17 Best Restaurants in Austin, Texas

Reservations are essential at this intimate eatery (and can be made a month in advance), but there are also a limited number of communal tables available for walk-in patrons. The strictly seasonal, locally sourced daily specials blend the artistic style of Japanese sushi with the familiarity of Southern comfort food. Be sure to list any food allergies when reserving as dinner comes in the form of a fixed daily menu of chef-selected small plates ($105 per person). Chef/owner Bryce Gilmore delivers innovative dishes like duck-blood crepes with sweet chiles and pear-and-turnip soup with apple cider and chanterelles. Trust the servers for expert beer and wine pairings.

This beloved villa-style North Loop spot combines sophisticated ambience with a solid menu of authentic Mexican classics. Start with the ceviche Veracruzano (with chiles, onion, tomato, and spices), and continue with a multilayered dish like the ancho relleno San Miguel—a roasted pepper stuffed with chicken, capers, raisins, and cilantro cream—or try the pollo pibil, chicken baked in a banana leaf. Yes, it’s pricier than other Mexican hot spots, but the lovely, romantic atmosphere makes up for it. 

This North Austin sushi joint is the best place to find superior sashimi, sushi rolls, and Japanese cuisine without daunting prices. The izakaya-style menu (an homage to Japan’s casual pub-style eateries) offers a wide range of cold, fried, grilled, and rice dishes. Sit at the sushi bar to watch the experts at work, creating specialties like the crunchy dynamite roll (tuna, avocado, and crunchy tempura flakes), or grab a table to enjoy Japanese comfort food like yakitori skewers (beef tenderloin, chicken thigh, and chicken and taro croquettes), gyoza (pork dumplings), and ikayaki (grilled squid).

This approachable pizza place and brew pub is a great addition to the burgeoning Burnet Road food scene. The parking lot can fill up fast on weekends, but an award-winning selection of beers makes it easy to wait for signature house-made pies, like the Armadillo, with artisan sausage and poblano peppers, or the Shroomin' Goat, with local goat cheese and roasted mushrooms. 

Hyde Park's iconic neighborhood bakery has been a local staple for over 40 years, serving scratch-made breakfast pastries, cupcakes, cookies, and various seasonal and custom creations. The friendly vibe of the bustling coffee shop attracts a loyal tribe of locals, usually seen hanging out on the outdoor patio tables throughout the day, as well as streams of UT students, families, and fans of the house-made chai.

Austin’s ramen craze went into full swing a few years ago, and this happening spot was one of the city’s first (and favorite) establishments. Try the “Ol’ Skool,” a chicken-based shoyu ramen with a traditional array of toppings, like aijitama (marinated soft-boiled egg), and optional “flavor bombs” from creamed corn and butter to Thai chili and habanero pepper paste. All ramen varieties are massive, but a small-plate menu offers modest portions of Japanese comfort food, like the Katsu slider (a juicy deep-fried burger on a fluffy Hawaiian roll) and sweet-and-sour “yodas” (fried brussels sprouts with apricot vinegar and curry spice).  

Another rave-worthy hit from the team behind Ramen Tatsu-Ya, this modern take on traditional Japanese hot pot is Austin's long-awaited answer to a new-school shabu-shabu–style destination. The required meal here is in the name: thinly sliced meats and veggies designed for dipping shabu-style in various house-made broths and dips. A decadent omakase menu and sake pairings are also great for date nights.

This upscale, 47-seat North Loop gastropub was a trailblazer in the city's locavore and “nose-to-tail” movements. And it’s remained a reliably inventive spot that keeps loyal patrons on their toes with seasonal (and daily rotating) creations, from fried pig ears and shishito peppers to fresh market fish artfully accented with squid ink and foamed butter. F&D's menu isn't tailored to finicky eaters, but this is the place to be for adventurous foodies. The restaurant now offers a decadent Sunday brunch with standouts like a cast-iron frittata with seasonal vegetables.

With a classic but eclectic menu focusing on comfort foods, this welcoming neighborhood hangout has kept the locals coming in since 1982. Both the original on Duval Street and the newer south Austin location decorate with pleasant, colorful paintings (for sale) by local artists, and maintain an easygoing atmosphere for both the shorts-and-T-shirt crowd and the dressier, special-occasion fraction. The variations on simple fare run from black-bean veggie burgers and chicken-fried steaks to fresh seafood. Weekend brunch and lunch hours are busiest—look for the hungry crowd milling around the fork-in-the-road sculpture staked in the front parking lot.

