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 Tex-Mex restaurants have been disappearing. This map said goodbye to Hut’s Hamburgers, which closed in 2019 (apart from the airport location), and Threadgill’s, Dart Bowl, and Chez Nous, which all closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. House Park Bar-B-Que is closed after being damaged in a fire in 2020 but is open for catering orders, and Nau’s remains closed for the time being due to staffing and pandemic-related difficulties.
In better news, Hoffbrau Steakhouse has reopened after closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For other iconic dining experiences in the city, seek out Austin's emblematic dishes, meat dishes, barbecue, burgers, pizza, drinks, and the Eater 38.
With updates by Nadia Chaudhury and Erin Russell.
Are there any historical Austin restaurants missing? Let Eater know through the tipline or the comments.
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