To eat:
Fonda San Miguel

great brunch

As a fellow Austinite I recommend Mother’s Cafe and Garden. They have the most amazing all vegetarian menu! It is actually right across the street from Quacks Bakery. If you visit Quacks Bakery you have to try the vegan truffles.

I lived in Austin for 2 years before transferring to art school in Rhode Island. I am definitely moving back after I graduate! I miss Austin so much! 3 suggestions for food that MUST be on the list.

Maudie’s Tex-Mex
There are several locations but the one on 1212 S. Lamar is my favorite!
Real Tex-Mex, real great prices (especially their lunch specials).
www.maudies.com

Hula Hut
3825 Lake Austin Blvd
Beautiful place on the lake. This is the one place I always make sure to take out of town friends to. A Hawaiian twist to the famous Chuy’s Tex-Mex.
www.hulahut.com

Food Heads
616 W. 24th St
BEST sandwiches. Fresh and delicious.
www.foodheads.com

Blackmail / Vivid is also a must visit. Down the street from Uncommon Objects, they have 2 spaces - one that’s all black items, clothing, and vintage boots, and the other that’s full of bright, colorful items and art. Creatures next door is a great local shoe shop for guys and girls, and Hovercraft across the street has great home and personal accessories. It’s owned by Creatures people.

I would also suggest Beatnik Vintage for modern Dutch furniture. Good prices and quality pieces. They are worth a visit if they are still in business.

I second the comment about Mother’s. AND it just reopened. Delicious!

wow, i can’t believe this was missed. . . the hotel san jose is an absolute must-see, and stay here if you can afford it. at least go by and have a glass of wine on the beautiful patio.

http://sanjosehotel.com/

Impeccable timing Grace and Alyson! I’m off to Austin for the first time in two weeks to visit a wonderful friend and hopefully to check out Stitch Austin (www.stitchaustin.com). Thanks again for the recommendations!!!!

Anne

i second the hotel san jose. the rooms and atmosphere are really wonderful.

Lights Fantastic is great source for obscure and iconic hard-wired lighting. And Flip-Happy Crepes is a must visit for Paris-meets-Texas sweet & savory crepes served out of a vintage Airstream.

Thank you so much for this great list! I’ve been an Austinite my entire life and I love it here. If you ever do get the chance, you really should come visit. I highly recommend that you eat at Shady Grove on Barton Springs road, they have the best strawberry margarita I’ve ever had.

Sweet! Next time I hop over there I am going to take this with me!

I was wondering when Austin was going to get a guide. There are so many restaurants (Austin is very food-centric) and a few stores that could be added to the list, but all-in-all, this is a great start for anyone new to the city.

What great places, that make me miss living in Austin even more than I did already. You just can’t get a good breakfast taco up north!

Yay! Austin! For the parents, Terra Toys (by my house, conveniently) is a wonderful toy store. I love this guide. I didn’t know a few places mentioned — and I thought I knew everything.

anchovee, unfortunately Beatnik’s is gone, replaced by a drab consignment furniture shop. i only discovered it during the going out of business sale, but ended up with my favorite piece, a gorgeous dutch hutch for $75.

Tesoros Trading Company
Austin, Texas, at 209 Congress Avenue

Austin’s Tamale House
5003 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78751-2708

I’m a Dallasite but visit Austin several times a year. And I can say from experience that your suggestions are fantastic choices. I’ll be in town Nov. 10-11 for Stitch Austin and plan to visit some of the places on your list that I had yet to discover. Thanks!

i third the san jose hotel. cool room. we stayed there last year for our anniversary. it gets pretty live in the evening as it is a favorite after work spot. also guero’s taco bar is a must place to eat. the best mexican food that i have ever had.

oh, another i’d like to mention that i think d*s readers would love: blue dahlia on east 11th: http://myspace.com/bluedahliabistro.

the eat shop guide to austin is pretty good, but it’s tough for a printed book to keep up with all the new places opening! yelp.com is a great new source of recommendations when traveling.

what about the Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic store that opened at The Domain? Finally the real deal for all things Rachel Ashwell, vintage, furniture…the list goes on!

