The Resy Hit List: Where In Austin You’ll Want to Eat in Nov. 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
- ACL But Make It Food: While some people were recovering from last month’s major music festival, others of us mustard mustered up the energy to check out the biggest food event of the year, the Austin Food and Wine Festival, which took place Nov. 1-3. If you missed it, you can still catch the vibe at participating Resy hot spots like Nixta Taqueria, Summer House on Music Lane, Casa Bianca, El Raval, and more.
- It’s Your Favorite Foreign Movie: Actually it’s not — it’s a night of great music. Equipment Room has an unofficial policy to only play end-to-end perfect albums, so get tickets for their Omakase Vinyl event on Nov. 10 to hear the tightest, most polished album, dare we say, ever: “Aja” by Steely Dan.
- Brat Fall: Brat Summer may be over, but Wurst Fest is just getting started. Make the trek down to New Braunfels Nov. 1-10 to celebrate German food, beer, and culture at this historic festival that’s been happening since 1961.
- Tryptophan Fans: Maybe you love Thanksgiving, but you also don’t like traveling this time of year, or messing up your kitchen while somehow also messing up boxed stuffing. Make a memorable Thanksgiving this year by pre-ordering turkey and sides from Interstellar or dining at the Driskill Hotel. And if you prefer a meal without turkey and potatoes, make a Resy at Qi Austin, which will be open and serving their usual dishes.
New to the Hit List (Nov. 2024)
Flower Shop, Kalimotxo, Rockman, Terrible Love, Odd Duck, Fonda San Miguel.
1. Kalimotxo East Side
The tapas bar from the Emmer and Rye Hospitality Group made the move from west to east and is now open at the Arrive Hotel. Similar to its original location, it’s an ideal Resy to get for happy hour. They offer pinxtos (individual bites) and larger plates for sharing. Try the tomato and chorizo tosta with manchego or the Iberico ham and chips. If you’re hungrier, go big with the salt-roasted prawns or whole roasted fish. There is a major Spanish wine list to pick from and classic Spanish cocktails like their namesake kalimotxo, a mix of Coca-Cola and red wine.
2. Birdie’s East Side
Birdie’s has established itself as a go-to spot — whether you’re crossing town or flying in, given the national attention that continues for 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. Lutie’s Hancock
When you step onto the historic Commodore Perry Estate in Hyde Park, you’ll be greeted by stunning architecture, sprawling gardens, and ancient Live Oak trees. It’s a special occasion kind of hotel, so it makes sense that the restaurant on property rises to that same occasion. Make a Resy at Lutie’s for a birthday dinner, work dinner, or an excuse to wear that new outfit you’ve been saving. Start with the buttery, soft Estate bread or petit aioli with grilled vegetables. For dinner, we love the Jasmoon rice, trout, and smoked trout roe or confit duck with guajillo and fig. And save room for the kouign aman ice cream.
5. Odd Duck South Lamar
Odd Duck started as a beloved food trailer and quickly grew into a more grown up restaurant now serving an ever-changing menu in a brick and mortar location on South Lamar. While it’s been around for 10 years now, you definitely still need a Resy because it’s among the best spots in Austin. The menu is locally sourced and currently features beer-battered squash with green goddess dressing, cast iron cornbread, and wagyu strip steak with roasted turnips and fritters. Finish off your meal with their chocolate & masa icebox cake with caramel corn and a nitro espresso martini.
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. Underdog Bouldin Creek
Maybe we were wooed by the weiner dog in the signage, or perhaps it was the promise of the curated wine selection. Whatever it was, Underdog continues to prove itself Hit List-worthy with an exciting menu of Korean food with some Texas twists like pork and shrimp mandu, corn ribs, and fried rice with pastrami courtesy of Mum Food’s. The 32-page wine list comes with an emotional support sommelier who can help you make the right choice — namely co-owner Richard Hargreave, who performed somm magic in the Momofuku empire. Be sure to stop in the wine shop on the way out to get more new wines to try at home.
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. The Flower Shop Central East Austin
This New York-original hot spot is now open in Austin on East Seventh Street. With a retro interior including a cheetah print pool table and cush pleather booths, the Flower Shop team is hoping you’ll want to stick around a while for both drinks and food. Try their michelada cocktail served with mezcal, tequila, and the tiniest Corona, or the vodka cold brew martini. Don’t miss their bar food classics like the super meaty burger made with special sauce, chicken wings doused in Frank’s, or the mozzarella sticks. If you want to go lighter, or at least vegetarian, there’s also a cauliflower steak served with quinoa and a fried egg. Make a Resy for a dinner with friends or even a first date you want to impress with your billiard skills.
11. Fonda San Miguel North Austin
For almost 50 years, Fonda San Miguel has been serving real-deal Mexican food that’s only gotten better with age. We love hanging out in the bar area for calamari or queso fundido appetizers and the El Rey cocktail made with reposado Tequila, whisky, and mole bitters, or a margarita. The dining room remains welcoming and warm with diners who are happy to be back — or to be in there for the first time. The cochinita pibil is among their 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.
12. 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.
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. Rockman Coffee + Bakeshop Holly
The sign outside boldly declares “CAFFEINE, GLUTEN, SUGAR, BUTTER, BOOZE” and Rockman delivers exactly what is promised. Amanda Rockman is a baker who led the pastry program at the South Congress Hotel and restaurants for many years before stepping out to create her own bakery. Try rip and dip bagels — plain with New York cheesecake schmear or everything with French onion schmear. Croissants can be savory like the ham, cheese, and mustard or super sweet like the churro. For drinks, we’re partial to the nitro oat latte and matcha latte. They sell out of baked goods early, so come early if you want the gluten, sugar, and butter part of what they promised on the sign.
Find more info here.
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. Bufalina Holly
Bufalina, on the corner of a tiny building on Cesar Chavez, is easy to miss. It’s a cozy dining room with a small bar, so we recommend coming with just one or two others otherwise you may have to wait for your table outside. When you walk in, if you don’t smell it first, you’ll see the giant wood-fired pizza oven where a hardworking team is making pizzas like the Fresca (arugula and prosciutto) and an ‘nduja pie. While pizza is the star, the appetizers and pastas are also worth your attention. And, pro tip: Check out the lengthy wine list in advance to figure out your perfect bottle of choice. While we remain partial to the East Side location, Bufalina Due on Burnet serves Neapolitan pizzas at the same lovely levels.
Find more info here.
18. Gina’s on Congress Downtown Austin
Located in the heart of downtown, the team behind Gusto and Gracia Mediterranean have an Italian bistro with a charming dining room and long bar for drop-ins. Their all day menu works for a mid-work day lunch of a little gem Caesar or croque madame. At night, go for the lardon salad with crispy kale, the hand-made conchiglie pasta with pork sausage, and shoestring fries for the table. It’s a great spot for a date or casual friend dinner. The most coveted Resy is during happy hour to get half-off snacks and cocktails, including any of their Negroni options.
19. Terrible Love Hyde Park
One of our tiny favorite coffee trucks moved into a slightly larger space in a quieter part of Hyde Park at the old Baker School. They renovated the tiny brick boiler room into a coffee counter that serves dirty chai lattes, the Terrible Latte with grapefruit brown sugar, and more. There are limited pastries from Texas French Bread, pre-made breakfast tacos, and some dog treats for your furry friends. If you want to stick around while you drink your coffee, there’s a lovely area of tables under the trees next to the boiler room.
Find more info here.
20. 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.
