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A plate of steak and potatoes that someone is cutting into.
A dish from Buenos Aires Cafe.
Buenos Aires Cafe

Where to Eat and Drink in Austin's East Side

Caribbean roti, tacos, fantastic cakes, and booze

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A dish from Buenos Aires Cafe.
| Buenos Aires Cafe

Austin’s East Side has seen continued to see a surge in bars and restaurants in the past couple of years, causing the area to become a popular destination for locals and visitors alike. The highly walkable neighborhood is densely packed with food and drink hotspots, making it a dream for those who love to hop around from place to place.

Let’s talk about drinks. Shangri-La is a popular dive bar, offering cheap drinks. Feeling fancy? Whisler’s has craft cocktails with ample patio space to spread out. Beer and coffee are a popular paired offering, with Wright Bros. Brew & Brew and Easy Tiger both serving espresso drinks along with ales and IPAs.

Food on the east side runs the gamut from one of the city’s best taco trailers (Las Trancas) to a much-lauded Caribbean restaurant (Canje). Other great options include still-buzzy Mexican restaurant (Suerte), and a butcher shop and restaurant with massive steaks to share (Salt & Time).

For the purposes of this map, Austin’s East Side is considered between downtown and Holly, from I-35 to Robert Martinez Jr. Street, from East Cesar Chavez Street to East Seventh Street. Check out Eater Austin’s other neighborhood dining guides too.

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Shangri-La

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With an impressive menu of drinks (including a frozen option), a spacious patio, and slider truck Golden Castle out in the back, the casual bar is a popular place to hang out. The bar features indoor and outdoor areas.

Fukumoto

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The casual Japanese restaurant offers up a great and easy selection of yakitori and nigiri. The restaurant is open for indoor dine-in service.

Wright Bros. Brew and Brew

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Brew & Brew offers high-quality coffee and beer selections. The cafe and bar also offers bagels and schmears and sandwiches There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas and takeout orders can be placed online.

Buenos Aires Café

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Fill up on Argentinian fare like empanadas with chimichurri and mixed grill plates. The restaurant also houses a tapas speakeasy, the Milonga Room, downstairs. Reservations are encouraged for that. Takeout and delivery orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Easy Tiger - East 7th

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The local bakery and brewery has an outpost on East Seventh, with a signature sprawling patio perfect for enjoying beer, a cocktail, coffee, pretzels, pastries, and more. Indoor and outdoor dining are available, and to-go orders can be placed online.

Overhead shot of different types of breads and pretzels on a black counter.
Bread from Easy Tiger.
Jessica Attie

The wine list at the fun and magnificent bar is perfectly curated, highlighting a strong selection of natural wines from around the world. Enjoy glasses and bottles plus snacks on the patio. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas.

Cisco's Restaurant

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With all the bars on the east side, a filling all-day breakfast spot is essential. Cisco’s is known for its Tex-Mex menu with migas and diner favorites like biscuits, served all day long. The restaurant is open for indoor dine-in services.

Salt & Time

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This butcher shop and grocery also has tables and a bar where people can enjoy its ever-changing menu. Try to snag one of the succulent large roasts to share, or go for the house-made pasta. There’s also a wine shop and bar with its own patio and menu of snacks two doors down

The White Horse

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The honky-tonk is famous for its dancing two-stepping patrons and cheap drinks, which makes for great people-watching. The bar is open for indoor and outdoor services.

The Mexican restaurant is still one of the biggest hits of Austin, where its masa-obsessed menu features tacos, quesadillas, tamals, etc. Definitely try the brunch. The restaurant is open for indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Whisler's

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The odds of bumping into a friend at the giant patio at the popular cocktail bar are very high on weekends. The cocktail bar has fancy drinks and punch, while the mezcaleria upstairs is a more intimate setting. There are indoor and outdoor areas, plus on-site slider truck Golden Tiger.

A bar.
Whisler’s.
Mark Weatherford

East Side’s delightful Caribbean restaurant comes from the team behind Emmer & Rye. The jerk chicken is juicy and spicy, the tres leches is tart and creamy, and the flaky roti is perfection. There are indoor and patio dine-in services.

Apt 115

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The cozy wine bar on East Seventh is the place to go to explore all sorts of wines both familiar and unexpected. The new food menu means both a la carte dishes (with dishes like curried crab or root vegetable tots), and a tasting menu. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Tamale House East

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Tamale House East is the embodiment of Austin Tex-Mex history from the famed Valera and Vasquez families. It’s full of tacos, tamales, and good vibes. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Plates of Mexican food on a blue-tiled table.
Dishes from Tamale House East
Courtney Pierce/EATX

There’s more than just great coffee at this neighborhood spot. Breakfast tacos, sandwiches, and a strong selection of beer and coffee are available on the patio or inside the bright blue cafe. Bonus: the building also houses Paper Route Bakery, with incredible cakes by the slice. Takeout orders can be placed online. The cafe is open for indoor and outdoor services.

