A trip to Austin isn’t complete without exploring at least a handful of local restaurants. While some may swear by barbecue and others get fanatical over tacos, it’s the noodles and bánh mì at Elizabeth Street Café that we think are worth going gaga over. This cheerful little sunshine-filled space easily makes the top of our #brunchbucketlist, especially when in ATX. And just in case you’ve been having a too-good time staying out all night listening to music and roaming the bar scene, there’s seriously no better cure for a hangover than Vietnamese spices and patisserie treats.
ATX Café Culture at its Best
The Austin café scene is known for great coffee served in cool, casual places. With Stumptown running the coffee at ESC, you can definitely check great coffee off the list, and the place itself is cool too. With a bright, white-walled interior dotted with splashes of bold pink and blue hues, the café has a truly cheery vibe about it. But what makes it bucket list worthy? Frankly, the outdoors. The decks are shaded by awnings and trees, and being outside with friends on a nice day in this part of Texas is unbeatable.
Instant Hangover Cure
A quick browse through the weekend brunch menu is proof that hangover cures are best served alongside Vietnamese iced coffee *and* a house-made Bloody Mary with ginger and charred jalapeño. Go for the bucket list worthy brunch gold and order up a couple of ESC’s go-to dishes – say, the pork belly steamed buns with poached eggs and the breakfast bánh mì with scrambled eggs and ginger pork sausage – and be sure to finish the meal with a sweet treat from the boulangerie. The beignets with guava and strawberry jam are other worldly.
Tunes, Drinks and Swimming Holes
While Austin swears by its weirdness, this town packs a whole lot of cool factor into a small city center. Elizabeth Street Café sits in the heart of it all, located in the South Congress district. It nearly goes without saying that the music scene in ATX is off-the-charts. Check out the local papers for gigs nearby if you’re making a weekend out of this bucket list worthy brunch. Cocktails at Hillside Pharmacy are a must while in town, but this is a city of watering holes and really delicious craft cocktails, so you’ll certainly want to hop around. But the best thing about Austin? Its swimming holes. Seriously. Austin has dozens of springs, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, and dipping holes in and around the city. Get out there and explore, y’all.
Photography: Elizabeth Street Café | Casey Dunn
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