13 Best Restaurants in East Austin
East Austin is culturally and historically rich and is one of the fastest-growing neighborhoods in Austin due to its trendy restaurant scene and diverse community. As a result, there is a ton of variety in East Austin to choose from for whatever suits your taste buds. Ranging from Mexican to Japanese, Italian, and Barbecue. One of my personal food choices is Rosita’s Food Truck because of their tacos al pastor, and their late hours which is perfect for a nocturnal person like myself. This list is comprised of a wide variety of food choices suited for any craving.
13 Best Restaurants in East Austin
Here are the best East Austin restaurants you should know:
- Suerte
- Rosita’s Food Truck
- Launderette
- La Barbecue
- Franklin Barbecue
- Old Thousand
- Nasha
- Intero
- Juniper
- Kemuri Tatsu-Ya
- Mr. Natural
- Counter Culture
- Hoover’s Cooking
1. Suerte
Address: 1800 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
In the heart of East Austin, you can find Suerte, an award-winning restaurant that specializes in homemade masa, suadero tacos, beer, wine & craft cocktails. Chef Fermin and his team curate a seasonally driven menu with an emphasis on bringing together traditional Mexican cooking techniques with local Texas ingredients to create a unique and exciting dining experience. The restaurant is decorated with vibrant art and textiles, offering a lively environment for any festivity.
Suerte is open 5pm-10pm Monday through Wednesday, 5pm-11pm Thursday and Friday, 11am-11pm on Saturday, and Sunday 11am-10pm. Although they don’t offer delivery, they do have takeout, and accept credit and debit cards as forms of payment.
2. Rosita’s Food Truck
Address: 1801 E Riverside Dr, Austin, TX 78741
Another East Restaurant in Austin is Rosita’s Food Truck. Rosita’s Food Truck is a family-operated counter-service spot offering tacos al pastor & other Mexican dishes, plus a late-night food trailer that has become a staple for Austinites to feast at after a long night at Dirty Sixth. Their goal is to assure the highest quality of service and food to their customers and to make sure they are receiving their dollars’ worth.
Rosita’s Food Truck is open 9am-12am Sunday through Thursday, and 9am-3am Friday and Saturday. They currently don’t offer any delivery options, but they do offer takeout, and accept credit and debit cards as forms of payment.
3. Launderette
Address: 2115 Holly St, Austin, TX 78702
Launderette is a gourmet New American café located in a converted laundromat in the Holly neighborhood of East Austin. Throughout weekend brunch, dinner seven days a week, and Friday Lunch, Executive Chef Rene Ortiz delivers savory dishes, utilizing a loosely Mediterranean flavor palette. Some of their specialties include Prince Edward Island mussels, a plancha burger, and gaucho chicken.
launderette is open 5pm-10pm Tuesday through Thursday, 11am-2:15pm and 5pm-10pm Friday and Sunday. They currently offer takeout and accept all forms of contactless payment.
4. La Barbecue
Address: 2401 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702
La Barbecue is a women-owned hopping BBQ counter offering brisket, pulled pork & sausages, with recipes exclusive to La Barbecue. Owner LeAnn Mueller honors her German relatives with throwback dishes consisting of salty and savory rubs, with absolutely no sugar added to the coleslaw. If you are seated outdoors or waiting in line, you will be misted with cool water, ideal for Austin’s unseasonably hot summer.
La Barbecue is open 11am-6pm Wednesday through Sunday. Although they don’t offer delivery, they do offer takeout, and accept credit and debit cards as forms of payment.
5. Franklin Barbecue
Address: 900 E 11th St, Austin, TX 78702
Franklin Barbecue is a BBQ joint in East Austin that has earned a reputation as the go-to place for tasty smoked meats. Owner Aaron Franklin’s interest in barbecue started with the backyard cookouts that he and Stacy Franklin would throw. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into when they opened up a small barbecue trailer on the side of an Austin, Texas interstate in 2009. Today, crowds stand in line for hours for a taste of his mouth-watering brisket, and rightfully so. In 2020, Franklin was inducted into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame.
Franklin Barbecue is open 11am-3pm Tuesday through Sunday. They currently don’t offer any catering or takeout services, and accept credit and debit cards, as well as Apple Pay as forms of payment.
6. Old Thousand
Address: 1000 E 11th St Ste 150, Austin, TX 78702
Old Thousand is a neighborhood Chinese restaurant on Austin’s east side. They offer an eclectic and inventive mix of flavors, ingredients, and styles with modern interpretations of classic American-Chinese recipes served in a hipster/vintage space with craft drinks & cool music. Some of their specials include honey prawn, brisket fried rice, and pineapple beef.
Old Thousand is open 5pm-10pm Tuesday through Thursday, 5pm-11pm Friday and Saturday, 12pm-3pm and 5pm-10pm on Sunday. The forms of payment they accept are credit and debit, and they offer both takeout and delivery services.
