After Midnight: Late Night Bites in Austin

Austin’s exciting and colorful night life is one of its major attractions for tourists and residents alike. But after the clubs, concerts, or bar-hopping, the age-old question always arises of where to eat after midnight when most traditional restaurants have called it quits for the night. While Austin is not “the city that never sleeps,” it’s still possible to find great food when you’re dining late, no matter where the evening’s entertainment winds up.

For breakfast anytime, day or night, the Kerbey Lane Café offers a variety of Mexican-influenced choices. Eggs, bacon, and omelets top the menu, joining more traditional diner fare like burgers and sandwiches. Health-conscious night owls will enjoy the wide range of salads, while the popular fajita platters are available in beef, chicken, or Portobello mushroom varieties and are the perfect choice after an evening of live music and cold brews. An extensive dessert menu adds the finishing touch to the meal.

The Dog & Duck Pub offers classic English and Irish pub fare, including shepherd’s pie and Scotch eggs; fish and chips and onion rings are especially recommended at this Austin establishment. Open until 2 a.m. with a limited menu, be prepared to share your space with a variety of dogs and their owners. As its name suggests, the Dog & Duck is dog-friendly, so it’s best to watch out for the water dishes on the pub floor, especially after a long night of drinking.  

Katz’s Deli is open 24 hours and serves up traditional New York delicatessen fare, from bagels and lox to a wide array of sandwiches and salads. Dinner selections include the half-pound beef bacon-wrapped sirloin filet, freshly grilled salmon, and a variety of knockwurst and sausages with sauerkraut. Corned beef and cabbage with boiled potato will appeal to the Irish in the crowd, while potato pancakes are always a favorite among the deli’s diverse offerings.

For late-night barbecue, Sam’s Bar-B-Que offers the full range of smoky goodness. From brisket and ribs to sausage and mutton, Sam’s serves it up hot and spicy until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, 2 a.m. on Sunday night and weeknights. Sam’s signature Salsa Chicken is a revelation, while his Carolina Pulled Pork is smoked for 16 hours over an oak wood fire and then spiced for that authentic flavor. Baby back ribs are slow-marinated for a rich burst of flavor, and then slow cooked over a low oak flame.  Garlic bread accompanies all orders, and sides include potato salad, macaroni salad, cole slaw and chili beans.

Serving Asian food until 2 a.m. every day except Sunday, 888 Vietnamese Restaurant serves up authentic Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai food in a skillful blend of classic and contemporary flavor profiles. Along with the traditional spring rolls and pho, 888 offers a number of vegan-friendly menu items and chef specials. American-influenced Chinese dishes like General Tso’s chicken are excellent but predictable, but the wide variety of Thai curries steals the show.

After a night out enjoying the multitude of cultural and entertainment options Austin has to offer, visitors will be glad to know that a number of local restaurants are available to serve the late-night crowd. Austin is certain to have something to satisfy every taste, be it for entertainment or for dining options, even after midnight.

The city of Austin, Texas is becoming one of the best and most popular places to live, appearing on several “Top Cities To Live” lists by many different publications in recent years. Austin’s unique culture combined with its steady economy and mild climate is drawing in more and more people to relocate. If you are in the market to find a new place to call home, here are some reasons why Texas’ thriving capital city may be the perfect choice for you.

#1-Stable Job Market: The job market in Austin didn’t see as big of a downturn as most other cities in the nation in 2009. In fact, Austin was ranked number one on Forbes’ magazine list of “Best Cities for Recession Recovery.” This is thanks to Austin’s abundance of employers, such as The University of Texas, Dell Computers, Advanced Micro Devices, and the State of Texas. With several new companies popping up in Austin all the time, the job market will remain steady and strong into 2010, with a projected economic growth of $5 billion, according to Forbes.

#2- Affordable Housing: Austin has some of the most affordable homes in the nation, which creates a strong real estate market. In November of 2009, there was a 62% increase in single-family homes sold in Austin as compared to 2008, and the median sales price decreased from $235,000 to $225,000. Austin was ranked number one on Forbes’ list of “Best Bang for Your Buck” because residents enjoy affordable housing and a promising job market.

