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A restaurant with a car hop service.
Top Notch.
Top Notch

12 Low-Key and Fun Valentine’s Day Dining Options in Austin

Avoid all of the lovey-dovey stuff

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Top Notch.
| Top Notch

Yes, Valentine’s Day is one of the worst dining days of the year. The so-called romantic holiday just entails costly bills and a forced amorous atmosphere. But, hey, a person still has to eat, and if you’re looking for casual dining options on Tuesday, February 14, without having to shell out a bunch of money for prix fixe menus, dreaded aphrodisiacs, and being inundated with red and pink everywhere, Eater has you covered.

Here are Austin’s best low-key picks for Valentine’s Day. Avoid the greeting card holiday with bowling and burgers at Westgate Lanes and Slab BBQ, Korean barbecue from Honey Pig, tacos from Las Trancas, noodle soup bowls from Sazan Ramen, and more.

Looking for more places to avoid the day? There are dive bars, karaoke bars, food trucks, and bars with good activities and games. If dining out is absolutely necessary on Valentine’s day, scope out Eater’s picks and suggestions for dinners and the such.

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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Honey Pig BBQ Austin

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DIY Korean barbecue is fun and delicious. The restaurant is open for dine-in services.

Top Notch Hamburgers

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Instead of breaking bread, why not break fried chicken together, especially with car hop services? Takeout and delivery orders can be placed online. The restaurant is open for dine-in services.

Tumble 22

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Fact: chicken tenders make for the perfect meal, and the Austin fried chicken mini-chain is the place to go for tenders. Takeout orders can be placed online, and there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Sazan Ramen

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Slurp down delicious bowls of ramen from the Highland Japanese restaurant. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are deliveries; and there are indoor dine-in services.

The Omelettry

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For daytime plans, look no further than the classic Austin diner. Takeout orders can be placed online or over the phone. The restaurant is open for indoor dine-in services.

Aster's Ethiopian Restaurant

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Sharing at the campus Ethiopian restaurant works best with two or more dishes, so order sharable meats, vegetables, and spongy injera. Takeout orders can be placed online, and there are indoor dine-in services.

Fareground

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Mix up the meal through the array of restaurants at the downtown food hall — dumplings, noodle soups, pita sandwiches, burgers, French baguette sandwiches, tacos, and drinks. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Las Trancas

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Tacos make for great meals and the East Austin truck’s menu is delicious and affordable. Takeout orders can be placed in person; there are outdoor tables for on-site dining.

Whataburger

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Perfect easy meal: drive-thru burgers and honey butter chicken biscuits.

Jack Allen's Kitchen

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Avoid the downtown mess by heading to the Oak Hill location of the Texas restaurant mini-chain, to load up on everything from the chicken fried-anything to the green chile pork queso. Wash everything down with many many different types of margaritas. Takeout orders can be placed online. The restaurants are open for indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Frazier's Long & Low

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Play a game of pool while indulging in easy beers, cocktails, and corn dogs at the East Riverside bar. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

Westgate Lanes & Slab BBQ

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Bowling and excellent barbecue sandwiches can be found at Westgate and that location of Slab BBQ.

Honey Pig BBQ Austin

DIY Korean barbecue is fun and delicious. The restaurant is open for dine-in services.

Top Notch Hamburgers

Instead of breaking bread, why not break fried chicken together, especially with car hop services? Takeout and delivery orders can be placed online. The restaurant is open for dine-in services.

Tumble 22

Fact: chicken tenders make for the perfect meal, and the Austin fried chicken mini-chain is the place to go for tenders. Takeout orders can be placed online, and there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Sazan Ramen

Slurp down delicious bowls of ramen from the Highland Japanese restaurant. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are deliveries; and there are indoor dine-in services.

The Omelettry

For daytime plans, look no further than the classic Austin diner. Takeout orders can be placed online or over the phone. The restaurant is open for indoor dine-in services.

Aster's Ethiopian Restaurant

Sharing at the campus Ethiopian restaurant works best with two or more dishes, so order sharable meats, vegetables, and spongy injera. Takeout orders can be placed online, and there are indoor dine-in services.

Fareground

Mix up the meal through the array of restaurants at the downtown food hall — dumplings, noodle soups, pita sandwiches, burgers, French baguette sandwiches, tacos, and drinks. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Las Trancas

Tacos make for great meals and the East Austin truck’s menu is delicious and affordable. Takeout orders can be placed in person; there are outdoor tables for on-site dining.

Whataburger

Perfect easy meal: drive-thru burgers and honey butter chicken biscuits.

Jack Allen's Kitchen

Avoid the downtown mess by heading to the Oak Hill location of the Texas restaurant mini-chain, to load up on everything from the chicken fried-anything to the green chile pork queso. Wash everything down with many many different types of margaritas. Takeout orders can be placed online. The restaurants are open for indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Frazier's Long & Low

Play a game of pool while indulging in easy beers, cocktails, and corn dogs at the East Riverside bar. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

Westgate Lanes & Slab BBQ

Bowling and excellent barbecue sandwiches can be found at Westgate and that location of Slab BBQ.

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