Curious where to snag a table this weekend? From laid-back dive bars to chic social clubs, we’ve scoped out Austin’s freshest dining spots just for you.
Bambino | From the team behind Austin’s Italian gem L’Oca d’Oro, Bambino is a casual pizzeria in East Austin that blends 80s nostalgia with a modern, grown-up flair.
979 Springdale Road #153 | 512.368.3366
Busty’s Bar and Jukebox | The new Windsor Park bar feels like it’s been a city staple forever. Its easygoing menu features Texas-Mexico border truck stop favorites like smash burgers, potato taquitos, picadillo burritos, and glittery biscuits.
6214 Cameron Road
Casa Bianca | This new East Austin restaurant embraces a “weirdo-Italian” ethos, offering fun, modern American-Italian dishes such as unique fare like raw oysters with chile oil and crab, artichoke, and taleggio cheese toasts.
1510 E Cesar Chavez Street | 361.903.9303
Donkey Mo’s | The long-awaited Korean fried chicken spot is back in north Austin offering crispy-saucy chicken in various formats (wings, tenders, thighs), plus rice cakes, dumplings, and more.
5312 Airport Boulevard
Endo | Another day, another omakase in Austin. The illustrious sushi chef Daisuke Nakazawa offers a 20-course edomae-style sushi experience complemented by cocktails, beer, wine, sake, and Japanese whiskey.
609 W 29th Street | 512.350.2789
JewBoy Cantina | Chef Mo Pittle expands his Austin empire with a new dive bar-restaurant in West Campus’ Hole in the Wall offering Mexican-border-Austin-El Paso cuisine, featuring tiny tacos, signature sliders, and a variety of burritos.
2513 San Antonio Street | 512.300.0235
LeRoy and Lewis Barbeque | LeRoy & Lewis has opened its new brick-and-mortar location in Garrison Park. Enjoy expanded menu items alongside their classic barbecue staples like brisket, pulled whole hog, and lamb barbacoa.
5621 Emerald Forest Drive | 512.945.9882
Lil’ Easy Fine Cajun Food & Bar | The team behind Sawyer & Co. and De Nada has opened a new Cajun restaurant in Govalle, featuring fried seafood baskets, po’ boys, gumbo, and NOLA-style cocktails like hurricanes and daiquiris.
5000 E Cesar Chavez Street | 512.631.2812
Ling Wu Asian Restaurant at the Grove | Like its sister restaurants, Ling Wu at the Grove offers a wide array of Chinese dishes, including dumplings, noodles, meats, seafood, and more, for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.
2625 Perseverance Drive | 512.551.9799
Mad Dogs | Austin’s first halal hot dog shop is now open downtown, offering loaded franks like the signature dog with cream cheese, crispy onions, Sriracha, curry ketchup, and honey mayo, plus a brisket dog.
917 W 12th Street
Mexta Restaurant | Two renowned Mexican chefs have brought their culinary talents to downtown Austin with a high-end Mexican restaurant. Here, you’ll find elevated Mexican dishes with a Texan twist, paired with fantastic cocktails and drinks.
106 E 6th Street #110 | 512.646.8085
Prélude | Prélude, a cocktail and canapé lounge in a historic house near downtown Austin, features a refined cocktail program highlighting premium spirits and an elevated canapé menu.
707 W 10th Street | 512.702.9150
Redbud Ice House | Olamaie revamped the former BBQ Ramen Tatsu-ya/Contigo space on MLK into a laid-back Texas icehouse. Enjoy casual burgers, sandwiches, snacks, and Contigo’s crispy green beans alongside cocktails and beers, all on a spacious patio.
2027 Anchor Lane | 512.300.0126
Si Baby-Q | This new food truck in Zilker offers a unique blend of barbecue flavors, combining Texan, Southeast Asian, and Mexican influences. Enjoy dishes like brisket with Indonesian long peppercorns, smoked chicken with curry and roti, and smoked kimchi.
1530 Barton Springs Road
Swim Club | Swim Club, a historic pool turned social club, is delightfully refreshing. Embrace its vibrant 1980s Miami decor while savoring refreshing cocktails and summer classics like pizza and fish tacos.
650 E 10th Street