#3-Entertainment: Austin holds the title of “The Live Music Capital of the World” and for good reason. With more live music venues per capita than Nashville, Memphis, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York City, you can always enjoy some kind of live music performance any day of the week. The annual “Austin City Limits” Music Festival brings in several big name and local bands each year and is a widely popular Austin event. South by Southwest is another huge music event in Austin that brings in huge concerts and interactive events. All year long you can find some kind of live music event going on in Austin and there’s always going to be bands playing downtown, so you’ll never have a loss for entertainment.

#4- Film and Fine Arts: Austin is a very creative community filled with designers, painters, dancers, actors, musicians and filmmakers. There are hundreds of arts venues in and around the Austin area, with the most famous being Ballet Austin, Bass Concert Hall, The Blanton Art Center, Zachary Scott Theatre, and The Alamo Drafthouse, where the annual Austin Film Festival screens its films downtown. Austin is America’s number one film destination because of its creative community of professionals, prime shooting locations, mild climate and diverse topography. The movies “Grindhouse,” “How to Eat Fried Worms,” “Sin City,” and “Idiocracy” are just a few big name films that have been made in Austin.

#5-Activities: On any given day, you can find loads of activities, whether it is renting a canoe in Zilker park, shopping along Guadalupe Street or watching the Mexican free-tail bats fly out from under the Congress Avenue bridge. Austin is a great city for sports, as well. You can go to a Texas Longhorns football game or a Texas Stars hockey game, or you can go just north of Austin to Round Rock for the Round Rock Express baseball games at the Dell Diamond. Austin has many family-friendly activities such as The Austin Children’s Museum, Blazer Lazer Tag, Austin Zoo, and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, just to name a few. Of course you can always go downtown to check out the Capitol building or the UT campus, as well.

#6-Climate & Outdoors: Austin is well known for it’s very mild climate. It barely dips below freezing in the winter months and stays in the 70′s and 80′s most of the year, except for the summer which can get up to triple-digit temperatures. Because is it almost always sunny outside, there are many things to do outdoors. Austin has many hike and bike trails, dog parks, rivers and lakes to help you make the most of the nice weather.

#7-Food and Drink: Austin is home to some of the most diverse styles of food and drinks in the nation, from fusion cuisines to amazing margaritas to comfort food and delightful desserts, Austin has it all. The two most popular types of food you can find in Austin is barbeque and Tex-Mex, but don’t worry, there are tons of vegetarian options too. And of course, most restaurants in town provide live music to go along with an amazing meal.

#8-Education: The Austin area is home to some impressive educational institutions. In Austin alone, there are 4 universities, a community college, and several trade schools. The University of Texas at Austin is one of the largest public universities in the United States, with over 170 fields of study and 100 majors. UT has one of the most diverse student populations in the country and is a national leader in the number of undergraduate degrees awarded to minority students.

So now that you know what all Austin has to offer, maybe it’s time you thought about relocating to one of the best cities in the nation. To learn more about the City of Austin and Austin homes and real estate, contact top Austin realtor Brian Talley.

Are you looking for an Austin Best Restaurant? Then you should be really happy as Austin city has got numerous options for you. One such option is the Carmelo’s Austin. This restaurant is absolutely Austin’s answer to a standard Sicilian kitchen. The place is spiced with continental chic. The place is popular for using all the fresh ingredients in the right quantity and in a perfect style. As soon as you enter the premises of this restaurant, you come across the pungent smells of garlic, ginger and few other ingredients that surely raises your hunger pangs!

