27 Best Restaurants in South Austin and South Congress District, Austin

This clever French-Vietnamese concept sitting on the corner of South First is a picture-perfect café and boulangerie known for its delectable menu of banh mi and pho as well as a fantastic array of classic French pastries made in-house, including a daily selection of macarons. Pork and shrimp crepes, drunken beef noodles, and the fried chicken banh mi are safe bets. In addition to sake, beer, and inventive cocktails, the drink list brims with French wines that pair beautifully with this cuisine. Brunch is offered on weekends.

This South Congress institution specializes in New York–style pizza with a down-home, neighborhood atmosphere. The happening hot spot attracts SoCo crowds any given day of the week, and an adjacent walk-up window with outdoor picnic table seating is conveniently located right next to their main dining room, which can fill up fast. Order by the pie or slice, and don't miss out on their mouthwatering hot sub sandwiches.

No one knows meat better than the James Beard award–winning team (namely, chefs Tyson Cole and Aaron Franklin) behind this Asian-Texan fusion smokehouse. The carnivore-centric menu features smoked meats, like Malaysian chicken bossam and incredible smoked baby back duroc-pork ribs, paired with Southeast Asian and Japanese sides and sauces that are all best enjoyed when shared. The cuisine is high-end, but the vibe is friendly and casual, with diners ordering at the bar and sharing huge tables on the back patio.

This food truck turned brick-and-mortar was an early trailblazer of the city’s farm-to-table movement, thanks to chef Bryce Gilmore’s inventive take on locally sourced, modern American cuisine. Gilmore and his team’s artistic approach to Southern seasonal fare comes in tapas-sized portions, so servers recommend a few dishes per patron. All the better to sample their variety of rotating dishes, from charred eggplant baba ghanoush and fried whole quail with peaches and squash puree to buckwheat crumpets and beer-battered sweet potatoes.

This local drive-through and fast-food chain turned burger empire is an Austin favorite for a reason. What started as a humble mom-and-pop operation on the corner of South Lamar and Barton Springs Road has evolved into a sprawling web of locations all over Austin and beyond, but the original location is still the ideal spot to experience the simple pleasures of a fresh patty of hormone-free Black Angus beef (or black-bean veggie), hand-cut fries, and hand-spun shakes that make eating bad feel good.

Based on a distinctive Australian-style Thai cuisine, Sway has provided Austin with an injection of modern Thai fusion in a chic, sexy setting. The South Austin hotspot, which opened in 2012, has received high acclaim from luminaries like Bon Appetit, who ranked it as one of the “50 Best New Restaurants in America” in 2013. The alluring menu offers tasty starters like prawn miange, followed by options including stir fry, curry, wok noodle, and grilled and fried rice preparations. We recommend the Jungle Curry, with wagyu beef, eggplant, and red chilis, or the lemongrass-perfumed tom kha gai soup. Reservations are required for the twice-nightly Moo Sway dinners, featuring off-menu specialties like whole roasted pork shoulder, all served family-style. To drink there's wine, sake, and beer, plus custom kombuchas and drinking vinegars (with flavors like tamarind and apple), mixed with Topo Chico and served over crushed ice. Seating is mainly communal and quickly fills up on weekends. Take-out orders are now accepted online, making the elevated cuisine more accessible.

Relaxed and locally sourced, this no-frills café is a staple for lovers of high-quality Thai food in a casual neighborhood setting. Part grab-and-go market and coffee bar, part café, and part cooking-class destination, Thai Fresh is a popular breakfast, lunch, and dinner spot, with a diverse range of curries, stir-fries, and noodle and fried-rice dishes. Homemade breakfast tacos are also available throughout the day. Locals drop by for their iced chai lattes and sparkling Thai basil lime aguas frescas, or stick around to indulge in one of their organic vegan ice creams and kombucha cocktails with sake, sparkling rosé, or white wine. Brunch is served on weekends.

This convenience store, café, and neighborhood pub has been a South Austin hallmark since 1986. A long shotgun bar, boasting 70 taps of local and imported beers, greets patrons upon entrance, with a range of daily chalkboard specials advertised above. Diverse curry options (try the butter bourbon chicken) have a cult following. The adjacent market offers a variety of local and organic groceries, including vegan fare and six-packs of specialty brews. There's patio seating out back, plus a small stage with live music every week and special events hosted during fests like SXSW.

This casual Bouldin Creek neighborhood bistro with a breezy back patio is a refreshing respite for a leisurely happy hour or a midday meal during a day of shopping around nearby South Congress. The French-inspired cuisine is light and straightforward, with a wonderful wine list and craft cocktail selection.

