First Time in Austin: BBQ Lines Worth Skipping, Breakfast Tacos Worth Waking Up For, and Where the Music Actually Lives

Get the migas taco (eggs scrambled with tortilla strips, peppers, cheese). This is Austin's signature breakfast. Veracruz has multiple locations, but the South First food truck is the original. El Primo on South First is the locals' no-frills pick.

The Capitol is taller than the US Capitol in DC (intentionally). Free self-guided tours run throughout the day. The grounds are beautiful for a morning walk. The Capitol Visitors Center in the southeast corner has free exhibits on Texas history.

South Congress is Austin's postcard street. Allen's Boots, vintage shops, the Continental Club, and murals everywhere. Skip the 'I Love You So Much' wall line and explore the rest of the strip. If you are hungry, Homeslice Pizza does excellent New York-style slices.

Both serve world-class brisket without the 3-4 hour Franklin BBQ wait. La Barbecue is a truck on East Cesar Chavez with a 30-60 minute line. Terry Black's on Barton Springs Road has the shortest wait and the widest menu. Order by the half-pound. Start with brisket and add one sausage link.

1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from under the bridge at dusk, March through October. Arrive 30 minutes before sunset and watch from the bridge itself or the south bank of Lady Bird Lake. This does not happen November through February.

Skip Dirty 6th (between Congress and I-35), which is a college bar gauntlet. East 6th (east of I-35) has craft cocktail bars like Small Victory and Whisler's. Rainey Street is converted bungalow bars with food trucks in every yard. Both are more interesting and less chaotic than Dirty 6th.

Barton Springs is a 3-acre natural spring-fed pool inside Zilker Park. The water stays 68°F year-round. Go before 8am for free entry and a nearly empty pool. On weekday mornings it is a meditative experience. Weekends get packed by 11am.

Houndstooth on North Lamar is the coffee spot for people who care about the actual coffee. Fleet Coffee in East Austin is the neighborhood spot where you sit on the patio and watch the street. Both are better than the Instagram-famous spots.

East Cesar Chavez and the surrounding blocks have the densest concentration of food trucks, taquerias, and small restaurants in the city. Discada does loaded quesadillas, Cuantos Tacos does handmade corn tortillas, and Nixta Taqueria (brick-and-mortar) won a James Beard Award for its blue corn tortillas. Check social media for hours since many trucks close unpredictably.

If the heat is manageable, the Barton Creek Greenbelt has swimming holes (Sculpture Falls, Twin Falls) that you can hike to in 20-30 minutes. Water levels vary by season. In summer, go early. Zilker Botanical Garden is also here ($7 entry) if you want something less strenuous.

Jester King Brewery (30 min drive, Hill Country setting, farmhouse ales) is the destination brewery. In town, Lazarus Brewing on East 6th combines Mexican food with craft beer. Cidercade ($12 unlimited arcade games, all ages until 9pm) is a local favorite that combines retro gaming with cider.

The Saxon Pub on South Lamar has free happy hour shows at 6:30pm on weeknights. The talent level is absurd for a free show. The Continental Club on South Congress is Austin's most legendary small venue. Broken Spoke is the last real honky tonk in Austin, open since 1964. Check do512.com for daily listings.

Bird Bird does Southern biscuit sandwiches that rival anything in Nashville. The Hot Chick (fried chicken, spicy honey, pickles) is the one. Bouldin Creek Cafe is the vegetarian and vegan breakfast spot that even meat-eaters love. Both are in South Austin.

The 10-mile loop around Lady Bird Lake is flat, paved, and one of the best urban trails in the country. Walk the south shore from Zilker to the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge for the best skyline views. If you prefer water, rent a kayak or SUP ($20-25/hour) from one of the lakeside vendors.

HEB is the beloved Texas grocery chain with a cult following. The downtown flagship on Congress has a prepared food section, bakery, and local products (hot sauce, BBQ rubs, tortillas) that make better souvenirs than anything on South Congress. Locals are passionate about HEB in a way that confuses visitors from other states.

Loro is a collaboration between pitmaster Aaron Franklin (of Franklin BBQ fame) and chef Tyson Cole (Uchi). It combines Asian flavors with Texas smoked meats and is one of the most interesting restaurants in the city. Matt's El Rancho on South Lamar has been serving Tex-Mex since 1952 and the Bob Armstrong dip is a Austin classic.

The Blanton Museum on the UT campus has a strong Latin American art collection and Ellsworth Kelly's Austin chapel, a standalone building of colored glass that is worth the trip alone. The Bullock covers Texas history from prehistoric times to space exploration with better exhibits than you would expect.

End the trip the way you started it: with tacos. Mas Tacos Por Favor in East Nashville has Austin outposts, but Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ combines smoked meats with breakfast tacos in a way that only Austin could invent. Then check do512.com for whatever is playing tonight, because in Austin, there is always something playing tonight.