If anyone happens to visit Toy Joy, check out Dhaba Joy too. All the food there is vegan and I take a trip there at least once a week to get a cupcake fix.

You must adventure to a hidden oasis called Cafe Mundi. www.cafemundi.com.
Everytime I visit Austin, you can find me sippin’ on their yummy mint mate late in the garden and watching for wild parrots… heaven.

I used to live in Austin, and I miss it so much. Here are 2 more places to eat to add to your list:

* Mi Madre’s = best breakfast tacos
* Dirty Martin’s = best burgers

I hope you get to Austin sometime soon — you’ll love it!

Hi there…Man i love reading your blog, interesting posts ! it was a great Thursday

Whoa, no Curras ? Mmm, avocado margaritas. www.currasgrill.com

For furniture, I like Austin Modern, too. I got a pretty cool Kaganesque coffee table there. www.austinmodern.com

i used to live in austin, but moved to the dallas area for grad school. i miss it SO much.

-taco deli is a must!
-i forth the san jose…(it’s where my we stayed the weekend my fiance proposed)
-frank and angie’s is a cute little italian restaurant
-all of south congress
-east side cafe is a MUST

i could go on forever…austin is my favorite city in texas!

I second eating at Maudi’s….great Mexican food and potent margaritas!

Also, Shady Grove on Barton Springs- for hamburgers, salads, and such! Sit outside…there is usually a band and some nights they play silent films.

Good list!

I second the motions for Hotel San Jose, Terra Toys, and Guero’s to be added to the list.

I’d also recommend Maya on S.Congress for beautiful jewelry, home and gift items, and Parts and Labour (also on South Congress) for items made by some of our favorite DIY and indie craft gurus.

Of course there’s so much more to add that I love about this town, but I can’t list them all here…..

I lived in Austin during my study abroad time from university in London. SPIDER HOUSE was a favourite haunt for great mexican hot chocolate and crazy decorative elements. Think stone gargoyles and fifties diner tables!

www.spiderhousecafe.com
2908 Fruth Street.

gotta love the “republic of travis county” (aka austin). no matter what preconceived notions you may have about tx, austin is its very own. we are a blue dot in a red state. keep austin weird. thanks for the great recommendations.

Great list! I miss Austin … I may be in Dallas now but Longhorn for life!

Here are some places I suggest:

The historic Driskill Hotel for brunch! http://www.1886cafeandbakery.com/

A bookstore I could spend hours in: Book People - http://www.bookpeople.com/

Other food picks: magnolia cafe,
chez zee, and I bet you will be overwhelmed by the Whole Foods on Lamar Blvd. - a foodie’s dream!

If you like to be overwhelmed by food then you also have to check Central Market. That is hands down the number one thing I miss about Austin.

Magnolia Cafe on South Congress is always a blast… 24 hours… diverse menu… it will satisfy any craving you have.

The Elephant Room Downtown is another one of my favorite spots. It’s the perfect spot to catch a night of live jazz!

I, too, highly recommend the Hotel San José and Tesoros. I also highly recommend Kerbey Lane for eats, Flipnotics for coffee & vanilla frappés, and BookPeople for not only great books, but also the best card and magazine selection. Oh - Waterloo if you need good tunes. I live in Houston, but Austin is the best city in Texas!

The restaurants/cafe’s along Manor Road just east of I-35 are pretty fabulous: el Chile, Vivo’s, Hoover’s, el Chilito, Clementine’s, Stortini’s…and now Aster’s Ethiopian is open on Deen Keaton.
Saturday mornings at Boggy Creek farm can’t be beat–buy locally grown produce and flowers, listen to music under the giant tree and feed the chickens–all within spitting distance of downtown!

in NYC for 12 yrs. now, but still miss Austin. How about Kirby Lane & Magnolia cafe’s. Someboday tell me they are still around!

