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A dish from Foreign & Domestic.
Foreign & Domestic

Where to Eat in Austin to Avoid the SXSW Madness

Dine well while dodging the festival

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A dish from Foreign & Domestic.
| Foreign & Domestic

South by Southwest (SXSW) will consume the city soon this March, to the adoration or irritation of Austin residents. What everyone can agree on is that dining out anywhere near the downtown epicenter is basically impossible. Here is Eater’s updated guide with restaurant suggestions outside of the city’s crowded, very-branded centers (downtown, east side, Rainey, South Lamar, South Congress), offering great meals without the hassle.

Find everything from Japanese sandwiches at Choo Sando in Allandale to Southern fare at Cherrywood restaurant Hoover’s to tacos at further South Lamar spot Papalote to wine bars galore.

If you’ve got friends in town for the conference asking you “Where should I eat now?” direct them to Eater’s SXSW guides for more dining and drinking ideas.

Looking to avoid SXSW with drinks? Eater has you covered over here. For other dining suggestions, look to the Eater Austin 38 essential restaurants and the heatmap.

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Carnitas El Guero

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The quickly growing taco shop is known for its flavorful carnitas, which is served in fluffy tortillas. All locations are a good bet for avoiding the SXSW crowds, including this North Austin one. There are on-site dine-in areas.

Barley Swine

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Try Bryce Gilmore’s true New Texan dishes at the Brentwood restaurant, which has both tasting and a la carte menus, along with a full bar. Don’t skip the desserts, either. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

A restaurant dining room.
Barley Swine.
Robert J. Lerma/Eater Austin

The Peached Tortilla

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The Allandale restaurant outpost of this beloved food truck features a full bar and expanded menu of Asian-Southern fusion dishes. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Ramen from Peached Tortilla
Ramen from Peached Tortilla
Peached Tortilla/Facebook

Choo Sando

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Dine on excellent Japanese sandwiches and sushi at the Allandale cafe in the daytime. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas. Next-day preorders can be placed online.

Epicerie

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Epicerie is a grocery/cafe in Rosedale, selling artisan goods and handmade breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner from a French-inspired Cajun menu. Order the beignets. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services. Takeout orders can be placed online.

Quality Seafood

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Quality Seafood is known city-wide for its fresh sea fare, whether you’re looking for a take-home tuna steak or a dine-in po’ boy, fish taco, or fried catfish. Stay a while and grab a cold beer, too. There are indoor dine-in services. Takeout orders can be placed online.

A seafood restaurant dining room.
Quality Seafood.
Raymond Thompson/Eater Austin

Foreign & Domestic

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This chef-owned restaurant in North Loop is home to farm-fresh local produce, a killer burger, and fun dishes like light Parisian gnocchi. It also offers a nose-to-tail prix fixe menu for adventurous diners. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services. Takeout orders can be placed online.

Flo’s Wine Bar and Bottle Shop & Allday Pizza

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SXSW is the perfect time to check out this new Tarrytown wine bar and pizza shop. Of the first, there’s a long list of bottles available for on-site and take-home drinking as well as wines by the glass. And the latter is the first physical location of pizzeria Allday Pizza with pies, slices, and more. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

L'Oca D'Oro

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This humble Italian charmer in the Mueller development has become a stable for Italian fare for good reason. Its straightforward and thoughtful approach to rustic cuisine allows simple ingredients to shine. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

L’Oca D’Oro
L’Oca D’Oro
Robert J. Lerma/EATX

Hoover's Cooking

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Soothe your SXSW-addled psyche with some of Austin’s best Southern and soul food at Manor Road restaurant Hoover’s. Chicken fried steak solves everything, right? There are indoor dine-in services. Takeout orders can be placed online.

Aviary Wine & Kitchen

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The South Lamar wine restaurant is an ideal spot to spend a calm afternoon with friends, a bottle of wine, and a rotating selection of cheese and charcuterie. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

A restaurant dining room.
Aviary Wine & Kitchen.
Robert J. Lerma/EATX

Abby Jane Bakeshop

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Go for full peace and quiet at this bakeshop out in Dripping Springs, which offers breads, cakes, croissants, all made with Barton Springs Mill flours. Abby Jane also offers sandwiches, picnic-ready sides, and beer and wine on tap, as well as a shaded picnic tables for eating outside. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas. Takeout orders can be placed online.

A tiered glass display of various pastries.
Pastries from Abby Jane Bakeshop.
Abby Jane Bakeshop

Papalote Taco House

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The stellar taco spot is far enough south from SXSWness that few will venture down that far. It has great tacos and a liquor license. For those staying north of the river, there is a second location, too. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

Jack Allen's Kitchen

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Chef Jack Gilmore’s locally sourced, Southern-inspired restaurant mini-chain Jack Allen’s Kitchen is a great destination for a lively, filling meal without the downtown mess. There are also locations out in Round Rock, 360, West Anderson Lane, and Cedar Park. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services. Takeout orders can be placed online.

A restaurant dining room.
Jack Allen’s Kitchen.
Raymond Thompson

Radio Coffee & Beer

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Looking to grab a casual coffee, beer, or a cocktail while surrounded by some of Austin’s best food trucks? Radio’s patio is a great place to enjoy the spring sunshine, whether to work, relax, or enjoy some tacos (Veracruz), Thai (Dee Dee), or brisket biscuits (Briscuits). There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

Sichuan River

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Craving Chinese? Head to this restaurant way off the normal beaten path in Westgate. There are indoor dine-in services. Takeout orders can be placed online.