At Carmelo’s Austin, you also get to listen to accordion. Yes, the instrument that is very rarely played in the restaurants. You also experience a group of limestone buildings which open to a charming village of Taormine where the Carmelo was born. The place has got some of the best Italian pastas, some of the best wines and of course, the best of desserts. It is surely one Austin Best Restaurant. For your convenience, the reservations are also available online. The special dishes of this restaurant include pasta, veal, beef, seafood and some very soecial poultry dishes. The pastry selection of this place is also very famous. One of the best features of this restaurant is that it also serves you a great vegetarian menu on demand. The wait-staff is very friendly and cooperating. The vegetarian menu is also served with great care and innovation. The Carmelo has also got four private rooms. These rooms may accomodate around ten to three hundred persons at a time. Various holiday parties, birthday parties, business meetings and receptions are arranged at the banquet halls of the restaurant. The large groups of conventioneers and the visitors can be seated at a moment’s notice if a room is available. The Carmelo was established in 1985.

One more Austin Best Restaurant is the Louie’s 106. This Austin Restaurant has been a very popular food joint among the Austinites since the time of it’s opening. It was opened in 1986. The restaurant was also given the first place in the Austin Chronicle People Poll. It is surely one of the best Austin things to do. The Louie’s 106 restaurant features four private rooms that cater to groups from 10 – 60 and spread across 2 levels. These are also equipped with an open kitchen on the main floor. Louie’s 106 offers various delicious flavours of over three hindred wine labels. Due to it’s high quality wine, the restaurant has also won the Award of Excellence from the Wine Spectator ten years in a row. This is really a big achievement for it.

The Louie’s 106 is indeed one of Austin Best Restaurant. Even the appetizers that are served here, represent an engaging mixture of sophistication and great taste. For example, the escargots are sauteed in garlic and white wine and served with herb walnut butter. Together these ingredients give a perfect taste. The tender snail and the yummy garlic plus butter just melt in your mouth. The menu of this place has got tapas which are the legendary appetizers of Spain. The place is also considered an exciting way to dine. Certain flavors are just mixed here such as carpaccio of tuna with fire roasted Nann bread, char grilled beef tenderloin, and Morraccan BBQ Shrimp. These combinations are rarely found at other places. Louie’s 106 also offers sumptuous lunch and dinner menus featuring daily specials from the rotisserie chicken, beef, lamb and fish; paella, pastas, risottos, bouillabaisse, grilled vegetables and salads.

The Roy’s Austin Restaurant is also regarded as the Austin Best Restaurant. It was originally introduced in Honolulu, Hawaii by the internationally acclaimed Chef known as Roy Yamaguchi in 1988. Since that time it has become very popular through out the world for its wonderful and unique cuisine and also the cutting-edge wine list. The aloha kind of service has also got it’s contribution for popularizing the place. Visiting this place may let you experience one of the best Austin day trips. Roy invested keeping in mind the childhood memories of the feelings and flavors of Hawaii. He refers to this style as the ‘Hawaiian Fusion’. The cuisine available here is a tempting combination of superb flavors and spices that are mixed with the freshest of local ingredients. The open exhibition kitchen is a priority within the interior design of this place. This provides a constant flow of energy, which permeates the restaurant also make the customers feel happy and relaxed. The restaurant has also got an elegant private dining room. This area seats around forty persons at a time. The parties are also held here which let the customers experience a very good time. Since the time of it’s opening, the place has freely blended the European techniques. The results of using such techniques is that you experience a truly contemporary style of cuisine. The menu of Roy’s Austin changes everyday but some classics always stay on the menu.

The Castle Hill Cafe is an independent Austin restaurant which came into business in 1986. It is located at West 5th street. It is there for the last 22 years and is regarded as an Austin Best Restaurant by many people. The restaurant was reopened with the name Corazon at the Castle Hill. It now includes a bar and a lounge area and also a full liquor license. This restaurant tried to grew in a rapid manner due to the surrounding demographic situations and by realising the rise of vibrant business in the neighbourhod. The main idea of this restaurant was to make their customers feel comfortable either they come for a lunch, dinner, brunch or for just a simple cup of coffee. In this feel-cozy attitude for the customers, the waitstaff of the restaurant has got a big hand. All the waiters of this place are well-trained and they are very much commited to their clients. The wait-staff is also very friendly. The dining room area of this place is full of energy and delight. It is a combination of romance and beauty. The bar of this Cafe Hill restaurant also provides the Happy Hours for drink specials.

