planetaustintx

Austin Fun (First Post Since Recovering from My Tim Tam Coma)!

Here are three reasons Austin, Texas is a wonderful place to live:

Great Band (New To Me) - Reid Wilson and His So Called Friends - Heard them at C. Hunt”s Icehouse.  We liked what we heard, so we bought two CDs/koozies and mailed them to friends across the country.  Spread the word - fun/talented band - great music!

Great New Burger Joint - We highly recommend Hop Doddy (not a misspelling) Burger Bar.  Great burgers, fries, and a full bar located between Guero’s and Perla’s on South Congress.  We will return!

Great Way to Spend A Sunday Afternoon - C. Hunt’s Icehouse (website is under construction).  Open 12-12 Sundays.  Great weather, pro football, cheap cold beer, fun contests, dog friendly (outside only), and lively conversations.  Do it!    

Last & This Weekend of Fun! (09.24 & 26.10 and 10.01-03.10)

Friday - 09.24.10 - Started at Guero’s (@guerostacobar) for cold beer and queso.  After Guero’s (@guerostacobar), on to C. Hunt’s Icehouse for ice cold beer.

Sunday - 09.26.10 - Started at Waterloo Icehouse (@Waterloo_Burnet) for lunch, then on to C. Hunt’s Icehouse for ice cold beer and football watching.  Ended the night at Kerbery Lane (@kerbeylanecafe) for Kerbery Queso and Migas Tacos.

Friday - 10.01.10 - Started at Guero’s (@guerostacobar) for cold beer and queso.  After Guero’s (@guerostacobar), on to Ginny’s Little Longhorn Saloon for more cold beer and live music. Flat Top Jones (Gary Claxton) was playing and sounded great (talented band).  We ended the night at C. Hunt’s Icehouse for a night cap of ice cold beer.

Saturday - 10.02.10 - Started at Chuy’s for dinner and ended at the Tigress Pub (@TigressPub) for a night cap.  Great food and wonderful cocktails.

Sunday - 10.03.10 - Started and ended at C. Hunt’s Icehouse to sit outside and drink ice cold beer.  It was a great day!

Great Weekend Fun! (09.17-19.10) cc: @guerostacobar @eatatyourmoms @meaneyedcat60 @threadgills

Friday - 09.17.10

Started and ended at Guero’s (@guerostacobar). It was a great Friday afternoon/evening of cold beer, queso, and lively/fun conversations.

Saturday - 09.18.10

Started at Your Mom’s Burger Bar (@eatatyourmoms) for lunch. They serve great hand made burgers stuffed with goodness. They have great fries and rings too. Go hungry because these burgers are big. We will return!  

After YMBB, on to the Mean Eyed Cat (@meaneyedcat60) for cold draft beer. After the MEC, on to C. Hunt’s Icehouse to end the night. George Devore was playing, and sounded great (fun/talented band).

Sunday - 09.19.20

Started at Threadgill’s North (@threadgills) for lunch, and ended at C. Hunt’s Icehouse for a wonderful Sunday afternoon sitting outside drinking cold beer.

Good times, good times!

Last Weekend of Fun! (09.10-12.10)

Friday - 09.10.10 

Started at Guero’s for cold beer and queso, and ended the night at  C. Hunt’s Icehouse for live music and more cold beer.

Saturday - 09.11.10

Started at Billy’s for lunch and cold draft beer.  After Billy’s, on to the Mean Eyed Cat (MEC) for the 6th Anniversary Celebration, and more cold draft beer.  After the MEC, on to Ginny’s for a couple of cold beers.  After Ginny’s, on to C. Hunt’s Icehouse for live music and cold beer.  Stop the Truck was playing and sounded great (fun/talented band).  After C. Hunt’s Icehouse, on to Kerbey Lane Cafe for Migas Tacos and Kerbey Queso to end the afternoon/night. 

Sunday - 09.12.10

Started and ended at C. Hunt’s Icehouse for cold beer and NFL Football.  YES, C. Hunt’s Icehouse is now open on Sunday afternoons (12 NOON - 12AM - I think) for NFL Football watching and cold beer drinking.  This is a great place/way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Good times, good times…

Links to Last Friday & Sunday Fun! cc: @meaneyedcat60 @guerostacobar @tigresspub

Friday - 09.03.10

24 Diner

Mean Eyed Cat

Guero’s

C. Hunt’s Icehouse

Sunday - 09.05.10

Wahoo’s (South Congress)

Book People

Mean Eyed Cat

The Tigress Pub

Good times, good times!