Recently relocated to Austin, I have to second Parts and Labor on S. Congress - all local designers/crafters and amazingly great t-shirts.
www.partsandlabour.com

And just across the street is Hey, Cupcake - a beautifully martianesque Airstream trailer cupcake stand, inspired by Magnolia Bakery.
http://www.heycupcakeaustin.com/

Yep! Kirby Lane and Magnolia’s are still here! Though, I’ve only been at Kirby Lane within the span of 3am-6am.. I’ve only been here for about two months, being a new student at UT, so this guide is great! How exciting! I need help finding an affordable way to start furnishing my apartment in fall 2008, though. I guess I should start accumulating stuff now, right?

what an amazing list. I am sending this to all the designers and vendors coming in from out of town for Stitch.

i just love these city guides for traveling!

i’m crossing my fingers that minneapolis is on the list for a guide soon : )

Here are my picks for Austin’s best that I didn’t see mentioned:

* Juan and A Million- East side breakfast (and lunch hotspot) that has what is honestly the BIGGEST, cheapest, and tastiest scratch made breakfast taco around these parts called the Don Juan…you only need to order 1!!

* Guero’s- tasty chicken tacos located on the Congress strip

* Toy Joy- just about the coolest toy shop I’ve ever seen located on the drag

* Kirby Lane- My favorite 24 eatery. I belive they are an organic place (don’t qoute me on that). One of the two original owners of went off to start Magnolia Cafe, as I’ve come to understand, so their menus are very similar but Kirby feels a lot nicer to me. Tasty Gingerbread Pancakes!!! Various locations around town, my favorite is the original location on Kirby Lane.

Amy’s Ice Cream- The best ice cream you’ll ever taste. No really. You can test ‘em all if ya want to but my favorite is the Mexican Vanilla with the Dark Chocolate with some stawberries crushed in. Various locations around town.

Wally’s Hamburgers- Now, i I had one wish it wouldn’t be for world peace it would be that Wally’s Burgers would be good for you much like carrots or spinich. Seriously, the best burger and shake (oh my lord, THE CHOCOLATE SHAKES) combo you can get here in Austin. Take it from a burger gal!! Located in North Austin.

The Alamo Draft House- The best movie experience out here. Kick back and enjoy a current or cult favorite with a tasty dinner and a tall beer. Various locations in town ; recommend the new downtown location on 6th street.

Waterloo Records- good but expensive and the ‘tude there is very hoity tioty but is known for more obscure hard to find stuff as well as the latest in music. Not my fav but I figured it should be noted.

The Red Red River District- The best clubs in town:
Emo’s- (at the corner of Red River and 6th) has the best bands for the best prices in town from Hip-Hop to Punk, Hardcore to Metal this place is great!

Elysium- Has the best 80’s night EVER on a Sunday night with a $3 cover…I’m talking good 80’s, like The Smiths, Adam Ant, The Cure, The Ramones, etc…It’s always packed and sooo much fun!!

Club Deville- Nice little bar with a great atmosphere.

Room 710- awesome punk rock club

Ssshhhhhhh! If ya’ll keep talking about how great Austin is, we will be crawling with yankees! The sub-urban sprawl, traffic, and new toll roads are bad enough already. Did I mention that it gets hot enough to melt a flip flop on the sidewalk and the humidity is unbearable. Definitely not a place for the timid, Texans do not welcome visitors!

suzie, how unfortunate about Beatniks. i have been planning to go back there ever since i bought a beautiful dining room table from them.

I love it Crusty! Yeah, don’t give away all our secrets.

Alyson has great taste — I love all of these places and frequent them often! Good job!

I’m so excited by this post! I’ve lived in Austin for years, but instead of enjoying it, I’ve been pathetically mopey and missing the pacific NW. I recently decided to do something about it by trying something new & local once a week. This gives me a great place to start! Thanks.

I don’t know if it’s been mentioned before, but with regard to the Biz Ladies, Austin has an established “Babes in Biz” group. It has several hundred members and was founded , of course, by Ms. Perkins (who posted above). Look into it if you are local!

You know, Austin is packed so full of such wonderful places that it would be almost easier (but not very nice) to post places not to go. The list would be QUITE short! I LOVE this town.

