Austin, Texas, is affectionately known as the live music capital of the world, and is, of course, equally famous for its barbecue.
But there's more to the Lone Star State's blue center than finger-licking brisket and crooning hipsters—well, thankfully, there is a whole lot of that, too. Head to the quirky city on the banks of the Colorado River, lately known as a start-up scene nicknamed Silicon Hills, for high-design boutique hotels, craft cocktails, Hill Country beauty, captivating art, and world-class festivals.
Hip Stays in Austin, TX
Spend a day by the pool while still taking in the city.
(Courtesy of Hotel Van Zandt)
The Best Hotels
In Rainey Street Historic District, a charming cluster of old bungalow bars and lively music venues that become especially ecstatic during SXSW, Kimpton's Hotel Van Zandt(605 Davis St.)offers complete immersion into Austin’s legendary sound with luxurious rock-and-roll design, a curated collection of local music, and live concerts at their onsite restaurant, Geraldine’s. Even if music isn’t your thing, the hotel has plenty to offer, including lavish lounges, a rooftop pool, and a livery of complimentary bikes to get you around downtown. // With just seven unique, art-filled rooms, Heywood Hotel(1609 E. Cesar Chavez St.) is a true boutique stay with amenities including luxury tubs, white noise machines, free bikes, and WiFi. It’s located in East Austin, a fast-growing ’hood packed with hip restaurants, lounges, and shops. // Bunkhousehas been a bastion of Austin’s throwback look for decades, and you can’t go wrong spending a few nights at their first property, Hotel San José(1316 S. Congress Ave.), or the posher St. Cecilia(112 Academy Dr.), just across the street and around the corner from the famed Continental Club. Exporting their retro-chic aesthetic to historic hotels across North America, Bunkhouse now counts five Austin locations in total. The Carpenter (400 Josephine St.), a leafy, dog-friendly retreat in a former woodworker’s union building hardly a click south of downtown, offers one of their more interesting backstories. The hotel is an even shorter walk to Zilker Park, home of Barton Springs and host to festivals like Austin City Limits—though on a sunny day it might be hard to escape the allure of a house paloma (“Pool-oma”) by the pool. // If tradition is what you seek, look no further than The Driskill(604 Brazos St.). Just a few blocks south of the Capitol, Austin’s oldest hotel first opened its doors in 1886, and is known for its Southern hospitality and timeless elegance (note: the Driskill Bar, famous for its ornate copper ceilings, remains closed for renovations until fall 2025).
Where to Eat in Austin
A meaty spread at Snow's BBQ, where pitmaster Tootsie Tomanetz continues to do her thing.
(Courtesy of Robert Jacob Lerma, via Instagram)
BBQ, Tacos + More on the Cheap
It’s hard to choose just one signature cuisine in Austin and its hilly surrounds, but barbeque is a logical place to start—and few places are more famous than Franklin Barbecue (900 East 11th St.). The modern Austin landmark smokes its meats according to Central Texan tradition: simply, with minimal sauces or spices to distract from the real flavor. With only one location, its lines are as famous as its brisket. // Pooling experience from Franklin and Interstellar BBQ(12233 Ranch Rd. 620 N Suite 105)—a queue-heavy local legend in its own right—the founders of Parish Barbecue(3220 Manor Rd.) began serving their pork ribs, pulled duck, and other Louisiana-inspired inventions from insideBatch Craft Beer & Kolaches just this March. // Up for a little road trip? About an hour east of Austin, you'll find Snow's BBQ (516 Main St., Lexington), where nonagenarian pitmaster Tootsie Tomanetz starts slangin' her hickory- and applewood-smoked briskets, turkey breasts, and sausages at 8am, earning herself a spot in the Barbecue Hall of Fame. // However hard it might be for some of us Californians to admit it, the Mexican food in Texas is legit, too—and Austinites are always putting their own spin on the stuff. The city has no lack of Tex-Mex classics like Matt’s El Rancho (2613 S Lamar Blvd.), where longtime loyalists dip into their beloved queso on an expansive patio, and T-Loc’s Sonora (5000 Burnet Rd.), which serves up bacon-wrapped hot dogs and Mexi-gut bombs from their food truck north of the city.// Grab a well-seasoned, spicy lamb or beef shish kebab—along with the best homemade baklava this side of I-35—from Kebabalicious, the longtime food truck now in its own brick-and-mortar location alongside the Texas State Cemetery (1311 E 7th St.). // Though they can now choose from four differentIn-N-Out locations throughout the city, open-minded Californians might consider Austin’s Neo-Googie answer to our greatest export with a double chocolate shake and a burger at the original P. Terry’s(404 S Lamar Blvd.)near Barton Springs, or the absurdly gooey queso and taco of the month (think fried chicken, waffle, egg, and bacon on a flour tortilla) at Austin’s own nationwide native, Torchy's Tacos (multiple locations, including 1822 S. Congress Ave.).
Restaurants
For over two decades, Uchi (801 South Lamar Blvd.) has presented the city's finest, most sustainable sushi and Japanese cuisine and turned out chef alumni who now helm many of the city's top restaurants. Now at seven locations across the country with even more on the horizon, come to the original for the happy hour with special prices on cool and hot bites; bigger spenders must opt for the 10-course omakase. // For a more inventive take on Mexican cuisine, colorful, casual taqueria Nixta (2512 E. 12th) in East Austin offers heirloom corn masa and some interesting vegetarian options. // In the northeastern neighborhood of Cherrywood, Dai Due(2406 Manor Rd.)leans on hyper-local ingredients to turn out eclectic dishes like coffee-cured venison, wild boar confit, and pork chops from their on-site butcher shop. // Launderette(2115 Holly St.) is one of the most crowded restaurants in town, so prepare for a wait—the modern Mediterranean cuisine (try a "sunshine bowl" with turmeric hummus at lunch; and the king crab in beurre blanc at dinner) is worth it. Save room for at least one dessert—and then order two because you just can't decide.