My favorite live music venues/bars in ATX

When I think about how lucky/blessed I am to live in Austin, Texas, I’m generally on the hike and bike trail or in some bar listening to live music. I really don’t have the words to describe the incredible feeling live music gives me. Austin is more than fortunate to have the Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL) in the fall and the South by Southwest (SXSW) - Music, Film, and Interactive – Festival/Conference in the spring, but the foundation of live music in this city are the live music venues/bars. These local live music venues/bars bring in the national touring bands and the popular local acts, provide residency nights for local bands to polish their skill and sound, and finally, offer the struggling singer-song writers an opportunity to be heard and build a following.  The following list of bars/venues (and links) are my favorite places to listen to live music:

South Lamar and South First Streets

Broken Spoke – The definition of a Texas Honky Tonk.  Fun place to listen to good country music, drink cold beer, and dance with the ladies.

Saxon Pub - The bar/music venue that sets the standard for all others.

Freddie’s Place - Fun South Austin outdoor venue.  Good drinks and food.

Congress and South Congress

Continental Club – Simply the best – great owner and staff – great bar - great happy hour music – great late night music – get there early if you want/need to sit.  If I had to pick only one bar for the rest of my life, this is the one.

Continental Gallery - Next to the Continental Club above the tattoo parlor - Cool little bar.

Trophy’s - I’ve only been here a couple of times, but I like this place a lot.  I loved sitting at the bar.

Guero’s (Oak Garden) - Everyone knows I love the bar and restaurant, but the big oak trees make the garden a special place to listen to live music.

Ego’s -  Fun funky place – Basement of multi floor building.

Threadgill’s South - Great outdoor venue. Great food.

Elephant Room - Home of live Jazz in Austin. Interesting location.

East 6th Street and Red River

Stubbs - The outdoor amphitheater is great, indoor stage is fun, and the food is wonderful – BBQ.

Emo’s - Unbelievably great.  Multiple stages. International, national, Texas, and Austin bands.

5th Street and Warehouse District and West 6th Street

Antone’s – I love this place. Always a killer line-up of music.  Depending upon the band, there is sometimes limited seating, so get there early or be prepared to stand.

Lucky Lounge - Fun place.  Cool cat-walk on the backside of the bar to drink and listen to music.

Cedar Street - Great outdoor venue between two buildings.

La Zona Rosa - If you don’t mind standing this is where you will hear many of the national/hot Austin/Texas bands.

Momo’s - Above Katz’s – Great inside and outside venue.

Mean Eyed Cat - Great fun bar.  Outdoor stage.

UT and Central City

Scholz Garten - Great outdoor venue

Hole in the Wall – Classic Austin.  Located on the Drag (across from UT). Love sitting at the bar.

Nasty’s  - Great bar and fun music

Central Market – North/central – Yes, even some of our grocery stores have live music.

Ginny’s Little Longhorn Saloon – One of my favorite places in the world.  Music Tuesday-Sunday.

Threadgill’s North - New Indoor venue.  Great food.

North Austin (north of 183)

C. Hunt’s Icehouse - great owner, cold beer and great bands.

OTHERS

Carousel Lounge - Funky fun place – Located northeast from the downtown.  Cold cheap beer.

Patsy’s Cowgirl Cafe – Great food and a great music venue. Located southeast from the downtown.

Gruene Hall - Located south of Austin in Gruene, Texas – Bring a designated driver.  The best dance hall in Texas – the wood floor bounces/sways while you dance. 

As I visit more venues/bars, I’ll update this page.  Please feel free to let us know your favorite Austin live music venues/bars in the comments.

My favorite Austin, TX drinking bars - A work in progress

Here is a list, with links, of the places (with and without food/music) I like to drink adult beverages with friends and have lively conversations (from South Austin to North Austin):

G&S Lounge

Guero’s

Home Slice

Continental Club

Doc’s Motorworks

Barton Springs Saloon

Cedar Door

Frank

Wahoo’s

Dirty Bill’s

Mean Eyed Cat

Texas Chili Parlor

 Dog & Duck

 Scholz Garten

Cuatros

Nasty’s

Draught House

TigressPub - NEW - (100 W. North Loop Blvd., Unit G. 600-3232. Hours: 4 to 11 p.m. (later, depending on business) Wednesdays-Sundays.)

