Start your day with a gourmet bottomless cup of coffee for only 2.99, roasted on site by Mozart's very own roast master. Get your sugar fix with a top-notch cannoli or fruit tart while watching folks enjoy Lake Austin from the large deck overlooking Lake Austin. Not a coffee drinker? Great tea selection as well. Pick up a copy of The Austin America... Moren Statesman, Austin's daily newspaper, to get the latest info on what's going on in the city that prides itself on being the "Live Music Capital Of The World." Pet friendly on the decks and complementary wireless Internet service for those who prefer to stay tethered to the real world.

3825 Lake Austin Boulevard
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 477-2900

HOURS
MO-THU: 7 am - Midnight
FRI: 7 am to 1 am
SAT: 8 am to 1 am
SUN: 8 am to Midnight

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Austinites pride themselves on being environmentally conscious and the city's locavores know to hit Austin's farm markets early for the best selection. Hill Country Peaches from Fredericksburg, Round Rock Honey, freshly baked Texas French Bread, and organic veggies from farms in East Austin are just a few of the local farm-to-market offerings. Vend... Moreors are friendly and eager to share information on planet-friendly organic and Sustainable Farming. Check the website's Event Calendar to see if there is a Chef Circle demonstration the day you visit to learn how to use in-season items in tasty and nutritious ways from local chefs who often plan their menus around the area's seasonal produce.

DOWNTOWN
Saturday 9am - 1pm
4th and Guadalupe - Downtown
SUNSET VALLEY
Saturday 9am - 1pm
3200 Jones Rd/Toney Burger Center
THE TRIANGLE
Wednesday 4pm - 8pm CLOSED July 4th!
46th and Lamar - The Triangle
EAST
Tuesday 10am - 1pm
51st and HWY 183 (5313 Ed Bluestein) -Less

No trip to Texas is complete without tasting the state's legendary barbecue fare. Two years after its humble beginning in a food trailer at a parking lot in East Austin in 2009, Franklin's snagged Bon Appetit's title of Best BBQ in the USA. The Washington Post, Texas Monthly, and Cooking Channel joined the chorus singing Franklin Barbecue's praises... More as one of the best barbecue joints in Texas.

Choose from pulled pork, sausage, turkey and the star of the menu, brisket, which sells out each and every day. Pick a couple of humble sides to fill your plate, add a couple of squishy slices of white bread to sop up the sauce and wash it all down with Topo Chico (Mexican Bubbly Mineral Water) or Texas' own Pure Cane Sugar Dr. Pepper.

Beware, Franklin's is only open for lunch and it's gone when it's gone. Most days you'll see lines forming before the doors open, especially when the colleges are in session. Come early, eat much, leave happy.

900 E. 11th St.
Austin, TX 78702

Open Tuesday–Sunday
11 am till sold out (just open for lunch)
CLOSED MondaysLess

Whole Foods began as a small Austin neighborhood grocery in 1980 just blocks from its current world headquarters on North Lamar. Now the world's leading grocer in natural and organic foods, the North Lamar store is an impressive 80,000 square feet of fresh produce, baked- and cooked-on-site foods, and obscure grocery items. The village-style layout... More keeps you engaged and the Team Members working there are well-informed and extremely helpful. From 1 to 10 p.m., enjoy one of the six beers on tap or a glass of "green" wine on tap (yes, on tap) in "Bar Lamar" located inside the store.

Hone your knife skills, learn traditional sushi-making techniques, or how to prepare the perfect pasta in the state-of-the-art kitchen in the Culinary Center behind the Market. Check the cooking class calendar on the Center's website for classes for all ages.

Parking: Surface lot in front of the store or the parking garage, which includes an escalator designed to handle shopping carts with ease. Two spaces have charging stations for electric cars for a small fee.

Whole Foods Market
Lamar Culinary Center
525 N. Lamar Blvd.
Austin, Texas 78703
(512)542-2340

Open 8 am to 11 pm seven days a weekLess

Casa De Luz is Austin's vegan delight. "Always Vegan, Organic, Gluten & Allergen Aware," Casa De Luz, translated as House of Light, proves that healthy eating with a focus on macrobiotics can be tasty eating. The menu changes daily, so check the website for today's fare.

Food for the soul is integral to Casa De Luz's "Health and Commu... Morenity" mission, so check the website for yoga, meditation, self-help sessions, and more. Playground for the kids to have fun while you sip an iced tea, enjoying the lush grounds. Lit by hundreds of sparkling mini-lights, the place is especially magical at night.

The Casa De Luz cookbook makes a great gift or a souvenir that helps you enjoy the cuisine when you get back home.

1701 Toomey Road
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 476-2535

Breakfast: 7 to 10 am
Lunch 11 to 2:30 pm
Dinner 5:30 to 8:30 pmLess

If barbecue is king in Texas, Tex-Mex must surely be the queen. Chuy's Barton Springs location is where it all begin in 1982 in a defunct barbecue joint. Tex-Mex is influenced by Mexican spices such as cumin, cilantro and chilis, laden with cheese and heavy on the meat. Chuy's "Burritos As Big As Yo' Face," homemade blue corn tortillas and a variet... Morey of regional sauces make Chuy's a stellar example of Tex-Mex. Margaritas, frozen or on the rocks, or a Mexican Martini (Cointreau, tequila, fresh lime juice with a jalapeno-stuffed olive) help patrons forget the Texas heat.

The decor is...eclectic. Velvet Elvis shrine, metal palm trees, hand-carved fish, twinkling lights and discarded hub caps collected over the years. On your way out pick up a funky souvenir t-shirt to remember your trip down Tex-Mex Lane.

1728 Barton Springs Rd.
Austin, TX 78704
(512)474-4452

Open Sun-Thurs 11-10
Fri & Sat 11-11
Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-7Less