I hear the words long weekend and I am booking a trip. This Memorial Day weekend, I spent it in Austin, Texas. From the food scene, live music, culture, and southern charm Austin has been on list for some time. I was excited to see what this Texan city had to offer – spoiler alert it was great!
I did not rent a car during my long weekend, and I don’t regret it because I was only there for such a short time, but if I go back I will definitely rent a car to explore the surrounding areas.
Austin is pretty walkable. We walked 12 miles the first day just exploring by foot – which I think is the best way to see a new city. By our second day our feet were dragging so we opted for the hundreds of electrical scooters Austin offered. We downloaded the app Lime, scanned a scooter on our phone and were off buzzing around town. This was by far the easiest way to get around Austin – and they were SOO fun!
Austin is one of the live music capitals of the world, and I am very disappointed to say that we did not find much live music. I figured Austin would be comparable to Nashville with live music EVERYWHERE. I am unsure if this is because of covid, but we only saw 1 or 2 bands playing live music during our stay.
Another thing I want to mention is the homeless population. It is very evident, and I was personally surprised by the lack of police presence. I felt pretty safe at all times, but the amount of homeless people, and homeless people by choice compared to the police presence was second to none. We did not walk around much at night for this reason.
Where To Stay: Austin Motel
We wanted to pat ourselves on the back because we stayed at the best place with the perfect location we felt. Austin Motel is located right on South Congress. South Congress was my favorite part of Austin and I will explain more below. Austin Motel is right in the middle of South Congress, not even one block away from the infamous “I Love You So Much” mural at Jo’s Coffee, and a few blocks before the bridge leading you to downtown Austin.
Not only was the location prime, it was adorable and had an awesome pool. Due to covid we had to make reservations for the pool, but they give priorities to guest so we had no problems. Also if you are not staying at the Austin Motel, you can book a reservation to use the pool as well. The adult cherry limeades were perfect under the hot Texas sun!
The Austin Motel definitely has more of an old time feel. It is by no means the fanciest hotel on South Congress, but there is so much character. From the infamous sign out front, to the retro lobby, to the lip wallpaper in the rooms it was so cute! I would 10/10 recommend staying here during your visit!
What To Do
South Congress
My favorite area in Austin was South Congress. South Congress is basically just a street filled with boutiques, restaurants, murals and a whole lot of fun! We spent the majority of our day Saturday wandering up and down the street popping into all of the stores. Some of my favorites were:
- Allen’s Boots – Landmark store on South Congress Avenue with more than 4,000 cowboy boots on display, plus cowboy hats, clothing & accessories.
- Limbo Jewelry – Modern, architectural jewelry designed and made by hand, and local gifts.
- Prima Dora – Prima Dora is one of the older stores in Austin that still has the “Old Austin” vibe while supporting local artists
- Kendra Scott Flagship – We all love Kendra Scott, and this flagship store is gorgeous. Also sip on some bubbly while you shop at their adorable cafe!
- There’s also bigger known brands like Madewell, Outdoor Voices, Loveshack Fancy, and more!
Watch the bats fly out of Congress Bridge
Wondering why there are hundreds of people standing at Congress Bridge at sunset? Over 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats fly out from the Congress Avenue Bridge almost every night. Austin has the largest urban bat colony!
Pro tip: book a reservation at the P6 rooftop and enjoy a cocktail and to have the best view of the bats!
Swim In Barton Springs Pool
If you’re visiting Austin during the 9 hottest months of the year, you’ll want to take a dip in Barton Springs Pool – it’s one of the many natural springs in Austin. All reservations were booked for MDW, but we took our scooters over there and it was such a cute area!
Pro Tip: Eat at Biscuit & Groovy food truck before making your way over!
Two step dancing at Broken Spoke
Put on your cowboy boots and learn how to two-step at Broken Spoke. This is something we wish we did – there’s always next time!
Head out for a night on Rainey Street
Rainey Street is this adorable block of old houses that are all made up into bars. The atmosphere is so cute! Nighttime Rainey Street is filled with drunken people and lines out of most of the bars, but we went back on a Sunday afternoon and were able to enjoy drinks on the front lawn of some of the cutest bars. There are also 2 food truck lots with some of the best food trucks in Austin (I’ll link them below!). A few of the most known places on Rainey Street are:
- Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden – Beer lovers take a moment of silence for the largest tap wall in Austin. Swing by on Sundays for the Big Band Brunch and be sure to try their featured drink, the Manmosa.
