If you find yourself in Austin for a day and want to experience its amazing food scene in all its glory, look no further. Here’s a guide on how to spend a day eating through the best restaurants in Austin. By the end of your trip, you’ll be fully prepared to go home and brag to all of your friends about all the sick places you ate at in between activities.
7:00 am — Stonehouse Coffee & Bar
The first step of your journey to eat your way through Austin should begin with some coffee because trust me, this is going to be a long day.
Honestly, you can’t go wrong with any coffee bar in Austin. A personal favorite of mine that I go to when I’m trying to get work done or chill out is Stonehouse Coffee & Bar on South Lamar. This particular coffee bar has a great atmosphere, friendly staff, and makes a killer latte.
10:00 am — Snooze: an A.M. Eatery and Magnolia Cafe
The best breakfast in Austin goes to Snooze, hands down. Snooze: an A.M. Eatery has a fantastic selection of different breakfast options. Whether you’re in the mood for a classic scramble or Eggs Benedict with pulled pork and BBQ sauce, Snooze will not disappoint you. If you consult Yelp! like any good tourist would do, it says that the highest rated Snooze is on South Lamar, but all of their locations are equally awesome. Pro tip: Snooze is known for having an INSANE waitlist, so make sure you give yourself a good chunk of time to be there.
If the wait is too long for you, there’s also an alternative. If you are craving pancakes, please, for the love of all that is good in the world, go to Magnolia Cafe and order the chocolate chip banana pecan buttermilk pancakes. Instant game changer.
1:00 pm — True Food Kitchen
Believe it or not, one of Austin’s best restaurants is a healthy one. One way to ensure that you don’t completely implode on this marvelous and exciting food journey is by getting your veggies in. True Food Kitchen in Downtown Austin does a fantastic job at creating unique dishes that will make you feel good. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely more indulgent options on the menu, but as a whole, this restaurant is great at healthy and delicious food.
4:00 pm — Irene’s
Why just eat dinner at one restaurant when you could get appetizers at another beforehand? Irene’s toast is actually insane and no matter what kind you get, they’re all bursting with flavor. Personally, I am a huge fan of the Mascarpone Toast with Easy Tiger bread, peaches and juicy blackberries. Irene’s is an Austin staple and an absolute must-visit when you’re in town.
6:00 pm — Elizabeth Street Cafe and Via313
Since dinner is my favorite meal, I’m going to recommend two amazing restaurants that you’ll struggle between choosing. The first recommendation is Elizabeth Street Cafe in South Austin. This French-Vietnamese fusion offers a vast amount of flavor and cuteness. They not only serve amazing noodles, but also a truly decadent pork belly Bánh Mì.
The second equally amazing restaurant is Via313 in East Austin. Via313 will almost always be at the top of everybody’s best restaurants in Austin list. If you take away nothing else from this list, please know that “The Cadillac” will change your life. The combination of Gorgonzola, fig preserves, Prosciutto di Parma, Parmesan, and balsamic glaze in one pizza is truly a work of art.
9:00 pm — Steel City Pops
Steel City Pops on Guadalupe Street is super unique and offers a killer variety of flavors. From the vegan Cranberry-Orange to creamy Maple Bacon Bourbon (yes, it is as amazing as it sounds), this first dessert stop not only gives you a delicious popsicle, but also allows you to coat them in chocolate and choice of topping. How genius is that?
11:00 pm — Moojo
I have two words for you: Ice-cream (yes, that’s one word according to Merriam Webster) sandwiches. Moojo on Guadalupe Street is hands down the best place in Texas to get ice cream sandwiches, and if you are wondering, yes, I have never been outside of Austin, but I digress. The flavor combination of two sugar cookies with black raspberry chip ice-cream is the best.
#SpoonTip: If want more variety in your dessert selection, check out where to get the best desserts in Austin that aren’t ice cream.
These are just some of Austin’s best restaurants to eat at in under 24 hours. I hope you get to experience all the places mentioned above, and I hope your stomachs are a lot fuller when you leave.