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Where to Eat When You Should Have Eaten Two Hours Ago at SXSW

by Meghan McCarron
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by Meghan McCarron
1 comment / new

Hunger forces people to make bad decisions during SXSW. Despite the fact that great food options abound in Austin, when the starving mania takes hold, all bets are off. But don't walk into that PF Chang's. Consult this helpful map of the best bets for quick, satisfying SXSW eats.

A general note: this map is not exhaustive, nor is everything here a peak culinary experience. If you're starving and desperate, probably you are looking for food not at a traditional meal time. Usually packed locations like SouthBites might be doable. Also, don't listen to your desperate gut begging you to walk into the nearest convention restaurant. Down that free Kind Bar (everyone has a free Kind Bar), gird your loins, and cross either Congress or I-35 for less packed, and much more palatable, options.

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Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

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This is their first SXSW rodeo, so Eater cannot vouch for their ability to handle the crowds. But for quick, cheap, delicious options close to the convention center, Gus's is hard to beat. Special SXSW hours: 10:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.

117 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 474-4877
(512) 474-4877

Also featured in:

Royal Blue Grocery

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[Photo: Lauren B./Yelp]

609 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 469-5888
(512) 469-5888

Frank Restaurant

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Quirky and classic sausages, waffle fries, and surprisingly delicious cocktails will set you right. Right in the heart of the madness, so there will probably be a line, but they will feed you fast once you're in.

407 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 494-6894
(512) 494-6894

Daily Juice

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[Photo: Sonnia T/Yelp]

3rd Street, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 243-6532
(512) 243-6532

Also featured in:

Hut's Hamburgers

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Wandering West 6th aimlessly looking for somewhere cheap and quick to eat? Hit this classic burger beacon & get the onion rings.

807 W 6th St, Austin, TX 78703
(512) 472-0693
(512) 472-0693

Also featured in:

Whole Foods Market

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Want to experience Austin like a local? Eat at Whole Foods. No joke, this is the quick, cheap-ish go-to for starving Austinites.

525 N Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78703
(512) 542-2200
(512) 542-2200

Easy Tiger

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This bakery and beer garden promises to be packed, but for quick, high-quality eats it doesn't get much better.

709 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 614-4972
(512) 614-4972

Koriente Restaurant

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Rice bowls and vegetarian-friendly offerings abound at this little restaurant tucked away on East 7th. They will be unusually busy during SXSW, but lots of folks won't know to venture onto 7th.

621 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 275-0852
(512) 275-0852

Also featured in:

The Hightower

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This super-new restaurant is doing lunch for the first time, which should mean it will be an approachable option for a midday meal. Their menu focuses on affordable new American.

1209 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702

Also featured in:

hay elotes

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This tiny shop serves up Mexican-style fruit cups, ice cream, and elotes, a street snack that they make with legit Mexican corn. The proprietors are very friendly, too.

2214 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 945-6275
(512) 945-6275

Taqueria Chapala

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[Photo: Alexandra L/Yelp]

2101 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 320-0308
(512) 320-0308

Also featured in:

Rio's Brazilian Café

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This lovely Brazilian restaurant features quick bites and more significant entrees, plus several sake-based tropical cocktails. Not far from the action and totally under the radar.

408 N Pleasant Valley Rd, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 828-6617
(512) 828-6617

East End Wines

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Drink a bottle of wine bought at retail prices and enjoy local favorite trailer food al fresco at 3 Little Pigs.

1209 Rosewood Ave, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 904-9056
(512) 904-9056

Also featured in:

Austin Daily Press

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This brick and mortar location of a popular sandwich truck is off the festival track while not being too terribly far from East Side music venues.

1900 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 828-6463
(512) 828-6463

Also featured in:

Vespaio

Copy Link

This Italian restaurant and its more casual sister Enoteca tend to be one of the quieter places to grab a meal on South Congress. It's an Austin classic, too.

1610 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 441-6100
(512) 441-6100

Also featured in:

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Rosita's Al Pastor

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[Photo: Juliana G./Yelp]

1911 East Riverside Drive, Austin, TX 78741

Also featured in:

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Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

117 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, TX 78701

This is their first SXSW rodeo, so Eater cannot vouch for their ability to handle the crowds. But for quick, cheap, delicious options close to the convention center, Gus's is hard to beat. Special SXSW hours: 10:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.

117 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 474-4877
(512) 474-4877

Royal Blue Grocery

609 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701

[Photo: Lauren B./Yelp]

609 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 469-5888
(512) 469-5888

Frank Restaurant

407 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701

Quirky and classic sausages, waffle fries, and surprisingly delicious cocktails will set you right. Right in the heart of the madness, so there will probably be a line, but they will feed you fast once you're in.

407 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 494-6894
(512) 494-6894

Daily Juice

3rd Street, Austin, TX 78701

[Photo: Sonnia T/Yelp]

3rd Street, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 243-6532
(512) 243-6532

Hut's Hamburgers

807 W 6th St, Austin, TX 78703

Wandering West 6th aimlessly looking for somewhere cheap and quick to eat? Hit this classic burger beacon & get the onion rings.

807 W 6th St, Austin, TX 78703
(512) 472-0693
(512) 472-0693

Whole Foods Market

525 N Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78703

Want to experience Austin like a local? Eat at Whole Foods. No joke, this is the quick, cheap-ish go-to for starving Austinites.

525 N Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78703
(512) 542-2200
(512) 542-2200

Easy Tiger

709 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701

This bakery and beer garden promises to be packed, but for quick, high-quality eats it doesn't get much better.

709 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 614-4972
(512) 614-4972

Koriente Restaurant

621 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78701

Rice bowls and vegetarian-friendly offerings abound at this little restaurant tucked away on East 7th. They will be unusually busy during SXSW, but lots of folks won't know to venture onto 7th.

621 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 275-0852
(512) 275-0852

The Hightower

1209 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702

This super-new restaurant is doing lunch for the first time, which should mean it will be an approachable option for a midday meal. Their menu focuses on affordable new American.

1209 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702

hay elotes

2214 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702

This tiny shop serves up Mexican-style fruit cups, ice cream, and elotes, a street snack that they make with legit Mexican corn. The proprietors are very friendly, too.

2214 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 945-6275
(512) 945-6275

Taqueria Chapala

2101 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702

[Photo: Alexandra L/Yelp]

2101 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 320-0308
(512) 320-0308

Rio's Brazilian Café

408 N Pleasant Valley Rd, Austin, TX 78702

This lovely Brazilian restaurant features quick bites and more significant entrees, plus several sake-based tropical cocktails. Not far from the action and totally under the radar.

408 N Pleasant Valley Rd, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 828-6617
(512) 828-6617

East End Wines

1209 Rosewood Ave, Austin, TX 78702

Drink a bottle of wine bought at retail prices and enjoy local favorite trailer food al fresco at 3 Little Pigs.

1209 Rosewood Ave, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 904-9056
(512) 904-9056

Austin Daily Press

1900 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin, TX 78702

This brick and mortar location of a popular sandwich truck is off the festival track while not being too terribly far from East Side music venues.

1900 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 828-6463
(512) 828-6463

Vespaio

1610 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704

This Italian restaurant and its more casual sister Enoteca tend to be one of the quieter places to grab a meal on South Congress. It's an Austin classic, too.

1610 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 441-6100
(512) 441-6100

Related Maps

Rosita's Al Pastor

1911 East Riverside Drive, Austin, TX 78741

[Photo: Juliana G./Yelp]

1911 East Riverside Drive, Austin, TX 78741

Related Maps