10 Best Places to Shop in Austin, Texas

South Congress is filled with shops that pack a nostalgia factor, but none is quite as sweet as this place, where bins upon bins of colorful sour candies, chocolates, and lollipops line the oh-so-colorful walls. There’s Shakespearean Insult Gum, Texas-made Chick-O-Sticks, and gobs of themed candy. Beat the heat on a hot day here at the old-fashioned soda fountain counter, where you can order classic egg creams, homemade cherry limeades, ice cream sundaes, and an expanded menu of boozy milkshakes and handmade hard seltzers.

Established in 1970, Texas's largest independent bookstore is a homegrown alternative to Amazon and corporate chains. The quirky bookshop, staffed with a passionate team of dedicated booksellers, has been voted Austin's best bookstore for more than 20 years, stocking bestsellers along with books on topics from celebrity memoirs to alternative home-building texts; there's also an incredible children's section. Browse magazines; shop for literary-inspired tchotchkes and Austin- and Texas-centric gifts; and catch readings and signings by local and touring authors. Heavy-hitting literati luminaries, including former presidents, make stops here while on book tours.

The buyers for this large, independently owned world-market store comb the planet for colorful and unusual examples of folk art from more than 40 countries. African trade beads and baskets, Nepalese jewelry, Turkish textiles, and lots of Mexican items (including milagros, postcards, and cheap souvenirs and gifts) are just a few of the goodies stashed away in this delightful place.

This upscale, foodie-friendly offshoot of the giant Texas-based H-E-B supermarket chain is a few years older than its competitor, Whole Foods, down Lamar Boulevard, but no less popular (expect big weekend crowds). It's equally serious about the cheeses, wine, beer, meat, and deli products it purveys, but compared to Whole Foods it seems more like a place real people go to shop (rather than promenade). It's a great spot to grab organic prepared foods on the run or at the in-house café, where an outdoor patio is ideal for families and large groups. Live music is hosted on weekends.

This 180,000-square-foot open-air mall and cultural center is occupied by 35 Asian-owned businesses (mainly Chinese and Vietnamese), including restaurants, nail salons, bakeries, boba tea shops, and retail outlets selling clothing and jewelry. The cornerstone here is the MT (My Thanh) Supermarket, the largest international grocery store in Texas, which stocks all manner of Asian foods and related items. Dining standouts include First Chinese BBQ and Pho Saigon Noodle House. Though a bit short on atmosphere, eateries deliver well-prepared, simply presented lunch plates and noodle-based soups at easy-to-digest prices. The center is open daily, but some stores close one day a week.

Perhaps Austin's top outlet for quality and unusual Mexican art and crafts, Mi Casa goes far beyond your usual Mexican-imports souvenir shop. You'll find contemporary paintings and sculptures, painted furniture, religious art, ceramics, and much more. It's a great place to go for gifts for folks back home.

Make-believe has never seemed as real as it does in this hometown toy store. Imaginations ignite amid shelves of dump trucks and rainbow-bright kites, pretty pink castles and music sets, and an unreal amount of children’s books. Nostalgic adults will love the selection of novelty candy: Razzles, Smarties, and Pop Rocks instantly bring to mind sunny summer childhood days. The staff is full of kids at heart, who are helpful and knowledgeable about the store’s inventory and who are always ready to make suggestions or, if you twist their arm, play for a while.

This fantastic place is so much the ultimate toy store of your childhood fantasies that it's too good to save for actual children—don't be embarrassed to come in even if you don't have little ones of your own. It's the place to get things like Edgar Allan Poe and Beethoven action figures, vinyl dinosaur figurines, reproductions of vintage toys you played with as a kid, and floor-to-ceiling diversions for all ages, including science toys, metal robots, stuffed animals, costumes, hard-to-find candy, baubles and bangles, and more.

The beating burnt-orange heart of Longhorn Nation is on display at this emporium of UT paraphernalia, located in the middle of the Drag on campus. You can find Longhorn-logoed everything at this three-level department store founded in 1896 after a similar co-op at Harvard, from Crocs and floral dresses to $350 pairs of burnt-orange Lucchese cowboy boots. Even if you have no direct (or indirect) connection to UT, stop in if you're in the neighborhood to snag your own UT memento.

Get yourself outfitted for your sun- and fun-filled Austin adventures, whether its paddleboarding on Lady Bird Lake or running the greenbelt trails, at this beloved local sporting goods, clothing, shoes, and overall outdoor preparedness store. The local branch of a Texas chain, it carries a lot of the same things you'd find at any REI—backpacks, sun hats, running shoes, rugged clothing—but it's much more entertaining. Jazz is on the speakers, the front space is filled with kids' toys (and a few for adults), and there's a good variety of books, gifts, and gadgets for all ages. The staff is laid-back, friendly, and ever-willing to help.