Austin, Texas, Restaurants and Things to do while there.
 

My daughter and her husband will be at The Omni Hotel in Austin, Texas next week. Does anyone have some suggestions for good restaurants in the area and also suggestions for things that they might enjoy seeing while there. I keyed in Austin on the forum and the restaurant , Andiamo was mentioned , but no address was given. Is this in the area around the Omni?

Well, I can't help you with restaurants since it's been a while since I've been there and my sis and I are travelers who eat on the go, but I can recommend some sites to see.

Not sure if it's the season for them, but at dusk, check out the Congress Ave bridge, were thousands of bats come out to eat. It's really a site!

The tour of the capitol building is very cool, too. My sis and I really enjoyed it (and we're not big Bush people, lol)!

Austin is said to be the live music capital of the world. Your daughter and her hubby should have no problem finding a great place for music no matter what their tastes are or what day of the week it is.

Tell them have fun!!!

Oh, there is also a natural spring that stays at a constant 68 degrees, I believe. I can't remember the name of it, Barton something maybe? You can swim in it. In any case, it's a nice relaxing time if the weather is nice.

I like La Travita on Congress St. It's close to the Omni. Check out www.austin360.com. For restaurant reviews click on Restaurants and then Dale Rice Reviews (under "more reviews"). There are tons of great restaurants close to their hotel. For very casual but great BBQ I love Ironworks on Red River. Yummy!

Thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate the suggestions.

Sabrina, what kind of food do you like to eat? We've got it all. To my out-of-town visitors, I'll always take them to BBQ. Tex-Mex is real popular as well. Plus we've got those fancy places. Depends on what you want.

Congress Street Bridge is where you'll find the bats -- not thousands but a million or so. Pretty awesome, each night at dusk.

Other sights -- again, depending on your preferences -- there's the LBJ Library, Texas History Museum, toobing on the lakes, boating, wildflower trips, and of course 6th Street at night.

Welcome to Central Texas! Yee-haw!

Is it the Omni Downtown, or the Omni Southpark (a few miles south of downtown)?

Andiamo is at 2521 Rutland Drive in north Austin, which isn't very close to either Omni (closer to the downtown one). Based on the reviews I've read, it's probably worth the drive.

The natural spring mentioned previously is Barton Springs. Zilker Park is a beautiful park that might be worth a visit--lots of jogging and cycling around there, if either or both of them like to do that.

I've heard the bluebonnets have peaked, but maybe there'll still be some to look at. The Indian paintbrush and other wildflowers might still be in full bloom. If they've got the time and any flowers are still in bloom, a drive toward Fredericksburg is pretty scenic (and Fredericksburg is a great town).

Austin's a great place, and they'll have a wonderful time.

Thanks for the suggestions for Austin. Is Andiamo worth taking a taxi , as they will not have a car and they will be at the downtown Omni?
They are not big barbecue fans , but they like Italian food, french and they both enjoy good Mexican food.

My favorites within walking distance from the Omni are:

Z-Tejas - about a 10-15min walk West on 6th St. with fantastic Tex/SW food

& several restaurants in the Warehouse district (Colorado St betw 3rd & 4th)

By taxi, I think Vespaio (South Congress, ~1mile south of the river) is better than Andiamo, but both are really good.

My other close in choice by taxi would be Chuy's for TexMex. Looks like an old fashioned diner - definitely nothing fancy but great food. It can get busy, but a table for 2 shoulnd't be too long a wait (call first to check).

Big second rec for Vespaio on S Congress, but no res after 7:00 PM. The Venato Ripassa is a great IT red wine.
Jeffrey's is VG too: had Chilean Sea Bass and a VG SP Albarino white wine there on 9/11.
I'll be in Austin this w/e for a baptism and next w/e on my way to MX - will try to get to Andiamo and/or ...
M

>>The tour of the capitol building is very cool, too. My sis and I really enjoyed it (and we're not big Bush people, lol)!<<

Maybe this was only big news in Texas, but GW Bush isn't our governor anymore. I heard that he found another job somewhere. ;-)

The spring that stays 68 degrees year round is called Barton Springs. It is indeed a great place for swimming, once you get past the initial chill.

One of the most popular activities in downtown Austin is the Town Lake hike & bike trail. You can walk there from the Omni (there are also some free shuttle buses that loop around Austin called 'Dillos that you may be able to catch - some other poster many know more about the routes they take).

On a sunny, warm (every day) afternoon the h/b trail is a fun place to people watch or get some fresh air yourself.

West of the Omni on 6th st (on the way to Z-Tejas) is the new flagship Whole Foods store. (Corp HQ). It opened up about a month ago to great fanfare. Some people suggest you can nibble your way to a full meal around the store - not sure if they're still offering as many samples today.

Concerning Barton Springs. On a hot Austin day this is a great place to cool down. Let me quantify. Hot means mid 90's and cool down means to a tepid 68 degrees (the water temp year round). If you've never swum in a naturally fed spring with crystal clear water it's great, but it's not a hot spring.

Too bad they're not BBQ fans. Asking about BBQ recommendations is a surefire way to bring all the folks out of the woodwork with their recommendations.
Enjoy Austin.

Believe me, before I moved here I didn't like BBQ at all. Texas BBQ is nothing like any BBQ I've had before. It's not very sweet or saucy and I am now a big BBQ fan! Since they like Mexican they are in for a big treat in Austin. I can't wait to try Z-Tejas which is really close to Whole Foods. As suggested, they really shouldn't miss the new Whole Foods - it's unlike any grocery store I've ever seen! We ate Mexican at Guerra's on S. Congress and I've heard that Manuel's on Congress is good as well. Chuy's was great too. They'll have a great time.

The:

Austin Children's Museum
201 Colorado St
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 472-2499
Cross Street: W 2nd Street

is really nice.

If you want a really Romantic Sunday brunch try Green Pastures. It is a georgous plantation home with the best milk punch around.

Have a great time.

Ester's Follies on 6th Street is a real hoot for evening entertainment. There are shows Thursday through Saturday. Get reservations if you want to go because it's very popular.
www.esthersfollies.com

The Esther's Follies show has it's bad side. By the time you leave, your face will hurt, your sides will hurt, and yet you will still laugh for days when you think about that show. If you enjoy good political satire and you can handle the pain, then go for it.

Sabrina -

We just spent a long weekend on S Congress at the Austin Motel.

Breakfast/lunch at Las Mamitas on Congress north of the bridge a couple of blocks.

Breakfast/lunch at Jo's Coffee Shop on S Congress at the San Jose Hotel.

Mexican on S Congress - El Sol y La Luna (often packed, usually good). Guerro's Taco (better and good margueritas).

Amy's Ice Cream - one on S Congress, but a few other locations. Super premium icecream...better than Ben+Jerry. To me, it's a crime to mix-in, because the icecream is so superior.

Vespaio is a must for Italian - fresh pasta and they have their own garden.

Thanks to all of you for your excellent suggestions. My daughter had a great trip to Austin. She loved the city and the friendly, helpful people.
They really enjoyed the museum, they said the capitol was beautiful and they also enjoyed seeing the food market. They tried restaurants recommended and the food was very good

Thanks for the update, I'm glad she enjoyed her visit.