Since it's kinda turned into a food thread, gotta throw out HomeSlice Pizza a block south of the CC on the same side of the street. Large, thin, New York style slices served right outta a window. YUMMY!
Well, i'm not going to Austin anytime soon (unfrotunately), but I might just watch Death Proof a couple more times. Have fun at the Roundup catz.
Mentioning Dallas and Austin in the same breath is downright sinful. Dallas really doesn't have a soul like Austin. I like the southern cooking, my wife is hispanic so I get Tex-Mex all the time Threadgill's is awesome and so is Maxine's in downtown Bastrop, cool place and the drive is not too bad. I agree that the Alamo Draft house is a great place to eat and watch a movie. Some people might enjoy The Yellow Rose if you're into that sort of thing. I live in Salado down I35 and we have some nice places to see and eat also, there is a guy off of 35 with a wooden barn with signs and gas pumps that he opens up on the weekends. He's got some A's and Ts in there and all the local rods stop by to chat. I could go on and on. Central Texas is a pretty sweet spot.
Really great topic, Ryan - you got some of the highlights, I'll add a few to my faves Grab breakfast on the way out to the Expo Center at Juan in a Million on East Cesar Chavez. Go for the "Don Juan" and ask for extra tortillas. Its the finest breakfast available without a prescription - you won't be sorry. http://www.juaninamillion.com For your cruising pleasure - do the run on Sunday afternoon out to Ski Shores - its a great twisty winding path - with awesome views in the hill country - and then you eat right on the water at a great old burger joint. The Scooter burger is the best cure for the hangover you might have from Saturday night. http://www.skishores.com/ Go up the Congress Avenue and see Kevin and the boys at Avenue Barbershop - a real old school barbershop thats been there since 1933 - get cleaned up, and watch folks cruise the avenue from your chair. Pick up some hair grease and a T shirt while you're there. http://www.avenuebarbershop.com/ Go check out the Broken Spoke on South Lamar (not far from the action on South Congress) for another real deal honky tonk legend - cold beer and two steppin' - good chicken fried steak and all the fixins. They've all played there - Bob Wills, Ernest Tubbs, Roy Acuff, Hank Thompson, Tex Ritter, Ray Price, Kitty Wells, Grandpa Jones, Willie Nelson - the list goes on. http://www.brokenspokeaustintx.com great photo ops with the Texas Top Hands Tour Bus in the parking lot Have dinner at the Shady Grove (1940s lodge style place, with huge airstreams and big outdoor patio), Chuy's (Tex-mex with Elvis theme - ceiling covered in hubcaps) or the Hula Hut - Mexonesian fare (tex-mex + hawaiian) Big Tiki themed joint right on the water. http://www.theshadygrove.com/ http://www.chuys.com/ http://www.hulahut.com/
Ya gotta know where to go in the Metroplex, but first time I did Austin it was like being in a different state. Funny this has turned into a food thread, I always think of music first when I think of Austin. Mebbe its SXSW, or James White's Broken Spoke? I liked Kinky Friedman's book The Psychadelic Armadillo Walking Tour of Austin (or something like that). Lotsa historic stuff in the book about 'Old' Austin and how not to be 'New' Austin. Get you some Brontasurus foreskin cowboy boots!
Just some quick reviews to some stuff on South Congress. 1. Guerros? really? We need to get you out for some real Tex Mex. It is almost right across from the Continental, so I can't say I haven't eaten there. It's just not what I would recommend as good Tex Mex. 2. Home Slice: Not my style of pizza, but really good. I prefer thick Chicago style. Home Slice is on the same side of the street as the Continental and up the hill a bit. You can walk from the club. 3. Magnolia: A little further up the hill, but still between the club and Trophy's. It's a hippy joint, but really good. Great for late night breakfast. 4. Frans: mmmm...Frans. Old school joint with burgers that should be mentioned among the best in Austin. Again, up the hill towards Trophy's. 5. Amy's Ice Cream: I'm an ice cream sorta guy, so I dig Amy's. It's right next to the club, on the downhill side. An Austin orginal. 6. BBQ in front of the club: For the life of me, I'm drawing a blank on his name. But they always set the pit out front of the club for the Roundup. Is it the best BBQ in town? probably not. Is it good? yep. Is it the best way to get food in your belly without having to stop drinkin' beer and hangin' out with buddies you only see a couple of times a year? Damn straight.
Ryan, It's so ironic that you post this "top 5 things to do in Austin" thread because one of my top 5 things to do in Austin is you. And by "you" I mean sex. Thanks for mentioning me and the High School Caesar boys in your top 5... 'bout damn near brung a tear to my eye. I expect to see you in the audience round 4PM Friday. I guess I can't wear my Ryan Cochran nametag at the meet & greet since you'll be there... One last thing... When I'm in Austin, I always make sure to visit Toy Joy on Guadalupe. hc www.monstrosityfoto.com
its Adam - and he'll do you right. go for the mixed sammich with beef and a link - wash down with a cold Lone Star and you will have no problem easing into the Austin pace of things.
