Austin is quite different from the rest of Texas. Its liberal hipsters, tree-hugging hippies, and college students blitzed up on energy drinks aren’t your average gun-toting, border-patrolling Texans. You can spot the real Austinites—they’re the ones complaining about how cool Austin used to be. The rest of us are just happy to be there rubbing out the local flavor.

Below you will find information on the city of Austin collected by different members of our committee. We encourage you to explore as much of Austin as possible because it is an exciting, electic place with many fun places and people.

Favorites are noted with stars (**).

• Austin Eats
• Austin Music
• Austin Shopping
• Austin Sites

Austin Eats

Eating in Austin is a joy. There’s lots to choose from, though the restaurants run either pretty cheap or pretty pricey—not so much in between. The best part is that every place is casual—shorts and t-shirts are no problem all over. No one tries to make reservations, and no one takes them anyway. Here are some highlights, in no particular order:

• Paul's Picks
• Jessica's Additions

Paul's Picks:

• Las Manitas: Tex-Mex; Breakfast. 211 Congress Ave. Excellent all around, but they excel at beans as well as their cinnamon coffee. Celebrity potential: B-list (local celebs: better than a newscaster, likely a local musician). Attempting to hold its own as the attempt to turn all of downtown Austin into a giant luxury hotel/ condominium/ lifestyle-emporium encroaches.


• El Chilito: Tex-Mex; Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner. 2209 Manor Drive. Outstanding tacos, super cheap. Celebrity potential: zilch, though you’ll undoubtedly encounter indecisive Austin hipsters dressed ironically, hoping to draw attention to their hair that’s been meticulously sculpted to appear messy and clothing with designs of little birds on them. The tacos are worth enduring this torture.


• Rudy’s BBQ: Meat; various locations. Although Central Texas abounds with great barbecue, little of it is actually located within Austin. Despite the faux-gas station décor, the bbq at Rudy’s is outstanding, especially the St. Louis Pork Ribs. Not to be confused with Ruby’s, a far inferior place near the UT campus. Celebrity spotting potential: slim, though the walls are covered with photos of local newscasters and second-string ex-Longhorns (solid C-list.)


• Texas Chili Parlor: Booze & Chili (not surprisingly); Dinner/ Drinks. 1409 LaVaca. An institution, though its margaritas are better than its food. Celebrity potential: slim, though its proximity to the Capitol increases the odds of seeing a protest march or bewildered Texas State legislator pass by, if congress is in session, which it probably isn’t because they only meet every other year, since there are only 7 laws in Texas, most of them related to cattle.


• Club de Ville: Booze. 900 Red River Street. Home of the stiffest drinks in Austin. Exceedingly dark inside; occasionally bizarre events outside (wrestling anyone?). Celebrity potential: zilch—you’ll be lucky to see your hand in front of your face in this stylish black hole.


• **Guero’s Taco Bar: Tex-Mex; Lunch/ Dinner. 1412 S. Congress. In the heart of the SoCo hipster-shopping haven. Relatively cheap, high quality eats. Celebrity potential: Lyle Lovett likes this place, and Bill Clinton ate ‘til he stopped. And then he winked at my mother-in-law. (Total A-list.)
  
  Jessica comments: Their margaritas are probably the best in town. And I have tried many, so I should know.


• **Madam Mam’s: Thai; Lunch/ Dinner. 2514 Guadalupe. Just across from the UT campus, Madam Mam’s offers the best food in the UT area and the best Thai food in the city. Tom Kha is an exceptional dish. Celebrity potential: It depends. Do you consider English department faculty to be celebrities? How about the History department? If so, this is the place for you. Otherwise, the occasional Austin City Limits performer stops here after the show is taped. (B/C List.)


• JP’s Java: Coffee. 2803 San Jacinto. Best coffee in town, close to campus.


• Austin Java: Grab-bag; Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner/ Coffee. Various locations. Solid, reliable, nothing spectacular. The kind of place you might meet for a book club.


• **Amy’s Ice Cream: Dessert; various locations. It’s ice cream—and heavy on the cream. Occasionally approaches frozen butter. But then again, dairy is not my friend. Amy’s prides itself on their wacky employees and occasionally risqué flavor names. A very popular place.
  
  Jessica's comment on Paul's comments: Amy's is awesome, awesome ice cream. If you like ice cream, you MUST go to Amy's.


