Austin Trip Inquiry

So tagging into this thread....

I am going to be in Austin at the end of April for the Levitation Music Festival. Will be in town Saturday through Monday, when I have most of the day to dick around with. I will have a car and I am hoping I have the energy/motivation to make the drive to Jester King Sunday afternoon. I also plan on hitting Austin Beerworks, which I expect will be on Monday.. My question is this: Saturday I will be at Mohawk for the concert, Sunday will be Stubbs and then Empire. Any decent breweries convenient to any of those spots, ideally walking distance?

And any food recommendations while in Austin would be much appreciated too.

 

All those spots are on the east side of downtown. Cross I-35 to the East Side (East Austin), and you've got a few breweries. Zilker and Lazarus are within walking distance, as is Wright Bros Brew & Brew (a good beer bar, not brewery. For more of those, you've got Waller Creek Pub, Banger's, and Craft Pride within easy walking distance of the clubs you mentioned). From Zilker and Lazarus, you're not too far of a walk from Hops and Grain or Blue Owl. You could also take a short Uber/Lyft or use Austin B-cycle (the latter would be my recommendation).

There are tons of great food options downtown or on the East Side... It really depends on your budget and what you're into. I live on the East Side... feel free to PM for specific questions.

 

Lazarus looks interesting, some nice variety in their current taplist.

 

If you get a chance, make your way to pinthouse pizza. There and jester king are the two breweries I miss the most from living in Austin.... and the bbq. If you want good bbq don't go to Rudy's, find a hole in the wall with a pitmaster, not a kid following a recipe.

 

Lazarus is doing some really good beers. Parking in a major PIA there but very much worth checking out. Good tacos as well.

 

Whats the deal with Franklin's for brisket?

 

It's the best food you will ever have. Well worth the 3 plus hours you will wait if you want to be near the front of the line. They have some chairs for use, so bring a little cooler and some breakfast beers. You won't regret it.

 

Also on the East Side by April (I hope) will be Oddwood Ales and the Brewer's Table. There's a lot of anticipation for both.

 

I’ve been twice, and it is the best Q I have ever had. Really. I have been to many of the well known Q joints, just saying.

You can get 80% there with 20% of the effort though (had to use the 80/20 rule).

 

I don't think I could go to Texas, get barbecue, and not get brisket. Especially from the spot multiple people say is the best. If I was to go back for a return trip in the future then I probably would be okay with following that 80/20 rule.

Thinking at this time I will definitely be doing Franklin's. The one downside to that, though, is that I think by doing that I no longer can do Jester King. I wish one of the two were open on Monday.

 

Not getting some BBQ while in TX would be like not getting Green Chili while in NM. I will get brisket later this month in Austin. Green Chili in April on a NM trip.

This might help, we found Terry Blacks to be pretty good, open on Mondays. So many of the Q places don’t do Mondays. Stiles Switch is near the niece’s place, so we might go there, and they have a good beer list, which many don’t.
https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/the-list-the-top-50-barbecue-joints-in-texas/

Snow’s in Lexington is rated no. 1, not that Franklin has lost anything.

 

I try to stay out of hyperbolic Franklin's conversations because if you really want to go, then you should go and you won't regret it. It's great BBQ. But saying it's the best "food"? lol. It's the most famous BBQ you'll have, for sure. But they don't do beef ribs, which is fundamentally a MUCH better food than brisket. And the 80/20 thing? It's more like 98/2 at most. Texas Monthly even rates several other places the same # rating these days (4.75/5). Louis Mueller in Taylor is just as good (and has excellent beef ribs), but is a bit far for the typical traveler to Austin. Otherwise, there are 4 or 5 great places in Austin that are on par with Franklin's or close enough. Travelers shouldn't feel like they really missed out if they go to one of the others. Just depends on how much time you want to dedicate to it.

Edit: I've had Franklin's about 5 times. I wouldn't try to dissuade someone from going. Everybody should really try some beef rib while they're in Austin though.

 

They do beef rib on Saturdays.

 

OK, well, there you go. If you're at Franklin's on a Saturday make sure you get some of that too!

 

Didn’t Franklin learn his skills at Louis Mueller? I think I’ve read that somewhere and for the record, Mueller is damn fine BBQ and worth the drive.

 

Mueller is really good, that was where my dad and I would stop on our way out to fish on granger lake. Nostalgia inducing meat. Love it

 

I get that any city's hyped food/restaurant does not often equate to it being uniquely better than some other spots. But I do find that those spots generally are at the very least, good (and often better) and allows for a safe choice for the ignorant tourist. Plus, they can come with the added bonus of that hype creating a certain energy for that restaurant....an energy that as a local is usually a negative, but I do think can be a positive for a tourist.

Give me some names of some comparable BBQ open on Monday, which would allow me to hit up Jester King on Sunday and I just might take you up on that recommendation. I do want brisket though, I am just not a rib guy....so even the best ribs in the world would be wasted on me. I mean, sure, I would enjoy it but I don't think I could appreciate them in their full glory like I could just about any other form of BBQ, whether it be bisket, pork, sausage, chicken or even vegetables.

 

Oddwood will be. Brewer's Table I would not hold your breathe.

 

I totally agree. I didn't mean for my post to come across as negative, if it did. As for the Monday thing, I didn't realize practically everywhere was closed on the same day. None of the big places are open on Monday unless you wanted to trek out to Taylor to Louis Mueller, which is kind of silly if you're downtown.

I don't know what your schedule is like, but if you went really early to Franklin's on Sunday, then there's a lot of day left for Jester King.

Random food note: Pork ribs and beef rib are pretty different. I like pork ribs, but beef rib is vastly superior.

I'm also going to jump on what @Realsambo said about Pinthouse Pizza. I'd go there 100 times out of 100 over Austin Beerworks, but that's just one person's opinion. They have a live tap feed (http://pinthousepizza.com/beer/live-tap-feed) that I'd check on the weekend you're here before you make a decision. I live closer to (and frequent) the Burnet location, so that's the one I'm more specifically recommending.

 

I am getting too old to be able to fit Franklins, Jester King and 2 rounds of concerts into a single day. I mean, I might be able to physically do it but by the time Wooden Shjips hit the stage that night I would totally be well past the point of being able to enjoy myself, I will be tired and burnt out. So, yeah, it is Franklin's or Jester King. Monday is the day for restaurants to be closed, generally slowest night of the week for restaurants, so I get why these places are closed. Just sucks for me.

And no worries about you worrying about your post coming off as negative....I get where you are coming from. I could be you if the situations were reversed. Your info is appreciated and valuable. My favorite _______ is often not the most popular or hyped _______, so I definitaly appreciate direction here. Like I said, as an ignorant tourist, Franklin's seems like the safe choice. i am sure it will be good, and I sense it will be great. Probably even really great for this inexperienced Texas BBQ guy. I also appreciate that there are very likely alternatives that can provide me with an equal, if not better, experience, but the challenge is in finding said locations. I would be really frustrated with myself if I gave up Franklin's for a spot that ended up not being all that.

I love German Pilsners, which is why Austin Beerworks has my attention. But I will certainly look into Pinthouse Pizza, if so many folks are recommending it.