It took 2 years and 37 hangovers to compile this list of our favorite things to do in Austin, but dammit, it was worth it. Use this guide to get the most out of the weekend, and the least out of your conscience.
EatThere are three things that we and Rick Perry agree on: brisket, queso, and...uh...can't remember the last.
If you demand the best, stand in line for 2+ hours and get it.
900 E 11th St, Austin, TX 78702 | View on Yelp
It really is the best. They open at 11am and often start running out of stuff in the early afternoon. Get there by 10am on a weekday, 9am on a weekend. They have camping chairs to sit in. Closed Monday.
Iconic hill country BBQ, 35 min drive from town.
18300 FM 1826, Driftwood, TX 78619 | View on Yelp
On weekends you might wait 30-60 minutes, but they have a giant beer garden and live music. Located in the beautiful hill country. Wineries and breweries are nearby.
Underrated East Austin food truck, a local favorite.
1700 E Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX 78702 | View on Yelp
Open 9am to 2pm. Located in near East Austin. Next-level BBQ that you don't have to wait for.
A close runner up to Franklin. Also a local favorite.
1309 Rosewood Ave, Austin, TX 78702 | View on Yelp
Open 11am-3pm. Many consider this a close 2nd to Franklin - a good alternative if the line at Franklin is horrendous. Note that they sometimes sell out of more popular items by the early afternoon.
Real Texas. Located in Lockhart, a town that hasn't changed in 50 years.
215 N Main St, Lockhart, TX 78644 | View on Yelp
Open 10am-8pm. Lockhart is a sleepy town about 30 minutes drive from downtown Austin. Black's is outstanding, as are the 10 other BBQ joints that are walking distance from it.
Start your Sunday with live gospel music, wet brisket and a bloody mary bar.
801 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
On Sunday mornings there isn't a better place to be in Austin. You need to make bookings at least 48 hours in advance. Seatings at 10am and noon.
A South Austin taco truck institution.
1311 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704 | View on Yelp
Their queso is ridiculous. Their tacos are large and in charge. Try The Trailer Park, The Democrat, The Monk Special, The Dirty Sanchez...hell, everything there is great. They have a truck and a restaurant.
Another South Austin institution.
1500 Spyglass Dr, Austin, TX 78746 | View on Yelp
Don't let it's strip mall location fool you, this place is legit. Queso, guac and tacos are super fresh and out of this world.
Ideal sit-down dinner spot with dope mezcal coctails.
1306 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702 | View on Yelp
Located in the heart of East 6th Street.
The ultimate tex-mex hangover buster.
2300 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702 | View on Yelp
Open 7am-3pm. On weekends you’ll often see Juan himself.
Classic South Austin Mexican.
2004 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704 | View on Yelp
Great family/group dining. Solid array of margaritas. Chips and salsa all day.
Underrated local favorite with some of the best migas in town.
1108 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702 | View on Yelp
A solid taco trailer experience. There's also a location in South Austin trailer parked at a cafe called Radio, where you can get some of the best coffee and beer in town.
If you want location and ambience, this is it.
1412 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704 | View on Yelp
Smack-dab in the middle of South Congress. Known for their queso flameado.
Best vegan spot in town.
1900 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704 | View on Yelp
I can’t believe it's not animal flesh. Great coffee. A few beers on tap too.
Grungy, punky burger and bloody mary joint in the middle of Dirty 6th Street.
517 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
Dark, loud, and serving up big ass burgers.
Our neighborhood A-lister.
1917 Manor Rd, Austin, TX 78722 | View on Yelp
This is Adam and Lara's spot to celebrate special occasions.
Great Vietnamese in near South Austin.
1501 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704 | View on Yelp
Great ramen, spring rolls and banh mi, with a nice indoor/outdoor ambience.
German beer garden with bomb-ass pretzels.
709 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
Ping pong tables. Great beer. Lovely brats and pretzels. Get the beer cheese.
The real-deal of burger joints.
807 W 6th St, Austin, TX 78703 | View on Yelp
A burger joint that hasn't changed their menu, furniture, floor tiles or deep fryer oil in 65 years.
