Best Austin Restaurants for Your Out-of-Town Guests
Do you have friends or family coming to Austin for a visit soon? If so, you’ll enjoy this list of best Austin restaurants for out-of-town guests. Some are known for their food, while others are known for their atmosphere and location. Some of these restaurants offer the best of both worlds — good food combined with a nice location. Those are the places we have focused on in this article.
Truluck’s
If you’re looking for a fine dining experience, and you enjoy good seafood, put Truluck’s on your itinerary. This Austin restaurant has two locations, one downtown and one in the Arboretum. They have a variety of seafood dishes and steaks, but they are particularly good at shellfish and crab.
They even have their own fishery in Florida, with a fleet of crabbing boats. When it comes to stone crab, their motto is “From our traps to your table in less than 24 hours.”
Restaurant locations:
Truluck’s at the Arboretum
10225 Research Blvd, Suite 4000
Austin, TX 78759
Truluck’s downtown
400 Colorado
Austin, TX 78701
Learn more by visiting: http://trulucks.com
Guero’s Taco Bar
No trip to Austin is complete until you pay a visit to Congress Avenue. And it just so happens that one of the city’s best restaurants is located there as well. So it’s a great way to do things at once — give your guests a taste of downtown Austin, and give them a taste of some great Mexican food!
Guero’s is a piece of Austin history right in the heart of downtown. The restaurant has been at its current location since 1995, but the building itself has been around for over 100 years. It used to be a local “feed and seed” store. This popular Austin restaurant offers some delicious food to boot! They are known for their tacos (being a taco bar and all), but they have a wide variety of tasty dishes. The enchilada with molé sauce is one of my personal favorites. Try one of their top-shelf margaritas, while you’re at it. Or try several of them, so long as you have a designated driver.
This restaurant is located at:
1412 South Congress Ave.
Austin, Texas 78704
Learn more by visiting: www.guerostacobar.com
Alamo Drafthouse
The Alamo is another great place to take your guests, because you can combine food and drink with good movies. Like any drafthouse worthy of the name, the Alamo has a large selection of beers on tap. Their menu offers a lot of “bar food” options, such as burgers and fish tacos, but they put their own spin on most dishes. I enjoy the Alamo burger paired with an Arrogant Bastard, but that’s just me.
It’s not fine dining, nor does it claim to be. But it’s a great place to have a casual lunch or dinner while watching a flick. They also have a lot of movie-themed events and special menus, mostly for the evening shows. It’s an Austin original, and that’s why it is on this list.
Restaurant location:
There are four different Alamo Drafthouse locations around the Austin area. For individual show times and other information, visit www.drafthouse.com.
Hula Hut
Good food and a fun atmosphere make the Hula Hut one of the best Austin restaurants for your out-of-town guests. This establishment is located on Lake Austin, with a pier-like dining area that extends out over the water. It even has a boat dock with to-go service.
Their food is a mix of Mexican and Polynesian cuisine, so there’s bound to be something for everyone. I recommend the fish tacos or the Hula Hut burger — you can’t go wrong with either of them.
This restaurant is located at:
3825 Lake Austin Blvd.
Austin, Texas 78703
Learn more by visiting: www.hulahut.com
The Oasis Restaurant
The food has improved over the years, though it still leaves something to be desired. But The Oasis restaurant was never really known for its food. This Austin restaurant is known for the breathtaking views of Lake Travis, and it certainly delivers in that department. It’s not just marketing lingo when they claim to have some of the best views in Austin — it’s actually true.
Even if you only have appetizers and drinks, it’s worth the drive (the drive is pretty scenic too, by the way).
This restaurant is located at:
6550 Comanche Trail
Austin, Texas 78732
Learn more by visiting: www.oasis-austin.com
September 9, 2009 1:31 pm
By Waleska Vega, November 11, 2009 @ 4:59 pm
Restaurant Jezebel
This is a MUST! I’ve NEVER been disappointed nor the people I have referred to Restaurant Jezebel. Chef Parind Vora is truly a food artisan.
This restaurant is located at:
914C Congress Avenue
1st floor
Austin, Texas, 78701
512. 499. 3999