Official Guide to Austin — Summer 2018
Another year, another RTX, another batch of recommendations for things to do/see/sip/snack outside of the convention! We said goodbye to a few places and added a bunch of new ones, so be sure to check them out while you’re here!
DRANKS (it’s no secret that Austin is a city with a drinking problem; basically any activity you can think of from shopping to yoga can be enjoyed with a cocktail in hand. if you’re of age, the possibilities are endless)
Ah Sing Den — This bar is themed like a nineteenth century opium den and makes you feel like a prop in a Lana del Rey video. Sip she-shi cocktails on a velvet settee and congratulate yourself on being 2cool4school
Barbarella — Barbarella is a dance club for people who don’t like clubs. Prepare to dance until 3am, make new friends, immediately forget new friends, and then find selfies with said new friends two days later on your phone. Drinks can be pricey for what they are, so shore up around the corner at Side Bar where you can get tipsy AF for >$10.
Highland — see above, except whereas Barbz is very LGBT-friendly, Highland is LGBT-centric.
Redheaded Stepchild — the door code changes every month, so don’t ask me for it in a DM because I probably won’t have it (or will I 😈). Grab a cheap drink next door at Handlebar, then sneak in when someone else is going out. It’s dark, weird, and getting in gives you serious street cred.
Green Light Social & Kung Fu — when you want take a safari to watch bros and sorority alumna in their natural habitat. Gross fun you won’t want to tell your friends back home about. GLS offers boozed up Capri Suns (still in their pouch) and Kung Fu has arcade games, though on Friday and Saturday nights they mostly serve as drink holders.
Volstead Lounge — Come here to dance nasty like you’re at your junior high formal and the only the ~cool teachers showed up to chaperone.
White Horse — White Horse, in addition to being a pretty great dive bar, is just country enough to satisfy your friends back home who assume you’re having a real ~cowboy experience without going full John Wayne.
Firehouse — if Hogwarts had a bar. Enter through the hostel lobby, then look for the secret entrance. For reals.
The Cavalier — like those old choose-your-own adventure books, but for cocktails.
WORTH THE LYFT
Egos — the best karaoke bar in town is hidden inside a parking garage on South Congress. I once saw a bro in boat shoes rap Rebecca Black’s “Friday” over Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night”. From memory.
Kitty Cohen’s — 70’s Palm Springs-themed bar on the east side with a kiddie pool. Order the key party and try not to think about your grandparents’ sex lives.
Barfly’s — for the authentic “Keep Austin Like A Shitty Small Town Even Though It’s Been a Tech Hub Since the 90s” vibe, head up north to this awesome dive bar where the drinks are cheap and the stools are broken.
Workhorse — this is the bar where everybody knows your name, the hooch is local, the food is tasty, and the dogs are pettable. >$10 will get you a strong drink and the best mac and cheese in town — it doesn’t get much better than that.
CASUAL EATS (obvi)
Fareground — This modern food hall right next to the convention center features pop ups and experimental menus from some of Austin’s most beloved restaurants. Grab a drink at the central bar, then browse a butcher shop’s take on a taqueria, Emmer and Rye’s (see below) spin on burgers and (my personal favorite) customizable cheese boards from Antonelli’s cheese shop.
Russian House — Step one foot into this restaurant (which is decorated like a Soviet-era living room) and an impossible tall, mean-looking waitress will hand you a shot of vodka and a radish. Apparently you shoot the vodka and bite the radish, or something. All I know is it’s free and it really sets the mood to get shitcanned while slurping up some epic borscht.
Irene’s — Indulge your inner hipster and enjoy some fancy toast while nursing your hangover on Irene’s gorgeous back patio. Might I suggest asking for olive oil and salt on the Nutella toast for that sweet n’ salty fix.
Vegan Nom — this food truck sounds like it’s just for vegans, but every omnivore I’ve convinced to eat here has fallen in love. Pretty much the best tacos within walking distance of RTX (and beyond).
Holy Roller — this place is the brunch of your munchie dreams. Every insane indulgence you can think of is offered up here. Sop up the leftover alcohol churning your stomach with their trash fries.
WORTH THE LYFT
Kinda Tropical — This place feels like summer is your big sister giving you a hug. Like cool ginger water on a sweaty day. Like a rope swing and a palm frond fan. Does that make sense?
Cafe no Se — this spot kinda bridges the gap between casual and fancy, but the dining area is Instagram-worthy, and the uber-fresh snacks are perfect for snuffing out the late afternoon Austin heat.
Lucky Robot — Do you want to eat sushi while sitting in a porch swing? Yes you fuckin do. You can also hit up Austin staple Amy’s Ice Cream next door for dessert.
Bouldin Creek — another all-veggie hotspot that’s popular with non-vegetarians. One of the best BLTs I’ve ever had, and that includes BLTs from before I was a vegetarian.
FANCAY SNAX (if you’re gonna blow your budget on just one meal, I suggest one of these spots)
Emmer and Rye — Emmer & Rye might be my favorite restaurant in town. The menu is hyperlocal and features rare grains (I know, peak Austin) and unique ingredients. My favorite part has to be the dim sum cart, which zooms around the dining room and offers a rotating selection of off-menu delicacies.