- Craft Pride – Craft Pride is a unique Texas-only craft beer bar. We serve up the highest quality beer from regional breweries.
- Parlor Room – The Parlor Room is just plain fun in the heart of Rainey Street. Expertly mixed craft cocktails and craft beer on tap.
- Container Bar – The contemporary yet casual concept is comprised of recycled shipping containers stacked amid a tree-lined courtyard
Go out on 6th Street
Compared to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, this street is lined with bar after bar. It is full of college kids, bachelorette parties, but it is definitely worth a stroll down.
Where To Eat/Drink
There are 5 things you have to eat in Austin: tacos, guacamole, barbecue, queso, and margaritas. These are the main five food groups in the city and I made I indulged in all of them!
Breakfast/Brunch
- Biscuits and Groovy Food Truck – Biscuits and gravy are my favorite, and this food truck serves up some of the best! Whether you like the classic, or want something more out of the box, Biscuits and Groovy has all your biscuit needs.
- Gourdough’s – Who doesn’t love a good donut? These elaborate donuts are out of this world! We had the Mother Clucker (fried chicken stripes and honey butter) and the Dirty Berry (fudge chocolate icing with grilled strawberries) and they were both SO GOOD! There were no joke 6 I could not decide on, they all looked amazing!
- Magnolia Cafe – Seen on Diners, Drive ins, and Dives you know this breakfast joint had to be good. Just typical diner food, but so yummy. I had the banana pecan buttermilk pancakes washed down with a $4.50 mimosa. That’s a good breakfast for me. Mom had the breakfast tacos and thought they were super yummy too!
Lunch/Dinner
- Torchy’s Tacos – hands down THE BEST queso I had all weekend. The out of the box tacos make it the perfect lunch location. Ask for the secret menu: The Matador and Naughty Santa were delicious!
- Aba – A beautiful patio serving Mediterranean dishes. We have one in Chicago, so did not visit this location, but it looked SOO CUTE!
- The Doughminican Food Truck – Known particularly for its empanadas, filled with chicken, beef, ratatouille, or queso.
- Homeslice – Austin’s best pizza. This traditional New York pizza hit the spot late at night!
- Perla’s – Each day they have fresh fish and oysters flown in from the Gulf of Mexico. Sporting a Cape Cod style menu with oysters, lobster rolls, and other seafood inspired by the East coast, although the menu isn’t very Texas, it is a must try!
- Lamberts BBQ– If you don’t feel like waiting 4 hours in line at Franklin’s, we really enjoyed Lamberts. It is more of an upscale BBQ joint, and their corn bread, mashed potatoes, and brisket were divine! I had the mezcal margarita per our cute waiters recommendation and it tied the meal perfectly together!
Drinks
- Zanzibar– Rooftop at The Marriott with really cool tiki vibes.
- P6– Gorgeous views of Town Lake for sunset & bat watching. The drinks were so good, and they have some tasty snacks. We loved the hummus!
- Taquero Mucho – This place is a Brittany heaven. Pink everything, cute decor, pink taco shells even, but a 3 hour wait for a table – no thank you. After taking to locals, they said the food was not good either. But you can order drinks at hang around the entrance.
- Anywhere on Rainey Street – The cutest bars set inside old houses!
Desserts
- Churro Co – For sweet tooths, Churros Co. is the spot for churros. Where the fried dough is topped with fruit compote, apple pie, marshmallows, caramel, and more.
- Little Lucy’s Mini Donuts – Savor fresh, hot mini donuts with your choice of flavored sugar in adorable pink bag.
- Bananarchy – Austin’s only frozen banana stand offering over the top combinations for this yummy treat.
- Amy’s Ice Cream – Fun flavors, and as many crushins’ (toppings or add ons) that your heart desires. This ice cream joint is a great treat on a hot Texas day.
- Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream – Originating in Chicago, we even had to stop here because it was right next to our hotel, and it is seriously THAT GOOD! Don’t skip this one!
What are your favorite things to do in Austin, TX?
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