DH and I will be in Austin, TX in early September. I have been reading old posts on the forum, but welcome additional suggestions. We will be staying at the Embassy Suites Downtown/Town Lake. DH is attending a conference on Thurs-Fri, and we are staying on over the weekend.

DH is resisting getting a rental car. I think there are enough things within walking distance of the hotel to keep me busy during his conference, but suspect we'll want to venture out further over the weekend. Plus, he gets corporate rates with National and his company will pay for for the first two days. He doesn't like city driving, but I do all the driving anyways, and have handled places like DC, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, etc. just fine! (Ok, I do fine, but usually end up telling him to recline the passenger seat and close his eyes because he gets so jumpy!) So, give me some ammo for getting a car!

Would love some restaurant suggestions, price range $30pp and under. DH loves diner type places (read where the locals really eat) and anything spicy-really, really spicy. I like more upscale, with emphasis on fresh ingredients, especially open air, cafe type places. Also, are there any local specialties we shouldn't miss?

I don't mind a little bit of shopping, but DH deplores it, unless you can reccomend some good thrift shops, older style flea markets, or farmers markets. We both love outdoor areas (state parks, zoos, caverns, etc.) and being near the water. He is a avid fisherman, and would love to watch some of the locals in action, even if he doesn't end up fishing himself.

Thanks for any advice you can give me!

I love Austin!! If the bats are still in town, you should check them out--you can take a boat ride and sit under the bridge or just get a seat along the river or at a local hotel outdoor bar.

I never thought traffic in Austin was like big city traffic. If you have a car you can go to the Broken Spoke and have BBQ and do a little dancing on Saturday night.

I love the Alamo draft house--where you can have drinks and dinner with your movie--one weekend in September they are showing A Streetcar named Desire and serving a New Orleans feast. I am not sure I would go there for just a regular movie while on a "vacation", but they have a lot of special movie events---like a Woody Allen retrospective. Last year I saw Little Children after a Q & A with Tom Perotta (wrote the book the movie is base on)--while enjoying an organic meal and good wine!

I like the shops and restaurants on South Congress. There is a newer Italian spot (across from the Hotel San Jose) two brothers from Chicago opened on S. Congress--great food and martinis. Check out Gueros Taco Bar. and for breakfast El Sol y la Luna. There are vintage shops on South Congress (SoCo)--just put South Congress Austin in your search engine. Mi Casa Gallery has excellent ceramics. I always stay at the Hotel San Jose and love it!

Have fun!

For sure you need to rent a car. Driving is Austin is easy. There are lots on one-way streets and dead ends near the University and the capitol, but other than those inconveniences, driving is not a problem. Not having a car is what would be a problem!

If you are there the weekend of 9/13 or 9/20, UT has home football games, which will definitely affect traffic and crowds at restaurants.

One of my favorite restaurants is Vespaio on South Congress http://www.austinvespaio.com/ It gets really crowded, but is really really good.

If you like to run or walk, the trail around Town Lake is great--just walk out your hotel door--and you can easily spend an hour or two there.

On West Sixth Street (west of the "Sixth Street" entertainment district) there are good restaurants, such as Sweetish Hill for breakfast or lunch http://www.sweetishhill.com/. Z Tejas is pretty good, too. There are also antique shops, galleries, gift shops, etc.

The Hula Hut http://www.hulahut.com/ on the lake is very popular. The food is okay--not great--but it is a fun place to hang out. It will be very crowded if there is a game that weekend.

I like the South Congress Cafe, and SoCo in general. Over on South Lamar, you have Maria's Taco X press and Artz Rib House. Kerbey Lane is a small chain that has healthy diner style food, which sounds weird but is good. I also like Z-Tejas which will satisfy your upscale, but is still affordable southwest cuisine. You are walking distance to see the bats. Also, check out Zilker Park and Barton Springs.

rascat,
All the posts here are good thoughts for your Austin visit. http://www.austin360.com/ provides up to date information on events in Austin and is a good site for finding restaurants, art, music, etc.

Austin traffic is only heavy during the morning and evening rush hours and you won't regret having a car. There are beautiful lakes and Zilker Park has a sculpture garden, botanical garden and spring fed swimming pool, Barton Springs,close to your downtown location.

