Best Restaurants in Austin

Austin, Texas, has a dynamic food scene, with a diverse range of local and international cuisines and a strong farm-to-table, sustainable dining movement. From breakfast tacos to fine dining, to the barbecued meats and Tex-Mex the city is famous for, the best restaurants in Austin serve up food for all occasions.

The vibrant food culture and lively music scene are two of the city’s biggest draws, offering days and nights out to remember. The hardest part about eating out is choosing where to go – we’ve rounded up eight of the best Austin restaurants to help you decide where to try next. Hop in your Austin rental car and start your culinary journey with this handy Hertz guide.

La Condesa

400A West 2nd Street, Austin, TX 78701

If you’re looking for Michelin-star or Michelin-recommended restaurants, Austin has plenty to offer. One of the finest and most popular spots in Austin is La Condesa. Twice nominated for James Beard Awards, this fine-dining establishment also partners with The Farm Project to deliver soulful food derived from local community partners. For special occasions, the restaurant has several private dining rooms ideal for birthdays, anniversaries and more. 

Start your day the right way with a brunch menu featuring dishes such as rockfish cóctel, classic huevos rancheros or sensational pork shoulder carnitas with pineapple and avocado. The dinner menu places a new spin on traditional Mexican fare – think huarache de huitlacoche with black beans and mushrooms or grilled chicken a la brasa with carrot puree and chermoula. Got a sweet tooth? The churros are, frankly, incredible.

Cozy up in the warm and welcoming interior or bask in the evening sunshine on the leafy terrace. Arrive for your Mexican dining experience in style with premium car rental in Austin.

Find out more today.

Franklin Barbecue

900 East 11th Street, Austin, TX 78702

Barbecued meats are what Austin is best known for in terms of culinary treats, and Franklin Barbecue provides some of the best in town. Queues start to form from early evening, with locals and visitors drawn by melt-in-the-mouth brisket, house-smoked meats and pulled pork. 

The restaurant began life in Austin as a food truck when owner Franklin decided to take his passion for smoking and barbecuing meat on the road. The restaurant opened in 2010, and just five short years later, Franklin received the James Beard Award for the best chef in the southwest. Testament to the quality of the cooking is the fact that the only seasonings used are salt and pepper, allowing the natural flavors of the meat to steal the show. 

But if you do want something more, there’s an extensive menu of sauces and rubs to choose from, all created in-house to further enhance what is already the best BBQ in Austin. And with economy car rental, you’ll have more money left over for eating out.

See the full menu here.

Odd Duck

1201 South Lamar Boulevard, Austin, TX 78704

Sustainable dining is all the rage right now, and Odd Duck is one of Austin’s best restaurants for farm-to-table cuisine. Undoubtedly one of the best food trucks in Austin, with a snout-to-tail ethos when it comes to meat and produce sourced from local farms, Odd Duck’s mission to reduce waste and shop local altered the Austin farmer’s market scene for good. The rustic charm of the Fleetwood Mallard trailer adds to the back-to-nature effect, with counter service and outdoor seating year-round. 

Head for the upscale indoor eatery, serving the same great produce from an open kitchen with wraparound seating. The menu is designed to be shared family-style, with both small and large plates. Sample grilled chicken hearts with masa gravy, crispy pork belly on a Thai melon salad, blackened redfish with pecan and eggplant, and much more. You’ll want to visit more than once so you can try everything on the menu. Or pack up your large SUV rental with takeout.

Grab a reservation online.

Joe’s Bakery & Coffee Shop

2305 East 7th Street, Austin, TX 78702

This delightful family-run institution is renowned as one of the best breakfast places to eat in Austin. Specializing in breakfast tacos with a wide range of fillings, Joe’s also serves up a vast menu of home-baked Mexican bakery bites and various other breakfast and lunch dishes.

The Mexican dinner plate lets you sample crispy beef taco, chicken enchilada, rice, beans and tortillas in one dish, while the combo enchilada plate offers one beef, one chicken and one cheese. For smaller appetites, many of the dishes are available as small plates at a reduced price. 

