Barbecue and More Barbecue
3 HOURS AGO
October 2026
Twice in the past two years, I have found myself in Austin, Texas. Last year, it was the destination for our annual foodie weekend with my brother and sister-in-law. Just last week, I returned for a 5 day disc golf event with my son.
Both visits landed me in Austin during the fall. The weather was warm and sunny, with highs ranging from the low 80’s to low 90’s. The landscape is flat and rocky, with the Colorado River winding through the city, and the city is full of independent businesses that have a little quirk and a hint of grit.
Every food and coffee stop we made was a win, whether it was tacos, barbecue, or a perfectly brewed espresso. While barbecue may have been the common thread between the two trips, Austin offers plenty more to explore.
Where We Stayed
East Austin
For our foodie trip last year, we stayed in East Austin. The neighborhood was convenient for navigating the city, with numerous restaurants within walking or driving distance and an easy commute to and from the airport. It’s quieter than the heart of the heavily touristed districts but still creative and eclectic.
Figure 8 Coffee Purveyors was within walking distance of our house and quickly became our morning coffee spot. It’s a small but cozy shop with outdoor seating and the perfect indie coffee shop aesthetic. The atmosphere was relaxed, the espresso drinks fantastic, and they offered a fun assortment of natural wines. On the weekend mornings, they also had breakfast tacos available, which was an added bonus.
We also discovered the best little neighborhood convenience store – slash – cafe – slash – fun spot to have a drink: the Quickie Pickie. We stopped by a couple of times during our stay for various reasons, whether to pick up a sweet treat or a forgotten toothbrush. Each time, I was tempted to sit down and enjoy a drink on the sidewalk but we never quite made it happen. If you find yourself in East Austin, it’s a great spot for an afternoon rest.
Rosedale
Last week, we stayed in the Rosedale neighborhood. Rosedale is another quieter residential area, full of bungalows and midcentury homes. It is also convenient for seeing the city and getting to and from the airport. We landed here because of its proximity to the disc golf courses we would be visiting, but ended up discovering a few favorite neighborhood spots along the way.
Two mornings in a row, we paid a visit to Upper Crust Bakery. The staff was friendly, the pastries delicious, and the prices were very fair. We became hooked on their cinnamon rolls, which are more like rolled up croissants layered with and covered in cinnamon sugar. We also loved their strawberry danishes.
Nearby, we also enjoyed coffee and toast at La La Land on Burnet Road and shared a pizza for dinner from Pinthouse Pizza.
For a busy active week, it was clutch to have so many easy options within a short walk of our stay.
Hotels to Consider
If you prefer a hotel and want to be closer to city attractions such as Lady Bird Lake and Zilker Park, Austin has no shortage of hotels with character.
Here are a few that caught my eye:
Carpenter Hotel – A relaxed boutique hotel with an on-site restaurant and coffee shop. Located near Zilker Park and convenient to many of the city’s sights.
Hotel Magdalena – A boutique hotel featuring mass timber architecture and a 70’s lakehouse aesthetic. Just steps from South Congress.
Austin Proper Hotel – A 5 star luxury boutique hotel near Lady Bird Lake, with a rooftop swimming pool, restaurant, and cocktail options.
Places We Dined
The Austin foodie weekend required that we break out the spreadsheets. The choices were practically endless, but we narrowed it down to a handful for our long weekend. As it turned out, we put together an itinerary heavy on barbecue, as one should when visiting Texas.
We lined up at the door before opening hours to eat lunch here. The staff came out with menus for everyone and gave us a quick lesson in preparing our order before reaching the register. Ours consisted of a variety of meats, sides and desserts to share around the table.
My mouth is watering just thinking about it. We had sausage, brisket, beef cheek, miso glazed carrots, cauliflower burnt ends, chicken fried beets, and a brown butter mesquite chocolate chip cookie.
If you go for nothing else, get the beef cheek. It’s worth the visit on its own.
I first visited Leroy and Lewis during our foodie weekend and knew I had to return during my second trip to introduce our son to what I consider the best barbecue I’ve ever had.
Our first dinner in Austin was a late reservation at Odd Duck. It’s a vibrant farm to table restaurant with a seasonal menu. The staff was excellent and full of recommendations for other local food and drink spots.
The dishes are meant to be shared – our favorite way to dine. Everything was flavorful and fresh. We devoured pickles, salads, roasted vegetables, a woodfired pizza and excellent Wagyu beef.
The barbecue spots that we tried were, fittingly, some of the highlights of the trip, and KG BBQ may have been at the top of my list.
This spot serves Egyptian barbecue (!!). The combination of Egyptian spices and flavors like sumac, cinnamon, za’atar, and tahini combined with barbecued lamb, beef and chicken was a perfect match. The platter was colorful and absolutely bursting with flavor.
We chose this as a lunch spot and we left completely stuffed, searching for activities to keep us moving until dinner.
This was our most upscale meal while in Austin. Barley Swine is a Michelin-starred farm to table restaurant offering a seasonal fixed price tasting menu. It is also the sister restaurant to Odd Duck.
