2 Best Restaurants in Downtown with Sixth Street and Rainey Street, Austin

A gem in the midst of Dirty Sixth, Parkside’s austere interior features exposed brick walls, a shotgun bar, and bare light bulbs suspended by black cables. Celebrated chef Shawn Cirkiel has created an equally simple menu, but delivers on taste with fresh oysters and ceviche-style offerings from the raw bar, in addition to a meat-centric array of bone marrow appetizers, savory grilled lamb, and shareable portions of steak and (perfectly crisped) fries. Floor-to-ceiling windows look onto 6th Street for ideal people-watching while lingering over desserts like homemade doughnuts, served warm and sugar-dusted in paper sacks. Dinner can be pricey, but the daily happy hour (5:30–7 pm) is one of the best bargains in the city.

Don't miss out on the state dish of Texas at this celebrated downtown dive. Just a stroll away from the Capitol, the Chili Parlor has been a favorite of legislators, lobbyists, and local hell-raisers alike for a midday meal (or late-night beer) since 1976. Get a gut-sticking bowl of bean-less chili (marked X, XX, and XXX for spice), an ice-cold Lone Star beer, or a fully loaded Bloody Mary, and soak up some Old Austin history in a classic setting.