Love the Austin guide! Love all the great comments. Living off South Congres, I have to say I’m partial to, well, all of Austin. I’d have to add Hyde Park to the menu (not to mention Kerbey Lane, as well), and give a big huge plug for Room Service Vintage (there is a South and a North location, each carries a different trove of furniture, housewares, and awesome light fixtures.) Also, Amy’s Ice Cream is a must-visit to satisfy a sweet-tooth.

I can’t believe the great response you have had on this post Grace! I wish someone would do this for little Durban.

Gary*

Great timing on this post. My wife and I are heading out to Austin for Stitch Austin (indy fashion and craft bazaar) next weekend.

I’ve been out once before but looking forward to trying some of these great suggestions.
Cheers.

Ahhh, Austin! I was born and raised here, and I haven’t heard of a surprising number of shops on this list! I think I might be hitting up TOPS sometime very soon, I need a new desk and an old, metal one sounds perfect.

I am planning to travel to Austin this weekend and taking photos of several of the places you included. I will post them on my blog next week.
By the way, Amarillo is my home town! Most people I talk to have never even heard of it!

For those interested in tops, there is also one in the north. Located at the intersection of Kramer and Braker. They keep a bunch of furniture outside during the day, and it is TEMPTING!
meg

Voted Best Home Service (interior design) in The Austin Chronicle:

RoomFu
http://www.roomfu.com

Robin did a room for us and we LOVED it! She’s an awesome designer, and her rates are really reasonable. She’s got her finger on the pulse of Austin design. Check her out!

I can officially vouch for this awesome guide! What a FANTASTIC city! I created my own city guide of sorts with images in my flickr set (complete with links).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anne_ditty/sets/72157603140118306/

This nursery needs to be mentioned as well. It is located on the east side and they do some really amazing design work.

I definately am excited that somebody posted their love for hey cupcake :)

I agree, Mother’s Cafe & Garden is delicious! One that I argue is that Dirty Martin’s is the best burger - a travesty! Its a dark punk rock-ish bar, but you MUST go to CASINO EL CAMINO on 6th st for a burger. Best burger in austin hands down - no contest. I think their kitchen opens at 4pm, but expect 45min to 1hr wait for their burgers after 9pm - the locals know its worth the wait.

kewl! i am lost out here and this gave me a couple leads. kewl people looking for a bargain property? look in taylor texas! this little town is the next to blow up real estate wise! i just got a steal 1600 sq ft fixer upper for 74000! i am a huge dwell fan! maybe you’ll soon see my house in a mag! now i need other kewl peeps to move there too! heehee!

Totally check out Austin Modern Vintage!
They have a website so I can check out the vintage eye candy from work and I love their design sense and prices. Got a great pair of 60s Knoll side chairs there for a steal!
They were just nominated one of the top vintage treasures of Austin in the Eat Shop Austin Guide.
They’re just down the street from Roomservice and Pallenberg on North Loop, make a day of it and head to Epoch Coffeehouse for excellent pizza from Eastside Pies!
www.austinmodern.com

Don’t miss out on the great food at Hyde Park Bar & Grill and also at The Tavern on 12th. Different atmospheres, but equally good food.

Great list, but y’all left off a few awesome places:

–Maria’s Taco Xpress. Austinites can argue all day about which place has the best breakfast tacos, but Taco Xpress is my personal fave and has topped various foodie polls. Design-wise, the statue of Maria towering above the place must be seen to be believed - kitsch at its finest.

–Polvo’s. Some of the best - and most lethal - margaritas in town, but more importantly, some true interior Mexican cuisine that you don’t generally see in this Tex-Mex dominated town (aside from Fonda San Miguel, which is amazing as well but quite pricey). I don’t personally smoke, but my smoker friends appreciate the fact that it has a huge outdoor patio, which - this being Austin - is usable about 10 months out of the year.

-Chuy’s has become a mini-chain of sorts, but the original on Barton Springs is most definitely worth a look. Kitsch-fab decor, top-notch margaritas, and notorious as the place where Jenna Bush was once arrested for underage drinking.

