Top Notch enthusiasts swear by the charcoal-grilled patties, available since 1971.

A major part of Austin’s identity as Live Music Capital of the World. Kenneth Threadgill’s gas station was a hootenanny hotbed. Eddie Wilson carries on the tradition and added on Southern food. Originally opened as a beer joint in 1933, Threadgill’s started serving food in 1981. A Riverside location sadly closed in 2018.

What is it about bowling alleys that drums up old school fare? The Dart Bowl Cafe has been serving up enchiladas and other Tex-Mex goodies since 1970.

Quality Seafood has changed hands many times since opening in 1938, and it’s been in the current Airport Boulevard location since 1970. The ever-evolving restaurant and fish market now features an oyster bar and a food truck dishing out seafood tacos under current owner Carol Huntsberger.

Originally in Rosedale, the breakfast diner was started by an ambitious hippie from California and spawned both Magnolia Café and Kerbey Lane Café. Open since 1978, the Omelettry moved to North Loop last year, but the same delicious recipes remain.

Visiting the campus burger dive at least once is a requirement for every UT student. John Martin opened the campus spot in 1926 as Martin's Kum-Bak, renamed Dirty because of the original dirt floor.

Another Clarksville landmark, Jeffrey’s started as a simple French-style cafe in 1975, and got the gussied-up McGuire-Moorman treatment in 2013.

The center of German culture in Austin, Scholz’s specializes in the three Bs: beer, brats, and bowling. Those tenets remain the same under new operators, the sausage and hot dog spot Frank. It is Austin’s oldest restaurant, open since 1866.

East Austin has become a barbecue mecca, but its smokey meat roots run deep. House Park Bar-B-Que has been open since 1943.

Sam’s Bar-B-Que opened on the east side in 1957 and is known for having mutton in addition to the usual barbecue staples and sides. Unfortunately, Sam’s is somewhat in danger of closing as the land is very valuable.

Austin’s oldest-operating Chinese restaurant opened in 1983 by Ronald Cheng. There are three locations, including the original one in Rollingwood.

Hoffbrau’s signature steak, drenched in lemon-margarine sauce, might not be for everyone, but the family-run steakhouse on West 6th offers a peek into Austin's culinary past, operating since 1932.

The Driskill’s restaurants have had many different incarnations over the hotel’s 130+ year history. The current Driskill Grill was established in 1929. The classic bar makes a great meeting place in downtown Austin too.

The charismatic Rudy “Cisco” Cisneros frequently volunteered to serve on grand juries and would bring tacos and biscuits to the weekly meetings. Open since 1943, Cisco's was a longtime politico hangout, and the migas and biscuits are a classic Austin breakfast. Now there are new owners, including Rudy's grandson Matt Cisneros, who brought dinner service and booze to the restaurant.

This place is legit, from the breaded bacon and scratch-made tortillas to the pan dulces and lardy refried beans. The current location has been open since 1969.

This old-school burger and custard stand was opened in 1946, according to the Chronicle. Sandy's makes for a great pit stop pre- or post-Barton Springs.

Mary Faulk Koock was beloved for her hospitality, opening up her family home for weekly Sunday suppers and kicking off a tradition still going nearly 70 years later with renovated digs courtesy of La Corsha Hospitality Group and developer Greg Porter and an updated menu from chef Ethan Holmes. The Sunday brunch at Mattie’s takes on a new format, but the peacocks and milk punch are still there.