Jo's Coffee: Breakfast Tacos are a must have when visiting Austin and Jo's Coffee is a perfect place to go to try them out. There Jo's locations on South Congress, Downtown and in Red River so you have several options to grab your breakfast taco fix. Each location serves a variety of breakfast tacos, oatmeal and granola for breakfast along with several different coffee drinks and teas. The breakfast tacos are available from 7 am until they are gone (so you may want to stop by early). The lunch menu includes grilled chicken tacos, deli sandwiches and salads available from 11 am until gone. Jo's offers an assortment of drinks (including sodas, Topo Chico, and a rotating selection of local beers and Frose). Check out Jo's menu here.
Cooper's Old Time Pit BBQ: Another thing you have to eat when in Texas is good ol' BBQ! There are many BBQ places to pick from and I am sure they are all fantastic. We went to Cooper's Old Time Pit BBQ and really enjoyed the vibe and the food! Cooper's is open seven days a week from 11 am to 10 pm. They offer several different cuts of meat that are cooked on the open fire right in front of you. Madison got brisket and I got the chopped beef sandwich. They have several traditional southern side dishes, including a Macaroni and Cheese that was incredible! Dessert options include several different flavors of fruit cobbler with ice cream. We were stuffed but satisfied when we left!
Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill: The motto for Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill is "Bootlegged & Bountiful" and you gotta love any place with a motto like that! Their website says they serve "Classic American Comfort Food" and I can attest to that. The vibe in the restaurant was really cool and the food was delicious! We left stuffed...uncomfortably so. This restaurant is always packed so reservations are a good idea.
1886 Cafe & Bakery: This quaint Victorian-style cafe is attached to the Driskill Hotel. They are open until 2 pm for breakfast and lunch. They serve traditional Texas comfort food made with time-honored recipes. They also use locally sourced ingredients. We had a delicious breakfast there one morning before heading out to explore Austin.
Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream: Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream is an incredible ice cream store with its flagship Austin shop right on South Congress ("SoCo"). They have really unique flavors such as Everything Bagel, Salted Peanut Butter with Chocolate Flakes, Brown Butter Almond Brittle, Gooey Butter Cake, and Brambleberry Crisp. You definitely need to stop here for refreshment after an afternoon of shopping in SoCo!
BONUS RECOMMENDATION:
Austin Eastciders Cider: This last recommendation is not a place to eat, rather it is a hard cider that is produced locally and it must be tried if you are a fan of hard ciders. I had the Blackberry Cider and it was amazing!
These are just a few of the many great restaurants in Austin where you can sample some good ole Southern cooking. Let me know if you discover any other eateries that should be highlighted for future Austin tourists!