AUSTIN HIDDEN GEMS

Live like a local and visit some of Austin’s best-kept secrets while you’re here!

✨ indicates staff favorites

Kerby Lane Cafe
A Texas restaurant and Austin original, makes pancakes, queso, and comfort food from scratch daily.

Bird Bird Biscuit
Neighborhood eatery serving house-made buttermilk biscuit sandwiches for breakfast & lunch.

Paperboy
Breakfast, brunch & cocktails served in a warm, hip East Austin restaurant that has a patio.

Honey Moon Spirit Lounge
Vintage-chic hot spot with ample outdoor seating turning out imaginative cocktails & global mains.

Batch Kolaches ✨
Batch  Craft Beer and Kolaches is a family-owned and operated kolache bakery and brewery in  East Austin, TX.
Try Hard Coffee Roasters
Specialty coffee, pastries & tacos in an eclectic local East Austin hub with a DJ booth & a leafy outdoor area.

Mozart’s
Beans flame-roasted on-site, plus bakery goods, frequent live music & patio seating on Lake Austin.

Jo’s Coffee
Stumptown coffee, specialty beverages & snacks in a down-to-earth, convivial locale. Home to Austin’s famous “i love you so much” mural on South Congress.

Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden
Specialty coffee, local beers, craft cocktails & live music, plus food trucks in a garden setting.

Patika
High-quality, locally-sourced coffee shop with baked goods and the best coffee beans in town.

Lazydaze
Home of Cannabis & Coffee. Amsterdam style! Enjoy good vibes, good peeps, good music and infused drinks.

Palomino Coffee
From the same owner as Flat Track, Palomino was inspired by his frequent drives between Texas and California.

El Tigre Coffee Roasters✨
El Tigre Coffee sources from the best farmers all around the world. They are passionate about supporting farmers and companies that demand equality and fair working environments for their employees.

Amy’s Ice Cream✨
Amy’s Ice Creams is a privately owned chain of ice cream shops in Texas with headquarters in Austin. The Austin Chronicle described Amy’s as a “quintessentially Austin institution which dominates the local ice cream scene”.

Lick Honest Icecream
This hip ice creamery churns out offbeat flavors made from local, natural & sustainable ingredients.

Lola’s Donuts
Lola’s Donuts is Austin’s original brioche donut shop, serving up the best classic and gourmet donuts from their East  Austin location.

OMG Squee✨
Quaint stop offering taiyaki sundaes, mochi donuts, macarons & cheesecake, plus fruit & milk teas.
P6 at The Line Hotel✨
A rooftop parking garage in its past life, P6 has been reinvented as an intimate lounge space for open-air dining and drinks with sweeping views of Lady Bird Lake and the lush South Austin skyline.

Austin Daily Press
Buzzy joint serving creative gourmet sandwiches in a no-frills setting with picnic-table seating.

Walton’s Fancy & Staple✨
Brick-walled bakery, deli & flower shop with a rustic-chic interior & a variety of gifts.

Easy Tiger
Easy Tiger began as a bake shop and beer garden carved into the heart of the Waller Creek district of Austin’s downtown.

Homeslice Pizza
Home Slice Pizza is an independent neighborhood pizza joint serving authentic NY-style pizza—by the slice or pie—to nice people like you. They offer homemade, hand tossed, bona fide pies for either dine in or carry out.

Clark’s
Upscale-casual seafood spot with an open kitchen & marble-topped bar, plus indoor & outdoor seating.

Elizabeth Street Café
Charming outpost offering French breakfast bites & creative Vietnamese plates for lunch & dinner.
Stubb’ Bar-B-Q✨
Beer, brisket and music Downtown with a renowned Sunday gospel brunch.

Franklin’s
Long lines form early for brisket, pulled pork & other smoked meats at this bustling spot.

la Barbecue
Hopping BBQ counter in a small market offering brisket, pulled pork & sausages, plus outdoor tables.

Micklethwait Barbecue
Trailer with outdoor picnic tables serving up BBQ meats, including combo plates & sandwiches.

LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue
The new-school barbecue trailer  from pitmaster Evan LeRoy offers up twists on the usual smoked meats classics. Think beef cheeks, halved avocados stuffed with barbacoa, cauliflower burnt ends, cheddar cheesecake, and more.

Interstellar BBQ
Chill operation specializing in BBQ beef & pork, along with sausages, sandwiches & side dishes. Named second best BBQ in the state by Texas Monthly.
Matt’s El Rancho
Family-friendly Tex-Mex spot that’s been drawing crowds with enchiladas & margaritas since 1952.

Veracruz Tacos
Simple spot for tacos with spit-grilled meats or veggie options, plus juice & Machinehead coffee.

