Top 10 restaurants in Austin, United States

April 14, 2018 Timmy Ribble

Every year thousands of hipsters, groupies, and die-hard fans flock to Austin for the annual South by Southwest festival, which has catapulted the Texas city up the must-visit charts for many travelers. The sandstone Capitol building is symbolic of the Lone Star State’s "bigger is better" mentality, featuring a gorgeous whispering gallery rotunda and 22 acres of grounds. Cool off with a dip in Barton Springs, a huge natural limestone pool that’s fed by underground sources.
Things to do in Austin

1. Truluck's Seafood - Austin Downtown

400 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701-2919 Reservations, Private Dining, Seating, Waitstaff, Valet Parking, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar American, Seafood, Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Late Night, Drinks SGD 41 - SGD 66 +1 512-482-9000
Excellent
77%
Good
16%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 870 reviews

Truluck's Seafood - Austin Downtown

We invite you to escape to Truluck's. A getaway for the senses. Come savor the freshest Crab, direct from our own fisheries. Delight in our fresh-catch seafood menu or select tender, juicy steaks prepared to perfection. Then complement it all with delicious wines by the glass and bottle.

Reviewed By bnaysrl - Los Gatos, California

Service 10; Food 6.

First, the restaurant is a marvelous experience. We were greeted warmly, the MD saw it was an anniversary dinner, and this was communicated to our server as well. Harley is an excellent server. Atmosphere befits a top-rated restaurant. Austin is replete with foodies from around the world; standards and expectations are high. Piano soloist is throughout the restaurant, in a good and welcome way. Energy is well above average and Truluck's is NOT noisy.

Regrettably, the kitchen's product failed to meet our expectations. I returned my Lobster Bisque as bland. It is a very rich preparation but, without real character and distinctive taste, it was not worth the calories. Service/presentation was excellent; the product fell short. I skipped the appetizer course.

My partner ordered the stone crab entree--8 medium claws. Here, our standard is Joe's in South Beach. Truluck's comes close with taste and freshness. There's a but: Believe it or not the claws were over cracked. The meat was easy to get to, but tiny bits of shell accompanied each bite. This doesn't happen at Joe's and many South Florida wannabes.

My Redfish Ponchatrain was just OK. What looked like a remoulade sauce wasn't. Not sure what it was. As sides, we had Steakhouse Hash Browns, which disappointed. Large chunks of potato suggested Steakhouse Fries. The "cake" was topped with sour cream. Had we enjoyed the hash browns, we would have requested a serving without the topping.

The next side was Crab Fried Rice. It went back, as it could not hold a candle to the wonderful dish of the same name we had a Eddie V's two evenings earlier. The rice stuck together and was overwhelmed with mushrooms. No opportunity for the delicate flavors to come through. The sautéed spinach was basic; nothing special like Eddie V's product.

The mini-baked Alaska complementary anniversary plate was nice, but not all that enjoyable. Coffee ice cream? Our standard here is Sardi's. Now THAT'S Baked Alaska.

We will make at least one more visit to Eddie V's, and try out some of the other Trip Advisor top-rated restaurants in Austin.

2. Eddie V's Prime Seafood

301 E 5th St, Austin, TX 78701-3615 Reservations, Private Dining, Seating, Waitstaff, Parking Available, Valet Parking, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar American, Seafood, Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Lunch, Dinner, Late Night, Drinks SGD 28 - SGD 39 +1 512-472-1860
Excellent
76%
Good
18%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1 reviews

Eddie V's Prime Seafood

If you want seafood, the buzz in town is Eddie V's Edgewater Grille. The Gulf Coast menu features lots of seafood - oysters, gulf snapper, fresh tuna, lobster, plus great prime steaks and chops. Expect a hip and high energy dining experience. Savor classic seafood starters like oysters on the half shell, fried coldwater baby lobster tail, and famous All Lump Crab Cakes. The extensive wine list features over 150 selections.

Reviewed By Kevin W - Katy, Texas, United States

In town for a conference and friend and I met there first night. We sat in bar so we could hear the jazz music - great band just right level of music such that we could still talk. We had fish tacos as an appetizer...been years but remember they are so good! We shared a caesar and I had Lemon Sol and my friend had an 8 oz. steak. Everything was perfectly cooked and flavorful. The service was good. My only complaint is that it is very crowded in there. I felt like we were in on conversations on both sides of us.

3. Micklethwait Craft Meats

1309 Rosewood Ave, Austin, TX 78702-2024 Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Wheelchair Accessible American, Southwestern, Barbecue, Gluten Free Options Lunch +1 512-791-5961
Excellent
75%
Good
22%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 162 reviews

Micklethwait Craft Meats

Reviewed By KendraDawnRN - Houston, Texas

My goodness! I was at a vintage store and the employees overheard me talking about being hungry. They told me about Micklethwait. My niece and I went there and had brisket sandwiches. It was wonderful! I haven't had great BBQ since I've moved to Houston. This place is the real deal. The meat was cooked to perfection. It was tender, flavorful, smokey, and just delicious. Their BBQ sauce is vinegar based but you don't need it. I tasted it just because. I may have to go back just to taste more meat. It's a must try while in Austin. And the crew is super nice!

