Visiting Austin TX
 

Wife and I are doing a short trip this month to Texas and will be in Austin for half a day.
Recommendations for site seeing/food?
Likely hang out in the downtown area, but open to other ideas!

Downtown hotel: the Driskill. Even if you don't stay there, the lounge is a nice place to spend some time for a couple drinks. And there's a great/charming bakery right off the lobby.

I liked Cooper's BBQ downtown, the one time I visited.

If you are down by the convention center neither my wife or I were impressed with Ironworks BBQ. Moonshines is pretty decent. There are some good food trucks as well in that area. Salt Lick in Driftwood is good.

The bats are interesting on the Congress bridge if you are into nature stuff and are going to be there the last half of the day. They may be gone by now too.

Aaron Franklin BBQ is a must though the line may be problematic.

The Oasis restaurant on Lake Travis, GREAT view overlooking the lake, perfect for sunset viewing.
Craig

Lake Travis is a bit of a drive, but The Oasis is quite a place. Used to be a bar on the river that was a good place to see the bats at the Congress St bridge, but it is a bit late for that. The Capitol building is really something, if you go in for big old granite buildings

You want to hit Sixth Street for some live music probably

There is a good gelato place near the capitol.

I was going to tell you to go see Graffiti park we saw it last November and knew it was going to be closed down and it did. So sorry you missed it, it was pretty cool.

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The homeless are abundant and aggressive and kind of a buzzkill.

The place is a giant bar, we were in town for a week staying in Lake Travis and had planned on driving in each day to explore more of the city. We ended up going out into Hill Country and had a great time exploring cool little towns out there.

If you have time and like Whiskey about 1 hours drive west on some nice roads in Andalusia Whiskey Co., you can only buy their whiskey in Texas (last time I was there that was the case) I wished I bought more.

https://www.andalusiawhiskey.com/

The hill country has many many vinyards too with tasting rooms and damn good wine. I was impressed but I am no expert. I prefer Whiskey.


We ate at an Asian place in downtown Austin that was amazing, furthermore we were one of a few tables with white people at them, the rest were all Asian so it had to be legit. I will find out the name of it and post later after I ask my wife.

Celis Brewery tour is pretty neat. Place is tiny, do not have unlimited beer tasting any more :(

Torchy's Tacos!

Micklethwait Craft Meats is delicious as well!

Franklins is great, but I hate the wait. If you pre-order 5 lbs of meat though, you can skip the line.

Torchys... I miss it so much! The trailer park taco is still one of my favorites.


Maybe Camp Mabry for the military forces museum? I went there a few years ago and enjoyed it.

Zilker Botanical Garden was one place I wanted to check out but haven't had the chance.

+1 Ironworks!

If you're a Guy Clark fan you can go to The Texas Chili Parlor and have a Mad Dog Margarita.

Yeti has a flagship store on the corner of S. Congress and Barton Springs downtown. You can get beer and wine on the deck out front and listen to music too. Bring your dog as they, much like most of Austin, is pet friendly.

I’d be catching some live music somewheres that is for sure. Continental Club used to be good any night of the week almost.

Thanks guys for the great suggestions!

There is a venue/amphitheater in the infield @ COTA as well. Might be worth checking to see if anyone worthwhile will be playing there while in town. They have a cars & coffee event there every month too...

Man vs Food - Juan in a Million.

Then hit the campus to check out the Clock Tower massacre site. Macabre, yes, but fascinating.

Good luck with parking.