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We've compiled the best of the best in East Austin - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
What started as a streamlined coffee and craft beer purveyor with sparse hours has evolved into an all-day mainstay of east Austin. The industrial garage vibe blends in well with its I–35-adjacent neighbors and attracts a hip clientele from morning to night, who flock here for cold brews and stacked breakfast sandwiches and then like to stick around for their local lineup of draft brews, full bar, and light café fare including late-night guilty-pleasure snacks.
The predominantly outdoor layout of Texas ranch–inspired Contigo consistently draws a steady evening crowd—even when summer temps are well over 100 degrees. With a chef-driven stable of cocktails and a creative Southern-comfort-meets-contemporary-American menu, it's easy to understand why: ox tongue sliders, house-made pigs in a blanket, a gooey cheddar-filled grilled cheese sandwich on brioche, and the cast-iron sautéed okra with jalapeño and walnuts are among the top menu picks. The varied list of weekend brunch offerings includes buttermilk biscuits and gravy, beef tongue hash, and pecan coffee cake.
The newest location of this beloved German-style bakery and beer garden features 15,000 square feet of outdoor space, plus a spacious interior, for beer and sausage lovers. The sprawling outdoor patio attracts lively lunch, happy hour, and late-night crowds with a full menu of artisan sandwiches, house-made sausages, and “big as your face” pretzels, as well as one of the best beer selections in the city. The wholesale bakeshop, which provides several local restaurants with specialty breads and pastries, opens bright and early every morning; don't miss the $6 “Easy Morning” deal (weekdays, 7–10 am) that includes a small coffee and any pastry.
Veracruz wears a taco tiara in the Austin food scene and for good reason. Their migas taco lives up to the local lore, and this always-hopping original location has a convivial patio seating area for enjoying tasty quesadillas, barbacoa, vegetarian and fish tacos on homemade tortillas, and fresh aguas frescas alfresco.
A popular anchor at the east side's Arbor Food Park, this cheery yellow truck has become Austin's go-to for Mexico City–style street tacos. A helpful diagram at the walk-up window showing the actual size of the pequeño tacos (100% nixtamal) is as straightforward as the service and menu here. It's hard to go wrong choosing from the modest selection, but the suadero (flank steak) and cachete (beef cheeks) tacos are excellent. Weekly specials also pop up, and everything can be enjoyed alfresco at the park's picnic tables.
The long lines, rain or shine, at this east-side food truck make no secret of its epic Texas barbecue. The cheesy brisket kolaches wrapped in mouthwatering sweet dough (only sold on Sunday) have been lauded by everyone, including the barbecue editor at Texas Monthly, who samples the fiercest and finest BBQ all across the state. Thankfully, the standard Texas plates heaped full of pork ribs, hot links, and prime Angus brisket, plus contemporary sides like blue-cheese coleslaw and jalapeño-dill potato salad, are also heaven-sent.
Housed in an old East Austin tire shop, this counter-service outdoor café is a favorite of families and on-the-go locals. Local hospitality juggernauts Larry McGuire and Liz Lambert kept the Aztec iconography, walk-up service, and sparse layout of the preexisting spot, and the new back patio is ideal for lazy lunches, family outings, and weekend day-drinking. The rotisserie chicken and burgers are popular, and ice-cold draft beer keeps things cool on hot summer days.
The award-winning team behind local restaurants Odd Duck and Barley Swine opened their "everyday" restaurant in east Austin in 2018 to rave reviews from critics and locals alike. The bustling gathering spot consists of two buildings (the main front entry, with counter service for pastries, snacks, and drinks, plus the back bar) that are connected by an outdoor patio that serves as a beer and wine garden. The alfresco tables are popular with groups (and their four-legged friends) at any hour of the day thanks to Sour Duck's diverse morning-to-night menu offerings.