–Several of its stores (e.g. Finch & Mercury Design) have already been mentioned, but the 2nd St. District as a whole is worth a looksee. It also has the advantage of being the most easily walkable collection of stores in town, aside from the big malls (including the Domain); S. Congress is as well, but it’s a bit more of a hike (as in uphill). And don’t miss 2nd’s western side! (the district is split into two halves, with City Hall and the future W Hotel in the middle)

–Speaking of Finch, owner Kristi Pruett just opened a really cute kids store right next door called Wee. Lots of great design-oriented toys, games and clothes for tots.

To give a few shoutouts to the east side:

–Longbranch Inn - dive-y bar on a newly revitalized strip of 12th St. Great vibe, dirt-cheap beer, a 2-minute drive from downtown.

–Progress Coffee - excellent indie coffeehouse a block east of I-35 w/great nosh, free wi-fi, ample parking (usually a problem at Flipnotics & Halcyon, my other faves), and coffee made with Fair Trade beans.

–The Peacock - it’s a little hard to find (and on the edge of the revamped part of E. Austin), but design-wise it’s one of the coolest little bars in town, and the work of designer extraordinaire Joel Mozersky.

On the cultural front: UT’s Blanton Museum of Art is definitely worth a visit. It’s not widely known, but the Blanton has the largest collection of Latin & South American art anywhere on the continent. Arthouse on Congress usually has some interesting exhibitions going on as well, as does AMoA (Austin Museum of Art).

A couple of other notes:

–The San Jose is the coolest hotel in town, as nearly everyone agrees, but that also means it’s one of the busiest. They’re at 100% occupancy most of the year, so BOOK EARLY if you want to stay there, particularly on weekends and if there’s some sort of big event going on. (If said event is ACL or SXSW, you should plan on booking a year in advance. Seriously.)

–It’s Kerbey Lane Cafe, not “Kirby,” which is important to note since that’s the name of the street it’s on (and thus a Google Maps/Mapquest search on “Kirby Lane” would yield no results). Btw there’s a newer location on S. Lamar, near Taco Xpress, as well as one up in N. Austin.

–A word of warning to you folks visiting from elsewhere: many of Austin’s best restaurants (e.g. Uchi and Vespaio) don’t take reservations. It’s one of those “Austin things” that takes some getting used to. Expect a 90-120 minute wait at primetimes on weekends; here we just think of it as “cocktail hour.” Same goes with Kerbey Lane & Magnolia for weekend brunch: you’ll have to cool your heels for a good 45-60 minutes (unless you’re solo and want to sit at the bar, at least if you’re at Magnolia or Kerbey South).

–Austin now has multiple Alamo Drafthouses. All are good, but the best is housed in an old movie theater downtown called the Ritz. The “original” Drafthouse in the Warehouse District is now closed, FYI (the rent came to be too pricey now that the district is so popular).

Great list.

I’m going down to Austin in a month and am considering moving down there! FYI Maria’s Taco Express is in a new building, her statue is no longer looking over all who enter. I heard some kids vandalized it. The new building is bigger, but doesn’t quite have the charm of the former shack. The breakfast tacos are still fantastic!

This is such a resourceful site for me considering the fact that I am moving there late summer. I love the local scene and will have to check out everything suggested.

A couple of additions to the list:

The migas tacos (loaded down with the complimentary green sauce that comes with them) at Juanita’s Tacos on W. 5th

I like Bouldin Creek coffee house on S. 1st–it’s kind of dingy but comfortable and with lots of outdoor seating. A great light meal there is the Slacker (a bean and rice dish) w/ the works, plus cornbread. Cheap and delicious.

I am in love with so many of the shops and restaurants mentioned here! My favorite shopping area is right near the original Kerbey Lane Cafe…it’s called Jefferson Square. There are a few sweet shops and the best is Verbena. They have a mix of new and vintage and they are also a custom flower shop. I have ordered a few amazing bouquets from them and love the girls there!