Take Good Southern Eats to the Max at the Best Restaurants in South Austin
Southern food is a cuisine all on its own, but sometimes it’s just food you find down South.
Whether you’re a longtime resident of the area, visiting from out of town, or just hoping to head down for a fun night out in South Austin, there are plenty of reasons why you might be looking for a bite to eat in the neighborhood.
Regardless of what yours is, there is, honestly, no shortage of phenomenal restaurants to find around here. Below, we’ve listed out some of our absolute favorites.
About GiftYa
South Austin is home to plenty of fantastic - and even exceptional - restaurants, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you always know where to start looking. That’s where GiftYa comes in. With GiftYa, you have access to a plethora or restaurants near you that will also give you access to e-gift cards to help take a chunk out of your final bill. Order one for your favorite person who frequents South Austin today!
Uchi
801 South Lamar Blvd | South Austin | uchiaustin.com
Most people are decidedly all-in or all-out when it comes to sushi. If they like it then they love it - and they will be able to distinguish the difference between good and bad sushi; if they don’t like it, they’ll probably be indifferent towards it forever.
Regulars at South Austin’s Uchi, however, range across the entire spectrum of people who have opinions about sushi, and the reviews are all good.Thinking about stopping by their little bungalow to give it a try but still not entirely convinced?
Sushi isn’t the only thing they have here, so bring along one of your sushi fanatic friends and pick a few bites off of their plate while you indulge in some of their seafood options that are actually cooked or maybe even one of their vegetarian hot tastings!
“Did the ten course chef's tasting menu. It was a nice balance of items and we were told it could be customized if we preferred more hot or cold dishes. The cool tastings were very refreshing.” - Yelp Review
Ramen Tatsu-Ya
1234 S Lamar Blvd | South Austin | ramen-tatsuya.com
We promise that it wasn’t our intention to point you in the direction of all the good Japanese restaurants in the area, but for some reason South Austin is packed with them - and they really are some of the best restaurants around.
Here at Ramen Tatsu-Ya, they specialize in creating hearty, delicious bowls of ramen in a very traditional and well-presented fashion. If you’ve ever seen the 2009 film “Mall Cop,” you’re probably familiar with the line “peanut butter fills the cracks of the heart.”
In other words, peanut butter is a kind of soul food (at least in the context of this movie, where peanut allergies don’t seem to exist). Permeating throughout all of Japanese culture, they have a soul food of their own, though, and that is ramen!
That’s why, with every dish they cook up here at Ramen Tatsu-Ya, they try to think about all the ways each individual ingredient might help to better nurture the souls of the people who stop in for a bowl.
“This is the best ramen I've ever had. I got the Miso-hot. I loved the ground meat instead of big chunks. The broth was thick and so flavorful. And the price isn't bad either!” - Yelp Review
Buy a GiftYa to Ramen Tatsu-Ya >
South Congress Cafe
1600 S Congress Ave | South Austin | southcongresscafe.com
Food is art. That’s what they’ll tell you at South Congress Cafe, at least, and after having a look at the photos of their food they have featured on their website, we’re inclined to believe that that really is the case.
Whether you’re there for brunch or dinner, any meal they place in front of you will be presented beautifully - and it’ll also be some of the best food you can have in South Austin. Many of the people who stop in regularly come by for the brunch, but don’t let that discourage you from having dinner here, as well.
Both are equally delicious, taking classic stapes of southern fare and applying their own creative twists to them to make them even tastier and more Instagram-worthy. Keep an eye out for their tex-mex spins and shrimp and grits if you really want to dig into some menu favorites.
“The best Benedict I've had in my entire life. I'm a vegetarian and I was skeptical about cutting into this huge chunk of fried tomato but it was so perfectly savory and sweet.” - Yelp Review
Buy a GiftYa to South Congress Cafe >
Terry Black’s BBQ
1003 Barton Springs Rd | South Austin | terryblacksbbq.com
There’s nothing quite as quintessentially Texan as barbecue - even down in Austin where the folks seem to really hone in on supporting their diverse neighbors in whichever business ventures they might have immigrated to the area to embark on.
