Austin's dining history runs very deep. To honor the city’s culinary past, Eater updated its guide to historic Austin restaurants that are worth checking out. Ranging from 19th-century institution Scholz Garten, which was founded in 1866, to early ’80s classics like Chinatown, here are the best places to experience the roots of Austin's ongoing culinary explosion.
Sadly, Austin's longtime restaurants have been disappearing. Nau’s diner remains closed due to staffing and pandemic-related difficulties and the entire business will close anyway in March 2023. There are also temporary closures, like House Park Bar-B-Que after it was damaged in a fire in 2020, but it should reopen soon, Driskill Grill still also still temporarily closed.
In better news, Hoffbrau Steakhouse has reopened after closing due to the hot summer, and Avenue B Grocery reopened after an extended closure due to COVID-10.
For other iconic dining experiences in the city, seek out Austin's emblematic dishes, meat dishes, barbecue, burgers, pizza, drinks, and the Eater 38.
Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission. The latest CDC guidance is here; find a COVID-19 vaccination site here.
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