“Keep Austin weird”
College town features Texas’ famous barbecue, breakfast tacos, live music and more
“Keep Austin weird” is the decades-old mantra in this capital of live music, colorful characters and Texas.
But Austin, now the country’s 10thmost-populous city, is looking very different: Tesla Cybertrucks are pulling up beside pickups as this college town, home to the University of Texas, just keeps growing.
South by Southwest, the signature music festival and conference, happened this month, but any spring or autumn weekend is an invitation to fall in love with the city.
Admire the skyline from a kayak on Lady Bird Lake, treat yourself to barbecue (it’s Texas, after all), and spend an evening carousing Sixth Street until you find your crowd. But whatever you do, for the love of Willie Nelson — one of those colorful Austin characters — start each morning with a breakfast taco.
ITINERARY FRIDAY 4 p.m. | Kayak on the lake
Austin is blessed with cedar- and oakdotted hills, an emerald-hued river and incredible sunsets; enjoy the scenery by taking a kayak (or canoe or paddleboard) out onto Lady Bird Lake. Also called Town Lake, it’s a reservoir on the Colorado River that divides downtown and South Austin — it’s the body of water you see in many postcard photos of Austin. Rent a kayak or a stand-up paddleboard ($20 and $25 an hour) from the rowing dock in Zilker Park, Austin’s large, central green space, and take in the skyline views from the water. If you need a boost before you head out, swing by Juiceland near the entrance to the park for perfectly balanced smoothies like the Julio Verde with almond milk, spinach, pecan and coconut oil ($7.75).
7:30 p.m. | Bite into wild boar
The problem: A multiplying feral hog population has caused serious damage to Texas’ crops. A solution: Serve them up on a platter. This is one way that Jesse Griffiths, the chef and a co-owner of Dai Due on Manor Road, northeast of downtown, is changing how Texans think about local wild game. The small dining room is warmed by the open kitchen’s blazing fire, which is fueled by post oak, the wood that Texas grill masters swear by for its steady high heat and spicy, smoky flavor. Sample bites of chicken-liver mousse, rabbit rillettes and wild-boar sausage in the cold meat board ($27) before moving on to mains like coffee-cured nilgai antelope leg fillet ($64) and an excellent aged Wagyu cheeseburger ($26). The wine list is a who’s who of Texas producers. The restaurant also sells raw cuts and jars of tallow ($12) and hosts butchery classes and hunting outings.
9:30 p.m. | Hit a honky-tonk
Ask a local where to get a real Texas
honky-tonk experience, and they may point you toward the White Horse, an East Austin institution. The bar hosts two-step dance lessons Thursday to Saturday at 7 p.m., should you want to brush up before the night gets going. By about 10 p.m., the place is packed, the local bands onstage obscured by a sea of Stetson hats. Grab a pour of one of the several whiskeys on tap, then find a spot on the checkerboard dance floor. The bar also has pool tables, a shoeshine station, a photo booth and an outdoor area for air when you work up a sweat. The cover charge varies, but is often about $10.
SATURDAY 9 a.m. | Embrace breakfast tacos
Breakfast tacos are essential in Austin, and Veracruz All Natural is a top spot for them; the smoothies are a gratifying bonus. Sisters Reyna and Maritza Vazquez opened their first Austin food trailer in 2008, and now there are seven Veracruz locations, including East Austin, South Austin and inside the Line hotel. The meat is consistently tender and well seasoned, and the tortillas are pillowy. Try the popular migas taco, with fluffy eggs and avocado, or the (somewhat) healthier La Reyna, which is loaded with veggies. Pair with fresh juices like the Mr. Verde, a combo of celery, green apple, spinach and more, or smoothies like the Mexico Lindo, with lime juice and cantaloupe, for an ideal, all-inone morning stop. Most tacos and smoothies cost around $5.
10 a.m. | Take the plunge
A simply magic Austin moment is a sunny day at Barton Springs Pool, a natural-spring-fed public pool in Zilker Park. The water temperature hovers around 70 degrees year-round, which means it might be steaming in the winter but feel icy in the summer. The bracing temperature doesn’t diminish its popularity. Families and friends throw out towels and yoga mats on the hilly lawns surrounding the pool; the peoplewatching is divine (the regulars in Speedos are indeed keeping Austin weird). Nonresident admission, $9, March 9 through Oct. 31; free the rest of the year. After your dip, take a stroll around the rest of Zilker Park, and stop by the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and the Zilker Botanical Garden. The park also hosts the Austin City Limits Music Festival every October.
1 p.m. | Skip meat for a meal
With all the chatter about barbecue, vegans and vegetarians can feel sidelined. Not so at Bouldin Creek Cafe, a South Austin favorite. The colorful womanowned restaurant has been a mainstay of the city’s hippie community for decades thanks to a winning combo: reasonable prices (even with a 20% “fair wage surcharge” for the staff that is added to all checks; tips are appreciated but not expected), locally sourced ingredients, gluten-free options, a dogfriendly patio and good coffee. Try the grilled blueberry cornbread ($5.50) or vegan kolaches ($5.25), a modern twist on the filled pastries that are traditional road trip snacks in the surrounding Czech-influenced region. Lunch options include a veggie burger with chipotle-pecan pesto ($12).