This local favorite combines the founder's El Paso and Jewish roots to create some of the best flat-top burgers, "border-style" burritos, and homemade potato latkes in town. Highlights include "the Goyim" burger (a JewBoy patty with grilled pastrami, bacon, Swiss, pickles, and mustard) and the "Que Pasa" carne asada burrito with marinated rib eye and grilled onions and poblanos. Save room for fried sides like green chili and cheddar potato latkes and their classic tots. 

On the glamorous grounds of the Commodore Perry Estate, this chic garden restaurant seems far removed from the casual daily aesthetic of Austin. The hotel's Italianate mansion lends to the restaurant's Jazz Age vibes, with opulent, floral decor and a decadent menu of Texas heritage cuisine to match. The atmosphere of an exclusive soiree hangs over the artful presentations of signatures like barbecue scallops and Delta Blues rice with halibut and smoked trout roe.

Houston restaurateur (and cofounder of the Carrabba’s restaurant chain) Damian Mandola brought his "neighborhood grocery store" and Italian ristorante to The Triangle apartment and retail complex, just north of the UT campus, and the cafeteria-style café has become a favorite for families and hungry college students looking to carbo-load on a budget. Hearty portions of southern Italian specialties, from pizza to daily-rotating raviolis, hit the spot at the right price. Fresh artisanal bread, various antipasti, and seasonal cheeses are available for grab-and-go diners in the deli-style market. Homemade gelato in flavors like pineapple and pumpkin is popular among the dessert options.

Hyde Park's best date-night destination might just be this neighborhood seafood restaurant and raw bar. Chef Shane Stark opened Mongers in 2015 (in the former home of wine bar Vino Vino), and it's developed a reputation for some of the freshest and best seafood in a town that doesn't necessarily have a coastal reputation. Don't miss out on the fully loaded lobster roll or Gulf red snapper. Even straightforward classics like fish-and-chips pack a punch. 

Whether you're grabbing a cocktail at the bar, sharing a few appetizers with friends on the treehouse-like outdoor patio, or settling in to one of the elegant-yet-cozy booths for a romantic dinner with your honey, this Bryker Woods locale in northwest Austin serves up a satisfying lineup of fresh, Italian-inspired fare. Top picks from the popular picolo piatti (small plates) menu include scallop crudo with butternut squash and thinly sliced zucchini involtini wrapped around a decadent mushroom filling. 

Serving the landlocked city's freshest seafood (fresh off the plane, if not the boat), this combination seafood market and casual eatery traces its history back to 1938 and has been at its Airport Boulevard address—amidst one of Austin’s major commercial arteries—since 1970. Prices are low, preparation is straightforward, and blackboard specials include regional and Cajun favorites like gumbo and bacon-wrapped scallops. The oyster bar serves up po'boys, steamed mussels, seafood tacos, and platters with catfish, cod, salmon, shrimp, or rainbow trout. A full lunch menu is offered, along with beer and wines by the glass.

Locals take their out-of-town guests to this legendary "real Texas food" locale. The original location opened on North Lamar in 1933 as a gas station that soon evolved into a honky-tonk that drew local musicians, including a pre-fame Janis Joplin in the early '60s. Today, live music is still a huge priority, but Threadgill's is now a friendly restaurant with cleaned-up Texas charm, and the main attraction is the massive chicken-fried steak, followed by homemade cobbler and ice cream. Some other mains may fall flat, though veggie sides are satisfying. There's a breakfast buffet on Sunday from 10–1. The atmosphere is a bit hokey, but Threadgill's has earned it.

This spot might have started out as the "little brother” of chef Tyson Cole’s now famed Uchi restaurant, but the contemporary Japanese fusion eatery has become a standard in its own right. Led by the James Beard Award–winning Cole, Uchiko impresses with dishes like Jar Jar Duck, served in a mason jar and opened tableside to release a rosemary-smoke fog that reveals confit and smoked duck amid cracklings, kumquats, and pickled endives. The shareable small plates make for a delightfully playful experience, especially when left up to the experts with the daily omakase (“I trust the chef") menu.