Kim & Jason's "Best Of" Austin

There are so many great things to do in Austin! If you’re new to Austin, or just haven’t been in a while, we’ve listed a few of our favorite places for you...

FOOD

• Home Slice Pizza - Coming from New Jersey, Kim can be pretty critical of pizza, but lemme tell 'ya...this place makes a great pie.
• HopDoddy’s Burgers - All types of burgers, made from scratch, any way you like it. They actually do great turkey and veggie burgers. Or try the “Greek”.  Long waits are typical, but if you're not in a rush, there's great people watching while you wait.
• Amy’s Ice Cream - Homemade ice cream.  Locations on West 6th Street and South Congress Avenue. Try the Mexican Vanilla.
• Lamberts - Delicious upscale BBQ in the heart of downtown and across the street from Ladybird Lake (aka Town Lake).
• Easy Tiger - Fun bar with a great beer selection and a nice patio at the end of East 6th Street. It’s also a bakery, so order one of their soft pretzels. 
• Patika Coffee (trailer) - You can get pretty good coffee all over Austin, but this is easily the best cup of joe we’ve ever had.  In the heart of downtown Austin. We recommend getting an Americano and strolling downtown Austin.
• Polvos - Great Mexican food on South 1st Street (a couple of miles from downtown Austin).
• Mellizoz Tacos (trailer) - Great tacos (and more) on South 1st Street (a couple of miles from downtown Austin).  Austin is known for its breakfast tacos, and they do darn good ones. 
• Uchi - James Beard award winning sushi.  Trust us, you've never had sushi as good as this place.
• East Side Kings - Cheap unique asian fusion food by TV's "Top Chef" winner, Paul Qui.  There are a few locations, but we recommend the Hole in the Wall location, just off the campus of the University of Texas if you’re interested in checking out campus as well. The Hole in the Wall is located right on "the drag" (aka Guadalupe Street).
• Franklins - Ok, if you want to use up an entire morning waiting for the best BBQ you may ever eat the rest of you life, get in line by 9:30am (we are not joking!) and wait till noon when the restaurant opens.  All of the restaurant's food is gone in 2 hours...that’s how good it is, and that is why people line up daily at 9:30am and wait 2.5 hours to taste this incredible BBQ!
• The Oasis - The Oasis is just outside of Austin, on Lake Travis. The food is standard but the views are awesome! We recommend getting a margarita (or two) at sunset.
• Kerbey Lane -breakfast, lunch, or dinner...open 24 hours. Great better-than-a-normal-diner food, around the clock.
• Whole Foods- This is their flagship store...a unique experience with tons of prepared foods, restaurants, and bars in the store! (525 N Lamar Blvd., 78703)
  

Outdoor Activities

• Zilker Botanical Gardens -  Beautiful gardens a short ride from downtown Austin.
• Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center   - Beautiful gardens and nature center a 25-30 minute drive south from downtown Austin.

Water Activities
People swim in Austin, year-round, and although there's no ocean, there are plenty of water activities in Austin...

• Barton Springs - take a dip in this large spring-fed swimming hole in downtown Austin.  The water is 68 degrees year-round.
• Town Lake (aka Ladybird Lake) - The lake you see in downtown Austin.  Offers up canoeing, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding. You can rent these at either the Rowing Dock  or the Texas Rowing Center  (call ahead for reservations).
• Lake Travis - Boating, Jet Skiing, and Swimming 25 minutes outside of Austin. Rentals at Just for Fun Watercraft Rental
  

Parks, Hiking, and Views

• Barton Creek Greenbelt 
• Zilker Park - Our biggest open air park near downtown Austin.
• Mt. Bonnell - Not really a mountain, more like a big hill, but with breathtaking views of the city.
• Umlauf Sculpture Garden
  

Shopping

• South Congress Avenue is your perfect slice of Austin.  You'll definitely pick up the Austin "vibe" walking this street lined with tons of vintage and funky shops, delicious restaurants, and food trailers. Definitely one of our favorite spots in Austin!
• 2nd Street District is a small strip of street downtown for boutique shopping and nicer restaurants.
  

Museums, The Capitol, Etc.:

• Blanton Museum of Art 
• The LBJ Library 
• Texas State Capitol  - That large building at the end of Congress Avenue!
• Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum and IMAX
• Cathedral of Junk - Speaks for itself!  hahaha...

Nightlife

• 6th Street in Downtown - Bars, bars, and more bars.  Kind of touristy, but worth a stroll down the street to see live music pouring out of every venue and kids letting loose.  No cover anywhere and cheap drinks, so feel free to stop in and watch a band if you like them.
• The Continental Club - Rock and blues bar on South Congress Avenue.  The place where rock n roll legends are made.
• The Hideout Improv Comedy Theater - One of the many theaters we perform improvised comedy at.  In the middle of downtown Austin, this theater has live improvised comedy most nights.
• The Elephant Room -  Live jazz, downtown.
• Ego's Karaoke & Bar - A somewhat hidden dive bar right off of South Congress Avenue with killer karaoke.