We were treated to several creative and inventive dishes, including a shishito tamale, halibut and sweet potato curry dish, pig face carnitas with eggplant mole and field peas, and Akaushi ribeye with poblano crema. Dessert brought a mint whip and layered sunflower and miso cake.
The tasting menu was exciting, with fun and unexpected combinations and presentations. It was a memorable meal and a nice change of pace from our barbecue heavy itinerary.
To round out our weekend tour of Austin barbecue, we reserved our final dinner at Kemuri Tatsuya, which describes itself as part izakaya (Japanese pub or tavern) and part Texas smokehouse.
The atmosphere was funky and totally different from the other spots we had visited. The dining room was social and lively, decorated with a mix of retro and Japanese art, with a hip hop soundtrack coming through the speakers. We wound through a maze of rooms and onto the patio to find our seats.
The menu had so many interesting choices that this is where we had the most difficult time deciding what to order.
Ultimately I don’t think we could have gone wrong. We ended up with a mix of Charred Edamame, Taiyaki Cornbread, Deviled Ajitama, Skewers, Chili Cheese Takoyaki, Hot Pocketz, Smoked Wings, and more.
I had never had anything like Kemuri Tatsuya. It was a unique dining experience in a place full of personality and a little edge, making it the perfect way to cap off our weekend in Austin.
The List Goes On
There were plenty of other restaurants around town on our list that we just didn’t have time to visit. If you’re planning a foodie trip, I’d put these on your radar too:
Things to Do Other Than Eating
When we weren’t hopping from one restaurant to another, we found plenty to do and see around town. Austin is great for mixing a little outdoor adventure into a food-focused getaway.
- Lady Bird Lake
- Walk the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail, a 10 mile path along both sides of the lake.
- We also saw many people out on the water paddle boarding and kayaking.
- South Congress
- A fun area for shopping, dining and nightlife. During our walk around the area, we happened upon the Texas Book Festival, with tents and events taking place throughout the neighborhood.
- Barton Springs Pool
- Popular natural spring swimming hole located in Zilker Park. This was on our list but we didn’t end up making time for a swim.
- My son had an evening disc golf round in Zilker Park and we could hear the music and see the lights from where we were. Several of the golfers recommended a visit as a quintessential Austin experience.
- Watch the Bats fly from Congress Avenue Bridge
- This was my favorite activity of the weekend. Before dinner one evening, we parked and walked to a hillside viewing spot to see the bats fly out from under the Congress Avenue Bridge at sunset.
- The bats are at peak numbers from roughly March to October, so we were there as they were beginning to migrate and their numbers were dwindling. Even so, there were still hundreds of thousands of bats that emerged at dusk. It was astounding to see.
- To see predicted flight times and recent estimates of bat numbers, visit the Austin Bat Refuge website.
- Disc Golfing
- If you happen to enjoy disc golf, Austin is a great city for it. There are several well maintained courses in and around town.
- Sprinkle Valley Disc Golf Course
- Pay to play championship level course located at Austin Beerworks.
- Mint Discs has a pro shop on site.
- 18 hole course plus a mini putting course.
- Zilker Park Disc Golf Course
- A shorter course in the heart of Austin, near Barton Springs.
- Benbrook Ranch Disc Golf Course
- Northtown Disc Golf Course
- Flying Armadillo Disc Golf Club
- Flying Armadillo has both an 18 hole “big course” and an 18 hole par 2 mini course.
- The mini course is a ton of fun – think disc golf crossed with mini golf, complete with crazy obstacles, yard art, and out of the ordinary basket placements. It’s fun for everyone, even those who aren’t serious disc golfers.
- There is a trailer pro shop and admission allows you to play as much as you like for the day.
More to Do That is Still on My List
Two visits gave me a great introduction to Austin, but there is still plenty I haven’t explored. Here are a few reasons I would happily return:
- The Music Scene
- Austin offers a wealth of iconic music venues and festivals.
- Barton Creek Greenbelt
- Over 12 miles of hiking trails with swimming holes and wildlife.
- Visit Hill Country
- Get outside the city to visit wineries around Fredericksburg, take scenic hikes, and swim at Hamilton Pool, another beautiful natural swimming hole.
- Day Trips from Austin
- Round Top – A well known destination for vintage and antique shopping.
- San Marcos – Float the San Marcos River and combine it with a return visit to the Flying Armadillo Disc Golf Club.
- Wimberly – More swimming holes, wineries, and an artsy town with a charming historic district.
Plan the Trip
I’ve checked off the foodie weekend and disc golf week in Austin with bat viewing and time along the water sprinkled in. I would welcome the chance to return and make time for swimming holes, the hill country, the music scene, and maybe even some more barbecue.
In my eyes, Austin can be a destination for families, foodies, music lovers, adventurers, disc golfers, wine enthusiasts, and antique hounds. You name it. You can really make it what you want it to be and enjoy what you love in a town with character and eccentricity.
So if you have been hoping for your own Texas getaway, with a little room to amble and roam, send me a message. I’d be happy to help you plan it.
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