This sophisticated Mediterranean fine-dining destination, an outpost of the original Chicago-based restaurant, is a venerable hot spot within the bustling Music Lane mixed-use enclave on South Congress Avenue. Specializing in Israeli, Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese cuisine, the extensive menu would be overwhelming without the helpful direction of servers, but you really can't go wrong with the variety of hummus, whipped spreads with homemade pita bread, and delicious mains—shawarma-spiced skirt is a standout. Save room for sticky date cake for dessert. Lunch is served on weekdays and swapped with a brunch service on weekends.

A vegetarian-only restaurant might sound bland at first, but even local carnivores frequent this hip South First neighborhood café, home to some of the best meat-free dishes in the city. Friendly servers can help newcomers navigate the rich bevy of vegan and gluten-free options, whether it’s a maple latte and plate of zucchini migas, a tofu and broccoli salad, or a draft beer to pair with their fajitas Italianas, made with roasted portobello and zucchini strips and chipotle pecan pesto. The lively gathering place always seems to be buzzing, from brunch crowds to late dinner rushes.

Named after the nearby charming indoor/outdoor coffee shop and café, Cosmic is also home to this open-aired food truck lot right off South Congress. It's ideal for indecisive or group travelers or anyone who wants to sample some of Austin's best food truck fare. There are breakfast tacos and all-day Mexican food from Pueblo Viejo, barbecue (till it sells out) from LeRoy & Lewis, and mouthwatering lollipop-style chicken wings from Tommy Want Wingy—all parked around a large lot of communal picnic table seating. Cosmic slings coffee, tea, boozy day drinks, and specialty cocktails. Live music and special events are hosted periodically.

If you're looking for high-quality authentic Mexican food, head to Curra's. Their house-made cochinita pibil is moist and tender and the enchiladas are a cut above most local establishments. Try the enchiladas con chile Colorado, filled with melted Monterey Jack cheese and braised pork-tip, marinated in guajillo and chipotle sauces. Portions are hearty, and the house avocado margarita has a devoted fan base. There's another lively location in the Hyde Park neighborhood just north of downtown.

This swanky spot injects a lot of glamour into the otherwise laid-back South Lamar scene. Honoring Angelina Eberly, a storied local innkeeper who helped preserve Austin as the capital in 1842, the contemporary New American restaurant takes inspiration from its courageous namesake with an ambitious slew of snazzy dining areas, like a beautiful interior "atrium" room, an inviting rooftop terrace, and a historic Cedar Tavern bar that hosts an excellent daily happy hour.

Austin’s favorite over-the-top doughnut destination, born out of food-truck fame, is now a brick-and-mortar café, where diners can get their favorite perforated pastries topped with everything from chicken-fried steak to beer-battered oysters. Salads (served with garlic doughnuts) and sides like creamed corn and fried brussels sprouts, plus a full bar and rotating selection of local beers, round out the extensive menu. A weekend brunch features doughnut French toast and savory-sweet egg sandwiches, along with Bloody Marys and pitchers of mimosas. But plenty of folks still show up for the giant-sized coffee and dessert doughnuts, like the “Sin-A-Bomb,” with melted cinnamon butter drizzled over cream-cheese icing. A food-truck location is on nearby South 1st Street.

This is another South Congress standby that matches its impeccable style with a heft of substance. The sunny-side-up neighborhood café and wine bar is a sophisticated injection of Parisian, alfresco attitude on the pedestrian-heavy strip of south Austin. Kick up your heels after a day of SoCo window-shopping to enjoy tasteful bistro classics like smoked salmon Nicoise salad, croque madame, and snapper carpaccio. And as the name implies, there's something on the menu to satisfy any type of craving, at any time of day.

South First Street's best date-night destination might have limited dining space, but the seasonal prix-fixe selections, expertly prepared culinary creations, and fanciful decor are worth the hype. In addition to the nightly à la carte menu offerings, diners can indulge in a chef's choice menu ($72) with five courses that could be creations like striped-bass crudo and bowfin caviar, green curry fumé, seared antelope heart, or jerk quail with pecan butter and watermelon radish. The shady backyard wine garden has expanded with additional seating for weekly happy hours and dinner service. Walk-ins are accommodated.

This "new school barbecue" joint debuted its brick-and-mortar location in south Austin in 2024 after years of slinging its choice cuts of smoked meats at a nearby food truck lot. Die-hard fans were ecstatic to see their beloved barbecue pitmasters expand their menu into exciting new territory, with inventive takes on tacos, burgers, and mouthwatering extras like hog fat cornbread and kale Caesar slaw.

