The Resy Hit List: Where In Austin You’ll Want to Eat in Aug. 2024
There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an honor to be the friend who everyone asks for restaurant advice, we also know it’s a complicated task. That’s where the Resy Hit List comes in.
We’ve designed it to be your essential resource for dining in and around Austin: a monthly-updated (and now expanded!) guide to the restaurants that you won’t want to miss — tonight or any night.
Four Things In Austin Not to Miss This Month
- Luck of the Irish: New to Resy this summer is Dead Rabbit, an award-winning Irish pub originally from New York. Check out more details below for more details and grab a Resy in the meantime for a weekend night out there. And keep up with the latest New on Resy here.
- Triple Dip: The shabu shabu dining experience at DipDipDip Tatsu-ya is equal parts filling and immersive, experienced in their dark space in Crestview. If you’re looking for an excuse to go back, now’s your chance to make a Resy to check out new menu items and recently debuted experiences.
- Hear Here: Recently named one of the best new bars in America by Bon Appetit, Equipment Room is hosting Omakase Vinyl nights with cocktails, conversations, and, of course, great music spinning. Book a table this month when they’ll be playing Radiohead’s “Kid A” and Talking Heads’ “Remain in the Light.”
- Get Down to Flavor Town: Celebrate Latin cuisine this month at the Far Out Lounge for the Sazon Latin Food Night Market. Vendors from around town will be serving dinner and desserts from many Latin American countries.
New to the Hit List (August 2024)
Dead Rabbit, Este, KG BBQ.
1. Bar Toti Cherrywood
Your first interaction with Bar Toti was probably grabbing a drink there while waiting for a table at sister restaurant Este. But Toti is worth a visit on its own merits. A select few indoor tables, a communal table, and some outdoor spots under twinkling lights make it an intimate spot for a date or catch-up with a good friend. Everything on the small menu delivers. They’re most known for the smashburgesa and Basque cheesecake, but we’ve also loved the tortilla de patata with serrano ham, shrimp al ajillo, and the focaccia with whipped butter. And they still find room to make great cocktails too like the not-sweet-at-all Palmoita with Tequila, vermouth, and Campari; and the Espresso Milano. Since space is limited, be sure to make a Resy in advance.
2. Birdie’s East Side
For date night, Birdie’s has established itself recently as the go-to spot — whether you’re crossing town or flying in, given the national attention heaped on owners Tracy Malechek and Arjav Ezekiel. Their menu is slim but thoughtful and changes regularly. The roasted sweet potato with crispy shallots and beef tartare are favorites, and don’t miss the pastas, or the ever-changing large plates of fish and meat. (Snapper with lemon potatoes was a recent satisfying option.) Since quantities are limited and you order at the counter, come early to be sure you don’t have to wait long, or miss out on any star items. But if you hit a long line, enjoy a glass of wine while you wait, and debate what you’re going to order. It’s the Birdie’s way.
Find more info here.
3. LENOIR South First
Lenoir is a crowd favorite among folks who’ve lived in Austin since before we had a professional sports team. Whether you’re having dinner in the romantic interior or seated in the wine garden, the scene always feels relaxed but still special enough for a date night Resy. The menu rotates to feature the best of Texas with dishes like Pullman bread with pimento cheese, crab fingers with curry leaf leche de tigre, and whole redfish with chili oil. If you’re feeling indecisive and hungry, there’s also a chef’s choice menu featuring five dishes and optional wine pairings.
4. Fonda San Miguel North Austin
For almost 50 years, Fonda San Miguel has been serving authentic Mexican food, and only gotten better with age. We love hanging out in the bar area for calamari or queso fundido appetizers and the El Rey cocktail (reposado Tequila, whiskey, and mole bitters) or a margarita. The dining room experience remains as welcoming and warm as our first visit. The cochinita pibil is among Fonda’s most famous dishes, but we also love the carne asada or any of the vegetarian tostadas. Close out your meal with the tres leches or flan and a cafe de olla made with cinnamon, brown sugar, and clove, and remember how deep Austin’s legacy of Mexican cooking runs.
5. Este East Austin
Even after almost two years of being open, reservations at Este are still a hot commodity — for good reason, namely Fermin Nuñéz’s groundbreaking cooking. (Pro tip: Set a Notify for any dates you might want to go for dinner, or especially for weekend lunch.) It’s hard to choose between the raw options like the tuna tiradito with crispy leeks or top neck clams topped with guajillo pico. Don’t overlook the fish tacos just because they sound basic. The masa battered swordfish is light, flavorful and works well with any cocktail, agua fresca, or Mexican lager. They’re known for their seafood and vegetables grown on site, but their cochinita pibil and au poivre rib eye are worth trying too.
