Guide to Austin’s Great Late Night Bites
SXSW rips through Downtown Austin like a tornado on a yearly basis, bringing with it exciting panel discussions, product demos, film screenings, live concerts, and after parties. The festivities can easily run into the later hours of the night and even the wee hours of the morning, and it stands to reason that attendees might find themselves craving some hearty and flavorful bites well past dinnertime. That’s why we’ve rounded up 9 restaurants, bars and food trucks in Downtown Austin and East Austin that will keep your belly full and your taste buds happy at 12 a.m. or even later.
Velvet Taco
522 Congress Ave.
Late-night tacos feel like a very Austin-appropriate snack, and Velvet Taco in the heart of downtown will be ready to offer bold global-fusion versions to revelers until 12 a.m. every night. Spice fiends shouldn’t miss the Spicy Tikka Chicken taco with chicken tenders, tikka sauce, buttered cilantro basmati rice, raita, and Thai basil on a flour tortilla, and plant-based taco fans will love the Mediterranean Mushroom (grilled portobellos, French fries, tzatziki, chimichurri, cucumbers, tomatoes, queso fresco, and dill on a flour tortilla).
Casino El Camino
517 E 6th St.
For huge, juicy, legendary burgers in one of Austin’s most beloved dive bar spaces, be sure to visit Casino El Camino on Sixth Street. The ¾-pound burger patties are made with Angus beef and are cooked to a flawless medium temperature, so you’ll get a nice exterior crust and a tender pink inside. As for toppings, you can opt for classics like cheese and bacon or you could try one of Casino El Camino’s signature burgers, like the Amarillo Burger (with roasted serranos, jalapeno Jack cheese, and cilantro mayo) or the Madison Burger (with beer-braised pork belly, Shiner Bock gastrique, jalapeno Jack cheese, sauteed onions, and bacon mayo). If you’re not feeling a burger, you can go with a hot dog, Italian sausage, sandwich, or a platter of loaded fries. Casino El Camino serves food until 1:30 a.m., 7 days a week.
ZIKI
2118 South Congress Ave.
Speaking of global fusion, ZIKI has made quite a name for itself in Austin’s street food scene with its widely-dispersed trucks serving Mexican-Greek hybrid bowls and wraps. Their downtown truck on West 3rd Street serves until 12 a.m., and anyone in need of a meal that’s both healthy and flavorful will love the build-your-own option with ingredients like cilantro lemon white rice, yellow basmati rice, gyro beef, falafel, pico de gallo, cilantro cabbage slaw, guacamole, feta cheese, and much more.
Halcyon
218 W. 4th St.
A stylish coffee shop/cocktail bar on West 4th Street, Halcyon Downtown is a reliable all-day stop. Comfort-food dishes with fresh ingredients that pair nicely with both coffee and booze are Halcyon’s wheelhouse, and during nighttime hours (6 p.m. – 12 a.m.), you can get satisfying snacks like hummus and grilled pita, spinach artichoke dip, and tuna salad sandwiches with cucumber, fresh herbs, tomato, and rye bread.
Spicy Boys on Rainey St.
75 1/2 Rainey St.
Fried chicken fanatics absolutely have to make a trip to Spicy Boys, one of the best food trucks on Rainey Street. The Spicy Boys team add Asian seasonings and toppings to their nuggets and sandwiches, resulting in craveworthy dishes. You really can’t go wrong with anything on their menu, but we’re especially partial to the Tingly Gai Chicken Sandwich with Sichuan peppercorns, spicy pickles, and spicy ranch and the Cauliflower Nugs with Thai basil ranch. Spicy Boys Rainey serves at Half Step Bar until 12 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays (and until 11 p.m. on Mondays-Thursdays).
Asador on Rainey St.
88 1/2 Rainey St.
Craving street tacos on Rainey Street? Asador has you covered with brisket, carnitas, breakfast, and veggie versions. Their outpost at The Drafting Room on Rainey Street stays open until 12 a.m. on weekends, and in addition to stellar tacos, they offer quesadillas, chips & guac, and queso.
Delray Cafe
1133 E 11th St.
Many best events and parties happen on the east side of I-35. That’s why it makes sense to pay attention to the late-night dining landscape in East Austin, and one of our favorites is Delray Cafe, the Detroit-style food truck taking up residence at Nickel City. Coney dogs, hot wings, crinkle-cut fries, and sliders can all be found here, along with perfectly-crisp onion rings.
Uptown Sports Club
1200 East 6th St.
From the great mind of Aaron Franklin comes Uptown Sports Club, a recently-opened cocktail bar and restaurant that specializes in NOLA-inspired bar food with plenty of Cajun flair. In true Louisiana fashion, Uptown Sports Club has a late-night offering of seasonal oysters at market prices, ideal for refreshing yourself after a long day and gearing up for nocturnal adventures (and they go great with Uptown’s cocktails, too). Uptown Sports Club serves their late-night menu until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Golden Tiger
1816 East 6th St.
Exploring Austin’s unique and thrilling cocktail scene? If your wanderings bring you over to Whisler’s in East Austin (which they should, as Whisler’s is among our most celebrated cocktail bars), don’t forget to grab a bite at Golden Tiger, Whisler’s’ on-site food truck. The Golden Burger with double smashpatties, American cheese, lettuce, pickles, red onion, and special sauce is Golden Tiger’s best-known dish, but their Tofu Sandwich with lettuce, pickles, onion, and gochujang mayo and their Tiger Fries with chili, queso, BBQ sauce, a sunny-side-up egg, pickled peppers, dill pickles, and red onion are also delicious options. Golden Tiger serves food until 1:30 a.m. every night.