Travel guide

Austin

Live music capital of the world

🗓️ Best time: March–May, September–November💰 Mid-Range · ~$130/day📍 United States

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About Austin

Texas's liberal blue dot — barbecue smokehouses with 4-hour brisket lines, 200+ live music venues, and the world's largest urban bat colony.

⭐ Things to do in Austin

6th Street live musicFranklin Barbecue (queue at 9am)Lady Bird Lake bike trailCongress Bridge bat flightTexas State CapitolBarton Springs PoolEast Austin food trucksMount Bonnell sunset

🍽️ Where to eat in Austin

Real, top-rated restaurants — tap to see hours, reviews and menus.

Terry Black's Barbecue

★ 4.5 (9,034) · Barbeque · Sandwiches

$$$

Franklin Barbecue

★ 4.5 (6,470) · Barbeque

Moonshine Grill

★ 4.4 (6,418) · Southern · Breakfast & Brunch

Home Slice Pizza

★ 4.4 (4,943) · Pizza · Sandwiches

1618 Asian Fusion

★ 4.7 (4,155) · Vietnamese · Thai

la Barbecue

★ 4.3 (3,230) · Barbeque · Sandwiches

$$$

Odd Duck

★ 4.4 (2,456) · American · Bars

Phoebe's Diner

★ 4.5 (2,097) · Breakfast & Brunch · Diners

Bird Bird Biscuit

★ 4.7 (1,865) · Breakfast & Brunch · Sandwiches

Lucky Robot Restaurant

★ 4.1 (1,784) · Sushi Bars · Ramen

Jewboy Burgers

★ 4.6 (1,737) · Burgers · Diners

Caroline

★ 4.2 (1,675) · Bakeries · New American

✈️ Know before you go

🚕 Getting around

Drive or rideshare; pedicabs downtown.

💡 Local tip

Visit during SXSW (March) only if you're into chaos — otherwise avoid.

🛡️ Safety

Generally safe in tourist areas. Tip 18-20% in restaurants.

🌙 Nightlife

6th Street for crawl; Rainey Street for craft cocktails; Red River for live shows.