6. KG BBQ Cherrywood
Many come to Austin in search of barbecue, but KG BBQ at Oddwood Brewing is in a category of its own. Pitmaster Kareem El-Ghayesh (KG), who recently was featured on “Barbecue Showdown” on Netflix and was a James Beard Award semifinalist, creates barbecue with flavors from Egypt and the Middle East out of his food truck. Arrive early to ensure you don’t miss out any of the best-sellers like the brisket, pomegranate-glazed pork ribs, and smoked kofta. Many of the meats also come in rice bowl or shawarma pita form and are topped with Egyptian garden salad, tahini, nuts, and pomegranate seeds.
Find more info here.
7. Dai Due East Austin-Cherrywood
The team at Dai Due focuses on sourcing the freshest vegetables and organic meats for their creative menu. Even their wine and beer list is local, with options from Marfa to Hye. You can feel the level of care they put into each dish, with details like caramelized fennel-mandarin whipped lard that comes with grilled sourdough and red wine-pickled blueberries accompanied by stuffed quail. The menu rotates based on what’s in season, but you can usually find the antelope and aged wagyu burger, perhaps the most underrated burger in Austin.
8. Mattie’s Bouldin Creek
Set on an historic property with roaming peacocks, Mattie’s makes for the ideal backdrop for impressing your parents or just a quiet meal. They are open for brunch and dinner with plenty of in and outdoor seating, but the restaurant is an Austin favorite, so make your Resy in advance. Try the little gem wedge salad, bone-in pork chop with collard greens and all of the sides. For brunch, the Milk Punch French Toast will make you feel special and the biscuits and gravy will make you feel happy and full.
9. The Long Goodbye Cherrywood
Sharing a space with Fleet Coffee and La Santa Barbacha, the Long Goodbye is a casual cocktail bar in a busy and growing part of Cherrywood. Outside, they’re serving they’re most popular drinks like the frozen margarita, agua fresca with mezcal, and Oaxacan Martini. The outdoor space is versatile, allowing you to grab a taco to-go from their neighbor and find space to sit with a big or small group happy hour. If A/C is more of your thing, there are limited tables and a small bar inside that offers a bigger cocktail menu and wine list.
Find more info here.
10. Two Hands Austin South Congress
South Congress is now home to many transplants — tech bros, boutiques, and more. While some are more welcome than others (we’re not naming names) this cafe offshoot from New York provides an important coffee window for the many folks passing by — and a solid breakfast, lunch, and dinner, too. Their Australian Brekky options are some of our favorites, like the tomato toast with prosciutto and poached egg, or smashed avo toast with pickled shallots and Fresno chiles. Dinner includes healthy options like the miso mushroom bowl or salmon green curry. The patio is both dog- and kid-friendly, so bring your favorite small or furry companions.
11. LeRoy and Lewis South Austin
LeRoy and Lewis has long been a favorite food truck at Cosmic Coffee. It received accolades from Texas Monthly and The New York Times for serving more than the typical Texas barbecue items. Now they expanded their menu and space in a brick-and-mortar spot in South Austin. They offer sliced or chopped beef and a variety of sausages, as well as (gasp!) smoked vegetables. Options also include three burgers all with different kinds of meat, and a smoked Italian beef sandwich with giardiniera. And while you may have had Big Red with your barbecue, they have a frozen Big Red Sangria. A full bar offers beer, wine, and many cocktail options to sip on while you wait in line to order.
Find more info here.
12. Eldorado Cafe North Central
When seeking out the best Tex-Mex in Austin, you’re going to get strong and often opposing opinions and a range of options from a taco truck to fine dining. Eldorado is perfectly in the middle. Their Mexican breakfast is casual, but you feel like you’re in the right place for Tex-Mex. Huevos rancheros, Short rib machacado and even just the Daily Texan with eggs, bacon, hash and a biscuit — it’s all fresh and filling. We also like the crispy tacos for lunch or the enchiladas verde for dinner. Take a tub of your favorite of their salsas to-go too — they are that good. We’re not alone with the opinion of how great this spot is, so get a Resy so you can sit down right away.
