ATX, ACL, SXSW, TMB, IDK, LMBO

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by HatterasJack, Jul 6, 2011.

  1. HatterasJack

    HatterasJack Is your refrigerator running? It's Mike Hunt.
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    I am headed to Austin for ACL in September. Originally it was just going to be for the festival but I scheduled some work out there and some time off and will now be in Austin for a little over 3 weeks. I have been there a few times before, but never for such an extended stay. Looking for suggestions on things to do. I will be staying downtown at the Driskill. On the list so far:

    Barton Springs
    Food: Salt Lick, Hudson's, Hula Hut, and Home Slice (when out on South Congress)
    Golf (at least one day at Barton Creek)
    ACL
    Probably some hiking

    Thought about renting a boat one day and maybe even heading over to San Antonio one day as well. Just trying to fill the calendar with some things most people might not know about. Thoughts?
     
  2. Fuzzy Zoeller

    Fuzzy Zoeller College football > NFL
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    Don't know what music you're into but a lot of good acts come to Stubb's downtown. Some good bbq there too. http://stubbsaustin.com/concert-listings/

    Get a burger at Hut's on West 6th. Best burger I've had in Austin.
     
  3. tandin

    tandin Guest

    it's pretty weird.
     
  4. HatterasJack

    HatterasJack Is your refrigerator running? It's Mike Hunt.
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    Yes, been to Stubbs for a couple shows before. Actually saw Sister Hazel there as a joke/to get drunk and had a blast. Never eaten there but love their bbq sauce. Will have to check their schedule.
     
  5. steamengine

    steamengine I don’t want to press one for English!
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    Ritchie Valens Burger :lick:
     
  6. jhooked

    jhooked It's the way you go na, na, na
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    FWIW a lot of the restaurants that you mentioned will have booths set up at ACL. It's usually a pretty good collection of the best local places and a few chains.

    Also, you need to hit up Juan and a Million for breakfast and order yourself a Don Juan. It's a giant breakfast taco with enough eggs, bacon, etc. to fill 3 tacos so order extra tortillas. Cheap as hell too.

    I'm assuming you'll have a car since you're in town for three weeks. If you do and don't mind making a 30 minute drive, head to Lockhart (the Holy Land of Texas barbecue) and try either Kreuz's or Black's.

    If you have any interest in seeing the campus area you can always check out the trophy room inside the stadium. Pretty decent shot you'll run into someone on the coaching staff while you're there.
     
  7. jhooked

    jhooked It's the way you go na, na, na
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    Oh and San Antonio sucks. Wouldn't even waste your time unless you really want to visit the Alamo and be massively disappointed.
     
  8. Poe Dameron

    Poe Dameron The best fucking pilot in the galaxy
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    damn Jack staying at the Driskill for 3 weeks :rain:

    Food:
    burger - Casino el Camino
    tacos - Torchy's & Coreanos (have to look on their twitter feed to see where they are going to be)
    sushi - Uchi & Uchiko
    thai - Madam Mam's

    Entertainment:
    bar hop
    Stubbs

    Recreation:
    Town Lake
    Zilker Park
    Barton Springs
     
  9. steamengine

    steamengine I don’t want to press one for English!
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    Cross Salt Lick off your list because it isn't very good and drive thirty minutes outside of town to Taylor, Texas for much better BBQ. Also go to Uchi at some point. If you want real Mexican food you should make a day trip to Houston :smug:

    You should also float the river in in San Marcos or New Braunfels; it will still be plenty warm for aquatic recreation.
     
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  10. HatterasJack

    HatterasJack Is your refrigerator running? It's Mike Hunt.
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    I haven't stayed there before. Is it nice? I have eaten at the restaurant there (forget the name) but never stayed. Sometimes the old historic hotels seem nice and have a great location but turn out to be shitholes when you stay there. It was actually pretty cheap after some discounts.
     
  11. Poe Dameron

    Poe Dameron The best fucking pilot in the galaxy
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    it's nice, pretty sure it's a :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: too. I heard it's haunted though. :ohnoes:
     
  12. Poe Dameron

    Poe Dameron The best fucking pilot in the galaxy
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    Cole Trickle can add some good insight ITT
     
  13. jhooked

    jhooked It's the way you go na, na, na
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    Definitely this.

