What to do in Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas is jam-packed with things to see, do, and eat. It is known for its slogan “Keep Austin Weird.” Which I will say, it definitely lives up to that but in a really cool way. If I had to explain Austin I would say it is a little like Nashville but with a much more laid-back hipster vibe. So here is what to do in Austin, Texas.

Where to stay in Austin, Texas

While we were in Austin, we stayed at The Line Hotel. It is a boutique hotel located in downtown Austin, on the corner of South Congress Ave. and East Cesar Chavez St. This was perfect since most of the stuff we had planned was on South Congress. The Line Hotel was so stunning on the inside and has a lot of really nice perks. It overlooks Lady Bird Lake so you can catch some pretty views. It is also home to Alfred’s coffee shop which is in the lobby so it was extremely convenient. The Line also has other restaurant options like P6 which overlooks Lady Bird Lake and is a great place to catch a sunset. You can also find Veracruz All Natural here which has some really delicious Mexican food.

Where to Eat in Austin, Texas

Austin is a playground for foodies. You could throw a rock and hit a restaurant that has good food. We had soooo many places on our list and didn’t even make it to half of them. So here are our favorites:

• Josephine’s House – This is hands down a must, no questions asked! GO HERE! They win the best food of the whole trip! I got the pancakes and Chris got steak and eggs with some potatoes. It was out of this world phenomenal! And to top it off, it is in the cutest little blue house with the most adorable outdoor eating area. Just go and thank me later! haha
• Easy Tiger – Easy Tiger is open for outdoor seating right now, but if it is nice weather I would definitely check it out. I recommend the pretzel with their queso, it was so yummy! We originally ordered it with the beer cheese but decided we would rather have queso with it and we were super happy we decided to switch. The queso was way better than the beer cheese. This was also a fun little place to just kick back and relax and grab a few drinks.
• Moonshine – Moonshine is a great dinner option! The street corn queso is a must! It was freaking delicious, I couldn’t stop eating it. HAHA! We also got the Center Cut Pork Chop with a peach chutney which was packed full of flavor. The porch chop came with their Yukon Mashers which were so amazing. They were like garlic mashed potatoes which is one of my favorites!

Another good option, especially if you are on a girl’s trip would be Taquero Mucho. Everything is decorated pink and girly and fun! Even the tacos are pink and all the drinks have fun names. It is definitely worth checking out!

What to do:

• Hike up to 360 Bridge Overlook – I am going to say I am using the term hike loosely here. This is literally like a 5-minute hike up to the top. I will say it is kind of rocky and steep, but very very mild. When you get to the top, you get a stunning view of Pennybacker Bridge and Lady Bird Lake. We originally tried to go catch a sunset there but did not time it right. So we woke up the next morning to go check it out and it worked out so much better. There were maybe 8 people total including us versus it being extremely packed at sunset. When we were driving by, we could see people sitting and watching all across it during the evening time.
• Catch some live music! Austin is famous for its live music! Geraldine’s has food and live music on Thursdays, so be sure to check them out.
• Shopping – Austin is home to a lot of famous brands. They have a huge Yeti store because they were founded there. They also have a Tecovas store which my husband was dying to go to and get another pair of cowboy boots, so we did. The staff was super helpful and even offered refreshments while you shopped. It was such a good experience. There is a ton of shopping to do on South Congress and The Domain is another great area to shop. I mean they literally have everything, you name it, they got it.
• Maufrais – Y’all this was the highlight of the trip for me! It may not be for everybody but I was in heaven. Maufrais is on South Congress Avenue and is a really really cool hat shop. They sell Stetson Hats as well as other products to customize your hat and they offer custom hat fitting parties. If y’all know me, you know I LOVE hats!! I have never actually invested in a good hat. All of mine are somewhere around $40 so this one was definitely an investment piece for me. But it was also such a cool experience. The staff was so patient and so good at educating me because while I love hats, I know nothing about them. And come to find out the girl that was helping us may be related to Chris somehow. They both share the last name Diaz and they both have family out in the same area of California. Such a small world!

Overall Austin was a really fun time and made for a great short getaway! Let me know if you try any of our recommendations, I would love to hear what you guys thought!

For other trip ideas in the United States check out my Arizona/ Utah road trip.