Dining Recommendations
Favorite Austin Food Type?
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A Second Helping of Austin Cuisine
by Shannon Skinto
 Hospitality reigns in Central Texas, particularly at the dinner table. From their politics to their palates, Austin citizens demonstrate a comprehensive range of preferences, and the burgeoning city’s unapologetic need for a rich dining scene has lured a collection of skilled chefs who come from around the world to prepare culinary delights to satisfy every appetite.From cool Japanese steakhouses to fine French bistros, you can enjoy cuisine from around the globe right here in Austin. With hundreds of restaurants in the area, there are eateries to suit every taste. Many restaurants serve special dishes to accommodate even the pickiest of eaters. Even in a land dominated by steakhouses and barbecue joints, vegetarian restaurants are plentiful, and chefs aim to please by concocting flavorful recipes like barbecued tofu and spicy meatless chili for their guests.
Home-style cooking in Central Texas may put your mother’s meatloaf to shame. Here you can feast on Southern favorites like chicken fried steak, fluffy mashed potatoes, fresh veggies, warm cornbread, delicious pecan pie, and hearty chili. It would be sinful to leave Texas without indulging in some saucy barbecue. Texans will barbecue just about anything – it doesn’t matter if it’s pork, beef, or chicken; loin, brisket, or breast, we will throw it over an open flame and douse it in delicious thick barbecue sauce. Don’t be afraid to get your fingers dirty; napkins are plentiful and bibs are often provided!
Although Texas is best known for its Southern home-style cooking, Austin provides an excellent selection of foreign cuisines. Local chefs prepare tasty dishes from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Caribbean, India, South and Central America, and, of course, Mexico. With one of the largest Hispanic and Latino populations in the nation, Central Texas boasts some of the best authentic Mexican dishes north of the border. In addition to the multitude of fabulous Mexican restaurants around Austin, Tex-Mex is also popular. Favorites like breakfast tacos, chips and salsa, fresh tortillas, burritos, and margaritas are staples in many Austinites’ diets.
There is nothing better to wash down a good meal with than a great drink, and the area has of bars, wineries, and breweries where you can do so. In addition to in-town brewpubs, Central Texas hosts the Spoetzle Brewery, located in the tiny town of Shiner. Spoetzle is famous for handcrafting Shiner Bock, a seasonal full-flavored, deep amber-colored beer popular with Austin residents. If you’re in the mood for a good glass of vino, visit the Hill Country, where beautiful rolling hills and abundant sunshine have created a backdrop for some excellent vineyards, and make a great destination for a wine-tasting getaway weekend.
Although you may be tempted to enjoy second helpings at dinner, be sure to save room for dessert. Austin has great coffee shops and bakeries, where you can relax on cushy furniture and enjoy a frothy cappuccino and a slice of homemade apple pie. A hot summer night is perfect for socializing with friends at one of the ice cream parlors around town that serve ice cream, frozen yogurt and gelato. Wherever you end the evening, you will return home full and satisfied with your Austin dining experience.
Our favorite Austin restaurants:
Local can't miss food:
The OASIS (for delicious food and the most famous sunsets in Texas)
County Line BBQ (famous in sooo many ways)
Brick Oven (always a favorite Italian goodness)
European Bistro (one of a kind treasure just off the beaten path)
Kenobi Sushi Bar (lounge worthy and oh so good)
Pub and Fun Grub:
Alamo Drafthouse (oh yeah, dinner AND a movie)
The Dig Pub (cheese plates, sandwiches, pizza and more)
Casino el Camino (world famous hamburgers)
Best Wurst (and it really is- find it on the corner of 6th and San Jac)
Third Base Sports Bar (also serves amazing food!)
Hooters (wings and beer- need we say more?)
Mexican Cuisine:
Garrido's (contemporary infusions)
El Gallo (local favorite for over 50 years)
Flores (a neighborhood restaurant)
Dulces (artistic cuisine)
Iron Cactus (rooftop dining)
Fine Dining in the Capital City
by Christy Wink
Austin has long been known for its eclectic offering of dining destinations, ranging from the expected (Tex-Mex, BBQ – some of the best in the world!) to the more worldly or even completely unexpected (ever been served a humongous cupcake out of a 1960’s Airstream?). One perk of grubbing in this wickedly weird city is the privilege of dressing to suit your own style when hitting the town. Going casual is an unspoken rule in Austin, and to dress down is to look like a local.
One of the rare occasions in which an Austinite trades in the cargos for a pair of slacks is the opportunity to sit down at one of the city’s many fine dining establishments. It might not be the first thing you think of when visiting this fair city, but make no mistake that Austin has become a culinary epicenter for prestigious up-and-coming chefs and both nationally known and self-proclaimed foodies. From succulent, tender Texas beef to fresh seafood flown in from the Gulf and beyond to delicate, handmade pastas, Austin has a world of haute cuisine at its fingertips to satisfy even the most discriminating gastronome.
As is expected in a city so dependent on its local businesses, the number of family- and privately owned upscale restaurants at least equal the number of the finer chain establishments. Downtown institutions such as the Culinary Academy of Austin and Le Cordon Bleu continually infuse new talent into the marketplace, keeping Austin relevant in the ever-evolving world of epicurean excellence.
So at least once while you’re here, be a gourmand. Step out of your sneakers and into some of Austin’s exceptional cuisine.
Fine Dining Recommendations:
Flemings (award winning wine list and perfect steaks)
Carrabba's (Italian that will blow your mind!)
Sullivan's (great steaks, great service, right downtown)
P.F. Chang's (authentic Asian cuisine)
Carmelo's (steaks, seafood and pasta)
Austin Land & Cattle Steaks (Austin style steaks)
Ruth's Chris (steaks and wine and service to the tee)
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