Mattie's At Green Pastures

When you think about the “original” Austin, you get nostalgic about the weirdness. South Congress before it was filled with tourists, Toy Joy, and naked Matthew McConaughey playing the bongos. But as weird as our roots might be, Austin is still a city in Texas—a city with a whole lot of Southern charm. And if you need a reminder of that, you don’t need to go farther than Mattie’s, the restaurant at Green Pastures.

While Mattie’s itself is on the newer side, Green Pastures has been around for a very long time. It’s a Victorian mansion in Bouldin Creek that was built in the 1800s, and for the last 70+ years, people from across Austin came here for Easter brunches, wedding receptions, and close encounters with the peacocks who roam the grounds.

photo credit: Roger Ho

The rooms within the mansion vary from a pastel-colored bar ideal for drinking milk punch and trying to pull off a sun hat, to a cozy lounge with a fireplace and a big leather sofa perfect for sipping bourbon, to the giant wraparound porch that basically feels like a room, too. At night, the place takes on a more romantic feel. Spend time strolling around the property, noticing the crazy attention to detail, and strategizing how you can possibly move in without them noticing.

If it’s not obvious yet, the food isn’t really what you’re at Mattie’s for. The (pricey) menu is all solid versions of stuff you’ve seen before, like roast chicken and a burger. Their brunch is solid and sticks to its Southern roots, with eggs and grits and a brioche French toast.

If you want to be surrounded by a rarer form of local history, come to Mattie’s. It’s definitely not weird, but unlike every other new restaurant that seems like it was shipped in from somewhere else, this place actually feels like Austin.