7. Nasha
Address: 1614 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702
Austin, Texas is known for its live music, picturesque landscape, and unique fusion restaurants. One such restaurant is Nasha, an Indian/Tex-Mex fusion restaurant located on the East Side. Nasha is a relaxed Indian restaurant serving traditional curries plus fusion tacos & curried margaritas. Pulling flavors and techniques from Mumbai to the Malvani coast of India to Austin, Texas, Nasha has created a fresh yet authentic experience. They serve all the “hit” curries like Tikka Masala, Saag, Vindaloo, Korma but in a rustic style.
Nasha is open 11am-11pm Monday through Friday and 12pm-11pm Saturday and Sunday. They currently offer both takeout and delivery and accept credit and debit cards as forms of payment.
8. Intero
Address: 2612 E Cesar Chavez St Suite 105, Austin, TX 78702
Intero is a sustainability-focused farm-to-table Italian restaurant with pasta & artisanal chocolate on a rotational menu located on the East side of Austin, Texas. Translating to “whole’’ in Italian, Intero embraces this ideology by utilizing whole local ingredients from their entirety, paired with traditional Italian techniques and cooking sensibilities. This naturally sustainable approach allows for innovative, yet familiar dishes that highlight the seasonal availability of what’s grown and raised in Texas.
Intero is open 5pm-9pm Wednesday and Thursday, 5pm-10pm Friday and Saturday, and 5pm-9pm on Sunday. While they don’t accept all forms of contactless payment, they do accept credit and debit cards and offer both takeout and delivery services.
9. Juniper
Address: 2400 E Cesar Chavez St #304, Austin, TX 78702
Juniper is an elegant, contemporary dining experience in a beautiful setting inspired by the effortless luxury of Northern Italian culinary traditions, rooted in the rich, seasonal flavors of Texas. Chef Nicholas Yanes offers a 10-Course Tasting Menu, Prix Fixe Dinner Menu, and A La Carte Menu, allowing you to choose the experience that suits your occasion. Additionally, they serve 16 varieties of gin cocktails, and specials such as Paloma Italiano and Under The Tuscan Sun.
Juniper is open 5pm-10pm Monday through Thursday, 5pm-11pm Friday and Saturday, and 5pm-10pm on Sunday. They accept credit and debit cards as forms of payment and offer takeout services.
10. Kemuri Tatsu-Ya
Address: 2713 E 2nd St, Austin, TX 78702
Kemuri Tatsu-ya is an izakaya from the team behind Ramen Tatsu-ya. They offer a relaxed full-service, full bar dining experience with Japanese & Texan influences featuring smoked meats, binchōtan grilled skewers, izakaya classics, and raw specials. They’re also notable for their Japanese whiskey, Texas beer, sake and shochu.
Kemuri Tatsu-Ya is open 5pm-10pm Sunday through Thursday, and 5pm-11pm Friday and Saturday. They currently don’t offer takeout or delivery services and only accept credit and debit cards as forms of contactless payment.
11. Mr. Natural
Address: 1901 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702
Mr. Natural is a juice bar, bakery & eatery rolled into one, with vegetarian food that still respects authentic Tex-Mex flavors served in a modest setting. They are a family-owned business from Mexico that opened their doors on October 7th, 1988 in East Austin. Everything they offer is made in-house, from their grandmother’s refried beans to the sandwich bread. If you have a sweet tooth, they serve desserts such as cakes, tapioca, and choc donut, as well as homemade granola.
Mr. Natural is open 8am-8pm Monday through Saturday. They currently offer both takeout and delivery services and accept credit and debit cards, as well as Apple Pay as forms of payment.
12. Counter Culture
Address: 2337 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702
Counter Culture is an innovative vegan fare offering meatless, dairy-free, and raw foods made from scratch served in a blue-walled dining room or on an outdoor patio. Their mission is to transform the world of food by offering healthy, plant-based meals at a reasonable price. For those with restricted diets, they offer many gluten-free & sugar-free dishes. Additionally, they are environmentally friendly and recycle or compost over 97% of their waste.
Counter Culture is open 11am-10pm Tuesday through Friday, 11am-3:30pm & 4pm-10pm Saturday and Sunday. They currently offer both delivery and takeout services and accept credit and debit cards as forms of payment.
13. Hoover’s Cooking
Address: 2002 Manor Rd Austin, TX 78722
Hoover’s Cooking is a black-owned restaurant owned by Hoover Alexander offering Texas home-cooking that encompasses Southern, Tex-Mex, Cajun, and Barbecue. A native East Austinite and a fifth-generation Texan, Alexander’s career began back in the ’70s at the legendary Night Hawk diner, an Austin pioneer in restaurant racial integration. After honing his skills at other noteworthy Austin restaurants, he opened his namesake spot on Manor Road in 1998. Chicken-fried steak, pork ribs, sandwiches & sides are the calling cards of this Southern kitchen.
Hoover’s Cooking is open 3:30-9pm on Tuesday, 11am-9pm Wednesday and Thursday, 11am-4pm on Friday, 12pm-6pm on Saturday, and 3pm-9pm on Sunday. They currently offer both takeout and delivery options and accept debit and credit cards as forms of payment.
