Downtown Austin is a historic space where locals and tourists flock for live music, art, entertainment, shopping, and of course, incredible food and delicious cocktails. There are tons of restaurants in downtown that put an emphasis on using locally sourced ingredients, not to mention craft beer breweries serving up cold pints you won’t find outside of the city.
With so many unique establishments to choose from, you’re probably wondering which are the best restaurants in downtown Austin.
This is our top 10 list of the best downtown Austin restaurants:
1. Red Ash Italia 🥩
Red Ash Italia is an event in its own right — meaning you’ll want to call ahead and make reservations far in advance. Red Ash Italia is famous for its steak menu, which is made up of 50-day dry-aged porterhouse steaks and larger-than-live NY strip steaks. But that’s not all, as it’s a steak house first and a fine dining Italian eatery second, so you’ll find plenty of reimagined past dishes and other classic Italian fare.
Address: Colorado Tower, 303 Colorado St #200, Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 379-2906
2. Taquero Mucho 🌮
Taquero Mucho is often described as a “cutesy” taqueria — which it is, thanks to its very pink decor and its bright pink neon sign that’s strategically placed along West 6th Street. Gimmicks aside, this place is 100% a real taqueria that doesn’t take itself too seriously. However, as a modern Mexican restaurant, the food served here is very serious. The stretchiness of the queso flameado proves this, as do the smothered enchiladas and selection of frozen cocktails.
Address: 11101 Burnet Rd Suite #A-170, Austin, TX 78758
Phone: (512) 401-3504
3. Swift’s Attic 🍸
Swift’s Attic is a historic space hot spot serving up a farm-to-table menu alongside craft cocktails. Located just above the historic Elephant Room on Congress Ave, Swift’s Attic is the perfect place for a night out on the town. Expect small plates, fun specials, and a great happy hour. You can also expect it to be busy most nights, so you’ll want to reserve a table ahead of time if you can.
Address: 315 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 482-8842
4. Walton’s Fancy & Staple 🥪
Walton’s Fancy & Staple is a brick-walled, gourmet bakery, deli, and flower shop. This place is very well known for its stacked sandwiches and breakfast dishes as well as its cakes — all of which can be eaten there or taken to go. They also have a special selection of high-end gifts (in addition to flowers) if you’re looking to do some shopping before or after lunch.
Address: 609 W 6th St, Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 542-3380
5. Hestia 🍷
Hestia is an industrial, fine-dining establishment that knows exactly how to pair fresh, locally sourced ingredients with one of the best wine lists around. Everything here is prepared over a live hearth fire and chef-inspired. You’ll find an eclectic menu here that includes anything and everything that can be fire-grilled in addition to small plates for sharing. It’s the perfect place for a special occasion.
Address: 607 W 3rd St #105, Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 333-0737
6. Casino El Camino 🍔
In the mood for juicy burgers? Hot dogs? Crispy buffalo wings? Casino El Camino is where you’ll want to make a pit stop. We should probably also mention that the burgers here are some of the absolute best —and biggest — you can find in downtown Austin, and you can enjoy those burgers in the dark-lit bar area or on the small outdoor patio that resembles that of a tropical resort. (There’s even a colorful Aztec mural out there). Between the ambiance, cold pints, and food, you won’t be disappointed.
Address: 517 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 469-9330
7. Texas Chili Parlor 🌶️
The Texas Chili Parlor is the only spot in downtown Austin where you can an enormous scoop of Texas-style chili atop your enchiladas and other meals. The eatery/dive bar has been in business since the 1970s, which makes it uniquely essential to the community’s history. You’ll feel like you’re walking into a cave, as the establishment is dimly lit, but that’s just part of the appeal — and so are their potent Mad Dog Margaritas.
Address: 1409 Lavaca St, Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 472-2828
8. Lamberts Downtown Barbecue 🍗
Barbeque is considered a “daytime” event in Austin, which is why you’ll see the best spots throughout the city hanging “sold-out signs” after the lunch rush. That’s where Lamberts Downtown Barbecue comes into play. Lamberts is a “fancy” barbecue establishment, serving up specialty menu items like wild boar ribs coated in honey and sambal and juniper and black peppered lamb ribs. They serve up traditional barbecue plates, too, and in addition to cocktails, beer, and wine, they have a very extensive whiskey list to pair with each plate. Just keep in mind that this is a more upscale barbecue joint, so you’ll want to dress accordingly and expect to spend a bit more.
Address: 401 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 494-1500
9. Moonshine Grill 🌭
Moonshine Grill is the perfect place when you’re craving Texas-style Southern comfort food in downtown Austin. The patio bar and grill offers a menu full of all the home-cooked specialties from mac n cheese to fried chicken and waffles. The most popular times to grab a bite to eat here are dinner and weekend brunch, and most people like to pair their food with the establishment’s famous Good Hearted Old Fashioned cocktail.
Address: 303 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 236-9599
10. 24 Diner 🥞
No food list would be complete without a go-to breakfast spot, and the 24 Diner is the place to go for all the breakfast essentials any time of the day. Of course, it’s not just your regular diner food, despite being a diner and looking like a diner, as the 24-hour eatery is stacked with a chef-driven menu full of comfort food. In addition to local organic foods, you’ll find a full bar and a surprising beer and wine list to go with your pancakes — and all at an affordable price!
Address: 600 Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78703
Phone: (512) 472-5400
One of the only ways to experience the city is by eating your way through all of the incredible downtown Austin restaurants, and there’s no better time to do that than the present. While you worry about where you and your family are going to eat in downtown Austin, the roofing team at Kingfisher Roofing will worry about your roofing problems.
Get in touch with us today to schedule your roofing service and more.