Top-notch cocktails and tapas in the heart of East Austin
1100 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702 | View on Yelp
Come for drinks and tapas, or for a full meal. Great atmosphere.
Giant draught beer selection, giant wieners.
79 & 81 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
Huge outdoor beer garden. Beers and wieners and beers and wieners and beers.
Wood-fired pizza restaurant and wine bar.
507 San Jacinto St, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
A great spot for a date, walkable from the Radisson.
DrinkAll that food is going to make you thirsty. Or, it’ll make you lethargic and depressed. It's a win-win, really.
Downtown is too mainstream. This is where the hipsters go to drink.
A honkey tonk dive where cowboys and hipsters dance hand in hand.
500 Comal St, Austin, TX 78702 | View on Yelp
Go here. And when you go, don't be a wallflower. You’ll get used to the smell, FYI.
Cocktail bar with stellar food trailer and upstairs mezcal bar.
1816 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702 | View on Yelp
A great spot to drink and eat (East Side Kings asian-tex-fusion trailer) on the main drag in East Austin.
Old-timey cocktails in an old-timey setting.
1808 E Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX 78702 | View on Yelp
A relaxing place for a drink or 6.
Beer and board games. $10 for 3 pints.
507 Calles St, Ste 101, Austin, TX 78702 | View on Yelp
Buy a glass for $10, get 3 refills, keep the glass, and dominate your friends in Chutes and Ladders.
The best cheap cocktails in town, and a sick jukebox.
1308 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702 | View on Yelp
Hipster paradise.
Dive with a large beer garden, pool tables and photo booth.
1016 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702 | View on Yelp
Very central location, which is great when you're nearing blackout.
A street full of run-down houses that have been turned into bars. Walk or cab here. Driving down Rainey is next to impossible. If you do drive, park on Holly St. just East of the freeway and walk.
Huge Texas-only craft beer selection, dynamite pizza trailer.
61 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
Adam's favorite bar. All bartenders are bearded, even the girls. Via 313 Pizza trailer serves “Detroit style” deep dish pizza supposedly made in cast iron car parts, which is the best tasting marketing bullshit ever.
Giant draught beer selection, giant wieners.
79 & 81 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
Huge outdoor beer garden. Beers and wieners and beers and wieners and beers.
Good cocktails and one of the best vibes on Rainey.
86 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
Good spot for a Moscow Mule, and on the weekends there's live music right up in your grill.
Great place to watch sports. Taco trailer and cornhole sets out back.
96 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
For a sports bar it's really not that douchy.
On the swanky end you've got some really nice cocktail bars. On the divy end you've got Dirty 6th street, Austin's main drag that fills up with college students, bikers and bachelorette parties on the weekends.
Fancy cocktails, mid-century decor, literally in the middle of a parking garage.
503 W Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
You’ll feel like a cooler person the moment you walk in, provided that you can find the door.
Wood-fired pizza restaurant and wine bar.
507 San Jacinto St, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
A great spot for a date, walkable from the Radisson.
Copper-ceilinged bar of the grandest hotel south of the Mason-Dixon.
604 Brazos St, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
A standard hotel bar, but in a fancy, ornate setting.
Cocktail & absinthe bar with the most skilled bartenders around.
208 W 4th St, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
If you want a really good drink, go here. Just tell them what you like and they’ll whip something up custom-designed for your alcoholism.
German beer garden with bomb-ass pretzels.
709 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
Ping pong tables. Great beer. Lovely brats and pretzels. Get the beer cheese.
A giant, loud dive with cheap food and a huge jackalope.
404 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
A big-ass college dive where partying happens. Good end-of-the-night spot.
Fireball shots and T-Pain, both on repeat.
219 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
Recommended for the final hours of your night. The DJ here once told Bonny Saraceno the she was “his favorite person in the world."
PlayIn rare occasions we do things between the times when we are cramming food and beverages into our faces.
Gorgeous lake-side jogging/walking/biking trail in the middle of town.
Runs along both sides of Town Lake, in the middle of the city. Access from various points.
