- La Condesa: Modern Mexican, great lunch spot because they have my all time favorite salad in all of Austin. The Pollo Mixto is a go to, plus the vibes are a little upscale so it’s great if you need a lunch meeting spot, or just a solo lunch date with your bad self!
Where: 400 W 2nd St A, Austin, TX 78701 - Wu Chow: Sichuan Chinese restaurant with a great family style menu. When the weather is nice, grab a spot on their patio. Or elect to sit inside and order literally anything, it’s all excellent. But if I was choosing, order some Chicken and Taro egg rolls to share, an order of the honey gulf prawns, and their dan dan noodles always hit the spot!
Where: IBC Bank Plaza, 500 W 5th St #168, Austin, TX 78701 - Irene’s: Come here if you want a place to sit inside or out, a full bar, and one of the most epic dessert bars in the whole city. Seriously, their strawberry cake is the perfect after lunch treat. I also am a big fan of their pimento cheese dip, and you can’t go wrong with any of their toasts.
Where: 506 West Ave, Austin, TX 78701 - Ranch 616: Patio, check! Epic full bar, check! I’m pretty sure there’s a common thread to my favorite lunch spots. But this one is great if you want Tex Mex in your life. They’re also the spot that coined my favorite drink, a Ranch Water, which is tequila, topo and fresh lime. They’re a hole in the wall spot that is an Austin institution. Any lunch would be lucky to be had at Ranch 616!
Where: 616 Nueces St, Austin, TX 78701 - Le Politique: This is one of the cutest restaurants for lunch downtown. I think it makes for the perfect date lunch spot. And while they are known more for their sit down, they’re really catering to the lunch crowd by offering boxed lunch options to go, AND a new prix fixe lunch menu that helps get you in and out while also serving you delicious french cuisine. Grab a croissant to go!
Where: 110 San Antonio St, Austin, TX 78701 - Second Bar and Kitchen: I come here for french fries and pizza, but they’re some of the best so it just seems right that this second street location is the perfect downtown lunch spot. They offer plenty of seating, so I always feel like I can get in and out of SBK when I need a good lunch fast!
Where: The Austonian, 200 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701 - Fareground: Fast casual with all the hits! Seriously, an indoor market essentially with 6 of Austin’s top restauranteurs offering their fare downtown right in the heart of Austin. Some favorites are of course, Henbit, you must get their crispy rice shrimp bowl and a big fat chocolate chip cookie, it’s
something I dream about! Another favorite in Fareground is Contigo serving up their fried green beans and epic burgers. Home run at this spot!
Where: 111 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701 - Flower Child: Healthy food fast! My kind of meal. I honestly eat at Flower Child 1x a week (not sponsored!) because I love their Asian Crunch salad, add chicken and it’s full of pineapple, quinoa, bell pepper and a yummy lemongrass dressing. It’s definitely fast casual but makes for a great quick lunch when you’re in the area!
Where: 500 W 2nd St Suite 160, Austin, TX 78701 - Maiko: I’ve eaten many a bento boxes at Maiko for lunch. It’s such a good deal, you basically get soup, salad, spring roll, sushi roll and protein and rice for like $14. I’m a big fan and hope you’ve either already discovered the greatness that is Maiko or hopefully this is your calling! It’s just good delicious sushi and japanese dining spot that always is buzzy for lunch, so get there before the lunch rush!
Where: 311 W 6th St, Austin, TX 78701 - Leaf: Not all salads are created equal, and Leaf really knows what they’re doing. Another hot spot that always has a line wrapped around the building, but is worth the hype. My pro tip is to call your order in ahead so you can skip the line. They have a lot of excellent pre made salad combinations or feel free to build your own. I personally love the asiago shrimp, hold the asiago! 🙂
Where: 115 W 6th St, Austin, TX 78701 Obviously there are plenty of other places to eat downtown, so if you have a favorite and I didn’t include it, DM me on Instagram and let me know- @withshayda! HAPPY LUNCHING!
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