Meanwhile Brewing

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The McKinney brewery is just far away enough that you can enjoy great beers, excellent barbecue (Distant Relatives), and awesome tacos (Pueblo Viejo) without any out-of-towners around. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

Take a wander out in the southwesterly direction to Pieous in Belterra Village, which specializes in Neapolitan pizza, house-cured pastrami, and absurdly large cookies and other sweets. It’s open for takeout orders online placed in person or online, and there is a patio for on-site dining.

Keepers Austin

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Take a moment to visit the far south Austin seafood restaurant for Gulf seafood. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Golden Hour Cafe & Wine Bar

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The far South Austin wine bar is an excellent place to linger with natural wine bottles and snacky entrees. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Carnitas El Guero

The quickly growing taco shop is known for its flavorful carnitas, which is served in fluffy tortillas. All locations are a good bet for avoiding the SXSW crowds, including this North Austin one. There are on-site dine-in areas.

Barley Swine

Try Bryce Gilmore’s true New Texan dishes at the Brentwood restaurant, which has both tasting and a la carte menus, along with a full bar. Don’t skip the desserts, either. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

A restaurant dining room.
Barley Swine.
Robert J. Lerma/Eater Austin

The Peached Tortilla

The Allandale restaurant outpost of this beloved food truck features a full bar and expanded menu of Asian-Southern fusion dishes. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Ramen from Peached Tortilla
Ramen from Peached Tortilla
Peached Tortilla/Facebook

Choo Sando

Dine on excellent Japanese sandwiches and sushi at the Allandale cafe in the daytime. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas. Next-day preorders can be placed online.

Epicerie

Epicerie is a grocery/cafe in Rosedale, selling artisan goods and handmade breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner from a French-inspired Cajun menu. Order the beignets. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services. Takeout orders can be placed online.

Quality Seafood

Quality Seafood is known city-wide for its fresh sea fare, whether you’re looking for a take-home tuna steak or a dine-in po’ boy, fish taco, or fried catfish. Stay a while and grab a cold beer, too. There are indoor dine-in services. Takeout orders can be placed online.

A seafood restaurant dining room.
Quality Seafood.
Raymond Thompson/Eater Austin

Foreign & Domestic

This chef-owned restaurant in North Loop is home to farm-fresh local produce, a killer burger, and fun dishes like light Parisian gnocchi. It also offers a nose-to-tail prix fixe menu for adventurous diners. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services. Takeout orders can be placed online.

Flo’s Wine Bar and Bottle Shop & Allday Pizza

SXSW is the perfect time to check out this new Tarrytown wine bar and pizza shop. Of the first, there’s a long list of bottles available for on-site and take-home drinking as well as wines by the glass. And the latter is the first physical location of pizzeria Allday Pizza with pies, slices, and more. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

L'Oca D'Oro

This humble Italian charmer in the Mueller development has become a stable for Italian fare for good reason. Its straightforward and thoughtful approach to rustic cuisine allows simple ingredients to shine. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

L’Oca D’Oro
L’Oca D’Oro
Robert J. Lerma/EATX

Hoover's Cooking

Soothe your SXSW-addled psyche with some of Austin’s best Southern and soul food at Manor Road restaurant Hoover’s. Chicken fried steak solves everything, right? There are indoor dine-in services. Takeout orders can be placed online.

Aviary Wine & Kitchen

The South Lamar wine restaurant is an ideal spot to spend a calm afternoon with friends, a bottle of wine, and a rotating selection of cheese and charcuterie. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

A restaurant dining room.
Aviary Wine & Kitchen.
Robert J. Lerma/EATX

Abby Jane Bakeshop

Go for full peace and quiet at this bakeshop out in Dripping Springs, which offers breads, cakes, croissants, all made with Barton Springs Mill flours. Abby Jane also offers sandwiches, picnic-ready sides, and beer and wine on tap, as well as a shaded picnic tables for eating outside. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas. Takeout orders can be placed online.

A tiered glass display of various pastries.
Pastries from Abby Jane Bakeshop.
Abby Jane Bakeshop

Papalote Taco House

The stellar taco spot is far enough south from SXSWness that few will venture down that far. It has great tacos and a liquor license. For those staying north of the river, there is a second location, too. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

Jack Allen's Kitchen

Chef Jack Gilmore’s locally sourced, Southern-inspired restaurant mini-chain Jack Allen’s Kitchen is a great destination for a lively, filling meal without the downtown mess. There are also locations out in Round Rock, 360, West Anderson Lane, and Cedar Park. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services. Takeout orders can be placed online.

A restaurant dining room.
Jack Allen’s Kitchen.
Raymond Thompson

Radio Coffee & Beer

Looking to grab a casual coffee, beer, or a cocktail while surrounded by some of Austin’s best food trucks? Radio’s patio is a great place to enjoy the spring sunshine, whether to work, relax, or enjoy some tacos (Veracruz), Thai (Dee Dee), or brisket biscuits (Briscuits). There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

Related Maps

Sichuan River

Craving Chinese? Head to this restaurant way off the normal beaten path in Westgate. There are indoor dine-in services. Takeout orders can be placed online.

Meanwhile Brewing

The McKinney brewery is just far away enough that you can enjoy great beers, excellent barbecue (Distant Relatives), and awesome tacos (Pueblo Viejo) without any out-of-towners around. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

Pieous

Take a wander out in the southwesterly direction to Pieous in Belterra Village, which specializes in Neapolitan pizza, house-cured pastrami, and absurdly large cookies and other sweets. It’s open for takeout orders online placed in person or online, and there is a patio for on-site dining.

Keepers Austin

Take a moment to visit the far south Austin seafood restaurant for Gulf seafood. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Golden Hour Cafe & Wine Bar

The far South Austin wine bar is an excellent place to linger with natural wine bottles and snacky entrees. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Related Maps