Where to Eat and Drink Around the Austin Convention Center

Neighborhood-wise, Eater also has guides to downtown, Rainey Street, and Red River Street. For more Austin dining and drinking, try Eater’s complete guide to dining and drinking in the city, as well as Austin’s essential restaurants, hot new restaurants, essential bars, hot new cocktail bars, and the best happy hour deals.

Veracruz All Natural (Downtown)

It’s a little bit of a hike to get to this spot at the Line hotel, but it’s worth it for great tacos. The migas and migas poblanas are the stuff of Austin legends, with thick tortillas and crunchy chips. Order online and pick up at the to-go window, or dine in at the stylish dining room or patio with cocktails and aguas frescas.

Foxy’s Proper Pub

This Irish pub is a good watering hole for beer, whiskey, and hearty pub fare. The pub has brick walls and comfy leather couches, plus there’s an outdoor rooftop patio overlooking Brazos Street. It is the place to catch international football matches while enjoying some truly great fish and chips.

Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken

Famously hot and spicy fried chicken is plentiful at this fried chicken chain’s Austin location. The vibe is full-on country, with checkered tablecloths and friendly counter service. Pair the fried bird with comforting sides like baked beans, fried okra, and mac and cheese. Takeout and delivery orders can be placed online.

Revolución

The Texas chain’s Austin location is the place to fuel up with coffee, juices, power shots, and smoothies. There are also more substantial dishes like acai bowls, breakfast tacos, tamale plates, toasts, and more. Order online or grab something to go, or eat on the sunny patio or in the cute dining room.

The Backspace

The tiny Neapolitan pizzeria is the place for dinnertime pizza, cheese, and meatballs. The vibe here is old school and romantic, with candles, wood, and a view of the wood-fired pizza oven. During happy hour, enjoy half-priced beers and wine by the glass and antipasti. Don’t miss the budinos for dessert.

Iron Works BBQ

The super casual downtown Austin barbecue restaurant is a destination for smoked meats in the city — and it happens to be just steps from the convention center. The chopped beef and beef ribs are great here, and there is a covered patio to eat outside. Ironworks is open from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. for those brave enough to indulge in late-night barbecue, and it also offers to-go orders.

Garrison

For a fancy-pants dinner, wander through the maze of insane aesthetics that is the Fairmont Austin hotel to find this fine dining restaurant. Even though the entrance feels like a fake Disneyland town, Garrison has excellent food and a Michelin recommendation. Once inside, there are no windows to the outside world, nor is there a patio, but there are fantastic steaks from the wood-fired grill, insane Tater Tots with aerated Gruyere, and good vegan options that use local vegetables.

Moonshine Grill

This rambling Southern restaurant with a covered outdoor patio is a classic stop for cocktails and comfort foods. That means chicken and waffles, chicken fried steak, and green chile macaroni and cheese. Even better: There’s a speakeasy bar on the property, Kinfolk, which has an elite whiskey selection and well-made cocktails. Moonshine is also rumored to be one of the most haunted places in Austin, so scaredy-cats might want to get food to go.

Casino El Camino

Sneak away to this dimly lit dive bar for giant burgers that some consider the best in town. There are also cheap beers and cocktails. The vine-covered patio and its murals provide a nice contrast to the dark, grungy interior, but both dining areas have appeal.

Central District Brewing

This is Austin, so it makes sense that there’s a brewery right next to the convention center. Central District brews all sorts of beer styles in its friendly, approachable tap room, like its award-winning Kayaker’s kolsch, fruited sours, and other rotating styles. There’s also a spicy margarita and nonalcoholic options, and a small outdoor area.