I appreciate any advice. I am headed down to Austin, Texas in a little over a month. I don't know anything about Austin's craft beer scene but would love to be educated. I grew in Dallas and have been living in Utah for years, so I'm also killing for some awesome barbeque and southern food as well. Any recommendations at all about restaurants in the area are welcome.
This post will get more response in the Southwest forum as it covers TX. But since I used to live in TX, here are a few thoughts. Beers to find: Jester King - any. All their stuff is good. Easy to find around Austin. For more ltd stuff, go to the brewery Austin Beerworks - same as above. Heavy Machinery series IPAs are some of the best in TX. Hops & Grain - Alt-eration and Pale Dog are good. Best stuff is at their brewery St. Arnold - fresh Endeavour, Lawnmower (if you want lighter stuff), any Bishop's Barrel (mostly available on-premise at bars) Community - Dallas brewery that doesn't make a bad beer. Look for fresh Mosaic IPA. 5 Stones - interesting newer brewery that uses local ingredients in all beers Bars: Draught House Ginger Man any of the local brewery taprooms BBQ: Franklin - the best in the state. Go early and be prepared to wait, but get the brisket and the ribs and say thanks to whatever deity you worship for putting this man in a BBQ pit Restaurants: Backspace - nice little pizzeria downtown. Prob need reservations Magnolia Cafe - everyone loves it. Great for brunch/lunch Kerbey Lane Cafe - same as above. Lots of vegan/vegetarian options Home Slice - a tasty and fun pizza joint on South Congress (SoCo) Uchi - pricey, but one of the best sushi spots in the country Hopdoddy - great burger and fun atmosphere. Also on SoCo Torchy's Tacos - awesome local chain. Lots of tasty tacos. I love the avocado-based sauce. Other: Whole Foods on Lamar - the mothership. A cool place to visit with a great beer selection. Spec's - lots of beer and booze to choose from. East 1st Grocery - a nice little gem full of beer goodies. Hope this helps! Have fun in Austin!
O geez, that would explain why I couldn't find anything on Austin since I was looking in the wrong forum. Maybe a mod can move it. Thank you for your input, now I am excited to try out some beers and bring a haul back! I will definitely be checking out Franklin: I'm going in February and it will be a weekday so *cross my fingers* hopefully I won't have to wait in line for more then two hours. I also absolutely adore sushi and didn't even think about it, even though I will probably have to go during their happy hour.
