New to Austin? Here’s where to start.
You just moved here, or you’re about to, and everyone has an opinion about where to eat. Here’s the short version: one pick per thing, the locals’ answer instead of the tourist one, with the full searchable list underneath.
I’m Carissa, I’ve been in Austin seven years, and I get this question constantly. The full ranked list for each one lives in our guides, linked underneath.
Want the whole map, not just the highlights? We put every restaurant in Austin into one searchable list, ranked into tiers, with the chains and closures cut.
See the full Austin restaurant directory →Fleet Coffee
Cherrywood, on Manor Road. Skip the chains your first week. This is the coffee that the people who are particular about coffee drive across town for, and the espresso is the reason.
Veracruz All Natural
East Austin. The migas taco that put Austin breakfast tacos on the map. Get there early, the line moves fast, and it lives up to the reputation.
Nixta Taqueria
East 12th. Our number one in the city and a genuine locals’ pick, not a tourist one. The most interesting tacos in Austin, worth building a night around once you’re settled in.
la Barbecue, or InterStellar
Every visitor wants Franklin and its three-hour wait. Locals go to la Barbecue on East Cesar Chavez, or drive to InterStellar in Round Rock, for the same caliber without losing the morning.
Barton Springs and the Greenbelt
Zilker. A spring-fed pool that holds around 68 degrees all year, plus free swimming holes up the Barton Creek Greenbelt. The first thing to show anyone who comes to visit you.
Dirty Sixth
The neon stretch of East 6th with the cover bands is for bachelor parties, not for living here. Rainey Street, the East Side, or a neighborhood spot beats it every time.
That part changes every week, which is the whole reason the newsletter exists. Every Thursday morning we send the two or three things actually worth leaving the house for, plus one place to eat and one thing to know. Free, and you can unsubscribe any time.
Carissa.