Austin, Texas City Guide
I went to Austin for the first time ever a couple of weeks ago! Before you ask, it actually wasn't for a festival or a show. I went just to go and explore... weird, right?
My friend Karlee was in Dallas for work, rented a car and picked me up from the Austin airport on a Wednesday afternoon. We were in town for four days and I was determined to make the most of it. Thankfully, some really rad friends steered us in the right direction of good grub and fun activities.
I've rounded up links to everything we did just in case you find them fun, too!
THINGS TO DO:
Stay at the Austin Motel | South Congress
The location of the Austin Motel was perfect for us. So many walkable restaurants, bars and vintage stores! Oh and having Jo's coffee just around the corner really helped with my breakfast taco cravings each morning.
Watch the bats at Congress Bridge | South Congress
Every night at sunset, around 1 million bats fly out from under the Congress Bridge. The way the bridge is built makes it the perfect condition for these bats to inhabit, and at sunset they come out to play. We found that they came out more from the South Congress side of the bridge than the side close to downtown.
Hamilton Pool Reserve | Dripping Springs
You need a reservation to go to the Hamilton Pool Reserve. You make the reservation online for $11, and day-of bring $15 cash to park and have your reservation number ready for the attendant. Trust me the planning on this one is worth it to swim in a grotto with catfish, watch the water drip from the stalactites and see the birds fly in and out of their cave nests.
See Ellsworth Kelly's Chapel at the Blanton Museum | University of Texas Campus
Free admission on Thursdays! All other days (except closed on Monday) is $9 for the chapel and whole museum. Ellsworth Kelly's Chapel was a must-see for me while in Austin. The size of the work, amount of time that went into the planning of the project (3 decades!), the fact that Kelly was an athiest and the completion of it just before his death in 2015 making it his final work all are factors that make this work of art so compelling.
Rent Electric Bikes from Pedego | South Congress(ish)
We took a 2 hour bike ride around Lady Bird Lake (AKA the Colorado River), and enjoyed the sunshine. Once I got the hang of the electric bike it was smooth sailing from there.
Walk Through the Capitol Building | Downtown Austin
You can either take a tour or do a self-guided one. We did a quick walk through, and the architecture of the building is pretty phenomenal.
Barton Springs Municipal Pool | Zilker Park
Go swimming with the salamanders at Barton Springs! $8 cash entry per person. No food or drink allowed (other than water). Get there early to avoid standing in line! (We went around 9am). Watching the divers was possibly my favorite part of the trip. Friends would line up and watch as divers would flop extremely hard or do an impressive dive. Super entertaining either way.
Drive Around a Bit and Explore! | Anywhere
We saw tons of great art just driving around in the car on the way to and from activities. Bring a camera and have some fun!
BARS:
The Continental Club | South Congress
Bar/music venue. The Continental Club was right across the street from The Austin Motel where we were staying, so we caught some tunes our first night in seeing The South Austin Moonlighters.
Stay Gold | Holly
Margaritas and frosé. What more do you need? A giant outdoor patio? You've got it. Giant fans to beat the heat? You've got it! An indoor stage for live bands? You guessed it, you've got it! Bonus: great signage outside.
Weather Up | Holly
From the outside, it looks like you're walking into someone's house. There's even a big backyard to go along with it. We sat at a wobbly table inside, and were served by a man who looked like Matthew Gray Gubler. Who, when asked to describe the taste of yellow chartreuse could only compare it in a poetic way, expressing that it tasted like "the side of a mountain". It tasted like Gatorade.
Whisler's | Holly
A very eclectic mix of shabby chic, industrial and "hunter" style. Whisler's has a long, bustling bar top that extends through almost the entire interior of the bar. I was drinking an old fashioned when I took a photo of said bar and accidentally let my flash go off leaving everybody a bit blind. Oops.
Kitty Cohen's | Holly
Kitty Cohen's has a large outdoor patio space that surrounds a small pool in the center. They served a mean Singapore sling here. Best drink of the night!
Spiderhouse | North University
A cafe/bar/ballroom. Karlee and I grabbed a beer on the outdoor patio that's surrounded by loads of old signage (which is 100% my jam). Once it started to rain, we retreated to the covered cafe section which was still just as cool an environment.
Midnight Cowboy | Downtown Austin
A speakeasy bar housed in a former brothel. You have to make a reservation before stopping by, and you'll be assigned a "buzzer name" to buzz once you arrive. We were greeted by a very enthusiastic server who helped us refine our drink choices based on our taste. I got a tiki drink that came lit on fire while our server sprinkled cinnamon on top of it making it spark and eventually clapped out the flame. Drinks and a show.
The Redheaded Stepchild | Downtown Austin
Fronted by a "floppy disk repair" sign, "The Readheaded Stepchild" is another speakeasy bar that's just around the corner from Midnight Cowboy. The only reason we discovered it is when we were in our Lyft, I was taken aback by the sign that read "floppy disk repair". Our driver overheard my confusion and chimed in, letting us know sometimes there's a code, sometimes there's a doorman, but it's usually hard to get in. We sort of just stood outside until someone left, and I grabbed the door before it shut. Reflexes! We then sat on swing seats at the bar while enjoying our drinks.
Las Perlas Mezcaleria | Downtown Austin
Huge selection of tequila and mezcal. I was brave and mixed a Paloma with all of the whiskey I'd been having that night and I survived!
