AUSTIN (KXAN) — If you don’t live in Austin and you’re headed to Austin City Limits Music Festival, you may not know what else the city has to offer outside of festival grounds.
While there are endless opportunities to visit landmarks, local businesses, top-tier restaurants, and tourist must-sees all over the Austin metro area, there are plenty of options close to Zilker Park, ripe for ACL attendees (who may be relying on microtransit or rideshares) to check out while fest gates are closed.
So if you somehow find yourself with some extra time on your hands while in town for ACL, here’s a list of things to do, places to see, and food to eat in the area near Zilker Park.
Food and drinks
Chuy’s Barton Springs: The original location of the iconic, Austin-based Tex-Mex restaurant chain.
Location: 1728 Barton Springs Rd. Austin, TX 78704
Hours: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. daily
Juliet Italian Kitchen: Per the restaurant’s website, Juliet is a “relaxed Italian spot for a date night, business lunch or casual weekend brunch.”
Location: 1500 Barton Springs Rd. Austin, TX 78704
Hours: Mon-Thurs 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m., Fri 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sat 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sun 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Terry Black’s Barbecue: Texas barbecue right down the road from Zilker Park.
Location: 1003 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704
Hours: Sun-Thurs 10:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m., Fri-Sat 10:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
El Alma: Mexican restaurant and bar with rooftop seating. “El Alma’s menu is a vibrant take on the contemporary flavors of Mexico, that also features local ingredients,” per its website.
Location: 1025 Barton Springs Rd. Austin, TX 78704
Hours: Mon–Thu 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 11 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Matt’s El Rancho: Arguably a must-have, family-owned and operated, authentic, from-scratch Mexican restaurant on South Lamar. This option is easier for ACL fest-goers who have vehicles or don’t mind hopping on a bus or in a rideshare.
Location: 2613 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
Hours: Sun-Mon 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., closed Tuesday, Weds-Thurs 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m. – 11p.m.
ARNOLD WELLS / ABJ
The Picnic Food Truck Park: Several food trucks, all in one place, just steps away from Zilker Park.
Location: 1720 Barton Springs Rd. Austin, TX 78704
Hours: Mon–Fri 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., Sat 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., Sun 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Bars and coffee:
Also a little further down South Lamar are several great coffee, bar, and pub options. If you have the means and time, Broken Spoke and Saxon Pub are both legacy, historic bar/music venues that are instrumental to the spirit of south Austin’s music scene.
Need a caffeine pick-me-up before spending up to 10 hours in a day at the festival? Starbucks is right down the road, but there are also some locally owned shops a little further south. Some options include Medici Roasting on South Lamar, Merit Coffee South Lamar, and Once Over on South First.
Sightseeing & misc. activities
If you’re looking for those “weird” quirky Austin vibes, Peter Pan Mini Golf is within walking distance of Zilker Park. If you don’t mind venturing a little further away, you could stop by the Museum of the Weird.
There are also several options to check out pieces of Austin and Texas’ history and culture. The Bullock Texas State History Museum, the Texas Capitol, and the Blanton Museum of Art are all located within a mile of each other.
If you need a break from the crowds and music at Zilker, or have free time, and still want to be entertained, you could check out the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema on South Lamar. If you’re not familiar, Alamo Drafthouse is a movie theatre chain that serves dinner and drinks during movies.
Outdoors
Yes, ACL Fest is outside. But if the weather cooperates and you want to see more of Austin, or go for a swim, you have plenty of options outside of the park that are still near the park. Here are a few options:
- Deep Eddy Pool
- Barton Springs Pool
- Butler Metro Park/Auditorium Shores
- Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail around Lady Bird Lake
- Lou Neff Point
- Barton Creek Greenbelt
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FILE – Swimmers at Deep Eddy Pool in Austin (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) -
Barton Springs pool, September 2024. (Courtesy city of Austin photo) -
Residents cool off in the Liz Carpenter Splash Pad at Butler Park on July 16, 2023 in Austin, Texas, during a heat wave. (Photo by Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images) -
AUSTIN, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 05: General view of atmosphere during the Austin FOOD & WINE Festival at Auditorium Shores on November 05, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images) -
The Stevie Ray Vaughan statue on downtown Austin’s hike and bike trail in November 2021.
ARNOLD WELLS/ABJ -
View of downtown Austin from Lou Neff Point Nov. 14, 2020 (Courtesy Donna Carlson) -
A man died June 22 while allegedly freeclimbing near the Spyglass Trailhead on the Barton Creek Greenbelt. (KXAN Photo/Kelsey Thompson) -
A rope swing near the Twin Falls swimming hole on the Barton Creek Greenbelt. (Cora Neas/KXAN Photos)
Shopping
Need a quick new outfit for the festival or to grab some groceries?
Pavement and Garment Modern Vintage can fulfill the fit needs. Both shops are on South Lamar just off Barton Springs.
Garment specializes in designer vintage clothing and accessories from the 1970s through the early 2000s, according to its website. Pavement has just about everything. It’s a large buy/sell/trade shop selling new and used clothing, shoes, and accessories.
If you need groceries or snacks, there is a Trader Joe’s about two miles away from Zilker Park, on Bee Caves Road.
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