Carnitas El Guero, inside the Stassney Foodmart/Texaco on Stassney in South Austin, serves excellent carnitas tacos.

Interstellar BBQ in northwest Austin, from the Noble Sandwich Co people, has quickly established itself as one of the best new options for barbecue.

Hestia is the new restaurant downtown with a wood-fired grill from the Emmer & Rye people.

A Japanese shabu shabu restaurant on Burnet from the Ramen Tatsu-ya team.

You'll find one of Rainey's best courtyards at the Container Bar, where you'll be surrounded by shipping containers and lots of people day drinking.

ATX Cocina downtown has one of the longest tequila and mezcal lists in the city and serves some great Mexican food.

Punch Bowl Social in The Domain is everything you dreamed about as a kid - there’s bowling, skeeball, pinball - along with a bar for the adults.

Kemuri Tatsu-ya is serving Japanese/barbecue/Tex-Mex fusion in East Austin, and it’s one of the greatest meals you can have in the city right now.

Emmer & Rye’s seasonal small plates and beautiful space make it one of the better places for a special occasion dinner.

Lustre Pearl East is just like the original Lustre Pearl on Rainey, but with more outdoor space and way fewer UT students.

Suerte is an upscale Mexican spot on East Sixth that makes their own masa and is one of the most exciting spots in Austin.

Terry Black’s on Barton Springs has a big patio, short lines, and serves some the best Lockhart-style barbecue in Austin.

Located in the East Side Food Park, Kerlin BBQ serves all the greatest hits, but it’s their barbecue kolaches that set it apart.

Stiles Switch serves the best barbecue in Central Austin, hands down.

When you need to escape the craziness of Rainey Street, head to Geraldine’s inside Hotel Van Zandt for upscale Southern food and nightly live music.

Bungalow has a big backyard with a taco truck and a bar with huge windows, which are great for people watching and checking people out mid-taco.