The best pool in the whole world.
2201 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704 | View on Yelp
Located in beautiful Zilker Park, Barton Springs is a natural spring (68 degrees year-round) that has been dammed. Grassy banks are great for laying out. Sweet diving board.
Beautiful Natural swimming hole, about 30 minutes out of town.
24300 Hamilton Pool Rd, Dripping Springs, TX 78620 | View on Yelp
It's a bit of schlep to get there, but well worth it. Pack a picnic, or hit up The Salt Lick afterwards.
Kayak or stand-up paddleboard through the middle of Austin.
1541 W Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX 78703 | View on Yelp
Hands down the best way to see Austin.
Antiques, thrift shops, cafes and restaurants just South of the lake.
Congress Ave. between Riverside and Live Oak
Great place to stroll around for a day. Get an afternoon drink at the Hotel San Jose. Food and drinks at Perlas, Homeslice, Snack Bar. Coffee at Tom's or Jo's. Make sure you take a picture in front of the “I Love You So Much” sign (at Jo's coffee).
A short 10-minute hike for a great view of the whole city.
Mt. Bonnell Rd, Austin, TX 78731 | View on Yelp
Easy hike, lovely view of the area.
Unrestricted access to firearms: what Texas does best.
3795 Dry Creek Rd, Lockhart, TX 786 | View on Yelp
Rent everything from a revolver to a 12-gauge over-under to an automatic assault rifle, and shoot the hell out of it. No license necessary. Recommended that you go with somebody that knows how to shoot guns. Pairs great with BBQ lunch in Lockhart. About 40 minutes out of town.
Hill country Belgian and farmhouse style brewery with on-site wood fired pizza.
13005 Fitzhugh Rd, Austin, TX 78736 | View on Yelp
Makes for a great afternoon on a nice day. 35 minute drive from Austin.
Nice winery near The Salt Lick BBQ.
13308 FM 150 W, Driftwood, TX 78619 | View on Yelp
If you'd like to do something more refined before you eat 16-inch beef ribs, go here. 35 minute drive.
For a comprehensive list of all shows playing in Austin, check out Do512's gig guide.
Iconic South Austin blues club.
1315 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704 | View on Yelp
One of the most iconic music venues in town, a short walk from the Radisson.
A honkey tonk dive where cowboys and hipsters dance hand in hand.
500 Comal St, Austin, TX 78702 | View on Yelp
Go here. And when you go, don't be a wallflower. You’ll get used to the smell, FYI.
Featuring nightly guitar heros in the middle of Dirty 6th street.
208 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
Very centrally located on Dirty 6th. Always got somebody wailing on guitar.
Musty, low-lit basement jazz club.
315 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
A great place to enjoy local jazz and blues artists.
Big, iconic outdoor music venue & BBQ joint.
801 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
A place where big acts come, so check their show schedule and get tickets ahead of time.
Indoor and outdoor stages, lots of facial hair.
912 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701 | View on Yelp
This joint has many shows, big and small, all different kinds of local, regional and big-time acts. Check out their schedule ahead of time.
If you want to ride share like a local, download the Ride Austin app. It's a local nonprofit ride share service that lets you round up and donate a portion of your fee to a local charity (Austin Pets Alive is always a good choice). Drivers get paid more, and you pay about the same.
Uber and Lyft operate in Austin too, but we avoid patronizing them after they used shameless, deceptive tactics to slink their way above laws designed to increase rider safety and decrease traffic congestion.
In general, Austin is fiercely supportive of local business. If you're not, you're probably a Texas state congressman.
If you can flag a cab, do it. They'll get you wherever you need to, quickly. If you're going to call a cab, make sure you've got plenty of time. On busy weekend nights it might take them 30 minutes or more to show up.
Austin Cab: 512.478.2222
Yellow Cab Austin: 512.452.9999
Lone Star Cab: 512.836.4900
Rides are $1.50-$3.00, and the buses can take you just about anywhere you want. But they don't run that often in some places. Use the Cap Metro Trip Planner website (or mobile app) to figure out how to get anywhere on a bus.