9 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.

The morning rush hour can be intense, but locals and tourists don't seem to mind, as a long queue means there's time to snap a picture in front of the famous i love you so much mural found on the side of this walk-up shack. Seating is limited, and it's outside-only, so, especially if it's Saturday, come early and bring a good read. Live music is featured most weeks, and by afternoon, you may witness patrons dancing in the parking lot (local beers and frosé are also available). They also host their own showcase during SXSW. This is Jo's original location, but there are now nine locations in Austin.

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.