1. Taj Palace
7.1
6700 Middle Fiskville Rd, Austin, TX
Indian Restaurant · Highland · 16 tips and reviews
Jamie Graham: I come here at least once every 2 weeks - the chicken tikka masala (mahkni) is the best I've ever had. The naan is fluffy, crispy, and warm, too. Get yourself to Taj Palace!
Carlos 🏳️🌈 ✊🏽 🏳️⚧️: 5 words... Saag Paneer and Garlic Naan.
Austin Gunter: Get the square opaque desserts, "barfi." the name is weird, but it has a life-changing flavor. If you're into having your life changed by gustatory bliss, get the barfi.
4. Tacodeli
9.1
1500B Spyglass Dr (at Barton Skyway), Austin, TX
Taco Restaurant · Bartons Bluff-Spyglass · 150 tips and reviews
Austin Music Weekly: doña, habanero sauces a must. veggies, try the heather. omnivores, try the cowboy. best after 11am. best taco in town.
Eater: Two words: Salsa. Doña. The tacos themselves have earned their reputation, but it's this verde sauce that is really why we keep coming back. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.
Fast Company: Engineers from ARM (a 2011 Most Innovative Company), who tweak the microchips used in iPads, come to this Austin chain for a different kind of chip--preferably topped with Roberto’s Brazo-Fuerte dip.
5. Texas State Capitol
9.2
112 E 11th St (at Congress Ave), Austin, TX
Capitol Building · Downtown Austin · 222 tips and reviews
Joycott: There is a new awesome coffee bar that serves up yummy fair trade coffee! Wander the capitol and sip on something delicious.
HISTORY: In one of the largest barter transactions in recorded history, the builders of the capitol were paid with over three-million acres of public land in the Texas Panhandle.
Visit Austin: It's where the politicos are shaking in Texas, well, at least for 90 days every other year. And the dome is 6 ft higher than the U.S. Capitol!
7. Uchiko
9.4
4200 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX
Japanese Restaurant · Rosedale · 181 tips and reviews
Mary N: Must get the ham and cheese sushi followed by the jar jar duck, hot rock and for dessert the fried milk!
Austin Chronicle: A trip to Uchiko is a treat for the senses, with creative flavor pairings in dishes like rosemary-smoked duck with candied citrus or pork-belly-and-egg sushi. Decor is almost too beautiful to look at. Read more.
Kyle Bunch: The P-38 roll is epic, the Hot Rock is fantastic when you're looking for a non-fish option, and the Fried Milk (pictured) is the best dessert in Austin, and quite possibly all of America.
Gina R.: Best place to see a movie! special events & food/drink specials for certain movies. Only complaint is they don't have any BBQ sauce! Otherwise perfect movie going experiences!
Martin Thomas: It's got a huuuge parking lot and still NOWHERE TO PARK!
Cole H: Don't talk, turn your damn phone off, and tip your waiters well!
9. Franklin Barbecue
9.0
900 E 11th St (at Branch St), Austin, TX
BBQ Joint · Central East Austin · 354 tips and reviews
Paul Lomax: Amazing BBQ. Go for a Brisket (fatty and with burnt ends) and Sausage plate. Try the espresso BBQ sauce!
Hollis Tibbetts: AVOID FRANKLIN BBQ at all costs. YOU WILL NEVER ENJOY BRISKET ANYWHERE ELSE AGAIN. I'm a brisket pig - could eat it every day. Since Franklin's, all other briskets taste...lame. I GOTTA HAVE MORE MORE
MTV: Bethany of Best Coast is obsessed with Franklin Barbecue. Try their brisket and you won’t be sorry.
10. Paramount Theatre
8.9
713 Congress Ave (7th St.), Austin, TX
Movie Theater · Downtown Austin · 76 tips and reviews
Rebecca Huey: Summer classic film series is a must every year, and flix tix is the way to go. Seeing a Marx brothers film at a theater where the brothers actually performed is priceless.
VH1: VH1 Rock Docs DOWNLOADED World Premieres here at SXSW 2013!Napster: The Music. The battle. The revolution. Directed by Alex Winter. Read more.
NYB: Built in 1915, the Paramount, is home to Austin’s red carpet film premieres and is part of the SXSW and the Austin Film Festival. Including opener The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, & final The East.
12. The Mohawk
8.9
912 Red River St (at E 10th St.), Austin, TX
Rock Club · Downtown Austin · 131 tips and reviews
exfm: Hands down coolest music venue in Austin. Head outside to the main stage or up the stairs to the rooftop deck that looks over the stage. If you want a more intimate experience head to the back stage.
The Most Interesting Man in the World: To access the secret VIP lounge, knock 12 times on the wall by the restroom. If no one answers that means it’s full.
Joseph Salazar: Go to Mohawk. See a band at Mohawk. Read more.
14. The Driskill
8.9
604 Brazos Street, Austin, TX
Hotel · Downtown Austin · 169 tips and reviews
Jessica Jazdzewski: The food here is awesome. Order a delicious cappuccino and a cranberry orange scone in the cafe if you're on a budget and enjoy the atmosphere.
CNN: Opened in 1886, this is the oldest operating hotel in Austin. Legend has it the original owner, cattle baron Jesse Driskill, lost the hotel to his brother in law in a poker game in 1888.
The Most Interesting Man in the World: They say this lovely Texas landmark is haunted. Me? I don’t believe in ghosts, and I had a lengthy debate about this very topic with a rather opaque visitor one autumn night in room 319.