• **Chez Nous: French; Dinner. 510 Neches. Stunningly authentic French diner. A little on the pricey side, but has a good fixed price menu option. Celebrity potential: Slim. Rumor has it Laura Bush ate here once, but this town swims in rumors about the Bush ladies.


• **Taco Cabana: Tex-Mex; Lunch/ Dinner. Various locations. The first place I ever ate at in Austin. A bit tacky on the outside, but this tex-mex chain is fantastic and serves some of the best flour tortillas in town. Very cheap, lots of options. At the one near UT campus they call out your order number so loudly it’ll make your ears bleed. Celebrity potential: Nil. But if I were a hung-over celebrity (which, God-willing, I’ll someday be), I’d eat if off here.


• Crown & Anchor Pub: Burgers, Beer; Lunch/ Dinner. 2911 San Jacinto Blvd. This pub north of the UT campus serves burgers better than the average pub grub. Though it’s still trying to recover from Fry-Gate, the controversial move from a shoestring variety to a more conventional, soulless breed.


• Hoover’s: Soul food; Lunch/ Dinner. 2002 Manor Road. Exceedingly popular soul food joint. Though honestly I’ve never been there.


• Asti Trattoria: Italian; Lunch/ Dinner. 408C East 43rd St. A very nice Italian place that borders on pricey. Real Austinites remember when this place was Manga, a futuristic Asian diner named after what non-dorks call “comic books.”


• **Boomerang’s: Meat Pies; Lunch/ Dinner. 3110 Guadalupe. A godsend that’s improved the relatively meager offerings surrounding the UT campus area. Against all odds, they even have vegetarian meat pies.


• Hyde Park Bar and Grill: American; Lunch/ Dinner. 4206 Duval St. A deservingly popular place known best for its stellar fries. Eat as many as you can.
  
  Jessica's comments: they also have a great turkey burger served with pesto sauce. Yum.


• Kerbey Lane: American; Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner. Various locations. Popular 24-hour diner, famous for its gingerbread pancakes. The food isn’t that great, but when you stumble in at 2 in the morning, are you really that picky?


• Roaring Fork: Southwestern; Dinner. 701 Congress. Has a great happy hour menu with half-price entrees, but otherwise it’s a bit pricey.


• Homeslice Pizza: Sushi. Just kidding, it’s pizza; Lunch/ Dinner. 1415 So. Congress. Decent enough for what passes for pizza in Austin. But the wait can be brutal, and is made even more unbearable by the legions of self-important and self-centered hipsters who discuss the sublime glory of Meg White drum solos as they stroke their Puma shoes. Plus, they swear they liked Nick Drake way before those VW ads!

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Jessica's Additions:

• Galaxy Cafe: American; Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner. 1000 West Lynn and 9911 Brodie Lane. I am going to argue with Paul's comment that JP Java's has the best coffee in town. I would, instead, put my vote in for Galaxy. They have a great breakfast that includes amazing french toast, breakfast tacos, and yogurt with granola. If you stop by for lunch or dinner, the best things on the menu are probably two of their sides: whipped sweet potatoes and macaroni and cheese.
  
  Paul's comments: How should I know who has the best coffee in town? I don't even drink coffee. But JP's sure ACTS like they've got the best coffee in town. Oh, and celebrity sighting here is decent--I've seen Alejandro Escovedo here (and I saw him at Las Manitas--does that guy just eat all day?) as well as Greg Thompson, star of Austin cable access show "At Home with English."


• **Thundercloud Subs: subs; Lunch/Dinner. Various locations. This is an Austin tradition that dates back many decades. One of the great things about Thundercloud is that they love to put avocado on subs and I appreciate that. Their egg salad is pretty amazing, too (if you want avocado on that, though, you will have to ask). Don't let Paul's comments keep you away.
  
  Paul's comments: Jessica, you forgot to mention that the staff here are usually so stoned they let you make your own sandwich. And you forgot to mention the Thundersauce they serve. Plus you forgot the obligatory diarrhea joke that follows a word like "Thundersauce."


• **Waterloo Ice House: texas diner food; Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner. Various locations. The chili is amazing but I think it may contribute to overall poor heart health. But if you are willing to take the risk, the reward is worth it. They also have a great veggie burger (I know this from experience but I also overheard a group of vegetarians all agreeing over this).