Half Step | Rainey Street
A nice, southern homestyle bar equipped with a large front yard and deck/patio to sip your drinks. This bar seemed the least "college-y" out of anything else we were seeing on Rainey Street. Which turned out to be just way too much of a college scene for us to explore more bars after this stop.
Hotel Saint Cecilia | South Congress
There's just something nice about hotel bars sometimes. Especially ones with delicious drinks (even if they are $20. You're on vacation, right?). Hotel Saint Cecilia is sort of hidden down a side street in the South Congress area. I got major Chateau Marmont vibes from their little sign outside and just the hotel in general, actually. We walked back to their little bar area, enjoyed the nice night and took a peek at their pool area with a great big neon sign reflecting over the pool that reads "SOUL".
Hotel San Jose | South Congress
We ended up at the Hotel San Jose for a nightcap on our final night. A cozy little outdoor area next to the pool home to a southern-Spanish-Anthropologie-style aesthetic.
COFFEE:
Epoch Coffee | North Loop
Never say no to coffee and pastries. This was a perfect coffee stop-off after vintage shopping in North Loop.
Jo's Hot Coffee Good Food | South Congress
Get a breakfast taco and take a photo in front of the "I Love You So Much" mural. Oh and grab some coffee, too. Pet a dog while you're at it. There seemed to always be a minimum of 3 in line.
Mazama Coffee Co | Dripping Springs
Great for a post-Hamilton-Pool-dip.
FOOD:
Sala & Betty | New American Food | North Loop
Good for a quick meal: they even have a drive-thru!
Elizabeth Street Cafe | Vietnamese Food | South Congress
Yes I got pho even though it was 90 degrees outside... and it was delicious! No regrets! Their branding gets an A+ from the interior/exterior design of the restaurant to the menus and all the way down to the neon pink straws their cocktails are served with. A very non-traditional-"Austin"-spot, but I definitely recommend checking it out.
Rolling in Thyme & Dough | Sandwiches | Dripping Springs
I got the turkey in thyme sandwich and it was honestly one of the best sandwiches I've had. I'm not sure if the pre-lunch Hamilton Pool swim attributed to this or not, but either way I was happy. They also bake cakes and pies in-house and all of them looked so good! But I was too full to even attempt to eat a slice.
Launderette | American/Comfort Food | Holly
Super cute interior. Good food but smaller portions. Maybe grab a snacky bit to share while you're here, too.
Magnolia Cafe | Diner | South Congress
Open 24/7. We went for breakfast and diner food was exactly what my hangover ordered!
Guero's Tacos | Mexican | South Congress
Save your money on the house margaritas here (maybe it was a sub-par day?), but order ALL THE TACOS! I got two of the a la carte spicy tacos. The "El Jefe" was my favorite!
Stubb's BBQ | BBQ | Downtown Austin
Try to come here the night of a show! I gawked over all of the gig posters they had framed on the walls from past shows: Spoon!? Wilco!? My Morning Jacket!? Wish I could've seen those acts in an intimate venue like Stubb's. Oh and food. Get the BBQ, obviously. But the mac n cheese is basically just Velveeta.
Torchy's Tacos | Mexican | South Congress
Damn good tacos.
VINTAGE STORES:
Ermine Vintage | North Loop
Good for vintage clothing, accessories and shoes.
Revival Vintage | North Loop
Great for larger scale furniture and homeware items. Has a vintage clothing section in the back that's color coordinated! I snagged a set of four, tall saguaro cups here and they will be the only thing I'm drinking out of all summer!
Room Service Vintage | North Loop
Loads of great barware and tchotchkes galore! Plus a decent selection of jewelry and clothing. I saw a pitcher with ballpark style text that read "Suds", and you know I lugged that big hunk of glass all the way back to LA.
Austin Antique Mall | North Shoal Creek
30,000 square feet of sweet, sweet vintage. Austin's largest antique store that really has a bit of everything. We made sure to do this one on a day we had a rental car since it's a bit further north than Austin. Everything in North Loop was on the way because I'm a planner!
Flashback Vintage | South Congress
Hallelujah! They have a plus-size-friendly rack! Multiple rooms of vintage-goodness sprinkled in with a home goods mainly in the form of kitchen accessories. Fun jewelry, a good sized shoe selection and lots and lots of clothes.
Passport Vintage | South Congress
The front room is mostly denim, but as you work your way back there are more of your standard vintage clothing goods. Go in the dressing room here! Trust me. It's a bathroom turned greenhouse with an iridescent mirror to make your vintage going experience all the more magical.
I Luv Vintage | North University
Wide variety of vintage clothing from multiple vendors in the shop. Dig for gold here. And grab a beer at Spiderhouse afterwards to celebrate a job well done.
Feather's Vintage | South Congress
Clothes. Clothes. Clothes. On the pricier side, but good pickin's.
Prototype Vintage | South Congress
Hidden gems live here. Heaps of vintage clothing, shoes, hats and accessories. I found a denim maxi dress that fits my 5'3" body perfectly. If that isn't heaven-sent I don't know what is.
Charm School Vintage | Central East Austin
Vintage clothing, purses, shoes and accessories.
Thanks for reading. Let me know if you use any of these tips for your Austin trip, or have any fun spots to add!
All photos were shot on my Polaroid I-Type Camera.