At Terry Black’s BBQ, you can find some of the most classic southern fare and South Austin - and it’s pretty frickin’ finger-lickin’ delicious if the reviews are to be believed. Be sure to bring a bib along with you because this is some of the juiciest, most succulent meat in Austin.
Started up by two twin brothers who learned how to make Texas barbecue the Central Texas way from their father, Terry Black’s BBQ brings you some of the most deliciously seasoned, prime cuts in the area. This is what southern fare is all about!
“The BBQ smoke as well as smell permeates throughout the entire parking lot. The brisket was perfect on a plate. Amazing!!! Everything was on point. You definitely have to check this place out!!” - Yelp Review
Buy a GiftYa to Terry Black's Barbecue >
Hopdoddy Burger Bar
1400 S Congress Ave, Ste A190 | South Austin | hopdoddy.com
We’ve all heard that cheesy joke opener that starts off with “x, x, and x walk into a bar…” In the case of Hopdoddy Burger Bar, however, they don’t just use that line as a sort of slogan - it’s actually the story of how Hopdoddy came to be!
When a Guy, a Chuck, and two Larrys walked into a bar one day, a brilliant idea was born - and it has since expanded to areas outside of Austin, and even Texas. Here at Hopdoddy, they like to keep it simple by sticking (for the most part) to three simple sections of their menu: burgers, fries, and drinks from their well-stocked bar.
Pair your burger with one of their boozy drinks, a beer, or even a milkshake if you’re trying to keep it PG, and we’re pretty sure you can’t possibly be disappointed with your choice. Be sure to give the sweet potato fries a chance as well!
“Great customer service and the food was killer! Absolutely loved the sweet potato fries and the magic mushroom burger (I added bacon of course). Check this place out if you're in the mood for some ridiculously good burgers.” - Yelp Review
Buy a GiftYa to Hopdoddy Burger Bar >
Odd Duck
1201 S Lamar Blvd | South Austin | oddduckaustin.com
There’s a southern phrase that has worked its way around the country which likens people who tend to break the mold to “odd ducks.” While we can neither confirm nor deny this when it comes to how this South Austin restaurant’s name came to be, we think it may be a reference to that old phrase.
Starting out as a little to-go restaurant run out of a Fleetwood Mallard trailer, Odd Duck has since evolved away from many of its original practices, but its mission and methods from the beginning still remain very much the same.
When brothers Bryce and Dylan first started running their restaurant out of that little trailer, they were doing it with one goal in mind: to show support to local Austin farmers by using ingredients that have only been sourced locally. To this day, they still only use fresh, local ingredients in their dishes, and they’ve even brought national attention to agriculture in and around Austin!
“Odd Duck was definitely on my Austin to-do list and I'm very glad I did it! After eating my body-weight in glorious BBQ for a couple days, I needed...a bit more of a delicate, lighter meal.” - Yelp Review
Bouldin Creek Cafe
1900 S 1st St | South Austin | bouldincreekcafe.com
Restaurant blurb?
“I love love love this trendy vegetarian restaurant. The only problem is, so does everyone else. So there is always going to be a wait for a table, and sometimes a really long wait.” - Yelp Review
Buy a GiftYa to Bouldin Creek Cafe >
Phoebe’s Diner
533 W Oltorf St | South Austin | phoebesdiner.com
Blurb
“Really good breakfast spot. Definitely busy so come early. Staff was super friendly and food was amazing. I'm definitely going to be craving that fried chicken and that green sauce that comes with it. So good.” - Yelp Review
Buy a GiftYa to Phoebe’s Diner >
Sentences to sum up the whole article.
Trae Bodge
Trae Bodge is the shopping expert here at GiftYa. Trae helps people find the best deals and ideas on popular new items to purchase.
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