Austin's Best Bars + Coffee Shops
On weekends, head upstairs at Whisler's on 6th Street and find yourself in the Oaxacan-style Mezcaleria Tobala.
(Courtesy of Whisler's)
All the Booze
Possibly the finest place in the city to sip a martini and gaze at the skyline, Azul(310 East 5th St.), the rooftop bar at the Westin, offers a heated pool year-round, flawless cocktails, and a modest “lite bite” menu to tide you over until dinner. // Housed in a former gas station, East Austin’s Kinda Tropical (3501 E. 7th St.) delivers on its name: the sufficiently breezy and chill neighborhood spot is a solid bet for brunch with its generous patio and daytime cocktail menu, while by night its DJ sets and “slightly equatorial” drink list suit a laid-back set cursed with good taste. // Keeping Austin weird justsouth of downtown, Whip In(1950 S. I-35) is a public house—serving Texas-made spirits and Fredericksburg wines—and curry lounge, where you can soak it all up with tasty Indian-fusion cuisine amid Wild West-inspired decor. // Whisler's(1816 E. 6th St.) is the perfect combination of cozy (inside) and buzzing (on the patio). Upstairs you'll find a variety of rare mezcals at the Oaxacan-inspired bar Mezcaleria Tobala, open Thursday through Saturday. // In the parking garage of the American National Bank building, Garage Bar(503 Colorado St.) has all the vibes of a dark, clandestine rendezvous spot with charming historical touches.
The Other Kind of Buzz
At Lake Austin, Mozart's Coffee(3825 Lake Austin Blvd.) is a perfect place to while away a Sunday. Order bottomless coffee and house-baked goods, and kick back at a picnic table to binge your favorite podcast. Expect a crowd at lunch and in the late afternoon; stick around for “floating cinema” nights on the lake or live music on the weekends. // Sa-Ten(916 Springdale Rd., Bldg 3, Suite 101) is a Japanese-inspired café serving espresso drinks alongside all-day toasts and sandwiches, as well as pastries and protein plates. // A recent addition to the East Side, Strangelove (2614 E. Cesar Chavez) is a café by day and wine bar by night that looks like it was personally retrofitted by that one frustratingly talented, effortlessly cool dirtbag you knew in art school.
Things to Do in Austin
Inside Ellsworth Kelly's 'Austin.'
Get Some Culture
Football isn’t the only reason to visit the U.T. Austin campus. The university's Blanton Museum(200 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd..) is the permanent home to Texas' only installation by late artist Ellsworth Kelly, who was known for his unapologetically simple yet perfectly whimsical chromatic spaces. Titled Austin, this spellbinding artistic experience—Kelly's posthumously completed last work—invites visitors inside a 2,715-square-foot building with a rainbow of stained glass windows, 14 marble panels, and a totemic wood sculpture. Sometimes called an "atheist chapel," the $23 million installation was envisioned by Kelly as "a site for joy and contemplation." // Film buffs who fancy craft beer while they watch—and who are already regulars at the movie parties and ladies’ nights at San Francisco's Mission theater—can catch a flick at the original Alamo Drafthouse(409 Colorado St.) downtown. As always, reserve online for the best seats.
Play Outside
If it's a postcard-quality Instagram opp you seek, put Hamilton Pool(24300 Hamilton Pool Rd., Dripping Springs) atop your Austin bucket list. With a 50-foot waterfall dropping into a limestone basin, this preserve is worth the 45-minute drive from downtown. Though access to the pool is currently closed, keep an eye on the Travis County website to book your reservation ($12 per car, plus $8/day use fee paid upon arrival). Then pack your bathing suit and a picnic lunch, and soak in the beauty. // Don't have transpo? Take a swim in town at Zilker Park's three-acre Barton Springs Pool(2201 Barton Springs Rd.), where the water is 69 degrees year-round. While in the park, also check out the Lady Bird hike and bike trail; rent a kayak or canoe; or play a game of frisbee golf. // East of East Austin, The Long Time(5707 Dunlap Rd. N.)is a quirky, hand-hewn baseball palace from the mind of local artist and architect Jack Sanders. Like a laid-back, old-timey Texan fever dream, the venue welcomes the young and young-at-heart alike to immerse themselves in an oddly athletic side of the Austin community where local goofballs face off in friendly competition while enjoying live music, an artisan market, and surprisingly decent food and drink.
Hit a Festival
Summer can be sweltering in Texas, but that doesn’t mean the party stops. Since 1973, Willie Nelson has been hosting his 4th of July Picnic(9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd.) in Austin, and the Red Headed Stranger returns again this year with Bob Dylan and others, plus a whole lot of fireworks in tow. // From July 24-26, the Red River Cultural District hosts Hot Summer Nights, rallying over 100 musicians for free concerts. // Once temperatures drop in the fall, don't miss one of the country's coolest destination music events, Austin City Limits(Oct. 3-5 and 10-12 at Zilker Park), which promises more than 100 bands spread across nine stages, plus killer food, drink, and fun. // Founded in 1987, the SXSW conference and festival series returns next spring (March 12-18, 2026). Join the masses for one of the country's most epic celebrations of music, film, comedy, interactive art, media, and technology.