3 p.m. | Shop for a country look
The South Congress shopping district, just south of the Colorado River, once featured mostly funky, locally owned businesses, but chains have moved in. It’s still a great place to get Austinified. Start by cowboy boot shopping for high-end brands at the family-owned Allens Boots (pairs start at $150) or vintage-inspired designs at Heritage Boot Co. (from $600). Peruse Feathers Vintage for lightly used prom dresses and hard-tofind (and priced as such) baseball tees ($188). Top off your look by customizing your own cowboy hat at Maufrais with leather hat bands and stick pins (hats from $140). Stop at Jo’s Coffee for a spicy cocoa in winter or a cold brew in summer (both $4) and to snap a photo of the simple yet charming “i love you so much” mural on the outside wall, a classic Austin postcard shot that appears on coasters, shirts and magnets at souvenir stores.
6 p.m. | See bats take flight
Drop by the South Congress location of the Austinfounded Amy’s Ice Cream to taste the classic Mexican vanilla, or a nondairy option made from oat milk (around $6 for a small scoop). Then walk over to see the source of one of Austin’s nicknames — Bat City — at the Congress Avenue Bridge. Between late March and early fall, an estimated 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats make their home beneath the bridge, and at dusk they emerge to feed on insects, zipping by at speeds thought to be as fast as 100 mph. Crowds gather along the bridge for the show during the prime months. Check the bats’ schedule at austinbatrefuge.org.
8:30 p.m. | Watch chefs at work
Odd Duck on South Lamar Boulevard is the classic Austin success story: a business that started as a food truck and became popular enough to go brick-andmortar. In a greenhouselike building perched on the side of a little hill, the restaurant serves meat as good as anywhere in town, like the hearty yet delicate pecan mole pork shoulder ($33), alongside vegetarian dishes like grilled broccoli with a deviled egg sauce ($15). Desserts often come with an inventive ice cream flavor, like sourdough batter or lavender and pink peppercorn, and the service is delightfully friendly. Reserve a spot at the bar overlooking the kitchen and you might score a morsel from the chefs plating dishes in front of you.
10 p.m. | Carouse on Sixth Street
Pick your own adventure on Sixth Street, the 2-mileor-so stretch of nightspots. East Sixth has the trendier bars and restaurants among bungalows in a gentrified Black and Latino neighborhood. The street’s center, nicknamed “dirty Sixth,” is the belly of the beast with bachelorette-party-riddled bars and wild clubs, some in Victorian-era buildings. Farther down is West Sixth, which attracts a preppier, older crowd to brewpubs and cafes. Bounce where the mood suits you (easy to do by hailing one of the pedicabs), although a classic Austin evening bookend is Donn’s Depot, a former train depot turned piano bar with Christmas lights and ruby-red carpeting, just south on West Fifth Street. This dive bar transports you to an older Austin, luring people of all ages onto a lively country dance floor.
11:30 p.m. | Belt out karaoke
For a final evening scene (until 2 a.m. at least) try Ego’s, a South Congress karaoke den. You wouldn’t guess from the outside what’s going on inside: The Austin classic is in the back of a parking garage beneath a nondescript office building. But the sneaky location adds to the appeal. On weekend nights it can be shoulder to shoulder. Be sure to get your song request in quickly, as the list can get lengthy. There’s no cover charge, and drinks are affordable (local beers around $5).
SUNDAY 9 a.m. | Get a panoramic view
Austin sits at the edge of Texas Hill Country, a rolling, craggy region that includes Mount Bonnell, one of the highest points in Austin at 775 feet above sea level. Drive up to the base and find ample free parking before hiking about 10 minutes up the stone stairs to the top. The short, rigorous and free climb rewards visitors with views of the skyline, the curving Colorado River, the backyards of riverside mansions and the hills along the horizon.
10 a.m. | Learn history
The Bullock Texas State History Museum, a few blocks from the Texas Capitol, guides visitors through the scope of Texas’ past across three floors of exhibitions. Learn about the region’s early inhabitants like the Caddos, then explore the Republic of Texas’ 1836 independence from Mexico, statehood and the gushers of the 1901 oil boom — all the way to quirky, more modern exhibitions, like one on lowrider car culture starting in May. Don’t miss the 16-minute movie “The Star of Destiny,” an educational and multisensory experience with blowing air and rattling chairs — a treat for kids ($6 adults, $5 children). As a bonus, the Bullock Museum is free on the first Sunday of every month (admission $13 adults, $9 children).
Noon | The power of barbecue
La Barbecue, whose founders have been some of the few women to break into the upper ranks of Texas barbecue, is a favorite in East Austin for a weekend meat fix. You can’t go wrong with fatty brisket ($34 a pound), tender pork ribs ($30 a pound) and sides like chipotle slaw ($4), spicy garlic pickles ($2) and a dynamite shells and cheese ($5.50). Skip the line (which can be up to an hour-long wait) by ordering on the website a day ahead, then walk 10 minutes to the Ann and Roy Butler Hikeand-bike Trail to enjoy your lunch. Brisket on the banks of the Colorado River — what’s more Austin than that?