Austin, United States

Austin

Nathan Mallonee

I've been hunting down my favorite places in Austin for a couple years, and here are my top spots.

Tips

Must Do Mt. Bonnell , One of the best views in Austin.
Must Do Torchy's Tacos , Not a place you can do every day, but oh so great. Get the Ranch Hand or the Democrat. And the Queso.
Must Do The Backspace , Brick-oven pizza, amazing appetizers, affordable wine list. Get there before 6:30 for happy hour, which is half-priced appetizers and drinks.
Must Do Houndstooth Coffee , Best espresso in Austin. And you can walk next door to Taco Deli if you get hungry.
Must Do Caffé Medici , Second-best espresso in Austin. All three of their locations are very different; I love their W. Lynn and Downtown locations, but for different reasons.
Must Do East Side King (at the Grackle) , The best food truck in Austin; ran by the people behind Uchi. Find one of their trucks on the east side (duh).
Must Do Violet Crown Cinema , An "arthouse" movie theater with some upscale goodness. Buy your tickets in advance and reserve your seat. You can also get there early and eat.
Must Do Stag , If you're a man, and you don't buy all of your clothes at American Eagle, go here.
Do The Salt Lick , Go during a non-normal eating time to avoid the 2-hour wait.
Do Easy Tiger , Go for breakfast or for drinks; dinner is just okay.
Do Takoba , Nice "modern" mexican restaurant on the east side. Grab a table outside.
Do Bat Watch at Congress Bridge , Head down to the American-Statesman parking lot and watch from down there.
Do Smitty's Market , An "authentic" Texas bbq experience.
Do Haddington's , Nice little British place.
Do Uncommon Objects , The most well-known antique store in Austin. Go for the sights, but be prepared to walk out disappointed — it's pretty overpriced.
Do Contigo Austin , Nice outdoor setting; good "foodie" food. Get a moscow mule and play some washers.
Do Frank Restaurant , Hot dog joint, but they also serve Stumptown coffee. I recommend going for Sunday brunch.
Do Elizabeth St. Café , Unless you love pho, go in the morning for some french pastries and Stumptown coffee.
Do Mellow Johnny's , Lance Armstrong's bike shop. You can also get coffee at Juan Pelota inside.
Do Franklin Barbecue ,
Do Town Lake Park ,
Do TacoDeli , The "sophisticated" taco place in Austin. Get The Heather or the Freakin' Vegan.
Do G'Raj Mahal Cafe , Great indian outdoor eatery. BYOB. Or just wait and take a stroll down Rainey street afterward.
Do Hopdoddy Burger Bar , Get ready to feel like you're being herded through there, so find a time without a line. If you do have to wait, it's worth it. New location up north as well.
Do Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater , The best venue I've ever been to.
Miss Iron Works BBQ , Not good bbq.