Austin, Texas

Franklin Barbecue’s brisket is the most written-about piece of smoked meat in America and the queue that forms before the doors open at 11am has become its own kind of tourist attraction. You’ll wait anywhere from 45 minutes to three hours depending on the day. The brisket is genuinely exceptional. Whether waiting three hours for lunch is the right use of your time in a city with many other good barbecue options is a question only you can answer; my view is that one visit to Franklin, once, with a full morning allocated to it, is the correct amount.

The Live Music

Austin’s claim to be the Live Music Capital of the World is defensible. On any given Friday night, several hundred live music performances happen across the city simultaneously. The question is where to find music that isn’t performative.

6th Street divides into three distinct characters. Dirty 6th (roughly between Congress and I-35) is the college-crowd bar strip with live music in every doorway. West 6th is more upscale bars and restaurants. East 6th is smaller bars, a quirkier mix, and better discovery potential. For serious music, the Red River Cultural District intersecting 6th Street is where the better venues concentrate: Stubb’s BBQ amphitheatre for outdoor shows, Empire Control Room, and Emo’s. The Continental Club on South Congress is the most historically important Austin venue and still books genuine talent.

Rainey Street is Austin’s other nightlife district: a row of upscale bars and restaurants in converted historic bungalows on the eastern bank of Lady Bird Lake. More curated and expensive than 6th Street, less chaotic. Emmer & Rye, a Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient, is on Rainey Street and does grain-to-table modern American cooking worth planning an evening around.

What to Visit

Barton Springs Pool in Zilker Park is a spring-fed swimming hole that maintains a constant 20 to 21 degrees Celsius year-round. On a 38-degree July afternoon, it is the most rational place in Austin. Entry is around $4.

The Texas State Capitol is architecturally interesting and free to tour. It is seven feet taller than the US Capitol in Washington, a fact the Texas legislature apparently specified intentionally.

The Congress Avenue Bridge is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America: 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from under the bridge at dusk from roughly March through November. The emergence takes about 20 minutes and is genuinely spectacular. Free to watch from the bridge or the adjacent park.

Lady Bird Lake runs through the centre of the city with kayaking, paddleboarding, and a 10-mile running and cycling trail around the perimeter. Rent equipment at the Rowing Dock or any of several outfitters along the shore.

Where to Eat

Terry Black’s BBQ is arguably the better daily option than Franklin: excellent brisket, no three-hour queue, multiple locations. This is the opinion that will start an argument among Austin locals, which means it qualifies as defensible.

Uchiko does upscale Japanese food that is good enough to stand alongside anything in Tokyo’s neighbourhood restaurants. Lenoir in South Austin does farm-to-table cooking with more genuine commitment to local sourcing than the phrase usually implies.

Food trucks are a genuine Austin institution rather than a tourist gimmick; the truck parks on South 1st Street and around Rainey Street have reliable options from Thai to Korean to Tex-Mex at prices that make sense.

Getting There and Around

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has expanded significantly and receives direct flights from most US cities and some international connections. The city is spread out and a car helps; ride-share is available but getting around without one requires planning.

Visit between September and November or February through April for temperatures that don’t demand air conditioning at all times.