantro and fresh onions, sesame seeds and drizzled with magic sauce.
5520 Burnet Rd #100 | The Peached Tortilla combines bold Asian flavors with subtle southern ties to provide a truly unique dining experience. Since owner Eric Silverstein launched the first food truck in 2010, the brand has expanded into a full-service catering operation, a brick-and-mortar restaurant, an event space and even expanded with a spin-off restaurant, Bar Peached. Enjoy unique and comforting dishes like the kimchi arancini balls; Hainan chicken; noodle bowls, rice and tacos, and specialty burgers.
Four Locations Founded by Executive Chef, Jack Gilmore, Jack Allen’s Kitchen was a local haven for casual and modern suburban dining. With popular items like house-made pimento cheese, pesto-marinated crab-stuffed chicken, Baja fish tacos, and fried chicken menu items along with their selection of decadent desserts, Jack Allen’s continues to be a go-to spot for Austinites and visitors alike.
| Located downtown, on Congress Avenue, Executive Chef Donnie Forehand and team serve modern, whimsical takes on classic American dishes and craft cocktails with world influences. and craft cocktails that bring in Austinites and visitors alike. From Attic Rolls with Sirloin Steak, Kimchi Rice, Red Miso Aioli, and Galbi Sauce to Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Feta, Orzo Horitaki, and Loaded Fennel to their infamous Monday Burger. Enjoy generous daily Happy Hour specials and creative Bloody Mary bars during Sunday brunch, in character.
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