4. Uchi

801 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704-1509 Reservations, Seating, Waitstaff, Parking Available, Validated Parking, Valet Parking, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar Japanese, Seafood, Sushi, Asian, Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Dinner, Late Night SGD 41 - SGD 52 +1 512-916-4808
Excellent
79%
Good
15%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1 reviews

Uchi

Reviewed By Shaun B - Danbury, Connecticut, United States

This was amazing Asian food and the service was perfect. We didn’t know what to order from the menu so the waitress recommended everything. Everything single dish we had was flavorful. Tastes I hadn’t experienced before. Good luck getting in though unless you reserve way in advance. I reserved months in advance and didn’t have a problem.

5. Franklin Barbecue

900 E 11th St, Austin, TX 78702-1905 Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol American, Barbecue, Grill, Gluten Free Options Lunch +1 512-653-1187
Excellent
79%
Good
13%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1 reviews

Franklin Barbecue

Reviewed By DocSnarky - Burbank, California

I really did believe that Franklin was going fall short of my expectations! I figured that there was no way on earth a BBQ joint, (with a 4 hour wait), could EVER live up to the hype, particularly with so many other great BBQ restaurants around. I was actually hoping that it would just be good BBQ so I could debunk the myth. With really good BBQ around like Salt Lick, Stubbs, Cooper’s, etc., etc. (without the lines), there was no way Franklin was going to be worth the wait! Nothing could justify those lines! That said, as impossible as it sounds, it was even better than the rave reviews suggested!! There’s a reason Franklin is number 1 on most every list of best BBQ!! It is the best BBQ EVER!!!!!! Almost otherworldly!! I don’t know Aaron Franklin, but while eating the amazing brisket, I was actually reminded of the Robert Johnson myth. Who knows?!? Anyway, I won’t be debunking the Franklin myth. In fact, I’ll be standing in that line again next time I’m in Austin to have more!!

6. Eddie V's Prime Seafood

9400B Arboretum Blvd, Austin, TX 78759-6392 Reservations, Private Dining, Seating, Waitstaff, Parking Available, Validated Parking, Valet Parking, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar American, Seafood, International, Gluten Free Options Dinner, Late Night SGD 41 - SGD 66 +1 512-342-2642
Excellent
78%
Good
16%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 207 reviews

Eddie V's Prime Seafood

Reviewed By Leslie M - Austin, Texas

This was a birthday celebration for just the two of us and it came together at the last minute. The only problem was the cocktail. We each had pomegranate Moscow mules. The ginger beer was so sharp that we could taste nothing else. The manager brought carafes of lime juice, pomegranate juice and vodka so we could tweak the blend. The additional pomegranate juice did the trick. Our seafood entrees were wonderful as were the salads. The bananas Foster cake should be a meal in itself.

7. True Food Kitchen

222 West Ave, Ste HR100, Austin, TX 78701-4656 Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Waitstaff, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar Indian, Mediterranean, Healthy, Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Breakfast +1 512-777-2430
Excellent
73%
Good
23%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
3%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 125 reviews

True Food Kitchen

Reviewed By Timothy T - Houston, Texas

Located only a walking distance from the Capitol, True Foods offers a great selection of diverse, healthy foods for all to enjoy. The restaurant here is fairly large, so a reservation is not necessary but I wish one could reserve a parking lot - it was not easy to find! The service was a little bit slow, but it may have been due to the large number of customers that day. The food was excellent; it was a pleasure to eat. Overall, I felt it was pricey for the smaller portions, but nonetheless I definitely recommend whenever visiting Austin!

8. Torchy's Tacos

1822 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704-3502 Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible Mexican, Southwestern, Fast Food, Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch +1 512-916-9025
Excellent
67%
Good
28%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 336 reviews

Torchy's Tacos

Reviewed By Kevin R - Austin

The food was on par with other local outlets, but the price for the tacos is ridiculous. This is not a spectacular restaurant by any means and is not deserving of the prices they request.

9. Whole Foods Market

525 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78703-5411 Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Free Wifi American, Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Late Night +1 512-476-1206
Excellent
73%
Good
21%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 594 reviews

Whole Foods Market

Welcome to your Austin, TX Whole Foods Market! Founded in 1978 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market is the leading retailer of natural and organic foods, the first national "Certified Organic" grocer, and uniquely positioned as America's Healthiest Grocery Store™.

Reviewed By dieswaytoofast - Austin, Texas

It's big. Real big. And has pretty much everything that you'd expect from a WFM (including the goofy "naturopathy" aisle).
But thats not the reason to go here - there is an *excellent* selection of wee restaurants in here (and bars), and you can, happily, go in, hang out, eat, drink, and make merry, all in side a grocery store (kinda, sorta, vaguely, but not really, like being in japan)
My fave was a few weeks back when there was a string quartet playing, and a few couples waltzing. Cool....

10. Hopdoddy

1400 S Congress Ave, Ste A190, Austin, TX 78704-2487 (Formerly HopDoddy) Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Waitstaff, Parking Available, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free Wifi American, Bar, Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Lunch, Dinner, Late Night SGD 7 - SGD 16 +1 512-243-7505
Excellent
66%
Good
26%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1 reviews

Hopdoddy

Reviewed By bjm1271 - Lyndhurst, New Jersey

Stopped in after catching a little music at the Continental Club across the street. Expect to wait on line but it does move quick. Sat at the table and waited a little while for the burgers to be delivered. Both burgers were excellent. Fries were okay.

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