The private dining rooms are also available in the Castle Hill Cafe which let you think that you are sitting in Austin Best Restaurant. These rooms are also available for the pleasant events like the wedding receptions, the birthday parties, anniversaries, special lunches and dinners of the corporates. The restaurant tries its best to bring some unique flavours of Austin eating for the Austinites. It also serves some unique Mexican cuisines. Just when you enter the restaurant, you feel the warmth in the surroundings through the touch of oranges, yellows and dark reds. The lanterns and their exotic lights remind you of the good old peaceful time when life was not that rushy. The whole restaurant has got a very nice balance when it comes to it’s interior. The linen napkins and the appetizer plates are really special. The restaurant has also got the Mexican craftwork which really gels in the restaurant. There are many tasty dishes available, some of which have been a part to the older form of the restaurant. These special gold-from-old variety includes the smoked pork tenderloin flautas, shrimp enchiladas and also the multi-cast cherry- chutney that has been sundried.

Whether you’re a vegetarian visiting the city, or an Austinite looking for something new, you’re in just the right place – Austin is filled with great choices. There are those restaurants dedicated solely to vegetarians, and others that are perfect for meat-lovers. But, even as you venture into a barbeque joint, you’re sure to find at least a few non-meat options. Here are a few of the best Austin restaurants that serve delicious and affordable vegetarian meals.

Mr. Natural – Mr. Natural has two locations in Austin and offers a 100% vegetarian menu. They serve Mexican cuisine that’s great for lunch and dinner – they also recently added breakfast selections. All meals are available for both dine-in and take-out.
Cost: Less than $10 per person
Website: http://www.mrnatural-austin.com

Mother’s Café and Garden – Mother’s is another restaurant that serves entirely vegan and vegetarian cuisine. They’re known for their diverse menu, offering everything from soups and salads to spicy Mexican food. They also have a wide selection of desserts that are served with Amy’s ice cream.
Cost: $8 – $15 per person
Website: http://www.motherscafeaustin.com

Kerbey Lane Café – Kerbey Lane has been voted a favorite breakfast spot in Austin for the last 5 years. Its four locations throughout the city are open 24 hours a day and have a wide range of both vegetarian and meat options for every meal. Kerbey Lane uses local farmers’ produce, so depending on the time of year and what’s in season, the menu changes to offer new dishes.   
Cost: Under $12 per person
Website: http://www.kerbeylane.com

Casa de Luz – Casa de Luz strives to provide an entire dining experience – a relaxing atmosphere paired with a wholesome meal. They serve 100% vegan and organic cuisine in a fixed price menu that changes daily. A typical lunch or dinner consists of a soup, side salad, and main dish. There are also themed meals hosted weekly, such as specialty Guatemalan cuisine or sushi. Breakfast is served buffet-style.
Cost: Breakfast – $6.50, Lunch and Dinner – $11
Website: http://www.casadeluz.org

Magnolia Café – Another great 24-hour diner, Magnolia Café has two locations in Austin – South Congress and Lake Austin Boulevard. Their diverse (and quite large) menu features breakfast favorites, traditional American food, pasta, Mexican dishes and more. Every member of your party is sure to find something they’ll like.
Cost: $8 – $12
Website: http://www.themagnoliacafe.com

Veggie Heaven – Veggie Heaven is on the University of Texas campus. It’s a hot spot for students, as it serves all-vegetarian cuisine with an oriental flair for lunch and dinner. It’s also known for its unique selection of bubble tea.
Cost: Less than $10
Website: http://www.veggiehavenaustin.com

Next time you’re in the mood for a delicious vegetarian meal, check out one of the above restaurants. With so many options, you’re sure to find something to satisfy.