Trudy’s
An Austin institution since 1977, Trudy’s has been serving authentic, scratch-made Tex-Mex recipes and inventive cocktails from day one.

Rosita’s Al Pastor✨
Serving family recipes to Austin, TX since 1985. Counter service food trailer with outdoor dining/drive thru service from breakfast to late-nite.

Pueblo Viejo
Serving up a variety of authentic Mexican eats in a casual, friendly space that feels like home!

Taco Deli
Tacodeli handcrafts Mexican-inspired, creative tacos with local and organic ingredients topped with award-winning salsas.

Nixta Taqueria
Bright, straightforward counter-serve spot offering traditional Mexican food, plus beer & wine.

Licha’s Cantina
Located in the heart of East 6th Street, Licha’s has become a niche restaurant for Austinites craving a bite of interior México.
The Beer Plant
The Beer Plant is Austin’s first plant-based gastropub, combining elevated vegan food with craft beer, wine and cocktails, offering dinner, brunch, and late-night menus.

Bouldin Creek Café
Eco-friendly, bohemian cafe offering hearty meatless meals, coffees & a rotating monthly art show.

Citizen Eatery
Bright, health-conscious cafe & full bar serving a 100% meat-free menu including all-day breakfast.

Arlo’s
Arlo’s serves plant-based comfort food in a bistro style setting for the Austin nightlife scene. Our food is designed to satisfy omnivores and herbivores alike. We offer a fantastic alternative to the usual late night trailer eateries.

Rebel Cheese
Vegan deli and wine shop located in Mueller Austin that offers the largest selection of fresh, house made, artisan vegan  cheeses.

The Vegan Yacht
Colorful vegan restaurant featuring bowls, burritos & veggie hot dogs, plus a kids’ menu.

Skull & Cakebones
Vegan, non-GMO bakery and eatery using locally-sourced ingredients.

Nori Japanese Cuisine✨
Nori is an entirely plant-based Japanese cuisine restaurant that features a wide-range vegan sushi menu, nigiri, gyoza, ramen, and more.

Luv Fats Ice Cream
Luv Fats Ice Cream is a Black family run, local ice cream business that creates decadently, delicious coconut milk and avocado-based ice cream.
Old Thousand
Old Thousand is a neighborhood Chinese restaurant on Austin’s east side that offers an eclectic and inventive mix of flavors, ingredients, and styles with modern interpretations of classic American-Chinese recipes.

Aba
Aba is a Mediterranean restaurant that incorporates Chef CJ Jacobson’s lighter style of cooking with influences from the Mediterranean, including Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, and Greece.

Perla’s
Fish, oysters & surf ‘n’ turf are dished at this laid-back spot with an open kitchen & shaded patio.

Uchi✨
Sushi plus creative hot & cold dishes from chef Tyson Cole in a stylish, sophisticated setting.

Red Ash✨
Craft Italian fare, from wood-fired specialties to housemade pasta, plus wine in rustic-modern digs.

Loro
Asian smokehouse meets Texas barbecue in rustic spot with beer, wine & cocktails plus giant patio.

Wu Cho
Sichuan cuisine & weekend dim sum brunch served in a contemporary space.

Claypit
Clay Pit is a nationally acclaimed, high-energy, contemporary Indian restaurant located in the historical “Bertram building” in beautiful downtown  Austin.

Emmer & Rye
Emmer & Rye is a restaurant designed around the farmer’s haul, featuring a menu that changes daily with a focus on seasonal and local cuisine. Heirloom grains are milled fresh for house made pastas, breads, and desserts, whole animal butchery is done on site, and an extensive in house fermentation program captures flavors at their peak and preserves them for the off season.

Este
Nestled between East Austin neighborhoods, Este celebrates fresh seafood, Mexican cuisine, and charcoal cooking.

Lutie’s
An intimate dining experience serving seasonal dishes.

Oseyo
Korean-american cooking inspired by mom’s recipes.
Kinda Tropical
Relaxed hot spot in East Austin with patios presenting light bites & plates, plus cocktails, beer & wine.

Nickel City✨
Neighborhood bar serving cold beer and mixed drinks.

Kitty Kohen’s
Retro East Austin bar offering specialty drinks & punches, plus a spacious yard with shaded poolside seating.

Ani’s Day & Night✨
Local hangout offering coffee, mixed drinks & beer on tap, plus rotating food trucks.

Garage
Unassuming bar crafting inventive cocktails in a hip, midcentury-inspired space in a parking garage in downtown Austin.

Whistler’s
Rustic-chic watering hole featuring handcrafted cocktails & a patio with frequent live music shows.