• **Whole Foods Headquarters: everything; Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner. 525 N. Lamar Blvd. When Whole Foods opened up this store a few years ago, I used to hear people asking each other whether they had been to the new Whole Foods, if they had seen the chocolate fountain, if they had had the gelato, if they had seen the cheese selection. The food choices are endless: indian food, pasta, pizza, sandwiches, sushi, salad bar, and on and on. It's quite the experience. And no trans fats!


• Austin's Pizza: pizza; Lunch/Dinner, breakfast the next day. Various locations. This is my favorite pizza in town, especially pizza that can be delivered to my door. The super pepperoni on a wheat crust is just good.


• Mozart's Coffee Roasters: coffee/pastries. 3825 Lake Austin Blvd. The cofee is good, the location is better. Mozart's sits directly on Lake Austin and on a nice day, there is no coffee shop that can hold a candle to it.
  
  Paul's comments: Yes, the view is nice, but bring headphones or something because chatty undergrads will attempt to spoil the view.


• Chuy's: mexican; Lunch/Dinner. Various locations. This has to be included because it is good mexican, it has a fun decor, and it's where the Bush twins were busted for underage drinking.
  
  Paul's comments: Slander! It was only the hot and wild Bush daughter, Jenna, who got busted. She's since toned it down (boo).


• The Oasis: american; Lunch/Dinner. 6550 Comanche Trail. This place is pretty far from downtown and it is ALL about the view. Located above Lake Travis, the Oasis has 40 outdoor decks so every table has a view of the lake. The food, though, is hard to recommend. Go there for drinks and appetizers at sunset.


• **Salt Lick: barbeque; Lunch/Dinner. 18001 FM 1826 Driftwood, Texas. This BBQ is about twenty to thirty minutes south of the city in the middle of nowhere. But it is the best BBQ in the area and worth the drive. But if you choose to go, make sure you take CASH. And make sure to have the brisket and the blueberry cobbler.


• El Arroyo: mexican; Lunch/Dinner. Various locations. I know there are a lot mexican restaurants on here and most of them are awesome. El Arroyo, AKA "The Ditch", won't win awards for its food but as a graduate student, I have to appreciate the prices. This is often my mexican of choice.


• Sarovar Indian Cuisine: indian; Lunch/Dinner. 8440 Burnett Rd. Suite 100. In case you are in the mood for Indian food, this is where I recommend you go.


• Mother's Cafe and Garden: vegetarian; Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner. 4215 Duval Street. A popular place for vegetarians. Pretty good food. And it is definitely open.
  
  Paul's comments: This place was accidently set on fire by a homeless man in 2007--and it was the first time the food's been hot in years! Ha ha ha but seriously folks, are we sure it's still open? 'Cause half the building really did burn down.


• Mangia Chicago-Stuffed Pizza: pizza; Lunch/Dinner. Various locations. I challenge you to eat more than two slices of this thick, yummy pizza.


• Katz's Deli and Bar: New York deli; open 24 hours. 618 W 6th Street. If you NEED pastrami, I'd start here. I also recommend the cheese blintzes. And don't kid yourself about them, just get the whole order because you will want it.
  
  Paul's comments: I can't vouch for the food but it is a family business. And by family, I mean the kind of family where the father sues the son. Apparently the elder Katz (owner of the Austin location) felt that the younger Katz (owner of the Houston location) was secretly funneling profits from the father's restaurant to the son's. That makes for an awkward Hannukah: "Dad, you don't need to get me anything. You've given me so much already." Katz the elder also ran for Austin mayor a few years ago, when he finished a good distance behind either Gus Garcia or Will Wynn or Kirk Watson or whatever bland, powerless nobody takes up space in the mayor's office. I always voted for Leslie, the cross-dressing, thong-sporting bearded gent who roams the city railing against police brutality/ hypocrisy.

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Austin Music

Austin, as you’ve no doubt heard, is a fantastic place to hear music. When they’re not working their day job at a local Thundercloud Subs, most emaciated burnt-out Austin dudes can be found in a band. Some local groups have quite a following, but Austin also attracts top acts from around the world. Check the Austin Chronicle for the latest.

• Paul's Picks
• Jessica's Additions

Paul's Picks:

• Stubb’s BBQ: 801 Red River. Great for shows, not so great for bbq. I’ve seen bands from Neko Case to Gomez to the Wu Tang Clan here. The Wu initially invited us all to the after party at the Doubletree, but then the RZA clarified: “Only the ladies. Don’t wanna see none of you fellas there.” I went anyway.
  
