Austin, no limits

 This past September marked my fourth visit to Austin, TX since 2007. Between the years, and with each visit I’m met with an ever-changing landscape, a different vibe, and new hot spots. Despite the fact that so much has changed over the past 17 years, including myself, I mean who doesn’t between the ages of 26 and 43; however, there is a constant that the city safeguards and will not compromise and that’s the amazing food it serves up all day long.

I’ll say it with my chest, Austin has some of the country’s best BBQ, Mexican, and American cuisine. Terry Black’s brisket is spoon tender, seasoned, and will melt in your mouth. Garrison’s as American and upscale as it comes, complete with intimate dinning, low lighting, and tater tots that should always come topped with aerated gruyere, shaved truffle, and caviar. And let’s face it, Austin is a college town, so after a night of drinking, you could head over to Las Trancas Taco Stand on E. Cesar Chavez Street. This taco truck turned parking lot fiesta is just what the doctored ordered to bypass any hangover. But enough about the food for now, we’ll get to some honorable mentions later in the post.  

What I really want to talk about is change over time. My first trip to Austin was to attend the wedding of one of my fraternity brothers at The Driskill on 7/7/07—if you are over forty and weren’t at a wedding that day, chances are you probably know someone who was. It was also a chance to catch up with some of my college roommates that I hadn’t seen in years, Pat and Ryan “Ray Ray.” By this time, Ray Ray, who I stayed with on this trip, had moved from the Bay Area, to St. Luis, and then to Austin the prior year, and was able to show me some of the best of what the city had to offer—a bridge with bats, Salt Lick BBQ, the college bars on 6th Street, and the gay bars on 4th Street. I was amazed at how walkable the city was, outside of the Salt Lick excursion, there wasn’t a day that I needed to use a taxi (it was 2007, the first iPhone had been out for just over a week so there was no Lyft nor Uber—we had to use taxi’s). Though in town for just a long weekend that I spent most of the time partying, the days and long nights flew by, and I thought Austin was an amazing city. Between the water, and the lush, green hills in the countryside, it really reminded me of Northern California, my home.  

It was 10 years later when I went back to Austin. And this time, the entire college crew was there: Patrick, Ray Ray, and Tomas. The four of us had been friends since our freshman year at the University of San Diego. I can’t recall whose idea it was to go back for this trip but being that we were now well into our 30’s and married, some of us with kids, and established in our careers. Considering all this, the time spent in Austin this go round was a little different. We rented a VRBO on the west side of town and had a car at our disposal—but we still did quite a bit of walking during the trip.  

All of us a little older, perhaps wiser, had a little more disposable income and could do more than just cruise the bars for fun. Now, Pat, forever the planner looking for the next good time, and who never wants the fun or party to end, had arranged for us to have a couple rental jet skis meet us at Lake Travis. Located about 20 miles outside of downtown Austin, it’s an easy drive to get over the lake. We spent a couple hours cruising around checking out the surrounding properties, riding waves, and splashing the in the warm waters. You could hav told me that we were on a Caribbean island, and I would have believed it. Having had our fill of being in the lake, we dried off and headed over to a popular multi-level Mexican restaurant with amazing views that overlook Lake Travis. The food and drinks at The Oasis were familiar and satisfying, the kind of place where you could order a bucket of beer and sit for hours. As a non-native, the wide, flat expansive landscape is the bespoke description of Texas that feels so familiar. Austin isn’t that. Places like Lake Travis with cliffside properties and lush lake greenery really challenge what comes to mind when most of us think of Texas. As an aside, though I knew nothing about this at the time, there is another well-known attraction at the lake called Hippie Hollow. About a year ago, I learned from a friend that Hippie Hollow is a beach-like area along the lake that is clothing optional. For those looking to be one with nature in their birthday suit, it’s my understanding that you will be in good company at this locale.  

At this point in time, we were in our late thirties, which meant that, with enough rest, we had the stamina to be out drinking till the wee hours of the morning, but it just couldn’t be back-to-back nights. Over the long weekend, there was one night that we did it big hitting up the bars on Congress and then wrapped up the night at Buford's Backyard Beer Garden. Another night, we made it over to what became a highlight for all of us guys for the trip. After having an Italian dinner over in South Congress area and passing back over the bat bridge, we made our way over to Rainey Street. The narrow street was lined on either side with colorful, single-story older homes which looked like Leave it to Beaver during the day and then transitioned to crowded bars blasting music by nightfall. Floating from house to house, it felt like a block party where everyone was there just to mix and mingle. For me, the crown jewel on Rainey was definitely Lucille’s, a fenced in bungalow with a huge patio area, a few bar stations, and a coveted front seating area, where you could sit and take in the nightlife action that migrated back and forth along Rainey Street. It was a total vibe.  

When we returned to Rainey Street in the fall of 2024, the crown jewel was still there, but its gems, like the remaining original properties, had started to dim in the shadows of towering, new residential buildings that must have taken over the footprint of two to three of the historic homes. My heart sunk a little. This was not the Rainey Street that lined my memory. I’m grateful to have spent time in this once bustling party scene that has thinned out quite a bit. Like much of downtown Austin, the area is in transition. New construction has changed the skyline of the city and brought with it a gentrification to areas like East Austin, which was previously an extremely depressed area. Newly renovated homes, commercial properties, and contemporary restaurants are starting to pop up at random and take new shapes like heated kernels of corn.  

If you’ve never ventured over to this part of Austin, I’ve got a few specific reasons why you’ll want to venture over to the East side of town, and the first one is Cosmic Saltillo. Head over there after the sun has set and explore this funky, artsy outdoor beer garden with great Mexican food, casual picnic tables for dining, a fire pit, TV screens, music, and plenty of libations.  

During the day, you can putter around while drinking at Holey Moley Golf Club Austin. You and your group can choose from one, two, or three different courses of indoor mini golf that are festively themed—and perhaps a little challenging after the third spicy margarita, which the Caddy is happy to bring by. Fun for groups, couples and bachelorette parties like the one we saw. The courses could be done in about thirty minutes when playing with a group, so if you have the time, do all three, as they are each different and unique.  

Lastly, pop over to Cenote, a local watering hole that serves up caffeine, beer, and tasty bites from morning till four in the evening. The enclosed garden area and eclectic décor inside and out give you the feel of being at the home of an old, well-traveled relative that has trinkets galore, telling tales of their travel. Your eye catches something different from every angle.  

The trips that I’ve made to Austin with my college buddies have never disappointed. Gray hairs, winkles, and little bellies are signs that we’ve matured over these years, overall, it hasn’t been for the worse, but just a reminder that nothing stays the same. For me, that’s what each trip to Austin has been, a reminder that while we can preserve memories in our minds or in photographs, life will continue to move on and look different, forcing us to explore and experience new things. Who knows when I’ll make it out to Austin next. But I am quite sure that my next visit to Rainey Street will be a completely new introduction to the construction built over my memories.