    And this. 2nd ward holla (or hola).



    This thread is making me miss Austin so much :tebow:
     
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  14. Poe Dameron

    Poe Dameron The best fucking pilot in the galaxy
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    floating the river is not my thing, but if you're going to do it go with the Comal River in New Braunfels.


    Jack you can always go to Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels too.
     
  15. jhooked

    jhooked It's the way you go na, na, na
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    But go during the middle of the week because on the weekends that place is packed with day laborers from SA with 15 kids per family.
     
  16. HatterasJack

    HatterasJack Is your refrigerator running? It's Mike Hunt.
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    Hmmm...so which is it? I will have a car and am more than happy to drive 30 minutes for good bbq. I might try both. Can live without Mexican food and Houston.
     
  17. UA412

    UA412 Well-Known Member
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  18. matistic

    matistic Well-Known Member
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    Agree that Uchi, if you like sushi, is great. Forget about Hut's, it's one of those typical burger joints locals love but is really, really average. Not worth the time. Same with Salt Lick.

    Brunch at Fonda San Miguel is a really good one, and for some reason I really like the Mexican at Curras, just south of downtown.
     
  19. jhooked

    jhooked It's the way you go na, na, na
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    Yeah definitely don't drive to Houston. If you haven't had a whole lot of Tex-Mex you probably won't know the difference anyways.

    Louie Mueller's is in Taylor and it is damn good (pretty sure Texas Monthly rated it the best in Texas). But Lockhart has 3 places that are pretty universally considered top 10 in Kreuz's (my favorite), Black's, and Smitty's. Just depends on what you want to do, but as a heads up, I'm pretty sure Louie Mueller's runs out quickly. You can also try Franklin's in Austin, but you'll need to be in line between 9-10 am on a week day and expect to wait 1-2 hours. Don't even bother on weekends.
     
  20. jhooked

    jhooked It's the way you go na, na, na
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    Definitely agree with this. Also, if someone tries to tell you to go to Dirty Martin's near campus, run them down with your car because they don't deserve to live.

    I really like Your Mom's Burgers just east of 35. Also, Top Notch has pretty good burgers, but it's also the burger joint from Dazed and Confused.
     
  21. toddzo

    toddzo 8====D~~~~
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    This. I think most of the mexican food in austin sucks but this place is good and theres a good taqueria on cesar chavez next to your mom's burger bar.


    BTW the Tex-mex in Houston/SA shits all over tex-mex you've had anywhere else. Houston's got better food overall than Austin as well.
     
  22. HatterasJack

    HatterasJack Is your refrigerator running? It's Mike Hunt.
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    Thanks for all this info...very helpful.

    Also, is the golf course near Tarry Town (sp?) any good? I think it is either a municipal course or owned by the school? It is really close to downtown though so I thought about trying it out.
     
  23. jhooked

    jhooked It's the way you go na, na, na
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    No doubt about the Tex-Mex. Overall food, you're probably right but I really like the fact that Austin has way more (or maybe just a much higher concentration) patio/grill places where you can sit outside for drinks and food.

    Jack, you might also want to try The Oasis on Lake Travis. Shit tier Mexican food but go at sunset because it's probably the best view in town. Haven't been there yet but I've heard the Iguana Grill is close to the Oasis and has similar scenery with way better food. Might be worth a try too.
     
  24. steamengine

    steamengine I don’t want to press one for English!
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    You'll be fine either way. Like he said Lockhart is the Mecca of Texas style BBQ, but Taylor is probably a little closer. THe story of Kreutz and Smitty's is pretty cool as it's kind of a family rivalry thing. Haven't been to Black's.
     
  25. steamengine

    steamengine I don’t want to press one for English!
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    I understand, I just think of it as something authentic to the region, but maybe not.
     
  26. Poe Dameron

    Poe Dameron The best fucking pilot in the galaxy
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    the Tex-Mex scene in Austin isn't that great all, but foodies are revitalizing Tex-Mex in Austin with their unique spin on their food.
     