New this year on South Congress is Big Top Candy Shop - a circus themed candy shop - FILLED with every kind of candy you can dream up - things you didn't know they even made anymore, plus a real live soda and ice cream fountain. Go check it out
BTW Ryan, you forgot to mention #6... go to the San Jose and steal the soap! hc www.monstrosityfoto.com
I'm in Austin every other week. Love it so much, I'm moving there in a couple months (yes, of course there's a gal involved). Alright, here's my 'quick list', hope it helps: Texas Chili Parlor - This is where Kurt Russell ate that awesome plate of nachos in Deathproof. You can get them too, called the KilleR Nachos (K+R in caps as props to Kurt on the menu) Order them with grilled chicken on top, mmmhmm. http://www.cactushill.com/TCP/home.htm Also, I have had some great beer and brats at: Scholz's Beer Garten: The last of the Austin Texas Beer Gardens, open since 1866, and the OLDEST business/restaurant in Texas! (the bar is photo worthy, only about a thousand feet long!! [ok, not that big, but ya get the picture]) http://www.scholzgarten.net/ For breakfast, I like The Omelettry. Also in Deahtproof, though in the movie Rosario Dawson and the girls are supposedly eating in Lebanon,TN..lol. But, great all around. If you can dream up an omelette, they make it--and then some. Here's a link: http://austin.citysearch.com/profile/10236468/ NOW, if you are looking for a man's beer in a low key atmosphere, chat with your friends without having to scream at them to hear you kinda place, then The Draught House Pub+Brewery is the place for you. The loyal crowd is a laid-back, convivial set of solid-citizen types (not snobs), mostly in their late 20s and 30s. There's no hard liquor, but there are 50 beers available on draft, including several homebrews. And mind you, they are all served in pints. You can also stroll right out the front door with your beer in hand to have a seat outside on their picnic tables or the hood of your car and have a smoke. http://www.draughthouse.com/ SMOKERS (like me): Be advised, recently the city of Austin passed a No Smoking In Public Establishments law. Yes, the bar/restaurant/club owners threw a fit, mainly because it was kinda sneaked passed them, so it's being fought. In the meantime, some (SOME) of these places scoff at being told how to run their joint, and rightly so. So, if you are in one, think of it like a 'speak-easy'. At BeerLand you can ask for a 'coaster' from the bartender, who will probably be smoking. At Ego's you can ask for 'a cup of water' and you get a dixie cup with an inch of water in it. So it's kind of, 'Out of sight, out of mind'. Just remember, SOME do this, not all. There are quite a few places (especially family oriented) that do adhere to the law until it gets overturned. Please, PLEASE, dont let this possibly soil your trip. The fact that alot of businesses have the balls to 'thumb their nose' at The Man makes me love the Austin character that much more. It's unmatched. IF you have ANY questions, by all means, PM me! I'm an FNG on here, but not in life. Oh, almost forgot, there's the Gingerman, great place for hundreds of European beers and there is now, as of February, a Flying Saucer in Austin too. Is it obvious I love my beer?? Anyway, I meant what I said about the PM messages, do ask. Jef
Ryan and I are sitting here reading all the comments together. Laughing my ass off at HankCash's comments! Ryan ALWAYS steals the soap from the San Jose.... But for the record, Ryan isn't crazy about Tex Mex. (BTW - he's making me type this.) We don't consider Guero's to be Tex Mex by any means. How dare you Buzzard, we LOVE it!! (Although we did try your place over by Target the other night and we like it a lot.) He says that for a great 'hole in the wall' Mexican joint, try Joe's Bakery on the east side. See you all this weekend!
I have only been there once but you gotta get a burger at Hutt's. Damn good burger and they are open pretty late. As far as the mexican food goes. I must just be to Californian. I can't hang with Tex Mex. I need carne asada and taquitos the "QUESO" about killed me out there!!! Be aware of the QUESO!! I second the Salt Lick. But you HAVE to go to the location previously mentioned. You can bring your own BEER! The hospitality out there is second to none. Everyone I met was great. A few times I was caught off guard when someone asked me what I thought of the weather. I had to stop and see if she was talking to me..... Great Place! Wish I was going to the show. Maybe next year! FONZI
What'd ya break his fingers? Haha, didn't mean to insult his food reviews. I cleared my fight card for this weekend and I"m not trying to add anyone to it! Just not a fan of Guerro's even though I end up there regularly with out of towners. Glad ya'll liked Azul Tequila. It's surprisingly good, even though it's in a strip mall next to Target. He, and I, did forget about Shady Grove. I'd say that it's probably the restaurant that we go to the most. Everybody just seems to like it. Just about every time we get together with folks to eat, we end up at Shady Grove. Speaking of that, when are you gonna have that baby so we can all go out drinking?
I've enjoyed most of these places Couple of my favorites; Ginnys little horseshoe Deep Eddies Hills Cafe --And ps , Bob just left
Ginny's Little Longhorn and the Horseshoe Lounge are two different places. But if you hang out in one of 'em long enough, you'll forget where you are anyhows.
Hell yeah, and don't forge the strips of green chili, man that's one thing I miss from New Mexico. Hatch Green Chili!!!!!!!!!!
I'm with the whole in the wall places. I'm sure its mispelled but wadaucha and sopes are some of my favorites.
I flubbed my typing .. And last time at the Horseshoe I was over served and talked like that so its accurate in reality
If you're looking for Austin souvenirs to take back, I highly suggest stocking up on Tito's vodka and Treaty Oak rum made right here in ATX. Fine, fine booze.
A - Tito's vodka RULES harder than hell to get a bottle around here.... Mayej - does the gingeran also "thumb his nose" at this non-smoking ban? Loved that place last time I was there, and was a little worried about not being able to smoke while getting loaded.