Joe’s Bakery has been a local favorite since 1935, with four generations of the Avila family carrying on the tradition of serving great food in a warm and welcoming environment. Come to dine, stay to hang out and catch up on local news and gossip. There’s free parking for your Austin rental car while you’re on-site.

Find out more.

Titaya’s Thai Cuisine

5501 North Lamar Boulevard, Suite C101, Austin, TX 78751

If you’re looking for more international flair, Titaya’s serves some of the best Thai food in Austin. This popular modern bistro – no reservations, strictly walk-ins – offers a diverse menu combining traditional Thai recipes with fusion food, and with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options to keep the whole table happy. 

Dishes range from mild to extra-spicy, so check the chili rating before you order. Start with steamed spinach dumplings or Titaya’s signature wings with garlic, peppercorn and lemongrass. Move on to massaman or jungle curry with a choice of chicken, pork, beef, shrimp or tofu, or a lighter glass noodle stir-fry with shrimp, pork and roasted peanuts in house chili-lime dressing. 

The low-lit dining room cultivates a relaxed ambience and feels cozy without compromising on space. Food so good, you’ll need a pick-up truck rental for all the takeout you’ll be ordering.

Check out the menu online. 
 

Fonda San Miguel

2330 West North Loop Boulevard, Austin, TX 78756

This colorful, hacienda-style restaurant serves some of the best Mexican food in Austin – and that’s in a town renowned for its Tex-Mex. Celebrating the vibrant history of Mexican cuisine, Fonda San Miguel was the first Austin restaurant to focus exclusively on authentic recipes and ingredients inspired by the interior and coastal regions. 

Sample dishes from Puebla, Yucatan, Oaxaca and Veracruz, staying true to tradition and showcasing developing trends all at the same time. Think tender grilled lamb chops with smoky morita salsa or cauliflower tacos with avocado sauce and pickled red onion. Gulf of Mexico giant shrimp with spicy cream chipotle sauce is an absolute must.

Part-owner Tom Gilliland has created a dual focus on art as well as food, fitting out the restaurant with a carefully curated selection of museum-quality artwork with a backdrop of international décor and exotic plants. With a seven-passenger SUV rental, you can ensure everyone’s part of the experience.

Grab a reservation here.

Red Ash

Colorado Tower, 303 Colorado Street #200, Austin, TX 78701

The chefs at Red Ash Craft superior Italian cuisine revolving around the star of the show – a wood-fired central oven, grill and plancha fired with red ash – hence the name. Expect some of the best Italian food in Austin with that inimitable smoky flavor that only comes from live wood fires, inspired by culinary traditions from both the north and south of Italy. 

Fresh artisanal pastas and succulent seafood complement dishes from the grill. Start with wood-roasted meatballs in a San Marzano marinara sauce, octopus a la plancha with smoked pancetta braised beans, and crisp battered squash blossoms with ricotta, lemon and fresh herbs. From the oven and grill, the cold-water lobster tails, 30-day dry-aged tomahawk steak, and beef bone marrow with shallot butter are all must-tries. Plus, there’s valet parking for your full-size Austin rental car so you can arrive in style.

Find out more.

The Picnic – Food Truck Park

1720 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX 78704

When it comes to food trucks, Austin has an abundance. Luckily, many of them are centered in one spot – The Picnic. It’s ideal for eating out with the kids or fussy eaters, as there are seven different cuisines served up all in one place. So, if you’ve a hankering for Thai but the kids want burgers, or one person fancies BBQ while the other just wants a gelato, this is the spot for you. 

The central dining pavilion provides plenty of space for the whole gang around comfortable picnic tables. And there’s free parking on-site, so you can pack the family into your minivan rental for a foodie experience not to be forgotten. It’s dog-friendly too, so nobody gets left behind. Each of the food trucks subscribes to the philosophy of supporting local, with various boutique vendor trucks to explore while you wait.

Get your food truck fix.

Learn more about Austin

Armed with the list of some of the best restaurants in Austin, you can really see the finest places in the city. Discover even more with our guides to Austin’s top neighborhoods, hotels and attractions with Hertz.

• Best hotels in Austin

• Best things to do in Austin

• A complete guide to Austin’s neighborhoods

• Austin driving guide