South Austin’s main artery is South Congress Avenue, sandwiched between Travis Heights and Bouldin Creek. It’s where crowds of Austinites and tourists weave in and out of restaurants, boutiques, and vintage stores, taking in that straight-on view of the Texas State Capitol.
In terms of eating and drinking, everyone knows about the long lines of Jo’s Coffee (home of that iconic I Love You So Much mural), Hopdoddy Burger Bar, and Torchy’s Tacos. Setting those establishments aside, Eater presents its neighborhood guide to South Congress.
This guide features spots for coffee, breakfast, brunch, tacos, and drinks, and even a music venue-slash-bar (hello, Continental Club). There are longtime establishments like ideal diner Magnolia Cafe, and New York-style pizzeria Home Slice, to more recent openings like neighborhood wine destination June’s, pastry-filled cafe Manana, and new-school barbecue from LeRoy & Lewis.
For the purposes of this map, this guide focuses only on businesses located right on or near South Congress Avenue until it hits highways 290 and 71, straddling the line between the Travis Heights and Bouldin Creek neighborhoods. Check out Eater Austin’s other neighborhood dining guides too.
As with all businesses, be sure to call ahead to make sure each restaurant/bar/truck is still open or if there are updates on current offerings and service models, as things are changing constantly. Wear a mask, tip well, and if you’re ordering delivery, try to order directly from the restaurants/bars/trucks themselves.
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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