I’ve started a new annual tradition of going on a long-weekend trip with 7 of my oldest girlfriends. Some are on the east coast and some are on the west coast, so this year we decided to meet in the middle: Austin, Texas!

I’d long heard that Austin was a fun, progressive, artsy city and was excited to check it out. Overall impressions: great for a group, many places have a casual beer garden vibe, lots of affordable live music, the weather was perfect in May, and there is so much great food! Even in a place known for its BBQ, there were tons of fantastic vegetarian options.

Before the trip, I spent a lot of time researching this 3-day itinerary with the help of this post and this local writer’s travel guide. We really loved all our stops! We stayed at an Airbnb in the Northloop neighborhood (northern Austin) and rented a car. While our neighborhood wasn’t particularly hoppin’, everything was within a 15-min drive. If I go back, I’d love to stay in the hip area of East Austin, a little closer to downtown. Having a car was very helpful, but taking Uber/Lyft is also very doable. While some neighborhoods are walkable (shops on South Congress), having wheels is necessary to see it all, as things are spread out.

Erin’s Austin Picks:

Where to stay: East Austin

When to go: spring or late fall to avoid the heat

Favorite restaurants: Nixta, Loro, Summer House on Music Lane

Best Shopping: South Congress

Best Coffee Shop: Mozart’s (for the vibe & view!)

Best Art: Laguna Gloria Sculpture Garden

Best Music: Continental Club

Tip: Make dinner reservations far in advance!

We arrived late from the airport and were looking for a fun place that served food (and margaritas!) after 10pm, not far from the airport. De Nada Cantina hit the spot. Some of my girls surprised me by wearing their Orange Tree travel outfits!!

3-Day Itinerary

DAY 1:

Lunch at Nixta Taqueria. This was my favorite food of the whole trip! Casual beer garden setting, order at the counter, affordable…but inventive food. Many veg options. No wonder they recently won a James Beard award! We went early (11am) on a Friday to avoid the line. I got the Beet Tartare Tostada, Cauliflower Tacos, and Tepache, a fermented non-alcoholic drink with pineapple and spices (SO good!).
Shopping: Next we went downtown to walk the 2nd Street shopping district. (We parked near Austin City Hall). Be sure to stop off at the Austin Central Library. I wanted to visit their cookbook cafe but it was closed. Don’t miss the library roof patio with its epic river views!
Dinner: Loro! This place was awesome. Chefs from 2 popular local restaurants (Franklin BBQ and Uchi) teamed up to do this casual Asian smokehouse and bar. We went on a Friday night and there was a 1-hour wait. But there’s an outdoor bar and beer garden so we got a drink and enjoyed hanging out. When we got our picnic table to eat, we ordered at the bar (yay for separate checks with a big group!) and I ordered so many delicious veg items: Oak Grilled Snap Peas, corn fritters, sesame noodles, crispy potatoes…plus an amazing key lime pie and chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Yum!
After dinner: check out some live music at C-Boys Heart and Soul or have a drink at Tiki-Tatsuya (but make a reservation in advance! We couldn’t get into the tiki bar, but it looked cool!)

View from the roof of the Austin Central Library

Sesame Noodles, Bean Salad and Corn Fritters at Loro Asian Smokehouse and Bar

DAY 2:

Mt. Bonell: we started the day with a walk here. Just outside of town, but only about 15 minutes away. Such pretty views!
Mozarts Coffee on the Lake: Next up (not far from Mt. Bonell) we went for coffee and brunch at Mozarts. It’s right on the water and very pretty. Casual picnic table vibe with upper and lower decks. There was even live music outside! We had to wait in line about 15 minutes to order at the counter but then food came quick. I got a veggie quiche and a delicious brownie. Everyone ordered different desserts and pastries which were all very tasty!
Laguna Gloria Sculpture Garden/ The Contemporary, Austin: After lunch we strolled around this awesome outdoor museum and park. Theres an old lakehouse villa you can go inside, and modern art sprinkled throughout the gardens along the water. So pretty, and also a cute coffee shop and gift shop!
Next we stopped for a glass of crisp afternoon rosé at Flo’s Wine Bar and Bottle Shop. (The pizza also looked good!) Very cute spot.
The Driskill Bar: we didn’t make it here (see: afternoon rosé :), but everyone suggested this as a fun place for a drink if you’re looking for happy hour downtown.
Easy Tiger: This is in a really fun neighborhood, especially in the evening. With a group of 8, it was hard to get a reservation in Austin in general (plan in advance!) but luckily there are so many large beer garden-type places to accommodate groups. We snagged a reservation here and it was great! We sat at a picnic table outside, ordered separately from our phones via QR code at the table (easy peasy) and enjoyed a drink and the live music outdoors. It was casual, affordable food that was really tasty…I got a grilled cheese and crispy Brussels sprouts. Plus a Boulevardier cocktail! Fun vibe all around.
Whitehorse Bar: after dinner we walked over to this classic honky tonk bar. We got there around 9pm * just * before there was a massive line to get in. There were a couple different bands in the lineup and just a $10 cover (sort of Country/Americana/Bluegrass type music). Loved it! It was fun to watch everyone two step dancing. There’s also a (smoky) patio outside. Next time I’ll wear my cowboy boots!
if you’re up for more fun after that, check out more live music at Antone’s Nightclub or Mohawk.

Laguna Gloria Sculpture Garden / The Contemporary

casual dinner at Easy Tiger in East Austin

With my friend Meagan at Easy Tiger (she was my first roommate when I moved to NYC after college!)

DAY 3:

Coffee at Cosmic
If it’s warm, go for a swim at Barton Springs, the natural springs “pool” downtown. The line was massive to get in on a hot May Sunday afternoon, so we skipped this but it’s first on my list if we return!
Instead we headed to Fresa’s for lunch. Known for its chicken, but great veg options. I got the cauliflower tacos, a kale Caesar and roasted beets with chimichurri. Very cute outdoor patio under big beautiful trees. If it’s really hot, sit inside.
Not far from Fresa’s is a great strip of shops (I liked it better than 2nd Street) on South Congress. Perfect after-lunch activity with the gals! I liked Prototype Vintage.
At sunset, go see the bats under the bridge. This is apparently a very cool Austin thing to do, but we went after dinner and they were already gone. So go at sunset/dusk. Next time!
Summer House on Music Lane. For dinner on our final night (walking distance from the bats) we went to this nicer place (read: not a beer garden) that we all loved. We sat in the garden which was so lovely. I had a spicy Mezcal Margarita and we shared the Burrata plate, crispy broccoli, cavatelli pasta with tomato pesto and a really good green salad. Loved this menu!
After dinner we walked 2 blocks down to the Continental Club, a small bar/music venue and paid the $10 cover to hear more live music. I loved the band that played, sort of bluegrassy with Allison Krauss covers. Such a fun way to end the trip!

Shopping on South Congress, wearing my Forest Feast dress!

Dinner at Summer House on Music Lane — sitting next Andrea, one of my best friends from college

Even if we missed the bats, the bridge had a pretty view!

Thanks, Austin— you were a lot of fun!

So grateful for these amazing ladies…Until next year!

xx

Erin

Austin Travel Guide

3-Day Itinerary

DAY 1:

DAY 2:

DAY 3:

erin gleeson