In your younger years, abrtrip to Austin might have involved spending the majority of your time on Sixth Streetbrlistening to local bands and having the time of your carefree, mortgage-freebrlife. But these days, you will probably find yourself wandering the citybrstreets looking to fill your belly more than wet your whistle. Discover fourbrgreat Austin restaurants worth a visit on your next road trip south.
Clark's Oyster Bar
1200 West Sixth Street
Located in the Old WestbrAustin district of the Lone Star's capitol, you'll find Clark's Oyster Bar, abrsmall neighborhood joint offering some of the city's best seafood. The stripedbryellow awning and seaside-town façade at Clark's make it stand out among thebrother restaurants that line West Sixth Street. Whether you choose to dinebrindoors or alfresco on the patio, there's no denying the casual and cozybratmosphere throughout. Open for brunch, lunch, happy hour and dinner, Clark'sbris a can't-miss seafood restaurant to put on your list of Austin favorites.
The oysters at Clark's hailbrfrom the Northern Pacific state of Washington and the upper Northern Atlanticbrstates famous for their seafood. Known for its house-made breads, burgers andbrlobster rolls, the restaurant's lunch and dinner menu will have you hooked. Butbrwe've heard stories about Clark's desserts that aren't just embellished fishbrtales. The restaurant's famous Key Lime Tart is made from torched meringue,brtoasted coconut and lime zest. Another favorite is the Basque Cake (cherrybrpreserves, cream cheese ice cream and Marcona almonds).
Matt's Famous El Rancho
2613 South Lamar Boulevard
In Texas, a city's roundupbrof restaurants is only as good as its best Tex-Mex eateries. You've hit thebrjackpot in Austin! With more than 100 Mexican/Tex-Mexican restaurants locatedbrin the city limits, it was more than challenging to settle on just one. Webrsought out Austin originals and restaurants that have seen the city grow intobrthe big shoes it had to fill as the capitol city of our great state. In thebrend, we chose to recommend Matt's Famous El Rancho's made-from-scratch salsabrand tortillas.
When Matt and Janie Martinezbropened the Tex-Mex eatery more than 60 years ago, there was seating for 40.brNow, Matt's Famous El Rancho has room for 500. Still family-owned and -operated,brthe restaurant's atmosphere is casual and friendly. Serving breakfast, lunchbrand dinner, Matt's has received accolades and reached the top of many a listbrwhen it comes to its food. If you're up for a daily dinner special, try Thursday'sbrShrimp Mojo de Ajo: six grilled jumbo Gulf shrimp served with avocado salad,brveggie rice, grilled vegetables and black beans. Or if you just want to relaxbron the patio, we suggest you pair Matt's Knockout Martini with a batch ofbrfreshly made corn tortilla chips and the restaurant's epic queso.
Stubb's Bar-B-Q
801 Red River
Stubb's Bar-B-Q may be abrcity favorite, but it's not native to Austin. It turns out Lubbock, Texas,brisn't just about tumbleweeds and Texas Tech—it's also the birthplace of Stubb'sbrBar-B-Q. Although the doors of the west Texas location have long been closed,brAustin's outpost is alive and kicking with crazy-great meats, ice-cold beer andbrplenty of live music listening opportunities. The restaurant has become muchbrmore than an eatery; it's an iconic venue in Austin. Although people may saybrthey come for the live entertainment, we're pretty sure it's the barbecue thatbrkeeps 'em coming.
Stubb's brisket and beansbrmay be just about as barbecue basic as you can get, but it's anything butbrsimple in taste. The restaurant uses house-made rubs, locally grown post oakbrfor smoking and hand-selected cuts of meat that include beef, chicken, turkeybrand pork—all smoked daily onsite. The menu features all-you-can-eat, family-stylebrdining, combo plates, salads and sandwiches. And, as to be expected, all sidebritems, from the slaw to the mashed sweet potatoes, are made fresh on thebrpremises as well.
Voodoo Doughnut V
212 East Sixth Street
Performing weddingbrceremonies is not why the founders of Voodoo Doughnut got into the business ofbrbaking pastries. Two friends who simply wanted to start a business together didbrsome soul searching and settled on doughnuts. However, if you want to getbrmarried at any of the five U.S. locations, legally, you can. But let's assumebryou are more in the mood for good Austin (eclectic) food than you are to tiebrthe knot. A trip to Voodoo Doughnut V, so-named for being the fifth store tobropen and also the only Austin location, is in order. Adorned with chandeliersbrand voodoo-esque images on walls and windows, this 24/7 restaurant is set up tobrallow patrons to dine in or grab their dough to go.
And, oh, what dough there isbrto be had! While the doughnut itself is a palate-pleasing pastry, it mainlybrserves as a blank canvas for the magic that must take place to create the worksbrof art Voodoo Doughnut treats truly are. From the basic chocolate-covered cakebror powdered sugar doughnut to the Captain Crunch-covered treat, Voodoo Doughnutbrhas a creation to match your breakfast pastry personality. Whether it's toppedbrwith cereal, lemonade powder or bacon, each one is a uniquely named ediblebrmasterpiece. For a full visual list of doughnuts, visit the restaurant'sbrwebsite. But we must warn you, some of the doughnuts are adult-only themed.