  27. Ranch Wilder

    Ranch Wilder The voice of the Angels.
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    Where do I start. ACL is an amazing weekend. You must have booked the Driskell, which is a great hotel, way in advance, because getting a room within 15 miles of downtown is next to impossible during the festival. Luckily, my girlfriend went to UT so I stayed with her, but ATX is a clusterfuck and you will be right in the center of everything which will be nice.

    Definitely hit up Town Lake in addition to the festival and all the other activities you mentioned. You can go kayaking, paddle boating, and its just a relaxing experience overall and has great views of Austin. I'm also surprised no one has mentioned Mt. Bonnell, which is a must see. Best views of the multi-million dollar homes in the hill country from up there. I'll give you a lot of food and drink suggestions since you'll be there a while.

    1. 6th Street - East (dirty) 6th is where all the college bars are but West 6th is where I like to go when I'm in town. Little less of a scene and better bars/lounges overall.

    2. Abel's on the Lake - Next to Hula Hut and probably where you should go instead in my humblest. Better food and drink and less wait usually.

    3. Salt Lick - Is good bbq, but Stubb's downtown is a plenty fine backup option if you want to stay close.

    4. Moonshine Cafe - Good luck getting in the weekend of the festival but if you do, it's a treat. Upscale and trendy comfort food, just really good.

    5. Bess Bistro - Sandra Bullock's restaurant. Similar to Moonshine so if you can't get in there, go here.

    6. Home Slice - Best pizza in Austin. On South Congress which is a really cool street.

    7. South Congress Cafe - Across the street from Home Slice. I recommend going there for brunch.

    8. Kerbey Lane - Open 24 hours. Amazing pancakes.

    9. Taco Deli or Torchy's - Both have better breakfast taco's than Juan in a Million and are less touristy

    10. Alamo Drafthouse - One of the coolest things to do in the city. It's a local movie theater where you can also order awesome food and they bring it right to your seat. They also have a full bar. Definitely make a night out of that if you have the time.

    11. Fonda San Miguel - Great mexican food. Order the queso with chorizo and thank me later.

    12. Paggi House - A bit trendier than South Congress Cafe but they also do an amazing buffet brunch. Chicken and waffles are incredible

    13. Whole Foods - Trust me it's worth the trip. Biggest one you'll see in your life since its their headquarters

    14. Uchi - I'm not a big sushi guy but it's Mecca if you do. The Saki list is huge.

    15. Flying Saucer - As another poster mentioned, great beer list. Go for Trivia Night on Tuesday if you have a group of people.

    As an aside, if you have nothing else, order a Hot and Crunchy Chicken Cone from the Mighty Cone stand at ACL. It's panko breaded chicken strips, ancho chile sauce, mango-jalepeno coleslaw, and fried avocado in a flour tortilla. It's probably the greatest single food item you will ever eat in your life and I'll fight anyone who disagrees.
     
  28. joe-

    joe- yesterday is a hard word for me
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    i can help you with music :D
     
  29. jhooked

    jhooked It's the way you go na, na, na
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    Moonshine Sunday brunch.....

    :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz: :jizz:
     
  30. Ranch Wilder

    Ranch Wilder The voice of the Angels.
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    I have nothing bad to say about the place. First restaurant I ever ate at in Austin and pound for pound could be the best.
     
  31. Poe Dameron

    Poe Dameron The best fucking pilot in the galaxy
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    Perkis, Magnolia Cafe is good too. If you've never heard of Magnolia Cafe before, it's like Kerbey Lane.
     
  32. Ranch Wilder

    Ranch Wilder The voice of the Angels.
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    Magnolia is really good too. Pretty close to ACL if I recall
     
  33. fsugrad99

    fsugrad99 I'm the victim here
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    Lots of good info in here. ACL is the best even the city puts on, so it's a pretty great time to be in town.

    If you're looking for the best BBQ in the history of the universe, try Coopers in Llano. It's a bit of a drive, but worth it.