You might check out Threadgills for diner food, Hyde Park Grill is a neighborhood place, Eastside Cafe grows herbs and veggies in an on-site garden, Mirabelle has a great moderately priced wine list and consistently good food, Huts is locally acclaimed for burgers. Central Market and Whole Foods are Austin's best bets for your food market interests. Uchi is upscale and getting national attention among food critics. Check out Chowhound.com for their Austin recs that meet your specifications.

Keep Austin Wierd is the unofficial motto of my hometown. Have a great trip!
Saige

Thanks for the suggestions so far, everyone!

We did it! Your posts convinced DH we should rent a car, and now have a midsize vehicle reserved using his National corporate program.

DianeGermaine, I think I'll head to SoCo while he's attending his meetings. That way I can browse to my heart's content without him fidgeting and whining about leaving.

maryannTex, we will be there before 9/13, so it sounds like we will miss most of the UT traffic. Is the campus worth visiting? DH has a couple of advanced degrees, and I'm currently a student. We've found some interesting places on and around college campuses.

trippinkpj, I know we'll try to see the bats (always on the lookout for the local wildlife), and just the name "Artz Rib House" caught DH's eye! Z-Tejas sounds good for both of us.

Saige, I know we will be spending some time walking around the lake. We didn't get to pick the hotel, but are very pleased with the location. Eastside Cafe sounds perfect for me, and DH adores hamburgers, so Huts will make him happy, especially if they'll make his rare.

Thanks again for the advice. Haven't had a good travel fix for a couple of months, so I'm looking forward to this trip!

You can do without a car, but if you want to explore, definitely need one.

First, I have to disagree with the Threadgills suggestion. I've never had really good food there. There are dozens of better restaurants, IMHO. Smae for Hyde Park. But totally agree on East Side Cafe. I think they grow all their veggies there.

One of my favorite restaurants is Moonshine. If you can, hit the Sunday Brunch, or "Happy Hour" with half price appetizers and good drink prices. MCCormick and Schmik also has a great happy hour - $1.95 - $4.95 menu and great drinks. Their Fish Tacos are great, and a burger - for $1.95 can't be beat.

Vespaio is great too, but DH and I spent $150 last time we were there. OF course that included a bottle of wine. Still don't think you can get out of there for $30 pp. Mars is a good bet if you like spicy. Walk from Embassy Suites.

Alamo Draft House is a fave - Headed there in a few minutes actually - but their food isn't so great. Love their fried pickles, popcorn, and of course the beer and wine. Great place to see Mama Mia....

Breakfast - The Magnolia Cafe on S. Congress, Curras - anythime - and also South Congress Cafe - great brunch, or anytime.

Enjoy. If you do get a car and want to venture out, try the Salt Lick for some great BBQ.

Keep in mind that it's usually 100 degrees, so a car will be quite welcome. Our friends recently took a short trip there (from San Antonio) and tried to do the tourist thing but it was sweltering.

Sorry, I haven't read all of the posts but Barton Springs pool might be a nice respite.

You might really love the Whole Foods in Austin - it's huge, the food is very fresh and they have a terrific patio to picnic on. Really good freshly made breakfast burritos, build your own sandwiches, salads, etc.

We had pretty good Mexican food at Manuels, downtown on Congress Avenue - pretty light, not gloppy . . . http://www.manuels.com/

Hello rascat

Welcome to Austin! We're happy to have you

Lots of good stuff mentioned here, and especially good that you won't be here on a game weekend. It's crazy 'round here during those home games.

As you'll have a car now, you might want to check out the Oasis Restaurant on Lake Travis (www.oasis-austin.com). Perched directly on the cliff, with more decks that you can shake a stick at, it's Austin iconic. Food is so-so, but the views. Oh, the views, especially at sunset.

Hut's on 6th Street has great burgers (www.hutsfrankandangies.com) - all sorts of varieties, with cute names like Wolfman Jack and Big Bopper. Be sure to order the onion rings!

IMHO, Z-Tejas has the best margaritas in town.

How about some barbeque? So many choices, from Rudy's, Salt Lick (best out in Dripping Springs), County Line, and tons of smaller places like Jim Bob's, Iron Works, or Stubbs. Stubbs (www.stubbsaustin.com) has a great Sunday Brunch with Gospel music.

