Better Half Coffee & Cocktails

This all-day spot close to Downtown has fantastic food, free parking, and a top-notch patio. The daytime menu at the West Fifth Street restaurant ranges from light granola bowls to hearty breakfast choices, like sandwiches stuffed with eggs and hash browns. Quality coffee is a guarantee, in addition to the cocktails, if that’s how your morning is going. Find a spot in the indoor dining room or bar area, which will have cool music blasting, or take to the giant outdoor area outfitted with pink picnic tables shaded by a huge live oak tree.

Fixe Southern House

Fixe Southern House is an upscale Southern-inspired restaurant known for putting a creative, elevated spin on classic comfort food with deep Southern roots. It celebrates traditional flavors like fried chicken, deviled eggs, shrimp and grits, biscuits, and other soul-food staples, all served in a warm yet refined atmosphere that’s great for brunch, dinner, or special occasions. The kitchen honors its roots with quality ingredients and dishes that feel both familiar and thoughtfully reimagined, often paired with cocktails and a lively dining experience.

Phoebe's Diner

Phoebe’s Diner is a popular, locally-owned diner with a cozy, retro-inspired vibe and several locations around Austin, Texas. It blends classic American diner comfort food with Southern and Texas smokehouse influences, serving breakfast, brunch, and lunch daily (typically 7 AM – 3 PM). The menu features hearty favorites like smoked BBQ-inspired plates, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, fried chicken biscuits, savory sandwiches, burgers, and inventive brunch dishes with a twist. Guests also enjoy coffee, cocktails, and friendly service in a relaxed atmosphere that feels welcoming for families and brunch lovers alike.

Lunch

Fareground

For a little bit of everything from some of Austin’s top restaurants, check out the city’s first real food hall. There are cheeseburgers and latkes from JewBoy, baguette sandwiches from Austin Rotisserie, dumplings from Little Wu, and more. Takeout orders can be placed online, and there are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

Veracruz All Natural

Veracruz All Natural is a beloved Mexican taco restaurant and taco truck brand in Austin, Texas, known for its fresh, authentic Mexican food rooted in the flavors of Veracruz, Mexico. Started by sisters Reyna and Maritza Vázquez as a small food trailer in 2008, it has grown into multiple popular locations around the city. The menu features a wide variety of tacos (especially breakfast tacos and specialties like migas), quesadillas, tortas, fresh juices, smoothies, and aguas frescas—all made with fresh ingredients and homemade tortillas. Many spots offer vegetarian and gluten-friendly options, with casual service and reasonably priced dishes that locals love for breakfast, lunch, or a laid-back meal. Veracruz All Natural has become something of an Austin institution, celebrated for its classic Mexican street-style tacos and flavorful, homey offerings.

Flower Child

Flower Child is a bright, fast-casual restaurant in downtown Austin, TX, focused on fresh, healthy, feel-good food in a laid-back, vibrant setting. The menu emphasizes wholesome ingredients and includes bowls, salads, wraps, plates, and seasonal dishes with plenty of gluten-free, vegetarian, and plant-forward options—think roasted vegetables, grain bowls, hearty greens, and flavorful proteins. The atmosphere is welcoming and bright, making it a popular choice for lunch or dinner when you want something nourishing and flavorful in the heart of the city.

Dinner

Sammie's

From the locally famous MML Hospitality Group comes an NYC-inspired red sauce joint that’s currently one of Downtown Austin’s most sought-after see-and-be-seen restaurants. This vibey spot attracts content creators, spendy birthday parties, and trend-conscious dates. While these might be positive or negative traits depending on who you ask, a few unqualified perks of a meal at Sammie’s include the super strong martinis, the perfectly-textured jumbo mozzarella sticks, and the Sopranos-ish decor scheme (complete with white linen tablecloths). Sammie’s offers both indoor and outdoor seating (reservations are strngly encouraged), and takeout orders can be taken online.

ATX Cocina

ATX Cocina is a stylish, modern Mexican restaurant in downtown Aust­­in, Texas known for elevating traditional Mexican flavors with contemporary techniques and fresh, high-quality ingredients. The kitchen makes its own masa from heirloom corn and focuses on thoughtful, shareable dishes that blend tradition with creativity, alongside a full bar featuring curated tequilas, mezcals, and craft cocktails — all served in a vibrant, convivial atmosphere. The restaurant is entirely gluten-free and highlights vegetarian and other special-diet options, making it a popular choice for dinners, weekend brunch, and celebratory meals in a casual-elegant setting.

Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que

Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que in Austin, Texas, is a beloved barbecue restaurant and downtown staple known for its classic Texas Hill Country pit-barbecue cooked over mesquite coals, offering a rich and smoky flavor rooted in a family tradition that dates back to the 1960s. Unlike slow-smoked styles elsewhere, Cooper’s uses a fast-burning wood pit method that gives its meats a unique taste, and its menu features a broad range of smoked and grilled meats — from brisket, ribs, and sausage to pork loin, prime rib, turkey, and the restaurant’s famed original “Big Chop.”

Corner Restaurant

Of the Lone Star’s five corners, the one you go to for today's best take on traditional Southern cuisine. Savor light, local delicacies or go all in on a spread of hearty courses. At Corner Restaurant in Austin, Texas, Local, you'll find seasonal classics in the heart of downtown. Treat yourself and those you love to an experience inspired by bold Texan spirit.

Aba Austin

Aba, meaning father in Hebrew, is a Mediterranean restaurant with a California influence. The menu features Chef Partner CJ Jacobson’s modern approach to Mediterranean cooking and the beverage program showcases spirits and rare wines from lesser known Mediterranean regions.