Initially, the best restaurants in Austin were limited to Tex-Mex and barbecues. However, there has been a gradual shift in the number of restaurants that serve more than queso and brisket in the city. The new places are adding some intentional cuisines to their menus and making eating outside in Austin exciting.
This article will examine 10 of the best places you can check out when you step out.
Best Southern Tastes in Austin
- Garrison
Garrison is currently on the list of top five restaurants for citizens in Austin. It creates expectations for visitors to eat. The restaurant always lives up to the hype. You always wish you could eat more.
The grill house combines small-town friendliness with glamor to create a classy environment. Celebrity Jakub Czyszczon welcomes you with Texas Post Oak flame grills topped with fresh local ingredients to make the juiciest chicken, fish, and steak you can ever eat.
This restaurant is the best place in the city for a perfect date night.
- Veracruz All Natural
You no longer have to bear the mediocre tacos available in Austin with the bar that Veracruz All Natural sets. The Migas taco it creates has a massive following in the city. Tasting it gives you an idea of why it gets all the hype.
The restaurant uses only fresh ingredients to make its tacos. You can smell and taste the tortilla chips, pico de gallo, avocado, cheese, and fresh tortilla with egg stuffing in each bite.
Add some juice to this combination to create the perfect southern breakfast when you’re in the city.
Veracruz now has food trucks and brick-and-mortar outposts to help customers easily access tasty tacos anywhere in Austin.
- La Barbecue
La Barbecue has moved to East Cesar Chavez. The new location features outdoor and indoor seating depending on how customers want to eat their barbecue. You still get the best-tasting pork ribs, homemade sausages, and brisket with an authentic Mueller handling the grill.
Additionally, the restaurant offers exciting sandwiches such as La Frito Loco.
- Picnik
Naomi Seifter set out to create a health-conscious restaurant that still competed with more traditional places in taste. Their brick-and-mortar, off Burnet Road, is a definite upgrade from the container it used to be.
The restaurant uses gluten-free, plant-based, and refined-sugar-free items in cooking. You can regularly eat everything on the menu without concern about messing up your health.
Visitors can choose from the many salads, sandwiches, and ethically sourced meat comfort dishes. Food served here comes with Picnik’s famous butter coffee and bone broths.
You can get a cocktail from the full bar infused with superfoods and adaptogens.
- Salt & Time
Salt & Time is a combination of a salumeria and a butcher shop. It provides customers with a wide range of fresh meat on the menu.
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The restaurant is best known for its Signature Burger, which features half a pound of patty filled with mayo, sour pickles, and daily steak trimmings.
You can include beef-fat french fries to take your experience to the next level. Salt & Time provides an authentic southern taste to customers and tops it with natural wines in its shop next door.
- El Alma
Try visiting El Alma on a sunny afternoon and find somewhere on their beautiful patio to relax. The rooftop is also an excellent spot for slash parties and feasts.
The menu here features pork tamales, duck Relleno, and delicious tacos.
Staying true to the Mexican setting, you can get a margarita to help you chill out.
- Honey Moon Spirit Lounge
The name alone represents a perfect place for a dinner date or weekend link-up for cocktails. It is also excellent for a brunch meeting with the crew.
Honey Moon Spirit Lounge has velvet walls that provide the backdrop for chic antiques that introduce some sophistication into the space. Prepare to be treated to soft gnocchi and mushrooms together with duck confit.
Add some charcuterie and whipped chees if you want to be extra fancy. The caviar with crème fraiche is a winning selection. There are several cocktails available here for relaxation.
This restaurant offers customers a breezy patio to sit back and enjoy. Have this place on your list to impress that special one in Austin.
Best Oriental Restaurants in Austin
- Sazan
This ramen shop is an excellent spot in Austin for people who enjoy Japanese whiskey, broth, or noodles. Sazan’s specialty is paitan ramen.
It is a creamy broth made from boiling bones for a long time. The unique taste of the restaurant’s paitan comes from the tonkotsu (pork bones) used. This makes it a bit lighter and tastier.
People who love spice will enjoy the black garlic versions of paitan, or you can always choose the original.
The focus on the paitan does not mean their bowl of ramen is mediocre. You can get a delicious vegan bowl of ramen with some tempura fried veggies.
- Old Thousand
Old Thousand is gaining popularity as the best Chinese restaurant in Austin, battling some of the old guards.
The food stays true to the spicy nature of Asian cuisines and includes a twist such as fried rice and brisket. You will love the bold use of vegetables in their rice and noodles to fill your stomach.
Old Thousand uses loud music, gold sculptures, and lanterns to create a funky, spacious environment. It is the perfect spot to visit with your friends when you want to eat in a group.
- Bento Picnic
Last but not least is the rising Japanese restaurant Bento Picnic.
At the core of the menu here is the cooking art Washoku which focuses on using five tastes, colors, and techniques to prepare super nourishing meals with lots of flavors.
Chef Leanne Valenti owns the place and strives to ensure customers get only the best.
Try the signature bento boxes or the fresh chirashi-don. The chilled soba noodle with brisket introduces the Texan heat respite into Japanese cooking.
Final Thoughts
While there are other Austin restaurants you can check out, these will be your favorite after a few visits.
As you explore Austin’s favorite restaurants and savor the city’s culinary delights, it’s equally important to ensure that your home is in excellent condition. Maintaining a safe and secure household involves looking after the roof, which protects you and your home from various elements. That’s why Austin Roofing & Water Damage | WDR offers top-notch roofers Austin. As chefs meticulously prepare their dishes, our experienced team carefully replaces your old roof with a new, sturdy one. So, before planning your next gastronomic adventure, schedule a reroofing service with us, and savor the peace of mind with a well-maintained home.