Simplicity Wine & Eats

Billy’s on Burnet

Ginny’s Little Longhorn Saloon

Lala’s Little Nugget

C. Hunt’s Icehouse

Opal Divine’s

Water Tank

Little Woodrow’s

BB Rover’s

I knew this was a bad idea… Now I’m hungry…

I like to eat, and I feel lucky to have access to so many great places in Austin that serve tasty food. The following list (with links) provides a nice sampling of my favorite places:

Breakfast

Kerbey Lane Cafe – great breakfast, expect to wait - Kerbey Queso is the very best 

Magnolia Cafe – great breakfast, expect to wait

Katz’s – good breakfast, big menu – great sandwiches too

Manny Hattan’s – tasty, good quality, many choices – great lunch and cheese cake too

Comfort/Home Cooking

Hoover’s - unbelievably good, great desserts too

Threadgill’s – great food and music – home of the chicken fried steak

Burgers

Mighty Fine – Burgers, Fries, and Shakes  – Currently my favorite – no beer

Huts – the standard by which all burger joints are judged – huge onion rings

Phil’s Ice House – regular burgers and little baby burgers – beer and wine – very kid friendly

Billy’s on Burnet – great selection of beer too – I hear the veggie frito pie is very good – nice selection of pub grub

Five Guys Burgers and Fries – great burgers, cajun fries, and bacon-cheese dogs – no beer

Casino el Camino – you better be hungry – these are great big burgers – think Texas BIG – great bar too

Frans – the one on South Congress – tasty – great hangover burgers

Doc’s Motorworks – cool outdoor place, good menu choices

Shady Grove – sit under the trees and enjoy, great menu, the queso fries are the real deal

Pizza

Home Slice – simply the best, stopped ordering delivery after tasting this pizza – this is a special place

Reale’s – this is also a great pizza

Mangia Chicago Stuffed Pizza – the double crust pizza stuffed with goodness is great

Mexican

Guero’s – one of my favorite places of all time, great good, tons of choices, great drinks – stay away from the wine

Fonda San Miguel – a wonderful place to celebrate special events in your life

Chuy’s – fun place, great food

BBQ

Rudy’s Country Store – great BBQ, ice cold drinks, that damn cream corn – great breakfast tacos too

There are tons of great BBQ joints across Austin and the surrounding communities.  Ranking BBQ is a state sport, and I’m not packed for a BBQ discussion.  I don’t eat that much BBQ because it is so damn good and it has become so difficult to choose between brisket, ribs, chicken, turkey, links (sausage), cole slaw, potato salad, onions, pickles, the sauces, and that damn cream corn from Rudy’s, so we eat it all and way too much and generally need a nap afterwards.

Italian

Vespiao and Enoteca – Vespiao is another nice place to celebrate something special in your life, great food – Enoteca is more comfortable, less formal, great bar

Botticelli’s – new kid on the block – great food – the Italian beef sandwich tastes like my Mom’s recipe

Mandola’s Italian Market – great food, great desserts

Seafood

Perla’s Seafood and Oyster Bar - On South Congress – great oysters and seafood… cold beer…

Different

Wahoo’s Fish Tacos – I love this place – I could eat there everyday – great healthy food, good beer selection, they serve Pearl Pomegranate Flavored Vodka, Hideous Liqueur, 32oz CB in a brown paper bag

Cuators – fun place that brings the outside in – great beer selection, good fun food – dog friendly

Screaming Goat Tacos y Cerveza – Cool Austin vib… tasty tacos and daily cold beer specials…

Texadelphia Texas Cheesesteak - unbelievably good

Dog & Duck Pub – great beer selection and great pub grub – the best fish and chips

Mother Egan’s Irish Pub – great beer selection, very good food – fun places to sit alone or with friends

Opal Divine’s – fun place, great menu, lots of choices, great beer selection and other drinks

Boomerang’s Pies – not your frozen pot pie – great food – I live on these pies during the Austin City Limits Music Festival

Galaxy Cafe – great food – love eating lunch at this place – get there early parking can be tuff

Ranch 616 – fun place, cool small bar, great creative food – pure Austin vibe

24 Diner - New favorite place - Open 24 hours - Great food, next to Waterloo Records

Jimmy Johns - I love these sandwiches

ThunderCloud Subs - Austin true - Good subs, great value

Simplicity Wine & Eats - Tasty food and wine, and draft beer too

Counter Cafe - Great menu - Always crowded

Frank - Best dogs/sausages and adult beverages in town

Dessert

Amy’s Ice Cream – invented fun – tasty – an Austin original

Hey Cupcake! – way too cool to describe – wonderfully tasty – they help turn the dial to 11

I will continue to update this post overtime. Please let us know your favorite places to eat in Austin through the comments…