Texas Trip

This is one of three Austin recap posts. Find more Austin trip ideas here and my Austin style here.

As you might have seen, I recently traveled to Austin, Texas, for the first time. (I’ve only mentioned it in oh, about five other blogs posts already.) I loved, loved, loved my time there and not just because I escaped cold Chicago. There were so many things to do in Austin, places to eat and options for where stay. My boyfriend and I really had a great time with all of our choices, and I wanted to share our experience with you in case you’re planning an upcoming trip South. Keep reading for recommendations on where to stay and eat, and visit tomorrow for a list of things to do in Austin.

Steve chose our hotel room using the Hotwire.com Name Your Own Price tool. He knew which area we’d like to stay in (downtown), and we lucked out when the site reserved the W Austin for us. From the second we walked in all of the bright room accents and hotel amenities made us really feel like we were getting away for a few days. The best part was that the hotel also has permanent residents, so many of its amenities are nicer than the average hotel.

In the mornings Steve and I enjoyed going to the hotel gym, which had every piece of workout equipment you could want. Afterward, Steve liked using the steam room in the adjacent spa area.

Although it was still too chilly to swim, the hotel’s pool area was the perfect place to relax in the sun during the day. At night, we took advantage of the hotel happy hour and either brought drinks to our room while we got ready or sat in the bar lounge and people watched. From top to bottom the hotel felt luxurious and trendy, and I’d love to return on my next trip!

OK, here’s the big draw for Austin. It has some of the top barbecue in the nation and the taco joints there are out of this world! I have to thank my colleague, who recently moved to Chicago from Austin, for most of this list. He didn’t steer us wrong with his suggestions, which I’m including below as well as notes about my personal experiences at the restaurants.

Franklin’s Barbecue

Our Favorite Restaurants

• Franklin’s Barbecue – Perhaps the most famous of all Austin barbecue, with a three-hour line on the weekends and long waits on weekdays, too. Steve and I lucked out by going around 2:30 (just before “close”). There was a short line and we were the last customers served. Although they said they were running out of food, as you can tell in the photo above, we had plenty!
• Lambert’s – My boyfriend and I went here for more upscale barbecue and a date night feel. When we got there around 9:30 we were seated immediately. We loved the food, and I’d highly suggest saving room for the s’more bread pudding.

Barbecue Outside of Town

• The Salt Lick in Driftwood – This could be a fun little road trip, it’s about 40 minutes outside of town but in the beautiful Hill Country. They have their own vineyard and there are several others in the area so you could combine bbq, wine, and hill country vistas. Salt Link also has a restaurant in the airport, if you’re dying to try some before you leave.

East Austin Trailers

• Micklethwait Craft Meats – A favorite brisket in town, get there early (before noon) if you want the best selection of meats, including craft sausages.
• Kerlin BBQ – Go early for BBQ kolaches (Czech-Texan stuffed bread). Funny hours, so call ahead to be sure.
• La Barbecue – Can have long lines, and is known for a sandwich with brisket, pulled pork, and sausage on it.

Annie’s Cafe, perfect for a casual breakfast or lunch

Romantic Restaurants (Reservations Suggested)

• Olamaie – Down-home Southern cottage cooking, good food and super cute.
• Lenoir – Tiny spot, fancier, romantic atmosphere.
• Geraldine’s – Part of the new Hotel Van Zandt on very cool Rainey Street (more about that tomorrow).
• Condesa – Fancy authentic Mexican food and drinks and a local favorite.
• Uchi – Modern Japanese and considered the best restaurant in Austin.

Taco and Tex-Mex

• Curra’s – Get the avocado margaritas.
• Torchy’s – A slightly upscale fast food taco place, it’s like Panera for tacos. Recommended by many.
• Chuy’s (Barton Springs Road) – Chips and salsa and “creamy jalapeno” dip are the best part, as well as the margaritas and enchiladas, of course. (Fun fact: this is where Jenna Bush once got busted for underage drinking.)
• El Naranjo – Great little place on Rainey Street for fancier fare.
• Matt’s El Rancho – Classic Austin Tex-Mex, order the “Bob Armstrong” queso.