    East 6th is pretty fratty, but west 6th is a little chiller. Try South Congress just for the food trucks and to kick a hippy.
     
  34. * J Y *

    * J Y * TEXAS
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    For bbq, you need to hit up Franklin's. I havent been yet, but it's all the buzz throughout the whole state and is supposed to have some ridiculous brisket.
     
  35. HatterasJack

    HatterasJack Is your refrigerator running? It's Mike Hunt.
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    Thanks for all the info. As for the hotel, booking 22 nights can help "bump" someone a few nights. I am pretty sure that is what happened. And when I was at ACL two years ago, I think I ate about 60 of those fucking cones...goddamn they are addicting. Then you need about 5 of those big canned beers to wash them down, then...it's just a vicious circle.
     
  36. HatterasJack

    HatterasJack Is your refrigerator running? It's Mike Hunt.
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    Gentlemen...a lot of great information here, really appreciate it. I am pumped just for all the great bbq...will likely put on about 20 lbs. I am little dissapointed in the lineup this year but can't wait for this trip. Need to plan out my "expense" so that I can write-off as much of this shit as possible.
     
  37. TheChatch

    TheChatch Big Paws On A Puppy.
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    Quoted for future use when I go down to Austin for 2 days before training to Dallas for the LSU game.
     
  38. 42yard

    42yard don't you wanna scram
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    I'd highly consider giving Chisolm Trail in Lockhart a shot as well. It's top shelf.

    If you're feeling overly heated and you want to cool down, Sno Beach is a good shaved ice place in Austin. I know there are at least two locations where they have their food trucks set up (34th and Guad, 801 Barton Springs). I recommend the first location because there's a better chance that you won't have to wait in line with a bunch of Westlake kids.

    As for toobing, I'm gonna have to second the Comal recommendation even though I'm personally biased towards San Marcos.* The Comal always has a good flow, and it's a good experience for your money. If we weren't in the middle of a ridiculous drought, I'd recommend the Guadalupe, but right now it has to be too low to be any fun.

    *Let me know if you decide to make a day trip to San Marcos, and I'll be happy to give you plenty of recommendations on where to go.
     
  39. TheChatch

    TheChatch Big Paws On A Puppy.
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    Someone break down 6th st for me. I haven't been to Austin in years and years. All I remember is getting cutoff and tossed out of the Aquarium.
     
  40. 42yard

    42yard don't you wanna scram
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    East 6th = Fratty, generally a shitshow

    West 6th = Mellow, not as many people
     
  41. TheChatch

    TheChatch Big Paws On A Puppy.
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    Yeah I get that. Any new spots with checking out? Old standbys that have gone to shit?

    Best deck for people watching?
    Best happy hr?
    Best beer selection?
    Best live music?

    Etc...etc...etc...
     
  42. jhooked

    jhooked It's the way you go na, na, na
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  43. Volholic16

    Volholic16 Well-Known Member
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    Torchy's Tacos
     
  44. joe-

    joe- yesterday is a hard word for me
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    what? the lineup is awesome
     
  45. jhooked

    jhooked It's the way you go na, na, na
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    Not necessarily Jack, but people bitch about ACL's line up every year. People always float out retarded rumors of who will headline (fucking Radiohead every damn year) and then are disappointed when the names are released. Lollapalooza is C3's big festival so I don't think ACL always gets their A game when it comes to planning it out, but I've never left disappointed. This year looks especially awesome.
     
  46. joe-

    joe- yesterday is a hard word for me
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    for what it's worth you should see every band highlighted in Orange

    [​IMG]
     
  47. jhooked

    jhooked It's the way you go na, na, na
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    I hope you accidently skipped over Randy Newman becuase if you didnt you don't have a friend in me.
     
  48. joe-

    joe- yesterday is a hard word for me
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    come on man. we belong together.
     
  49. Poe Dameron

    Poe Dameron The best fucking pilot in the galaxy
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    I like SXSW more than ACL because of the film aspect. I like more of a hardcore edge to my music.
     
  50. jhooked

    jhooked It's the way you go na, na, na
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    The only other song I know is Short People and I'm not really sure how to tie into this conversation.