Top Rated Restaurants & Cafes in Austin

Hand-tossed, artisan-style pizzas are the specialty at Southside Flying Pizza on South Congress Avenue. This local pizza shop has the standard ingredients like mushrooms and pepperoni, but the sausage is homemade and the cheeses include chevre and feta. Using homemade sauces, dough and ingredients, Southside Flying Pizza aims to create fresh pizza to order. Create your own pie, or select from one of their favorites, like the Athena, with spinach, olives, tomatoes, onions and cheese. Appetizers include garlic knots and salads. Eat in the small dining room, or order for delivery. Plus, if you order online, Southside will make a donation to the nearby Texas School for the Deaf.

No extended trip to Austin is complete without a stop at Amy's Ice Creams, especially at this location (the flagship store) in The Guad IBIZ District. The laid-back "dessert artists" are extremely happy to be working here, as evident by their genuine smiles and tendency to juggle scoops of ice cream for a customer's entertainment. No, you will not get carded to order their rotating flavors of alcoholic ice cream (there's not enough alcohol in the mix for it to be regulated), so it's worth a try! There are a number of "crush-ins," such as Nutter Butters pieces and Gummy Bears, to add to the novelty for an extra charge. However, a blackboard nearby frequently updates with trivia questions, and whoever answers correctly gets one free add-on.

Kerbey Lane Cafe has been cloned several times now, but the original location of this Austin icon is still a local favorite. Its wonderfully diverse menu is a sight to behold for vegetarians. The vegetables are homegrown and pesticide-free, and the beef and chicken are free-range. Breakfast features omelets, pancakes and great breakfast tacos. The restaurant is open 24 hours between Thursday and Sunday, perfect for your late night weekend eats. No wonder it is an institution here.

This stylish restaurant is located in an elegant little bungalow in East Austin. Specializing the French cuisine, Justine's is known for its casual atmosphere and lively crowds of people. When in town, head over for a night-out with your group at this place and spend hours of fun as you relish French delicacies, sip refreshing cocktails, and watch the world go by in the breezy, spacious patio. Try their special escargots, in-house charcuterie, or steak tartare and pair it with a delicious glass of wine to complete the experience.

Draped in flags from over a dozen countries, Hyde Park Market, Deli, & Organic Grocery is part-gas station, part-corner shop, part-wine & spirits store, part tobacconist, part deli, part organic grocery, and a local cuisine market. Indeed, the owners have found a way to pack as many varieties of convenience store staples (pork rinds, etc.), hard-to-find grocery items (such as kombucha), and products from local vendors (like Mary Louise Butters Brownies), while still finding a way to allow customers to comfortably maneuver their way through the store. It truly is a special kind of "stop-n-shop."

Mrs Johnson's Bakery is a haven for donut lovers with varieties such as Cinnamon Sugar Cake, Apple Fritters, Strawberry Filled, Bavarian Cream Filled and Famous Glazed Donuts. Entering the charming bakery, you are greeted with donuts that have attractive sprinkles, custard and icing as garnishes. It also specializes in the fruity dessert Kolach, along with brownies and cookies. The specialty of this bakery is that it opens around 8p at night and closes shop only at noon the next day; hence, it is a great spot to fulfill your late-night craving for sweets and coffee. This bakery also offers catering service for birthday parties.