  Playing the weekend of MEPHISTOS:
  Thursday, April 3: ODIS with Phoenix Down (CD release party) - Indoor Show
  Friday, April 4: Driver F (CD release party), with Kingsley, Ethan Durelle, and Cruiserweight - Indoor Show
  Saturday, April 5: Yonder Mountain String Band - Outdoor Show


• Emo’s of Austin: 603 Red River. Famous club but be warned: the shows don’t start ‘til laaaaaaaaaaaaaate. I saw Feist here, like, way before those ipod ads. Be sure to enjoy the S&M Flinstones mural on the wall.
  
  Playing the weekend of MEPHISTOS:
  Friday, April 4: RJD2 with Dalek/Happy Chichester (outside)
  Friday, April 4: The Real Heroes, Household Names, TBA (lounge)
  Saturday, April 5: Casiotone for the Painfully Alone/Clue to Kalo/Tre Orsi (outside)
  Saturday, April 5: Dirty Hearts CD Release (lounge)


• La Zona Rosa: 612 W. 4th St. A solid indoor joint. I saw my first show in Austin here. I’ve seen bands like MIA and Luna among others, and Aesop Rock bored me late into the evening here. Plus once I thought I’d be trampled to death at a Stereolab show here. French people with trombones do that to an Austin crowd.
  
  Playing the weekend of MEPHISTOS: Nothing is listed but I would check the website as the date gets closer.


• The Parish: 214 E. 6th St. A superb intimate club. I’ve seen Jay Farrar mumble his way through songs here many a time. Plus Jenny Lewis and Tim Easton. This list is getting rather confessional, isn’t it?
  
  Playing the weekend of MEPHISTOS:
  Friday, April 4: Shiny Toy Guns' Jeremy Dawson and Guns and Bombs
  Saturday, April 5: Ring the Alarm!!! with Jah Mighty, DJ Baby G and Jr. Vibes


• The Continental Club: 1315 So. Congress. An Austin legend. I once saw Wanda Jackson, the Queen of Rockabilly, here. In classic hipster behavior, all the hipsters yammered during her songs how much they loved Rockabilly. In between songs they cheered. Then when the next song started, the chattering began again. Expect this at all Austin shows.
  
  Playing the weekend of MEPHISTOS:
  Thursday, April 3: Trio Gallerio (no cover)
  Friday, April 4: Mike Flanigin b-3 Trio
  Saturday, April 5: Mike Flanigin b-3 Trio
  Sunday, April 6: Mike Flanigin b-3 Trio (no cover)


• Cactus Café: A landmark joint on the UT campus, conveniently located across the hall from the Mephistos conference site.
  
  Playing the weekend of MEPHISTOS: Nothing is listed but I would check the website as the date gets closer.


• The Broken Spoke: 3201 So. Lamar. Great for Texas Two-Steppin’. I’m not sure, but I think the house band is the Geezinslaw Bros., famous for their hit “Help! I’m White and I Can’t Get Down!” If they’re not they should be.
  
  Playing the weekend of MEPHISTOS: Nothing is listed yet for the entire month of April but I would check the website as the date gets closer.

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Jessica's Additions:

• Austin Music Hall: 208 Nueces Austin. This venue just reopened a few months ago - Duran Duran played the first concert. I haven't been since it reopened but relatively large acts seem to stop by there.
  
  Playing the weekend of MEPHISTOS:
  Sunday, April 6: BB King with BB King, Jr.


• The Backyard: 13101 Highway 71 West. You have to have a car and some time to get out to the Backyard but it is a nice venue (as long as it doesn't rain). I've seen a lot of good bands out there.
  
  Playing the weekend of MEPHISTOS: Nothing is listed yet but I would check the website as the date gets closer.

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Austin Shopping

South Congress, on the South side of Town Lake: boutiques and vintage. Full of hipsters who will run you over with their fixed-gear bicycles without a second thought. Get out of the way, man! There’s a Wes Anderson movie to be seen!

2nd St. A new area anchored by Austin’s city hall of the future.

6th St. and Lamar: Features Austin landmarks BookPeople and Waterloo Records, as well as the Whole Foods Megalopolis Galactic Headquarters. Not quite Harrod’s Food Hall but still impressive.


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