Best Restaurants in Austin
L’Oca d’Oro
More than just delicious, upscale Italian with prix fixe menus and a love of hand-crafted recipes—it’s a restaurant that’s committed to true hospitality, which is why they pay their servers a fair wage and include gratuity on every bill. They know that a happy staff is the key to high-quality service, so this is a meal you can really feel good about.
Dai Due
There’s locally sourced and then there’s Dai Due. The chefs at Dai Due take their love of all things local to the next level. You’ll never find a spear of asparagus outside its season, a cut of beef from a farm you couldn’t visit, or a single slice of foreign cheese. Even the wine and olive oil is Texas grown and made. Even better, it’s all organic, too.
Franklin Barbecue
Since its opening in late 2009, Franklin Barbecue has sold out of its antibiotic- and hormone-free brisket every single day. Even after moving from a trailer to its current brick-and-mortar location, two- to three-hour waits for pork ribs, pulled pork, and beef-and-pork sausage are commonplace. The line is so long, it even has its own Twitter account. It’s worth it, though, as Anthony Bourdain described the brisket as “supernatural.”
Odd Duck
Once just a humble trailer, as of 2013 Odd Duck is a proper fine-dining destination without the fuss. Co-owner and chef Bryce Gilmore is a five-time James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef Southwest, after all. Go in for brunch, lunch, or dinner to discover fresh cheddar biscuits with sweet potato gravy, philly cheesesteak beef sausage, and more.