A field guide · Austin

Austin, Weird and Wonderful

Brisket, bats and honky-tonks. A dozen long-running Austin originals, from a spring-fed pool to a cathedral built of junk.

12 placesLast updated Nov 1, 2026
1

Franklin Barbecue

Austin
Food

“Central Texas brisket worth the famous morning line; arrive early.”

#bbq#iconic
2

Matt's El Rancho

Austin
Food

“Tex-Mex family institution since 1952; order the Bob Armstrong dip.”

#tex-mex
3

Jo's Coffee

Austin
Coffee

“Walk-up SoCo coffee stand home to the "i love you so much" mural.”

#south congress#photo spot
4

Texas State Capitol

Austin
Sights

“Free tours of a capitol built taller than the U.S. Capitol.”

#free#architecture
5

Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge

Austin
Sights

“Watch the bat colony emerge at dusk, roughly March through October.”

#bats#sunset#free
6

Barton Springs Pool

Austin
Outdoors

“Spring-fed pool in Zilker Park that stays near 68°F year-round.”

#swimming#zilker
7

Mount Bonnell

Austin
Outdoors

“Short stair climb to a classic view over Lake Austin.”

#view#free
8

Cathedral of Junk

Austin
Sights

“A backyard tower of salvaged junk; visits by appointment only.”

#weird#call ahead
9

BookPeople

Austin
Shops

“Texas's largest independent bookstore.”

#books
10

Waterloo Records

Austin
Shops

“Independent record store with frequent in-store performances.”

#music#records
11

The Continental Club

Austin
Drinks

“South Congress live-music room open since 1955.”

#live music
12

Broken Spoke

Austin
Drinks

“Old-school honky-tonk with dance lessons and live country.”

#dancing#live music

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