Places to Eat During Austin City Limits
The Austin City Limits Festival returns to this great American city from September 30 to October 2 and then from October 7 to October 9 at Zilker Park. If you’ve never been before, the annual festival should be on your bucket list for sure. Austin and its famous Austin City Limits television program have been a music industry mainstay since 1976. The annual festival is your opportunity to be part of one of a few events that define Austin and the people who live there.
While you’re at the festival, you will have an opportunity to try great food from an extensive list of local eateries. You can also leave the site and walk to one of the many restaurants around Zilker Park or, if you prefer, take a drive to the other side of town. There is no shortage of restaurants and cafés to choose from.
Eating at the Festival
Part of the thrill of attending something like the Austin City Limits Festival is enjoying festival food. This year’s festival will feature nearly three dozen local vendors serving every kind of cuisine you can think of. If you’re into grass-fed beef, check out Wholly Cow, a burger joint known as much for its creative name as its use of pasture-raised and hormone/chemical-free beef.
Trudy’s is a long-standing and well-known restaurant in Austin. You can visit their booth at the festival or take a drive to one of their four locations. Since 1977, Trudy’s has offered casual dining in an enjoyable, relaxed atmosphere.
Of course, there are some other vendors offering typical festival food like tacos, tamales, lemonade, waffle cones, turkey legs and, of course, barbecue. You can’t eat in Texas without trying some BBQ.
Eating Off-Site
If you are attending all six days of the festival, you’ll probably want to eat off-site for at least some of your meals. Again, this is not a problem in Austin. Below are a handful of suggestions:
Shady Grove
The Shady Grove restaurant is an intimate restaurant nestled under the shade of a giant pecan tree. It is within walking distance of Zilker Park, so it is an ideal lunch or dinner spot if you want to get away from the crowds for a while. As for Shady Grove’s menu, it is typical grill fare including chili dogs, tacos, burgers, and fries. You can get baby back ribs and salads as well.
Red’s Porch
Red’s Porch is a local bar and restaurant housed in a former auto repair shop. The owners have kept the original concrete floor, overhead doors and large windows to maintain the garage atmosphere. Red’s menu is all about the meat – just what you would expect in Texas, right? From fried chicken to steaks to classic Texas barbecue, they have it all.
Zoes Kitchen
Normally you wouldn’t recommend a chain restaurant for something like off-site festival dining, but Zoes is an exception. Zoes is a Mediterranean restaurant serving food that is hard to find in Austin otherwise. From fresh vegetables to pastas and breads, Zoes is a great place to relax and get a very good meal in between concerts.
Southside Flying Pizza
Southside Flying Pizza will have a booth at the festival, but they also have three locations in the area if you’re looking to leave the park for a while. They offer standard pizzeria choices along with daily specials and a specialty pizza rotating on a monthly basis. Lunch is served from 11 AM daily; the dinner menu begins at 3 PM. Order your favorite hand-tossed pizza and combine it with a salad, garlic bread, oven baked chicken wings and more.
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