Swift’s Attic — This place doesn’t have to be too expensive if you go with a group of friends and share small plates. The menu is chock full of weird dishes you won’t see other places, and every single thing is guaranteed awesome.
Suerte — modern Mexican that has to be tasted to be believed. It’s all small plates, so grab a friend or four and try everything.
WORTH THE LYFT
Lenoir — At $40 for a three course meal, this place is a bargain for how amazing it is. The tiny dining room is one of the most beautiful places to spend an evening indoors, and the food is a creative mix of hot weather cuisines — think Thai-Mediterranean-Spanish-Southern fusion.
Sway — Simply the best Thai food in Austin. That’s it.
COFFEE (aka the most important meal of the day)
Cenote — Good coffee and great food in what feels like a magical forest, close to the convention center. Don’t miss it. They even carry my favorite oat milk — YEA THAT’S RIGHT, I LIVE IN AUSTIN, I HAVE A FAVORITE OAT MILK, AND ON MY SIDE WITH A PILLOW BETWEEN MY KNEES IS HOW I SLEEP AT NIGHT.
Houndstooth — Houndstooth is a little pretentious, but their coffee backs them up. If you like your latte to come with a lesson, this place is for you.
Blue Cat Cafe — Drink coffee, play with cats. Rinse and repeat.
WORTH THE LYFT
Summermoon — For coffee you’re not going to find anywhere else, head south to Summermoon. They wood-roast their beans, leading to a smoky-caramelly flavor you’ve got to try to believe. They also make their lattes with a proprietary dairy blend called moon milk that’s like being tucked into a bed made of childhood dreams you forgot before you could realize they wouldn’t come true.
Better Half — this place features coffee and cocktails, so you can start and end your day simultaneously! Great snacks too.
Flightpath — So named because it sits near the old Austin airport, Flightpath features the best coffee and chicory this NOLA girl has found so far in Texas.
SHOPPING
Charm School Vintage — you know the feeling when you’ve been scouring the racks for hours and you finally stumble upon that one perfect, mint-condition vintage wonder? Charm School is a shop that’s literally full of just that.
Book People — a book store that feels more like a Mecca: three stories of almost every book you could ever want to read.
WORTH THE LYFT
Blue Velvet — Another great thrift store with finds for men and women and lots of quirky accessories like lapel pins, patches, and sunglasses. There’s a pretty rad record store next door as well.
New Bohemia — this place slants more toward western wear, but it also features a strong menswear selection and a pretty bitchin stash of party dresses from 60s-80s.
Lo-fi — this small yet mighty shop focuses on menswear with a strong slant towards 90s athleisure. For affordable vintage that’s very Right Now™, head here.
ACTIVITIES (Austin is full of weird and wonderful opportunities — I tried to include things for peeps under 21 in case everyone you came with is out drinking)
Drafthouse & Violet Crown — The Drafthouse isn’t as unique to Austin as it once was, but it’s still a pretty fun way to spend an afternoon or evening. If arthouse movies are more your thing, Violet Crown is a downtown cinema that also offers a full bar and menu while you watch.
Moon Towers — There’s no official moon tower tour as far as I know, but half the fun is looking them up and finding them anyway. Before you go, make sure to research their gruesome history.
WORTH THE LYFT
Pinballz — huge arcade in North Central Austin. Great for groups and peeps under 21.
The Greenbelt — there’s multiple access points to these natural swimming hole, some more secret than others. The most well-known one is accessible by parking under Loop 1 (Mopac for the in-crowd) where it intersects with 360. Follow the trailhead until you hear the sound of waterfalls and merriment.
Cathedral of Junk — You remember the lady from Labyrinth who lived in all her junk? This is her house, and you can go to there.
I ❤ Video — Yes, Austin is so tragically hip that it still has a bustling video rental store in 2018. It’s two stories and features some truly off-the-wall categories. I could spend an entire afternoon in there just reading the little commentary stickers on the boxes (filled out by employees gone by)
Zookeeper — this north Austin shop features exotic animals like snakes, scorpions, coatimundis, and a big ol’ sloth (not for sale, but she sure is cute!) Keep the adventuring vibe alive — next door there’s a really fun place to play tabletop games and drink beer called Emerald Tavern!
THINGS OTHER PEOPLE LIKE THAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND (*long sigh* I guess)
Barton Springs — I mean, if you want to pay $3 to freeze to death with everyone else from out of town, be my guest. Or you could follow my advice and head to the greenbelt for free ;)
Bat-watching on Congress — I love bats because they’re basically the living embodiment of my brand — small n’ spooky — but let’s get real: the bridge bats don’t come out until dusk, and then it’s like watching a swarm of flies in near darkness. Save the drama of almost getting pushed into traffic by an over-eager mom with a jogger stroller and visit Zookeeper instead.
Mural hunting — if you don’t get a photo in front of the “I love you so much” mural, did you even Austin?
Juan in a Million — if you got this far, I’m hoping you’ll take my advice and just skip the hour-long wait this place accrues on weekends. There’s better Tex-Mex all around town: El Alma, Mi Madres, Curras, just to name a few.
