you’re in austin, now what?
For those of you coming in from out-of-state and may be using this as an excuse to come to Texas when you might not otherwise have, here are some of our favorite places to eat and things to do in and around Austin.
restaraunts
El Chile
2209 Manor Rd., Austin, TX 78722, 512.457.9900
Probably our favorite restaraunt in Austin. The food is what we refer to as "Gourmet Tex-Mex" if such a thing exists. Excellent Carne Asada, Cheese Enchiladas and Chipotle Salsa for the complimentary tortilla chips.
Magnolia Cafe
1920 S. Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78704, 512.445.0000
An Austin icon, Magnolia cafe proclaims they’re open 24 hours a day, eight days a week. Virtually unrivaled breakfast menu that also happens to include really great sandwiches, quesadillas, burgers and salads. There is also a second location on Lake Austin Blvd. just east of MoPac.
Threadgills "World Headquarters"
301 West Riverside Drive, Austin, Texas 78704, 512.472.9304
Just around the corner from our old apartment/condo, Threadgills is home to the only real threat to our relationship, the Scalloped Potatoes. Also home to an excellent traditional Texas entree, the Chicken Fried Steak.
Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill
303 Red River St., Austin, Texas 78701, 512.236.9599
Just really good "Comfort Food" in a fancy romantic setting. Excellent appetizers (particularly the beer battered asparagus) and desserts. Don't leave without at least getting the Green Chile Mac & Cheese as a side.
Torchy’s Tacos
511 East Sixth St., Austin, Texas 78701, 512.474.7000
The Taco place full of not so subtle innuendo. This particular location is right across the street from Matt’s office and has become a lunchtime staple. The Green Chile Pork taco is amazing, as is the Fried Baja Shrimp Taco.
Hudson’s on the Bend
3509 Ranch Rd. 620 N., Austin, Texas 78734, 512.266.1369
We’ve only eaten here once, because frankly we can't afford it (Matt’s coworker Dave designed the site so we had an office Christmas dinner there). If you'd like a truly unique dining experience and money is no object look no further. It is a bit off the beaten path in far Northwest Austin, but the ever changing menu that includes wild and exotic game is absolutely worth it.
things to do/see
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
Four Austin area locations.
If we’re not home on a Friday or Saturday night, more often than not we’re seeing something at one of the Alamo’s four locations. The Alamo takes the hassle out of trying to do dinner and movie by rolling it all into one trip. Write your order down (whether for food or adult beverages) and the wait staff brings it to you while you watch. Sounds strange at first but makes sense once you try it once. We've gone to the Alamo so much our checking account software keeps trying to set it up as a recurring transaction.
Congress Avenue Bridge Bat Watching
Congress Avenue Bridge, Downtown Austin, Texas 78701
The Congress Avenue Bridge is home to the largest urban bat colony in North American. Approximately 1.5 million bats live under the bridge, and on a nightly basis hundreds of thousands take flight for nightly feeding around sun down. Prime viewing season is between July and August, but June should still provide an excellent opportunity for those interested.
Gruene Hall
Gruene, Texas
Between San Marcos and New Braunfels, we don’t exactly frequent Gruene Hall, but that doesn’t mean it is kind of a cool place to visit. "The Oldest Dancehall in Texas" is a great place to catch some good Texas Music (for instance Jerry Jeff Walker is playing the night before the wedding). Also, as a side bit of of trivia, Gruene Hall was a prominent location in the movie Michael starring everyone’s second favorite scientologist John Travolta.
The Comal River
New Braunfels, Texas 78131
There are few things more relaxing than floating down the Comal River, except maybe on weekends when it is congested with fraternities from Texas State. Rent a tube, maybe bring a six-pack and relax as you lazily float for two to three hours without a care in the world. Flows past the Travel Channel’s "Best Water Park in the World", Schlitterbahn. New Braunfels is a short hour or so drive from downtown Austin.