Las Trancas

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One of the city’s best taco trucks dishes up simple and cheap tacos from its giant trailer with patio on East Cesar Chavez, from the basics like pastor and asada to offal like beef tripe and pork stomach. Takeout orders can be placed in person. There are outdoor dine-in tables.

Korean restaurant Oseyo uses recipes from Korean-American owner Lynn Miller’s mother for dishes like bossam, bibimbap, and wood-grilled meats. The indoor seating is open and airy, and there’s also an outside patio and takeout ordering online.

Shangri-La

With an impressive menu of drinks (including a frozen option), a spacious patio, and slider truck Golden Castle out in the back, the casual bar is a popular place to hang out. The bar features indoor and outdoor areas.

Fukumoto

The casual Japanese restaurant offers up a great and easy selection of yakitori and nigiri. The restaurant is open for indoor dine-in service.

Wright Bros. Brew and Brew

Brew & Brew offers high-quality coffee and beer selections. The cafe and bar also offers bagels and schmears and sandwiches There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas and takeout orders can be placed online.

Buenos Aires Café

Fill up on Argentinian fare like empanadas with chimichurri and mixed grill plates. The restaurant also houses a tapas speakeasy, the Milonga Room, downstairs. Reservations are encouraged for that. Takeout and delivery orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Easy Tiger - East 7th

The local bakery and brewery has an outpost on East Seventh, with a signature sprawling patio perfect for enjoying beer, a cocktail, coffee, pretzels, pastries, and more. Indoor and outdoor dining are available, and to-go orders can be placed online.

Overhead shot of different types of breads and pretzels on a black counter.
Bread from Easy Tiger.
Jessica Attie

LoLo

The wine list at the fun and magnificent bar is perfectly curated, highlighting a strong selection of natural wines from around the world. Enjoy glasses and bottles plus snacks on the patio. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas.

Cisco's Restaurant

With all the bars on the east side, a filling all-day breakfast spot is essential. Cisco’s is known for its Tex-Mex menu with migas and diner favorites like biscuits, served all day long. The restaurant is open for indoor dine-in services.

Salt & Time

This butcher shop and grocery also has tables and a bar where people can enjoy its ever-changing menu. Try to snag one of the succulent large roasts to share, or go for the house-made pasta. There’s also a wine shop and bar with its own patio and menu of snacks two doors down

The White Horse

The honky-tonk is famous for its dancing two-stepping patrons and cheap drinks, which makes for great people-watching. The bar is open for indoor and outdoor services.

Suerte

The Mexican restaurant is still one of the biggest hits of Austin, where its masa-obsessed menu features tacos, quesadillas, tamals, etc. Definitely try the brunch. The restaurant is open for indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Whisler's

The odds of bumping into a friend at the giant patio at the popular cocktail bar are very high on weekends. The cocktail bar has fancy drinks and punch, while the mezcaleria upstairs is a more intimate setting. There are indoor and outdoor areas, plus on-site slider truck Golden Tiger.

A bar.
Whisler’s.
Mark Weatherford

Canje

East Side’s delightful Caribbean restaurant comes from the team behind Emmer & Rye. The jerk chicken is juicy and spicy, the tres leches is tart and creamy, and the flaky roti is perfection. There are indoor and patio dine-in services.

Apt 115

The cozy wine bar on East Seventh is the place to go to explore all sorts of wines both familiar and unexpected. The new food menu means both a la carte dishes (with dishes like curried crab or root vegetable tots), and a tasting menu. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Tamale House East

Tamale House East is the embodiment of Austin Tex-Mex history from the famed Valera and Vasquez families. It’s full of tacos, tamales, and good vibes. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Plates of Mexican food on a blue-tiled table.
Dishes from Tamale House East
Courtney Pierce/EATX

Cenote

There’s more than just great coffee at this neighborhood spot. Breakfast tacos, sandwiches, and a strong selection of beer and coffee are available on the patio or inside the bright blue cafe. Bonus: the building also houses Paper Route Bakery, with incredible cakes by the slice. Takeout orders can be placed online. The cafe is open for indoor and outdoor services.

Related Maps

Las Trancas

One of the city’s best taco trucks dishes up simple and cheap tacos from its giant trailer with patio on East Cesar Chavez, from the basics like pastor and asada to offal like beef tripe and pork stomach. Takeout orders can be placed in person. There are outdoor dine-in tables.

Oseyo

Korean restaurant Oseyo uses recipes from Korean-American owner Lynn Miller’s mother for dishes like bossam, bibimbap, and wood-grilled meats. The indoor seating is open and airy, and there’s also an outside patio and takeout ordering online.

Related Maps