A couple nights ago, Brittany and I met down at South Congress for some dinner at Snack Bar, a restaurant I’d never tried until now. Austin is teeming with fabulous little locally owned businesses and restaurants, and sometimes I’m overwhelmed by just how many good ones out there we’ve yet to try! I guess we’ll just have to take them on one at a time, now won’t we.
South Congress is one of the quirkiest spots in town, and visiting serves as a reminder of just why the city slogan is “keep Austin weird.” For example, I know this is Texas and all, but it was still a little surprising to see a couple clip-clopping along the sidewalk on horseback the other night, like it was no big deal. Or there was that one time a crazy bum was following people around and laughing maniacally while waving a cardboard sign that said “smile if you masturbate.”
It was uncomfortable.
But anyway, we had a really nice time, and oh my! That burger! I don’t know if I was just extremely hungry or if that burger was exceptionally good (probably an even mix), but YUM. And that’s all I have to say about that!
Oh how I miss Austin! Have you ever been to Shady Grove? I love that place! And I love shopping and eating on South Congress.
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Quirky is the best. Masturbating bums aside... I love everything with a bit more character. ;) I love that first photo, btdubs.
ReplyDeleteAustin seems so fun! I definitely want my husband to look at places there for his residency! Your pictures always make it look like a great place!
ReplyDeleteI have been wanting to go to Austin for awhile now- looks like so much fun. I would love to be in a place where people are randomly on horseback & doing weird things (ok, can definitely skip the bum w/the sign though).
ReplyDeleteHow awesome! I love finding the little local scenes where I live and I can't wait to find it when I move in in June!
ReplyDeleteOkay, that bum thing. LOL. You ALWAYS make me laugh. Lovely pics, too!
ReplyDeleteI seriously melt over your photography every time. Oh, I love it. Move to Memphis so I can be apart of those gorgeous pictures!!!
ReplyDeleteOk, with the way you talked up the burger and the 'that's all I have to say about that' comment..then seeing the 'dog friendly' sign, my mind had a field day with that. burger-dog-delicious...any way.
ReplyDeleteLove the people on the horses just camped out!
Emily at Amazing Grapes
Everyone loves Austin but the traffic keeps me away. The food looks yummy though and I love the idea of showing up to dinner on horseback. Would I do it? Nope but I think it is fun.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I don't have a horse to ride to dinner on :)
Now, now, don't go all making me mad we didn't take the drive up to Austin a couple weeks ago :-). Sounds like a fun evening, and your photo shoot came out lovely, and the shoes you found at Target are great - so classically go-with-anything-all-summer-long. Ok, I think those were all the comments I meant to leave on your last three posts. :-p
ReplyDeleteYes, yes and yes. Looks like a place i would LOVE. :)
ReplyDeletehaha Austin sounds fabolous!
ReplyDeleteAnd having people on horse back is the norm here... I see a few tied up to a tree near the Post Office... haha but that is just what you would expect from a town with only 2 stop lights and one grocery store haha (:
Lovely photos!
I must say I have never seen anyone riding on horseback down a major street in a big city! Austin, I love thee.
ReplyDeleteMy boyfriend & I were just in Austin a few weeks ago and I think the best request was a homeless man asking if we had "a spare $125,000" :)
ReplyDeleteHave you ever been to Lambert's downtown? We loved it!!
I just love Austin! The "Keep Austin Weird" slogan makes me smile, because I just love local businesses and it's great seeing so many in one place.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to say that I have this very scary visual of that bum following people around now haha.
Also.... I'm looking through my photos from our trip to Austin years ago, and I'm almost 100% sure I've got a photo of that same man on horseback. What a great sight to see people taking their horses down a busy city street. (:
We've walked by a few times, but haven't tried it yet. Glad to know you liked it. I'll have to add it to the list. I have a hard time going anywhere but homeslice when we hit SOCO.
ReplyDeletelooks like fun..
ReplyDeleteglad you didnt run into any crazies (:
This makes me crave a cheeseburger!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a cool place! We love walking down SOCO, I think that was my parents favorite thing when they came to visit too :) Gotta love all the crazies down there haha!
ReplyDeleteI couold do with a burger now.
ReplyDeleteAnd as though someone wrote that on a sign and followed people round with it--weird!
hey one off topic question:
ReplyDeletecould you do a hair tutorial? i love how you style it and would like to know how to achieve such a pretty look!
thanks
-anna
Wow! Charity Poole stole the words right out of my mouth! I was gonna say, "Man, I miss Austin ... The pics of this place remind me so much of Shady Grove ... SO. GOOOOOOD." jealous. :(
ReplyDeleteI totally need to move to a place where people ride horseback on the sidewalk.....My town is boring!
ReplyDeleteSo fun! My friend wants to go to Austin to run a race and I've definitely heard really good things!! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat photos! I've never been to Texas but I would like to think that horses are a common site on the street (which would be awesome to ride your horse to the bar!).
ReplyDelete@ Anna - I will try to do one soon! Just need to figure out how to make a decent video! Ha!
ReplyDeleteAll I do is blow dry it, then flat iron it and use the same flat iron to curl the ends! :)
Ooo, South Congress is one of my favorite haunts. So much goodness and excellent opportunities to people watch (weirdos everywhere!). I haven't been to Snack Bar yet though, I am a big fan of burgers so I will put it on my list! Have you tried Hopdoddy's burgs? Pretty amazing. Their fries are heavenly. I am drooling as I type.
ReplyDeleteAustin is definitely on my places to visit list!!! which probably sounds really weird coming from a southern californian...
ReplyDeleteSigh. I miss Austin. South Congress was one of my favorite areas!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a cool restaurant. That's one thing I wish there were more of around where I live, local restaurants. That's one thing I love about visiting my Dad up in CT. There's a local restaurant that's pretty good, and it's right my his house!
ReplyDeleteThe couple on horseback on the sidewalk is pretty random. But pretty cool too. I love horses.
I love me some quirk. I think I would like Austin.
ReplyDeleteI grinned when I read the 'smile if you masturbate' thing and then I was all like, hey whoa, not grinning, not smiling!
Brittany kinda looks like Jewel.
Gorgeous photos.
Your pictures are always so perfect. I've never been to Austin but it looks like a great city.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a neat spot! My best friend is doing her internship at the museum right across from the capital building :)
ReplyDeleteThat def. does seem weird but the pictures you got make it look gorgeous. :)
ReplyDeleteRiding your horse to the bar is a good way to avoid getting a DUI! (or do they give riding while drunk tickets?? haha!)
ReplyDeleteLooks like a nice night out.
Happy Friday!
What a fun place! I think I want to come visit now :) We went to a burger place the other night and it was delicious. Looked quite similar to the one in your photo! Yum!
ReplyDeleteThe horse guy is awesome!!! lol Looks like a great place!
ReplyDeleteAll the photos are great! But the first one steals my heart...Dog Friendly! This is a very nice post.
ReplyDeleteYour photography is excellent!!!! xoxo
ReplyDeleteI totally love the snack bar! they have amazing mimosas... I'm dying to go back & just sit & eat all day long :)
ReplyDeleteUm, I thought I'd let you know.... I ate here for lunch on Friday during my visit to your awesome town. Alex and I were sitting out on the patio area and guess what.... so was Natalie Portman. I kid you not. With blonde hair, puppy dog and kid in tow.
ReplyDeleteSnack Bar was awesome. I didn't have the guts to do anything but "try not to stare" while she ate her lunch. But, I mean, wow. This place rocks! The burger was GREAT! (As was the beer!)
We are headed out that way for a wedding on May. I love finding ideas of places we need to check out :)
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