Scholz's (www.sholzgarten.com) - a HUGE hangout on gameday, absolutely packed with fans - try their schnitzel or pulled pork sandwiches. Live music too.

If you're looking for an outdoor activity, maybe a scenic drive, head to Hamilton Pool or Perdenales Falls State Park, heading towards Fredericksburg. Might not be much water in the falls this time of year, though.

If you go to Barton Springs, be sure to rent a canoe for a ride on the lake or a walk around Town Lake on the hike and bike trail.

Have fun!

Correction.

Make that www.scholzgarten.com.

Oh good grief.

www.scholzgarten.net

swisshiker - I read that the Salt Lick on 360 is closing. Never been.

Austin - I hadn't heard that it was closing. I was never impressed with the food quality there. It was more of a convenience than anything.

Did you notice that Chili's across 360 has closed? Have you heard what's going to replace it?

Thank you everyone. Getting lots of great suggestions, and really appreciate it!

Austin, talked to a friend this afternoon that went to school at UT, and he agrees we should run out to the Salt Lick.

Follow your bliss, same friend also mentioned Barton Springs, so placing it high on the list. Not really worried about the heat as we live on the Space Coast in Florida. Can't say I enjoy it, but haven't dissolved into a pool of sweat yet (just felt like it). Did seem kind of hot walking the Strip in LV last July, then found out the temp was 116 degrees! Still better than the darned humidity here

mp, I think I'll try your suggestion of Whole Foods for lunch during one of hubby's conference days. A nice little picnic on the patio sounds like something I'd enjoy!

swisshiker, the Oasis restaurant sounds interesting! Do you know if Hut's will cook their burgers rare? DH would love it if they do. That state park sounds like the kind of afternoon we'd both enjoy, and really like hearing they have canoe rentals at Barton Springs. We have two canoes here at home, and have paddled many of the rivers here in Florida and in our home state of Michigan.

You all have given me so many good ideas, I'm beginning to wish we had more time!

Opps, looks like we had some cross-posting!

Friend will be disappointed to here Salt Lick is closing. He did say it was more for the novelty than the food.

Looks like we will need to choose one of the other places posters have suggested to get our BBQ fix!

Is there any type of local cruisine we seek out? For example, in our area, the specialty is rock shrimp and calico scallops. When we visited DS at Lake Powell last year, DH fell in love with fry bread and also fry sauce.

We always travel carry-on. Will a pair of dark slacks and a nice top be appropriate for some of the nicer restaurants? Or is it more like here in Florida-where as long as you are wearing a shirt and flip-flops, most places could care less? We went to Houston and San Antonio two years ago, and people were wearing blue jeans, even in some very nice restaurants, but I don't want to make the same assumption just because Austin is also in Texas!

Hi Rascat,
I recently posted a trip report about our July long weekend in Austin. I never know how to dredge up posts but the title starts with the words "Two hot-blooded Canucks...". There's lots of info there that might be useful to you.

We had a great time there and I'm sure you will too!

Austin is about a casual as it gets. Certainly if you're going to Oasis, Hula Hut, Salt Lick, Huts Burgers, or any BBQ place, it's casual casual casual. I would say Z-Tejas, County Line, and some of the other more upscale you'd want to at least wear something other than shorts.

And yes, I'm positive Hut's Burgers can cook a burger as rare as your husband wants.

A casual place where we like to eat when we meet friends in Austin is Trudy's. Apparently there are now 3 locations. See the link for locations, but we've only been to the one near the UT campus:

http://www.trudys.com/

I think Texas is known for barbque and Tex-mex. You've received good barbque recs. I like Trudy's (chicken stuffed chile relleno) and Chuy's (shrimp tacos, also a good chile relleno--make sure you ask for the jalapeno dip if they don't bring it).

If you are going to go to Hamilton Pool, make sure to CALL FIRST. They close it down if it's had too much water, or not enough (drought causes bacteria in the water or something.)

http://www.co.travis.tx.us/tnr/parks/hamilton_pool.asp

sorry, I didn't get much sleep. Also meant to say that Hamilton Pool only takes so many people a day, so if it's full, you have to wait until someone leaves.

Second the rec for Magnolia Cafe for breakfast.