This south Austin landmark has been slinging classic Tex-Mex cuisine since 1952, and while Austin foodie trends tend to overlook this family favorite, you'll hear few complaints from its steady crowd of happy diners. Combination dinners are many and varied, with all the usual standbys: tamales, crispy tacos, and more. Diehards swear by the chiles rellenos, enchiladas, and Bob Armstrong dip (queso with taco meat, guacamole, and sour cream). House margaritas, like the prickly pear, are pleasant palate cleansers. The expansive dining room can get noisy at peak hours, but the large outdoor patio is lovely in good weather.

If you're looking for Austin's best sushi, you might just find it here. The tatami-lined interiors are sleek and sophisticated, and chefs achieve unparalleled quality in every dish, whether it's nigiri or hand rolls, Wagyu short ribs or snow crab. Omakase is available for connoisseurs, and don't sleep on their sake pairings and delicious desserts like lychee jellies and milk chocolate semifreddo.

Seafood, service, and panache are pretty as a pearl at this homage to New England yacht clubs. One of Austin’s original high-end patio destinations still delivers the city’s best fish, punched up with Texas style and zing. Case in point, the Crab Louie served as luscious lumps of crabmeat piled upon crunchy fried green tomatoes and served with lemony aioli. Market fish selections are ordered to preference and served with spicy garlic-herb salsa verde, house tartar, or red chimichurri sauce. Sit at the cold bar and watch the expert oyster shuckers at work. At night and weekend brunch hours, the patio is ideal for South Congress people-watching with a tropical cocktail in hand.

If any one restaurant defines the laid-back, somewhat goofy Austin aesthetic, it's probably Shady Grove. On any clear day, expect the stone patio here to be packed with folks fighting the heat with schooner-sized frozen margaritas. Visitors to Barton Springs Pool frequent this state park-inspired establishment for its casual, but funky vibe and huge servings of affordable, simple fare. Burgers and hot dogs are big movers here, as are the vegetarian "hippie sandwiches" (roasted eggplant and grilled vegetables) and impossibly large salads. Their live music series, Unplugged at the Grove, draws high-wattage talent to the outdoor stage throughout spring and summer.

A relatively recent addition to Austin’s barbecue scene, its newcomer status is bolstered by generations of pitmasters hailing from the famed BBQ epicenter of nearby Lockhart. The laid-back Barton Springs location and cafeteria-style service keep things casual, with diners picking out their sides (all the classics, from mac 'n' cheese to potato salad) before selecting their cut of meat. The brisket is impeccably juicy and tender, ribs (pork and beef) are colossal, and the jalapeño sausage is a crowd favorite. Prices are higher than the average barbecue joint, but the merit is there. Don’t expect a Franklin-type line, but they do occasionally sell out of meat, so call ahead if you’re hungry for anything in particular near closing time.

Respectful of traditional sushi and sashimi methods—but not limited by them—this standout sushi bar (and consistently ranked top restaurant in Austin) starts with super-fresh ingredients. After that, anything goes, including touches of the South or south-of-the-border: yellowtail with ponzu sauce and sliced chilies, tempura-style fried green tomatoes, or seared monkfish cheeks with Vietnamese caramel, Belgian endive, roasted red grapes, and cilantro. You can make a tapas-style meal from the cold and hot "tastings" menu. Make reservations ahead of time for their daily happy hour (4–6 pm).

This buzzing Italian bistro consistently attracts hordes of South Congress Avenue’s heavy foot traffic, with patrons crowding the narrow, warmly lit bar while waiting for a table in the small, tawny-hued dining room. Noshing on the gratis white-bean puree with basil-infused olive oil makes perusing the menu of delicate handmade pastas, thin wood-fired pizzas, and robust northern Italian–inspired entrées an even greater treat. Chef specials change daily, including soul-warming risottos of the day—perhaps one with braised veal and black truffle oil. Smoky, prosciutto-wrapped prawns never disappoint, nor does the savory veal scalloppine wrapped with sage, prosciutto, and wilted spinach.

Known for its authentic trattoria feel, complete with an aromatic waft of homemade Italian classics upon entering, this is a great dinner destination after a long day spent strolling up and down South Congress. Dive into a bowl of cacio e pepe or nibble a slice of classic margherita pizza studded with garden-fresh basil. The inviting atmosphere will make you want to splurge on an espresso martini or phenomenal homemade desserts, from tiramisu to lemon panna cotta.

This South First Street spot sits alongside a gas station on an unattractive corner lot at Oltorf, but the trendy wine bar and Mediterranean-style tapas eatery boasts all the appeal of a cozy local hangout. Tapas are slightly larger (and pricier) than a traditional Spanish outpost, but the savory small plates deliver, from customary selections like cured anchovies and bravas fries (with pimento and chili peppers) to more unconventional, locally sourced dishes like short-rib bruschetta and pan-seared Gulf shrimp with smoked pork jowl and polenta.