Your Local Guide to Austin, Texas
After all our wine tasting and touring Texas Hill Country, it was time to explore the chill city of Austin, Texas. We're happy to report that Austin is actually as cool as everyone says it is, and we loved the laid back vibe and greenery everywhere. We left with happy hearts and full bellies, and we're so excited to share all the beautiful local gems we found during our visit with our latest city guide! We covered the neighborhoods of East Austin, South Congress, and Downtown, and this is a little overview. Special thanks to Texas Tourism for all their southern hospitality <3
East Austin is by far our favorite 'hood, and it's full of independent shops, local art, and so much good food. Okay, that also describes pretty much all of Austin, which is probably why we love it so much. One of the most unique places to visit was the building at 913 South Cesar Chavez Street, which is home to the roastery Flat Track Coffee, the vintage boutique Las Cruxes, and Farewell Bookshop.
Byron & Blue is a spacious and chic boutique that we instantly adored, and we loved their prints by local artists and vintage collection. Bonus is that Wright Brothers Brew & Brew is next door, which is both a coffee shop and craft beer stop. Pretty perfect, right?
Hillside Farmacy is a lovely place to sit back, relax, and listen to jazz over a plate of oysters. Across the street is Quickie Pickie, our favorite spot for Austin's tradition of breakfast tacos, proving that any time is taco time.
We loved the southern inspiration at Charm School Vintage, and the Al Pastor taco at Veracruz All Natural was unreal. One of the best meals we had was the chicken thighs at Launderette, which is housed in - you guessed it - a renovated laundromat! Whether you walk or bike around, East Austin is a welcoming place for creatives, and you can view our full East Austin guide here.
While the downtown core in a lot of cities often leaves you wanting more, Downtown Austin is pretty awesome. There's a ton of culture, street art, and eclectic restaurants to keep you busy (and loving every minute of wandering). La Condesa is a modern spin on Mexican street food, and they have the best patio for people-watching and an amazing happy hour. Plus, guacamole tasting menus! Easy Tiger is the place to be for a beer, or even a game of ping pong. Gourdough's Public House is full of crazy, ginormous donuts and a menu that's basically all donut cuisine. Think donut burgers, chicken and donuts, etc.
Fixe Austin is a new, modern southern restaurant that we are pretty obsessed with. The dining rooms are all decorated differently, and the food is a really unique take on southern staples like grits. For the love of Texas, you must get the grits!
The Four Seasons Austin may not sound like a local thing to do, but it actually is! It was voted best brunch in the city by locals, and it's situated right on Lady Bird Lake, which is the perfect place to go for a stroll around the park or enjoy a drink in their garden. For more, explore our Downtown Austin guide here.
South Congress is the artistic and free-spirited neighborhood of Austin, with so much vintage to go through and so many murals to take photos with! Stag is a men's boutique for the modern-day hipster cowboy, while Feathers Boutique is a gorgeous collection of women's vintage. Uncommon Objects is a huge store full of random knick knacks and Texan gems, while Homeslice Pizza is the perfect place for pizza (and the famous Mr. Rogers mural).
ByGeorge is a really beautiful women's boutique with a great selection of local jewelry designers, and a pretty cute pup to boot! For more fabulous finds, check out our South Congress guide here.
We loved our time in Austin, and hope you will too. Don't forget to share your photos with us by tagging #heynowaustin so we can see them!
Thanks to Texas Tourism for flying us down, and to all the amazing local businesses for being so friendly!