Food & Wine Best New Chef 2011 winner Bryce Gilmore's South Lamar restaurant lives up to the hype. Go with a group and order everything on the seasonal small plates menu. [Eater 38 Member]
They produce what has quickly become one of Austin's, if not Texas', most talked-about barbecue. It's so good they regularly run out of meat shortly after opening: get there early. [Eater 38 Member]
Colorful and small, Nubian Queen Lola boasts great soul food with a conscience; owner Lola Stephens volunteers her time and cooking abilities to the homeless on a regular basis. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.
Cheap, fast, and insanely delicious Vietnamese. Get the cream puffs. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.
The convenience store/liquor store/Indian restaurant combo is odd, but that's what makes it quintessentially Austin. The naan sandwiches are what earned it a place on our list. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.
Unfussy Italian fare with a South Congress-friendly patio. What's more, their deli counter of pates and antipasti sets it above other Austin neighborhood Italian restaurants. [Eater 38 Member]
Quality Seafood has been providing Austinites with fresh Gulf seafood for over seventy years. The shrimp tacos are some of the best in town. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.
This East side spot features their own vegetables, herbs and flowers as much as possible — and has been doing so for the almost the past 30 years. A great place to take your parents. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.
This tiny restaurant serves some of the best locally-sourced food we've had in a town wild for locally-sourced food. And, yes, their famous burgers are amazing. [Eater 38 Member]
Polvos is the only place to take out-of-towners who need to be figuratively punched in the face with Austin's diverse and youthful culinary spirit. [Eater 38 Member]
Outstanding barbacoa and cabrito tacos and posole. Bonus points for being super affordable and providing patio eats. [Eater 38 Member]
The cash-only first location of this stand behind Liberty has become a bit of an East Sixth legend, counting Anthony Bourdain among the many fans of its Asian-inspired street food. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.
Makes an art of bar food. See: the spicy fried pickles, the Bar Congress that you can add foie gras, an egg, avocado, pork belly, double meat & double cheese, should you so choose. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.
The pub food at this co-op brewpub is well above what it needs to be to accompany their increasingly tasty beer selection. & no tips allowed; they suggest you buy more beer. [Eater 38 Member]
Chef Rene Ortiz's take on modern Mexican cuisine. Not to miss: the riffs on guacamole, the wild tacos, the cocktails, and pastry chef Laura Sawicki's ice creams. [Eater 38 Member]
This tucked-away East side bistro is well worth the trip for its romantic outdoor space, well-executed classic French cuisine, & reasonably-priced wine list. [Eater 38 Member]
Chef Ned Elliott's inventive seasonal cuisine and wife Jodi's stellar desserts make this neighborhood spot a winner. Also a great for brunch. [Eater 38 Member]
Komé's ramen will change your life--though you can only find it at lunchtime--and plan to arrive early for a dinner spot, since the restaurant fills up. [Eater 38 Member]
We've never gone home unhappy after a visit to Matt's, thanks to their Bob Armstrong dip, affordable range of price points and dedication to classic Tex-Mex. [Eater 38 Member]
Mi Madre's, like your actual mother, is always there with a smile and a plate of something to fix what's ailing you. [Eater 38 Member]
You haven't had enchiladas until you've had the Dart Bowl enchiladas, which are a curative for the late-night drinkies and the early-morning hangovers. [Eater 38 Member]
Designer sandwiches in a remodeled Tejano club with a killer Wednesday night trivia club and curated beer selection. East Austin to the max. [Eater 38 Member]
With Paul Qui's recent Top Chef win and rise to celebrity stardom, we can no longer keep Uchiko's Japanese farmhouse fare to ourselves. [Eater 38 Member]
Contigo's beer garden, craft cocktails and locally sourced, inventive food from Chef Andrew Wiseheart embody everything that's key to a great Austin restaurant right this second. [Eater 38 Member]
Even omnivores will want to eat their way through the whole creative salad menu. [Eater 38 Member]
This tiny South Austin restaurant features global dishes from Texas-sourced ingredients. Make reservations early--there are only about thirty seats available. [Eater 38 Member]
With a carefully curated craft beer selection and a French-inspired gastropub menu, Hopfields lends a lot of class to the University of Texas campus area. [Eater 38 Member]
Scholz bills itself as the oldest bar in Texas - they've been serving politicos, college students and other faithful lovers of their German biergarten food for well over 100 years. [Eater 38 Member]
This South Austin beer garden and fried chicken joint is kid-friendly, parent-friendly, and people-who-love-giant-piles-of-fried-chicken friendly. [Eater 38 Member]
This strip mall noodle shop sees patrons line up before the doors even open, in weather more suited to sno-cones than soup, for a taste of their small but expertly executed menu. [Eater 38 Member]
Beloved by denizens of the 78704 and beyond, Bouldin Creek offers a diverse menu of vegetarian fare, locally roasted coffee and a taste of old-school Austin.
Banger's may be all about sausage, but it's a break from the rest of the Rainey Street yuppie meat market scene. Go for brunch and enjoy live music plus their towering Manmosas. [Eater 38 Member]
Great Detroit-style pizza (deep dish, baked in actual auto-part pans). Friendly service and a willingness to deliver into anchor bar Violet Crown Social Club doesn't hurt either. [Eater 38 Member]
Make sure to wash down some La Barbecue sausage with free beer and live music on the weekends. [Eater 38 Member]