The Little Darlin’
This South Austin gem serves up delicious cocktails, local beers, and excellent, locally sourced food.

Lazurus Brewing
Cozy brewery for house beers sold only on-premise, plus root beer, kombucha, espresso & house tacos.

Central Machine Works✨
Microbrewery beer hall & pub grub menu in a spacious converted machine works in East Austin with an outdoor area.

Hold Out Brewing
Hold Out Brewing is the brewery from the folks behind Austin favorites, Better Half (located next door), Wright Brother’s Brew & Brew and Little Brother Bar.

Pinthouse Brewing
Eclectic pub grub & house beers on tap offered in a bright, contemporary setting.

Zilker Brewing Company and Taproom
Modern brewery with seasonal craft beer tasting in an industrial-chic taproom with outdoor seating.

Cheer Up Charlies✨
Everybody space, they bar, with dance parties, kombucha on tap, fresh juice cocktails, more!

Neon Grotto✨
Dance the night away at Neon Grotto, a one of the Coconut Complex bars. This neon-themed nightclub has great rooftop views, regular drag shows and DJs spinning late into the night.

Vintage Bookstore & Wine Bar
Equal parts independent bookstore and friendly neighborhood wine bar, Vintage will help you discover extraordinary worlds, enjoy great wine, and build new friendships.
Pinballz Arcade
Sprawling spot offers BYOB, cafe eats & a variety of video games including new & vintage pinball machines.

Ego’s Karaoke
Karaoke rules at this basic bar & pool venue, which hosts nightly sessions & national tournaments.

Urban Axes
Indoor axe throwing bringing people together one bullseye at a time. 

Punchbowl Social
 At Punch Bowl Social, they have legendary punches, craft beverages – with and without booze – as well as food fit for foodies and endless gaming options.

Cidercade
Located on Riverside, Cidercade Austin has 150+ games, serves hard beverages, pizza & wings, and has a lakeside patio.

Thinkery – Children’s Museum
Thinkery is where Austin’s children and their families come to enjoy play-based, inquiry-rich, hands-on learning experiences.

Museum of Ice Cream
Taste the best ice cream in ATX and explore our immersive ice cream themed installations.
Barton Springs✨
Barton Springs is a set of four natural water springs located at Barton Creek on the grounds of Zilker Park in Austin, Texas, resulting from water flowing through the Edwards Aquifer. The largest spring, Main Barton Spring supplies water to Barton Springs Pool, a popular recreational destination in Austin.

Retro Boat Rentals on Lady Bird Lake
Fleet of meticulously maintained and rare classic fiberglass runabout boats from the jet-age era (1958-1963), have been made available for everyone to enjoy and take out on the beautiful waterways of Lady Bird Lake.

Paddleboarding on Lady Bird Lake
For the best stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking in Texas, visit Austin Paddle Shack. Located right on Lady Bird Lake for your convenience and they offer rentals, tours, and lessons.

Pennybaker Bridge Overlook
A short trail that climbs to an amazing overlook of Lake Austin/Colorado River and the Austin 360 Bridge.

Pace Bend State Park
Lake recreation, cliff trails, camping, mountain biking & climbing, plus sports fields & courts.

Float On Boat Rentals
Quality boat rentals on Lake Austin and Lake Travis.
Antone’s
Over the past 40 years, Antone’s has brought Austin a variety of blues and musicians from across the country including B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Ray Charles, and James Brown, and helped develop local talent like Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bob Schneider, Gary Clark Jr., and others.

Broken Spoke✨
Live music & boot-scootin’, plus beer & chicken-fried steak since 1964.

Continental Club✨
The legendary Continental Club opened its doors in 1955 and celebrates over 60 years as one the oldest continuously running clubs in all of Austin.

Emo’s Austin✨
Emo’s, formerly known as The Back Room, is a music and event venue located in Austin, Texas. Emo’s got its start as a Houston punk club in 1989, with the Austin location opening in 1992.

Mohawk
Multilevel space with a bar, roofdeck & indoor/outdoor stages hosting local & touring acts.

Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park
The experiences at Waterloo Park’s Moody Amphitheater include year-round concerts, cultural events, community festivals, and so much more.

Scoot Inn✨
Established in 1871, Historic  Scoot Inn serves as the oldest continuously running beer joint in central Texas.

Stubb’s✨
Beer, brisket and music Downtown with a renowned Sunday gospel brunch.

Waterloo Records
Longtime hot spot with in-store performances, local artist compilations & concert ticket sales.

End of an Ear Records
Cozy record store stocking a diverse array of new, vintage & rare vinyl records, plus CDs & DVDs.

Breakaway Records
Indie store vending varied genres of vinyl LPs & 45s from the 1920s to current day plus equipment.