13. RedFarm – ATX Downtown Austin
This hot spot opened their first location outside of New York in downtown Austin last year. And while we normally try to emphasize local spots, the team put great care into ensuring they can create classic Chinese dishes and craft cocktails for Austin, with a touch of New York cool. The Peking duck served with scallion pancakes and dipping sauces is a crowd pleaser and incredibly filling. If you want to order more variety, try the pastrami egg rolls, Chinese broccoli and shitake mushrooms, barbecued beef fried rice, and anything that comes in dumpling form. You can sit up at the bar or get a table inside or on their patio to enjoy what is sure to be an impressive meal.
14. Nixta Taqueria Chestnut
It’s hard to stand out in a taco town like Austin, but James Beard award-winning chef Edgar Rico and his wife Sara Mardanbigi found a way. Their tacos are a blend of traditional Mexican ingredients and flavors with a more modern American twist like the duck carnitas taco or the beet tartare taco. It’s casual, so you can walk-up, wait in a (hopefully) short line, and eat at their picnic tables out back. And if you want the ultimate experience, you can book their taco omakase to get multiple off-menu tacos and dessert.
15. Tiki Tatsu-ya South Lamar
Tiki Tatsuya is somewhat nondescript from the outside, but when you step in, you’ll immediately feel like you’re on vacation and the bartender is your BFF. The focus here is more on the drinks than the food compared to the other Tatsuya restaurants, so we recommend getting a Resy at night and ordering the Painkiller with rum and shiro-miso coconut cream or the Strip ‘n Go Naked with gin, tangerine, and yuzu lager. If you’re hungry, order the Pu Pu Platter to sample their wings, skewers, ribs, crab lagoon, and other snacks.
16. Mum Foods Windsor Park
Mum Foods won over many hearts and stomachs with their stands at the local farmer’s markets. They offer even more at their brick and mortar spot in Windsor Park, which deserves a spot on best barbecue in Austin and best sandwich in Austin lists. On the barbecue side, be sure to get some pork ribs or the pastrami which is great on its own and most famous in sandwich form. On the deli side, the matzo ball soup is the best in town with a light and fluffy matzo ball, perfectly balanced broth, and lots of fresh dill. They offer walk-in counter service, so arrive early to avoid lines or missing any of their most popular items.
Find more info here.
17. Prélude Downtown Austin
Tucked away near downtown in an historic old home surrounded by legendary trees, Prelude is an upscale cocktail lounge from chef Mathew Peters who worked previously at Per Se, French Laundry, and other noteworthy spots. The space is sexy, cool with seating in the bar area, lounge, and on their patio. Signature cocktails feature fresh produce like melon, strawberry, and carrot and classic cocktails are, of course, available. The menu is limited for now to small bites like “chicken nuggets” with caviar and sweet pea croquettes with Iberico ham. A full tasting menu experience will be available upstairs later this year.
Call 512.702.9150 for more info.
18. Carpenter Hotel Pool Austin
For most locals or visitors, access to a pool that’s not overcrowded during Austin summer months is hard to come by. When you see the forecast looking like nothing but sun, plan ahead for a perfect Austin daycation by booking a Resy for the Carpenter Hotel pool. Your spot will get you access to swim and poolside service in case you get hungry or thirsty. Try their Club Sammie and pool spritz. And if you’re feeling like more of a sit down meal, grab another Resy to eat inside in their restaurant or on the patio.
19. Con Todo Domain
Tucked away at Celis Brewery, find one of Austin’s most celebrated food trucks. Don’t come here expecting a boring bean and cheese taco. These authentic tacos are Rio Grande Valley style, which means corn tortillas topped with onion and cilantro, and meats like barbacoa and carne asada. Try the bistec Matamoros with grilled onions, queso fresco, and guacamole and the pollo en mole and be sure to try all the salsas depending on your appreciation of that kind of heat. There’s great history and technique behind the tacos at Con Todo, so be sure to make time to chat with the folks taking your order — assuming the line isn’t huge behind you.
Find more info here.
20. The Dead Rabbit Austin Downtown Austin
An Irish pub is a comfortable go-to spot for many folks around the world. But Dead Rabbit takes what you love about that pub, and remixes it in a contemporary, high-end way, which is why the New York original has won seemingly every bar award out there. Its Austin outpost recently opened in a historic building on East 6th Street. Irish Coffees are made in multiple forms with small-batch whiskey, served frozen, up, or with a cream float. If you’re hungry, you can also enjoy pub-food favorites like fish and chips, Scotch eggs, and corned beef sliders. And dhey also have specialty cocktails just for Austin like the First and Formosa, with Tequila, smoked watermelon, curacao, and lime. Make a Resy for a happy hour or weekend night out to get an respectably upscale experience on the rowdy part of Sixth Street.
